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Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for February
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Epstein Institute Seminar
Tue, Feb 01, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 04:50 PM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Franklin Dexter, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Operations Research & Professor, Dept of Anesthesia, University of Iowa
Talk Title: "Value of Small Changes in Operating Room Workflow"
Abstract: Industrial engineers working in hospitals are often asked to help reduce non-operative times in surgical suites. Lean methods are appropriate. However, studies show that this common request by clinicians and managers reflects psychological biases. For example, there are multiple stages of decision-making starting months ahead of the day of surgery. Small reductions in time today can cause large increase in predictive error of future staffing decisions. The talk will explain the unique features of OR management, specifically the sites with largest overall variability have small numbers (2-3) of non-preemptive tasks per day per location.
Biography: Franklin Dexter completed his MD and MS/PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. He did his anesthesiology residency at the University of Iowa and remained on faculty. He is Professor in the Department of Anesthesia at the University of Iowa and Statistical Editor of the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia. He has published more than 300 papers in the fields of operating room management and anesthesia. He has performed more than 275 consultations for more than 125 corporations applying the engineering/statistical methods. Details of his background, expertise, etc., are at www.FranklinDexter.net
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - Room 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Georgia Lum
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CS Colloquium
Tue, Feb 01, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Rebecca Schulman, Miller Research Fellow, UC Berkeley
Talk Title: What makes a bunch of molecules a cell: The power of chemical reaction networks
Abstract: While we can write programs that emulate our capacity for chess playing or predict our tastes, many tasks that both humans and lower organisms are capable of such as image recognition or directed motion have been surprisingly difficult to reverse engineer. What these processes share is the entwinement of a complex organism with a complex physical environment.
While higher organisms are complex, single cells are much less so.
And even single cells can chase targets, change shape on cue, and self-replicate. How can a cell, a simple group of molecules, orchestrate these behaviors? We can investigate the power of molecular interactions by trying to recreate the computations they perform and the implementation of the computations using synthetic DNA. DNA's chemistry and structure are well-understood, and we can engineer specific interactions between DNA molecules by designing their sequences. We can therefore focus on the power of systems of reactions rather than on the process of individual ones. I'll show how we can use DNA to replicate sequences written in an alphabet of DNA blocks, or tiles, and program molecules to execute a "search and capture" process that forms a tether between two points of unknown location. From these examples we learn that molecular reaction networks are surprisingly powerful: a small set of molecules can both compute and learn arbitrarily complex patterns, and even though molecular interactions are stochastic and unreliable, systems of molecules can robustly perform complex behaviors.
Biography: Rebecca Schulman received undergraduate degrees in mathematics and computer science at MIT. She then spent several years working on search and natural language technology in Silicon Valley before receiving a PhD in the "Computation and Neural Systems" option at the California Institute of Technology, where she worked with Erik Winfree. Dr. Schulman is currently a Miller Research Fellow at UC Berkeley in Jan Liphardt's group.
Host: Profs. Len Adleman, Shang-Hua Teng
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Kanak Agrawal
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EE-Systems Seminar
Wed, Feb 02, 2011 @ 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Valentino Crespi,
Talk Title: Trackability and Machine Learning of Processes
Abstract: The effective monitoring of complex environments is related to the ability of machine learning and tracking its constituent processes.
Examples of environments in this domain include networked computer systems, autonomic computing systems and distributed and dynamic information systems. In our approach an environment consists, in its most abstract form, of multiple processes or behaviors that we typically model as Finite State Machines such as Probabilistic and nonprobabilistic Finite State Automata (DFAs/PFAs), Probabilistic Deterministic Finite State Automata (PDFAs), Probabilistic Suffix Automata (PSAs), Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), etc.
In this talk we first introduce an original and rigorous concept of "trackability" of processes in a distributed sensing system. The purpose of this notion is to determine the "complexity" of estimating state trajectories of a target process based on a discrete-time sequence of noisy "observations". We then present our new algorithms to machine learn Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) from typical realizations of the associated stochastic process. The methods are based on the non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) of higher order Markovian statistics and are structurally different from the classical Baum-Welch and associated approaches.
Host: Bhaskar Krishnamachari
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Shane Goodoff
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Asymptotic Design for Cascade Robustness in Large Coupled Systems
Wed, Feb 02, 2011 @ 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Franz Hover, MIT Mechanical Engineering
Talk Title: Asymptotic Design for Cascade Robustness in Large Coupled Systems
Abstract: Power networks and collaborating mobile robots are examples of large-scale interdependent systems that are subject to cascading failures. A recent asymptotic model of failure across two signal domains offers a random graph framework for studying such systems, and I use it to pose and solve a new robust design problem. A low-order nonlinear analysis uncovers the mechanisms by which optimized graphs can form star-like clusters, as encoded into a simple but specialized degree distribution; several other design rules can be found as well. Through examples on coupled systems of finite size, I show that degree independence in the asymptotic model can be somewhat relaxed, which is significant for the practical case of geometric connectivity. A heuristic rule that matches degrees across the domain boundary can offer further benefits in many cases.
Biography: Franz Hover received the BSME from Ohio Northern University and the MS and ScD degrees from the WHOI/MIT Joint Program in Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering. He was a consultant to industry and then a member of the research staff at MIT, where he worked in fluid mechanics, biomimetics, and ocean engineering. He is currently Finmeccanica Assistant Professor at the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering; his research focuses on design methods and robustness for marine systems.
Host: Urbashi Mitra, ubli@usc.edu and Gaurav Sukhatme, gaurav@usc.edu
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 406
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Gerrielyn Ramos
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Microwave Transmissions Systems: Progress, Challenges and Future Direction
Wed, Feb 02, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Edward Au, Corporate Research, Huawei Technologies
Talk Title: Microwave Transmissions Systems: Progress, Challenges and Future Direction
Abstract: Users want seamlessly connected advanced services delivered on-demand wherever they may be, on any platform, over any available network. But as the user experience becomes richer, the underlying technologies and networks become more complex. Further, the rapid development of mobile broadband services has brought explosive growth of bandwidth requirements, which forces operators to continuously expand their networks.
As one of the key physical media for mobile backhaul networks, point-to-point microwave is rapidly evolving to support the increasing demand on bandwidth while allowing operators to reduce network operational costs. In this seminar, we overview some recent developments, challenges, and future direction in the microwave industry.
Biography: As a Principal Engineer of Huawei Technologies, Edward has worked on research and product development on 100 Gb/s-and-beyond optical long-haul communications. He is now leading a project on fixed wireless transmission system that has enabled a number of cutting-edge products. Edward has actively participated in standardization organizations and industry forums. He is the primary technical representative of Huawei for Wi-Fi Alliance and an active contributor of Optical Interconnecting Forum (OIF), where he is a co-editor of the channel coding project for 100Gb/s DWDM optical transmission systems, and a member of Speakers Bureau in representing OIF at industry and academic events. He was also a working group secretary of IEEE 802.22 â the first international standards on cognitive radio networks.
Edward is also staying active in research community. He is currently an Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology and a leading guest editor for the IEEE Communications Magazine Feature Topic on Advances in IEEE Standards and Testbeds for Cognitive Radio Networks. He is a founding member of Shenzhen Chapter, IEEE Communications Society.
Edward holds a Ph.D. degree in Electronic and Computer Engineering in Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).
Host: Andreas Molisch, 04670, EEB 530, molisch@usc.edu
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 539
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Gerrielyn Ramos
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Recent Results on Discrete Memoryless Broadcast Channels
Wed, Feb 02, 2011 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Chandra Nair, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Talk Title: Recent Results on Discrete Memoryless Broadcast Channels
Abstract: Broadcast channel refers to a commonly occurring communication scenario where a single sender wishes to send (possibly different) messages to multiple receivers. This is one of the fundamental problems in network information theory, a generalization of Shannon's point-to-point information theory.
In this talk, I will talk about a collection of recent results that have been obtained over the last couple of years that made significant progress, both from an intuitive perspective as well as a theoretical perspective, on long standing open problems in this area. The talk will be self-contained, and the emphasis will be on the bigger picture of the results than the specific details of establishing them.
Biography: Chandra Nair is an assistant professor with the information engineering department of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research interests include "random" problems in combinatorial optimization, networks, and information theory. Over the last couple of years his research has primarily focused on multiuser information theory, and in particular the broadcast channel.
Chandra Nair was a Stanford graduate fellow (00-04) and Microsoft graduate fellow (04-05) during his graduate studies at Stanford University. Subsequently, he became a post-doc (05-07) with the theory group at Microsoft research, Redmond. He joined the faculty of the information engineering department in the Chinese University of Hong Kong during Fall 2007.
Website: http://chandra.ie.cuhk.edu.hk
Host: Giuseppe Caire, caire@usc.edu, EEB 528, x04683
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Gerrielyn Ramos
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AME Department Seminar
Wed, Feb 02, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: B. Villac , Professor, University of California at Irvine
Talk Title: Humans Beyond Low Earth Orbits: Challenges and Opportunities in Astrodynamics
Abstract: The NASA plan for sending humans beyond low-Earth orbits in a sustainable manner poses many challenges (at all levels: technical, political,...), as well as a plethora of opportunities. This talk explores a few of the technical challenges and opportunities in the realm of spaceflight dynamics.
Firstly, sustained exploration implies a need for space-based infrastructure, notably for navigation and communication systems. This leads us to a discussion on constellation optimization in multi-body environments, and the associated variational problems. We show that the use of dynamical system theory and the analysis of periodic orbit families allows us to reduce this problem to a one-dimensional optimization over a graph. These results are applied to the concept of autonomous navigation constellation. The notion of family --i.e., continuous set of orbit-- is then extended to transfer problems, demonstrating some limitations of classic design methodologies and possible techniques to go around these.
Secondly, humans in space also implies safety issues. This is notably amplified with the current vision of sending humans to asteroids, where the dynamics present short time scales and is generally poorly characterized before encounter. Here the questions addressed are the techniques to ensure mission recovery --or at least avoiding critical events such as impacts or uncontrolled escape when orbiting a small body-- in the face of potential engine failure. The analysis of the resulting optimal control problems and orbital stability issues leads to new transfer and mission concepts and the challenging problem of orbital motion characterization under large parameter uncertainties.
Finally, a few astronauts in space means a large team of qualified engineers on the ground, planning, designing, preparing, operating, supporting the missions ans the astronauts. All this, starts with education and the formation of good engineers. The last part of the talk will briefly discuss the cubesat project pursued at UCI in order to answer this need.
Biography: Prof. Villac is currently assistant professor at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Prior to joining UCI in 2006, Prof. Villac worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology, developing novel low-thrust trajectory analysis and design methods for the Jupiter Icy Moon Orbiter mission. He received his Ph.D in aerospace engineering in 2003 from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His research is focused on astrodynamics, exploring the applications of modern dynamical system theory to the analysis and development of new space mission concepts. He is also advising the UCISAT project which is currently preparing to launch its first cubesat.
Host: Prof. F. Udwadia
More Info: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/2-2-11-villac.shtmlLocation: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: April Mundy
Event Link: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/2-2-11-villac.shtml
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Application of Shape Memory Alloys in Natural Hazards Mitigation
Wed, Feb 02, 2011 @ 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Reginald DesRoches, Georgia Institute of Technology
Talk Title: Application of Shape Memory Alloys in Natural Hazards Mitigation
Abstract: The recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile underscore the importance of developing new
approaches and technologies to increase the performance of structures duringearthquakes.
The presentation will highlight the application on a new class of materials, namely shape
memory alloys (SMAs), in mitigating the effects of earthquakes in buildings and bridges. Shape
memory alloys are a unique metallic alloy which can undergo large deformations while
reverting back to their original, undeformed shape. This unique property has led to the
development of applications in the biomedical field (arterial stents), aerospace field (adaptive
wings), and commercial industry (eyeglass frames). A multi scale and multi-disciplinary
approach is taken to explore the use of SMAs for applications in earthquake engineering.
Several large scale applications are tested including a âsmartâ steel beam column connection
that uses shape memory alloys, innovative bracing systems, and recentering restraining devices
for bridges. The large scale experimental tests and complementary analysis show great
potential for the use of SMAs in seismic applications.
Biography: Reginald DesRoches is a Professor and Associate Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the
Georgia Institute of Technology. His primary research interests are design of buildings and critical
infrastructure under extreme loads, and application of smart materials in rehabilitation of structures,
where has published over 180 articles in archival journals and conference proceedings. Dr. DesRoches
is Past Chair of the executive committee of the Technical Council on Lifeline Earthquake Engineering
(TCLEE), a member of the executive committee of the National Academy of Sciences Disasters
Roundtable, and is on the Board for the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI). Dr.
DesRoches has served as the key technical leader in the US in response to the Haiti earthquake. He has
traveled to Haiti eight times since the earthquake, including a trip where he led a team of 28 engineers,
architects, city planners, and social scientists to study the impact of the earthquake, and provide
recommendations on the recovery and rebuilding Dr. DesRoches has received numerous awards,
including the NSF CAREER award and Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
(PECASE) in 2002. Most recently, he was a recipient of the 2007 ASCE Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering
Research Prize, the Georgia Tech ANAK Award for Outstanding Service, Teaching, and Research (2008),
and the Institute Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Advisor Award (2010).
Host: Sonny Astani Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Erin Sigman
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Next-Generation Transportation Simulation and Modeling Tools
Thu, Feb 03, 2011 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Shan Huang, Ph.D. University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
Talk Title: Next-Generation Transportation Simulation and Modeling Tools
Abstract: In the seminar, Shan will present his effort to advance the state of the art of the simulation and modeling of sustainable transportation infrastructure by addressing some of the limitations of state-of-the-practice models such as the inability to deal with large amounts of data in real-time, the aggregate nature of the majority of models, the lack of network realism in driving simulation and human behavior realism in traffic simulation, and finally the inability to evaluate new and emerging Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) applications. Within this broader research area, the presentation is divided into four tightly-connected research sub-topics. Subtopic 1 aims at developing and validating a novel forecasting paradigm named SPN to forecast traffic data, so as to provide an efficient and effective way for online traffic simulation and modeling. The SPN provides higher predictive accuracy and requires dramatically less processing time compared with existing approaches. Subtopic 2 proposes a semi-heuristic algorithm for estimating dynamic travel demand for large-scale simulation models. The algorithm manages to match the simulated traffic volumes to field counts while keeping the estimated Origin-Destination (OD) matrices close to the true ones. Subtopic 3 integrates a traffic simulator with a driving simulator to allow for human-in-the-loop simulation. The integrated simulator successfully shows differences in emissions levels among drivers with different years of driving experience. Finally, Subtopic 4 designs and implements an integrated IntelliDrive simulation testbed, and uses this testbed for the simulation and evaluation of an application named intelligent intersection. The research demonstrates the mobility enhancement and environmental benefits of the application, as well as the advantages of using the testbed to design and evaluate IntelliDrive applications. The aforementioned contributions advance the state of the art in the simulation and modeling of sustainable transportation infrastructure, broaden the range of transportation issues for which those models and tools can be used to address, and create a vision for a human-oriented, integrated, and intelligent next-generation simulation and modeling system.
Biography: Shan Huang is a Ph.D. who recently graduated from the Transportation Systems Engineering program at the University at Buffalo (UB). His research has long focused on sustainable transportation infrastructure. He developed a graduate course named âTraffic Simulationâ completely from scratch. He was also serving as the founder and first president of UBâs Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) student chapter. He was granted the only New York Upstate Young Transportation Professional of the Year Award by the ITE in 2010.
Host: Sonny Astani Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Erin Sigman
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W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; Recreating the Great Fort Tejon Earthquake of 1857
Fri, Feb 04, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 01:50 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Prof. Swaminathan Krishnan, Assistant Professor of Structural Engineering & Geophysics, California Institute of Technology
Talk Title: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; Recreating the Great Fort Tejon Earthquake of 1857
Abstract: Professor Swaminathan Krishnan, Assistant Professor of Structural Engineering & Geophysics at CalTech, will present "Recreating the Great Fort Tejon Earthquake of 1857" as part of the W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Program.
Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium
More Info: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101
Audiences: Undergrad
Contact: Amanda Atkinson
Event Link: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/
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Integrated Systems Seminar Series
Fri, Feb 04, 2011 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Arjang Hassibi, University of Texas at Austin
Talk Title: CMOS ICs in Biotechnology
Abstract: The recent advances in biotechnology are largely due to the progress in bio-molecular detection and analysis platforms, especially in microarray, DNA sequencing, and qPCR technologies. However, the detection performance of these platforms (SNR, dynamic range, response time, throughput, and etc.) as well as their instrumentation complexity are far from the ideal. It is fair to say that there is no technology today that can satisfy the stringent requirements of applications such as personal medicine, point-of-care (PoC) molecular diagnostics, and real-time environmental monitoring.
Recently, a new technology trend has emerged in bio-electronics which promises not only detection sensitivity, but also integration and manufacturability. The general idea is to leverage the capabilities of conventional silicon VLSI fabrication technologies, i.e. CMOS processes, to build ICs that can act as the backbone for bio-molecular analysis platforms. Some examples are CMOS integrated microarrays and high-throughput DNA sequence-by-synthesis systems. The focus of this talk is to introduce this technology trend and discuss its advantages and limitations.
Biography: Arjang Hassibi is an Assistant Professor at the ECE Department and the Institute for Cellular Biology of the University of Texas at Austin. Arjang received the B.Sc. degree with the highest honors from the University of Tehran, Iran (1997), and the M.S. (2001) and Ph.D. degrees (2005) from Stanford University, all in electrical engineering. Prior to becoming a faculty he was a Postdoctoral Scholar at California Institute of Technology and also the co-founder and director of engineering of Xagros Genomics, where he co-invented the technology behind Ion Torrent electronic DNA sequencing platform. He has also held research positions at the Functional Genomics group of IBM T.J. Watson Research Center and Stanford Genome Technology Center. His main research interests are in the intersection of IC design and biotechnology.
Host: Prof. Hossein Hashemi and Firooz Aflatouni
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Hossein Hashemi
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BME 533 - Seminar in Biomedical Engineering
Mon, Feb 07, 2011 @ 12:30 PM - 01:50 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Mr. Teo Jimenez, Edwards Lifesciences
Talk Title: Medical Device Development
Host: Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta
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EE-Electrophysics Seminar
Mon, Feb 07, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Duygu Kuzum, Standford University
Talk Title: Nanoelectronics for Brain Inspired Computing and Implantable Neurodevices
Abstract: The efficiency of todayâs information processors has been dominated by complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistor scaling based on Mooreâs law. However, in the nano era CMOS scaling started to face significant barriers in achieving historical performance gains. In the first part of the talk, advances in high performance Ge CMOS technology, addressing end-of-the-roadmap CMOS scaling, will be presented. I will discuss our work on Ge interface engineering and a novel dopant activation technique to improve Ge CMOS performance.
Besides the scaling limits, the conventional computing paradigm based on binary logic and Von Neumann architecture becomes increasingly inefficient as the complexity of computation increases. Brain-inspired architectures and reconfigurable-adaptive systems are emerging research fields aiming to go beyond capabilities of digital logic and eventually to reach brain-level efficiency. In order to achieve the compactness, energy efficiency, massive parallelism and robustness of biological brain in our computational systems, the most important building block will be a compact nanoelectronic device emulating the functions and plasticity of biological synapses. In the second part of the talk, Iâll introduce a new nanoscale electronic synapse based on technologically mature phase change materials employed in optical data storage and nonvolatile memory applications. Continuous resistance transition in phase change materials is utilized to mimic the analog nature of biological synapses, enabling the implementation of synaptic learning rule. Different forms of synaptic plasticity using same nanoscale synapse with picojoule level energy consumption are demonstrated.
In the future, electronics will be increasingly employed for life science and healthcare applications. In the third part of my talk Iâll explain recent advances in implantable neurodevices. Iâll discuss our efforts on improving durability of implantable brain electrodes and nanoelectronic synapse platform for interaction with biological neurons.
Biography: Duygu Kuzum received her B. S. in Electrical Engineering from Bilkent University, Turkiye, in 2004 and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 2009. Her Ph.D. research focused on design, fabrication and characterization of Ge MOSFETs for future technology nodes. She is currently working on novel memory and storage devices and nanoscale electronic devices for brain-inspired computing as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University. She is the author or coauthor of over 30 journal and conference papers. She worked as a research intern at Translucent Inc. (2006) and Intel Component Research (2008). She was a recipient of a number of awards, including Texas Instruments Fellowship and Intel Foundation Fellowship.
Host: EE-Electrophysics
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
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ENH Seminar Series
Mon, Feb 07, 2011 @ 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Jane Wang, Professor Cornell University
Talk Title: How do insects fly and turn
Abstract: Insects' aerial acrobatics result from the concerted efforts of their brains, flight muscles, and flapping wings. To understand insect flight, we started from the outer scale, analyzing the unsteady aerodynamics of flapping flight, and are gradually working toward the inner scale, deducing control algorithms. In this approach, the dynamics of flight informs us about the internal control scheme for a specific behavior. I will first describe the aerodynamic tricks that dragonflies employ to hover and fly efficiently. I will then discuss how fruit flies recover from aerial stumbles, and how they make subtle wing movements to induce sharp turns in tens of wing beats, or 40-80ms. The observed yaw maneuver can be explained by a quantitative mechanical model that connects a single control variable to the body dynamics.
Host: Francisco Valero-Cuevas
More Info: http://bbdl.usc.edu/ENH-Schedule_1011.phpLocation: Hedco Neurosciences Building (HNB) - 100
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Adriana Cisneros
Event Link: http://bbdl.usc.edu/ENH-Schedule_1011.php
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CS Colloquium
Tue, Feb 08, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Ankur Moitra, MIT
Talk Title: Vertex Sparsification
Abstract: Suppose we are given a gigantic communication network, but are only interested in a small number of nodes (clients). There are many routing problems we could be asked to solve for our clients. Is there a much smaller network - that we could write down on a sheet of paper and put in our pocket - that approximately preserves all the relevant communication properties of the original network? As we will demonstrate, the answer to this question is YES, and we call this smaller network a vertex sparsifier.
In fact, if we are asked to solve a sequence of optimization problems characterized by cuts or flows, we can compute a good vertex sparsifier ONCE and discard the original network. We can run our algorithms (or approximation
algorithms) on the vertex sparsifier as a proxy - and still recover approximately optimal solutions in the original network. This novel pattern saves both space (because the network we store is much smaller) and time (because our algorithms run on a much smaller graph).
Additionally, we apply these ideas to obtain a master theorem for graph partitioning problems - as long as the integrality gap of a standard linear programming relaxation is bounded on trees, then the integrality gap is at most a logarithmic factor larger for general networks. This result implies optimal bounds for many well studied graph partitioning problems as a special case, and even yields optimal bounds for more challenging problems that had not been studied before. Morally, these results are all based on the idea that even though the structure of optimal solutions can be quite complicated, these solution values can be approximated by crude (even linear) functions.
Biography: Ankur Moitra is a fourth year PhD student in the theory of computation group at MIT, advised by Tom Leighton. His main research interests are in approximation algorithms, learning theory and applied probability. He received a B.S. in electrical and computer engineering from Cornell in 2007, and a M.S.
in computer science from MIT in 2009. Additionally, he has spent a number of summers working in industry, both as a quant at Citigroup and designing blog ranking algorithms at Google.
Host: Prof. David Kempe, USC
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Kanak Agrawal
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AME Department Seminar
Wed, Feb 09, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Louis Komzsik , Chief Numerical Analyst, Office of Architecture and Technology, Siemens PLM Software
Talk Title: An Introduction to Industrial Rotor Dynamics
Abstract: The rotational phenomenon is instrumental in our everyday lives. The effects of the phenomenon range from the well known centrifugal force, through the Coriolis forces and to the Euler force. The modeling and computation of such forces forms the basis of rotor dynamics. Rotor dynamics of elastic structures is a very important topic of the energy (turbines and windmills) and transportation (helicopter and airplane propellers) industry. The talk will briefly review the physical fundamentals of rotating phenomenon and its computational formulation with finite elements. It will also present a demonstration example and an industrial case study from NASTRAN, the world leader in commercial finite element analysis. It is aimed at undergraduate and graduate engineering or computational science students, but well suited for interested faculty as well.
Biography: Dr. Louis Komzsik, Chief Numerical Analyst of Siemens Industry Division, PLMS. He is a graduate of the Technical University of Budapest in Hungary and worked for almost four decades in the industry, the last three in the United States. His work focuses on developing computational techniques for industrial applications in commercial finite element analysis. Dr. Komzsik is the author of several books; one on them on Lanczos method published by SIAM has also been published in Japanese, Hungarian and Chinese. His book about Computational Techniques of Finite Element Analysis is in its second edition and used by engineers worldwide. His Approximation Techniques for Engineers and Applied Calculus of Variations for Engineers books are used at several universities in the US and in Europe.
Host: Prof. G. Shiflett
More Info: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/index.shtml#upcomingLocation: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: April Mundy
Event Link: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/index.shtml#upcoming
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Updating our conceptual model for fine particle emissions from combustion systems
Thu, Feb 10, 2011 @ 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Allen L. Robinson, Carnegie Mellon University
Talk Title: Updating our conceptual model for fine particle emissions from combustion systems
Abstract: Atmospheric particles play an important role in the Earthâs engergy balance; they are also strongly
associated with adverse human health effects. Motor vehicles, wood stoves, and other
combustion systems are major sources of atmospheric particles. However, quantifying the
impact of these sources on air quality and global climate remains a major uncertainty.
This talk will describe recent field, laboratory, and modeling results on organic particle
emissions from combustion systems. The results reveal a dynamic picture in which low
volatility organics evaporate, oxidize, and recondense as they are transported away from the
source. This new picture alters our understanding of the contribution of combustion sources to
urban and regional pollution and brings chemical transport model predictions into better
agreement with field observations. The talk will conclude with a brief discussion of future
research needs and the implications of this new conceptual model for our understanding of
source contributions to human exposures and the design of regulations to control organic
aerosols.
Biography: Allen Robinson: Dr. Allen Robinson is a Professor in the Departments of Mechanical
Engineering and Engineering and Public Policy and the director of the Center for Atmospheric
Particle Studies at Carnegie Mellon University. His research examines the impact of emissions
from combustion systems on urban and regional air quality and global climate, with a focus on
fine particulate matter. He was a visiting faculty fellow at the Cooperative Institute for
Research in Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado and NOAA in Boulder,
Colorado and a postdoctoral fellow at the Combustion Research Facility at Sandia National
Laboratories in Livermore, California. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California at
Berkeley in Mechanical Engineering in 1996 and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Stanford
University in 1990. He received the Carnegie Institute of Technology Outstanding Research
Award in 2010, the Ahrens Career Development Chair in Mechanical Engineering in 2005 and
the George Tallman Ladd Outstanding Young Faculty Award in 200. He is the author of more
than 80 peer-reviewed publications on air pollution, atmospheric chemistry, and biomass
energy.
Host: Sonny Astani Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Erin Sigman
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Lyman L. Handy Colloquium Series
Thu, Feb 10, 2011 @ 12:45 PM - 01:50 PM
Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Professor David R. Clarke,
Talk Title: uminescence of Oxides for Sensors and New Laser Gain Materials
Series: Lyman L. Handy Colloquium Series
Abstract: Luminescence is one of the most distinctive properties of a material and consequently continues to attract both artistic and scientific interest. And, although the underlying physics has been well established for many years it remains difficult to predict in detail the luminescence spectra of luminescent ions doped in complex oxide hosts and its dependence on temperature, doping concentration and strain. Consequently, the subject provides a wonderful play ground for those of us interested in tailoring, for instance, new phosphor materials, sensors or adding multi‐functionality to existing materials. In my talk I will describe two quite different examples of exploring doping schemes, one to create a luminescence sensor for sensing temperature (and damage) in thermal barrier coatings and the other for identifying a new class of high‐power laser gain material. These exemplify the necessity of combining an understanding of the essential physics with knowledge of crystal chemistry and materials processing, the synthesis of scientific knowledge required in developing new materials today.
Biography: Professor at School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA 02138
Host: Professor Goo
More Info: http://chems.usc.edu/academics/10-11/l-02-10-11.htmLocation: James H. Zumberge Hall Of Science (ZHS) - 159
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Petra Pearce
Event Link: http://chems.usc.edu/academics/10-11/l-02-10-11.htm
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Photonics Seminar Series
Thu, Feb 10, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Prof. Eric P. Y. Chiou, UCLA
Talk Title: Photothermal Excitation for Ultrafast Micro and Nanofluid Systems and Biomedical Applications
Abstract: Short pulse lasers have broad applications across broad fields including optical communication, imaging, laser machining, laser surgery, and recently in actuating microfluid and nanofluid devices. It has been shown that a tightly focused laser beam is capable of inducing localized hot plasma for rapid heating and creating cavitation bubbles that expand at high speed in the micro and nanometer scale. Through proper engineering design, such ultrafast actuation mechanism can be spatially patterned and synchronized in time domain to achieve novel microfluidic functions such as ultrafast microfluidic cell sorting, droplet generation, and single cell encapsulation. By coupling this photothermal effect with metallic nanostructures, the threshold energy for exciting cavitation bubbles can be greatly reduced and the bubble explosion pattern can be controlled in the nanometer scale. This enables a novel photothermal nanoblade that permits patterned cutting of 3D fragile mammalian cell membranes for large cargo delivery into mammalian cells with high efficiency and high cell viability.
Biography: Prof. Eric P. Y. Chiou received his Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences Department from the University of California at Berkeley in 2005. He received his M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering Department in the University of California at Los Angeles and B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering Department from National Taiwan University in Taiwan in 1998. He joined the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of California at Los Angeles in 2006. His research interest is Optical MEMS, BioMEMS, laser manufacturing, and biophotonics. He has received the NSF CAREER award in 2008.
Host: Prof. Michelle Povinelli
More Info: http://ee.usc.edu/news/seminars/photonics/Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Jing Ma
Event Link: http://ee.usc.edu/news/seminars/photonics/
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CS Distinguished Lecture
Thu, Feb 10, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. James O'Brien, UC Berkeley
Talk Title: Sparse Matrix Factorization, Mesh Modification, and Real-Time FEM Simulation
Abstract: This talk will discuss the use of dynamic remeshing and sparse matrix factorization in the context of real-time dynamics simulations. The first part of the talk will focus on two systems that have been developed for specific applications: destructible environments in "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed" and interactive modeling of prostate brachytherapy. Although dynamic remeshing is often dismissed as impractically slow, in both cases it plays a key part to making the simulations work effectively in a real-time setting. The second part of the talk will focus on an incremental update method for the Cholesky factors of sparse matrices that out-performs standard iterative methods for solving elastodynamic problems. The factors are not recomputed at each time step, but the nonlinearities that normally compel refactoring are not ignored either. Instead, the algorithm makes local incremental updates to the Cholesky factors to maintain error limits on the solution. The results presented will include captured footage from the live game, comparisons of simulated needle insertion to footage with gel tissue phantoms, and demonstrations of the sparse direct solver on large meshes.
Biography: James F. O'Brien is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley. His primary area of interest is Computer Animation, with an emphasis on generating realistic motion using physically based simulation and motion capture techniques. He has authored numerous papers on these topics. In addition to his research pursuits, Prof. O'Brien has worked with several game companies on integrating advanced simulation physics into game engines, and his methods for destruction modeling were recently used in the film Avatar. He received his doctorate from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2000, the same year he joined the Faculty at U.C. Berkeley. Professor O'Brien is a Sloan Fellow and ACM Distinguished Scientist, Technology Review selected him as one of their TR-100, and he has been awarded research grants from the Okawa and Hellman Foundations. He is currently serving as ACM SIGGRAPH Director at Large. http://obrien.berkeley.edu/
Host: Prof. Jernej Barbic, USC
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Kanak Agrawal
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An Information Theoretic View of Robust Cooperation/Relaying in Wireless Networks
Fri, Feb 11, 2011 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Shlomo Shamai , Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
Talk Title: An Information Theoretic View of Robust Cooperation/Relaying in Wireless Networks
Abstract: In many wireless networks, cooperation, in the form of relaying, takes place over out-of-band spectral resources. Examples are ad hoc networks in which multiple radio interfaces are available for communications or cellular systems with (wireless or wired) backhaul links. In this information-theoretic overview, we put emphasis on robust processing and cooperation via out-of-band links for both ad hoc and cellular networks. Specifically, in focus are, robust approaches and practical aspects such as imperfect information regarding the channel state, and the codebooks (modulation, coding) shared by transmitters and receivers.
First we address cooperation scenarios with perfect channel state information and investigate the impact of lack of information regarding the codebooks (oblivious processing) on basic relay channels and cellular systems with cooperation among base stations. Then, similar models are examined in the absence of perfect channel state information. Robust coding strategies are designed based on 'variable-to-fixed' channel coding concepts (the broadcast coding approach, or unequal error protection codes). The effectiveness of such strategies are discussed for multirelay channels and cellular systems overlaid with femtocell hotspots.
Biography: Shlomo Shamai (Shitz) (S'80âM'82âSM'89âF'94) received the B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the TechnionâIsrael Institute of Technology, in 1975, 1981 and 1986 respectively. During 1975-1985 he was with the Communications Research Labs in the capacity of a Senior Research Engineer. Since 1986 he is with the Department of Electrical Engineering, TechnionâIsrael Institute of Technology, where he is now the William Fondiller Professor of Telecommunications. His research interests encompass a wide spectrum of topics in information theory and statistical communications. He is especially interested in theoretical limits in communication with practical constraints, multi-user information theory and spread spectrum systems, multiple-input-multiple-output communications systems, information theoretic models for wireless networks and systems, information theoretic aspects of magnetic recording, channel coding, combined modulation and coding, turbo codes and LDPC, in channel, source, and combined source-channel applications, iterative detection and decoding algorithms, coherent and noncoherent detection and information theoretic aspects of digital communication in optical channels. Dr. Shamai (Shitz) is a member of the Union Radio Scientifique Internationale (URSI). He is the recipient of the 1999 van der Pol Gold Medal of URSI, and a co-recipient of the 2000 IEEE Donald G. Fink Prize Paper Award, the 2003, and the 2004 Joint IT/COM Societies Paper Award, and the 2007 Information Theory Society Paper Award. He is also the recipient of the 1985 Alon Grant for distinguished young scientists and the 2000 Technion Henry Taub Prize for Excellence in Research. He has served as Associate Editor for the Shannon Theory of the IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, and also serves on the Board of Governors of the Information Theory Society.
Host: Giuseppe Caire
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Gerrielyn Ramos
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ASTE Seminar
Fri, Feb 11, 2011 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Astronautical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Jay Polk, Ph.D., Principal Engineer, Propulsion and Materials Engineering Section, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Talk Title: High Power Electric Propulsion for Human Exploration Missions
Abstract: The use of high specific impulse electric propulsion offers dramatic cost savings for human missions as part of the flexible path for deep space exploration. Near-term solar array and electric thruster technologies incorporated in a 300 kWe solar electric propulsion (SEP) stage could enable human exploration of many scientifically interesting near-Earth objects in the 2020 time frame with a factor of two or more reduction in the total mass that must be launched to low earth orbit compared to conventional chemical propulsion. Similar performance can be achieved for human missions to Phobos or Deimos with vehicle power levels of about 600 kWe and missions to explore the surface of Mars could be accomplished with MWe-class vehicles. In this talk, the âElectric Path,â a new architecture exploiting the fuel efficiency of high specific impulse electric propulsion, and the required high power Hall thruster technologies will be described. Current research focuses on thruster lifetime issues, and the physics of two key life-limiting phenomena, Hall thruster discharge channel erosion and barium depletion in hollow cathodes, will be discussed.
Biography: Dr. Polk received his Ph.D. from Princeton University. He has over 20 years experience in electric propulsion research and development, and had led many electric propulsion projects at JPL.
Host: Department of Astronautical Engineering
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marrietta Penoliar
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Center for Energy Nanoscience and Technology - Distinguisted Speaker Series
Fri, Feb 11, 2011 @ 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Richard M. Swanson, President Emeritus SunPower Corporation
Talk Title: High Efficiency Silicon Solar Cells - Concepts and Commercialization
Biography: Richard Swanson received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 1974. In 1976, he joined the faculty at Stanford University where he and his group conceived and developed the point-contact solar cell. Laboratory versions of these cells achieved a record 28 percent conversion efficiency in concentrator cells and 23 percent large-area one-sun cells. In 1991, Swanson resigned from his faculty position to devote full time to SunPower Corporation, a company he founded to develop and commercialize cost-effective photovoltaic power systems. Swanson currently serves as its president emeritus. Along with his students and co-workers, Swanson has published more than 200 articles in journals and conference proceedings, as well as several book chapters. In 2002, Swanson received the William R. Cherry award by the IEEE for outstanding contributions to the photovoltaic field, and in 2006 he was awarded the Becquerel Prize in Photovoltaics from the European Communities. Most recently, Swanson received the Economistâs Innovation Award for Energy and Environment.
Host: P. Daniel Dapkus, Director, Center for Energy Nanoscience
Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Eliza Aceves
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W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; High-efficiency Solar Cells for Power Generation
Fri, Feb 11, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 01:50 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Nasser Karam, Vice President for Advanced Technology Products
Talk Title: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; High-efficiency Solar Cells for Power Generation
Abstract: Dr. Nasser Karam will present "High-efficiency Solar Cells for Power Generation" as part of the W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium.
Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium
More Info: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101
Audiences: Undergrad
Contact: Amanda Atkinson
Event Link: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/
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Integrated Systems Seminar Series
Fri, Feb 11, 2011 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Alireza Shirvani, Ralink Technology
Talk Title: Embedded RF Interfaces in Deep Submicron CMOS: Challenges and Opportunities
Abstract: For the past few years, most state-of-the-art wireless transceivers have evolved into single chip SoCâs in deep submicron CMOS technologies. Such high level of integration is mainly driven by cost and form factors demanded by the market. For RF and analog designers, however, such high level of integration is a mixed blessing. Keeping up with digital scaling imposes technical and strategic challenges for RF transceiver development. Furthermore, small die sizes with increased on-die digital activity necessitate substrate noise mitigation and isolation techniques. The added integration, however, provides numerous benefits. A higher level of system self test and calibration can be achieved on the die, alleviating the need for external test equipment and added time and cost. In addition, digitally assisted techniques can be more readily employed to overcome circuit and system impairments, saving precious die size and power.
Biography: Alireza Shirvani received the B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran, in 1997, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University, Stanford, CA, in 1999 and 2003 respectively. He was with Tavanza from 2000 to 2002 working on RF power amplifiers for cellular communications. From 2002 to 2009, he was with Marvell Semiconductor, most recently as Senior Director of RF and Analog Design, where he led development of several generations of Marvell WLAN products. He is currently with Ralink Technology, as Director of RFIC Engineering, engaged in design and development of integrated RF transceivers for wireless communications. Dr. Shirvani was a member of the Iranian team in the 24th International Physics Olympiad. He is a technical program committee member and chair of the Panels Subcommittee at the IEEE Custom Integrated Circuit Conference (CICC). He is also the author of Design and Control of RF Power Amplifiers (Springer, 2003) and the recipient of the 2002 IEEE Journal of Solid State Circuits Best Paper Award.
Host: Prof. Hossein Hashemi and Firooz Aflatouni
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Hossein Hashemi
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Extremes of Random Coding Error Exponents
Fri, Feb 11, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Albert Guillén i Fà bregas, University of Cambridge
Talk Title: Extremes of Random Coding Error Exponents
Abstract: In this talk, we will briefly review Gallager's random coding achievability proof. We will show that Gallager's random coding error exponent of an arbitrary binary-input memoryless symmetric channel is upper-bounded by that of the binary erasure channel and lower-bounded by that of the binary-symmetric channel of the same capacity. We will illustrate how the result can be applied to find the extremes of the channel dispersion for the aforementioned class of channels.
Biography: Albert Guillén i Fà bregas received the Telecommunication Engineering Degree and the Electronics Engineering Degree from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya , Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain, and the Politecnico di Torino , Torino, Italy, respectively, both in 1999, and the Ph.D. in Communication Systems from Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2004.
From August 1998 to March 1999, he conducted his Final Research Project at the New Jersey Institute of Technology , Newark, NJ. He was with Telecom Italia Labs, Italy, from November 1999 to June 2000. From September 2000 to May 2001, he was with the European Space Agency (ESA), The Netherlands. During his doctoral studies, from 2001 to 2004, he was a Research and Teaching assistant at Institut Eurécom , France. From June 2003 to July 2004 he was a visiting scholar at EPFL. Since September 2004 until December 2006 he was a Research Fellow at the Institute for Telecommunications Research , University of South Australia , Australia. From January 2007 he has been a Lecturer at the Department of Engineering , University of Cambridge , United Kingdom. He is also a Fellow of Trinity Hall . He held visiting appointments at Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications , Paris, France (June-July 2005 and June 2006),Universitat Pompeu Fabra , Barcelona, Spain (September 2008), at the Institute for Telecommunications Research , University of South Australia , Mawson Lakes, Australia (December 2008, June-July 2010) and Texas A&M Univeristy at Qatar (May 2010). His specific research interests are in the area of communication theory, information theory, coding theory, digital modulation and signal processing techniques, particularly with wireless terrestrial and satellite applications.
Dr. Guillén i Fà bregas received the Starting Grant from the European Research Council , the Young Authors Award of the 2004 European Signal Processing Conference EUSIPCO 2004, Vienna, Austria, the 2004 Nokia Best Doctoral Thesis Award in Mobile Internet and 3rd Generation Mobile Solutions from the Spanish Institution of Telecommunications Engineers , and a pre-doctoral Research Fellowship of the Spanish Ministry of Education to join ESA. He is also a Senior Member of IEEE (Information Theory and Communications Societies ), of theARC Communications Research Network (ACoRN), and a Junior member of the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences . Since November 2007, he has been an Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications
Host: Giuseppe Caire, caire@usc.edu, EEB 528, x04683
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Gerrielyn Ramos
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MESA MPTI Follow-up
Sat, Feb 12, 2011 @ 09:00 AM - 03:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering K-12 STEM Center
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Abstract: Follow-up to Summer Math Physics Technology Institute teacher professional development
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: MESA Teachers
Contact: Larry Lim
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Polar Codes and Power Blackouts
Mon, Feb 14, 2011 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Edmund Yeh, Yale University
Talk Title: Polar Codes and Power Blackouts
Abstract: Achieving the fundamental capacity limits of noisy communication channels with low complexity coding schemes has been a major challenge for over 60 years. Recently, a new coding construction, called polar coding, has been shown to provably achieve the capacity of discrete memoryless single-user channels. Whereas a number of practical coding constructions (e.g. Turbo and Low Density Parity Check codes) can empirically approach the capacity of single-user communication channels, there is still a shortage of good practical coding schemes for multi-user communication channels. In the first part of the talk, we extend the polar coding method to two-user multiple-access communication channels. We show that if the two users use the channel combining and splitting construction, the resulting multiple-access channels will polarize to one of five possible extremals, on each of which uncoded transmission is optimal. Our coding technique can achieve some of the optimal transmission rate pairs obtained with uniformly distributed inputs. The encoding and decoding complexity of the code is O(n log n) with n being the block length, and the block error probability is roughly O(2^{-\sqrt{n}}). Our coding construction is one of the first low-complexity coding schemes which have been proved to achieve capacity in multi-user communication networks.
In electrical power networks, cascading failure associated with power blackouts often result from a small number of initial line failures triggering a global failure event affecting the whole network, inflicting enormous socioeconomic cost. In spite of the increasing frequency of blackout events, there is still a shortage of understanding regarding the structures and properties which lend the network susceptible to cascading failure. In the second part of the talk, we show how the theory of percolation can be used to analyze the problem of cascading failure from a network perspective. For large-scale networks modeled by random geometric graphs, we use a simple but descriptive model to show that the cascading failure problem is equivalent to a dependent percolation process. Within this context, we obtain analytical conditions for the occurrence and non-occurrence of cascading failure, respectively.
Joint work with Eren Sasoglu, Emre Telatar, Zhenning Kong, and Hongda Xiao.
Biography: Edmund Yeh received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering with Distinction from Stanford University in 1994, his M.Phil in Engineering from the University of Cambridge in 1995, and his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT in 2001. He is currently an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Statistics at Yale University.
Professor Yeh is the recipient of a Humboldt Research Fellowship, an Army Research Office Young Investigator Award, the Winston Churchill Scholarship, the National Science Foundation and Office of Naval Research Graduate Fellowships, the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, the Frederick Emmons Terman Engineering Scholastic Award, and the Presidentâs Award for Academic Excellence (Stanford University). He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi.
Host: Giuseppe Caire, caire@usc.edu, EEB 528, x04683
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Gerrielyn Ramos
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BME 533 - Seminar in Biomedical Engineering
Mon, Feb 14, 2011 @ 12:30 PM - 01:50 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Arkadiusz Gertych, Cedars Sinai Hospital
Talk Title: Nuts and Bolts of Bio-Image Informatics in Translational Medicine Continuum
Host: Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta
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Engineering for the 21sr Century
Mon, Feb 14, 2011 @ 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. David Allen, Gertz Regents Professor and Director, Center for Energy and Environmental Resources, University of Texas
Talk Title: Engineering for the 21st Century
Abstract: The profession of engineering is in a period of rapid change. Although the most basic elements of engineering education and practice will remain relatively constant, engineers of the 21st century will need to operate in global environments and adapt to an explosion of knowledge. Engineers will need to design products and infrastructures for increasingly urban populations and will require innovation and entrepreneurship skills. And, as societies and their technologies become more intertwine engineers will need to become engaged in public policy development.
All of these changes have implications for engineering education and research. Leading departments of engineering will respond to these changes in the profession of engineering. This presentation will describe a vision for a leading engineering program addressing the engineering challenges of megacities
and their populations.
Biography: Dr. David Allen is the Gertz Regents Professor of Chemical Engineering, and the Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Resources at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of six books and over 200 papers in areas ranging from coal liquefaction and heavy oil chemistry to the chemistry of urban atmospheres. For the past decade, his work has focused primarily on urban air quality and the development of materials for environmental education. Dr. Allen was a lead investigato for the first and second Texas Air Quality Studies, which involved hundreds of researchers drawn from around the world, and which have had a substantial impact on the direction of air quality policies in Texas. He has also developed environmental educational materials for engineering curricula and for the Universityâs core curriculum, as well as engineering education materials for high school students. The quality of his work has been recognized by the National Science Foundation (through the Presidential Young Investigator Award), the AT&T Foundation (through an Industrial Ecology Fellowship), the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (through the Cecil Award for contributions to environmental engineering and through the Research Excellence Award of the Sustainable Engineering Forum), the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (through their Distinguished Lecturer Award), and the State of Texas (through the Governorâs Environmental Excellence Award). He has won teaching awards at UCLA and the University of Texas.
Dr. Allen received his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering, with distinction, from Cornell University in 1979. His M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering were awarded by the California Institute of Technology in 1981 and 1983. He has held visiting faculty appointments at the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the Department of Energy.
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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Distinguished Lecturer Series
Mon, Feb 14, 2011 @ 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. R. Srikant, University of Illinois
Talk Title: Network Optimization
Abstract: Resource allocation problems in many different types of networks can often be posed as convex optimization problems, and duality theory can then be used to derive optimal algorithms. The talk will illustrate the applications of this rich theory at the intersection of optimization, stochastic networks, combinatorial optimization and stochastic approximation. Specifically, we will present applications of this paradigm to problems ranging from wireless networks to online advertising with budget constraints.
Biography: R. Srikant received his B.Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras in 1985, his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1988 and 1991, respectively, all in Electrical Engineering. He was a Member of Technical Staff at AT&T Bell Laboratories from 1991 to 1995. He is currently at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he is the Fredric G. and Elizabeth H. Nearing Endowed Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a Research Professor in the Coordinated Science Lab. His research interests include communication networks, stochastic processes, and game theory.
Host: Bhaskar Krishnamachari
More Info: http://ee.usc.edu/news/dls/Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Estela Lopez
Event Link: http://ee.usc.edu/news/dls/
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EPSTEIN INSTITUTE SEMINAR
Tue, Feb 15, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 04:50 PM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Soundar Kumara, Pearce Chair Professor of Industrial Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University
Talk Title: "Why Study Complex Networks"
Abstract: The last decade has seen an explosion of research in network science, a science whose initial work and subsequent developments are grounded in statistical physics applied to natural systems. The field of Complex networks has become an important area of research in many disciplines. In recent years, researchers in the engineering discipline have also taken a keen interest in complex networks, which has resulted in several application areas being investigated in engineering. Due to the connectivity, reach and pervasiveness offered by IT and embedded systems, networks are going to be much more prevalent in the future. In this talk, we will briefly explore the foundations of network science and some relevant applications in web service composition, health care and computer virus heredity and provenance detection. We will conclude with some important research problems.
Biography: Dr. Kumara is the Allen, E and Allen, M. Pearce Professor of Industrial Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University. He also holds joint appointments with Computer Science and Engineering, and an affiliate appointment with the School of Information Sciences and Technology. He holds an adjunct position with C.R. Rao Institute of Advanced Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, University of Hyderabad, India. His research interests are in studying chaos in physical systems, sensor data fusion, sensor networks and large scale complex networks. He got his Ph.D., from Purdue University. He is an elected Fellow of the International Academy of Production Research (CIRP) and the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE). Dr. Kumara has won several awards at Penn State including the Graduate Faculty Teaching Award, University Faculty Scholar Medal, and Penn State Engineering Society- Premier Research Award. His publications have appeared in IIE Transactions, ASME Transactions, IEEE Transactions, Applied Mathematics, Physics Reviews, and Sensor Networks.
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - Room 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Georgia Lum
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CS Colloquium
Tue, Feb 15, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Roxana Geambasu, University of Washington
Talk Title: Regaining Control Over Mobile and Cloud Data
Abstract: Emerging technologies, such as cloud and mobile computing, offer previously unimaginable global access to data; however, they also threaten our ability to control the use of our data, its lifetime, accessibility, privacy, management properties, etc. My research focuses on restoring to users control they've ceded to the cloud and mobile devices. In this talk I will describe two examples of this work. First, I'll present Keypad, an auditing file system for theft- and loss-prone mobile devices that permits users to track and control accesses on their mobile data, even after a device has been stolen.
Second, I'll describe Vanish, a global-scale distributed-trust system that allows users to cause all copies of desired Web data objects, online or offline, to simultaneously self destruct at a specified time. A common thread of these efforts is the integration of systems and crypto techniques to solve new problems in data management brought on by technological change.
Biography: Roxana Geambasu is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington. Her interests span broad areas of systems research, including cloud and mobile computing, operating systems, file systems, and databases, with a focus on security and privacy. She received her B.S. in Computer Science from the Polytechnic University of Bucharest in 2005 and was the recipient of the first Google Fellowship in Cloud Computing in 2009.
Host: Prof. Ramesh Govindan, USC
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Kanak Agrawal
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The Texas Air Quality Studies: State of teh Science of air quality in Texas and implications for air qualilty policy
Tue, Feb 15, 2011 @ 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: David Allen , Gertz Regents Professor and Director, Center for Energy and Environmental Resources. University of Texas
Talk Title: Engineering for the 21st Century
Abstract: The Texas Air Quality Studies (TexAQS I and II), conducted in the summers of 2000 and 2006 were the largest air quality field studies ever undertaken in Texas. During August and September of 2000 and 2006, approximately 300 air quality investigators from around the world converged on the eastern half of Texas. Multiple aircraft and a large research vessel were deployed; multiple ground sites were established for collecting meteorological and chemical data.
This presentation, by one of the lead investigators for the Texas Air Quality Studies, will provide an overview of the studies and will discuss, in more detail, both the overall policy implications of the studies and the enhanced understanding of urban atmospheric chemistry that emerged from the studies. Specifically, the role of routine and episodic emissions of highly reactive volatile organic compounds (HRVOCs) will be discussed, and the emission cap and trade program developed to limit the emissions of HRVOCs will be described.
Biography: Dr. David Allen is the Gertz Regents Professor of Chemical Engineering, and the Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Resources at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of six books and over 200 papers in areas ranging from coal liquefaction and heavy oil chemistry to the chemistry of urban atmospheres. For the past decade, his work has focused primarily on urban air quality and the development of materials for environmental education. Dr. Allen was a lead investigator for the first and second Texas Air Quality Studies, which involved hundreds of researchers drawn from around the world, and which have had a substantial impact on the direction of air quality policies in Texas. He has also developed environmental educational materials for engineering curricula and for the Universityâs core curriculum, as well as engineering education materials for high school students. The quality of his work has been recognized by the National Science Foundation (through the Presidential Young Investigator Award), the AT&T Foundation (through an Industrial Ecology Fellowship), the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (through the Cecil Award for contributions to environmental engineering and through the Research Excellence Award of the Sustainable Engineering Forum), the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (through their Distinguished Lecturer Award), and the State of Texas (through the Governorâs Environmental Excellence teaching awards at UCLA and the University of Texas.
Dr. Allen received his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering, with distinction, from Cornell University in 1979. His M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering were awarded by the California Institute of Technology in 1981 and 1983. He has held visiting faculty appointments at the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the Department of Energy.
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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AME Department Seminar
Wed, Feb 16, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Robert Dudley , Professor, University of California at Berkeley
Talk Title: From Gliding Ants to Andean Hummingbirds and Giant Dragonflies: The Origins and Evolution of Animal Flight
Abstract: Unsteady aerodynamic mechanisms underpinning animal flight have recently been intensively studied, but less well understood are those evolutionary pathways leading to the acquisition and subsequent elaboration of flapping flight. Recently discovered behaviors in Neotropical canopy ants demonstrate directed aerial descent in the complete absence of wings; controlled aerial behavior appears to have preceded the origin of wings in insects and other flying animals. Variation in atmospheric composition during the late Paleozoic may have influenced the initial evolution and subsequent diversification of insects, as well as the widespread phenomenon of arthropod gigantism, including but not limited to dragonflies with a 70 centimeter wingspan. For fully flighted forms, judicious use of helium to create physically variable gas mixtures permits decoupling of physiological from aerodynamic constraints on hovering performance. Such constraints are revealed in natural contexts through the study of hummingbird and bumblebee flight capacity across steep altitudinal transects.
Host: Prof. G. Spedding
More Info: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/2-16-11-dudley.shtmlLocation: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: April Mundy
Event Link: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/2-16-11-dudley.shtml
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CS Colloquium
Wed, Feb 16, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 05:30 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dieter Gawlick, Oracle
Talk Title: Classification based data base management
Abstract: Patient care - as IT support in other domains - is typically managed by several incompatible programs in terms of their data models and semantics. These programs are focused on specific situation and give doctors a limited view at patient data. The IT technology, however, has evolved to a point that it is now possible to develop a generic patient care application that manages all patient data for all situations requiring none or little domain specific procedural code. This application provides also a framework for capturing medical knowledge. With this knowledge the application is able to extract in real time medically relevant information from data, even if the extraction is outside of the medical expertise of a doctor or if the extraction is outside of the capability of the human brain. By transforming (quantitative) data into (qualitative) information, applications adjust to the way humans absorb and use information. Provisioning - covering data, information, and knowledge - ensures that the fuzziness of qualitative information is always backed by the precision of quantitative data. This approach depends heavily on the classification of data and the management of these classifications; it also requires a new look at event processing, which is used as a major underlying technology.
Biography: Dieter is an architect in Oracle's database division; he has developed key concepts for high-end OLTP, storage management, messaging, workflow, and information dissemination. He is currently focusing on the evolution of data base based event processing, history management, and provenance. He has written numerous papers and served in numerous program committees. Before joining Oracle, he worked at IBM, Ahmdahl (Fujitsu), and Digital (HP).
Talk will be held between 3:30 - 4:30 pm, followed by reception at 4:30 pm
Host: Prof. Shahram Ghandeharizadeh
Location: RRI 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Kanak Agrawal
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A Bright Future for The Sonny Astani Department of Civil and
Wed, Feb 16, 2011 @ 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Stanley Grant, Professor, University of California, Irvine
Abstract: With this talk I would like to initiate a dialog among faculty, students, staff, alumni, and the professional community about the future of Civil and Environmental Engineering at USCâ where it should be going, and how best to get there. Much effort and thought has gone into crafting the departmentâs Megacities theme, which I believe is pitch perfect for this time and place. Translating the theme into action will require, sine quo non, departmental consensus and commitment, and I suspect willingness to partner with other successful urban research programs at USC, such as the USC Sea Grantâs Urban Ocean Program, and the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies. By adopting the Megacities theme, the department has taken a bold step toward redefining civil and environmental engineering education, and becoming a campus and international leader in this exciting new research domain.
Biography: Dr. Stanley Grant is a Professor in the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (primary) and Civil and Environmental Engineering (courtesy) at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Grant also has a summertime appointment as a Visiting Chair of Hydrology and Water Resources in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Melbourne (Australia). Dr. Grant received a B.S. in Geology from Stanford University, and M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering Science (minor in Applied Biology)from the California Institute of Technology. His professional interests include coastal water quality, environmental dispersion of pathogens, and fate and transport modeling. Professor Grant served on the US EPAâs Science Advisory Board (Drinking Water Panel, Science and Technological Achievement Awards Panel) from 2000 to 2009.
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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CS Colloquium
Thu, Feb 17, 2011 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Craig Boutilier, University of Toronto
Talk Title: Computational Social Choice: A Decision-theoretic Perspective
Abstract: Social choice, an important topic of study for centuries, has recently been the subject of intense investigation and application within computer science. One reason for this is the increasing ease with which preference data from user populations can be derived, assessed, or estimated, and the variety of settings in which preference data can be aggregated for consensus recommendations. However, much work in computational social choice adopts existing social choice schemes rather uncritically. We adopt an explicit decision-theoretic perspective on computational social choice in which an explicit objective function is articulated for the task at hand. With this is place, one can develop new social choice rules suited to that objective; or one can analyze the performance of existing social choice rules relative to that criterion.
We illustrate the approach with two different models. The first is the "unavailable candidate model." In this model, a consensus choice must be selected from a set of candidates, but candidates may become unavailable after agents express their preferences. An aggregate ranking is used as a decision policy in the face of uncertain candidate availability. We define a principled aggregation method that minimizes expected voter dissatisfaction, provide exact and approximation algorithms for optimal rankings, and show experimentally that a simple greedy scheme can be extremely effective. We also describe strong connections to the plurality rule and the Kemeny consensus, showing specifically that Kemeny produces optimal rankings under certain conditions.
The second model is the "budgeted social choice" model. In this framework, a limited number of alternatives can be selected for a population of agents. This limit is determined by some form of budget. Our model is general, spanning the continuum from pure consensus decisions (i.e., standard social choice) to fully personalized recommendation. We show that standard rank aggregation rules are not appropriate for such tasks and that good solutions typically involve picking diverse alternatives tailored to different agent types. In this way, it bears a strong connection to both segmentation problems and multi-winner election schemes. The corresponding optimization problems are shown to be NP-complete, but we develop fast greedy algorithms with theoretical guarantees. Experimental results on real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our greedy algorithms.
Host: Dr. Milind Tambe, USC
Location: Seeley Wintersmith Mudd Memorial Hall (of Philosophy) (MHP) - 106
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Kanak Agrawal
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2010 - 2011 Munushian Visiting Seminar Series
Thu, Feb 17, 2011 @ 12:30 PM - 01:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Carver Mead, Professor, California Institute of Technology
Talk Title: The Next Revolution in Physical Law
Abstract: For the past 50 years, Carver Mead has dedicated his research, teaching, and public presentation to the physics and technology of electron devices. This effort has been divided among basic physics, practical devices, and seeing the solid state as a medium for the realization of novel and enormously concurrent computing structures. He has made a number of contributions, with his most recent listed below:
Biography: With M. A. Mahowald, described the first analog silicon retina (61). The approach to silicon models of certain neural computations expressed in this chip, and its successors, foreshadowed a totally new class of physically based computations inspired by the neural paradigm. More recent results demonstrated that a wide range of visual and auditory computations of enormous complexity can be carried out in minimal area and with minute energy dissipation compared with digital implementations (1984). The book Analog VLSI and Neural Systems was published (52). This book condensed the insights gained during the previous eight years of work into a single volume, accessible to students with a wide range of backgrounds. Several recent reviews have spelled out in some detail the compelling advantages of realizing adaptive systems directly in analog VLSI. Reduction of system power dissipation by a factor of 10,000, and of silicon area by a factor of 100 are being demonstrated (1984). Experience gained in using photo-response of semiconductor structures for barrier-energy and band-gap studies led to system-level structures that sensed and processed images in various ways. With numerous collaborators, a large variety of imaging structures were developed. One branch of this effort resulted in CMOS imagers, now the most prevalent of all image sensors. A particular subset of these, the X3 sensors, have produced some of the finest images ever captured by any photographic technology (1985 â 1998). Throughout the entire period, worked to bring about a general awareness of Computation as a physical process, rather than purely a mathematical one. Strongly advocated the importance of unifying technology and architecture into a single discipline, and emphasized the importance of this unity for the future of the field at large (1972 â 2000). The book Collective Electrodynamics: Quantum Foundations of Electromagnetism, published by MIT Press, unifies electromagnetic phenomena with the quantum nature of matter (1) (2000). Recent work on Collective Electrodynamics is evolving an entire introductory level physics course based on macroscopic quantum systems. This approach allows students to develop a deep intuition for fundamental physical processes by way of simple laboratory experiments (2007 â Present).
Host: EE-Electrophysics
More Info: http://ee.usc.edu/news/munushianLocation: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
Event Link: http://ee.usc.edu/news/munushian
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Graduate Seminar
Thu, Feb 17, 2011 @ 12:45 PM - 02:00 PM
Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Andrew Peterson, Standford University, Standford, CA
Talk Title: Catalysis Design for Sustainable Fuels
Series: Graduate Seminar
Abstract: Quantum mechanics-based tools have advanced to the point where the computational design of catalysts from first principles is becoming possible. In concert with experiments, these tools can be used for improving catalytic processes for sustainable fuel synthesis. First, I will describe how we are employing density functional theory (DFT) to understand the (photo-)electrocatalytic activity of materials to reduce CO2 to hydrocarbons (solar fuels). We have identified the elementary mechanisms that make this transformation possible and have shown that the protonation of adsorbed CO dictates the overall efficiency of the transformation. By using computational screening tools, we are discovering new candidate materials that can reduce the overpotential of this step, which may help to make solar fuels technologically and economically feasible. In the second part of the talk, I will show how creative catalyst design can enable the development of an efficient and adaptable biorefinery that produces the light end (C0-C3) product spectrum of a conventional refinery. The design of catalysts that can perform decarboxylation reactions without being subject to CO fouling will be key in this development, as will the design of catalysts for the selective synthesis of gasoline-range hydrocarbons from light-end feedstocks. These advances can lead to flexible biorefineries that are adaptable to changing market dynamics.
More Info: http://chems.usc.edu/academics/colloquia.htmLocation: James H. Zumberge Hall Of Science (ZHS) - 159
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Petra Pearce
Event Link: http://chems.usc.edu/academics/colloquia.htm
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CS Colloquium
Thu, Feb 17, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Virginia Vassilevska Williams, UC Berkeley
Talk Title: Path, matrix and triangle problems -- subcubic algorithms and equivalences
Abstract: Many graph and matrix problems studied in optimization have relatively simple algorithms which run in time cubic in the number of vertices or rows. Some examples include matrix multiplication and all-pairs shortest paths. These problems have widespread applications, and developing more efficient algorithms for them would have a big impact. In 1969, Strassen gave a clever truly subcubic algorithm for matrix multiplication, and this insight has since lead to faster algorithms for many of the graph and matrix problems solvable in cubic time.
Nevertheless, several stubborn problems remain for which the best known running time is essentially cubic. The prototypical of these problems is all-pairs shortest paths. Other stubborn problems include the minimum weight cycle (girth) problem, the replacement paths problem, the second shortest simple path problem, and the simplest of them all, the problem of detecting a negative weight triangle in a graph. We have recently been able to show, perhaps surprisingly, that all these problems are equivalent, in the sense that if one has a truly subcubic algorithm, then all of them do. To accomplish this, we define a new, more refined notion of reduction, preserving "subcubicity" (the notion can easily be extended for any time exponent other than 3 as well).
One of our major goals is to develop a theory of equivalences between problems within P, analogous to that of NP-completeness. One reason P vs NP looks so hard to resolve is that many researchers from different areas have all been working on essentially the same (NP-complete) problem with no success. Our situation is entirely analogous: either these problems require essentially cubic time, or we are missing a fundamental insight which would make all of them simultaneously easier. In this talk I will give an overview of my results in the area, both algorithms and equivalences.
Biography: Virginia Vassilevska Williams is currently a postdoctoral fellow working with Prof. Satish Rao, sponsored by a Computing Innovations Fellowship. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in mathematics and engineering and applied science from the California Institute of Technology in 2003. She completed her Ph.D. in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University in 2008 under the guidance of Prof. Guy Blelloch. She also spent a year as a postdoctoral member at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, in Avi Wigderson's group. Her primary research interests are in graph algorithms and computational social choice.
Host: Prof. Ming-Deh Huang, USC
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Kanak Agrawal
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Fecal pollution in urban streams: ecology, transport, and policy
Thu, Feb 17, 2011 @ 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Stanley Grant, University of California, Irvine
Talk Title: Fecal pollution in urban streams: ecology, transport, and policy
Abstract: Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) are the number one cause of river and stream impairment in the
United States. In this talk I describe field and modeling studies aimed at identifying dry weather
sources of FIB in the Santa Ana River, a wastewater effluent dominated stream in southern
California. Multiple lines of evidence support the hypothesis that FIB in this stream originate
primarily from in situ growth in streambed sediments. The measured flux of FIB from the
streambed is >10 times the flux predicted from prevailing models of interfacial mass transfer
across turbulent boundary layers, but similar to the flux of water between the stream and its
hyporheic zone estimated from dye injection experiments. Thus, hyporheic exchange appears
to control the trafficking of fecal bacteria, and perhaps other types of particulate organic
matter, across the sediment‐water interface. From a policy perspective, in situ growth of FIB in
riverbed sediments may lead to a decoupling of FIB and pathogen concentrations, and thus
limit the utility of FIB as an indicator of recreational waterborne illness in southern Californiaâs
inland and coastal waters. These results also point to a possible environmental trade‐off
associated with hyporheic zone restoration, in which increased nutrient processing by riverbed
sediments is accompanied by increased flux of FIB to the overlying water column.
Biography: Dr. Stanley Grant is a Professor in the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Materials
Science (primary) and Civil and Environmental Engineering (courtesy) at the University of
California, Irvine. Dr. Grant also has a summertime appointment as a Visiting Chair of Hydrology
and Water Resources in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the
University of Melbourne (Australia). Dr. Grant received a B.S. in Geology from Stanford
University, and M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering Science (minor in Applied Biology)
from the California Institute of Technology. His professional interests include coastal water
quality, environmental dispersion of pathogens, and fate and transport modeling. Professor
Grant served on the US EPAâs Science Advisory Board (Drinking Water Panel, Science and
Technological Achievement Awards Panel) from 2000 to 2009.
Host: Sonny Astani Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Erin Sigman
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Controls Group - EE-Systems Seminar
Fri, Feb 18, 2011 @ 09:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Matthew J. Barth, Univ. of California - Riverside
Talk Title: ECO-Routing Navigation System based on Multi-Source Historical and Real-Time Traffic Information
Abstract: Due to increased public awareness on global climate change as well as other energy and environmental problems, a variety of strategies are being developed and used to reduce the energy consumption and environmental impact of roadway travel. In the area of Advanced Traveler Information Systems, recent efforts have been made in developing a new navigation concept called âeco-routingâ that finds a route requiring the least amount of fuel and/or producing the least amount of emissions. This paper presents an eco-routing navigation system that determines the most eco-friendly route between a trip origin and a destination. It consists of several components, including: (a) a Dynamic Roadway Network database, which is a digital map of roadway network that integrates historical and real-time traffic information from multiple data sources through an embedded data fusion algorithm; (b) an Energy/Emissions Operational Parameter Set, which is a compilation of energy/emission factors for a variety of vehicle types under various roadway characteristics and traffic conditions; (c) a routing engine, which contains shortest-path algorithms used for optimal route calculation; and
(d) user interfaces that receive origin-destination inputs from users and display route maps to the users. Each of the system components and the system architecture are described. Example results are also presented to prove the validity of the eco-routing concept and to demonstrate the operability of the developed eco-routing navigation system.
Biography: Matthew Barth is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at UC Riverside, holds the Yeager Family Chair, and is also the Director of the College of Engineering Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE¬CERT). Dr. Barthâs research focuses is in Transportation Systems, in particular how it relates to energy and air quality issues. Current research interests include Intelligent Transportation System Technology, Transportation/Emissions Modeling, Vehicle Activity Analysis, and Vehicle Navigation.
Host: Petros Ioannou
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Shane Goodoff
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EE-Electrophysics Seminar
Fri, Feb 18, 2011 @ 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Igor Bargatin, Stanford University
Talk Title: Hard-boiled Electrons: Using Thermionic Emission for Solar Energy Generation
Abstract: An interdisciplinary team of Stanford researchers is currently building MEMS-based prototypes of a new types of heat-to-electricity and solar-to-electricity energy converters. The first type of the device converts very high-temperature heat (>1000 C) to electricity the evaporation of electrons from solid surfaces (thermionic effect).
The second type of the device simultaneously transforms light and heat energy provided by the sun into electricity and is based on the recently demonstrated effect of photon-enhanced thermionic emission (PETE). Both types of converters may be used to dramatically improve the efficiency of future solar thermal power plants. I will describe the principle of operation, the initial experiments, and the maximum theoretical efficiency of both types of these high-temperature MEMS devices.
Biography: Dr. Igor Bargatin is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Prof. Roger T. Howe in the Stanford EE department. A native of western Siberia, he received an undergraduate degree in theoretical physics from Moscow State University in 2000. Subsequently, Igor did his Ph.D. Studies with Prof. Michael L. Roukes at Caltech, where he became an experimentalist and studied sensor applications of high-frequency nanomechanical resonators, graduating with a Ph.D. in Physics and a minor in EE. In the summer of 2008, he was a visiting scientist at CEA/LETI in Grenoble, France, where he enjoyed the ambiance and developed new types of gas sensors.
Host: EE-Electrophysics
More Info: ee.usc.edu/news/seminars/eepLocation: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
Event Link: ee.usc.edu/news/seminars/eep
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Controls Group - EE-Systems Faculty Candidate Seminar
Fri, Feb 18, 2011 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dennice Gayme, California Institute of Technology - CalTech
Talk Title: Energy Efficiency: From Fundamental Physics to Power Systems
Abstract: Global warming and security concerns are driving the need to find more efficient and renewable energy sources and systems. In this talk we look at two such energy problems; fuel efficiency in aerodynamic applications and grid integration of renewable energy sources. Turbulence is undesirable in many applications because it increases drag, which leads to decreased fuel efficiency. We use a âbottom upâ (physics based) approach to understanding energy efficiency through a control theoretic analysis of shear flow turbulence. A 2D/3C model in a robust control framework is used to rigorously connect experimental observations of streamwise coherence to the shape of the mean velocity profile. We demonstrate how this model allows us to isolate mechanisms responsible for profile blunting, which is directly connected to increased drag and decreased fuel efficiency. In power systems we approach energy efficiency from the opposite direction, using a âtop downâ (system level) approach to examine issues associated with integrating renewable sources into a smart electric grid. A couple of case studies are described. The first demonstrates the benefits of grid integrated storage in the current power generation network paradigm. The second looks at how a combination of storage and ancillary services can be used to mitigate the intermittency of renewable sources. In the long term, a combination of physics based and systems level approaches are needed to analyze the technical and market issues that will arise as renewable penetration is increased.
Biography: Dennice Gayme is a postdoctoral scholar in the Computing and Mathematical Sciences Department at the California Institute of Technology. She received her doctorate in Control and Dynamical Systems in 2010 under the supervision of John C. Doyle and Beverley J. McKeon, also at the California Institute of Technology where she was a recipient of the P.E.O. scholar award in 2007 and the James Irvine Foundation Graduate Fellowship in 2003. She received a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley in 1998. Prior to her doctoral work she was a Senior Research Scientist in the Systems and Control Technology and Vehicle Health Monitoring Groups at Honeywell Laboratories from 1999-2003. Denniceâs research interests are in the study of large-scale interconnected systems in the broad area of energy with applications focused in the areas of control theoretic analysis of shear flow turbulence and the integration of renewable power sources into a âsmartâ electric power system.
Host: Edmond Jonckheere
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Shane Goodoff
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USC PSOC Monthly Seminar Series
Fri, Feb 18, 2011 @ 11:30 AM - 01:00 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Simon Lin, M.D., Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Northwestern University
Talk Title: Reducing Time-to-action in Clinical Genomics Studies by Using an
Abstract: A major bottleneck in large-scale clinical genomics studies, especially those utilizing next generation sequencing and microarrays, is the bioinformatics analysis. A delayed time-to-action of six months by bioinformatics may lose the first-mover advantage and waste the initial capital investment as much as 46%. We propose a two-step strategy to accelerate the biomarker prioritization process: 1) reducing the noise of a biological system by integrating multiple-omics data, and 2) utilizing the disease ontology annotation of potential biomarkers to prioritize the disease-relevant ones. This strategy is based on our strategic investment of annotating the human genome with Disease Ontology (BMC Genomics 2009) and the development of the GeneAnswers package in Bioconductor (BMC Research Notes 2010). In this talk, I will demonstrate our success in a recent collaborative study with the Bulun Lab on leiomyomata. Uterine leiomyomata (uterine fibroids) are benign smooth muscle tumors that occur in up to 80% of all women of reproductive age and a leading cause of hysterectomies. By overlaying epigenetic data onto gene expression data, we narrowed down more than one thousand biomarkers to the most valuable 55 with a 20:1 prioritization rate. In addition, a disease ontology analysis allowed us to further categorize the 55 biomarkers into 8 disease pathways for follow-up evaluation in the wet lab. A major advantage of this strategy is that my team can finish this study within one day using the open-source GeneAnswers package we created.
Location: Harkness Auditorium, CSC 250, IGM Building
For Additional information contact: 323-442-3849 or 323-442-2596
Biography: Simon Lin, M.D.
Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Northwestern University.
Host: Dr. Parag Mallick, Center for Applied Molecular Medicine
Location: Clinical Science Center (CSC) - CSC 250, Harkness Auditorium, IGM Building
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Yvonne Suarez
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W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; Blue Language: Exploring Na'vi, Avatar's Native Voice
Fri, Feb 18, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 01:50 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Prof. Paul Frommer, Professor Emeritus of Clinical Management Communication at the Marshall School of Business
Talk Title: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; Blue Language: Exploring Na'vi, Avatar's Native Voice
Abstract: Prof. Paul Frommer, Professor Emeritus of Clinical Management Communication at the Marshall School of Business, will present "Blue Language: Exploring Na'vi, Avatar's Native Voice" as part of the W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Program.
Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium
More Info: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Amanda Atkinson
Event Link: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/
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Optical Switching for Next Generation Data Centers
Fri, Feb 18, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Madeleine Glick, Principal Engineer at Intel Labs and Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon University
Talk Title: Optical Switching for Next Generation Data Centers
Abstract: Data intensive applications are driving up bandwidth requirements and creating new challenges that state-of-the-art data center networks cannot satisfy. Optical solutions are seen as a means to alleviate these bandwidth bottlenecks. Optical point-to-point links are making increasing commercial headway in data centers and supercomputers as high bandwidth links. In addition, optically switched networks could reduce latency and power consumption, however, technical challenges must be overcome and end-to-end solutions demonstrated to achieve acceptance of optical switching as commercially viable for data center applications. We have been exploring dynamic reconfiguration of low cost, high bandwidth optical networks that can adapt to application communication patterns. A hybrid packet-switched/circuit-switched network has potential to provide the functions of current networks, while providing high bandwidth for a large class of applications at lower cost and power. I will present the background motivation and current results of this research.
Biography: Madeleine Glick is a Principal Engineer at Intel Labs and an adjunct professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University. Her research interests focus on optical interconnection networks including signal processing and coding for data centers and high performance computers. She is an associate editor of the IEEE Photonics Technology Letters and the Journal of Optical Communications and Networking. Madeleine is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and on the Board of Governors of the IEEE Photonics Society. She received the Ph.D. degree in physics from Columbia University, New York.
Host: Prof. Alan Willner, willner@usc.edu
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 539
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Gerrielyn Ramos
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Technical Entrepreneurship Conference
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 @ 09:00 AM - 06:00 PM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Various - See Sample Conference Sessions, Various - See Sample Conference Sessions
Talk Title: Various - See Sample Conference Sessions
Abstract: Given the current state of the global economic climate the subject of entrepreneurship is becoming increasingly important and appealing worldwide. The relative scarcity and declined security of corporate jobs in this economic climate yield stronger motivation for entrepreneurship, which provides a rewarding career option with a better potential for one's utilization of his or her creative abilities, not only in advancing in professional career and in attaining financial security but also in making lasting impacts for the society at large.
This timely Technical Entrepreneurship Conference effectively utilizes the knowledge and experience of successful technical entrepreneurs and recognized practitioners and academicians in the related fields.
The conference aims at highlighting:
Attitudes and behaviors needed for stimulating innovation
Knowledge and experience needed as entrepreneurial skills
Issues related to intellectual property
Raising the needed funds
Starting up a company
Product development and commercialization
See Sample Conference Sessions
Conference web site:
http://www.apsih.org/index.php/events/apsih-conferences
Sample conference sessions:
Creating Opportunity in Uncertain Times
Kathleen Allen â Professor of Entrepreneurship, USC
The days of writing in-depth business plans before executing a new venture are over. An uncertain economic environment, global competition, and chaotic markets require that entrepreneurs engage in sense-and-respond experiments to recognize opportunity, develop business models, and design sustainable businesses. Dr. Allen will present a micro-experimental approach to assessing the feasibility of new ventures and rapidly achieving proof of concept.
Dr. Kathleen Allen is the author of more than 15 books in the field of entrepreneurship and technology commercialization. She is a professor of entrepreneurship and the Director of the USC-Marshall Center for Technology Commercialization. Allen has started and operated four companies, including two technology ventures, and is a director of a NYSE company.
There's an Easy Way and a Hard Way: The 5 Concepts an Entrepreneur Must Understand
Tom Tsao â Hi Tech Entrepreneur
Abstract: The path a start-up takes is stochastic, not deterministic. The key is to make choices that have high probabilities of success. Despite having an extensive history available to them, many first time entrepreneurs make the same crippling mistakes made by their predecessors. Using actual examples, this presentation will give the rationale behind the best advice that is often ignored.
Dr. Tom Tsao is an experienced high tech entrepreneur who has raised capital from both venture capitalists and the government. He has aided over a dozen high tech start-ups evolve from concept through funding and product development. He guest lectures at the UCLA Anderson School of Management and teaches a seminar on raising VC capital at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering. He received his PhD in electrical engineering from Caltech.
How to Establish a Start-up with SBIR Funding
Fred Mohamadi â CEO, Tialinx
Establishing a start-up that can benefit from SBIR funding as an alternative to raising seed from venture capital will be elaborated with focus on how to use effectively the entityâs intellectual properties. Challenges in continuation of funding, dealing with the contracting offices, meeting the funding agency requirements and expectations, maintaining the pipeline of IPs while focusing on generating revenue through productization will be addressed.
Dr. Fred Mohamadi is the CEO of TiaLinx, Inc. He has held senior and executive management positions at National Semiconductor, Lucent technologies, Broadcom Corporation, and start-up companies involved with the development of radar and communication component and products for thirty years. He received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. He also holds an MBA from Santa Clara University. He founded TiaLinx, Inc. envisioning convergence of smart antenna beamforming technology and wafer scale integration for ultra wide bandwidth (UWB) wireless applications.
Developing the perfect investor pitch
John Sweet â Senior Licensing Associate, USC Stevens Institute
Tips will be given on how to construct presentations that succinctly answer investors' most important questions and maximize the chance that you'll get funded. If your hope is to attract venture capital or other sources of funding from investors who you don't personally know, then you will certainly need a salient presentation that portrays who you are and why you are deserving of investment.
Mr. John Sweet is a Senior Technology Advancement and Licensing Associate for the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation at USC. He is also an active member of the Pasadena Angels, a network of early-stage angel investors in Southern California. He was a software engineer and entrepreneur in Silicon Valley and launched two companies. He earned his BS degree in Integrative Biology from the University of California at Berkeley, and received his MBA with Honors specializing in investment finance at USC.
How venture capitalists evaluate and how venture firms operate
Shahin Farshchi â Senior Associate, Lux Capital
Significant improvements in computerized design & simulation, as well as accessibility to high-throughput test and characterization tools have accelerated the development and demonstration of cutting edge technology. However, funding a startup to bring the technology to the mainstream has turned into a longer, more expensive process than ever before â especially in areas relating to semiconductors and energy. An introduction to how venture capitalists evaluate new investment opportunities with respect to how venture firms operate will be provided, in addition to several case studies.
Dr. Farshchi is a senior associate with Lux Capital, focusing on investments in semiconductor, wireless, and alternative energy technologies. He has held technical positions at General Motors and several Silicon Valley technology startups. He has also served as a postdoctoral scholar at the UCLA department of Electrical Engineering where he received his PhD. His research on wireless biosignal telemetry has been widely published. He has sourced Luxâs investments in Silicon Clocks (NASDAQ:SLAB) and SiBeam, in addition to assisting with Everspin and Luxtera, while supporting Luxâs energy and semiconductor portfolio.
Challenges and Best Practices for Fundraising
Saeed Amidi - CEO/President & Founder, Plug and Play Tech Center
The presentation covers the basics of setting the right strategy, choosing the right Venture Capitalists, and the right partner at the firm to champion the projects, as well as getting the right introduction to a VC, having the right pitch and addressing the right points which substantially increase fundraising chances. Several case studies will be presented on reasons for success or failure, based on presenter's experience in raising more than $100M.
Mr. Amidi is the Founder, President and CEO of Plug and Play Tech Center, a premier technology startup accelerator with over 300 companies which collectively have raised an excess of $700 million. He is a serial entrepreneur and a seasoned executive with over 28 years of experience in founding, operating, and growing successful companies. He is also a general partner in Amidzad which holds successful investments in companies such as PayPal, DropBox, etc.
Stock Market Reflection of Entrepreneurialism
Scott OâNeil â President, MrketSmith
Entrepreneurialism is the key driver of the stock market. The stock market is a true reflection of the success or failure of new innovations and follow-on technologies. It is the vehicle for many entrepreneurs to achieve significant societal impact. We will look at a sampling of key innovations over the last 110 years from stock market perspective.
Scott OâNeil received a degree in Business Management from Loyola Marymount University and later graduated from Harvard Business Schoolâs Program for Management Development. He has over 25 years experience in the financial industry. Mr. OâNeil joined Investorâs Business Daily in 1986 and was promoted to Publisher in 1994. In 2000, he became a Portfolio Manager and now also acts as President of MarketSmith, an investment research tool.
Entrepreneurial Business Organizations: Structure Mirrors Function
Dana Sherman â Engineering, Business and Law Professor, USC
Professor Sherman will simplify much of the confusion regarding the legal aspects of starting a new business by providing a framework that explains how to focus on just four key considerations.
Professor Dana Sherman has been a USC faculty member for over 30 years and has taught in the Viterbi School of Engineering, the Marshall School of Business, and the USC Law Center. He is an active member of the California State Bar and has advised many businesses from small companies to Fortune 500 corporations. Among his five degrees are a MS in public administration from Harvard and a MS in Business Taxation from USC.
Basics of Inventive Thinking
Behrokh Khoshnevis â Engineering Professor, USC
Great products, processes and systems are typically resulted from inventive thinking which unfortunately is not effectively nurtured by academic education as ihas been practiced. Creativity is induced by a particular state of mind and a matching life style. Some guidelines about the essentials will be given in this presentation.
Dr. Khoshnevis is a Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering, and Civil and Environmental Engineering at USC. He has extensive experience in invention and commercialization of products and processes and has numerous innovations in diverse fields ranging from medical devices to oil and gas and construction fields. His inventions, especially in robotics construction, have received worldwide coverage in acclaimed media.
Intellectual Property Fundamentals and Patent Portfolio Management
Clifford Cousin â Patent Portfolio Manager, Boeing
The fundamentals of intellectual property (IP) are introduced and an overview of the different types of IP including: Copyrights, Trademarks, Trade Secrets, and Patents is presented. After this introduction, a more in-depth presentation will cover the patenting process from disclosure to patent grant, and building and managing a patent portfolio.
Mr. Cliff Cousins is a Registered Patent Agent, and is admitted to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office in patent cases. Cliff currently works as a Patent Portfolio Manager for The Boeing Company. Before his legal career, Cliff was a chip designer working for TRW and then two Dot-Com electronics companies PairGain Technologies, and GlobeSpan. Cliff holds an MSEE from the Viterbi School of Engineering and a Graduate Certificate in Technology Commercialization from the Marshall School of Business, both at USC.
Royalty Audits of Technology License Agreements
Keith Johanns â Managing Director, Quids, Ltd.
An audit of a license agreement is an important part of the technology commercialization process. The audit provides a licensor with an independent assessment on the correct amount of royalties to be paid by a licensee under the terms of the agreement. This presentation will review key terms in a license agreement, and the steps involved during a royalty audit.
Mr. Keith Johanns is the Founder and Managing Director of Quids Ltd, a license management and royalty audit company incorporated during 2005. Mr. Johanns is also the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Avant-Garde Patents Ltd, a commercialization company incorporated during 2010 for patent applications filed by international inventors at the United States Patent & Trademark Office.
The art of patent searching - Patentability, Validity and Infringement
Parham Fatehi â Patent Analyst
Patent searching is a powerful business and engineering development process and is critical to patent strategy. Through patent searching one can determine whether an invention is novel and warrants further development investment. This presentation will focus on Patent Law and Examination as context for patent searching, types of patent searches, the mechanics of searching, patent analysis, and search tools.
Mr. Fatehi is a former Electrical Engineering Patent Examiner with the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). He is currently a Patent Analyst at Landon IP, a global patent support firm, where he provides written opinion to the USPTO regarding international patent applications published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and performs commercial searches for leading technology firms.
Product Design and Realization Considerations for the Entrepreneur
Everette Philiips â President, Global Manufacturing Network
In an era when it seems most new business models are oriented towards software or service, it can be challenging for an entrepreneur to realize a new physical product. Mr. Phillips will discuss current trends and issues related to designing and manufacturing of products in our global economy. What considerations should an entrepreneur consider when designing and planning the realization of the design and review trends for international production of high technology products.
Everette Phillips is President of Global Manufacturing Network (GMN). GMN is a contract manufacturing firm and international sourcing organization with production and resources in the US and Asia. Mr. Phillips has nearly 20 years of experience in robotics, machine vision and advanced manufacturing technologies in diverse industries. He is on the board of Entrepreneurship@Cornell. He received his BS in Bioengineering from Cornell. He also has an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School is participates in programs that involve both USC and Anderson alumni in Southern California.
Host: Association of Professors and Scholars of Iranian Heritage
Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - Room 123
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Georgia Lum
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Technical Entrepreneurship Conference
Sun, Feb 20, 2011 @ 09:00 AM - 06:00 PM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Various - See Sample Conference Sessions, Various - See Sample Conference Sessions
Talk Title: Various - See Sample Conference Sessions
Abstract: Given the current state of the global economic climate the subject of entrepreneurship is becoming increasingly important and appealing worldwide. The relative scarcity and declined security of corporate jobs in this economic climate yield stronger motivation for entrepreneurship, which provides a rewarding career option with a better potential for one's utilization of his or her creative abilities, not only in advancing in professional career and in attaining financial security but also in making lasting impacts for the society at large.
This timely Technical Entrepreneurship Conference effectively utilizes the knowledge and experience of successful technical entrepreneurs and recognized practitioners and academicians in the related fields.
The conference aims at highlighting:
Attitudes and behaviors needed for stimulating innovation
Knowledge and experience needed as entrepreneurial skills
Issues related to intellectual property
Raising the needed funds
Starting up a company
Product development and commercialization
See Sample Conference Sessions
Conference web site:
http://www.apsih.org/index.php/events/apsih-conferences
Sample conference sessions:
Creating Opportunity in Uncertain Times
Kathleen Allen â Professor of Entrepreneurship, USC
The days of writing in-depth business plans before executing a new venture are over. An uncertain economic environment, global competition, and chaotic markets require that entrepreneurs engage in sense-and-respond experiments to recognize opportunity, develop business models, and design sustainable businesses. Dr. Allen will present a micro-experimental approach to assessing the feasibility of new ventures and rapidly achieving proof of concept.
Dr. Kathleen Allen is the author of more than 15 books in the field of entrepreneurship and technology commercialization. She is a professor of entrepreneurship and the Director of the USC-Marshall Center for Technology Commercialization. Allen has started and operated four companies, including two technology ventures, and is a director of a NYSE company.
There's an Easy Way and a Hard Way: The 5 Concepts an Entrepreneur Must Understand
Tom Tsao â Hi Tech Entrepreneur
Abstract: The path a start-up takes is stochastic, not deterministic. The key is to make choices that have high probabilities of success. Despite having an extensive history available to them, many first time entrepreneurs make the same crippling mistakes made by their predecessors. Using actual examples, this presentation will give the rationale behind the best advice that is often ignored.
Dr. Tom Tsao is an experienced high tech entrepreneur who has raised capital from both venture capitalists and the government. He has aided over a dozen high tech start-ups evolve from concept through funding and product development. He guest lectures at the UCLA Anderson School of Management and teaches a seminar on raising VC capital at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering. He received his PhD in electrical engineering from Caltech.
How to Establish a Start-up with SBIR Funding
Fred Mohamadi â CEO, Tialinx
Establishing a start-up that can benefit from SBIR funding as an alternative to raising seed from venture capital will be elaborated with focus on how to use effectively the entityâs intellectual properties. Challenges in continuation of funding, dealing with the contracting offices, meeting the funding agency requirements and expectations, maintaining the pipeline of IPs while focusing on generating revenue through productization will be addressed.
Dr. Fred Mohamadi is the CEO of TiaLinx, Inc. He has held senior and executive management positions at National Semiconductor, Lucent technologies, Broadcom Corporation, and start-up companies involved with the development of radar and communication component and products for thirty years. He received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. He also holds an MBA from Santa Clara University. He founded TiaLinx, Inc. envisioning convergence of smart antenna beamforming technology and wafer scale integration for ultra wide bandwidth (UWB) wireless applications.
Developing the perfect investor pitch
John Sweet â Senior Licensing Associate, USC Stevens Institute
Tips will be given on how to construct presentations that succinctly answer investors' most important questions and maximize the chance that you'll get funded. If your hope is to attract venture capital or other sources of funding from investors who you don't personally know, then you will certainly need a salient presentation that portrays who you are and why you are deserving of investment.
Mr. John Sweet is a Senior Technology Advancement and Licensing Associate for the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation at USC. He is also an active member of the Pasadena Angels, a network of early-stage angel investors in Southern California. He was a software engineer and entrepreneur in Silicon Valley and launched two companies. He earned his BS degree in Integrative Biology from the University of California at Berkeley, and received his MBA with Honors specializing in investment finance at USC.
How venture capitalists evaluate and how venture firms operate
Shahin Farshchi â Senior Associate, Lux Capital
Significant improvements in computerized design & simulation, as well as accessibility to high-throughput test and characterization tools have accelerated the development and demonstration of cutting edge technology. However, funding a startup to bring the technology to the mainstream has turned into a longer, more expensive process than ever before â especially in areas relating to semiconductors and energy. An introduction to how venture capitalists evaluate new investment opportunities with respect to how venture firms operate will be provided, in addition to several case studies.
Dr. Farshchi is a senior associate with Lux Capital, focusing on investments in semiconductor, wireless, and alternative energy technologies. He has held technical positions at General Motors and several Silicon Valley technology startups. He has also served as a postdoctoral scholar at the UCLA department of Electrical Engineering where he received his PhD. His research on wireless biosignal telemetry has been widely published. He has sourced Luxâs investments in Silicon Clocks (NASDAQ:SLAB) and SiBeam, in addition to assisting with Everspin and Luxtera, while supporting Luxâs energy and semiconductor portfolio.
Challenges and Best Practices for Fundraising
Saeed Amidi - CEO/President & Founder, Plug and Play Tech Center
The presentation covers the basics of setting the right strategy, choosing the right Venture Capitalists, and the right partner at the firm to champion the projects, as well as getting the right introduction to a VC, having the right pitch and addressing the right points which substantially increase fundraising chances. Several case studies will be presented on reasons for success or failure, based on presenter's experience in raising more than $100M.
Mr. Amidi is the Founder, President and CEO of Plug and Play Tech Center, a premier technology startup accelerator with over 300 companies which collectively have raised an excess of $700 million. He is a serial entrepreneur and a seasoned executive with over 28 years of experience in founding, operating, and growing successful companies. He is also a general partner in Amidzad which holds successful investments in companies such as PayPal, DropBox, etc.
Stock Market Reflection of Entrepreneurialism
Scott OâNeil â President, MrketSmith
Entrepreneurialism is the key driver of the stock market. The stock market is a true reflection of the success or failure of new innovations and follow-on technologies. It is the vehicle for many entrepreneurs to achieve significant societal impact. We will look at a sampling of key innovations over the last 110 years from stock market perspective.
Scott OâNeil received a degree in Business Management from Loyola Marymount University and later graduated from Harvard Business Schoolâs Program for Management Development. He has over 25 years experience in the financial industry. Mr. OâNeil joined Investorâs Business Daily in 1986 and was promoted to Publisher in 1994. In 2000, he became a Portfolio Manager and now also acts as President of MarketSmith, an investment research tool.
Entrepreneurial Business Organizations: Structure Mirrors Function
Dana Sherman â Engineering, Business and Law Professor, USC
Professor Sherman will simplify much of the confusion regarding the legal aspects of starting a new business by providing a framework that explains how to focus on just four key considerations.
Professor Dana Sherman has been a USC faculty member for over 30 years and has taught in the Viterbi School of Engineering, the Marshall School of Business, and the USC Law Center. He is an active member of the California State Bar and has advised many businesses from small companies to Fortune 500 corporations. Among his five degrees are a MS in public administration from Harvard and a MS in Business Taxation from USC.
Basics of Inventive Thinking
Behrokh Khoshnevis â Engineering Professor, USC
Great products, processes and systems are typically resulted from inventive thinking which unfortunately is not effectively nurtured by academic education as ihas been practiced. Creativity is induced by a particular state of mind and a matching life style. Some guidelines about the essentials will be given in this presentation.
Dr. Khoshnevis is a Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering, and Civil and Environmental Engineering at USC. He has extensive experience in invention and commercialization of products and processes and has numerous innovations in diverse fields ranging from medical devices to oil and gas and construction fields. His inventions, especially in robotics construction, have received worldwide coverage in acclaimed media.
Intellectual Property Fundamentals and Patent Portfolio Management
Clifford Cousin â Patent Portfolio Manager, Boeing
The fundamentals of intellectual property (IP) are introduced and an overview of the different types of IP including: Copyrights, Trademarks, Trade Secrets, and Patents is presented. After this introduction, a more in-depth presentation will cover the patenting process from disclosure to patent grant, and building and managing a patent portfolio.
Mr. Cliff Cousins is a Registered Patent Agent, and is admitted to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office in patent cases. Cliff currently works as a Patent Portfolio Manager for The Boeing Company. Before his legal career, Cliff was a chip designer working for TRW and then two Dot-Com electronics companies PairGain Technologies, and GlobeSpan. Cliff holds an MSEE from the Viterbi School of Engineering and a Graduate Certificate in Technology Commercialization from the Marshall School of Business, both at USC.
Royalty Audits of Technology License Agreements
Keith Johanns â Managing Director, Quids, Ltd.
An audit of a license agreement is an important part of the technology commercialization process. The audit provides a licensor with an independent assessment on the correct amount of royalties to be paid by a licensee under the terms of the agreement. This presentation will review key terms in a license agreement, and the steps involved during a royalty audit.
Mr. Keith Johanns is the Founder and Managing Director of Quids Ltd, a license management and royalty audit company incorporated during 2005. Mr. Johanns is also the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Avant-Garde Patents Ltd, a commercialization company incorporated during 2010 for patent applications filed by international inventors at the United States Patent & Trademark Office.
The art of patent searching - Patentability, Validity and Infringement
Parham Fatehi â Patent Analyst
Patent searching is a powerful business and engineering development process and is critical to patent strategy. Through patent searching one can determine whether an invention is novel and warrants further development investment. This presentation will focus on Patent Law and Examination as context for patent searching, types of patent searches, the mechanics of searching, patent analysis, and search tools.
Mr. Fatehi is a former Electrical Engineering Patent Examiner with the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). He is currently a Patent Analyst at Landon IP, a global patent support firm, where he provides written opinion to the USPTO regarding international patent applications published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and performs commercial searches for leading technology firms.
Product Design and Realization Considerations for the Entrepreneur
Everette Philiips â President, Global Manufacturing Network
In an era when it seems most new business models are oriented towards software or service, it can be challenging for an entrepreneur to realize a new physical product. Mr. Phillips will discuss current trends and issues related to designing and manufacturing of products in our global economy. What considerations should an entrepreneur consider when designing and planning the realization of the design and review trends for international production of high technology products.
Everette Phillips is President of Global Manufacturing Network (GMN). GMN is a contract manufacturing firm and international sourcing organization with production and resources in the US and Asia. Mr. Phillips has nearly 20 years of experience in robotics, machine vision and advanced manufacturing technologies in diverse industries. He is on the board of Entrepreneurship@Cornell. He received his BS in Bioengineering from Cornell. He also has an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School is participates in programs that involve both USC and Anderson alumni in Southern California.
Host: Association of Professors and Scholars of Iranian Heritage
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Berok Khoshnevis
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BME 533 - Seminar in Biomedical Engineering
Mon, Feb 21, 2011 @ 12:30 PM - 01:50 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: President's Day (No Seminar),
Host: Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta
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On Representing Acoustics of Speech for Speech Processing
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 @ 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Bishnu S. Atal, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA
Talk Title: On Representing Acoustics of Speech for Speech Processing
Abstract: Most methods for analyzing speech start by transforming the acoustic time-domain signal into spectral form. The short-time Fourier transform provides a representation of the time-varying characteristics of the signal and has a long history. There are many issues, such as the size and shape of the window, that remain unresolved. The use of a relatively short window is widespread. In early development of the sound spectrograph, use of both narrow and wideband analysis was quite common, but the narrow-band analysis faded away. In digital speech coding applications (multipulse and code-excited linear prediction), high-quality speech is produced at low bit rates only when prediction using both short and long intervals is used. What are the issues that arise in using a short or a long window? What are the relative advantages or disadvantages? In this talk, we will discuss these topics and present results that suggest that a short-time Fourier transform using long windows has advantages. In most speech representations, the Fourier components are not used directly but converted to their magnitude spectrum; the so-called phase is considered to be irrelevant. There are open questions regarding the use of phase information and we will discuss this important issue in the talk.
Biography: Bishnu S. Atal is an Affiliate Professor in the Electrical Engineering Department at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA. He retired in March 2002 after working for more than 40 years at Lucent Bell Labs, and AT&T Labs. He was a Technical Director at the AT&T Shannon Laboratory, Florham Park, New Jersey, from 1997 where he was engaged in research in speech coding and in automatic speech recognition. He joined the technical staff of AT&T Bell Laboratories in 1961, became head of Acoustics Research Department in 1985, and head of Speech Research Department in 1990.
He is internationally recognized for his many contributions to speech analysis, synthesis, and coding. His pioneering work in linear predictive coding of speech established linear prediction as one of the most important speech analysis technique leading to many applications in coding, recognition and synthesis of speech. His research work is documented in over 90 technical papers and he holds 17 U.S. and numerous international patents in speech processing.
He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1987 and to the National Academy of Sciences in 1993. He is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America and the IEEE. He received the IEEE Morris N. Liebmann Memorial Field Award in 1986, the Thomas Edison Patent Award from the R&D Council of New Jersey in 1994, New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame Inventor of the Year Award in 2000 and the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering in 2003.
Bishnu lives in Mukilteo, Washington.
Host: Sanjit Mitra and Shrikanth Narayanan
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mary Francis
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Robust Modeling and Analysis of High-Dimensional Data
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: John Wright, Ph.D.
Talk Title: Robust Modeling and Analysis of High-Dimensional Data
Abstract: In this talk, I introduce several recent theoretical and algorithmic advances in robust recovery of low-dimensional structure from high-dimensional data. I show how to correctly and efficiently recover two important, closely-related types of low-dimensional structure: sparse vectors and low-rank matrices. For sparse vectors, we prove that as long as the signal of interest has a sufficiently sparse representation in a coherent dictionary, convex programming corrects large fractions of errors. In the same spirit, we prove that convex programming recovers low-rank matrices from large fractions of errors and missing observations. I motivate these general problems from the perspective of automatic face recognition in computer vision, and demonstrate how theoretical advances have inspired progress on this challenging problem. I discuss several additional applications of these tools including robust batch image alignment and registration, 3D shape recovery from multiple images, video stabilization and enhancement, web data analysis, indexing and search.
Biography: John Wright received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in October 2009. He is currently a researcher in the Visual Computing group at Microsoft Research Asia. His research focuses on developing provably correct and efficient tools for recovering low-dimensional structure in high-dimensional datasets, even when data are missing or grossly corrupted. These techniques address critical estimation problems in imaging and vision applications such as automatic face recognition, video stabilization and tracking, image and data segmentation, and more. They also find application outside of vision, for example in web data analysis and bioinformatics. His work has received a number of awards and honors, including the 2009 Lemelson-Illinois Prize for Innovation for his work on robust face recognition, the 2009 UIUC Martin Award for Excellence in Graduate Research, a 2008-2010 Microsoft Research Fellowship, a Carver fellowship, and a UIUC Bronze Tablet award.
Host: Prof. Antonio Ortega
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Talyia Veal
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CS Colloquium
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Mohit Singh, McGill University
Talk Title: Iterative Methods in Combinatorial Optimization
Abstract: Many fundamental combinatorial optimization problems including minimum spanning tree, matchings, flows are polynomial time solvable but most problems that arise in practice turn out to be NP-hard. Fortunately, many NP-hard problems can be modeled by introducing extra side constraints in some fundamental optimization problem. A natural question to ask is whether we can extend any techniques for solving simple combinatorial optimization problems to NP-hard variants. In this talk we will demonstrate iterative methods as such a general technique to prove near optimal results for many optimization problems.
We will focus on degree bounded network design problems where the task is to minimize the cost of the network and also satisfy given degree bounds on nodes. The most studied problem in this class is the Minimum Bounded Degree Spanning Tree problem. We will present a polynomial time algorithm that returns a spanning tree of optimal cost while exceeding the degree bound of any vertex by at most an additive one. This is the best possible result for this problem and settles a 15-year-old conjecture of Goemans affirmatively.
We will also discuss extensions to degree constrained versions of more general network design problems and give the first additive approximation algorithms using the iterative method. These results add to a rather small list of combinatorial optimization problems which have an additive approximation algorithm.
Biography: Mohit Singh is an Assistant Professor in the School of Computer Science, McGill University since 2010. Mohit Singh received his Bacherlorâs degree in computer science and engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi in 2003. He obtained his Ph.D. in the Algorithms, Combinatorics and Optimization program from Carnegie Mellon University in 2008 where his advisor was Prof. R. Ravi. He was then a post-doctoral candidate at Microsoft Research, New England. His main research interests are in approximation algorithms, combinatorial optimization and optimization under uncertainty.
Host: Prof. David Kempe
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Kanak Agrawal
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EE-Electrophysics Seminar
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 @ 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Gianluca Piazza, University of Pennsylvania, Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering
Talk Title: AlN Piezoelectric NanoElectroMechanical Resonators and Switches for RF Signal Processing, Sensing and Computing
Abstract: NanoElectroMechanical Systems (NEMS) resonators and switches have been identified as some of the most interesting technologies that will enable the More Moore and More than Moore evolution of the semiconductor industry. These NEMS devices will yield transformational improvements over state-of-the-art semiconductor-based products by decreasing power consumption, increasing frequencies of operation and increasing sensing resolution â which will revolutionize computing, chemical/biological sensing, and radio frequency (RF) and microwave communication.
A major challenge for developing NEMS based technology is the ability to efficiently transduce the mechanical device at the chip scale. This talk presents remarkable opportunities associated with the scaling of piezoelectric AlN films to the nano realm and their application to the making of efficient NEMS resonators and switches that can be directly interfaced with conventional electronics.
Experimental data showing NEMS AlN resonators (250 nm thick with lateral features as small as 300 nm) vibrating at record-high frequencies approaching 10 GHz with Qs in excess of 500 will be presented. The extremely compact form factor of these devices permits to envision large scale integration (LSI) of NEMS to develop low power and highly reconfigurable microwave radio transceivers. Similarly, experimental results will show how these NEMS resonators can yield unprecedented sensitivities and be employed to form miniaturized gas sensor arrays and tag gas analyte concentrations that reach the part per trillion levels.
Finally, nano-piezoelectric films (50-100 nm thick) for switching applications and experimental data confirming that bimorph AlN nano-piezo-actuators achieve the same piezoelectric properties of microscale counterparts will be presented. These NEMS devices set a realistic pathway towards the development of low energy nanomechanical computing.
Biography: Gianluca Piazza is a Wilf Family Term Assistant Professor in the department of Electrical and Systems Engineering (ESE) at the University of Pennsylvania. His research interests focus on piezoelectric micro and nano electromechanicalsystems (MEMS/NEMS) for RF wireless communications, chemical/biological detection, and all mechanical computing. He also has a general interest in the areas of micro/nano fabrication techniques and integration of micro/nano devices with state-of-the-art electronics. He received his Ph.D. degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 2005. He has more than 10 years of experience working with piezoelectric materials. He holds several patents in the field of micromechanical resonators some of which have been succesfully acquired by industry (IDT and Qualcomm). He received the IBM Young Faculty Award in 2006 and has won, with his students, the Best Paper Award in Group 1 and 2 at the IEEE Frequency Control Symposium in 2008 and 2009, respectively.
Host: EE-Electrophysics
More Info: http://ee.usc.edu/news/seminars/eepLocation: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
Event Link: http://ee.usc.edu/news/seminars/eep
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PhD Defense - Optimal Resource Allocation and Cross-Layer Control in Cognitive and Cooperative Wireless Networks
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 @ 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Rahul Urgaonkar, USC PhD Candidate
Talk Title: PhD Defense - Optimal Resource Allocation and Cross-Layer Control in Cognitive and Cooperative Wireless Networks
Abstract: Next generation wireless networks will be required to provide significantly higher data rates, reliability, and energy efficiency than the existing systems. Cognitive radio and cooperative communication are expected to be two essential technologies towards achieving this goal. In this thesis, we study several resource allocation problems in the area of cognitive and cooperative wireless networks. Our goal is to design optimal control algorithms that maximize time-average network utilities (such as throughput) subject to time-average constraints (such as power, reliability, etc.). This talk will present our work on two such problems.
The first problem considers opportunistic cooperation in cognitive radio networks. Specifically, we assume that a secondary user can use its resources to improve the transmission rates of the primary user. In return, the secondary user can get more opportunities for transmitting its own data when the primary user is idle. In this scenario, it is important for the secondary user to balance the desire to cooperate more (to create more transmission opportunities) with the need for maintaining sufficient energy levels for its own transmissions. Such a model is applicable in the emerging area of cognitive femtocell networks. We formulate the problem of maximizing the secondary user throughput subject to a time average power constraint under these settings as a constrained Markov Decision Problem. Conventional solution techniques to this problem are based on dynamic programming and require either extensive knowledge of the system dynamics or learning based approaches that suffer from large convergence times. However, using the technique of Lyapunov optimization, we design a novel greedy and online control algorithm that does not require any knowledge of network dynamics or explicit learning, yet is optimal.
The second problem investigates optimal routing and scheduling strategies for multi-hop wireless networks with rateless codes. Rateless codes allow each node of the network to accumulate mutual information with every packet transmission. This enables a significant performance gain over conventional shortest path routing. Further, it also outperforms cooperative communication techniques that are based on energy accumulation. However, it requires complex and combinatorial networking decisions concerning which nodes participate in transmission, and which decode ordering to use. We formulate the general problem as a combinatorial optimization problem and then make use of several structural properties to simplify the solution and derive optimal greedy algorithms. A key feature of these algorithms is that unlike prior works on these problems, they do not require solving any linear programs to compute the optimal solution.
Biography: Rahul Urgaonkar obtained the B.Tech. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay in 2002 and the M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles in 2005. He is currently a PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering at USC working with Prof. Michael Neely. His research interest is in the area of stochastic network optimization with applications to resource allocation and scheduling problems in next generation wireless networks and data centers.
Host: Prof. Michael J. Neely
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 539
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Gerrielyn Ramos
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CiSoft/PTE Webinar
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 @ 12:45 PM - 01:30 PM
Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Anil Ambastha, Chevron, Indonesia
Talk Title: Recent Trends in Reservoir Engineering Research
Abstract: This talk would concentrate on recent trends in reservoir engineering research based on empirical observations from reservoir engineering papers submitted for peer review for the "SPE Reservoir Evaluation and Engineering" journal in the last 2 1/2 years. In enhanced oil recovery (EOR) arena, chemical flooding methods, involving alkali, surfactant, polymer as well as CO2, continue to garner significant interest from researchers. A key challenge for EOR methods is to improve overall recovery economically, especially for heterogeneous reservoirs. Also, an area of considerable environmental importance is long-term CO2 sequestration in porous media which is being researched actively within the petroleum engineering community at this time.
From theoretical computation point of view, experimental-design methods and optimization algorithms for a wide variety of scenarios continue to evolve. Intelligent computational techniques need to be refined to be consistent with historical field data, assist in identifying important known and "unknown" uncertainties, and yield robust results for future field development plans.
An area of widespread application is geomechanical computation coupled with flow simulation. In particular, if fracture evolution can be reliably simulated, it will have profound implications for fluid flow in situations such as injection of water, CO2, steam etc. under fracturing conditions, and production from oil shale, gas shale, and extremely low-permeability reservoirs where massive and/or multiple fracturing is a prerequisite to economic production rates.
This talk would conclude with the thought that all of our research efforts need to be geared toward "economic energy production with the least environmental impact" as a key objective.
Host: CiSoft & Petroleum Engineering Program
More Info: http://usccisoft.omnovia.com/register/48091298056533Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) -
Audiences: Please RSVP: legat@usc.edu
Contact: Juli Legat
Event Link: http://usccisoft.omnovia.com/register/48091298056533
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Multiscale Analysis of Multifunctional Nano- and Bio- Materials
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Vinu Unnikrishnan, Texas A&M University
Talk Title: Multiscale Analysis of Multifunctional Nano- and Bio- Materials
Abstract: An understanding of the structure-property relationships involving coupling of physics
occurring at different length and time scales are necessary for the estimation of mechanical
properties of complex nano- and bio- materials. In the first part of this talk, a multiscale
computational analysis of nano-polymers would be discussed. Nano-polymeric materials are
used in applications ranging from tissue engineering scaffolds in biomechanics to self-healing
smart materials for civil engineering structures. The mechanical characterization studies of
nano-polymers discussed in this talk involves atomistic-scale modeling of the nano-structures,
followed by a systematic and rigorous up-scaling of the mechanical properties using nonlinear
homogenization models.
In the second part of this talk, a mechano-biological computational model to analyze the
effect of varying micro-structural constituents on the mechanical behavior of breast and tumor
tissue would be presented. Since lobular density variation with age is a major risk factor in
breast carcinoma, a correlation of the change in breast density with the corresponding change in
the mechanical response of breast tissue has to be established. This study aims at providing
clinical diagnostic tools to supplement current breast examination guidelines, and can be
enhanced using information from imaging techniques. The development of novel mathematical
computational formulations not only helps in understanding and providing patient-specific
diagnosis of pathological conditions of the human body, but also helps in developing
biomedical hazard mitigating standards.
Biography: Dr. Vinu Unnikrishnan is a post-doctoral research associate in the Department of Mechanical
Engineering at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. He received his Ph.D. in Civil
Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2007. His doctoral research was carried out under
the supervision of Professor J. N. Reddy on the multiscale modeling of nano- and biological systems,
where he developed multiscale methods for the mechanical and thermal characteristics of
carbon-nanotube and polymeric based composite systems for use in advanced bio-medical,
industrial and civil engineering applications. He is currently focused on developing
computational models for the bio-mechanical characterization of human pathological
conditions like breast tumor, pelvic prolapse, uterine scarring, atherosclerosis, etc. His research
focus also involves developing nonlinear homogenization methods using continuum mechanics
principles together with advanced computational techniques.
Host: Sonny Astani Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Erin Sigman
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AME Department Seminar
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Stephen B. Pope, Professor, Sibley School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University
Talk Title: Advances in Computer Simulations of Turbulent Combustion
Abstract: Combustion will remain a key technology for several decades in power generation, transportation and many other applications. Advances are continually sought in terms of efficiency gains, pollution reduction, and alternative technologies facilitating carbon capture. As in other areas of engineering, computer simulations are central to the design and development of combustion technologies. Great strides are being made both in the computation fluid dynamics (CFD) of turbulent reactive flows and in the development of more accurate and comprehensive chemical mechanisms, which may involve thousands of species. However, the combination of advanced approaches to turbulent flows and large chemical mechanisms poses a formidable computational challenge. The approach to the simulation of turbulent combustion described in this talk consists of the following three components: large-eddy simulation (LES) to treat the flow and turbulence; a probability density function (PDF) method to treat the turbulence-chemistry interactions; and, dimension-reduction and tabulation for the computationally-efficient implementation of combustion chemistry. Recent advances and examples of simulations are presented.
Host: Dr. P. Roney
More Info: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/2-23-11-pope.shtmlLocation: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: April Mundy
Event Link: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/2-23-11-pope.shtml
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Distinguished Lecture Series
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 @ 12:45 PM - 01:50 PM
Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Professor Michael V. Pishko, Texas A&M University College Station, Texas
Talk Title: Encapsulation of Drugs Nanoparticles in Self-Assembled Macromolecular Nanoshells
Series: Distinguished Lectures Series
Abstract: A layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly technique was used to encapsulate core charged drug particles in a polymeric nanoshell. This approach provides a new strategy in the development of polymeric vehicles for controlled release and targeting to diseased tissues and cells. A nanoshell composed of two biopolymers, poly-L-lysine and heparin sulfate, were assembled stepwise onto core charged drug nanoparticles. The exterior surface of the nanoshell was functionalized with biocompatible polymers(poly(ethylene glycol)) and targeting functional moieties, such as folic acid or protein ligands. Drug nanoparticles of dexamethasone, paclitaxol, and 5-fluorouracil were fabricated using a modified solvent evaporation technique, producing particles within a range of 150 to 300 nm. Assembly of the nanoshell was characterized by zeta potential measurements and XPS. Surface morphology of the encapsulated drug nanoparticles were viewed by TEM and SEM. XPS data collected for PEG modified drug nanoparticles confirmed that the peak at 286 eV represented the repeat unit in a PEG molecule. Zeta potential results re-confirmed PEGâs presence at the surface. Cell uptake studies of PEG modified drug particles were performed using a flow cytometric assay and suggested that the neutral charge of the nanoshell results in decreased phagocytosis after 48 hours of incubation. Using paclitaxel nanoparticles with a breast cancer cell line, the nanoparticles were found to be effective in the absence of an excipient such as Cremophor EL. Strategies to create multifunctional nanoparticles and to deliver nanoparticles orally will also be discussed.
Host: Professor Gupta
More Info: http://chems.usc.edu/academics/10-11/d-02-24-11.htmLocation: James H. Zumberge Hall Of Science (ZHS) - 159
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Petra Pearce
Event Link: http://chems.usc.edu/academics/10-11/d-02-24-11.htm
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Photonics Seminar Series
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Prof. Ofer Levi, University of Toronto
Talk Title: Integrated optical sensors for portable biomedical sensing and imaging
Abstract: Optical techniques are widely used in clinical settings and in biomedical research labs to interrogate bio-molecular interactions and evaluate tissue dynamics. Miniature integrated optical systems for sensing and imaging enjoy several advantages over bulk optical systems. These include portable long-term studies in living tissues, lower cost, higher speed, while keeping high sensitivity.
In this presentation I will review our miniature semiconductor-based sensors and nano-structures for optical bio-sensing and bio-medical imaging. I will discuss our progress in design, fabrication and optimization of miniature fluorescence and index-of-refraction optical bio-sensors. In optofluidics studies for Lab on a Chip diagnosis applications, we have recently demonstrated sensitive fluorescence sensors (~ 1 nMolar) equal to or better than state-of-the-art miniature optical sensors and studied large area label-free photonic crystal slab (PCS) index-of-refraction sensors (Δn ≤ 10^-5). I will also describe our progress towards portable implantable optical sensors in freely-moving rodents in (i) applying Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) as coherent/incoherent light sources for portable optical brain imaging and (ii) implanting VCSEL/PIN diode miniature fluorescence sensors in mice for portable long-term cancer monitoring.
Biography: Ofer Levi is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering and the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the University of Toronto since 2007. In 2000-2007 Dr. Levi worked as a Post Doctoral Fellow and a Research Associate at the Departments of Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, CA. He is a member of OSA, IEEE-Photonics, and SPIE. His recent research areas include biomedical imaging systems and optical bio-sensors based on semiconductor devices and nano-structures, and their application to bio-medical diagnostics, in vivo imaging, and study of bio-molecular interactions. More details can be found at http://biophotonics.utoronto.ca/
Host: Prof. Michelle Povinelli
More Info: http://ee.usc.edu/news/seminars/photonics/Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Jing Ma
Event Link: http://ee.usc.edu/news/seminars/photonics/
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CS Colloquium
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: William Enck, Penn State University
Talk Title: Analysis Techniques for Mobile Operating System Security
Abstract: Over the last several years, smartphone application markets such as Google's Android Market and Apple's App Store have become a thriving industry with simplified distribution and little barrier to entry for developers. Smartphone users face many security and privacy risks, the most wide-spread of which results from applications operating within the confines of existing operating system protections. In this talk, I will discuss how to assess the current state of smartphone security using a range of analysis techniques. Existing smartphone security is permission oriented. First, I will use a formal model of permission policy to understand the permissions an application asks for, defining a coarse upper bound on its runtime behavior. Second, I will present a performance efficient method of dynamic analysis to determine actual application behavior, and subsequently identify several privacy concerns in real applications. Finally, I will describe a static analysis approach to characterize potential behavior based on implemented functionality. Using these approaches, we identify trends and primary security challenges so that future mobile operating system designs can mitigate existing threats.
Biography: William Enck is a doctoral candidate in the Systems and Internet Infrastructure Security (SIIS) laboratory in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at Penn State University. William's research efforts primarily focus on mobile operating system security, but also include telecommunications security, access control mechanisms in operating systems, hardware security, voting systems security, network security, and large-scale network configuration.
Host: Dr. William Halfond
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Kanak Agrawal
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USC Water Institute Seminar
Fri, Feb 25, 2011 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Stephen Monismith , Chair, Dept of Civil and Env Eng, Stanford University
Talk Title: : (Not quite) Everything you wanted to know about freshwater flows into the San Francisco Bay/Delta - But were afraid to ask
Abstract: I will discuss an overview of one of the central and most contentious issues facing California's management of water resources: the ecological effects of freshwater flows through the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta into San Francisco Bay and their diversion for human use. In particular, I will focus on selected aspects of the role hydrodynamic processes may play in determining how we manage the system with the aim of achieving the desired "co-equal goals" of ecosystem restoration and water supply reliability. Central to this discussion are the alternative views that argue that the fundamental problem is one of plumbing or that it is the volume of water diverted and the timing of those diversions that matters.
Biography: Stephen Monismith's research in environmental and geophysical fluid dynamics involves the application of fluid mechanics principles to the analysis of flow processes operating in rivers, lakes, estuaries and the oceans. Making use of laboratory experimentation, numerical modelling, and field measurements, his current research includes studies of estuarine hydrodynamics and mixing processes, flows over coral reefs, wind wave-turbulent flow interactions in the upper ocean, turbulence in density stratified fluids, and physical-biological interactions in phytoplankton and benthic systems. Because his interest in estuarine processes is intertwined with an interest in California water policy issues, he has been involved with efforts at developing management strategies for improving the "health" of the Bay through regulation of freshwater flow into the Bay. Professor Monismith is currently director of the Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory. He was a resident fellow in Robinson House (Stanford's environment theme house) 2000-2002. He is a 1989 recipient of the Presidential Young Investigator award. Prior to coming to Stanford, he spent three years in Perth (Australia) as a research fellow at the University of Western Australia.
Host: Prof. Gaurav Sukhatme
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Kanak Agrawal
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Distinguished Lecture Series in Energy Informatics
Fri, Feb 25, 2011 @ 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Prof. K. Mani Chandy, California Institute of Technology
Talk Title: Uncertain, Intermittent Power: Hurdles in Reaching Pres. Obama's Goal of 80% Renewable Energy by 2035
Series: Distinguished Lecture Series in Energy Informatics
Abstract: Wind and solar power are intermittent whereas gas, coal, and nuclear generation are not.Moreover, we cannot accurately predict the amount of wind and solar power that will be available
minute-by-minute, over the next hour, or even the next day; thus, our predictions are uncertain.
Intermittent power and uncertainty in predictions are fundamental problems in reaching an energy economy based primarily on wind and solar power. This talk describes research at Caltech in collaboration with Cal State Chico on ways of dealing with the intermittent and uncertain nature of wind and solar power. The research deals with methods of mitigating these problems by aggregating power over time by storing power, aggregating power over large geographical regions by investing in transmission, by customer response to supply (demand-response), and by pricing uncertainty. The talk covers several topics briefly and goes into a couple of topics in depth. This work is led at Caltech by Steven Low and at Cal State Chico by Christina Archer.
Biography: K. Mani Chandy is the Simon Ramo Professor and Deputy Chair of
Engineering and Applied Sciences at the California Institute of
Technology in Pasadena, California. His Bachelors is from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Electrical Engineering. He was a professor at the University of Texas at Austin from 1970 to 1987, and has been at Caltech since then. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and has received several awards. He does research on distributed systems and systems that sense and respond. He works on applications dealing with earthquakes, radiation detection, healthcare for the disadvantaged, and the smart grid.
Host: Prof. Viktor Prasanna
Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Annie Yu
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W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; Building Integrated Wind Power
Fri, Feb 25, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 01:50 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Thomas Zambrano, Director for Technology Initiatives for AeroVironment
Talk Title: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; Building Integrated Wind Power
Abstract: Mr. Thomas Zambrano, Director for Technology Initiatives for AeroVironment, will be speaking on "Building Integrated Wind Power" as part of the W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium.
Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium
More Info: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Amanda Atkinson
Event Link: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/
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Signal Recovery from Randomized Measurements Using Structured Sparsity Models
Mon, Feb 28, 2011 @ 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Marco F. Duarte, IPAM Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept. of Computer Science, Duke University
Talk Title: Signal Recovery from Randomized Measurements Using Structured Sparsity Models
Abstract: We are in the midst of a digital revolution spawned by the proliferation of sensing devices with ever increasing fidelity and resolution. The resulting data deluge has motivated compression schemes that rely on transform coding, where a suitable transformation of the data provides a sparse representation that compacts the signal energy into a few transform coefficients. This standard approach, however, still requires signal acquisition at the full Nyquist rate, which cannot be achieved in many emerging applications using current sensing technology. The emerging acquisition paradigm of compressive sensing (CS) leverages signal sparsity for recovery from a small set of randomized measurements. The standard CS theory dictates that robust recovery of a K-sparse, N-length signal is possible from M=O(K log(N/K)) measurements. New sensing devices that implement this measurement process have been developed for applications including optical and seismic imaging, communications, and biosensing.
In this talk, we show that it is possible to substantially decrease the number of measurements M without sacrificing robustness by leveraging more concise signal models that go beyond simple sparsity and compressibility. We present a modified CS theory for structured sparse signals that exploits the dependencies between values and locations of the significant signal coefficients; we provide concrete guidelines on how to create new recovery algorithms for structured sparse signals with provable performance guarantees that require as few as M=O(K) measurements. We also review example applications of structured sparsity for natural images, signal ensembles, and multiuser detection.
Biography: Marco F. Duarte received the B.Sc. degree in computer engineering (with distinction) and the M.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2002 and 2004, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Rice University, Houston, TX, in 2009. During 2009-2010, he was a Visiting Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Program of Applied and Computational Mathematics at Princeton University. He is currently the NSF/IPAM Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Computer Science at Duke University, where he works on applications of deterministic matrix constructions in compressive sensing devices.
Dr. Duarte received the Rice University Presidential Fellowship and the Texas Instruments Distinguished Fellowship in 2004, and the Hershel M. Rich Invention Award in 2007 for his work on the single pixel camera. He was a coauthor on a paper with Chinmay Hegde and Volkan Cevher that won the Best Student Paper Award at the 2009 International Workshop on Signal Processing with Adaptive Sparse Structured Representations (SPARS). His research interests include compressive sensing, low-dimensional signal models, dimensionality reduction, and distributed signal processing.
Host: Prof. Shrikanth Narayanan
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 211
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mary Francis
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Computer Engineering Seminar
Mon, Feb 28, 2011 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Weikang Qian, University of Minnesota
Talk Title: Digital yet Deliberately Random: Synthesizing Logical Computation on Stochastic Bit Streams
Abstract: Most digital circuits process information deterministically as zeros and ones. For example, the arithmetic unit of a modern computer performs calculations on deterministic integer or floating-point values represented in binary radix. However, digital computation need not be deterministic. In my research, I consider an alternative paradigm: digital circuits that compute on stochastic sequences of zeros and ones. Such circuits can implement complex arithmetic operations with very simple hardware. Also they are highly tolerant of soft errors (i.e., bit flips). In the first part of my talk, I will present a general method for synthesizing combinational circuits that compute on stochastic bit streams. The method can be used to synthesize arbitrary polynomial functions. Through polynomial approximations, it can also be used to synthesize non-polynomial functions.
Schemes for probabilistic computation can exploit physical sources to generate random bit streams. Generally, each source has a fixed bias and so provides bits that have a specific probability of being one versus zero. If many different probability values are required, it can be difficult or expensive to generate all of these directly from physical sources. In the second half of my talk, I will describe techniques for synthesizing circuits that transform source probabilities into target probabilities, entirely through combinational logic. I will conclude my talk by discussing potential applications of the design methodology for emerging nanoscale technologies, such as nanowire crossbar arrays and carbon nanotubes.
Biography: Weikang Qian is a final-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota. He received his Bachelor of Engineering degree in Automation from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, in 2006. He has research interests in diverse fields such as computer-aided design of integrated circuits, circuit design for emerging technologies, and fault-tolerant computing. In recognition of his doctoral research, he received the Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship at the University of Minnesota. One of his papers was nominated for the William J. McCalla Best Paper Award at the 2009 International Conference on Computer-Aided Design (ICCAD), a top conference in the field of electronic design automation.
Host: Sandeep Gupta
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) -
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Estela Lopez
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BME 533 - Seminar in Biomedical Engineering
Mon, Feb 28, 2011 @ 12:30 PM - 01:50 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Buddy Ratner, University of Washington
Host: Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta
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Graduate Seminar
Mon, Feb 28, 2011 @ 12:45 PM - 02:00 PM
Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Hong Shen, Department of Chemical Engineering University of Washington
Talk Title: Biomaterial-engineering the Immune System
Series: Graduate Seminar
Abstract: Our research interfaces biomaterials, the immune system and engineering design. We use materials with defined properties to probe how the immune system interacts with biomaterials at both cellular and molecular levels. Built upon our understanding, we design biomaterials to exploit intracellular pathways of immune cells for safe and effective therapeutics, such as tissue implants, non-viral gene delivery systems and vaccines. These biomaterials also provide an excellent tool for us to further dissect the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which immune responses are triggered and sustained. A challenge of current vaccines is to achieve a spectrum of immune responses in a single construct. In this talk, I will mainly discuss how we bring together the aforementioned research interests to address this challenge.
More Info: http://chems.usc.edu/academics/10-11/g-02-28-11.htmLocation: Hedco Pertroleum and Chemical Engineering Building (HED) - 116
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Petra Pearce
Event Link: http://chems.usc.edu/academics/10-11/g-02-28-11.htm
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CS Colloquium
Mon, Feb 28, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 01:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Sasha Alexander Sherstov, Microsoft Research
Talk Title: Limits of Communication
Abstract: Consider a function f whose arguments are distributed among several parties, making it impossible for any one party to compute f in isolation. Initiated in 1979, communication complexity theory studies how many bits of communication are needed to evaluate f. I will prove that:
1. some natural and practical problems require high communication to achieve any advantage at all over random guessing;
2. solving n instances of any known communication problem on a quantum computer incurs Omega(n) times the cost of a single instance, even to achieve exponentially small correctness probability.
The proofs work by recasting the communication problem geometrically and looking at the dual problem in a novel way. Our results resolve open problems dating back to 1986.
Biography: Alexander Sherstov earned his Ph.D. in computer science in August 2009 at the University of Texas at Austin, under the direction of Prof. Adam Klivans, and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Microsoft Research. He has broad research interests in theoretical computer science, including complexity theory, computational learning theory, and quantum computing.
Host: Prof. Ming-Deh Huang
Location: SAL 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Kanak Agrawal
