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Events for March 21, 2012
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Adaptive Computing for a Dynamic, Data-driven World
Wed, Mar 21, 2012 @ 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Yogesh Simmhan, Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California
Abstract: The pervasiveness of technology is providing the unprecedented ability to observe the physical, social and cyber worlds, and offering access to massive datasets that can be used to manage and optimize these systems. Advances in computing are democratizing access to large scale, distributed resources on Cloud platforms, on-demand. The successful fusion of data availability with computational capability has the potential for disruptive advances for society; from personalized healthcare to sustainable energy to informed policies.
As an exemplar of this fusion, this talk will explore two facets of research into computational and informatics systems that are being leveraged for the Los Angeles Smart Grid Project: (1) Adaptive computing on Clouds for dynamic data, and (2) Scalable data analytics for decision support.
The growing data deluge is both dynamic and continuous, streaming in from smart power meters and social networks. Our research examines compositional programming frameworks that can adapt to changing data flows and evolving application needs, while ensuring resilience on Cloud infrastructure. We also investigate complex event pattern detection over moving data to trigger responses such as demand curtailment in a power grid.
The overwhelming size and diversity of data require automated analysis. Machine-learnt models can help forecast power demand and adapt to changing usage profiles. Analysis of social network graphs offers additional insight into load shaping strategies. We discuss the use of Map-Reduce and its variants for large scale data analytics on Clouds to support decision making in the USC campus microgrid.
Biography: : Yogesh Simmhan is a Senior Research Associate at the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering and the Center for Energy Informatics, University of Southern California. His research focuses on adaptive programming frameworks, dynamic data management, and large scale data analytics on emerging platforms like Clouds, with the goal of building scalable, resilient software systems. Yogesh serves as a project manager in the Los Angeles Smart Grid Project where he leads research into innovative data driven architectures for the USC microgrid that will translate into optimized demand-response in the city's smart grid. Yogesh has a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Indiana University and was previously with Microsoft Research.
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Estela Lopez
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Understanding Two Multimodally Observable Systems: Speech Production and Human-Human Dyad Interaction
Wed, Mar 21, 2012 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Nassos Katsamanis, Postdoctoral Research Associate/Signal Analysis and Interpretation Laboratory/Signal and Image Processing Institute
Talk Title: Understanding Two Multimodally Observable Systems: Speech Production and Human-Human Dyad Interaction
Abstract: Speech production has been modeled at the physical level as an accurately-timed choreography performed by interacting articulators in the vocal tract, e.g., the tongue or the lips. Each of them participates in the realization of gestures that possibly overlap in time and are directly responsible for the generation of certain phoneme sequences. This abstract view of a system as the composition of multiple interacting units -each with certain constraints and different behavioral characteristics that may also entrain with one another- has also been adopted in a completely different domain, for the study of human-human dyads. Towards achieving a common goal, each of the participants is assuming a certain role and tries to fulfill the personal subgoals involved. The multimodal behavior of the dyad reflects the realization of these efforts as the participants are constrained by individual personality traits and adapt to the specifics of the interaction at each instant.
Adopting this system-based perspective (as opposed to a phenomenological approach), I will present a range of computational techniques to model and interpret the continuous multimodal observations in the two domains on the basis of the underlying, synchronously or asynchronously interacting processes. I will focus on three major subproblems: inversion, process interaction modeling and prototypical behavior estimation.
Biography: Nassos Katsamanis received the Diploma in electrical and computer engineering (with highest honors) and the Ph.D. degree from the National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece, in 2003 and 2009 respectively. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Viterbi School of Electrical Engineering in the University of Southern California, member of the Signal Analysis and Interpretation Laboratory. His current research mainly lies in the areas of speech and multimodal signal analysis and processing aiming at the broader goal of interpretation and modeling of human behavior from audiovisual observations. Further, he is strongly interested and has been conducting research in image, acoustic and articulatory data processing for speech production modeling. In the frame of his Ph.D. studies and European and U.S. research projects, he has also worked on multimodal speech inversion, aeroacoustics for articulatory speech synthesis, speaker adaptation for non-native and children's speech recognition and multimodal fusion for audiovisual speech and sign language recognition.
More Information: Katsamanis Seminar.pdf
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mayumi Thrasher
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Astani Civil and Environmental Engineering Seminar
Wed, Mar 21, 2012 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Scott C. James, Principal Member of the Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories
Talk Title: Reactive Flow and Transport in Environmental Systems: Energy Considerations
Abstract: This presentation is a compilation of some of my research interests that span the fields of groundwater hydrology, surface-water hydrology, and renewable energy (e.g., algal biofuels and marine hydrokinetic energy). More specifically, my research developments in the areas of (a) colloid transport in fractured formations, (b) computational fluid dynamics simulations for marine hydrokinetic energy, and (c) optimizing algae growth in open-channel raceways for biofuel production will be presented.
Analytical, theoretical, and computational investigations examining fate and transport of colloid and contaminant plumes in fractured porous media were conducted. Initially, analytical solutions to the mathematical model describing the transport of finitely sized colloids in a uniform-aperture fracture subject to several different boundary conditions were developed. A novel particle tracking algorithm was verified through comparisons to newly developed analytical solutions. This particle-tracking algorithm was used to examine general transport characteristics of polydisperse colloid plumes in a uniform aperture fracture, focusing on the effects of their finite size. Finally, because natural fractures are rough, the particle tracking algorithm was extended to examine colloid and contaminant co-transport within a quasi-three-dimensional spatially-variable-aperture fracture.
Marine hydrokinetic (MHK) energy research was conducted to gain a better understanding of how to convert energy (momentum) from a system with minimum impact on the marine environment. The EPAâs Environmental Fluid Dynamics (EFDC) code was modified to represent
MHK devices as momentum sinks with commensurate adjustments to the turbulent k- terms. Turbulence equation coefficients were calibrated to ensure that simulated wakes from a turbine in a laboratory flume matched the experimental data. Also, the sediment dynamics algorithms were updated to include a unified treatment of cohesive and noncohesive sediments as well as effects of bedslope and consolidation. Removing energy from a system can result in changes to circulation including decreased water-level ranges and increased residence times. The model helps determine an appropriate amount of energy that can be generated from an MHK site â an amount that prevents environmental degradation while also suggesting device locations that optimize energy capture.
Significant research on algae growth in open-channel raceways was conducted to better understand the important parameters affecting biomass production with the goal of achieving cost-competitive biofuels. Water-quality algorithms in EFDC were modified and improved to be applicable to high-density algal systems and to account for the effects of growth limitation as a function of CO2 concentrations and pH fluctuations. The model faithfully reproduced a few simple algae growth test problems and was easily extended to accurately simulate the data collected from an algae growth experiment conducted in a greenhouse. Working in conjunction with industry partners, the model is currently employed for the simulation of algae growth in various conceptual models of open-channel raceways.
Fluid dynamics research is integral to developing alternative energy platforms. Water and energy are inextricably coupled; it is virtually impossible to consider one independently from the other. Given the emphasis on energy and the environment, an environmental engineer must employ broad civil and mechanical engineering skills to tackle this multidisciplinary field.
Host: Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Cassie Cremeans
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EE-Electrophysics Seminar
Wed, Mar 21, 2012 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: John Teufel, NIST Boulder
Talk Title: Quantum Microwave Optomechanical Circuits
Abstract: While mechanical oscillators are the basis for ultrasensitive detection of force, mass and displacement, only recently are these systems poised to encounter the limits and possibilities afforded by quantum mechanics. Accessing the full quantum nature of a macroscopic mechanical oscillator first requires elimination of its classical, thermal motion. The flourishing field of cavity optomechanics provides a nearly ideal architecture for both preparation and detection of mechanical motion at the quantum level. We realize a microwave cavity optomechanical system by coupling the motion of an aluminum membrane to the resonance frequency of a superconducting circuit [1]. By exciting the microwave circuit below its resonance frequency, we damp and cool the membrane motion with radiation pressure forces, analogous to laser cooling of the motion of trapped ions. The microwave excitation serves not only to cool, but also to monitor the displacement of the membrane. A nearly quantum-limited, Josephson parametric amplifier is used to detect the mechanical sidebands of this microwave excitation and quantify the thermal motion as it is cooled with radiation pressure forces to its quantum ground state [2].
[1] Teufel, J. D. et al. ìCircuit cavity electromechanics in the strong-coupling regime,î Nature 471, 204ñ208 (2011).
[2] Teufel, J. D. et al. ìSideband cooling micromechanical motion to the quantum ground state,î Nature 475, 359ñ363 (2011).
Biography: Dr. John Teufel completed his Ph.D. in physics at Yale University in the group of Robert Schoelkopf while developing superconducting photon detectors. He then joined Konrad LehnertÃs group at JILA as a postdoctoral researcher, where he investigated nanomechanical resonators by coupling them to superconducting microwave circuits. He is currently a research affiliate in the quantum devices group at NIST Boulder, where he continues to use cryogenic microwave circuits to explore the quantum properties of mechanical systems.
Host: EE-Electrophysics
More Info: ee.usc.edu/newsLocation: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
Event Link: ee.usc.edu/news
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AME Department Seminar
Wed, Mar 21, 2012 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Bin Liu, Postdoctoral Research Associate. School of Engineering. Brown University. Providence, RI
Talk Title: Helical Swimming in Complex Fluid Media
Abstract: Many bacteria swim by rotating helical flagella. In Nature, these cells often live in a complex fluid environment, such as suspensions of polymers and other micro-scale structures. To explore the physics on how such complex environments affect the bacterial motility, the helical swimmer is simulated by a model system - a motorized helical coil that rotates along its axial direction. When the helix is immersed in a viscoelastic fluid, a model fluid of polymer suspensions, there is an increase in the swimming speed as compared with the Newtonian case. The enhancement is maximized when the rotation rate of the helix matches the relaxation time of the fluid. The magnitude of enhancement depends not only on the elasticity of the fluid but also on the geometry of the helix. In the second part of my talk, I will discuss on how such helical swimming is affected by spatial confinement of micro scales, such as a porous medium. As a reduced order model, the porous media is regarded as cylindrical cavities with solid walls. A modified boundary element method is introduced here to make full use of the helical symmetry. This method allows us to investigate a situation that the flagella are tightly confined by solid wall. To our surprise, at fixed power consumption, a highly coiled swimmer swims faster in a narrower confinement, while an elongated one swims faster in a cavity with a wider opening. These phenomena are explained with simple physical picture.
Host: Prof. Geoff Spedding
More Info: http://ae-www.usc.edu/seminars/index.shtml#upcomingLocation: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: April Mundy
Event Link: http://ae-www.usc.edu/seminars/index.shtml#upcoming
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Landing Your Dream Internship- Tips for Sophomores & Juniors
Wed, Mar 21, 2012 @ 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections
Workshops & Infosessions
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 211
Audiences: All Viterbi Students
Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Services
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Startup Equinox Networking Event
Wed, Mar 21, 2012 @ 06:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Student Organizations
Receptions & Special Events
This Event is being put on by NOBE, the eClub, and EVMA.
This will be an opportunity to network with students from all different schools within USC, whether you are creative, technical or more focused on business, this will be a great place to share ideas and build bonds with different students that could potentially come in handy in your professional life down the road.Location: Ronald Tutor Campus Center (TCC) - The Ballroom
Audiences: Members have first priority, but anyone can RSVP
Contact: USC NOBE
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CANCELLED Infosys Limited: Corporate Leadership in Sustainability Information Session
Wed, Mar 21, 2012 @ 06:15 PM - 07:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections
Workshops & Infosessions
This information session has been CANCELLED.
We apologize for the inconvenience.More Information: InfosysTalk.docx
Location: Grace Ford Salvatori Hall Of Letters, Arts & Sciences (GFS) - 106
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Services
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TBP New Invitee Caucus
Wed, Mar 21, 2012 @ 06:30 PM - 08:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Student Organizations
Student Activity
Current TBP members are strongly encouraged to attend Caucus. We need as many current members there as possible. This is the chance for the new potential members to meet you and you to meet them. The electees are bringing the food dishes so you won't want to miss out! This is a 2 point event.
Location: Waite Phillips Hall Of Education (WPH) - B28
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tau Beta Pi
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ASBME: PDP Student Panel
Wed, Mar 21, 2012 @ 07:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Student Organizations
Student Activity
PDP Student Panel
Time: March 21st, 2012- 7-8 pm
Location: TCC 227
Thinking about PDP? Come to the PDP Student Panel and get some of your questions answered! Hear from current PDP students in BME, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering about their experiences.
More Information: ASBME logo SMALL_clean.jpg
Location: TCC 227
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Associated Students of Biomedical Engineering
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Six Sigma Green Belt for Process ImprovementWed, Mar 21, 2012 @ 09:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Executive Education
University Calendar
Course Overview
Learn how to integrate principles of business, statistics and engineering to achieve tangible results. Master the use of Six Sigma to quantify the critical quality issues in your company. Once the issues have been quantified, statistics can be applied to provide probabilities of success and failure. Six Sigma methods increase productivity and enhance quality. As a Six Sigma green belt, you will be equipped to support and champion a Six Sigma implementation in your organization. To earn the Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate, you will be required to pass the Institute of Industrial Engineer's green belt exam (administered on the final day of the course).
During this course you will have the opportunity to apply what you have learned to an actual issue you face in your organization. Prior seminar participants have reported significant savings from implementing their projects.
A financial services organization saw $128,000 in cost savings per quarter when they reduced transaction processing rework
A state agency reduced project cost over-runs by 28 percent
A transportation company saved more than $875,000 per year in turnover costs by improving the employee communications process
Reduced errors in a painting operation led to increased first pass acceptance and more than $197,000 in annual savings
A Web developer increased annual profits by 10 percent by cutting cycle time
A wave solder operation saw defects reduced by half and costs reduced by $60,000 per year
Course Topics
Basic statistics
Case studies
Cost analysis
DMAIC
Financial implications
Process capability
Root cause analysis
Six Sigma green belt exam
Six Sigma process and objective
Statistical process control
Benefits
Upon completion of this course, you will walk away with the following skills:
Design and develop Six Sigma projects
Determine process capability
Employ the DMAIC process
Perform basic statistical analysis on process measurements
Prepare root cause analysis
Support and champion Six Sigma implementation in your organization
Understand the Six Sigma philosophy
Program Fees
On-Campus Participants: $1,345
Includes continental breakfasts, lunch and all course materials. The fee does not include hotel accommodations or transportation.
Online Participant with Live Session Interactivity: $1,100
Includes attendee access codes for live call-in or chat capabilities during class sessions. Also includes all course and lecture materials available for live stream or download.
Reduced Pricing:
Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE): Reduced pricing is available for members of IIE. Please contact professional@mapp.usc.edu for further information.
Trojan Family: USC alumni, current students, faculty, and staff receive 10% reduced pricing on registration.
Boeing: Boeing employees receive 20% off registration fees (please use Boeing email address when registering).
Location
Three course delivery options are available for participants, on-campus, online with interactivity, and online with archive access:
On-Campus Course is held in state-of-the-art facilities on the University of Southern California campus, located in downtown Los Angeles. Participants attending on-campus will have the option to commute to the course or stay at one of the many hotels located in the area. For travel information, please visit our Travel section.
Overview of on-campus option:
The ability to interact with faculty and peers in-person.
Access to hard copy course materials.
Ability to logon and view archived course information - up to 7 days after the course has been offered. This includes course documents and streaming video of the lectures.
If there is a conflict during any on-campus course dates, you can elect to be an online/interactive student.
Parking, refreshments and lunch are provided for on-campus participants â unless otherwise specified.
Online (Interactivity) Course delivery is completely online and real-time, enabling interaction with the instructor and fellow participants. Participants have the flexibility of completing the course from a distance utilizing USC's Distance Education Network technology. Students are required to be online for the entirety of each day's session.
Overview of online (interactive):
Virtually participate in the course live â with the ability to either ask questions or chat questions to the entire class.
WebEx technologies provide the option to call into the class and view the entire lecture/materials on your computer, or to participate on your computer without having to utilize a phone line.
Ability to logon and view archived course information up to 7 days after the course has been offered. This includes course documents and streaming video of the lectures.
Continuing Education Units
CEUs: 2.1 (CEUs provided by request only)
USC Viterbi School of Engineering Certificate of Participation is awarded to all participants upon successful completion of course.
Audiences: Registered Attendees
Contact: Viterbi Professional Programs
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SEVEN: Art at Work for Human Rights and Social Justice
Wed, Mar 21, 2012 @ 11:00 PM - 12:00 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Receptions & Special Events
Admission is free. Reservations required. RSVP at the links below beginning Monday, February 27, at 9 a.m.
USC Students, Staff and Faculty: To RSVP, click here http://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/visionsandvoices/RSVP/reserve.php?RSVPEvtCode=202
General Public: To RSVP, click here http://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/visionsandvoices/RSVP/reserveGeneral_Multi.php?RSVPEvtCode=242
âRiveting, explosive and inspiring drama . . . starkly emotive . . . reaffirm[s] the belief that one person could indeed make a difference.ââThe Huffington Post
âIt was impossible not to be inspired by the widely varying examples of courage that the project corralled.ââThe Washington Post
SEVEN is a collaborative documentary theatre piece written by seven award-winning women playwrights. Based on personal interviews, SEVEN tells the stories of seven incredible women from around the world who have faced risks to themselves and their families to take on human rights abuses in their countries. One of the women set up the first domestic-violence crisis center in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union, even as the government denied the existence of such abuse. Another, in Pakistan, refused to remain silent after she was raped, demanding justice; she later opened a school so that young girls would no longer be victimized because of illiteracy. Still another returned to Cambodia after her parents had been killed by the Khmer Rouge to work against human trafficking. In the interwoven stories, what emerges is a connection of common purpose, determination and courage. The groundbreaking play was written by Paula Cizmar, Catherine Filloux, Gail Kriegel, Carol K. Mack, Ruth Margraff, Anna Deavere Smith and Susan Yankowitz.
Related Event:
Theatre for Social Change Workshop
Monday, March 19, 3 to 5:30 p.m.
Doheny Memorial Library, Friends Lecture Hall, Room 240
Join us for an introductory workshop in applied theatre arts and learn how to use theatre techniques to explore social justice issues that matter to you. The workshop will be led by Rebecca Struch (MA, Applied Theatre Arts, USC 2011).
Organized by Lora Zane (Theatre), Paula Cizmar (Theatre), Brent Blair (Theatre), Ange-Marie Hancock (Political Science and Gender Studies) and Michael Messner (Sociology). Co-sponsored by El Centro Chicano, the International Visitors Council of Los Angeles, Latina/o Student Assembly, Take Back the Night and Women's Student Association.
For further information on this event:
visionsandvoices@usc.eduLocation: George Finley Bovard Administration Building (ADM) - Bovard Auditorium
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Daria Yudacufski
