Systems Control and Optimization Laboratory

Past positions and education

• 2006-2013: Professor, ESAT-SCD, K.U. Leuven, and PI of OPTEC
• 2001-2006: Scientific assistant (C1) at IWR, Heidelberg University
• spring 2005: research stay at Univ. Paul Sabatier, Toulouse
• spring 2003: Long term fellow at IMA, University of Minnesota, USA
• spring 2002: research stay at INRIA Rocquencourt
• 1999-2001: PhD at IWR, Heidelberg University (summa cum laude)
• 1993-99: Diploma of Physics at Heidelberg University (with distinction)
• 1995-96: Mathematical Tripos Part IIB at Cambridge University, UK (equiv. first class pass)
• 1992-93: Hamburg University of Fine Arts: one semester studies of Industrial Design
• Civil Service, Umweltbehörde Hamburg: Environmental consulting.
• Grammar School Gymnasium Lerchenfeld, Hamburg

Awards and Honours

• Awarded a 5 year Starting Grant by the European Research Council (ERC), on “Simulation, Optimization and Control of High-Altitude Wind Power Generators”, 2011-2016

• Two “Gouden Krijtje” awards by VTK, the Flemish engineering student organization, for the best lecture and the best professor in the master of mathematical engineering, 2011-2012

• One “Gouden Krijtje” award for the best lecture manuscript in the master of mathematical engineering, 2009-2010

• winner of “Klaus Georg and Sigrid Hengstberger Prize” (Euro 15.000, with K. Mombaur) to organize the 1st Ruperto Carola Symposium in Heidelberg, 2004/5

• outstanding reviewer of “IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control” in 2004

• winner of “Prix Dodu” for best presentation at “Journees MODE”, Montpellier, 2002

• Cambridge exchange scholar of Heidelberg University 1995 (university wide competition for three places each year)

Invited Keynotes, Plenary Talks, and Honorary Lectures

• Invited Plenary talk at GAMM Jahrestagung 2015 in Lecce on “Nonlinear optimal control for airborne wind energy systems” 

• Invited Keynote Lecture at ADCHEM 2012 (IFAC’s triennial International Symposium on Advanced Control of Chemical Processes), Singapore, July 2012

• Invited Keynote Lecture at “IFAC Workshop on Nonlinear Model Predictive Control”, Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, August 2012

• Invited Guest Lecture at Yearly Get-Together of RWTH Aachen’s Master in Computational Engineering Science (CES), May 2012

• Invited Plenary Talk at IPAM Workshop “Applications of Optimization in Science and Engineering”, Institute for pure and applied mathematics, UC Los Angeles, Dec 2010

• Invited Plenary Talk at “JBHU2010: Analyse Variationelle, Optimisation et Applications” (60th Birthday of Jean-Baptiste Hiriart-Urruty), Bayonne, Oct 2010

• Invited Plenary Talk at “MODE 2010 : Conférence de la SMAI sur l'optimisation et la decision”, Limoges, France, March 2010

• Invited Plenary Talk at “International Workshop on Advanced Methods and Perspectives in Nonlinear Optimization and Control”, Toulouse, France, February 2010

• Invited Plenary Talk at “7th Conference on Computer Methods and Systems”, Krakow, Poland, November 2009

• Invited Plenary Talk at “Symposium on Modelling, Optimization and Control of Renewable Energy Systems”, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, US, April 2009

• Invited Keynote Lecture at “International Workshop on Nonlinear Model Predictive Control”, Pavia, Italy, Sep 2008

• Invited Keynote Lecture at “SIGOPT International Conference on Optimization”, Lambrecht, Germany, Feb 2008

• Invited Plenary Lecture at “26th Benelux Meeting on Systems and Control”, Lommel, Belgium, March 2007

• Invited Keynote Lecture at “IFAC Workshop on Nonlinear Model Predictive Control for Fast Systems”, Grenoble, France, Sept 2006

• Invited Keynote Lecture at “German Polish Conference on Optimization”, Bedlewo, Poland, Nov. 2005

• invited lecture at official Ph.D. celebration ceremony for the natural sciences in Heidelberg university in autumn 2001

Editorial board memberships

• Optimal Control Applications and Methods (OCAM), Subject Editor, since 2011

• International Journal of Control, since 2011

• Acta Applicandae Mathematicae (ACAP), since 2010

• Journal of Industrial and Management Optimization (JIMO), 2007-2011

• Dynamics of continuous, discrete and impulsive systems, Series B (DCDIS-B), Associate Editor, 2007-2009

• International Journal of applied mathematics and computer science (AMCS), since 2011

Organization of Conferences

• Airborne Wind Energy Conference (AWEC 2011), 24-25 May 2011 (organizing chair)

• Belgian-French-German Conference on Optimization (BFG 09), 14-18 September 2009 (organizing chair)

• Czech-French-German Conference on Optimization (CFG07), 17-21 September 2007 (organizing chair)

Organization of International Workshops and Symposia

• OPTEC Workshop on Moving Horizon Estimation and System Identification, 29-30 August, 2012

• MS on Optimal Control of Renewable Energy Systems, at AFG, Toulouse, 22 September, 2011

• IFAC WC Workshop on Hierarchical and Distributed MPC, Algorithms and Applications, Milano, 29 August, 2011

• OPTEC Workshop on Large Scale Convex Quadratic Programming, 25-26 November 2010

• OPTEC Workshop on Distance Measures and Eigenvalue Optimization, 19-20 June 2008

• Workshop on Optimal Experimental Design

• Workshop on NMPC Software and Applications, April 19-20, 2007

• Workshop on Modelling and Optimization of Power Generating Kites, January 30, 2007

• "Fast Motions in Biomechanics and Robotics - Optimization and Feedback Control" September 7-9, 2005, Heidelberg (press release )

• "Workshop on State Estimation", Heidelberg, April 7-8, 2005

Organization of Regular Lectures and Events

• Simon Stevin Lecture Series on Optimization in Engineering 

• K.U. Leuven Seminars on Optimization in Engineering and other OPTEC events

Languages

German, English, Italian, French, Dutch