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SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT
Events for April 09, 2008
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Meet USC
Wed, Apr 09, 2008
Viterbi School of Engineering Undergraduate Admission
Workshops & Infosessions
This half day program is designed for prospective freshmen and family members. Meet USC includes an information session on the University and the Admission process; a student led walking tour of campus and a meeting with us in the Viterbi School. Meet USC is designed to answer all of your questions about USC, the application process and financial aid.Reservations are required for Meet USC. This program occurs twice, once at 9:00 a.m. and again at 1:00 p.m. Please visit http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/visit/events/meet_usc/ to check availability and make an appointment. Be sure to list an Engineering major as your "intended major" on the webform!
Location: USC Admission Center
Audiences: Prospective Freshmen and Family Members - RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
Contact: Viterbi Admission
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Meet USC
Wed, Apr 09, 2008
Viterbi School of Engineering Undergraduate Admission
Workshops & Infosessions
This half day program is designed for prospective freshmen and family members. Meet USC includes an information session on the University and the Admission process; a student led walking tour of campus and a meeting with us in the Viterbi School. Meet USC is designed to answer all of your questions about USC, the application process and financial aid.Reservations are required for Meet USC. This program occurs twice, once at 9:00 a.m. and again at 1:00 p.m. Please visit http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/visit/events/meet_usc/ to check availability and make an appointment. Be sure to list an Engineering major as your "intended major" on the webform!
Location: USC Admission Center
Audiences: Prospective Freshmen and Family Members - RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
Contact: Viterbi Admission
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Proof the Commencement Program
Wed, Apr 09, 2008 @ 09:00 AM - 04:00 AM
Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs
Student Activity
All eligible degree candidates(students who graduated last fall as well as those with spring and summer 2008 degree dates) are invited to view their name as it will appear in the Commencement Program. Please stop by Degree Progress (JHH 010) or University Publication (STU 400) on April 8 or 9 to verify your information. The proof will not be available after this time, so please stop by as indicated below.Hours for Viewing
Degree Progress
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 pmUniversity Publications
9am -12noon and 1:00 – 4:00 pmPlease note: This final proof will not be available in RTH 110.
Location: John Hubbard Hall (formerly Sas) (JHH) - 010 or STU 400
Audiences: Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Candidates
Contact: VSoE
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Making Quantum Computers Fault Tolerant
Wed, Apr 09, 2008 @ 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
SPEAKER: Dr. Ben Reichardt, Postdoctoral Fellow, California Institute of TechnologyABSTRACT: The biggest experimental obstacle to manipulating quantum information and realizing quantum computers is noise, or decoherence. Entangled quantum states are typically difficult to prepare without accumulating errors, and are highly susceptible to noise that collapses them down to merely classical states. General quantum fault-tolerance techniques, invented about a decade ago, can in theory solve both problems, but often require unrealistically low noise rates before they kick in.Over the last few years we have seen a renaissance in fault-tolerance schemes. These new schemes rely on quantum phenomena such as quantum teleportation to isolate the data from errors. I will describe these schemes that simulations indicate may tolerate as much as 3-6% noise per operation! However, as classical simulations of quantum systems are difficult, it is also important to develop rigorous methods to determine if, and how well, these schemes will really work. I will describe a new technique for analyzing these schemes---maintaining analytic control over large, noisy quantum systems---that leads to a rigorous proof that 0.1% gate depolarizing noise is tolerable (in a nonlocal gate model), lending support to the simulations. If the noise model is known, then the rigorous bound is as high as 1%. BIO: Ben Reichardt is a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Quantum Information, at the California Institute of Technology. He has a B.S. in mathematics from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley. He studies quantum fault tolerance and quantum algorithms.http://www.its.caltech.edu/~breic/HOST: Todd Brun, tbrun@usc.edu
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mayumi Thrasher
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Evaluating and Negotiating Job Offers
Wed, Apr 09, 2008 @ 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections
Workshops & Infosessions
Decision Time! How do you decipher and evaluate job offers? How do you begin the negotiations phase? Attend this workshop and learn helpful tips that will help guide you through the process.
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 109
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Services
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Application of Omics-Based Tools and Microarrays to Optimize Bioremediation
Wed, Apr 09, 2008 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Lisa Alvarez-Cohen
Professor and Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, UC Berkeley This talk will focus on the application of omics-based molecular tools to understand and optimize the bioremediation of environmental contaminants by naturally occurring microorganisms. Bioremediation is a process that often relies upon mixed microbial communities to catalyze important biodegradation pathways. In order to improve our understanding of bioremediation processes, there is a need to develop rapid, quantitative, non-culture based molecular and microbiological assays for use in characterizing microbial communities and activities in subsurface soils. This talk will describe a variety of detection and quantification techniques applied to both genes and transcripts of interest, including quantitative PCR (qPCR), reverse transcription qPCR and whole-genome microarrays for comprehensive comparative genomics and transcriptomics with subsequent confirmation by proteomics. In addition, application of phylogenetic microarrays for identification of specific organisms in complex communities will be described. We have applied these tools to both laboratory samples for fundamental research, and to field samples for applied research in bioremediation of conventional and emerging contaminants.Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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NanoRobotic Systems
Wed, Apr 09, 2008 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Lixin DongDr. Senior Research Scientist, Head of NanoRoboticsGroupInstitute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS)Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), ZurichZurich, SwitzerlandAbstract:Progress in robotics over the past years has dramatically extended our ability to explore the world at a variety of scales extending from the edges of the solar system down to individual atoms. At the bottom of this scale, technology has been moving toward greater control of the structure of matter, suggesting the feasibility of achieving thorough control of the molecular structure of matter atom by atom. Nanorobotics represents the next stage in miniaturization for maneuvering nanoscale objects. Nanorobotics is the study of robotics at the nanometer scale, and includes robots that are nanoscale in size and large robots capable of manipulating objects that have dimensions in the nanoscale range with nanometer resolution. Nanorobotic systems emphasize the engineering aspect of nanorobotics and include the manufacturing and application technologies of nanorobotic manipulation systems, nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), and nanorobots (nano-sized robots, which have yet to be realized).
The well-defined geometry, exceptional mechanical properties, and extraordinary electrical characteristics of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) qualify them for structuring such systems. Relative displacements between the atomically smooth, nested shells in multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) can be used as robust nanoscale motion enabling mechanisms for applications such as bearings, oscillators, shuttles, switches, memories, syringes, and actuators. The hollow structures of CNTs can serve as containers, conduits, pipettes, and coaxial cables for storing mass and charge, or for transport. On the other hand, novel helical nanostructures are created through a top-down fabrication process in which a strained nanometer thick heteroepitaxial bilayer such as SiGe/Si and InGaAs/GaAs curls up to form 3D structures with nanoscale features such as tubes, coils, rings, and spirals. Because of their interesting morphology, mechanical, electrical, and electromagnetic properties, potential applications of these nanostructures include springs, electromechanical sensors, magnetic field detectors, chemical or biological sensors, and inductors.
Shrinking device size to nanometer scales presents many fascinating opportunities such as manipulating nanoobjects with nanotools, measuring mass in zeptogram ranges, sensing forces at piconewton scales, and inducing gigahertz motion, among other new possibilities waiting to be discovered. Nanorobotic manipulation is a promising technology for structuring, characterizing and assembling nano building blocks into NEMS. Combined with recently developed nanofabrication processes, the technological progress on building nanorobotic systems from shell engineered CNTs and rolled up SiGe/Si and InGaAs/GaAs helical nanostructures is presented focusing on nanotube linear servo motors, nanorobotic spot welders using copper-filled nanotubes, and helical nanobelt motion converters.Lixin Dong is Senior Research Scientist at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH, Zurich), where he leads the NanoRobotics Group in the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS). He received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Xi'an University of Technology (XUT) in 1989 and 1992, respectively. He became Research Associate in 1992, Lecturer in 1995, and Associate Professor in 1998 at XUT. He has served as the head of the Department of Mechatronics Engineering at XUT from 1997 to 1999. He received his Ph.D. degree in Micro Systems Engineering from Nagoya University in 2003, and became Assistant Professor at Nagoya University in 2003. In 2004 he joined ETH Zurich as a Research Scientist. His main research interests include nanorobotics, mechatronics, nanoelectromechnical systems (NEMS), mechnochemistry, and biomedical devices. He received the IEEE T-ASE Googol Best New Application Paper Award in 2007, Best Conference Paper Award at the Int. Conf. on Control Sci. and Engr. (ICCSE2003), and Finalist in the Best Paper Competition at IEEE-ICRA2007, IROS2005, and ICRA2001. He has been awarded the Science and Technology Advancement Prize by the Ministry of Education of China in 1999, by Shaanxi Province Government in 1999 and 1995, by Xi'an City Government in 1999, and by the Ministry of Machine-Building Industry of China in 1998 and 1992. He serves on the editorial board of the IEEE Trans. on Nanotechnology and the IEEE Trans. on Automation Science and Engineering.Location: Seaver Science Library, Rm 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: April Mundy
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CS Colloq: Learning^3: Multi-Agent, Teacher-Agent, and Tutor-Student
Wed, Apr 09, 2008 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Title: Learning^3: Multi-Agent, Teacher-Agent, and Tutor-StudentSpeaker: Dr. Yu-Han Chang (ISI)Abstract:
Learning is crucial aspect of any intelligent agent. The bulk of this talk with focus on our results in multi-agent learning, where agents must learn to adapt in environments populated with other adaptive, autonomous agents. I'll also spend some time briefly describing new projects in teachable agents, where agents can learn more rapidly by receiving interactive human instruction, and adaptive tutoring systems, where the tutoring system must learn to adapt to differing student capabilities and styles. In multi-agent environments, learning must account for the adaptive nature of the other agents. Traditional models such as MDPs, POMDPs, and game theoretic equilibria each have their shortcomings in this domain: e.g. the environment is not Markov, or the other agents may not be entirely rational. Regret is a principled framework for evaluating the performance of multi-agent learning algorithms, and regret-minimizing algorithms offer a good approach to this domain, one that does not need to make strong assumptions regarding expected types of opponents. I'll describe an algorithm that exhibits good performance against a wide range of possible opponents, and guarantees low regret against any arbitrary opponent.Biography:
Dr. Yu-Han Chang is a Computer Scientist at the Information Sciences Institute of the University of Southern California. His current research interests range from reinforcement learning and game theory to natural language understanding and interactive games. Recent and ongoing projects include using machine learning to improve education, "learning by noticing", planning in continuous battle spaces, training intelligent agents via interactive games, and developing no-regret algorithms for learning in non-cooperative domains. Dr. Chang holds undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Economics, as well as a S.M. in Computer Science, from Harvard University. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT, where he developed algorithms for multi-agent learning in the context of machine learning and game theory.Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 322
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: CS Colloquia
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2008 Annual Spring Banquet
Wed, Apr 09, 2008 @ 05:00 PM - 07:30 PM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
University Calendar
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering /
USC Student Chapter of the Institute of Industrial Engineers2008 Annual Spring BanquetWednesday April 9th, 2008
5:00 – 7:30 PM
The Davidson Conference Center Vineyard RoomGuest Speaker:GERALDINE KNATZ, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Port of Los AngelesAs executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D. oversees the daily operations and internal management of the nation's number one containerport. After an exhaustive national search, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa nominated Dr. Knatz for the position in late 2005. In January 2006, she became the first female executive director of the Port of Los Angeles.Moving the Port of Los Angeles forward with an agenda that focuses on responsible Port growth and environmental leadership is an aggressive goal that Dr. Knatz has tackled from day one. Reducing port emissions, eliminating health risks and expanding capital development programs to accommodate the Port's future growth as a premiere Pacific gateway and national economic engine are top priorities at the Port under the leadership of Dr. Knatz.Dr. Knatz previously served as managing director of the neighboring Port of Long Beach. As the number two executive at the Port of Long Beach, Dr. Knatz oversaw a $2.3 billion capital improvement program and spearheaded a number of environmental initiatives, including development of the Green Port Policy and Truck Trip Reduction Program. While her impressive tenure at the Port of Long Beach spans two decades, Dr. Knatz began her maritime career as an environmental scientist at the Port of Los Angeles in 1977.A proud alumna of the University of Southern California, where she presently teaches in the Civil Engineering School, Dr. Knatz earned two degrees from USC: a doctorate in biological science and a Master of Science in environmental engineering. She also holds an undergraduate degree in zoology from Rutgers University. Born and raised in New Jersey, Dr. Knatz resides in Long Beach with her husband and two sons.
Location: Davidson Conference Center Vineyard Room
Audiences: Graduate/Undergrad/Department Only/
Contact: Georgia Lum
