Stefano is the Science PI on a selected NASA Mars Data Analysis Program (MDAP) proposal to study the fluvial and volcanic history of outflow channel systems in Utopia Planitia, Mars. This project integrates several remote sensing techniques to unravel the history of landforms shaped by ancient water flows and interactions between volcanic processes and ground ice.

He is also the PI on a recently funded MDAP project that will employ a wide variety of radar sounding and geologic mapping techniques to reveal the nature of icy sedimentary deposits comprised within the so-called basal unit at the north pole of Mars. This project is the continuation of his doctoral research work, which focused on constraining which driving forces and surface processes are responsible for the initial emplacement of the north polar cap of Mars in the Late Amazonian. This work included stratigraphy and morphology mapping via orbital radar and high-resolution imagery, and climate modeling with general circulation models.

Stefano currently mentors an enthusiastic and diverse team of three undergraduate research assistants, who assist him in his primary research work and conduct exploratory investigations for future projects.

His past postdoctoral research work at UT Austin involved processing and analysis of Gamma Ray Spectrometer elemental concentration data from Mars Odyssey to reveal possible formation mechanisms of boulder halos and their spatial relationship with mapped geologic units and terrain surface composition.

Stefano served in the Early Career section of the International Mars Ice Mapper (IMIM) Measurement Definition Team (MDT).

His other interests include the design and construction of electronic measurement devices for geophysical application on field sites, such as ground temperature profilers and 3D seismometers for passive seismic microtremor studies.