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Events for April 19, 2018

  • Explore USC – Admitted Student Day

    Thu, Apr 19, 2018

    Viterbi School of Engineering Undergraduate Admission

    University Calendar


    These Admitted Student Programs, hosted by the Undergraduate Admission Office, provide admitted students and their families an opportunity to meet admission counselors, representatives from academic departments, alumni, and you will have the opportunity to meet other admitted students from your local area. Viterbi and University Admission counselors will be there to answer any questions you might have, tell you more about campus life and your specific academic program, and welcome you to the Trojan Family. The program will last approximately two hours.

    We love seeing our newly admitted students in person! if you live in or near a city we will be visiting, we encourage you to join us!

    RSVP

    Location: USC Admission Office

    Audiences: Admitted Students and Their Families

    Contact: Viterbi Admission

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  • PhD Defense - Sonal Mahajan

    Thu, Apr 19, 2018 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    University Calendar


    PhD Candidate: Sonal Mahajan

    Time: April 19, 2018 (Thursday) 9.30am - 12pm

    Location: VHE 217

    Committee: William G. J. Halfond (chair), Nenad Medvidovic, Sandeep Gupta, Chao Wang, Jyotirmoy Vinay Deshmukh

    Title: Automated Repair of Presentation Failures in Web Applications Using Search-based Techniques

    Abstract:
    The appearance of a web application's User Interface (UI) plays an important part in its success. Issues degrading the UI can negatively affect the usability of a website and impact an end user's perception of the website and the quality of the services that it delivers. Such UI related issues, called presentation failures, occur frequently in modern web applications. Despite their importance, there exist no automated techniques for repairing presentation failures. Instead repair is typically a manual process were developers must painstakingly analyze the UI of a website, identify the faulty UI elements (i.e., HTML elements and CSS properties), and carry out repairs. This is labor intensive and requires significant expertise of the developers.

    My dissertation addresses these challenges and limitations by automating the process of repairing presentation failures in web applications. My key insight underlying this research is that search-based techniques can be used to find repairs for the observed presentation failures by intelligently and efficiently exploring large solution spaces defined by the HTML elements and CSS properties. Based on this insight, I designed a novel general-purpose search-based framework for the automated repair of presentation failures in web applications. To evaluate the effectiveness of my framework, I designed and developed instantiations for repairing different types of presentation failures in web applications. The first instantiation focuses on the repair of Cross Browser Issues (XBIs), i.e., inconsistencies in the appearance of a website when rendered in different web browsers. The second instantiation addresses the Mobile Friendly Problems (MFPs) in websites, i.e., improves the readability and usability of a website when accessed from a mobile device. The third instantiation repairs problems related to internationalization in web application UIs. Lastly, the fourth instantiation addresses issues arising from mockup-driven development and regression debugging. In the empirical evaluations, all of the four instantiations were highly effective in repairing presentation failures, while in the conducted user studies, participants overwhelmingly preferred the visual appeal of the repaired versions of the websites compared to their original (faulty) versions. Overall, these are positive results and indicate that the framework can help developers repair presentation failures in web applications, while maintaining their aesthetic quality.

    Location: Vivian Hall of Engineering (VHE) - 217

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Lizsl De Leon

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  • EE Seminar - Trustworthy Autonomy: Algorithms for Human-Robot Systems

    Thu, Apr 19, 2018 @ 02:30 PM - 03:30 PM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Katherine Driggs-Campbell, Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Stanford Intelligent Systems Laboratory

    Talk Title: Trustworthy Autonomy: Algorithms for Human-Robot Systems

    Abstract: Autonomous systems, such as self-driving cars, are becoming tangible technologies that will soon impact the human experience. However, the desirable impacts of autonomy are only achievable if the underlying algorithms can handle the unique challenges humans present: People tend to defy expected behaviors and do not conform to many of the standard assumptions made in robotics. To design safe, trustworthy autonomy, we must transform how intelligent systems interact, influence, and predict human agents. In this work, we'll use tools from robotics, artificial intelligence, and control to explore and uncover structure in complex human-robot systems to create more intelligent, interactive autonomy.

    In this talk, I'll present on robust prediction methods that allow us to predict driving behavior over long time horizons with very high accuracy. These methods have been applied to intervention schemes for semi-autonomous vehicles and to autonomous planning that considers nuanced interactions during cooperative maneuvers. I'll also present a new framework for multi-agent perception that uses people as sensors to improve mapping. By observing the actions of human agents, we demonstrate how we can make inferences about occluded regions and, in turn, improve control. Finally, I'll present on recent efforts on validating stochastic systems, merging deep learning and control, and implementing these algorithms on a fully equipped test vehicle that can operate safely on the road.

    Biography: Katie is currently a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at the Stanford Intelligent Systems Laboratory in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department. She received a B.S.E. with honors from Arizona State University in 2012 and an M.S. from UC Berkeley in 2015. In May of 2017, she earned her PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley, advised by Professor Ruzena Bajcsy. Her thesis was entitled "Tools for Trustworthy Autonomy: Robust Prediction, Intuitive Control, and Optimized Interaction," which contributed to the field of autonomy, by merging ideas robotics, transportation, and control to address problems associated with human-in-the-loop. Her work considers the integration of autonomy into human dominated fields, in terms of safe interaction, with a strong emphasis on novel modeling methods, experimental design, robust learning, and control frameworks. She received the Demetri Angelakos Memorial Achievement Award for her contributions to the community, has instigated many events and groups for women in STEM, including founding a group for Women in Intelligent Transportation Systems, and was selected for the Rising Stars in EECS program in 2017.

    Host: Pierluigi Nuzzo, nuzzo@usc.edu

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Mayumi Thrasher

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  • Best Dissertation Symposium

    Thu, Apr 19, 2018 @ 03:00 PM - 04:30 PM

    Viterbi School of Engineering Doctoral Programs

    Receptions & Special Events


    All are invited to attend the 4th Annual Viterbi Best Dissertation Symposium. 3-4 Ph.D. graduates will present their research for a chance to win the William F. Ballhaus, Jr. Prize for Excellence in Graduate Engineering Research, which includes a $10,000 award!

    The award winner will be recognized at the Viterbi Ph.D. Hooding and Awards Ceremony on May 10, 2018.

    Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 526

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Jennifer Gerson

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  • Epstein Institute Seminar, ISE 651

    Thu, Apr 19, 2018 @ 03:30 PM - 04:50 PM

    Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Rüdiger Schultz, Professor, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

    Talk Title: Applied Optimization - Certainly Uncertain

    Host: Prof. Suvrajeet Sen

    More Information: April 19, 2018_Schultz.pdf

    Location: GER 206

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Grace Owh

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  • CAIS Seminar: Dr. Vipin Kumar (University of Minnesota) – Big Data in Climate and Earth Sciences: Challenges and Opportunities for Machine Learning

    Thu, Apr 19, 2018 @ 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Vipin Kumar, University of Minnesota

    Talk Title: Big Data in Climate and Earth Sciences: Challenges and Opportunities for Machine Learning

    Series: USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society (CAIS) Seminar Series

    Abstract: A massive amount of data about Earth and its environment is continuously being generated by a large number of Earth observing satellites as well as physics-based earth system models running on large-scale computational platforms. These datasets offer huge potential for understanding how the Earth's climate and ecosystem have been changing and how they are being impacted by humans' actions. This talk will discuss various challenges involved in analyzing these massive datasets as well as opportunities they present for both advancing machine learning as well as the science of climate change in the context of monitoring the state of the tropical forests and surface water on a global scale.

    This lecture satisfies requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium


    Biography: Dr. Vipin Kumar is a Regents Professor and holds William Norris Chair in the department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota. His research interests include data mining, high-performance computing, and their applications in climate/ecosystems and health care. He is currently leading an NSF Expedition project on understanding climate change using data science approaches.


    Host: Milind Tambe

    Location: Mark Taper Hall Of Humanities (THH) - 301

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Computer Science Department

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