MONICA MORONI

Personal Information
Name: Monica Moroni
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6982-4989
Affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICEA), Sapienza University of Rome
Current Position: Associate Professor
Email: monica.moroni@uniroma1.it
Current and previous positions
Associate Professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICEA), Sapienza University of Rome (2024–present). Director of the Hydraulics Museum at Sapienza University of Rome (2026–present). Member of the Doctoral Board in Hydraulic Engineering (2024–present). Local Safety Referent at DICEA (2020–present). Technical Responsible of the Hydraulic Laboratory at Sapienza University of Rome (2014–2024). Technician at the Hydraulic Laboratory of Sapienza University of Rome (2001–2024). Junior Research Fellow at Scuola Superiore di Studi Avanzati Sapienza (2018–2024). Post-doctoral researcher at Sapienza University of Rome (2000–2001). Research consultant at Purdue University (2001–2003).
Prizes and awards
National Scientific Qualification for Full Professor (2017) and Associate Professor (2013 and 2018). Best Paper Award at the First International Conference and Expo on Innovation and Sustainability in Engineering & Technology (2023). Patent n. 102023000019344 (2023). Several invited lectures and seminars in environmental fluid mechanics, hyperspectral monitoring, porous media transport, and climate-related environmental processes.
Visiting academic positions
Visiting Student at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA (1999). Visiting Student at Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (2001). International scientific collaborations focused on environmental fluid mechanics, porous media transport, and image analysis techniques.
Teaching activities and PhD supervision
Lecturer of Applied Hydraulics at Sapienza University of Rome and Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics at the University of L’Aquila. Former lecturer of Hydraulics of Natural Systems and Environmental Fluid Mechanics. Lecturer in PhD courses on MATLAB, groundwater modelling, and fluid mechanics. Supervisor and co-supervisor of more than 80 MSc theses and several PhD theses in hydraulic engineering, environmental engineering, image analysis, hyperspectral monitoring, and porous media transport.
National and international collaborations and networks
Long-term collaboration with Prof. John H. Cushman (Purdue University) on pollutant transport in porous media and experimental image analysis techniques for fluid mechanics. Scientific collaborations with Stanford University, Wageningen University, University of Calabria, Roma Tre University, CNR institutes, and INGV on environmental hydraulics, porous media transport, hyperspectral monitoring, green roofs, groundwater modelling, geophysical flows, and innovative plastic separation technologies.
Other work experience
Consultant for public and private organizations in groundwater modelling, environmental hydraulics, contaminant transport, landfill analysis, and atmospheric dispersion modelling. Consultancy activities included applications of MODFLOW, HEC-RAS, and numerical environmental models for industrial sites, contaminated areas, hydrogeological risk assessment, and remediation projects.
Education
PhD in Environmental Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome (1996–1999). Dissertation focused on experimental study of dispersion in saturated porous media using 3D image analysis techniques. Degree in Environmental Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome (1996), graduated summa cum laude. Professional qualification as Engineer obtained in 1997.
Administrative role and position responsibility
Director of the Hydraulics Museum at Sapienza University of Rome. Local Safety Referent at DICEA. Member of the Department Council since 2003. Responsible for several infrastructural and laboratory projects as Responsabile Unico del Procedimento (RUP), including hydraulic systems, environmental laboratories, and LIFE-related infrastructures.
Scientific organisations / Coordination of academic activities
Member of the Italian Hydraulics Group (GII), InterPore Society and founder member of the Italian Chapter of InterPore. Member of Centro Studi Idraulica Urbana (CSDU). Coordination and participation in interdisciplinary research activities related to environmental hydraulics, porous media transport, hyperspectral imaging, and innovative separation technologies.
Editorial activity
Reviewer for several international peer-reviewed journals including Journal of Fluid Mechanics, Journal of Geophysical Research, Experiments in Fluids, Physics of Fluids, Remote Sensing, Water Resources Research, Advances in Water Resources, Environmental Fluid Mechanics, Journal of Hazardous Materials, and Journal of Hydrology.
Membership of scientific societies
Member of Centro Studi Idraulica Urbana (CSDU) since 2019. Member of InterPore and founder member of the Italian Chapter of InterPore since 2015. Member of the Italian Hydraulics Group (GII) since 2011. Former member of IAHR and EGU.
Funding (current and past)
Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator of several national and international funded projects in environmental hydraulics, hyperspectral monitoring, groundwater modelling, and innovative plastic separation systems. Recent funded projects include AHEAD (Aerial Hyperspectral Remote Sensing for Marine Litter Detection based on Machine Learning), Proof of Concept for a Hydraulic Separator, and projects funded within PNRR and regional research programs.