Biography
Vito Francioso joined the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Sustainable Engineering at Santa Clara University in 2024. He received his bachelor’s degree (2015) and master’s degree (2017) in Building Engineering from Politecnico di Torino, Italy. During the last year of his M.S. program, he also studied at Universidade de Coruña, Spain. In 2018 he joined the Velay Research Group at Purdue University, and in May 2022 he obtained his PhD in Civil Engineering. Vito was the recipient of the Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship (2021) and the College of Engineering - Outstanding Graduate Research Award (2022), among other recognitions. He then continued his work as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Purdue for two years before joining Santa Clara University.
His research focuses on unveiling a fundamental understanding of using construction and industrial waste materials in cementitious composites at a dimensional and temporal multi-scale level. His goal is to develop new methodologies to design sustainable building materials with a holistic approach that comprises: (i) reduction of the depletion of natural resources and valorization of wastes, (ii) enhancement of durability and service life, and (iii) creating materials with beneficial, proactive effects during service life. He aims to develop innovative materials for future built environments and engineered systems focusing on sustainability.
During his studies at Purdue University, he has served as a Teaching Assistant for a Civil Engineering materials course and a Mechanical Engineering design course. He is a former member and co-chair of the Civil Engineering Graduate Advisory Council (CEGSAC) and has volunteered to help undergraduate students prepare for ASCE competitions and organized different events on Campus. Additionally, he has mentored several undergraduate students, most belonging to minority or underrepresented groups, via the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship and Office of Undergraduate Research programs. As a young faculty member and first-generation college student, he feels a responsibility to encourage students of all genders, backgrounds and ethnicities to work in the STEM disciplines.
Education
Ph.D. in Civil Engineering - Materials, Purdue University, May 2022
M.S. in Building Engineering - Construction, Politecnico di Torino, Italy, December 2017
B.S. in Building Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Italy, July 2015
Awards
College of Engineering - CE Best Dissertation Award (Spring/Summer 2022)
This honor recognizes the best Dissertation among candidates in the Lyles School of Civil Engineering.
Frederick Douglass Award (Summer 2022)
For exceptional leadership demonstrated during the Summer Institute for Sustainability and Climate Change at Purdue University.
College of Engineering - Outstanding Graduate Research Award (Spring 2022)
This honor recognizes outstanding PhD candidates who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in research through publications, recognized contributions to the research field and society, academic achievements, participation in professional societies, and willingness to mentor others.
LATinE: Latinx Trailblazers in Engineering (Fall 2021)
Trailblazers in Engineering fellows are selected for their outstanding scholarly achievements and for their potential impact in expanding representation and diversity in engineering. Selected fellows participate in workshops to prepare future trailblazing faculty who are committed to increasing the success of underrepresented communities of engineers.
William and Mary Goetz Graduate Fellowship (Fall 2021)
Merit based Fellowship given to graduate students pursuing an advanced degree in the field of materials.
Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship (2021)
The Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship, provides support to outstanding PhD candidates in the final year of doctoral degree completion. Recipients are expected to devote full-time effort to the completion of all requirements necessary to receive their doctoral degree at the conclusion of the fellowship tenure.
ACPA Concrete Pavement & Materials Science Scholarship (2019, 2020)
Scholarship, based on academic merit, for students in the School of Civil Engineering with an interest in concrete pavement and materials science.
Lyles Teaching Assistantship (Fall 2020)
Assistantship offered to experienced TAs in the Lyles School of Civil Engineering to assist a professor with a course and instruct and coordinate others TAs.
Courses Taught
CENG 147: Pavement Design
Recent Publications
Lopez-Arias M., Moro C., Francioso V., Helgaali H.H., Velay-Lizancos M., “Effect of nanomodification of cement pastes on the CO2 uptake rate”. Construction and Building Materials, Vol. 404, (2023), 133165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.133165
Batalha Vieira L., Francioso V., Bueno Mariani B., Moro C., Dantas Viana Barbosa J., da Silva Paes Cardoso L., Ribeiro Dias C.M., Velay-Lizancos M., “Valorization of marble waste powder as a replacement of limestone in clinker production: Technical, environmental and economical evaluation”. Sustainability, Vol. 15(18), (2023), 13902. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813902
Moro C., Francioso V., Lopez-Arias M., Velay-Lizancos M., “CO2 Curing of Mortar with Natural and Recycled Concrete Aggregate: An Environmental and Economic Assessment”. Construction and Building Materials, Vol. 399, (2023), 132587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.132587
Lopez-Arias M., Francioso V., Velay-Lizancos M., “High thermal inertia mortars: new method to incorporate Phase Change Materials (PCMs) while enhancing strength and thermal design models”. Construction and Building Materials, Vol. 370, (2023), 130621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.130621
Francioso V., Lopez-Arias M., Moro C., Jung N., Velay-Lizancos M., “Impact of curing temperature on the sustainability of cementitious composites containing sugarcane bagasse biomass ash: an LCA”. Sustainability, Vol. 15(1), (2023), 142. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010142
Moro C., Francioso V., Lopez-Arias M., Velay-Lizancos M., “The impact of CO2 uptake rate on the environmental performance of cementitious composites: A new dynamic Global Warming Potential analysis”. Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 375, (2022), 134155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134155
Moro C., Francioso V., Lopez-Arias M., Velay-Lizancos M., “Modification of self-cleaning activity on cement pastes containing nano-TiO2 due to CO2 curing”. Construction and Building Materials, Vol. 330, (2022), 127185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.127185
Francioso V., Moro C., Velay-Lizancos M., “Effect of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) on mortar’s thermal conductivity susceptibility to variation of moisture content and ambient temperature”. Journal of Building Engineering, Vol. 43, (2021), 103208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2021.103208
Moro C., Francioso V., Velay-Lizancos M., “Impact of nano-TiO2 addition on the reduction of net CO2 emissions of cement pastes after CO2 curing”. Cement and Concrete Composites, Vol. 123, (2021), 104160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2021.104160
Francioso V., Moro C., Castillo A., Velay-Lizancos M., “Effect of elevated temperature on flexural behavior and fibers-matrix bonding of recycled PP fiber-reinforced cementitious composite”. Construction and Building Materials, Vol. 269, (2021), 121243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.121243
Moro C., Francioso V., Velay-Lizancos M., “Modification of CO2 capture and pore structure of hardened cement paste made with nano-TiO2 addition: influence of water-to-cement ratio and CO2 exposure age”. Construction and Building Materials, Vol. 275, (2021), 122131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.122131
Moro C., Francioso V., Schrager M., Velay-Lizancos M., “TiO2 nanoparticles influence on the environmental performance of natural and recycled mortars: A life cycle assessment". Environ. Impact Assess. Rev., Vol. 84, (2020), 106430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2020.106430
Moro C., Francioso V., Velay-Lizancos M., “Nano-TiO2 effects on high temperature resistance of recycled mortars”. Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 263, (2020), 121581. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121581
Moro C., El Fil H., Francioso V., Velay-Lizancos M., “Influence of water-to-binder ratio on the optimum percentage of nano-TiO2 addition in terms of compressive strength of mortars: A laboratory and virtual experimental study based on ANN model”. Construction and Building Materials, Vol. 267, (2021), 120960. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120960
Francioso V., Moro C., Martinez-Lage I., Velay-Lizancos M., “Curing temperature: A key factor that changes the effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on mechanical properties, calcium hydroxide formation and pore structure of cement mortars”. Cement and Concrete Composites, Vol. 104, (2019), 103374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2019.103374
