Dr. Alessandro Zocca

Biography

Alessandro Zocca is a tenured assistant professor in the Math Department at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. His research is centered on the study of complex networked systems, particularly focusing on the role of randomness in dynamics and rare events in networks affected by uncertainty, with real-world applications in power systems. Zocca's work primarily lies in applied probability, operations research, graph theory, and optimization. He aims to quantify and analyze randomness in complex systems using rigorous mathematical tools and data-driven learning methods, and to develop adaptive algorithms and reinforcement learning strategies for enhancing network robustness against high-impact, low-probability events. His research agenda is particularly relevant considering the increasing severity of extreme weather events due to climate change. He leads the VIDI project titled 'Power Network Optimization in the Age of Climate Extremes', funded by the Dutch Research Council. Zocca has supervised several PhD students working on topics related to climate resilience and power systems optimization. He is also a co-author of the textbook 'Hands-on Mathematical Optimization with Python', scheduled for publication by Cambridge University Press.

Research Interests