Curriculum vitae

Virginio Cantoni received the Laurea (cum laude) in Electronic Engineering in 1972 from Pavia University, Italy. He is presently Emeritus Professor of Computer Engineering in the same University. In the period 2008-2011 he has been seconded to the Centro Linceo 'Beniamino Segre' of the Accademia dei Lincei.
From 1975 to 1983 he was researcher of the Italian National Research Council. He has been for the period 1985-1990 President of the Italian Group of the International Association for Pattern Recognition (IAPR). He has been Visiting Professor for the Spring Semester of 1987 at Rutgers University, at the Center of Computer Aids for Industrial Productivity (CAIP), New Jersey. For the period 1989-1995 he served as Director of the Department of Computer and Systems Engineering of Pavia University. From 1993 to 1994 he was a member of the Committee on Innovative Production Systems of MURST. He has been ten times Invited Professor at the Paris XI University in the period 1994-2011. In the period 1995-97 he has been member of the Conseil d'Orientation Scientifique International of the Pole Universitaire Europeen de Tolouse. In the period 1995-2001 he has been President of the Computer Center of Pavia University. In the period 1995-2002 he has been the Coordinator of the Ph.D. course on Electronic and Computer Engineering of Pavia University. He has been the founder and the Director, in the period 1997-2007, of the European School of Advanced Studies in Media Science and Technology of Pavia University and, in the period 2000-2007, also in Tunis. Since 1997 he is the Director of the Interuniversity Center for Image Science and Technology. In the period 2000-2002 he has been the Director of the Interdepartmental Center for Cognitive Science of Pavia University. From 2000 to 2004 he was a member of the Lombardy Autonomous Research Council (IReR). He served as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering of Pavia University (2002-2008). As a dean, in 2007 he received the IBM Faculty Award: "a cash only award intended to recognize outstanding faculty and promote innovative, collaborative research in discipline of mutual interest."
His research activity is concerned with pattern recognition and parallel architectures for image processing and computer vision. In the period 1984-1990 he has been the coordinator of an Italian National Project involving researchers of a consortium of seven Universities for the design and construction of a pyramidal system for image analysis. In the period 1991-1997, he has been the coordinator of an Italian National Project of a consortium of 15 units for the development of Multimedia Systems.
He is author or co-author of more than 340 Journal or Conference papers and book chapters and the editor or co-editor of 30 books and co-author of six books on Pyramidal Architectures for Computer Vision (Plenum Press, 1994); 3C Vision: Cues, Contexts and Channels (Elsevier, London, 2011); Alessandro Volta. The 1878 Celebrations at the University of Pavia (Silvana Editoriale, 2011); Pavia, The Battle, The Future, 1525-2015, Nothing was the same again (Pavia University Press, 2016); Virtual Reconstruction of Pavia in the XVI Century (Pavia University Press, 2018), The Ark of St. Augustine - Student participation in the use of digital technologies for innovative interpretations of art (Psycomix, Litos srl, 2022). He has been editor of more than 10 special issues of international magazines. He organized several International Conferences and a NATO Advanced Research Workshop (as co-Director) on subjects related to image processing and computer vision. He has also acted as an Expert and a Project Reviewer for the European Communities.
He has also acted as an Expert and a Project Reviewer for the European Communities. In 2023 he was appointed Member of the Artificial Intelligent Committee at the service of the Italian Prime Minister to define the activity for the period 2024-2026. He is Life Fellow of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers), mention: "In recognition of the many years of loyal membership and support of the activities of IEEE". He was IEEE Fellow since 1997, mention: "For contribution and leadership in the development of hierarchical architectures for computer vision systems". He is Fellow of the IAPR (International Association for Pattern Recognition) since 1994, mention "For contribution to architectures for computer vision and service to IAPRC", Fellow of the AAIA (Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association) since 2021, Fellow of AIIA (Industry Academy within the International Artificial Intelligence Industry Alliance) since 2024. He received a Certificate of Appreciation from IEEE Computer Society (2000, mention: "For contribution to the development of computer architectures for machine perception in the Computer Society"). In 2006 the President of the Italian Republic conferred to Virginio Cantoni the title of ‘Commendatore’.