Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for September
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AME Seminar
Wed, Sep 06, 2023 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Evangelos Theodorou , Georgia Institute of Technology
Abstract: In this talk, I will present use cases for stochastic optimal control that span the areas of terrestrial high-speed navigation, control of VTOL vehicles for urban aerial mobility, large-scale multi-agent control, training of score-based models in generative AI, opinion dynamics depolarization and single cell RNA sequencing. The presentation will cover fundamental concepts in stochastic control theory that includes path integrals, Forward-Backward SDEs and Schrodinger Bridges, and highlight the importance of scalable optimization for large scale and real time decision-making. In the last part of the talk, we will look into different distributed optimization architectures for large-scale optimal control and conclude with future directions and vision at the intersection of autonomy, generative AI and large-scale optimization.
Biography: Evangelos A. Theodorou is an Associate professor with the Guggenheim School of aerospace engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and Amazon CORE-AI Scholar. He is also the director of the Autonomous Control and Decision Systems Laboratory, and he is affiliated with the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Machines and the Center for Machine Learning Research at Georgia Tech. Evangelos Theodorou holds a BS in Electrical Engineering, from the Technical University of Crete (TUC), Greece in 2001. He has also received a MSc in Production Engineering from TUC in 2003, a MSc in Computer Science and Engineering from University of Minnesota in spring of 2007 and a MSc in Electrical Engineering on dynamics and controls from the University of Southern California(USC) in Spring 2010. In May of 2011 he graduated with his PhD, in Computer Science from USC. After his PhD, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the department of computer science and engineering, University of Washington, Seattle. Evangelos Theodorou is the recipient of the King-Sun Fu best paper award of the IEEE Transactions on Robotics in 2012 and a recipient several best paper awards and nominations in top conferences in machine learning and robotics communities. His theoretical research spans the areas of stochastic optimal control theory, machine learning and optimization. Applications involve learning, planning and control in autonomous, robotic and aerospace vehicles, multi-agent and large-scale systems, and dynamical systems in social sciences and biology.
Host: AME Department
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98121141178?pwd=VGEyaXVWYnRaazFYWUVhbVAycGVWQT09 Meeting ID: 981 2114 1178 Passcode: NhXrDOqQU8Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 202
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98121141178?pwd=VGEyaXVWYnRaazFYWUVhbVAycGVWQT09 Meeting ID: 981 2114 1178 Passcode: NhXrDOqQU8
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tessa Yao
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
AME Seminar
Wed, Sep 13, 2023 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Niema Pahlevan, USC
Talk Title: Hemodynamic Mechanisms of Heart-Aorta-Brain Coupling: From Fluid Dynamics to Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics
Abstract: The circulatory system operates based on a delicate hemodynamic balance between the heart, the aorta (the largest vessel that extends from the heart), and major physiological organs, such as the brain and kidneys. Optimal hemodynamic coupling between these organs can be impaired due to aging and/or diseases. Therefore, understanding the complex fluid dynamic coupling (hemodynamic interactions) between the heart, aorta, and brain is crucial for the diagnostics and therapeutics of related diseases, such as heart failure (HF), dementia, and myocardial infarction (heart attack). The general hypothesis is that wave dynamics in the aorta dominate the pulsatile hemodynamics of the heart and brain, as well as the nonlinear interaction between the two. This talk will elucidate the systems-level effects of aortic hemodynamics on heart-brain interactions. Our long-term goal is to transform our findings into the development of diagnostic, therapeutic, and monitoring devices for heart diseases and vascular brain damage.
Biography: Dr. Pahlevans research brings physics and mathematics tools to the study of biological systems ranging from understanding the biomechanics of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases to modeling physiological systems. His ultimate goal in each research initiative is to use mathematical and mechanical engineering principles to establish new techniques and/or devices that are relevant for practicing clinicians. Dr. Pahlevan completed his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tehran, his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the California State University Northridge, and PhD in Bioengineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He completed his postdoctoral training in hemodynamics and cardiovascular imaging at Caltech and Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) as a Boswell fellow. Dr. Pahlevan joined USC in 2017 as an Assistant Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering in the Viterbi School of Engineering and Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. He is the recipient of both the NSF CAREER Award and the American Heart Association Career Development Award. In 2022, he received the Junior Research Award from USC's Viterbi School of Engineering and was also appointed the holder of the Gordon S. Marshall Early Career Chair in Engineering.
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98121141178?pwd=VGEyaXVWYnRaazFYWUVhbVAycGVWQT09 Meeting ID: 981 2114 1178 Passcode: NhXrDOqQU8Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 202
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98121141178?pwd=VGEyaXVWYnRaazFYWUVhbVAycGVWQT09 Meeting ID: 981 2114 1178 Passcode: NhXrDOqQU8
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tessa Yao
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
AME Seminar
Wed, Sep 20, 2023 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Perry Johnson, UCI
Talk Title: Two Fundamental Relations for Turbulent Flows
Abstract: wo fundamental effects of turbulence are (a) an increased rate at which kinetic energy is dissipated into heat and (b) an enhanced momentum (and heat) flux across boundary layers leading to much higher skin friction drag forces (and surface heat transfer). This presentation will introduce and apply two exact relations related to these fundamental effects, respectively. First, the concept of Stokes Flow Regularization (SFR) provides an exact expression for the scale-wise energy cascade rate in terms of vortex stretching and strain-rate self-amplification. Applied to data from fully-resolved simulations, this precisely quantifies the mechanisms responsible for generating large dissipation rates at small scales. SFR also serves as an intriguing alternative to spatial filtering as the basis of large-eddy simulation modeling. Specific potential modeling advantages will be discussed. Second, the Angular Momentum Integral (AMI) equation for turbulent boundary layers will be introduced. The AMI equation quantifies the impact of various flow phenomena throughout a boundary layer flow on the skin friction relative to a baseline laminar flow. An analogous integral equation for the surface heat transfer will also be introduced. Together, these provide a powerful method for probing flow data in terms of key engineering quantities of interest. Example applications for AMI-based analysis will be shown for boundary layer transition and supersonic turbulent boundary layers.
Biography: Perry Johnson Perry Johnson earned his Ph.D. in 2017 from Johns Hopkins University (advisor: Charles Meneveau), where his work on velocity gradient dynamics in turbulence won the Corrsin-Kovasznay award. He was then a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Turbulence Research at Stanford University for three years, working on various topics related to small-scale turbulence, multiphase & particle-laden flows, and boundary layers. He joined the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department at the University of California, Irvine in 2020 as an assistant professor. His recent research on the energy cascade was featured in Physics Today, and his forthcoming review of multi-scale velocity gradient dynamics will appear in the next issue of Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics.
Host: AME Department
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98121141178?pwd=VGEyaXVWYnRaazFYWUVhbVAycGVWQT09 Meeting ID: 981 2114 1178 Passcode: NhXrDOqQU8Location: Severance Street House (SSH) - 202
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98121141178?pwd=VGEyaXVWYnRaazFYWUVhbVAycGVWQT09 Meeting ID: 981 2114 1178 Passcode: NhXrDOqQU8
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tessa Yao
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
AME Seminar
Wed, Sep 27, 2023 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Sam Tawfick, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Talk Title: Nonlinear Mechanics and Robotic Mechanisms using Coiled Muscles and Snapping Beams
Abstract: My group is developing a roadmap for elastic actuating materials to replace bulky electric motors in miniature robots requiring large mechanical work output.
First, I will describe the mechanics of coiled muscles made by twisting nylon fishing lines, and how these actuators use internal strain energy to achieve a record breaking performance. Then I will describe intriguing hierarchical super, and hyper coiled artificial muscles which exploit the interplay between nonlinear mechanics and material microstructure. Next, I will describe their use to actuate the dynamic snapping of insect-scale jumping robots. The combination of strong but slow muscles with a fast-snapping beam gives rise to dynamic buckling cascade phenomena leading to effective robotic jumping mechanisms.
These examples shed light on the future of automation propelled by new bioinspired materials, nonlinear mechanics, and unusual manufacturing processes.
Biography: Sameh Tawfick is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois. He studies advanced materials, nonlinear mechanics, and manufacturing processes. Sam obtained his PhD from the University of Michigan, was a Postdoctoral Associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Beaufort Visiting Fellow in St. Johns College at the University of Cambridge in 2023 He is the recipient of young investigator awards from the US Air Force, ASME, SME, and Deans Award for Excellence in Research at Illinois. His teaching awards at the University of Illinois include The Everitt Award for Teaching Excellence, The Two-year Alumni Teaching Award, and The Engineering Council Stanley H. Pierce Award for Empathetic Student-faculty Cooperation.
Host: AME Department
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98121141178?pwd=VGEyaXVWYnRaazFYWUVhbVAycGVWQT09 Meeting ID: 981 2114 1178 Passcode: NhXrDOqQU8Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 202
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98121141178?pwd=VGEyaXVWYnRaazFYWUVhbVAycGVWQT09 Meeting ID: 981 2114 1178 Passcode: NhXrDOqQU8
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tessa Yao
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
SoCal Solids Conference 2023
Sat, Sep 30, 2023 @ 09:00 AM - 05:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Grace Gu, Megan Valentine, Assad Oberai, UC Berkeley, UCSB, USC
Talk Title: SoCal Solids Conference 2023
Abstract: The SoCal Solids Conference will be held at the University of Southern California (USC) on Saturday, September 30, 2023 from 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM. A dinner reception will follow at The Lab Gastropub across campus (3500 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90007). We encourage all students and early professionals to share research and avail networking opportunities for collaborative efforts. The conference is free! Ten (10) lightning talks are reserved for early career faculty and postdocs, four of which for non-R1 and postdoc scholars. Twenty-plus (20+) lightning talks are open to all researchers. Note: We will notify accepted abstracts by Friday, September 15th.
Mission: The conference is aimed at facilitating the exchange of ideas, and collaboration amongst mechanics research groups throughout southern California and beyond. The day consists of three keynotes and three rounds of multiple lightning talks.
PLENARY SPEAKERS:
- Grace Gu, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
- Megan Valentine, Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara
- Assad Oberai, Hughes Professor and Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California
Organizers: Paul Plucinsky (USC), Qiming Wang (USC), Lihua Jin (UCLA), M. Khalid Jawed (UCLA), and Shengqiang Cai (UCSD)
Cost: FREE
Location: SGM 124 (3620 McClintock Ave, Room 124, Los Angeles, CA 90089)
Parking: To park in the Downey Parking Structure, enter through the Watt Way Gate on Exposition Blvd. Parking rates are $20/day and collected at Pay-By-Plate (PBP) stations.
Sponsors: This event is sponsored by NSF Award #2308624, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, and the USC Viterbi Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering.
Accessibility: We encourage everyone to participate in the programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation, have questions about the physical access, and/or require materials in an alternate format, please contact Victoria Sevilla (vasevill@usc.edu).
Host: Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/socal-solids-2023/
More Information: SoCal Solids Flyer.pdf
Location: Ronald Tutor Campus Center (TCC) - 450
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Victoria Sevilla
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/socal-solids-2023/
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.
