In joining the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, Bruno Sinopoli intends to contribute to its mission of significantly impacting research and education at a time when both are being reshaped by rapid technological change, growing interdisciplinary demands and the challenge of preparing engineers for increasingly complex real-world systems.
“I believe that the Fulton Schools and the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering are perfectly positioned to lead this change,” he says.
To accomplish his vision and goals, Sinopoli embraces his new role as the director of the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools. He brings both academic distinction and a forward-focused approach to engineering education.
“The Fulton Schools continue to evolve alongside the fields we serve, from artificial intelligence and energy systems to cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing,” says Kyle Squires, senior vice provost for engineering, computing and technology at ASU and dean of the Fulton Schools. “Bruno brings deep expertise in systems and control, along with a strong record of academic leadership, and his perspective aligns closely with ASU’s focus on educating engineers at scale and advancing research that matters.”
A new chapter
In the Fulton Schools, Sinopoli aims to ensure students are supported and prepared to achieve academically as they join world-shaping industries.
“I am excited to find ways to combine inclusivity with excellence in education at scale,” he says. “The U.S. is in need of renewing the American dream for its students and to develop domestic talent in technology and engineering.”
Sinopoli is a distinguished researcher and expert in cyber-physical systems and control systems and will continue his work at ASU. He conducts research on robust and resilient design for cyber-physical systems, networked and distributed control systems, distributed interference in networks, smart infrastructure, wireless sensor and actuator networks, adaptive video streaming applications and energy systems.
“My area of research is fairly broad and centered around systems and control, along with identifying ways to intersect it with information theory, communication and security,” he says. “On the research side, I am looking forward to consolidating the leadership position the school has in several technical areas and developing other areas of excellence, leveraging interdisciplinary opportunities and synergies with other units.”
Sinopoli also recognizes the impact that artificial intelligence, or AI, will continue to have on higher education and the need to embrace it as a tool for success.
“AI is transforming higher education as we conceive it, offering powerful resources to instructors to offer more individualized learning and useful analytics to assess student progress, detect issues early on and suggest solutions,” he says. “It also requires a thorough review of our curricula to integrate AI in virtually all disciplines we teach.”
A decorated electrical engineering history
Sinopoli joins ASU with numerous academic and career accomplishments.
After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned his doctoral degree in electrical and electronics engineering, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow there and at Stanford University.
He then joined Carnegie Mellon University as an assistant professor in 2007. During his time there, Sinopoli also served as co-director of the Smart Infrastructure Institute and held additional appointments in mechanical engineering and with the university’s Robotics Institute.
In 2010, he received the George Tallman Ladd Research Award from the Carnegie Institute of Technology at Carnegie Mellon and a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award for his development of computer tools to secure and control cyber-physical systems.
In 2019, Sinopoli was named chair of the Preston M. Green Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. In 2020, he was named the Das Family Distinguished Professor in Electrical Engineering.
Sinopoli was elected an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE, Fellow in 2021 for his contributions to networked and secure control systems.
Energizing excellence
When evaluating how he will define success for the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Sinopoli points to effectively preparing future engineers to think innovatively to tackle the world’s biggest challenges.
“Success will involve empowering a new generation of engineers and scientists capable of positively impacting society and humankind,” he says. “Our school having world-class research programs in all areas pertinent to the mission of the department will also be a critical metric of our achievement.”
In addition to bolstering student success, Sinopoli is also eager to embrace ASU’s culture and spirit of innovation to deliver research that matters.
“As ASU President Michael Crow once said, ‘Arizona is a young state and epitomizes the frontier, a place to try something new,’” Sinopoli says. “This statement resonates very much with my personality, and I am looking forward to contributing to this spirit of innovation and discovery.”
