Gaia Nicosia
Professor of Operations Research — Università degli Studi Roma Tre
Current Position
Full Professor of Operations Research, Department of Civil, Computer Science and Aeronautical Technologies Engineering (DICITA), Roma Tre University. Since November 2024 she serves as Associate Chair (Vicaria del Direttore) of DICITA for the academic triennium 2024–2027, and holds a departmental delegation for Third Mission activities. Associate Editor, Central European Journal of Operations Research (Springer, since November 2024).
Education & Employment
2022 – presentFull Professor of Operations Research, Roma Tre University
2012 – 2022Associate Professor of Operations Research, Roma Tre University
2002 – 2011Assistant Professor of Operations Research, Roma Tre University
1999 – 2002Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Roma Tre University
1999Ph.D. in Operations Research, Sapienza University of Rome. Dissertation: Layout Design and Material Flow Management in Flexible Manufacturing (supervisor: Prof. Mario Lucertini). Part of the doctoral programme carried out at the University of Arizona, Tucson (January – June 1998).
1995Laurea in Mathematics, University of Rome Tor Vergata. Dissertation: Efficient Algorithms for the Shortest Common Supersequence Problem (supervisors: Profs. Marco Protasi and Mario Lucertini). Exchange semester at University College Dublin under the Erasmus programme (January – June 1992).
Research Interests
Her research concerns combinatorial optimization and integer programming models and methods for planning, scheduling and logistics problems, in both single- and multi-agent settings, with applications to manufacturing and service systems. Core themes include: (i) computational complexity analysis; (ii) design of exact, heuristic, randomized, approximation, and online algorithms; (iii) robust optimization and bilevel programming; and (iv) empirical validation through computational experiments. Main application domains: scheduling; graph optimization; knapsack and subset-sum problems; layout design in production systems; logistics and transportation; multi-agent systems; telecommunication networks; healthcare.
Results are published in more than 100 refereed venues (journals and conference proceedings), the large majority international. A significant number of articles appeared in journals ranked in the highest quality tier in international rankings for Operations Research (e.g. INFORMS Journal on Computing, European Journal of Operational Research, Operations Research Letters, ACM Transactions on Algorithms).
Research Projects (selected)
2025 – 2026Mashfrog S.r.l. / MIMIT — Artificial Intelligence for Environment and Sustainability of Production Plants
2019 – 2022MIUR PRIN 2017 — AHeAD: Efficient Algorithms for HArnessing Networked Data
2019 – 2021Roma Tre University Grant — GeoView: Visual Exploration of Structured and Geolocated Data
2014 – 2017MIUR PRIN 2012 — AMANDA: Algorithmics for MAssive and Networked DAta
2011 – 2013MIUR PRIN 2009 — Integrated Approaches for Discrete and Nonlinear Optimization
2007Nikesoft S.r.l. / MISE — Advanced Production Planning and Supply Chain Management in the Fashion Sector (Principal Investigator)
2004 – 2007EU CO-DESNET — European Virtual Institute on Collaborative Demand & Supply Networks (PI of unit funds from 2010)
2001 – 2003EU MAIN-E — Networked Negotiation Platform for Manufacturing & Logistics Integrated Planning and Control in SME Multi-Enterprise Environment (PI of unit funds from 2010)
2000 – 2001CNR Young Researchers Grant — Models and Algorithms for Scheduling with Setup Costs (Local Principal Investigator, Roma Tre University unit)
Editorial Activities
Associate Editor, Central European Journal of Operations Research (Springer, since November 2024). Guest Editor for two special issues of Discrete Applied Mathematics dedicated to CTW 2020 (vol. 354, 2024) and CTW 2011 (vol. 165(11), 2014). Editor of the proceedings of the 10th Cologne–Twente Workshop (2011). Regular reviewer for Operations Research, ACM Transactions on Algorithms, European Journal of Operational Research, INFORMS Journal on Computing, Discrete Applied Mathematics, Journal of Scheduling, Computers & Operations Research, Annals of Operations Research, and numerous further journals and conferences.
Other Scientific Activities
Member of the Steering Committee of the Cologne–Twente Workshop on Graphs and Combinatorial Optimization since 2010. Reviewer for the Italian Research Assessment Exercise (VQR) in 2021 (cycle 2015–19) and 2025 (cycle 2020–24). Member of recruitment committees for Associate and Full Professor positions at universities of Torino, L'Aquila, Siena, Tor Vergata, and the CNR-IASI. Repeated Visiting Faculty at the Institute of Statistics and Operations Research, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz (2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024, 2026). Invited seminars at: University of Arizona (1998), Università dell'Aquila (2001), Università di Roma Tor Vergata (2001), Politecnico di Milano (2005), Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz (2008–2026), Università di Milano (2019).
Program Committees (selected)
- ODS 2025, International Conference on Optimization and Decision Science (Milan, Italy, September 2025)
- ICORES 2025, 14th International Conference on Operations Research and Enterprise Systems (Porto, Portugal, February 2025)
- CTW 2023, 19th Cologne–Twente Workshop on Graphs and Combinatorial Optimization (Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, June 2023)
- CIAC 2021, 12th International Conference on Algorithms and Complexity (Larnaca, Cyprus, May 2021)
- CTW 2020, 18th Cologne–Twente Workshop on Graphs and Combinatorial Optimization (online, September 2020)
- ICORES 2020, 9th International Conference on Operations Research and Enterprise Systems (Valletta, Malta, February 2020)
- CTW 2019, 17th Cologne–Twente Workshop on Graphs and Combinatorial Optimization (Enschede, The Netherlands, July 2019)
- ICORES 2019, 8th International Conference on Operations Research and Enterprise Systems (Prague, Czech Republic, February 2019)
- CTW 2018, 16th Cologne–Twente Workshop on Graphs and Combinatorial Optimization (Paris, France, June 2018)
- ICORES 2018, 7th International Conference on Operations Research and Enterprise Systems (Madeira, Portugal, January 2018)
- CTW 2017, 15th Cologne–Twente Workshop on Graphs and Combinatorial Optimization (Cologne, Germany, May 2017)
- ICORES 2017, 6th International Conference on Operations Research and Enterprise Systems (Porto, Portugal, February 2017)
- CTW 2016, 14th Cologne–Twente Workshop on Graphs and Combinatorial Optimization (Gargnano, Italy, June 2016)
- ICORES 2016, 5th International Conference on Operations Research and Enterprise Systems (Rome, Italy, February 2016)
- 15th Haifa Workshop on Interdisciplinary Applications of Graph Theory, Combinatorics and Algorithms (Haifa, Israel, June 2015)
- CTW 2015, 13th Cologne–Twente Workshop on Graphs and Combinatorial Optimization (Istanbul, Turkey, May 2015)
- 14th Haifa Workshop on Interdisciplinary Applications of Graph Theory, Combinatorics and Algorithms (Haifa, Israel, June 2014)
- CTW 2013, 12th Cologne–Twente Workshop on Graphs and Combinatorial Optimization (Enschede, The Netherlands, May 2013)
- CTW 2012, 11th Cologne–Twente Workshop on Graphs and Combinatorial Optimization (Munich, Germany, May 2012)
- CTW 2011, 10th Cologne–Twente Workshop on Graphs and Combinatorial Optimization — co-chair (Frascati, Italy, June 2011)
Conference Organization
- ROCOWO: ROman Combinatorial Optimization WOrkshop (Rome, March 2023) — organizer
- CTW 2020, 18th Cologne–Twente Workshop on Graphs and Combinatorial Optimization (online, September 2020) — organizing committee
- EURO–INFORMS Joint International Conference (Rome, July 2013) — organizing committee
- OR Days in Cadore, in memory of Mario Lucertini (Auronzo di Cadore, June 2012) — co-chair
- CTW 2011, 10th Cologne–Twente Workshop (Frascati, Italy, June 2011) — co-chair
- MAPSP 2005, Models and Algorithms for Planning and Scheduling Problems (Siena, June 2005) — organizing committee
Teaching
Instructor of record for approximately 60 Bachelor's and Master's courses at Roma Tre University, University of L'Aquila, and University of Rome Tor Vergata (1998/99 to present). Courses include:
| 2023 – present | Decision Support Systems and Analytics; Optimization Algorithms and Models; Decision Methods Lab — Roma Tre |
| 2020 – 2023 | Decision Support Systems and Analytics; Operations Research II; Decision Methods Lab — Roma Tre |
| 2003 – 2020 | Combinatorial Optimization; Operations Research II — Roma Tre |
| 2012 – 2013 | Scheduling in Production Systems — Roma Tre |
| 2002 – 2003 | Operations Research — University of Rome Tor Vergata |
| 1998 – 2000 | Combinatorial Optimization I — University of L'Aquila |
Doctoral courses (Roma Tre University, University of Milan, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz; 14 courses in total, 2002/03 to present): Online Algorithms; Approximation Algorithms; Introduction to Machine Scheduling; Multi-Agent Scheduling; Business Analytics; Optimization on Graphs.
Other: Instructor in several Master's programmes (2002, 2005, 2007) and professional training courses (1999, 2000). Guest lecturer in the MSc in Computer Science Engineering at University of Rome Tor Vergata (multiple academic years, 1996/97 to 2023/24).
Student Supervision
Supervisor or co-supervisor of approximately 90 Bachelor's and Master's theses in Computer Science Engineering at Roma Tre University (since 1996/97). Ph.D. advisor to four doctoral students:
2024 – 2027Arianna Freda, Analysis and Optimization of Processes in Organ Transplantation (Cycle XXXIX, Roma Tre)
2017 – 2020Matteo Cosmi, Scheduling for the Last-Mile Food Delivery Problem (Cycle XXXIII, Roma Tre)
2014 – 2018Alessandra Berto (co-tutor), Rail Yield Management. Trenitalia Case (Cycle XXX, Roma Tre)
2005 – 2008Ezio Sperduto, Combinatorial Structures for Communication Networks (Cycle XXI, Roma Tre)
Member of doctoral examination committees at: Università di Siena, Università dell'Aquila, Politecnico di Torino, Sapienza Università di Roma (multiple occasions, 2011–2026). External thesis reviewer for doctoral programmes at: Università della Calabria, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Università di Siena, Università dell'Aquila.
Administrative & Institutional Roles (selected)
2024 – presentAssociate Chair (Vicaria del Direttore) with responsibility for knowledge transfer and public engagement, DICITA, Roma Tre University
2025 – presentMember, Advisory Council of the University Language Centre, Roma Tre University
2023 – presentMember, Department Programming Commission, DICITA, Roma Tre University
2003 – presentMember, Doctoral Board, Ph.D. programme in Computer Science and Automation, Roma Tre University
2015 – 2026Chair, Admissions Committee for the MSc in Management and Automation Engineering, Roma Tre University
2020 – 2023Member, Department Programming Commission, Department of Engineering, Roma Tre University
2012 – 2022Chair, Committee for Study Plan Approvals for the MSc in Management and Automation Engineering, Roma Tre University
2003 – 2013Member, Faculty Programming Commission, School of Engineering, Roma Tre University
2003 – 2011Erasmus Departmental Coordinator, Computer Science Engineering, Roma Tre University