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Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for September

  • Finite-Field Multi-Carrier Modulation

    Thu, Sep 01, 2011 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Lin Luo, University of South Australia (UniSA), Australia

    Talk Title: Finite-Field Multi-Carrier Modulation

    Abstract: Multicarrier modulation, e.g. OFDM, has been endorsed by leading standards in both wireline and wireless high speed digital communications. However, the large dynamic range of an OFDM signal causes an inefficient transmit radio frequency circuitry and distorted signal modulation. We introduce the concept of processing signals in a finite field and replace the DFT by finite-field transforms, which reduce the OFDM Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR) significantly to the range of a finite alphabet set. Most importantly, the system model can be treated as a block code that is corrupted by the additive channel noise, which means the new system has inherent error control capability. Furthermore, processing signals in a finite field not only make modulation part of error correcting coding, but also design codes by exploiting the philosophy of modulation. We will study a framework for multi-carrier modulation with finite-field transforms.

    Biography: Dr. Lin Luo received B.E. in Electronic Engineering from University of Electronic Science and Engineering in China (UESTC) in 2002, M.E. in Telecommunications Engineering from The University of Melbourne in 2004, and a Ph.D. in Telecommunications Engineering from The Australian National University (ANU) in 2009. Since June 2009, he has been a Research Fellow at the Institute for Telecommunications Research (ITR), University of South Australia (UniSA), Australia. His current research interests include multi-carrier and single-carrier systems, green communications, MIMO, and vehicle-to-vehicle communications.

    Host: Andreas Molisch, 04670, EEB 530, molisch@usc.edu

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Gerrielyn Ramos

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  • W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; Connections Between Science, Art, and Empire in the Enlightenment

    W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; Connections Between Science, Art, and Empire in the Enlightenment

    Fri, Sep 02, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 01:50 PM

    USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Prof. Daniela Bleichmar, Depts. of Art History and History, University of Southern California

    Talk Title: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; Connections Between Science, Art, and Empire in the Enlightenment

    Abstract: Prof. Daniela Bleichmar of the Departments of Art History and History at the University of Southern California will present "Connections Between Science, Art, and Empire in the Enlightenment" as part of the W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium.

    Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium

    More Info: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/

    Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Amanda Atkinson

    Event Link: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/

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  • Integrated Systems Seminar Series

    Fri, Sep 02, 2011 @ 03:00 PM - 04:30 PM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Prof. Ehsan Afshari, Cornell University

    Talk Title: Pushing the Envelope: Oscillators beyond the Conventional Limits

    Abstract: In this talk, after a brief introduction to our research at Cornell University, we present a novel dual-band oscillator
    with low phase noise performance. This idea leads to a VCO with more than 100% tuning range (2.5 – 5.8 GHz)and extremely low phase noise that satisfies the phase noise requirement for all cellular bands while only taking the area of a fixed-frequency oscillator. Next, we show a novel multi-phase/quadrature oscillator based on lefthanded LC-ring. In contrast to traditional designs that couple multiple LC-tanks through MOSFETs, it uses an LC-ring as a single high-order resonator that generates multiphase resonant signal. The proposed oscillator can synthesize multiple phases while maintaining the same phase-noise figure-of-merit (FoM) as a single-stage LC
    oscillator.
    Next, we introduce a resonant parametric amplifier/oscillator with an enhanced noise performance by exploiting the noise-squeezing effect. Noise squeezing occurs through the phase-sensitive amplification process and suppresses one of the two quadrature components of the input noise. This structure leads to a noise figure around 0dB for a narrowband signal at around 10 GHz in standard 130 nm CMOS process. It can also be exploited to reduce the phase noise of an oscillator by increasing its amplitude noise.
    Finally, we show a novel high power varactor-less VCO at sub-mm-wave and terahertz frequencies. This circuit works based on the theory of coupled oscillators in a ring structure and efficiently generates and combines harmonics from multiple core oscillators. Moreover by adjusting the coupling between oscillators, the frequency can be tuned. Using a standard 65 nm digital CMOS process, we show a 305 GHz VCO with ~10% tuning range and 0.7 mW of output power. The generated power is higher than any other CMOS or compound semiconductor source and at the same time shows the highest tuning range among terahertz CMOS sources.


    Biography: Biography: Ehsan Afshari was born in 1979. He received the B.Sc. degree in Electronics Engineering from the Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran and the M.S. and Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, in 2003, and 2006, respectively. In August 2006, he joined the faculty in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell University. His research interests are mm-wave and terahertz electronics and low-noise integrated circuits for applications in communication systems, sensing, and biomedical devices.
    He was awarded National Science Foundation CAREER award in 2010, Cornell College of Engineering Michael Tien excellence in teaching award in 2010, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award in 2008, and Iran's Best Engineering Student award by the President of Iran in 2001. He is also the recipient of the best paper award in the Custom Integrated Circuits Conference (CICC), September 2003, the first place at Stanford- Berkeley-Caltech Inventors Challenge, March 2005, the best undergraduate paper award in Iranian Conference on
    Electrical Engineering, 1999, the recipient of the Silver Medal in the Physics Olympiad in 1997, and the recipient of the Award of Excellence in Engineering Education from Association of Professors and Scholars of Iranian Heritage (APSIH), May 2004.

    Host: EE-Electrophysics

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Marilyn Poplawski

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  • Repeating EventSeminars in Biomedical Engineering

    Mon, Sep 05, 2011 @ 12:30 PM - 01:50 PM

    Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Talk Title: NO CLASS--LABOR DAY

    Host: BME Department

    Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    View All Dates

    Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta

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  • Seminar in Astronautical Engineering

    Wed, Sep 07, 2011 @ 12:00 PM - 01:50 PM

    Astronautical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Gerald R. Hintz, Retired Senior Engineer/Technical Manager, JPL; Technical Staff, Aerospace Corporation

    Talk Title: I. Spacecraft Rendezvous; II. Frozen Orbits and Sun Synchronous Orbits with Mission Applications

    Abstract: Topic I: Spacecraft Rendezvous
    Terminal rendezvous consists of nulling the position and velocity offset vectors of the chase vehicle relative to the target vehicle. An example is the rendezvous of a Space Shuttle with the International Space Station.

    Topic II: Frozen Orbits and Sun Synchronous Orbits with Mission Applications
    Frozen orbits fix a set of orbit parameters to meet mission requirements such as repeated overflight of points on the earth at the same altitude. Sun synchronous orbits fix the spacecraft’s orientation with respect to the sun. Mission applications include the current A-Train in Low (705-km altitude) Earth Orbit.



    Biography:


    Host: Department of Astronautical Engineering

    Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 132

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Marrietta Penoliar

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  • METRANS SEMINAR SERIES

    METRANS SEMINAR SERIES

    Wed, Sep 07, 2011 @ 12:00 PM - 01:30 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science, Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Cyrus Shahabi, Viterbi professor, IMSC director

    Talk Title: TransDec: A Data-Driven Framework for Decision Making in Transportation Systems

    Abstract: TransDec is a real-data driven system to support decision-making in transportation systems. The vast amounts of transportation datasets collected by federal and state agencies are extremely valuable for real-time decision making, planning and management of transportation systems, In this talk we will present our framework.

    Lunch will be availabe for those who RSVP to tgong@usc.edu

    Biography: Cyrus Shahabi is a professor and director the NSF's Integrated Media Systems Center (IMSC) at USC. He is alos CTO and co-founder of a USC spinoff, Geosemble Technologies

    Host: METRANS

    Location: Ralph And Goldy Lewis Hall (RGL) - 209

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Eric Mankin

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  • Communications, Networks and Systems (CommNetS) Seminar

    Wed, Sep 07, 2011 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

    Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Sachin Adlakha, Center for the Mathematics of Information, Caltech

    Talk Title: Energy Procurement Strategies in Presence of Intermittent Sources

    Series: Communications, Networks & Systems (CommNetS) Seminar

    Abstract: We study the impact of a high penetration of intermittent wind generation on electricity markets. Specifically, we analyze the effect of wind prediction accuracy, as well as the volume of wind farm installations, on the conventional generation that needs to be contracted for in long term, day ahead, and real time markets. This provides insight into how the markets for conventional generation might need to be restructured in order to make efficient use of high volumes of renewable generation. (Joint work with Jayakrishnan Nair and Adam Wierman)

    Biography: Sachin Adlakha is postdoctoral fellow at Caltech’s Center for the Mathematics of Information. Prior to coming to Caltech, he obtained his PhD from the Department of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. His research interests lie at the intersection of engineering and operations/management science. In particular he is interested in developing techniques, models and algorithms for economic analysis of engineering systems.

    Host: Prof. Rahul Jain

    More Info: http://csi.usc.edu/~dimakis/CommNetS

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Rahul Jain

    Event Link: http://csi.usc.edu/~dimakis/CommNetS

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  • AME Department

    Wed, Sep 07, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM

    Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Katerina Aifantis, European Research Council Grantee, Deptartment of Mechanics; Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece; and Adjunct Assistant Professor Department of Physics Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan

    Talk Title: Nanostructured Anodes for Next Generation Li-Ion Batteries - -

    Abstract: The current and future applications of secondary Li-ion batteries range from powering cell phones and electric vehicles to biomedical devices. Extensive work is, therefore, being performed on further improving their lifetime and cyclability. Experimental research has yielded that Sn and Si can provide three-to-ten times the capacity of commercially used graphitic anodes. What inhibits the commercialization of such anodes, however, is the 300% volume expansion, and subsequent fracture, that Sn and Si experience upon maximum Li-insertion. This fracture is minimized by embedding nanosized Sn and Si in a matrix. In the present talk it will be shown how electrochemical cycling, transmission electron microscopy, and continuum mechanics can be employed to develop design criteria that predict the most optimum matrix material, as well the Sn particle size and inter-particle spacing, that will significantly limit fracture. Nanostructured Sn-based anodes will be shown that have a 100% capacity retention for 400 cycles.

    Host: Andrea Hodge

    Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: April Mundy

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  • W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; Rags to Hitches: log "sexy" startup (stiff corporate) = systems engineering

    Fri, Sep 09, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 01:50 PM

    USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Ryan Charles, Director of Business Development, Hire-a-Helper

    Talk Title: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium

    Abstract: Ryan Charles, Director of Business Development for Hire-a-Helper, will present "Rags to Hitches: log 'sexy' startup (stiff corporate) = systems engineering" as part of the W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium.

    Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium

    More Info: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/

    Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Amanda Atkinson

    Event Link: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/

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  • Integrated Systems Seminar Series

    Fri, Sep 09, 2011 @ 03:00 PM - 04:30 PM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Firooz Aflatouni, University of Southern California

    Talk Title: Electronic-Photonic Co-Design: RF Assisted

    Abstract: The relative phase control of semiconductor lasers is the basis for many applications including RF assisted coherent power combining of semiconductor lasers and laser beamforming.
    Also, absolute phase control of semiconductor laser (where the laser phase noise is reduced) is highly desired in many applications such as coherent optical communication (long-haul or chip-to-chip), interferometric sensing, LIDAR, and mmwave
    and THz signal generations.
    These are examples of Electronic-Photonic Co-Design which can be categorized into two main aspects: (a) RF Assisted Photonics where RF and mm-wave circuits and techniques are employed to improve the performance of photonic systems, and (b) Photonic Assisted Electronics where photonic systems and devices are used to improve the performance of the RF and mm-wave systems.
    In this talk, I will present my work on RF assisted phase control of semiconductor lasers in both relative sense (coherent power combining) and absolute sense (laser phase noise reduction) and will discuss its advantages and limitations.

    Biography: Biography: Firooz Aflatouni received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from the K.N.T. University of Technology, Tehran, Iran, and the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, in 1998 and 2005, respectively. He is currently working towards the Ph.D. degree at USC. In 1999, he co-founded Pardis Bargh Company, where he was involved in the designing of inclined- orbit satellite tracking systems.
    From 2004 to 2006, he was a Design Engineer with MediaWorks Integrated Circuits Inc., Irvine, CA. He is currently a research assistant in the Electrical Engineering Department at USC. His research interests include RF-inspired photonics and low power mm-wave and RF integrated circuits.
    He was the recipient of the 2011 USC department of electrical engineering best research presentation award, 2010 USC Ming Hsieh top 5 PhD student scholarship, 2010 NASA Tech Award for his work on development of a Ka-Band SiGe receiver front-end MMIC for space transponder applications, and the best B.S. thesis award for design and implementation of a non-geostationary satellite tracking system. He is the Silver medal winner of the nationwide Mathematics Olympiad in 1993.

    Host: EE-Electrophysics

    More Info: http://ee.usc.edu/calendar

    Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 156

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Marilyn Poplawski

    Event Link: http://ee.usc.edu/calendar

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  • Seminars in Biomedical Engineering

    Mon, Sep 12, 2011 @ 12:30 PM - 01:50 PM

    Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Talk Title: BME Research

    Abstract: Terence Sanger, web page: http://bme.usc.edu/directory/faculty/primary-faculty/terence-sanger/

    Gerald Loeb, web page: http://bme.usc.edu/directory/faculty/primary-faculty/gerald-e-loeb/

    Manbir Singh, web page: http://bme.usc.edu/directory/faculty/primary-faculty/manbir-singh/




    Host: BME Department

    Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta

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  • ENH Seminar Series

    Mon, Sep 12, 2011 @ 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM

    Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Elizabeth R. Sowell, Ph.D., Professor of Pediatrics, USC/CHLA

    Talk Title: Imaging the Developing Human Brain and the Impact of Prenatal Exposure to Drugs of Abuse

    Abstract: During development, the human brain sacrifices plasticity for the sake of speed and efficiency. Underutilized synaptic connections are pruned away during childhood and adolescence, reducing plasticity, as myelination insulates highly used connections increasing speed of transduction between interconnected brain systems. Brain imaging technology has advanced in the last 2 decades allowing us to map trajectories of change in the human brain in vivo, and we and others have observed patterns of cortical thinning and white matter development in spatial and temporal patterns that likely reflect the trajectory of change in cognitive domains through out childhood and adolescence. Understanding more about typical brain development can lead to more accurate interpretations of alterations in the biological processes that result from teratogenic exposures in utero. The use of methamphetamine (MA) by young adults is a major problem in the United States, and its use by pregnant women continues. Many women who use MA during pregnancy also use alcohol, a known teratogen which can result in fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and a broad spectrum of disorders, making it difficult to determine the specificity of various drug exposures on subsequent cognitive, behavioral, and neuroanatomical abnormalities. Here, I will discuss recent findings on developmental changes in brain structure, brain activation, and neurocognitive functioning in typically developing children and adolescents, and the abnormalities associated with prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse. It is important to understand that the developmental path is malleable and influenced by genetic, hormonal, behavioral or environmental factors: understanding these relationships may lead to more effective interventions or treatments in individuals with disorders resulting from prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse.



    Biography:



    Host: Francisco Valero-Cuevas

    More Info: bbdl.usc.edu/ENH

    Location: Hedco Neurosciences Building (HNB) - 100

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Adriana Cisneros

    Event Link: bbdl.usc.edu/ENH

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  • Epstein Institute Seminar Series / ISE 651 Seminar

    Tue, Sep 13, 2011 @ 04:00 PM - 05:20 PM

    Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Albert Shih, Professor/Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan

    Talk Title: Biomedical Design and Manufacturing – A New Frontier of Interdisciplinary Research to Transform Healthcare and Aging Society

    Abstract: Healthcare and aging society are two grand and interconnected challenges, but also the great opportunities for engineering – particularly the design and manufacturing – as the frontier and a key, integral part to provide system solution. This talk starts with the needs in healthcare demonstrated by a person’s journey in the current healthcare system to show the complex and dynamic interactions across the three levels – social, healthcare provider, and personal. The overlapping needs in the aging society for reconfigurable, personalized, and socially adoptable assistive devices and systems are then elaborated. Examples of our prior research projects in pathology tray system, needle-based devices, surgical thermal management system, and geriatric assistive devices and systems are presented to demonstrate how the design and manufacturing research and education can link with each other and make an impact in the future healthcare. An introduction of the Medical Innovation Center (MIC) with close collaboration of engineering, medical, and business schools will also be presented.

    Biography: Albert Shih, Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Associate Director of the Medical Innovation Center, Acting Director of Manufacturing Engineering, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. After received his PhD degree at Purdue, Dr. Shih worked at Cummins Inc. at Columbus, Indiana as a manufacturing engineer to develop advanced machining process for a wide variety of diesel engines and fuel systems applications. From 1998 to 2002, he was Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University. He joined University of Michigan (UM) in 2003. Dr. Shih’s research and teaching interests are in design and manufacturing. He has conducted research in precision machining of advanced materials, precision machine design, non-contact optical metrology, electrical discharge machining, semiconductor ceramic machining, and friction stir joining. Currently, Professor Shih's research and teaching focus are in biomedical design and manufacturing - the application of advanced design and manufacturing technology to advance medical devices, healthcare operations, and patient safety. He works closely with collaborators in the Medical School and is a co-founder of the Medical Innovation Center. Professor Shih is the Fellow of ASME and SME. He is the recipient of the 1999 ASME BOSS Award, 2000 NSF CAREER Award, 2004 SAE Ralph Teetor Education Award, 2009 Fulbright Scholar, 2010 UM Rackham Faculty Recognition Award, and 2011 UM College of Engineering Research Award.

    Host: Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Georgia Lum

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  • METRANS SEMINAR SERIES

    Wed, Sep 14, 2011 @ 12:00 PM - 03:30 PM

    Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Maged Dessouky, Christine Nguyen, Dr. Alejandro Toriello and Dr. James Moore, Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

    Talk Title: "The California Cut Flower Industry: A Case for Transportation Consolidation"

    Series: METRANS

    Abstract: The California Cut Flower Commission is a state government agency created to promote California-grown cut flowers and foliage. CCFC is responsible for representing all of California's cut flower and green farms. California flower farmers' largest competitors are South American farmers, particularly Colombian and Ecuadorian, who have benefitted from the 1991 Andean Trade Preference Act. The law cut import tariffs from South American nations on a range of goods, resulting in Colombia capturing 75% of the U.S. flower market. Meanwhile California's market share has decreased from 64% to 20%.
    This paper evaluates the California cut flower industry's current transportation practices and investigates the feasibility and cost of establishing a shipping consolidation center in Oxnard, California. The problem is formulated using a Mixed-Integer programming model. The model estimates a 34.8% shipping cost decrease, $20M, if all California farms participated in the consolidation center. Our analysis of estimated cut-flower trade flows originating from Miami shows that the magnitudes of these flows are relatively sensitive to shipping cost, controlling for market size.

    *RSVP to Shawn Gong, TGong@usc.edu, by Noon, September 13, 2011 (Lunch will be provided for RSVPs)

    Biography: Dr. Maged Dessouky, Professor, Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, USC, received his B.S./M.S. degrees in IE from Purdue University and his Ph.D. degree in IEOR from UC Berkeley. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, PATH, Caltrans, FTA, and Department of Defense. He was recipient of the 2007 Transportation Science & Logistics Best Paper Prize. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers. He is area editor of Computers & Industrial Engineering, ACM Transactions of Modeling and Computer Simulation, IIE Transactions.

    Host: METRANS Transportation Center, USC/CSULB

    More Information: METRANS Seminar_09142011_Dessouky.pdf

    Location: Ralph And Goldy Lewis Hall (RGL) - Room 209

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Georgia Lum

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  • Astani CEE Department Seminar

    Wed, Sep 14, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM

    Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Chimay J. Anumba, Professor and Head, Department of Architectural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University

    Talk Title: A Holistic Approach to Energy Efficient Building Systems: the DOE Innovation Hub

    Abstract: Buildings are known to account for about 40% of the energy use in most industrialized countries and it is estimated that people spend 80–90% of their time in buildings -residences, offices, factories, schools, places of worship, public amenities, recreational facilities, etc. This makes it important that energy use in buildings is considered an important component of efforts geared towards addressing the world’s energy crisis. This presentation will argue that solutions that focus solely on supply-side aspects of the energy problem need to be complemented by demand-side efficiency initiatives. It will discuss the holistic approach being adopted in the new US Department of Energy-funded $129m innovation hub for energy efficient buildings, which is led by the Department of Architectural Engineering at Penn State University. The key tasks being undertaken as part of the project will be described as well as their broader implications. Particular attention will be paid to the role of IT and integrated project delivery strategies in achieving the objectives of the innovation hub.






    Biography: Chimay Anumba holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Leeds, UK; a higher doctorate – D.Sc. (Doctor of Science) - from Loughborough University, UK; and an Honorary Doctorate (Dr.h.c.) from Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands for outstanding scientific contributions to Building and Construction Engineering. His research interests are in the fields of advanced engineering informatics, concurrent engineering, knowledge management, distributed collaboration systems, and intelligent systems. He has over 450 scientific publications in these fields and his work has received support worth over $150m from a variety of sources. He has also supervised to completion more than 37 doctoral candidates and 18 postdoctoral researchers. He is a Professional Engineer and Fellow of the ASCE, ICE, IStructE, and CIOB.



    Host: Dr. Burcin Becerik

    Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Evangeline Reyes

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  • Reservoir Monitoring Consortium-Inaugural Meeting

    Wed, Sep 14, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM

    Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Fred Aminzadeh, RMC-USC

    Talk Title: Reservoir Monitoring Consortium

    Abstract: The Reservoir Monitoring Consortium (RMC) inaugural meeting will take place at USC with participation of many oil industry participants. This two-day meeting will also be provided on Webex to allow participation from remote locations. The goal of RMC is develop new methods for dynamic reservoir monitoring. We will highlight a number of focused applied research projects in reservoir monitoring that are directly pertinent to the current and future needs of the industry sponsors. RMC will conduct R&D in diverse application areas such as the conventional reservoirs (e.g. carbonate, clastic, deep waters) and the unconventional reservoirs (shales, tight sands, heavy oils, and geothermal). One of the objectives of the meeting is to help identify the key technology gaps with input from the project sponsors. We will then focus on major issues such as integration of disciplines, data, information, and expertise. We will maintain a balance between short and long term, high impact research goals and the immediate and foreseen industry needs. One key distinguishing edge of RMC compared to other academic consortia is its focus on multidisciplinary aspect of reservoir monitoring.

    Host: Petroleum Engineering Program

    Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 324

    Audiences: Graduate

    Contact: Takimoto Idania

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  • CommNetS Seminar: Toward a Computational Information Theory

    Wed, Sep 14, 2011 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

    Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Prof. Michelle Effros, Caltech

    Talk Title: Toward a Computational Information Theory

    Series: Communications, Networks & Systems (CommNetS) Seminar

    Abstract: The field of Information Theory provides powerful and elegant mathematical tools for bounding the limits of communication networks. Application of these tools to real network systems requires new computational tools that enable the analysis of large networks. This talk proposes a strategy for building scalable computational tools for bounding network capacities.

    Biography:
    Michelle Effros received the B.S. degree with distinction in 1989, the M.S. degree in 1990, and the Ph.D. degree in 1994, all in electrical engineering from Stanford University. During the summers of 1988 and 1989 she worked at Hughes Aircraft Company, researching modulation schemes, real-time implementations of fast data rate error-correction schemes, and future applications for fiber optics in space technology.

    She is currently Professor of Electrical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology; from 1994 - 2000 she was Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering; and from 2000 - 2005, Associate Professor. Her research interests include information theory, data compression, communications, pattern recognition, speech recognition, and image processing.

    Professor Effros received Stanford's Frederick Emmons Terman Engineering Scholastic Award (for excellence in engineering) in 1989, the Hughes Masters Full-Study Fellowship in 1989, the National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship in 1990, the AT&T Ph.D. Scholarship in 1993, the NSF CAREER Award in 1995, the Charles Lee Powell Foundation Award in 1997, and the Richard Feynman-Hughes Fellowship in 1997. She is a member of Tau Beta Pi, Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, and IEEE Information Theory, Signal Processing, and Communications societies. She served as the Editor of the IEEE Information Theory Society Newsletter from 1995-1998, as Co-Chair of the NSF Sponsored Workshop on Joint Source-Channel Coding in 1999, and has been a Member of the Board of Governors of the IEEE Information Theory Society since 1998.


    Host: Ubli Mitra

    More Info: http://csi.usc.edu/~dimakis/CommNetS

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Rahul Jain

    Event Link: http://csi.usc.edu/~dimakis/CommNetS

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  • Research Activities on Speech Signal Processing in Yonsei DSP Labs

    Wed, Sep 14, 2011 @ 02:15 PM - 03:15 PM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Prof. Hong-Goo Kang , Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Yonsei University

    Talk Title: Research Activities on Speech Signal Processing in Yonsei DSP Labs

    Abstract: Speech signal processing technology, the most natural form of human communication channel, has made remarkable progress over the last 40 years. Although it is very impressive that many speech signal processing systems work very well, there still remain some challenges to be solved. For example, the accuracy of automatic speech recognition systems in adverse conditions needs to be improved to have comparable performance to human beings, and the synthesized speech generated by text-to-speech (TTS) systems needs to be more natural. This talk introduces research activities on speech signal processing group in DSP laboratory at Yonsei university. After briefly introducing the organization of research subgroups, recent research activities and their outcomes are presented. This talk emphasizes the importance of collaboration between different research subgroups having various expertises. For example, enhancement techniques are needed to improve voice communication quality for coding applications as well as to decrease the error rate of recognition systems in adverse conditions. Since hidden Markov model (HMM) and language modeling are core technologies for both speech recognition and text-to-speech (TTS), collaboration between two research subgroups is beneficial. This talk demonstrates research outcomes that our research team has achieved for last two years through tight collaboration.

    Biography: Hong-Goo Kang received the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from Yonsei University, Korea in 1989, 1991, and 1995, respectively. From 1996 to 2002, he was a senior technical staff member at AT&T Labs-Research, Florham Park, New Jersey. He is currently a Professor at Yonsei University. His research interests include speech/audio signal processing, adaptive digital filter, and human computer interface. He actively participated in international collaboration activities on making new speech/audio coding standard algorithms hosted by ITU-T and MPEG. He was an associate editor of the IEEE Transactions on Audio, Speech, and Language processing from 2005 to 2008. He served numerous conferences and program committees. He was a vice chair of technical program committee in INTERSPEECH2004 held in Jeju island, Korea. He is a technical reviewing committee member of the ICASSP and INTERSPEECH conferences. He is working on single-/multi-channel speech enhancement, universal speech/audio codec, speech/speaker recognition, and text-to-speech systems with fifteen graduate students.

    Host: Prof. Shrikanth Narayanan

    Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 320

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Talyia Veal

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  • The 21st Century Energy Ecosystem

    The 21st Century Energy Ecosystem

    Wed, Sep 14, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Dan Reed, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft

    Talk Title: The 21st Century Energy Ecosystem

    Series: CEI Distinguished Lecture Series in Energy Informatics

    Abstract: We’re poised at the transition to an exciting new world of more nimble energy management, enabled by a rich and diverse world of sensors and actuators, hybrid and electric vehicles, renewable energy sources and data-driven cloud services. Intelligent transportation systems that combine traffic data and personal schedules to manage electric vehicle charge and mobility are now possible. Houses, apartments and buildings that adapt to occupant behaviors and energy costs are beginning to appear. Computing systems whose loads follow the sun and wind, based on availability and computation demand are now realizable. Despite all this promise, we face daunting challenges in standards and adoption, in privacy and security, in economics and culture. This talk will survey some of our opportunities and challenges, with some thoughts on the shared way forward.

    Refreshments will be served

    Biography: As corporate vice president of the Technology Policy Group, Dr. Dan Reed helps shape Microsoft's long-term vision for technology innovations and the company's associated policy engagement with governments and institutions around the world. The Technology Policy Group engages in strategic technical projects on security and privacy, energy and environment, science and technology, and STEM education, and the unlimited potential for cloud computing. Dr. Reed joined Microsoft in 2007 and has directed its Cloud Computing Futures initiative and led the formation of the eXtreme Computing Group (XCG) within Microsoft Research.
    Before coming to Microsoft, Dr. Reed held a number of strategic positions, including head of the Computer Science Department and director of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois, Chancellor's Eminent Professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and director of UNC's Renaissance Computing Institute. In addition, Dr. Reed currently serves as a member of the US FCC's Technical Advisory Committee and has served as a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) and chair of the computational science subcommittee of the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC).

    Host: Prof. Viktor K. Prasanna

    More Info: http://cei.usc.edu/news

    More Information: Dan Reed Flyer - PRINT.pdf

    Location: John Stauffer Science Lecture Hall (SLH) - 100

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Yogesh Simmhan

    Event Link: http://cei.usc.edu/news

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  • Astani CEE Department Seminar

    Wed, Sep 14, 2011 @ 11:00 PM - 12:00 PM

    Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Chimay J. Anumba, Professor and Head, Department of Architectural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University

    Talk Title: A Holistic Approach to Energy Efficient Building Systems: the DOE Innovation Hub

    Abstract:
    Buildings are known to account for about 40% of the energy use in most industrialized countries and it is estimated that people spend 80–90% of their time in buildings -residences, offices, factories, schools, places of worship, public amenities, recreational facilities, etc. This makes it important that energy use in buildings is considered an important component of efforts geared towards addressing the world’s energy crisis. This presentation will argue that solutions that focus solely on supply-side aspects of the energy problem need to be complemented by demand-side efficiency initiatives. It will discuss the holistic approach being adopted in the new US Department of Energy-funded $129m innovation hub for energy efficient buildings, which is led by the Department of Architectural Engineering at Penn State University. The key tasks being undertaken as part of the project will be described as well as their broader implications. Particular attention will be paid to the role of IT and integrated project delivery strategies in achieving the objectives of the innovation hub.




    Biography:

    Chimay Anumba holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Leeds, UK; a higher doctorate – D.Sc. (Doctor of Science) - from Loughborough University, UK; and an Honorary Doctorate (Dr.h.c.) from Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands for outstanding scientific contributions to Building and Construction Engineering. His research interests are in the fields of advanced engineering informatics, concurrent engineering, knowledge management, distributed collaboration systems, and intelligent systems. He has over 450 scientific publications in these fields and his work has received support worth over $150m from a variety of sources. He has also supervised to completion more than 37 doctoral candidates and 18 postdoctoral researchers. He is a Professional Engineer and Fellow of the ASCE, ICE, IStructE, and CIOB.



    Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Evangeline Reyes

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  • Wireless Network for FPGA-based Cluster System

    Thu, Sep 15, 2011 @ 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Wayne Luk, Professor of Computer Engineering, Imperial College London

    Talk Title: Wireless Network for FPGA-based Cluster System

    Abstract: This talk describes a wireless network coupled with an FPGA-based cluster system. The proposed system enables a lightweight approach for FPGA devices to exchange information directly. Customizable monitoring facilities are developed to support reconfiguring a distributed application dynamically at run time, to reduce packet latency and to enhance power consumption. An N-Body simulation application is used to demonstrate the effectiveness and potential of the proposed system.

    Biography: Wayne Luk is a Professor of Computer Engineering at Imperial College London. His research interests include reconfigurable computing, field-programmable technology, and design automation. He is a fellow of IEEE and a fellow of BCS.

    Host: Professor Viktor K. Prasanna

    Location: Hedco Pertroleum and Chemical Engineering Building (HED) - 116

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Janice Thompson

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  • Developing Innovative Technologies to Enhance & Accelerate Research & Learning in Autism Spectrum Disorders

    Thu, Sep 15, 2011 @ 11:30 AM - 01:30 PM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Matthew S. Goodwin , Northeastern University

    Talk Title: Developing Innovative Technologies to Enhance & Accelerate Research & Learning in Autism Spectrum Disorders

    Abstract: This presentation will demonstrate several innovative technologies developed through the MIT Media Lab’s Autism & Communication Technology Initiative, including wireless sensors for longterm monitoring of physiological arousal in natural settings; wireless 3-axis accelerometers and pattern recognition algorithms that can automate the detection of stereotypical hand flapping and body rocking; and unobtrusive audio and video capture systems able to capture ultradense longitudinal records of behavior in home environments. Applications of these technologies and resulting data will also be discussed.

    Biography: Dr. Matthew S. Goodwin recently joined Northeastern University as an Assistant Professor with joint appointments in the Bouve College of Health Sciences and College of Computer & Information Science. He is the former Director of Clinical Research at the MIT Media Lab where he maintains a Visiting Assistant Professor position and continues to co-direct the Media Lab Autism & Communication Technology Initiative. Matthew serves on the Executive Board of the International Society for Autism Research, is Co-Chair of the Autism Speaks-Innovative Technology for Autism Initiative, and has Adjunct Associate Research Scientist appointments in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and Human Development at Brown University. He has over 15 years of research and clinical experience working with children and adults on the autism spectrum; is well acquainted with a variety of experimental methods and statistical approaches used in the behavior sciences; and has extensive experience developing and evaluating innovative technologies for behavioral assessment and intervention, including telemetric physiological monitors, accelerometry sensors, and digital video/facial recognition systems. Matthew received his B.A. in Psychology from Wheaton College in 1998 and his M.A. in 2005 and Ph.D. in 2008, both in Experimental Psychology, from the University of Rhode Island. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Affective Computing in the Media Lab in 2010.

    Host: Prof. Shrikanth Narayanan

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Talyia Veal

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  • Reservoir Monitoring Consortium-Inaugural Meeting

    Thu, Sep 15, 2011 @ 08:00 PM - 12:00 PM

    Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Fred Aminzadeh, RMC-USC

    Talk Title: Reservoir Monitoring Consortium

    Abstract: The Reservoir Monitoring Consortium (RMC) inaugural meeting will take place at USC with participation of many oil industry participants. This two-day meeting will also be provided on Webex to allow participation from remote locations. The goal of RMC is develop new methods for dynamic reservoir monitoring. We will highlight a number of focused applied research projects in reservoir monitoring that are directly pertinent to the current and future needs of the industry sponsors. RMC will conduct R&D in diverse application areas such as the conventional reservoirs (e.g. carbonate, clastic, deep waters) and the unconventional reservoirs (shales, tight sands, heavy oils, and geothermal). One of the objectives of the meeting is to help identify the key technology gaps with input from the project sponsors. We will then focus on major issues such as integration of disciplines, data, information, and expertise. We will maintain a balance between short and long term, high impact research goals and the immediate and foreseen industry needs. One key distinguishing edge of RMC compared to other academic consortia is its focus on multidisciplinary aspect of reservoir monitoring.

    Host: Petroleum Engineering Program

    Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 324

    Audiences: Graduate

    Contact: Takimoto Idania

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  • W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; Who are Sound Engineers, and what do they do?

    W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; Who are Sound Engineers, and what do they do?

    Fri, Sep 16, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 01:50 PM

    USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Erin Michael Rettig, Supervising Sound Engineer, 20th Century Fox Film Corp. Post Production

    Talk Title: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; Who are Sound Engineers, and what do they do?

    Abstract: Erin Michael Rettig, Supervising Sound Engineer at 20th Century Fox Film Corp Post Production Services, will present "Who are Sound Engineers, and what do they do?" as part of the W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium.

    Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium

    More Info: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/

    Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Amanda Atkinson

    Event Link: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/

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  • EXPONENTIAL IMPROVEMENT IN QUBIT COMPLEXITY

    Fri, Sep 16, 2011 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Joseph F. Traub, Columbia University and Santa Fe Institute

    Talk Title: EXPONENTIAL IMPROVEMENT IN QUBIT COMPLEXITY

    Abstract: For the foreseeable future the number of qubits will be a crucial computational resource on a quantum computer. We show how to lower bound the qubit complexity using the classical query complexity.

    We use this result to present a simple problem which cannot be solved on a quantum computer in the standard quantum setting with deterministic queries but can be solved on a classical computer using randomized queries (Monte Carlo). This suggests introducing a quantum setting with randomized queries.We apply this setting to a number of problems and show we can obtain exponential improvement in qubit complexity. We end by discussing very recent progress,future directions, and where to learn more.


    Biography: Joseph F. Traub is the Edwin Howard Armstrong Professor at Columbia University and External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute. In 1959 he started his pioneering research on what is now called information-based complexity. He is the author of ten books and some one hundred and twenty research papers in which he has applied complexity theory to fields as diverse as physics, economics, and finance. A major focus of his current work is quantum computing.

    From 1971 to 1979 Traub was Head of the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University and led it from a difficult period to excellence. He served as founding chairman of the Computer Science Department at Columbia University from 1979 to 1989. He started the Journal of Complexity in 1985 and has been Editor-in-Chief since. He was founding Chair of the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board of the National Academies from 1986 to 1992 and served again 2005-2009. He serves on the Division Committee for Engineering and Physical Science (DEPSCOM), National Academies.

    Traub has received numerous honors including election to the National Academy of Engineering in 1985, the 1991 Emanuel R. Piore Gold Medal from IEEE, and the 1992 Distinguished Service Award, Computer Research Association. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association of Computing Machinery, the New York Academy of Sciences and SIAM. He has been Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Scholar at the California Institute of Technology and received a Distinguished Senior Scientist Award from the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation. He was selected by the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in Rome to present the 1993 Lezione Lincei. Traub received the 1999 Mayor's Award for Excellence in Science and Technology. The Award was presented by Mayor Rudy Giuliani at a ceremony in New York City. In 2001 he received an honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Central Florida.

    Host: Daniel Lidar

    Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Gerrielyn Ramos

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  • Seminars in Biomedical Engineering

    Mon, Sep 19, 2011 @ 12:30 PM - 01:50 PM

    Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Anupam Madhukar, Philip Requejo, Shuliang Jiao, Department Chair of Biomedical Engineering, USC

    Talk Title: Anupam Madhukar,"Biomedical Issues from the Molecular to Systems Level Perspective"; Philip Requejo,"Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technologies for Successful Aging with Disability"; Shuliang Jiao,"High Resolution Biomedical Optical Imagin

    Host: BME Department

    Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta

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  • Challenges for Asia Pacific Universities in the 21st Century

    Tue, Sep 20, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Professor D. H. Feng, Vice President, National Tsing Hua University

    Talk Title: Challenges for Asia Pacific Universities in the 21st Century

    Series: Distinguished Lecture Series

    Abstract: Asia Pacific in the past several decades has undergone incredible economic and political transformation. Today, in the 21st century, in this scenario, universities in the region, which until a few decades were not blinking on the global radar screen, are faced with new challenges. In this talk, I will describe some of these challenges I believe universities in the region need to overcome, and what underlying principle universities must adhere to in order not to go astray.

    Biography: Da Hsuan Feng is the Vice President of Global Strategy, Development and Evaluation at National Tsing Hua University. He obtained a B.A. in physics from Drew University in 1968, and a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Minnesota in 1972. From 2001–2007, he served as Vice President for Research and Economic Development of the University of Texas at Dallas, where he initiated a consortium of seven universities in Texas known as Strategic Partnership for Research in Nanotechnology (SPRING). From 1990–2000, he held the M. Russell Wehr Chair Professor of Physics at Drexel University. Other notable positions include technical advisor to the Vice Chairperson of the United States Congressional Armed Services Committee (1995–1998) and Vice President of Science Applications International Corporation (1998–2000).

    Host: Yannis Yortsos

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

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Annie Yu

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  • Industry Night with GE Aviation

    Industry Night with GE Aviation

    Tue, Sep 20, 2011 @ 07:30 PM - 08:30 PM

    Viterbi School of Engineering Student Organizations

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Jeff Clark, GE Manager

    Talk Title: Transitioning from Engineering into Management

    Abstract: Ever wonder what the work world is really like, what you are going to do after college or how to transfer into management from engineering? Join Pi Tau Sigma and Sigma Gama Tau in hosting Industry Night with GE Aviation


    Biography: Jeff is a USC alum who has worked his way from engineering into management and is excited to share his advice and experiences with all of you.

    We look forward to seeing you there!

    Host: Pi Tau Sigma/Sigma Gamma Tau

    Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Alex Lee

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  • CiSoft Seminar Series 2011

    Wed, Sep 21, 2011 @ 01:30 PM - 02:30 PM

    Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Rajan Chokshi, Weatherford International

    Talk Title: Real-time Optimization for Artificial Lift Systems

    Abstract: Almost 90% of the oil wells are on some form of artificial lift and significant cost savings as well as production improvements are possible by employing analysis techniques that are integrated in real-time data acquisition systems. After discussing importance of real time optimization for artificial lift systems and basic infrastructure required for the same, this presentation focuses on a three tiered approach to the optimization and application integration. Three published case studies are presented to demonstrate effectiveness of such approaches.

    Biography: Rajan Chokshi works for Weatherford International as a Director of training and competency for artificial lift and production optimization systems in Houston. In a career spanning over 25 years, Rajan has worked on many petroleum and software engineering projects globally in the areas of multi-phase flow, artificial lift design and optimization, and production optimization. He has made many presentations and continues to teach professional courses in these areas. Besides training and competency, his interests are developing and nurturing young talent globally; technology integration and commercialization. Rajan holds a Masters in Chemical Engineering from IIT, Kanpur, India and a Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Tulsa, OK, USA

    Host: CiSoft

    More Info:

    More Information: CiSoft Seminar Chokshi.pdf

    Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) -

    Audiences: Please RSVP: legat@usc.edu

    Contact: Juli Legat

    Event Link:

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  • CommNetS Seminar: Compressed Representations for Subsurface Imaging

    Wed, Sep 21, 2011 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

    Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Behnam Jafarpour, University of Southern California

    Talk Title: Compressed Representations for Subsurface Imaging

    Series: Communications, Networks & Systems (CommNetS) Seminar

    Host: Rahul Jain

    More Info: http://csi.usc.edu/~dimakis/CommNetS/

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Rahul Jain

    Event Link: http://csi.usc.edu/~dimakis/CommNetS/

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  • AME Department

    Wed, Sep 21, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM

    Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Yen Lin Han, Assistant Professor in Residence, University of Connecticut

    Talk Title: Applications of Molecular Gas Dynamics to MEMS Devices

    Abstract: Assistant Professor-in-Residence
    Department of Mechanical Engineering
    University of Connecticut

    ABSTRACT:

    Continuing advances in MEMS fabrication capabilities have facilitated significant progress in miniature devices. This can be achieved by utilizing molecular gas dynamics phenomena such as mass separation, thermal edge, and thermal creep flows. Besides the better-known Knudsen Compressor, other examples, including a continuous trace gas preconcentrator, and a thermal bimorph micropump will be discussed.

    A trace gas preconcentrator is commonly included in gas detection systems to increase the ultra low, yet dangerous trace gas concentration, to the level at which a detection unit can accurately determine the presence of the trace gas. The widely-used adsorption/desorption preconcentrators interrupt gas flows for significant periods, in order to accumulate sufficient number of trace gas molecules, before they are released to the detection unit. The continuous Trace Gas Preconcentrator provides a unique approach, utilizing molecular gas dynamics theory to provide mass separation. In the continuous trace gas preconcentrator, the gas flow is not stopped and the time required to reach the proper concentration is significantly shorter than the adsorption/desorption method.

    Using the rarefied gas dynamic phenomenon of thermal edge flow, a micropump with a built-in thermal bimorph microvalve is studied. This micropump contains an isolated heating element, made of thermal bimorph materials, that is serve as a heating element to initiate the flows, and to thermally activated bimorph valve. DSMC (Direct Simulation Monte Carlo) simulation results indicate the flow characteristics, including the maximum pressure ratio and mas flow rate vary with the bimorph valve lengths and the flow channel sizes. Finite element analysis of selected thermal bimorph structures has also demonstrated proper deflections of the thermal bimorph valve. Combining the flow and structural studies, the characteristics of the thermal bimorph micropump can be realized for future fabrication and experimental investigations.


    Host: Professor Phil Muntz

    More Info: http://ae-www.usc.edu/seminars/9-21-11-han.shtml

    Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - Room 150

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: April Mundy

    Event Link: http://ae-www.usc.edu/seminars/9-21-11-han.shtml

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  • USC Physical Sciences in Oncology Center Monthly Seminar Series

    USC Physical Sciences in Oncology Center Monthly Seminar Series

    Fri, Sep 23, 2011 @ 11:45 AM - 01:00 PM

    Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Mitch Magee, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor, Biodesign Institute, ASU

    Talk Title: High Throughput Functional Proteomics for Investigations of Host Response to Lymphoma

    Abstract: Functional proteomics combines derivation of molecular biology tools for high-throughput cloning in combination with expression strategies for functional analyses of proteins. Our strategy focuses on the use of Nucleic Acid Programmable Protein Arrays (NAPPA) for displaying high content proteins for down-stream studies. We are utilizing NAPPA in two key strategies as it applies to the USC - Physical Sciences in Oncology Center program. We are utilizing NAPPA to create a 10,000 member set of protein production slides and utilize these proteins to characterize autoantibody production during lymphoma development in an animal model. We have also adapted NAPPA for protein-protein interaction kinetic analyses to enable relative affinity measures of proteins within the B-Cell signaling pathway. The ultimate goal is to work with mathematical modelers to outilze these measures for developing a Virtual Cancer Model to predict the host reactivitiy and response to therapy.

    Biography: About the USC Physical Sciences in Oncology Center Monthly Seminar Series

    USC was selected to establish a $16 million cancer research center as part of a new strategy against the disease by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and its National Cancer Institute. The new center is one of 12 in the nation to receive the designation. During the five-year initiative, the Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers will take new, nontraditional approaches to cancer research by studying the physical laws and principles of cancer; evolution and the evolutionary theory of cancer; information coding, decoding, transfer and translation in cancer; and ways to de-convolute cancer’s complexity. As part of the outreach component of this grant, the Center for Applied Molecular Medicine is hosting a monthly seminar series

    Host: Center for Applied Molecular Medicine. IGM, 2250 Alcazar Street, CSC-250, Los Angeles, Ca. Information - contact Kristina Gerber at 323-442-3849. Pizza and beverages served for attendees at 11:45 a.m.

    Location: Clinical Science Center (CSC) - Harkness Auditorium

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Kristina Gerber

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  • W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; Compliant Electrodes and Stretchable Devices

    W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; Compliant Electrodes and Stretchable Devices

    Fri, Sep 23, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 01:50 PM

    USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Qibing Pei, Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, Soft Materials Research, Department of Material Science and Engineering

    Talk Title: Compliant Electrodes and Stretchable Devices

    Abstract: Dr. Qibing Pei; Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, Soft Materials Research, Department of Material Science and Engineering; will present "Compliant Electrodes and Stretchable Devices" as part of the W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Program.

    Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium

    More Info: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/

    Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Amanda Atkinson

    Event Link: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/

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  • Annenberg Research Seminar

    Annenberg Research Seminar

    Mon, Sep 26, 2011 @ 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science, Information Sciences Institute, USC Viterbi School of Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Kristina Lerman, Information Sciences Institute

    Talk Title: The Dynamics of Information Spread on Networks

    Abstract: "The recent proliferation of data about human behavior on social media sites offers a natural laboratory for studying social dynamics, specifically how the structure of social networks affects the flow of information and influence. I will present recent results of the study of information spread on the social news aggregator Digg. By carrying out quantitative analysis of information cascades on the Digg follower graph, we have observed cascades that spread fast enough for one initial seed to “infect” hundreds of people, yet end up affecting only 0.1% of the entire network. This conflicts with our understanding of the spread of epidemics on networks, which suggests the existence of an epidemic threshold below which epidemics die out and above which they spread to a significant fraction of the network. I demonstrate that while the highly clustered structure of the Digg network somewhat slows the overall growth of cascades, the far more dramatic effect is created by the contagion mechanism, which deviates from standard social contagion models.”

    In the second part of the talk, “I argue that many dynamic processes on social networks, such as the spread of information or disease, cannot be modeled as a random walk. I classify dynamic processes as conservative and non-conservative, based on whether they conserve some diffusing quantity, and show how these differences impact the choice of metrics used for network analysis. I show that Alpha-Centrality, which mathematically describes non-conservative epidemic spread, leads to better, empirically verifiable insights into the structure and behavior of online social networks than conservative metrics, such as PageRank.”

    Biography: Kristina Lerman is a Project Leader at the Information Sciences Institute and holds a joint appointment as a Research Assistant Professor in the USC Viterbi School of Engineering's Computer Science Department. Her research focuses on applying network- and machine learning-based methods to problems in social computing.

    She also was principal organizer of the 2008 American Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) Social Information Processing Symposium.

    Host: Annenberg Networks Network

    More Info: http://annenberg.usc.edu/Events/2011/110926ARSKristinaLerman.aspx

    Location: Annenberg School For Communication (ASC) - 207 (Geoffrey Cowan Forum)

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Eric Mankin

    Event Link: http://annenberg.usc.edu/Events/2011/110926ARSKristinaLerman.aspx

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  • Seminars in Biomedical Engineering

    Mon, Sep 26, 2011 @ 12:30 PM - 01:50 PM

    Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Talk Title: Vasilis Marmarelis, "Model-based Clinical Diagnosis for the 21st Century"; Andrew Mackay, "Genetically-engineered Drug Carriers"; Jean-Michel Maarek, title pending

    Host: BME Department

    Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta

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  • Astani CEE Department Seminar: The problem of dynamic fracture in brittle materials and its peridynamic solution

    Mon, Sep 26, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM

    Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Florin Bobaru, Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

    Abstract: Dynamic fracture in nominally brittle materials (in which plastic work is minimal) has significant technological relevance in, for example, designing material systems resistant to impact damage and penetration, cracking of pavement and infrastructure under shock loadings, hydraulic fracturing for enhanced extraction of oil and gas, mining operations, safety of long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel through vitrification, etc. Experiments on dynamic brittle fracture in amorphous materials exhibit a large variety of complex phenomena, including: crack branching, crack-path instabilities, successive branching events, secondary cracking. Modeling and simulation of dynamic fracture in brittle materials has been one of the most challenging problems in computational mechanics. In spite of significant efforts dedicated to this phenomenon over the past several decades (using cohesive-zone models, molecular dynamics methods, etc) fundamental issues and discrepancies between simulation results and experimental observations have remained unsolved.

    In this talk I will present peridynamic (nonlocal) models for dynamic brittle fracture. I will show that peridynamics correctly reproduces many of important features of dynamic crack propagation. In particular, the crack propagation speed and the crack path obtained with peridynamics approach experimental values. We use the peridynamic model to also investigate the influence of the stress waves on the crack branching angle and the velocity profile of a propagating crack in a branching event. We observe that crack branching in peridynamics evolves as described by the phenomenology deduced from the experimental evidence: when a crack reaches a critical stage it splits into two or more branches, each propagating with the same speed as the parent crack, but with a much reduced process zone. The results confirm the recent belief that dynamic fracture in brittle materials happens through an evolution of micro-damage and micro-cracking, and is controlled by the “inner problem” taking place in the process zone rather than by the “outer problem” that classical fracture mechanics solves.


    Biography: Education and employment history:

    • B.S. (1995) Mathematics and Mechanics, University of Bucharest, Romania

    • M.S. (1995) Mathematics and Mechanics of Solids, University of Bucharest, Romania

    • Ph.D. (2001) Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Associate Professor, Mechanical and Materials Engineering at University of Nebraska-Lincoln (since 2007). Assistant Professor of Engineering Mechanics, UNL (2001-2007). Visiting positions: Summer Research Fellow (2002 – 2004, 2005) at Sandia National Laboratories; Visiting Scholar (Sept.-Dec. 2008), The Fracture Group, Cavendish Lab, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, U.K.; Visiting Scholar (Jan.-Mar. 2009), Multiscale Dynamic Material Modeling Department, Sandia National Laboratories; Visiting Associate Professor (Apr.-Aug. 2011), Mechanical and Civil Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California.


    Host: Dr. Jean-Pierre Bardet

    Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209 Conference Room

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Evangeline Reyes

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  • Adaptation by Evolutionary Algorithms in Unfalsified Control

    Mon, Sep 26, 2011 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Tanet Wonghong, University of Bangkok

    Talk Title: Adaptation by Evolutionary Algorithms in Unfalsified Control

    Abstract: Unfalsified control theory is a variant of adaptive control techniques. The main attractive point
    of this approach is that no plant model is required to design an adaptive controller. Following
    this concept, an adaptive controller is implemented by means of switching among many
    candidate controllers in a predefined set. The plant input signal and the plant output signal are
    observed while one candidate controller is active in the feedback loop, and they are used for the
    unfalsification algorithm to decide on which candidate controller in the set should be switched on
    as the next active controller. In the original work of Safonov et al, the adaptation of controllers
    can only be performed using the switching of an active controller in a predefined set of
    controllers. This is a major limitation to apply this approach to a nonlinear system. Usually, a
    fixed set of controllers that performs well for one operating point cannot guarantee to achieve a
    good performance under other operating conditions.
    To solve the above problem, when a new operating condition occurs, a new set of controllers is
    computed using a modified cost function via a new fictitious error signal and an evolutionary
    algorithm is used in order to search for an optimal controller over a space of arbitrary candidate
    controllers. A combination of the switching of controllers in the current set and the adaptation of
    the set of controllers leads to an automatic controller tuning method for a controller structure,
    e.g. PI and PID, in order to handle changes of set-points occurring in a highly nonlinear chemical
    process, e.g. a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). Such a combination is the so-called a new
    unfalsified adaptive control algorithm.

    Biography: Tanet Wonghong received the Dr.-Ing. degree from TU Dortmund, Germany (2010). He is a
    lecturer of Electrical Engineering at Bangkok University. His research area are Adaptive Control,
    Unfalsified Control, Nonlinear Control, Robustness, Optimization Theory, Artificial Intelligence
    (EA), Automatic (PI & PID) Controller Tuning.

    Host: Michael Safonov

    More Information: TenetWonghong.pdf

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Shane Goodoff

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  • Game Theory and Human Behavior seminar

    Game Theory and Human Behavior seminar

    Tue, Sep 27, 2011 @ 12:00 PM - 01:15 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science, Information Sciences Institute, Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Robb Willer, UC Berkeley

    Talk Title: Groups Reward Individual Sacrifice: The Status Solution to the Collective Action Problem

    Abstract: One of the social sciences' classic puzzles is how
    groups motivate their members to set aside self-interest and
    contribute to collective action. This lecture presents a solution
    to the problem based on status as a selective incentive motivating
    contribution. Contributors to collective action signal their
    group-oriented motivation and consequently earn diverse benefits
    from group members - in particular, higher status - and these
    rewards encourage greater giving to the group in the future. In
    Study 1, high contributors to collective action were granted
    higher status, exercised more interpersonal influence, were
    cooperated with more, and received gifts of greater value. Studies
    2 and 3 replicated these findings while discounting alternative
    explanations. All three studies showed that giving to the group
    mattered because it signaled the individual's motivation to help
    the group. Study 4 found that participants who received status for
    their contributions subsequently contributed more and viewed the
    group more positively. These results demonstrate how the
    allocation of respect to contributors shapes group productivity
    and solidarity, offering a solution to the collective action problem.


    Biography: Robb Willer is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and (by
    courtesy) Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.
    His teaching and research focus on the bases of social order. http://willer.berkeley.edu/
    One line of his research investigates the factors driving the
    emergence of collective action, social norms, group solidarity,
    altruistic behavior, and status hierarchies. In other research, he
    explores the social psychology of political attitudes, especially
    the role of fear, prejudice, and gender identity in contemporary
    U.S. politics. Willer's research involves multiple empirical and
    theoretical methods, including laboratory and field experiments,
    surveys, direct observation, physiological measurement,
    agent-based modeling, and social network analysis. He has
    published in such journals as American Sociological Review,
    American Journal of Sociology, Annual Review of Sociology, Journal
    of Personality and Social Psychology, Psychological Science,
    Social Psychology Quarterly, Proceedings of the Royal Society B:
    Biological Sciences, and Social Networks. His work has received
    awards from the American Sociological Association's Mathematical
    Sociology, Rationality and Society, and Peace, War, and Social
    Conflict sections. Professor Willer's research has received
    widespread media coverage including CNN, NBC Nightly News, The
    Today Show, MSNBC, New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post,
    Chicago Tribune, Science, Nature, Time, Scientific American,
    Slate, Psychology Today, and National Public Radio.


    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Eric Mankin

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  • Epstein Institute Seminar Series / ISE 651 Seminar

    Tue, Sep 27, 2011 @ 04:00 PM - 05:20 PM

    Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Max D. Morris, Professor, Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Iowa State University

    Talk Title: "Computer Experiments with Time-Varying Inputs: Gaussian Surrogates and Experimental Designs"

    Series: Epstein Institute Seminar Series

    Abstract: Computer models of dynamic systems are characterized by time-varying inputs and outputs. Time series outputs can often be reduced for analysis via principal components because output functions often take one of a few “characteristic shapes” for any input configuration, e.g. Higdon et al. (2008). But the relevant set of input functions is not so simple in many applications, and effective dimension reduction for inputs may not be possible. In this talk, a Gaussian process surrogate is developed for this case, and demonstrated with a computer model of the response of marrow stem cells to ionizing radiation. An extension of the maximin distance design criterion is given, and experimental designs constructed with this criterion are presented.

    Biography: Ph.D. Statistics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1977)
    M.S. Statistics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1975)
    B.S. Mathematics (with Honors), Oklahoma State University (1973)

    Dr. Morris’s research is primarily focused on problems of experimental design, especially for studies involving computational models. Recent applications involve experimental design for response surface problems characterized by known symmetries among experimental factors, and experiments for evaluating and validating matching processes used in forensic science. The design and analysis of computer experiments (DACE), involves the planning/selection of “runs” of a large computer model and subsequent examination of the resulting output to validate, calibrate, or develop relatively fast-running approximations of the model.

    Host: Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

    More Information: Seminar-Morris.doc

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - Room 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Georgia Lum

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  • Oral Dissertation Defense

    Wed, Sep 28, 2011 @ 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Arash Noshadravan, CEE Ph.D. Candidate

    Talk Title: Stochastic Characterization, Realization and Upscaling of Polycrystalline Materials

    Abstract: Almost all metallic structures, in particular aerospace systems, consist of polycrystalline materials. There is an inherent heterogeneity in the structure of polycrystals that results from variation in the morphology and texture of underlying microstructures, characterized by geometrical shape, size and crystallographic orientations. The prediction of scatter in mechanical behavior of metallic systems due to these microstructural heterogeneities is of significant importance to many engineering applications. The inherent heterogeneity can be adequately described by a probabilistic approach. Stochastic representation of material properties can also accommodate uncertainty stemming from incomplete data and missing information.

    This dissertation is motivated by two challenges involved in developing a probabilistic framework for characterization, realization and upscaling of polycrystalline materials. The first one is concerned with the construction of a sufficiently representative description of random media in terms of morphology and material properties, for an intended purpose. The second important challenge arises in modeling the relationship between the random micro-heterogeneities and the parameters or functions used to describe the physical processes of interest at the coarse scale. One of the essential questions in this regard is whether the coarse scale description is capable of capturing the signature of fine scale characteristics. The inherent heterogeneities in the nature of these fine scale features are reflected on coarse scale observables in the form of random fluctuations around the average response. Hence, any mechanistic model must account for these fluctuations in order to capture the effect of subscale heterogeneities. To address these challenges, we first introduce a statistical characterization of an experimental database on morphology and crystallography. The resulting statistical model is used as a surrogate to further experimental data, required for calibration and validation. We then discuss the construction of a stochastic mechanistic model for mesoscale description of materials with microstructure. The linear elastic constitutive matrix of this model is described mathematically as a random matrix which is bounded from above and below. The identification of model parameters using statistical ensembles of digitally generated random microstructures is presented. We validate the predictive accuracy of the probabilistic model using simulated data resulting from subscale simulations. Also discussed in this work is a simple application problem in order to investigate the capability of the model to detect the signature of mesoscale damages. Finally, we study the effect of heterogeneities on the stochastic wave response of random polycrystalline microstructures making use of the microstructure simulation tool developed in the first part of this work.


    Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209 Conference Room

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Evangeline Reyes

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  • Munushian Seminar

    Wed, Sep 28, 2011 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Julie Brown, Senior Vice President, Universal Display Corporation

    Talk Title: “Lighting the Way with Organic Light Emitting Devices”

    Abstract: Graphic lighting emitting diodes or OLEDs are now catching the attention of the consumer. OLED smart phones can be found in every store, and are offered by all the major carriers. Fabulous early entry small area OLED TVs are now available and offer truly spectacular visual experiences with large area prototypes being exhibited at leading tradeshows. While the early focus of OLED development was for flat panel display applications, through the use of phosphorescent OLEDs, energy efficient solid state lighting is now also being realized. Lighting is now at a cross roads. Incandescent lamps are being banned world wide because of their environmental impact, while compact flourescent lamps have limited visual appeal, as well as safety concerns for residential lighting due to their mercury content. Both inorganic LEDs and OLEDs provide safe and efficient replacements for these older lighting technologies, and can complement each other in how they are used. Here we will focus on the global interest in solid state lighting and recent rapid progress in OLED lighting panel prototypes and discuss the next set of research, development and commercialization challenges to ensure future impact.

    Biography: Dr. Brown is Senior Vice President and Chief Technical Officer at Universal Display Corporation (UDC). UDC is an entrepreneurial company pursuing the research, development and commercialization of organic light emitting device (OLEDs) technology into two key growth markets, namely flat panel displays and solid state lighting. UDC’s key position in the industry, along with their academic research teams at USC and U of M, is as pioneers of phosphorescent OLEDs to enable ‘green’ energy efficient OLED solutions for these markets. Under her leadership, UDC is also pursuing the creation of new product concepts based on flexible OLED displays and light sources.
    Prior to joining UDC in 1998, she was a Research Manager at Hughes Research Laboratories where she was involved in the pilot line production of high speed Indium Phosphide-based integrated circuits for insertion into advanced airborne radar and satellite communication systems. Dr. Brown received her B. S. in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University (1983) and then worked at Raytheon Company (1983-1984) and AT&T Bell Laboratories (1984-1986) before returning to graduate school. Dr. Brown received an M.S. (1988) and Ph.D. (1991) in Electrical Eng./Electrophysics at the University of Southern California under the advisement of Professor Stephen R. Forrest.
    Dr. Brown was nominated to IEEE Fellow in 2007 and inducted into the New Jersey High Tech Hall of Fame in 2007.She is actively involved in the Society of Information Display and over the past years been involved in a number of other professional societies. She has authored or co-authored numerous publications and patents in the fields of high speed compound semiconductor devices, microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMs) and organic light emitting devices (OLEDs).

    Host: EE-Electrophysics

    More Info: ee.usc.edu/news/munushian

    Location: Hedco Neurosciences Building (HNB) - 100

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Marilyn Poplawski

    Event Link: ee.usc.edu/news/munushian

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  • AME Department Seminar

    Wed, Sep 28, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM

    Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Denis Phares, Professor, Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California

    Host: Dr. Geoff Spedding

    More Info: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/index.shtml#upcoming

    Location: John Stauffer Science Lecture Hall (SLH) - 100

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: April Mundy

    Event Link: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/index.shtml#upcoming

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  • W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium; Electrical Vehicles and Power Grids

    Fri, Sep 30, 2011 @ 01:00 PM - 01:50 PM

    USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Thomas Gage, CEO AC Propulsion Inc.

    Talk Title: Electrical Vehicles and Power Grids

    Abstract: Thomas Gage, CEO AC Propulsion Inc, will present "Electrical Vehicles and Power Grids" as part of the W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium.

    Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium

    More Info: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/

    Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Amanda Atkinson

    Event Link: http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/honors/schedules/

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