Interview Transcript
Q1: Could you state your full name, where and when you were born, and share a bit about your early background?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: My name is Mariagrazia Dotoli. I was born in Bari in southern Italy in 1971, where I still live today. I work at the Politecnico di Bari as a Full Professor in Automation.
Q2: What were your early education and academic interests like?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: I attended a scientific high school in Bari—a traditional school where mathematics was a primary focus and one of my favorite subjects. Initially, I wanted to pursue a degree in mathematics, but in 1989, at age 18, I decided to study electronic engineering at the Politecnico di Bari because it was an exciting, emerging field. I completed both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electronic Engineering there, followed by a PhD in Electrotechnical Engineering specializing in automation.
Q3: How did you transition from an interest in pure mathematics to control engineering and automation?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: While studying electronic engineering, I realized that control engineering and automation rely heavily on applied mathematics to solve real-world physical problems. That connection between mathematical theory and real-world application made me realize control engineering was the exact field I wanted to pursue.
Q4: How did you first get involved in research during your master’s and PhD studies?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: My research journey began during my master’s thesis when I spent six months at the laboratory of Professor Bouchon-Meunier, who was working on fuzzy logic. That experience made it natural for me to focus on fuzzy control, intelligent control, and soft computing during my PhD. During my doctoral studies, I also spent a year and a half at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) working under Professor Jan Jantzen on fuzzy control applications.
Q5: Who were some of the notable pioneers in fuzzy logic you had the opportunity to interact with early in your career?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: I was fortunate to engage with leading experts in the field, including Professor Lotfi Zadeh (the founder of fuzzy logic), Professor Hans-Jürgen Zimmermann from Germany, and researchers applying Ebrahim Mamdani’s theories. These interactions provided an incredible foundation in soft computing and intelligent systems early in my research career.
Q6: What was the primary focus and contribution of your PhD research?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: My PhD research focused on optimizing the selection of parameters in fuzzy controllers, particularly developing fuzzy sliding mode controllers—an advanced class of regulators at the time. While in Denmark, I worked with Professor Elbert Hendricks and Professor Jan Jantzen on an engine idle speed control project, applying automatic control to regulate internal combustion engine velocity upon startup. My PhD work yielded multiple conference and journal publications.
Q7: What was your experience like living and researching in Denmark during your PhD?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: Living in Denmark was an enriching experience that broadened my perspective. Coming from southern Italy, I found the Danish culture structured yet deeply welcoming, particularly through their concept of hygge(coziness and warmth in relationships). Coming from a family of university French professors, I enjoy languages, so I also took the opportunity to learn some Danish while building a network with international colleagues and researchers.
Q8: Why did you decide to remain in academia rather than accept industry offers after your PhD?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: After completing my PhD, I received several lucrative job offers from major companies. Although turning them down seemed unconventional to some colleagues, I knew I wanted to pursue an academic path. I grew up around academia and loved the intellectual freedom, the travel opportunities, and the chance to collaborate with diverse global researchers. Doing what you genuinely love makes hard work far easier and more fulfilling.
Q9: How did you secure your first academic position as an Assistant Professor?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: While finishing my stay in Denmark, an open competitive exam (concorso) was announced for a position at the Politecnico di Bari. I entered the competition, won the spot, and became an Assistant Professor just a few weeks after receiving my PhD.
Q10: What were the early challenges you faced when starting out as a faculty member?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: Teaching responsibilities were immediate and intense. Early on, my professor asked me to step in last minute to lecture a class of 400 students. That sink-or-swim moment taught me always to be prepared and structured—traits that fit well with my personality as a control researcher!
Q11: How did you establish your research laboratory, and what areas does it focus on?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: In Italy, funding and infrastructure must be won through competitive grants. I founded the Decision and Control Laboratory in 2011. The lab focuses on decision and control strategies across various domains, including transportation, logistics, manufacturing, and energy systems.
Q12: What strategies did you rely on to build your research career before establishing your lab?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: I recognized early on that publishing high-quality papers and attending international conferences were essential. I attended my first IEEE conference in Barcelona about 30 years ago during the first year of my PhD, even before I had a paper to present. Attending conferences is invaluable for young researchers because it builds a global network, exposes them to leading research, and provides a broader perspective on the field.
Q13: How did your research focus evolve after your initial work on fuzzy control?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: After my early work on fuzzy control, I shifted toward discrete event systems and Petri nets, collaborating with local experts in Bari. I applied these techniques to internal logistics (handling and transporting goods inside factories) and external logistics (supply chains and transportation traffic systems).
Q14: How have you balanced academic research with industrial and public sector collaborations?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: I have consistently sought collaborations with both public institutions (ministries and regional governments) and private companies. Collaborating with industry grounds research in real-world constraints and highlights practical open challenges. Recently, our lab has collaborated with robotics companies like Comau and PAL Robotics on collaborative automation projects.
Q15: What led your lab to expand into smart energy systems and smart grids?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: Automation and control are horizontal disciplines that can be applied to almost any dynamic system. About 15 years ago, as renewable energy sources expanded, power grids evolved into massive, complex smart grids with significant operational uncertainty. Our lab began developing control and scheduling algorithms to manage electrical loads efficiently, reducing costs for households, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities.
Q16: How has your energy research expanded into energy communities and “agrivoltaics”?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: We expanded in two directions. First, we study energy communities—examining how households and public buildings manage shared energy resources like batteries or photovoltaic panels. Second, we research smart agriculture and “agrivoltaics” (cyber-physical agri-systems). In sunny regions like Apulia, using automated, movable solar panels over crops provides dual benefits: generating clean electricity while dynamically shading crops according to weather, crop type, and seasonal needs.
Q17: What role do Smart Cities play in your current research agenda?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: Our Smart City work combines our expertise in energy management, transportation systems, and telecommunications. Collaborating with municipality initiatives and industry partners like Enel, IBM, and TIM, we design integrated systems that optimize urban mobility, automated irrigation, greenhouse IoT sensing, and overall municipal efficiency.
Q18: How have technological advancements like the Internet and AI impacted your career as a researcher?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: When I started my master’s thesis in 1995, I discovered email and the early Internet while visiting a lab in France. Moving from physically ordering textbooks from overseas (which took weeks) to instant global access via the Web was revolutionary. Today, generative AI and high-performance computing offer powerful tools for research, provided we maintain proper human oversight and control over the technology.
Q19: How have control problems evolved during your time in the field?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: The scale and architecture of control problems have grown significantly. We have moved from centralized, single-system control to large-scale, distributed, decentralized multi-agent systems. Furthermore, modern automation focuses heavily on optimization, decision-making, and human-machine collaboration (such as industrial cobots working alongside human operators without safety cages).
Q20: What is the distinction between robotics and automation in your view?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: As former IEEE RAS President Rajesh K. Rajamani famously noted, “One robot is robotics; two robots is automation.” More recently, Ken Goldberg adapted this to say, “One humanoid is robotics; ten humanoids are automation.” While robotics focuses on individual mechanical agents, automation addresses the control, coordination, and cooperative integration of multiple robots, machines, and human workers within larger systems.
Q21: What advice do you have for young researchers regarding editorial work and scientific publishing?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: I strongly encourage young researchers to volunteer as peer reviewers for journals and conferences early in their careers. Reviewing improves your own writing and critical thinking. It creates a natural path toward becoming an Associate Editor, Senior Editor, and beyond. I am deeply honored to serve as Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering (T-ASE).
Q22: What message do you have for young women considering careers in engineering and automation?
Mariagrazia Dotoli: While women remain underrepresented in STEM, conditions are steadily improving. My message to young women is simple: pursue what you love and do not let anyone tell you what you can or cannot achieve based on gender. Engineering requires dedication, hard work, and passion. We need diverse talent and visible role models to solve the major technological and societal challenges ahead.