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Events for March 12, 2015
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Short Course: Six Sigma Green Belt for Process ImprovementThu, Mar 12, 2015
DEN@Viterbi, Executive Education
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Abstract: This program, an introductory course in Six Sigma, will give you a thorough understanding of Six Sigma and its focus on eliminating defects through fundamental process knowledge. Topics covered in addition to DMAIIC and Six Sigma philosophy include basic statistics, statistical process control, process capability, financial implications and root cause analysis. This program is offered both in the classroom and online.
Register Now!
Audiences: Registered Attendees
Contact: Viterbi Professional Programs
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CS Colloquium: Elias Bareinboim (UCLA) - Generalizability in Causal Inference
Thu, Mar 12, 2015 @ 09:45 AM - 10:50 AM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Elias Bareinboim, UCLA
Talk Title: Generalizability in Causal Inference
Series: CS Colloquium
Abstract: Empirical scientists seek not just surface descriptions of the observed data, but deeper explanations of why things happened the way they did, and how the world would be like had things happened differently. With the unprecedented accumulation of data (or, âbig dataâ), researchers are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that traditional statistical techniques, including those based on artificial intelligence and machine learning, must be enriched with two additional ingredients in order to construct such explanations:
1. the ability to integrate data from multiple, heterogeneous sources, and
2. the ability to distinguish causal from associational relationships.
In this talk, I will present a theory of causal generalization that provides a principled way for fusing pieces of empirical evidence coming from multiple, heterogeneous sources. I will first introduce a formal language capable of encoding the assumptions necessary to express each problem instance. I will then present conditions and algorithms for deciding whether a given problem instance admits a consistent estimate for the target effects and, if feasible, fuse information from various sources to synthesize such an estimate. These results subsume the analyses conducted in various fields in the empirical sciences, including âexternal validity,â âmeta-analysis,â âheterogeneity,â âquasi-experiments,â âtransportability,â and âsampling selection bias.â I will conclude by presenting new challenges and opportunities opened by this research.
The lecture will be available to stream Here.
Biography: Elias Bareinboim is a postdoctoral scholar (and was a Ph.D. student) in the Computer Science Department at the University of California, Los Angeles, working with Judea Pearl. His interests are in causal and counterfactual inferences and their applications. He is also broadly interested in artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and philosophy of science. His doctoral thesis provides the first general framework for solving the generalizability problems in causal inference -- which has applications across all the empirical sciences. Bareinboim's recognitions include the Dan David Prize Scholarship, the Yahoo! Key Scientific Challenges Award, the Outstanding Paper Award at the 2014 Annual Conference of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), and the Edward K. Rice Outstanding Graduate Student.
Host: Computer Science Department
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Assistant to CS chair
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EE-EP Seminar
Thu, Mar 12, 2015 @ 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Rajib Rahman, Purdue University
Talk Title: Atomistic modeling of solid-state devices: from qubits to transistors
Abstract: Due to aggressive scaling, todayâs transistors have reached sizes of tens of nanometers and are fast approaching the ultimate limits of scaling, as predicted by Mooreâs Law. At the nanoscale, the atomic granularity of the devices and the associated quantum mechanical effects strongly influence device operation and need to be considered in theoretical models. To ensure continued progress in computing in the post Mooreâs Law era, novel device concepts need to be developed utilizing quantum phenomena at the nanoscale. I will present an atomistic modeling technique for solid-state devices that combine material and device level description of electronic structure and transport from a full quantum mechanical treatment. This framework helps to model a variety of systems ranging from solid-state qubits to field-effect-transistors, and can help in designing the next generation of electronic devices.
In particular, I will show several applications of this method to model silicon qubits hosted in quantum dots and donors. 1) The method captures the precise electric field control of electronic and nuclear spins in donor qubits through the hyperfine and spin-orbit interactions [1], and helps in the first experimental realization of the Kane A-gate [2]. 2) Spin-lattice relaxation times are computed from an atomistic electron-phonon Hamiltonian to interpret experimental measurements, and design guidelines are presented to enhance the relaxation times by an order of magnitude [3]. 3) Electron-electron interaction is captured from a full configuration interaction technique in the tight-binding basis, and is used to obtain two-qubit exchange energy as a function of detuning electric field and qubit separation. Design considerations are presented to improve the electric-field tunability of exchange by several orders of magnitude in donor qubits. The computed single and multi-electron wavefunctions are also compared with tunneling probability measurements in scanning tunneling microscopy experiments to identify signatures of conduction band valley quantum interference in silicon [4].
I will also show atomistic quantum transport simulations of tunnel field-effect transistors (FET) in the emerging class of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides. The simulations elucidate the material choice and design principles needed to achieve a steep sub-threshold slope transistor with large on-currents and high on/off ratio, which may help to scale down the power supply voltage and thus reduce the power consumption [5].
References:
[1] R. Rahman et. al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 036403 (2007).
[2] B. E. Kane, Nature 393, 133 (1998).
[3] Y. Hsueh et. al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 246406 (2014).
[4] J. Salfi et. al., Nature Materials 13, 605 (2014).
[5] H. Ilatikhameneh et. al., arXiv: 1502.01760 (2015).
Biography: Rajib Rahman obtained his PhD degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University in 2009 in the area of computational nanoelectronics. Subsequently, Rajib spent three years in Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico, as a postdoctoral fellow in the Silicon Quantum Information Science and Technology group. Both in his PhD and postdoc, Rajib developed large-scale computational techniques in the NEMO3D tool to investigate the properties of quantum bits in silicon based on quantum dots and impurities. In 2012, Rajib joined Purdue University as a Research Assistant Professor in the Network for Computational Nanotechnology (NCN). Rajib currently leads the device modeling effort of the Australian Centre for Quantum Computer and Communication Technology (CQC2T), and investigates silicon qubits and their interaction with a solid-state environment. At Purdue, Rajib also works on novel low energy field-effect transistors in emerging materials such as 2D transition metal dichalcogenides, graphene, and polarization engineered Nitride devices.
Host: EE-Electrophysics
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
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Control of Spreading Processes on Networks
Thu, Mar 12, 2015 @ 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Cameron Nowzari, University of Pennsylvania
Talk Title: Control of Spreading Processes on Networks
Abstract: The prevalence of social networks, robotic networks, power systems, and the Internet of Things today necessitates the development of a new interdisciplinary science catered to studying these complex networks. Some of the fundamental problems that can benefit from such a science include consensus, distributed estimation and control, and network and topology design. In this talk, we focus on the analysis and control of various spreading processes. The spreading of a disease through a population, the adoption of an idea or rumor through a social network, the consumption of a product in a marketplace, or the risk of receiving a computer virus through the world wide web are all prevalent examples of spreading processes we encounter every day. With the vast amount of application areas, it is no surprise that we have seen a recent surge of interest in these problems and the area of Network Science in general.
One of the most popular models of spreading processes is the Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible (SIS) model. Although a plethora of variations to the SIS model have been studied and analyzed by mathematicians, physicists, computer scientists, and biologists for over a century, there is still a severe lack in understanding how to effectively control these systems. With the freshly renewed interest in this topic, control engineers have only recently entered the scene and have a lot to offer. Focusing on the application of a disease spreading through a population, such as ebola or measles, we will look at how to best minimize the chance of it becoming an epidemic. We formulate the problem for a much more general model than the SIS model and propose an optimization framework that allows us to solve it efficiently.
Biography: : Cameron Nowzari received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara in June 2009. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences from the University of California, San Diego in December 2010 and September 2013, respectively. He is currently working as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Pennsylvania. His research interests include dynamical systems and control, sensor networks, distributed coordination algorithms, optimization, robotics, event- and self-triggered control, Markov processes, and spreading processes. He was a finalist for the Best Student Paper Award at the 2011 American Control Conference and received the 2012 O. Hugo Schuck Best Paper Award in the Theory category for his work on distributed self-triggered coordination of mobile robotic networks.
Host: Urbashi Mitra, ubli@usc.edu, EEB 536, x04667
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Gerrielyn Ramos
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WIE Faculty & Student Mixer
Thu, Mar 12, 2015 @ 12:30 PM - 01:30 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs
Receptions & Special Events
Are you a female engineer interested in research or going to graduate school? Wondering what kinds of things a professor does? If so, attend Women in Engineering’s (WIE) Faculty and Student Mixer!
You’ll have a chance to mix and mingle with female faculty from our various engineering departments and ask them questions about their research, career paths, and advice they have for you.
A light lunch will be provided.
RSVP here if you'll be attending!Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 211
Audiences: Undergrad
Contact: Women in Engineering
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VSi2 Startup Office Hours
Thu, Mar 12, 2015 @ 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
University Calendar
Working on a startup idea? Want to get feedback/guidance/support?
Schedule a 30 min appt with VSi2 Staff to get guidance and help.
You can schedule an appointment hereLocation: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 330D
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Viterbi Student Innovation Institute
