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Events for April 08, 2015
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Control Mechanisms for Sustainable Power Systems: Risk management and Combinatorial Optimization
Wed, Apr 08, 2015 @ 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Insoon Yang, UC Berkeley
Talk Title: Control Mechanisms for Sustainable Power Systems: Risk management and Combinatorial Optimization
Abstract: To decarbonize the electric power grid, there have been increased efforts to utilize clean renewable energy sources, as well as demand-side resources such as electric loads. This utilization is challenging because of uncertain renewable generation and inelastic demand. Furthermore, the interdependencies between system states of power networks or interconnected loads complicate several decision-making problems. In this talk, I will present two control and optimization tools to help to overcome these challenges and improve the sustainability of electric power systems. The first tool is a new dynamic contract approach for direct or indirect load control that can manage the financial risks of utilities and customers, where the risks are generated by uncertain renewable generation. The key feature of the proposed contract method is its risk-limiting capability, which is achieved by formulating the contract design problem as mean-variance constrained risk-sensitive control. I will present a dynamical system approach to track and limit risks. The performance of the proposed contract framework is demonstrated using data from the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas. The second tool is developed for combinatorial decision-making under system interdependencies, which are inherent in interconnected loads and power networks. For such decision-making problems, which can be formulated as optimization of combinatorial dynamical systems, I will present a linear approximation method that is scalable and has a provable suboptimality bound. The performance of the approximation algorithm is illustrated in ON/OFF control of interconnected supermarket refrigeration systems and power network topology optimization. Finally, I will discuss several future research directions in the operation of sustainable cyber-physical systems, including a unified risk management framework for electricity markets, a selective optimal control mechanism for resilient power grids, and contract-based modular management of cyber-physical infrastructure networks.
Biography: Insoon Yang is a Ph.D. candidate in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) at UC Berkeley. He received B.S. degrees in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and in Mathematics summa cum laude from Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, in 2009. He received an M.S. in EECS and an M.A. in Mathematics from UC Berkeley in 2012 and 2013, respectively. His research interests include power and energy systems, stochastic optimal control, (dynamic) contract theory and combinatorial optimization. He applies these techniques to risk management and resilient operation of cyber-physical systems.
Host: Prof. Ashutosh Nayyar
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Talyia Veal
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EE-Electrophysics Seminar
Wed, Apr 08, 2015 @ 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Suma George, Georgia Institute of Technology
Talk Title: Reconfigurable Mixed Signal Neuromorphic Architectures
Abstract: Many decades ago, Carver Mead established the foundations of neuromorphic systems. Neuromorphic systems are analog circuits that emulate biology. These circuits utilize subthreshold dynamics of CMOS transistors to mimic the behavior of neurons. The objective is to not only simulate the human brain, but also to build useful applications using these bio-inspired circuits for ultra low power speech processing, image processing, and robotics. This can be achieved using reconfigurable hardware, like field programmable analog arrays (FPAAs), which enable configuring different applications on a cross platform system. As digital systems saturate in terms of power efficiency, this alternate approach has the potential to improve computational efficiency by approximately eight orders of magnitude. These systems, which include analog, digital, and neuromorphic elements combine to result in a very powerful reconfigurable processing machine.
Biography: Suma George completed her PhD and M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology in 2015 and 2011 respectively. Her research interests are in the areas of neuromorphic systems, reconfigurable architectures, system IC design, mixed signal CAD tools, and speech recognition applications. She also has industry experience, working at Blackberry designing new system architectures as well as being part of a startup nSys (later acquired by Synopsis) modeling 100/40 GHz ethernet systems. In her spare time, she is an avid vocalist, amateur guitarist, and loves to compose music.
Host: EE-Electrophysics
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
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Computer Science Faculty Meeting
Wed, Apr 08, 2015 @ 12:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Workshops & Infosessions
Event details will be emailed to invited attendees.
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 526
Audiences: Invited Faculty Only
Contact: Assistant to CS chair
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Munushian Seminar
Wed, Apr 08, 2015 @ 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Jing Guo, Department of ECE, University of Florida
Talk Title: Monolayer Materials for Electronics
Abstract: In recent years, significant progress has been achieved in exploring electronics applications of two-dimensional monolayer materials. Monolayer represents the ultimate limit of body thickness in a transistor structure, and it is free from body thickness variability and interface dangling bonds. Its mechanical bendability promises interesting applications in flexible and wearable electronics. Furthermore, two-dimensional materials and their heterojunctions possess properties not available in their conventional semiconductor counterparts. To translate the new material properties to device technologies, device modeling and simulation play an important role in understanding experiments, assessing technology potential, and optimizing device designs.
In this talk, I will first overview the challenges of modeling electron devices made from nanomaterials. Two examples of devices based on two-dimensional semiconductors will then be highlighted. In the first one, anisotropic carrier transport in black phosphorene will be examined to understand their potential in logic and RF transistor applications. In the second example, device physics and design options of monolayer heterojunction photodiodes and tunneling field-effect transistors will be discussed, which promise ultra steep subthreshold swing and low power dissipation.
Biography: Jing Guo is currently a Professor in Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Florida. He received his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. His research interests focus on modeling and simulation of nanoscale electron device, quantum transport phenomena, optoelectronic and spintronic devices. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal papers in journals including Science and Nature. He served in many technical program committees including the International Electron Device Meeting (IEDM) in 2007-2008 and 2012-2013. He is the coauthor of the book,âNanoscale Transistors: Device Physics, Modeling, and Simulationâ published by Springer.
Host: EE-Electrophysics
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
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Communications, Networks & Systems (CommNetS) Seminar
Wed, Apr 08, 2015 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Keyvan Rezaei Moghadam, USC
Talk Title: Vehicular Network: From Internet of Things to Urban Planning
Series: CommNetS
Abstract: With the advent of the new technological era, smart phones, web2, data sharing and video streaming are playing a major role in every ones daily life, the demand for data is increasing with an accelerating pace. This in turn requires more capable and complex technologies to support this uprising demand. LTE Advanced and Wi-Max Advanced are examples of these most recent commercial technological boosts that are categorized under true 4G. However, by the constant pace of data demand increase, lots of attention and literature focus have been turned into what need to be considered next. In order to further enhance the backbone capacity of data delivery, different schemes are suggested. Among all different approaches, vehicular networks are of great interest. They can provide a viable high capacity and low cost alternative for data delivery. They get more interesting when we bring in their ability to provide a sensing-net as well. This talk explores the ability of vehicular networks in these contexts and also focus on the ways that we can change the current traffic patterns into ones that could serve us better both on the application side as well as urban traffic standards.
Biography: Keyvan Rezaei Moghadam is a current PhD student in the Electrical Engineering Department of USC. He is currently working under supervision Prof. Bhaskar Krishnamachari. Keyvan, took his Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering from McMaster University in Canada in 2011 and his bachelor degree in telecommunication in 2009 from Iran University of Science and Technology. His main research focus is Intermittent Connected Mobile Networks with applications in data delivery and mobile sensing. Keyvan has recently extended his focus into urban planning problems as well.
Host: Prof. Ashutosh Nayyar
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Annie Yu
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Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series
Wed, Apr 08, 2015 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Guruswami Ravichandran, John E. Goode, Jr. Professor of Aerospace and Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director, Graduate Aerospace Laboratories at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
Talk Title: Mechanics of Cell-Matrix Interactions in Three-Dimensions
Series: Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series
Abstract: Biological cells are complex living systems that can be viewed as micromachines, which derive their many mechanical functions from the molecular motors within the cell. The forces cells apply to their surroundings control processes such as growth, adhesion, development, and migration. Experimental techniques have primarily focused on measuring tractions applied by cells to synthetic two-dimensional substrates, which do not mimic in vivo conditions for most cell types. This talk will describe an experimental approach to quantify cell tractions in a natural three-dimensional matrix. Cells and their surrounding matrix are imaged in three dimensions with confocal microscopy; cell-induced matrix displacements are computed using digital volume correlation; and tractions are computed directly from the full-field displacement data. The technique is used to investigate how cells employ physical forces during cell division, spreading and sensing. In a three-dimensional matrix, dividing cells apply tensile force to the matrix through thin, persistent extensions that in turn direct the orientation and location of the daughter cells. During spreading, cells extend thin protrusions into the matrix and apply force using these protrusions. The cell forces induce deformations along directed linear paths in the fibrous matrix. A constitutive model is developed that accurately predicts the propagation of cell-induced displacements through the matrix. The model describes how cells use nonlinearities in the fibrous matrix to enable long-range cell-cell mechanical communication.
Biography: Guruswami Ravichandran is the John E. Goode, Jr. Professor of Aerospace and Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories (GALCIT) at the California Institute of Technology. He received his B.E. (Honors) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Madras in 1981, Sc.M. in Engineering and Applied Mathematics in 1983 and 1984, respectively, and Ph.D. in Solid Mechanics and Structures from Brown University in 1986. He is a Fellow of the Society for Experimental Mechanics (SEM) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). His awards include Lazan and Hetenyi awards from SEM and Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award from Pi Tau Sigma and ASME. He was awarded Doctor honoris causa by Paul Verlaine University, France in 2006 and Chevalier de l'ordre des Palmes Academiques by the Republic of France in 2011. His research interest is in the area of mechanics of materials, with emphasis on deformation, damage and failure, active materials, biomaterials and cell mechanics, and experimental methods.
Host: Paul Ronney
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Valerie Childress
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Emerging Opportunties for Startups in Computer Networking
Wed, Apr 08, 2015 @ 06:00 PM - 08:30 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
University Calendar
RSVP Here
Speaker Murali Venkat.
Murali Venkat is an Architect & Technical Leader @ Cisco, in the Cloud & Virtualization Group. Murali is a seasoned hands-on engineer, with expertise in all things Networking having worked on Enterprise and Service Provider products at Cisco and Novell. He was an early engineer at GreenField Networks, a Sequoia funded ASIC startup that was acquired by Cisco. Murali has been granted multiple US patents, and is actively engaged with the USC Viterbi Engineering Board, and Cisco University Research. Murali earned his MS CS @ USC/ISI in the 90s.Location: Kerckhoff Hall (KER) -
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Viterbi Student Innovation Institute
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USC Alumni Reception in Pune
Wed, Apr 08, 2015 @ 07:30 PM - 10:00 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Alumni
Receptions & Special Events
USC Viterbi is hosting an alumni reception in Pune, India at Le Meridien, Raja Bahadur Mill Road, Behind Pune Railway Station. All USC Alumni are welcome.
To confirm your attendance, please contact Sudha Kumar, india@gapp.usc.edu.Location: Le Meridien
Audiences: USC Alumni
Contact: James Morse
