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Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for October
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Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series
Wed, Oct 01, 2014 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Lin Ma, Associate Professor in Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Talk Title: High Speed and Multidimensional Combustion Diagnostics
Series: Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series
Abstract: This talk describes our efforts to enable high speed and multidimensional measurements in turbulent combustion systems, which have been long desired for resolving the inherent three-dimensional spatial features and temporal dynamics of turbulent flames. This talk uses several examples to introduce our recent work on multidimensional diagnostics using tomography, and to discuss the unique opportunities that they can enable. Examples include the multidimensional measurements of mixture fraction, temperature fields, chemical species distribution, and instantaneous 3D flame topography. Combined with ruggedized hardware and robust data analyzing algorithms, such measurements have been successfully demonstrated in both laboratory flames and also practical combustion systems including a model scramjet combustor.
Biography: Lin Ma worked as a graduate research assistant from 2000-2006 in the High Temperature Gasdynamics Laboratory (HTGL) at Stanford University. He started his faculty career in 2006 after completing his PhD work, focusing on multidimensional laser diagnostics. His work on 2D mixture fraction measurement was recognized by the National Science Foundation with a CAREER award. He is also active in teaching and professional services. His teaching and research efforts were recognized by a Board of Trustee Award, and he is an active member of several professional organizations and technical committees.
Host: Professor Paul Ronney
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Valerie Childress
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Chemistry Department Colloquium: “Pushing Block Copolymer Self-Assembly to its (sub-10 nm) Limits"
Thu, Oct 02, 2014 @ 03:30 PM - 05:50 PM
Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Professor Jillian Buriak, Department of Chemistry and the National Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Alberta, Edmonton
Talk Title: Pushing Block Copolymer Self-Assembly to its (sub-10 nm) Limits
Abstract: Self-assembled nanostructures continue to be the focus of intense research due to their obvious inspiration from
Nature, and secondly, their enormous utility for patterning nanoscale structures with little outside intervention.
The directed self-assembly of block copolymers is a widely studied example that has great potential for
producing a broad array of regular and intricate nanostructures with only a small degree of external guidance, or
none at all. Thin layers of block copolymers can be induced to self-assemble to form very detailed patterns on
surfaces, and in this context, they can be used a template for directing surface chemistry on a range of different
technologically relevant interfaces. The spatially defined surface chemistry that can be accomplished, using the
nanoscale direction from the block copolymers, ranges from metallization, to metal oxide formation, to the
covalent attachment of small molecules, to highly controlled anisotropic surface etching. There remain,
however, many problems, many of which are defined by the International Technology Roadmap for
Semiconductors (www.itrs.net), with regards to block copolymer-mediated directed self-assembly. Being able to
produce sub-10 nm features, with very low line edge roughness in a rapid fashion, accompanied by very low
error rates is both challenging and fascinating. In this seminar, we will outline current approaches towards the
use of self-assembled block copolymer nanostructures on technologically relevant semiconductor materials, to
produce complex sub 10-nm features. Various routes towards accessing unexpected and useful structures will be
discussed, along with quantification of error rates and defect densities; in many cases these structures are
substantially smaller than what would be expected, based upon the natural periods and spacings of a given block
copolymer. Conversion of these block copolymer nanostructures into functional metal and metal oxide
nanopatterns will be described.
Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 123
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Ryan Choi
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W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium
Fri, Oct 03, 2014 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Devon Shay, Director of Engineering & Geosciences, Signal Hill Petroleum
Talk Title: Old Oil Fields in the LA Basin
Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Program
Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Jeffrey Teng
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NL Seminar- Getting Good at Research
Fri, Oct 03, 2014 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Information Sciences Institute
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Kevin Knight, USC/ISI
Talk Title: Getting Good at Research
Series: Natural Language Seminar
Abstract: If you do good research, you'll find that many doors open. I'll offer some suggest for how to make that happen. This should be an interactive session.
Biography: Kevin Knight is the director of the ISI Natural Language group, a professor of Computer Science at USC, and an ISI Fellow.
Host: Aliya Deri
More Info: http://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/
Location: Information Science Institute (ISI) - 11th Flr Conf Rm # 1135, Marina Del Rey
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Peter Zamar
Event Link: http://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/
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Seminars in Biomedical Engineering
Mon, Oct 06, 2014 @ 12:30 PM - 01:50 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Ellis Meng, Keyue Shen, Francisco Valero-Cuevas, David D'Argenio, Meng (Professor, BME), Keyue Shen (Assistant Professor, BME), Francisco Valero-Cuevas (Professor, BME & Biokinesiology), David D'Argenio (Professor, BME)
Talk Title: BME Research Presentations
Abstract: Ellis Meng (12:30-12:45)Talk Title: Biomedical Microsystems Lab
Keyue Shen (12:50-1:05)Talk Title: Integrative Biosystems Engineering for Cell Therapeutics and Biomedicine
Francisco Valero-Cuevas (1:10-1:25)Talk Title: Neuromuscular systems
David D'Argenio (1:30-1:45)Talk Title: Systems Pharmacology: An Integrating Framework for Translational Medicine
Host: Stanley Yamashiro
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta
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Six Sigma Green Belt for Process ImprovementTue, Oct 07, 2014
DEN@Viterbi, Executive Education
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Abstract: Learn how to integrate principles of business, statistics and engineering to achieve tangible results. Master the use of Six Sigma to quantify the critical quality issues in your company. Once the issues have been quantified, statistics can be applied to provide probabilities of success and failure. Six Sigma methods increase productivity and enhance quality. As a Six Sigma green belt, you will be equipped to support and champion a Six Sigma implementation in your organization. To earn the Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate, you will be required to pass the Institute of Industrial Engineer's green belt exam (administered on the final day of the course).
Register Now
Host: Professional Programs
Audiences: Registered Attendees
Contact: Viterbi Professional Programs
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Six Sigma Green Belt for Process Improvement
Wed, Oct 08, 2014
DEN@Viterbi, Executive Education
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Abstract: Learn how to integrate principles of business, statistics and engineering to achieve tangible results. Master the use of Six Sigma to quantify the critical quality issues in your company. Once the issues have been quantified, statistics can be applied to provide probabilities of success and failure. Six Sigma methods increase productivity and enhance quality. As a Six Sigma green belt, you will be equipped to support and champion a Six Sigma implementation in your organization. To earn the Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate, you will be required to pass the Institute of Industrial Engineer's green belt exam (administered on the final day of the course).
Register Now
Host: Professional Programs
Audiences: Registered Attendees
Contact: Viterbi Professional Programs
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Subspace Techniques for Parallel Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Wed, Oct 08, 2014 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Derya Dol Gungor, Ohio State University
Talk Title: Subspace Techniques for Parallel Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Series: Medical Imaging Seminar Series
Abstract: Parallel magnetic resonance imaging (pMRI) is an attempt to accelerate data acquisition by simultaneously collecting subsampled k-space data from multiple surface coils. The different sensitivity patterns for the various coils provide a spatial encoding and permit recovery from subsampled or otherwise aliased data. The smooth coil sensitivities in the image domain multiply with the single image representing the spin density of the excited slice. Via the Fourier transform, this can be written as a convolution of k-space representations of the coil sensitivities and the image. Since both the sensitivities and image are unknown in reality, this problem can be formulated as a blind multichannel deconvolution problem in the fully sampled case and this formulation allows us to use the established literature in signal processing to remedy the problems in parallel magnetic resonance imaging.
In this presentation, we particularly focus on subspace techniques to estimate both the coil sensitivities and the calibration kernels of the parallel imaging methods, which are conventionally extracted from a region of fully sampled low-pass calibration data. However, for high acceleration rates, the acquisition of the fully sampled calibration data becomes a limiting factor. Thus, we investigate extraction of coil sensitivities and calibration kernels from subsampled reference or ACS lines. We show that the subspace techniques can also be used for coil combination once the interpolated k-space data are obtained using coil-by-coil reconstruction techniques such as GRAPPA or SPIRiT. We demonstrate that the minimum mean square error (MMSE) criterion provides a non-iterative coil combination method that employs signal space vectors, and provides higher contrast images with less intensity inhomogeneity than well-known coil combination approaches such as square-root sum-of-squares (SoS) and adaptive coil combination. Finally, we show that subspace techniques can also be used in pre-processing to suppress noise by exploiting structure and low-rank property in matrices obtained from fully sampled and uniformly subsampled acquired data in parallel imaging.
Biography: Derya Gol Gungor received her B.S. degree in Electronics Engineering from Ankara University, Turkey in 2007, and Ph.D. degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the Ohio State University, USA in 2014. She spent a year in Bilkent University as a graduate research and teaching assistant. In 2013, she worked as a graduate research intern in Siemens Corporate Research, Princeton, NJ. Her general areas of interest are signal & image processing, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging. During her undergraduate, she was awarded with scholarships from Ankara University, Turkish Prime-ministry and Turkish Education Foundation (TEV).
Host: Professor Krishna Nayak
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Talyia White
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Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series
Wed, Oct 08, 2014 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Anirban Guha, Postdoctoral Fellow in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Talk Title: On the Connection between Wave Resonance, Shear Instability and Oscillator Synchronization
Abstract: Homlboe (Geophys. Publ., vol. 24, 1962, pp. 7-112) postulated that interaction between two or more progressive, linear interfacial waves produces exponentially growing instabilities in idealized (broke-line profiles), homogeneous or density-stratified, inviscid shear layers. We have generalized Holmboe's mechanistic picture of linear shear instabilities by (i) not initially specifying the wave type, and (ii) providing the option for non-normal growth. We have demonstrated the mechanism behind linear shear instabilities by proposing a purely kinematic model consisting of two linear, Doppler-shifted, progressive interfacial waves moving in opposite directions. Moreover, we have found a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of exponentially growing instabilities in idealized shear forms. The two interfacial waves, starting from arbitrary initial conditions, eventually phase-lock and resonate (grow exponentially), provided the necessary and sufficient condition in satisfied. The theoretical underpinning of our wave interaction model is analogous to that of synchronization between two coupled harmonic oscillators. We have re-framed our model into a nonlinear autonomous dynamical system, the steady-state configuration of which corresponds to the resonant configuration of the wave interaction model. When interpreted in terms of the canonical normal-mode theory, the steady-state/resonant configuration corresponds to the growing normal mode of the discrete spectrum. The instability mechanism occurring prior to reaching steady state is non-modal, favoring rapid transient growth. Depending on the wavenumber and initial phase-shift, non-modal gain can exceed the corresponding modal gain by many orders of magnitude. Instability is also observed in the parameter space, which is deemed stable by the normal-mode theory. Using our model we have derived the discrete spectrum non-modal stability equations for three classical examples of shear instabilities: Rayleigh/Kelvin-Helmholtz, Holmboe and Taylor-Caulfield. We have shown that the necessary and sufficient condition provides a range of unstable wave numbers for each instability type, and this range matched the predictions of normal-mode theory.
Biography: Anirban Guha is currently a Postdoctoral fellow in the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at UCLA. He is particularly interested in stratified shear instabilities, Rossby and gravity waves, vortices, and flow over topography. Dr. Guha obtained an Undergraduate Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Jadavpur University, India, and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from The University of British Columbia, Canada. He received various awards during his Ph.D. studies at UBC - the Four year fellowship, the Earl R. Peterson memorial scholarship, and the Faculty of applied science graduate award. Dr. Guha was also the 2013 recipient of the prestigious David Crighton Fellowship from DAMTP, University of Cambridge.
Host: Professor Paul Ronney
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Valerie Childress
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Albert Dorman Distinguished Lecture Series
Wed, Oct 08, 2014 @ 03:30 PM - 05:30 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: G. Wayne Clough, President Emiritus of the Georgia Institute of Technology & Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute
Talk Title: From the Eocene to the Anthropocene:An Engineer's View of Climate Change
Abstract: The lecture series honors Albert Dorman, an architect and civil engineer who is a USC alumnus and the founding chairman of AECOM Technology Corporation. He is the first person to become both a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and an Honorary Member of the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE). He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the winner of the ASCE Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Leadership.
Biography: Dr. Wayne Clough is the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, the worldâs largest museum and research complex with activities in more than 130 countries. He oversees a construction and renovation program of more than $1 billion, including the current refurbishing of the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and construction of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture. Before his appointment to the Smithsonian, Clough was president of the Georgia Institute of Technology for 14 years, which U.S. News and World Report ranked among the top 10 public universities during his tenure. He holds a bachelorâs degree and a masterâs degree from Georgia Tech and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, with specialties in geotechnical and earthquake engineering.
Reception follows after the lecture.
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 526
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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Six Sigma Green Belt for Process Improvement
Thu, Oct 09, 2014
DEN@Viterbi, Executive Education
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Abstract: Learn how to integrate principles of business, statistics and engineering to achieve tangible results. Master the use of Six Sigma to quantify the critical quality issues in your company. Once the issues have been quantified, statistics can be applied to provide probabilities of success and failure. Six Sigma methods increase productivity and enhance quality. As a Six Sigma green belt, you will be equipped to support and champion a Six Sigma implementation in your organization. To earn the Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate, you will be required to pass the Institute of Industrial Engineer's green belt exam (administered on the final day of the course).
Register Now
Host: Professional Programs
Audiences: Registered Attendees
Contact: Viterbi Professional Programs
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CS Colloquium: Adrian Nistor (Chapman University) - Detecting and Repairing Performance Bugs using Execution and Code Patterns
Thu, Oct 09, 2014 @ 11:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Adrian Nistor, Chapman University
Talk Title: Detecting and Repairing Performance Bugs using Execution and Code Patterns
Series: CS Colloquium
Abstract: In this talk we will discuss Caramel, Toddler, and SunCat, three novel techniques for automatically detecting and repairing performance bugs. Unlike profilers, which focus on methods that take a long time to execute, Caramel, Toddler, and SunCat focus on code and execution patterns that are highly indicative of common programming mistakes affecting performance. The additional information provided by these patterns enable Caramel, Toddler, and SunCat to have better results---more automation, fewer false negatives, fewer false
positives, automated repair---than profilers for the bugs Caramel, Toddler, and SunCat are designed to find. Caramel, Toddler, and SunCat employ novel dynamic and static analyses. Caramel, Toddler, and SunCat found previously unknown performance bugs in widely used Java, C/C++, and C# applications, including in mobile applications.
Biography: Adrian Nistor started as an Assistant Professor at Chapman University in Fall 2014. He received his Ph.D from the Computer Science Department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in May 2014. His research interests are in software engineering, with a focus on detecting, repairing, and preventing bugs in real-world applications. His projects investigate performance bugs and concurrency bugs. His techniques found more than 150 previously unknown bugs in widely used software, e.g., PARSEC, GCC, Google Chrome, Mozilla, MySQL, Ant, Google Core Libraries, Lucene, Tomcat, JUnit, JMeter, Log4J, etc. More than 100 of these bugs are already fixed by developers. His research includes empirical and analytical work, static and dynamic techniques, hardware-assisted and software-only solutions, and bugs from various application types---client, server, mobile, and scientific applications.
Host: GJ Halfond
Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Assistant to CS chair
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AI SEMINAR
Fri, Oct 10, 2014 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Information Sciences Institute
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Yolanda Gil, Deputy Director, Intelligent Systems Division
Talk Title: Semantic Challenges in Getting Work Done
Abstract: In the new millennium, work involves an increasing amount of tasks that are knowledge-rich and collaborative. We are investigating how semantics can help on both fronts. Our focus is scientific work, in particular data analysis, where tremendous potential resides in combining the knowledge and resources of a highly fragmented science community. We capture task knowledge in semantic workflows, and use skeletal plan refinement algorithms to assist users when they specify high-level tasks. But the formulation of workflows is in itself a collaborative activity, a kind of meta-workflow composed of tasks such as finding the data needed or designing a new algorithm to handle the data available. We are investigating "organic data science", a new approach to collaboration that allows scientists to formulate and resolve scientific tasks through an open framework that facilitates ad-hoc participation. With a design based on social computing principles, our approach makes scientific processes transparent and incorporates semantic representations of tasks and their properties. The semantic challenges involved in this work are numerous and have great potential to transform the Web to help us do work in more productive and unanticipated ways.
Biography: Yolanda Gil is Director of Knowledge Technologies and Associate Division Director at the Information Sciences Institute of the University of Southern California, and Research Professor in the Computer Science Department. She received her M.S. and Ph. D. degrees in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Gil conducts research on various aspects of Interactive Knowledge Capture, including intelligent user interfaces, knowledge-rich problem solving, and the semantic web. In recent years, her work has focused on collaborative large-scale scientific data analysis through semantic workflows. She initiated and chaired the W3C Provenance Incubator that led to the PROV community standard. She was elected Fellow of the American Association of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) in 2012. Dr. Gil is the current Chair of ACM SIGAI, the Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Artificial Intelligence.
Host: Greg VerSteeg
Location: Information Science Institute (ISI) - 11th floor large conference room
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Kary LAU
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W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium
Fri, Oct 10, 2014 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Ed Ebrahimian, Director of the Bureau of Street Lighting of the City of Los Angeles
Talk Title: LA's Leadership in LED Street Lighting
Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Program
Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Jeffrey Teng
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Munushian Seminar - Keynote Lecture
Fri, Oct 10, 2014 @ 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: David Wineland, NIST Time and Frequency Division, Boulder, CO
Talk Title: Quantum Computers and Raising Schrödingerâs Cat
Abstract: Quantum systems such as atoms can be used to store information. For example, we can store binary information in two energy levels of an atom by labeling the state with lower energy a â0â and the state with higher energy a â1.â However, quantum systems can also exist in superposition states, thereby storing both states of the bit simultaneously, a situation that makes no sense in our ordinary-day experience. This property of quantum bits or âqubitsâ potentially leads to an exponential increase in memory and processing capacity. It would enable a quantum computer to efficiently solve certain problems such as factorizing large numbers - an ability that could compromise the security of current encryption systems. A quantum computer would also realize an analog of âSchrödingerâs Cat,â a bizarre situation where a cat could be simultaneously dead and alive. Experiments whose goal is to realize a quantum computer based on laser manipulations of atomic ions will be described.
Biography: David J. Wineland (born 1944) is an American physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) physics laboratory in Boulder. His work has included advances in optics, specifically laser cooling of ions in Paul traps and use of trapped ions to implement quantum computing operations. Wineland received his bachelorâs degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1965 and his PhD in 1970 working under Norman Ramsey at Harvard University. He then worked as a postdoc in Hans Dehmeltâs group at the University of Washington before joining the National Bureau of Standards in 1975 where he started the ion storage group, now at NIST, Boulder. Wineland is a fellow of the American Physical society, the American Optical society, and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1992. He was the recipient of the 1990 Davisson-Germer Prize in Atomic or Surface Physics, the 1990 William F. Meggers Award of the Optical Society of America, the 1996 Einstein Medal for Laser Science of the Society
of Optical and Quantum electronics, the 1998 Rabi Award from the IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics,
and Frequency Control Society, the 2001 Arthur L. Schawlow Prize in Laser. He is an American Nobel-Prize-winning physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) physics laboratory. His work has included advances in optics, specifically laser cooling of ions in Paul traps and use of trapped ions to implement quantum computing operations. He was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics, jointly with Serge Haroche, for âground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems.â
Host: EE-Electrophysics
Location: Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center (GER) - 124
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
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Astani CEE Ph.D. Seminar
Fri, Oct 10, 2014 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Todd Oliver, Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES) at UT-Austin
Talk Title: A Framework for Validating Predictions of Unobserved Quantities with Applicatons from Turbulent Flow Similation
Abstract:
In applied science and engineering, computational models are commonly used to make predictions of quantities that are not experimentally observable. Assessing the validity of such predictions, which are fundamentally extrapolations, is challenging but critical. In classical approaches to validation, model outputs for observed quantities are compared to observations to determine if they are consistent. By itself, this consistency only ensures that the model can predict the observed quantities under the conditions of the observations. This limitation dramatically reduces the utility of the
validation effort for decision making because it implies nothing about predictions of unobserved QoIs or for scenarios outside of the range of observations.
This talk will describe a process for validation of extrapolative predictions for models with known sources of error. The process includes stochastic modeling, calibration, validation, and predictive assessment phases where representations of known sources of uncertainty and error are built, informed, and tested. The methodology is applied to a simple spring-mass-damper system to illustrate the process in the simplest possible setting. Finally, some aspects of the process, including calibration and stochastic modeling, are discussed in the context of RANS turbulence modeling.
Biography:
Todd Oliver is a research associate with the Center for Predictive Engineering and Computational Sciences (PECOS) at the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES) at UT-Austin. Dr. Oliver's expertise is in the broad area of computational fluid dynamics with specific focus on statistical methods for the validation of models and predictions. At PECOS he developed predictive tools for the analysis and design of re-entry vehicles.
Host: Dr. Roger Ghanem
Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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NL Seminar- Interplay between Continuous and Discrete Aspects of Brain Image Analysis
Fri, Oct 10, 2014 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Information Sciences Institute
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Boris Gutman, USC/ISI
Talk Title: Interplay between Continuous and Discrete Aspects of Brain Image Analysis
Series: Natural Language Seminar
Abstract: Brain MRI offers tremendous opportunity to learn about cortical anatomy, function and connectivity. In this talk I will go over several standard techniques for image understanding used in brain imaging. These include image registration, segmentation, tractography and graph-based connectivity analyses. Among these algorithms, we routinely encounter both continuous and discrete types of analysis. Non-linear image registration, typically formalized as a diffeomorphism on the image domain, is an example of the former: we may ask for instance how much volume change the brain is experiencing locally over time, clearly a continuous measure. In another example, we may trace continuous curves in space that best fit a Diffusion Tensor MR image to approximate fibers in the brainâs white matter. One the other hand, connectivity between distinct units within the nervous system is an example of discrete analysis: for instance, the brainâs functionally distinct regions are thought of as nodes in a graph, whose edges are defined by the connecting fiber models.
After a brief description of the standard methods at hand, I will suggest an approach for combining the two types of analysis. By assuming the continuous paradigm for connectivity, we can push our connectome model from being a discrete graph to being a linear operator. Using some well-known results from operator theory, we can decompose the operator into its resident âeigen-networks,â and apply continuous methods directly. As an example, we can spatially register connectivity matrices with spatially distributed nodes. Finally, I will show two simple examples of continuous analogues for standard graph theory measures, and their potential application for an Alzheimer âs disease study.
Biography: Boris Gutman received his B.S. in Applied Mathematics and PhD in Biomedical Engineering from UCLA before joining USCâs Imaging Genetics Center (IGC). He is currently a post-doctoral scholar at the IGC, under the supervision of Professor Paul M. Thompson.
Host: Aliya Deri and Kevin Knight
More Info: http://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/
Location: Information Science Institute (ISI) - 6th Flr Conf Rm # 689 Marina Del Rey
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Peter Zamar
Event Link: http://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/
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Seminars in Biomedical Engineering
Mon, Oct 13, 2014 @ 12:30 PM - 01:50 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Pramode Butte, Ph.D., Asst. Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles
Talk Title: OR 2.0:Â Next Generation Technologies for Intra-Operative Tumor Detection
Host: Michael Khoo
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta
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CS Colloquium - USC Student Series: George Konstantinidis, Leandro Soriano Marcolino
Tue, Oct 14, 2014 @ 03:30 PM - 05:30 PM
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: George Konstantinidis; Leandro Soriano Marcolino, USC
Talk Title: Scalable Data Integration under Constraints, Agents Vote for the Environment: Designing Energy-Efficient Architecture
Series: Student Seminar Series
Abstract: Coming Soon
Biography: Coming Soon
Host: CS Department
Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Assistant to CS chair
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CS Colloquium - USC Student Series: George Konstantinidis, Leandro Soriano Marcolino
Tue, Oct 14, 2014 @ 03:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: George Konstantinidis, Leandro Soriano Marcolino, USC
Talk Title: Scalable Data Integration under Constraints, Agents Vote for the Environment: Designing Energy-Efficient Architecture
Series: Student Seminar Series
Abstract: Saving energy is a major concern nowadays. Hence, it is fundamental to design and construct buildings that are energy efficient. It is known that the early stage of architectural design has a significant impact on this matter. However, it is very complex to create designs that are optimally energy efficient, and at the same time balance and meet other essential design criteria such as economics, space, and safety. One state of the art approach is to create parametric designs, and use a genetic algorithm to optimize across complexly coupled objectives. In this work we further improve this method, by aggregating the solutions of multiple agents. We evaluate our approach across three design case studies of increasing complexity, and show that a team of agents are able to provide one order of magnitude higher number of 1st ranked solutions in the Pareto frontier. Therefore, our approach provides the designers with a higher number of optimized solutions to choose from, that they can further subjectively evaluate, thus leading to better and highly energy efficient building designs.
We witness an explosion of available data in all areas of human activity, from large scientific experiments, to medical data, to distributed sensors, to social media. Integrating data from disparate sources can lead to novel insights across scientific, industrial, and governmental domains. This integration is achieved by either creating a data warehouse, that is, by copying/transforming the data to a centralized site under a single schema for subsequent analysis (data exchange), or by leaving the data at their original sources and querying the data at analysis time ((virtual) data integration), making use of mappings or views between the source and the global schemas. In this work, we focus in scalable data integration and data exchange under constraints or dependencies (or ontologies). In both these problems we make use of the chase algorithm, a forward-chaining reasoning algorithm and the main tool to reason with dependencies. Our first contribution is to introduce the frugal chase, which produces smaller solutions than the standard chase, still remaining polynomial in data complexity. Our second contribution is to use the frugal chase to scale up virtual data integration, aka query answering using views, under constraints in the language of LAV-weakly-acyclic dependencies, a useful language capturing the W3C Recommendation RDF/S. The latter problem can be reduced to query rewriting using views without constraints by chasing the source mappings using the constraints. We construct a compact graph-based representation of the mappings and the constraints and develop an efficient algorithm to run the frugal chase on this representation. We show experimentally that our approach scales to larger problems, outperfomring the standard chase algorithm by close to two orders of magnitude and improving online data integration time by a factor of 3.
Biography: George Konstantinidis is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Computer Science Department at the University of Southern California (USC) and a Research Assistant at the Information Sciences Institute (ISI) at USC. He studied Computer Science at the University of Crete, Greece, and holds a M.Sc. degree in Computer Science from the University of Crete and the Foundation for Research and TechnologyHellas (FORTH). His research interests lie in the intersection of Databases and Artificial Intelligence, Knowledge Representation, Information and Data Integration and the Semantic Web, and in particular OntologyBased Data Answering, Integration and Evolution. He enjoys combining novel theory and practical implementations. He has been a reviewer for IJCAI and TKDE, and has published papers both in A.I. (e.g., ECAI, KAIS) and in Databases (e.g., SIGMOD, VLDB).
Leandro Soriano Marcolino is a 4th year PhD student at University of Southern California (USC). He is advised by Milind Tambe. Previously he was awarded the Monbukagakusho scholarship and obtained a M.A. in Systems Information Sciences in Future University Hakodate, Japan. His research work performed during his master's studies was a best paper nominee at AAMAS 2011. He has been researching since very early as an undergraduate student at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil, and was able to publish many papers before even entering graduate school. His research is mainly about teamwork and cooperation, and he has published on the topic in a variety of different domains such as swarm robotics, computer Go, and building design. He has published in several prestigious conferences in AI and robotics, such as AAAI, AAMAS, IJCAI, ICRA and IROS.
Host: CS Department
Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Assistant to CS chair
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Astani Environmental Engineering Seminar
Tue, Oct 14, 2014 @ 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Kai Loon Chen, Johns Hopkins University
Talk Title: Interactions of Carbon-Based Nanomaterials with Model Cell Membranes: Implications for Nanotoxicity
Host: Dr. Amy Childress
Location: John Stauffer Science Lecture Hall (SLH) - 200
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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EE Pioneer Seminar Series
Wed, Oct 15, 2014 @ 01:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Melvin A. Breuer, USC
Talk Title: TBA
Abstract: Wednesday, October 15, 2014 - EEB 132
1:30pm Introduction & Welcome
1:35pm Technical talk by Melvin A. Breuer, Charles Lee Powell Professor of EE and CS
2:00pm Melvin A. Breuer in Conversation with Sandeep Gupta
2:45pm Reception - Light Refreshments
Biography: Dr. Breuer is the editor and co-author of Design Automation of Digital Systems: Theory and Techniques, Prentice-Hall; editor of Digital Systems Design Automation: Languages, Simulation and Data Base, Computer Science Press; co-author of Diagnosis and Reliable Design of Digital Systems, Computer Science Press; co-editor of Computer Hardware Description Languages and their Applications, North-Holland; co-editor and contributor to Knowledge Based Systems for Test and Diagnosis, North-Holland; and co-author of Digital System Testing and Testable Design, Computer Science Press 1990 and reprinted in 1995 by the IEEE Press. He has published over 270 technical papers and was formerly the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Design Automation and Fault Tolerant Computing, on the editorial board of the Journal of Electronic Testing, the co-editor of the Journal of Digital Systems, and the Program Chairman of the Fifth International IFIP Conference on Computer Hardware Description Languages and Their Applications. He is a co-author of a paper that received an honorable mention award at the 1997 International Test Conference, a co-author of a paper nominated for the best paper award at the 1998 Design Automation and Test in Europe Conf., a co-author of a paper published in the 1998 International Test Conference that was selected to be in a compendium of significant papers over the last 35 years, and a co-author of the best paper at the 2000 Asian Test Symposium.
Host: Ming Hsieh Institute
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Elise Herrera-Green
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Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series
Wed, Oct 15, 2014 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Paul Newton, Professor of Applied Mathematics in Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering at University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Talk Title: Random Walks, Markov Chains, and Cancer Progression Models from Longitudinal and Autopsy Data
Series: Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series
Abstract: We will describe models of metastatic cancer progression using Markov chain modeling on a directed graph of nodes that are the various anatomical sites where metastatic tumors can form for a given type of primary cancer. We use metastatic tumor distributions gathered from historical autopsy data, as well as current longitudinal data sets to estimate the transition probabilities (stochastic parameters) from site to site. This creates a systemic network diagram from which we can calculate reduced two-step diagrams using the fact that the systems converge to their steady-state distribution after roughly two steps. The diagrams are used to categorize metastatic sites as `sponges' or `spreaders', as well as to run hypothetical therapeutic scenarios based on Monte Carlo simulations of progression with mean first-passage times as a surrogate timescale measure. A useful metric which we describe is the notion of metastatic entropy and how is correlates with graph conductance dictating Markov convergence rates, mixing times, and complexity. If time permits, we will describe a more fine-scale cell based model which is driven by a stochastic Moran process acting on a heterogeneous population of cells trafficking across the directed graph to various sites, governed by a fitness landscape, with simple point-mutations, interacting via the prisonerâs dilemma paradigm in which the cancer cells are the `defectorsâ and the healthy cells are the `cooperators'.
Biography: Paul Newton received his B.S. in Applied Math/Physics at Harvard University and his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Brown University. After a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University, he was Assistant and Associate Professor of Mathematics and The Center for Complex Systems Research at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. He has held visiting appointments at Caltech, Brown, Hokkaido University, The Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at U.C. Santa Barbara, and The Scripps Research Institute. He is currently Professor of Applied Math, Engineering, and Medicine in the Viterbi School of Engineering and the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Southern California. He serves as Managing Editor of The Journal of Nonlinear Science, Advisor on Texts in Applied Mathematics Series, Springer-Verlag, New York, and is on The Center Advisory Committee for The Physical Sciences Oncology Center at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA where he serves as Project Leader, Mathematical Modeling: Physics and Mathematics of Cancer Metastasis.
Host: Professor Paul Ronney
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Valerie Childress
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AI Seminar-Topics in Constraint Satisfaction and Weighted Constraint Satisfaction
Fri, Oct 17, 2014 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Information Sciences Institute
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Satish Kumar Thittamaranahalli , USC
Talk Title: Topics in Constraint Satisfaction and Weighted Constraint Satisfaction
Series: Artificial Intelligence Seminar
Abstract: In this talk, I will present two ideas: (a) the idea of "Smoothness" in constraint satisfaction; and (b) the idea of "Constraint Composite Graphs" in weighted constraint satisfaction. Smoothness helps us identify tractable classes of constraint satisfaction problems with important implications in such diverse areas as temporal reasoning, logical filtering, and distributed problem solving. In weighted constraint satisfaction, Constraint Composite Graphs yield a long-pursued unified mathematical framework for exploiting the graphical structure of the constraint network as well as the numerical structure of the weighted constraints.
Biography: Dr. Satish Kumar Thittamaranahalli (T. K. Satish Kumar) is a Research Scientist at the University of Southern California. He has published extensively on numerous topics in Artificial Intelligence spanning such diverse areas as Constraint Reasoning, Planning and Scheduling, Probabilistic Reasoning, Combinatorial Optimization, Approximation and Randomization, Heuristic Search, Model-Based Reasoning, Knowledge Representation and Spatio-Temporal Reasoning. He has served on the Program Committees of many international conferences in Artificial Intelligence and is a co-winner of the Best Student Paper Award from the 2005 International Conference on Automated Planning and Scheduling. Dr. Kumar received his PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University in March 2005. In the past, he has also been a Visiting Student at the NASA Ames Research Center, a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, a Research Scientist at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of West Florida and a Senior Research and Development Scientist at Mission Critical Technologies
Host: Greg Ver Steeg
More Info: http://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/
Webcast: http://webcasterms1.isi.edu/mediasite/SilverlightPlayer/Default.aspx?peid=bdc8f29218904371a2eb9a6c68d175c31dLocation: Information Science Institute (ISI) - 11th Flr Conf Rm # 1135, Marina Del Rey
WebCast Link: http://webcasterms1.isi.edu/mediasite/SilverlightPlayer/Default.aspx?peid=bdc8f29218904371a2eb9a6c68d175c31d
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Peter Zamar
Event Link: http://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/
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W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium
Fri, Oct 17, 2014 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Jeff Lamb, Orange Empire Railway Museum
Talk Title: Steam Locomotives: Past and Future
Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Program
Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Jeffrey Teng
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NL Seminar- Beyond Parallel Data: Joint Word Alignment and Decipherment Improves Machine Translation [EMNLP Practice Talk]
Fri, Oct 17, 2014 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Information Sciences Institute
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Qing Dou, USC/ISI
Talk Title: Beyond Parallel Data: Joint Word Alignment and Decipherment Improves Machine Translation [EMNLP Practice Talk]
Series: Natural Language Seminar
Abstract: Inspired by previous work, where de- cipherment is used to improve machine translation, we propose a new idea to combine word alignment and decipher- ment into a single learning process. We use EM to estimate the model parameters, not only to maximize the probability of parallel corpus, but also the monolingual corpus. We apply our approach to im- prove Malagasy-English machine transla- tion, where only a small amount of paral- lel data is available. In our experiments, we observe gains of 0.9 to 2.1 Bleu over a strong baseline.
Biography: Qing Dou is a fifth year Ph.D. student at ISI. He works with Professor Kevin Knight on various decipherment problems and its application to different Natural Language Processing tasks.
Host: Aliya Deri and Kevin Knight
More Info: http://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/
Location: Information Science Institute (ISI) - Conference Room # 689, Marina del Rey
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Peter Zamar
Event Link: http://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/
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Seminars in Biomedical Engineering
Mon, Oct 20, 2014 @ 12:30 PM - 01:50 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Janet Oldak, MSc., Ph.D., Professor of Dentistry, Division of Biomedical Sciences, Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, USC Ostrow School of Dentistry
Talk Title: Reconstructing Dental Enamel via Amelogenin-Mediated Mineral Assembly
Abstract: Dental enamel is the hardest mineralized tissue in human body. This bioceramic is composed of elongated apatite crystals, which are bundled in organized, parallel prisms, and a hierarchical structure that ensures the unique mechanical strength and biological protection that enamel provides to the tooth. Unlike other mineralized tissues, such as bone and dentin, mature enamel is acellular and cannot regenerate itself after substantial mineral loss, which often occurs as dental caries or erosion. Biomimetic enamel reconstruction is a significant topic in material science and dentistry as a novel approach for the treatment of dental caries. Amelogenin has been proven to be a critical protein for controlling the organized growth of apatite crystals. We have developed a protocol for superficial enamel reconstruction by using a novel amelogenin-chitosan hydrogel. Compared to other conventional treatments, such as topical fluoride and mouthwash, this method not only prevents the development of dental caries but also promotes significant and durable enamel restoration. The organized enamel-like microstructure regulated by amelogenin assemblies can significantly improve the mechanical properties of etched enamel, while the dense enamel-restoration interface formed by an in situ regrowth of apatite crystals can improve the effectiveness and durability of restorations. Furthermore, chitosan hydrogel is easy to use and can suppress bacterial infection, which is the major risk factor for the occurrence of dental caries. Therefore, this biocompatible and biodegradable amelogenin-chitosan hydrogel shows promise as a biomaterial for the prevention, restoration, and treatment of defective enamel.
Host: Norberto Grzywacz
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta
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"Closed-Loop Brain-Machine Interface Architectures"
Mon, Oct 20, 2014 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Maryam M. Shanechi, Assistant Professor, USC
Talk Title: "Closed-Loop Brain-Machine Interface Architectures"
Series: CommNetS
Abstract: A brain-machine-interface (BMI) is a system that interacts with the brain either to allow the brain to control an external device or to control the brain's state. While these two BMI types are for different applications, from a system-theoretic standpoint, they can both be viewed as closed-loop control systems. Our group develops BMI architectures by working at the interface of systems theory, statistical signal processing and neuroscience. In this talk, I present our work on designing both these BMIs, specifically motor BMIs for restoring movement in paralyzed patients and a BMI for control of the brain state under anesthesia. I also show ongoing work on a completely new BMI for treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders using closed-loop control of electrical stimulation to the brain.
Motor BMIs have largely used standard signal processing techniques. However, devising novel algorithmic solutions that are tailored to the neural system can significantly improve BMI performance. Here, I develop a novel BMI paradigm for movement restoration that incorporates an optimal feedback-control model of the brain and directly processes the spiking activity using point process modeling. I show that this paradigm significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art in closed-loop monkey experiments. Additionally, I construct a new BMI that controls the state of the brain under anesthesia. This is done by designing stochastic controllers that infer the brain's anesthetic state from non-invasive observations of neural activity and control the real-time rate of drug administration to achieve a target brain state. I show the reliable performance of this BMI in rodent experiments. Finally I present ongoing work on BMIs for closed-loop electrical stimulation of the brain to treat neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression.
Biography: Maryam Shanechi is an assistant professor in the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Southern California (USC). Prior to joining USC, she was an assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell University. She received the B.A.Sc. degree in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto in 2004 and the S.M. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT in 2006 and 2011, respectively. She has been named by the MIT Technology Review as one of the worldâs top 35 innovators under the age of 35 for her pioneering work on brain-machine interfaces.
Host: Dr. Ashutosh Nayyar
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Annie Yu
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Seminars in Engineering, Neuroscience & Health (ENH)
Mon, Oct 20, 2014 @ 03:50 PM - 04:50 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Veronica Santos, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of California, Los Angeles
Talk Title: TBA
Series: Seminars in Engineering, Neuroscience & Health (ENH)
Biography: http://www.mae.ucla.edu/people/faculty/veronica-santos
Host: Francisco Valero-Cuevas, Charles Liu, Christianne Heck
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 100D
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta
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Epstein Institute / ISE 651 Seminar Series
Tue, Oct 21, 2014 @ 03:30 PM - 04:50 PM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Paul Gribik, Pacific Gas and Electric, Market Design and Analysis
Talk Title: "Treating Uncertainty in Electricity Markets by Defining Ramp Capability Products"
Series: Epstein Institute Seminar Series
Abstract: Independent System Operators (ISOs) and Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) use Security Constrained Unit Commitment (SCUC) and Security Constrained Economic Dispatch (SCED) models to operate their electricity markets and power systems. In the Real-Time market, the ISO typically forecasts the system requirements (e.g. five minute loads, operating reserve requirements) and system capability (e.g. a generatorâs maximum output available and ramp rate, transmission constraints) for upcoming dispatch intervals over a dispatch horizon. It uses SCUC and SCED to find a least-cost commitment and dispatch that satisfies the power balance, transmission flow limits, and resource limits in each dispatch interval over the planning horizon.
SCUC and SCED do not account for uncertainties in forecasts of load or resource capability. They will dispatch the system to achieve least cost over the dispatch horizon for a single forecast. As a result, the dispatch may not maintain any flexibility for the RTO to adjust the dispatch to respond to changes in forecasts as time progresses over the dispatch horizon. This can result in transmission violations or shortages of energy or reserves when forecasts change along with price spikes. To avoid this, the RTO will need controllable resources for which the RTO can alter power output to meet varying needs. With increases in the proportion of generation from intermittent renewable resources and increases in the flexibility of interchange scheduling (e.g., 15 minute scheduling intervals), it is likely that the variability the RTO will face will increase in the future, taxing the ramp response of controllable resources and increasing the frequency of short-term scarcity events due to shortages of rampable capacity.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2014
GRACE FORD SALVATORI HALL (GFS) ROOM 101
3:30 - 4:50 PM
Biography: Paul Gribik joined PG&E in 2012 where he works on market design and analysis issues. Prior to that, he was at Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator where he was a Senior Director. He joined MISO in 2003 as Director of Financial Transmission Rights. He developed the processes that were used to allocate FTRs to market participants and organized the group that runs the MISOâs FTR markets. He later started the Market Development and Analysis Group at MISO and led the group in developing a variety of market processes and in analyzing market outcomes. Most recently, he led their efforts to develop the Extended LMP methodology that allows commitment related costs to be included in LMPs, ramping flexibility products, and a zonal reserve procurement methodology that incorporates transmission constraints.
Prior to joining MISO, Paul was a consultant from 1989 to 2003. He worked on developing electricity markets and on evaluating market processes and software. He also assisted electric utilities and independent power producers with their planning and operations problems both in areas with RTOs and without RTOs.
Paul received a BS in Electrical Engineering, a MS in Industrial Administration and a PhD in Operations Research from Carnegie-Mellon University.
Host: Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
More Information: Seminar-Gribik.docx
Location: Grace Ford Salvatori Hall Of Letters, Arts & Sciences (GFS) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Georgia Lum
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Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series
Wed, Oct 22, 2014 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Kevin Chen, Viterbi Fellow in Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Talk Title: Vortex Breakdown, Instability, and Sensitivity of a T-Junction Flow
Series: Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series
Abstract: The fluid flow through a T-shaped pipe bifurcation (with the inlet at the bottom of the "T") is a very familiar occurrence in both natural and man-made systems. Everyday examples include industrial pipe networks, microfluidic channels, and blood flows near the heart and brain. Yet, many questions about the flow physics remain, and prior analyses have been rudimentary. This seminar addresses three important questions: 1) How does the flow evolve with Reynolds number? 2) What are the important flow structures? 3) Lastly, where in the flow do the stability eigenvalues exhibit high sensitivity to dynamical perturbations? Much of this research focuses on the relation between vortex breakdown in the outlet pipes and the regions of stability, receptivity, and sensitivity as defined by linear global stability theory. The vortex breakdown, which occurs above a Reynolds number of 320, gives rise to recirculation regions near the junction; a supercritical Hopf bifurcation first occurs at a Reynolds number of 556. Regions of growth are concentrated in the outlet pipes, but regions of receptivity to initial conditions and external disturbances are confined to small regions near the walls of the inlet and junction. Finally, the flow is most sensitive to localized feedback and to base flow modifications in the recirculation regions, which we explain using an inviscid Lagrangian short-wavelength theory. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most complicated flow for which anyone has observed the relation between sensitivity and recirculation.
Biography: Kevin Chen is presently a Viterbi Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Southern California, in the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering department. He attended Caltech as an Axline Scholar, where he received a B.S. with Honor in Engineering and Applied Science, with a focus in Aeronautics, in 2009. At Caltech, he conducted research in experimental and computational fluid dynamics with Mory Gharib, Beverley McKeon, and Tim Colonius. He attended Princeton University as a Gordon Y. S. Wu fellow, where he received an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 2011 and 2014, respectively, under the advising of Clancy Rowley and Howard Stone. He has received support from the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, the DOD NDSEG and NSF GRFP fellowships, and awards from Caltech and Princeton University. Kevin's primary research interest is the development of feedback flow control, where fluid mechanics intersect with modern control theory, stability theory, dynamical systems, and computational methods.
Host: Professor Paul Ronney
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Valerie Childress
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Astronautical Engineering Seminar
Thu, Oct 23, 2014 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Astronautical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Prof. Mehran Mesbahi, Univ. of Washington
Talk Title: Autonomous Networked Space Systems
Abstract: This talk presents an overview of Mesbahiâs research on autonomous space systems, with particular attention to the design of the underlying control and motion planning algorithms using quaternions, dual quaternions, and convex optimization. Applications of such an approach to missions such as proximity operations, planetary landing, and asteroid capture will then be discussed. The second part of the talk will present some of the Mesbahi group's research on networked space systems, highlighting the challenges in the design of distributed algorithms for their autonomous or semi-autonomous operation.
Biography: Mehran Mesbahi received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from USC in 1996. He was a member of the Guidance, Navigation, and Analysis group at JPL from 1996-2000 and an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Minnesota from 2000-2002. He is currently a Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Adjunct Professor of Mathematics, and Executive Director of Joint Center for Aerospace Technology Innovation at the University of Washington. He was the recipient of the NSF CAREER Award in 2001, NASA Space Act Award in 2004, UW Distinguished Teaching Award in 2005, and UW College of Engineering Innovator Award in 2008. His research interest is autonomous and networked aerospace systems.
Host: Dan Erwin
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 158
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Dan Erwin
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RASC Seminar: Jeremy L. Wyatt (University of Birmingham) - Robots in Our World: Uncertain, Incomplete and Unfamiliar
Thu, Oct 23, 2014 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Jeremy L. Wyatt, University of Birmingham
Talk Title: Robots in Our World: Uncertain, Incomplete and Unfamiliar
Series: RASC Seminar Series
Abstract: To make transfer to applications in everyday domains robots require the ability to cope with novelty, incomplete information and uncertainty. In this talk I will describe a line of work carried out over ten years that provides methods to tackle this. In particular I will focus on two problems: object search and manipulation. Both require the ability to reason about open or novel worlds. The results are demonstrated in a variety of robot systems: in particular the Dora and Boris robots. Dora is one of the first mobile robots able to plan in open worlds, using the notion of assumptions. Dora also uniquely attempts to explain and then verify explanations in the face of failure. Boris is a robot system for manipulation that can grasp novel objects, and if there is time I will also describe algorithms we are developing for Boris that allow active gathering of information to support manipulation.
Biography: Jeremy L Wyatt is Professor of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Birmingham. He gained his PhD from Edinburgh in 1996. He has published more than 80 papers, been the recipient of two best paper awards, and has led a variety of international robotics projects. He is interested in particular in robot planning and learning.
Host: Stefan Schaal
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 406
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Assistant to CS chair
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MFD - Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Distinguished Lecture: Karsen Thompson (LSU)
Thu, Oct 23, 2014 @ 12:45 PM - 02:00 PM
Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Karsen Thompson, Louisiana State University, Petroleum Engineering
Talk Title: Using Image-based pore-scale modeling in reservoir simulation
Series: Distinguished Lectures
Abstract: TBA
Host: Prof. Jessen
Location: James H. Zumberge Hall Of Science (ZHS) - 159
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Ryan Choi
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W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium
Fri, Oct 24, 2014 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Junbing Yang, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer, California Lithium Battery
Talk Title: Silicon Anodes for Lithium Batteries
Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Program
Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Jeffrey Teng
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Integrated Seminar Series
Fri, Oct 24, 2014 @ 03:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Goutam Chattopadhyay, JPL
Talk Title: Terahertz Technology and its Applications
Abstract: For more than last forty years, terahertz components and instruments have primarily been developed for space science applications in radio astronomy and planetary sciences. However, in recent years, terahertz waves are increasingly being used in commercial applications such as high speed communications, security imaging, autonomous landing and refueling of airplanes, and medicines. In spite of all these fascinating scientific and commercial potential, the terahertz frequency range (loosely defined as 300 GHz < ν < 10 THz) still remains one of the least utilized electromagnetic bands because of the unavailability of commercial source and sensor components, and sub-systems.
Recent progress in CMOS technology as well as availability of InP HEMT based amplifiers in terahertz frequency band has caught the imagination of researchers for developing terahertz instruments for commercial applications. Rapid progress in multiple fronts, such as commercial software for component and device modeling, low-loss waveguide circuits and interconnect technologies, silicon micromachining for highly integrated and compact packaging, and submicron scale lithographic techniques, is making it an exciting time for terahertz engineers and scientists.
In this presentation, an overview of the state of the terahertz technology will be presented. The talk will detail the science and other applications that specifically require technology at terahertz frequencies. The challenges of the future generation instruments and detectors at these frequencies in addressing the needs for critical scientific and commercial applications will also be discussed.
The research described herein was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA, under contract with National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Biography: Goutam Chattopadhyay (Sâ93-Mâ99-SMâ01-Fâ11) is a Principal Engineer/Scientist at the NASAâs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, and a Visiting Professor at the Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA. He received the B.E. degree in electronics and telecommunication engineering from the Bengal Engineering College, Calcutta University, Calcutta, India, in 1987, the M.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, in 1994, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, in 1999. From 1987 until 1992, he was a Design Engineer with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
His research interests include microwave, millimeter- and submillimeter- wave heterodyne and direct detector receivers, frequency sources and mixers in the terahertz region, antennas, SIS mixer technology, direct detector bolometer instruments; InP HEMT amplifiers, mixers, and multipliers; high frequency radars, and applications of nanotechnology at terahertz frequencies. He has more than 200 publications in international journals and conferences and holds several patents. Among various awards and honors, he was the recipient of the Best Undergraduate Student Award from the University of Calcutta in 1987, the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship Award from the Government of India in 1992, and the IEEE MTT-S Graduate Fellowship Award in 1997. He was the recipient of the best journal paper award in 2013 by IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology. He also received more than 30 NASA technical achievement and new technology invention awards. He is a Fellow of IEEE and IEEE.
Hosted by Prof. Hossein Hashemi, Prof. Mike Chen and Prof. Mahta Moghaddam
Organized and hosted by Masashi Yamagata
For questions or additional details, please email myamagat@usc.edu
Host: Hosted by Prof. Hossein Hashemi, Prof. Mike Chen, Prof. Mahta Moghaddam, and Masashi Yamagata
More Info: http://mhi.usc.edu/events/event-details/?event_id=910780
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Elise Herrera-Green
Event Link: http://mhi.usc.edu/events/event-details/?event_id=910780
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Integrated Seminar Series
Fri, Oct 24, 2014 @ 03:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Goutam Chattopadhyay, JPL
Talk Title: Terahertz Technology and its Applications
Abstract: For more than last forty years, terahertz components and instruments have primarily been developed for space science applications in radio astronomy and planetary sciences. However, in recent years, terahertz waves are increasingly being used in commercial applications such as high speed communications, security imaging, autonomous landing and refueling of airplanes, and medicines. In spite of all these fascinating scientific and commercial potential, the terahertz frequency range still remains one of the least utilized electromagnetic bands because of the unavailability of commercial source and sensor components, and sub-systems.
Recent progress in CMOS technology as well as availability of InP HEMT based amplifiers in terahertz frequency band has caught the imagination of researchers for developing terahertz instruments for commercial applications. Rapid progress in multiple fronts, such as commercial software for component and device modeling, low-loss waveguide circuits and interconnect technologies, silicon micromachining for highly integrated and compact packaging, and submicron scale lithographic techniques, is making it an exciting time for terahertz engineers and scientists.
In this presentation, an overview of the state of the terahertz technology will be presented. The talk will detail the science and other applications that specifically require technology at terahertz frequencies. The challenges of the future generation instruments and detectors at these frequencies in addressing the needs for critical scientific and commercial applications will also be discussed.
The research described herein was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA, under contract with National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Biography: Goutam Chattopadhyay (Sâ93-Mâ99-SMâ01-Fâ11) is a Principal Engineer/Scientist at the NASAâs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, and a Visiting Professor at the Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA. He received the B.E. degree in electronics and telecommunication engineering from the Bengal Engineering College, Calcutta University, Calcutta, India, in 1987, the M.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, in 1994, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, in 1999. From 1987 until 1992, he was a Design Engineer with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
His research interests include microwave, millimeter- and submillimeter- wave heterodyne and direct detector receivers, frequency sources and mixers in the terahertz region, antennas, SIS mixer technology, direct detector bolometer instruments; InP HEMT amplifiers, mixers, and multipliers; high frequency radars, and applications of nanotechnology at terahertz frequencies. He has more than 200 publications in international journals and conferences and holds several patents. Among various awards and honors, he was the recipient of the Best Undergraduate Student Award from the University of Calcutta in 1987, the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship Award from the Government of India in 1992, and the IEEE MTT-S Graduate Fellowship Award in 1997. He was the recipient of the best journal paper award in 2013 by IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology. He also received more than 30 NASA technical achievement and new technology invention awards. He is a Fellow of IEEE and IEEE.
Hosted by Prof. Hossein Hashemi, Prof. Mike Chen and Prof. Mahta Moghaddam
Organized and hosted by Masashi Yamagata
For questions or additional details, please email myamagat@usc.edu
Host: Hosted by Prof. Hossein Hashemi, Prof. Mike Chen, Prof. Mahta Moghaddam, and Masashi Yamagata
More Info: http://mhi.usc.edu/events/event-details/?event_id=910780
Location: 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Elise Herrera-Green
Event Link: http://mhi.usc.edu/events/event-details/?event_id=910780
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MFD - Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Graduate Seminar
Mon, Oct 27, 2014 @ 11:15 AM - 12:30 PM
Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Hadi Hajibeygi, Petroleum Engineering, Delft University of Technology
Talk Title: Next-Generation Multiscale-Based Reservoir Simulation: Recent Advances and Future Challenges
Abstract: The Multiscale Finite Volume (MSFV) Method has been developed for
efficient simulation of highly heterogeneous reservoirs with nonlinear
physics, allowing for more reliable management strategies. In this
presentation, I will discuss why a multiscale, and particularly the MSFV,
method is necessary for large-scale reservoir simulations. Then, the
mathematical framework and the systematic error reduction strategies for
time-dependent problems are presented. Numerical results for
challenging problems, ranging from compressible and compositional
flows to heterogeneous problems with fractures and wells, are presented.
In particular, the first multiscale fully implicit (fully coupled) simulation
of 3D compositional problems with gravity and capillarity effects are
presented. Finally, to-date and future challenges in this research field will
be discussed.
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Graduate
Contact: Ryan Choi
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Seminars in Biomedical Engineering
Mon, Oct 27, 2014 @ 12:30 PM - 01:50 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Peter Kuhn, Ph.D., Professor of Biological Sciences and Director of Bridge Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, USC
Talk Title: TBA
Host: Norberto Grzywacz
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta
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CS Colloquium: Bilge Mutlu (University of Wisconsin-Madison) - Human-Centered Methods and Principles for Designing Robotic Products
Tue, Oct 28, 2014 @ 03:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Bilge Mutlu , University of Wisconsin-Madison
Talk Title: Human-Centered Methods and Principles for Designing Robotic Products
Series: CS Colloquium
Abstract: Robotic products constitute an emerging family of technologies that holds tremendous promise for everyday use. This promise also presents challenges for designers: the interactions they afford can be far more complex than those with conventional products, and designing for these interactions introduces many new questions. For instance, how can we design a product that follows human social norms? What is the design space for such a product? How can we empower designers to tackle such design problems? In this talk, I will present my group's work on building human-centered tools, methods, and knowledge to enable the design of robotic products. In particular, I will describe the development of novel tools and methods that support complex design tasks across the key stages of the design process, including analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, and an exploration into the design space for robotic products across different platforms, including social, assistive, and telepresence robots.
Biography: Bilge Mutlu is an assistant professor of computer science, psychology, and industrial engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received his Ph.D. degree from Carnegie Mellon University's Human-Computer Interaction Institute in 2009. His background combines training in interaction design, human-computer interaction, and robotics with industry experience in product design and development. Dr. Mutlu is a former Fulbright Scholar and the recipient of the NSF CAREER award and several paper awards and nominations, including HRI 2008, HRI 2009, HRI 2011, UbiComp 2013, IVA 2013, RSS 2013, and HRI 2014. His research has been covered by national and international press including the NewScientist, MIT Technology Review, Discovery News, Science Nation, and Voice of America. He has served in the Steering Committee of the HRI Conference and the Editorial Board of IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing, co-chairing the Program Committees for HRI 2015 and ICSR 2011 and the Program Sub-committees on Design for CHI 2013 and CHI 2014.
Host: Maja Mataric
More Information: Mutlu-Photo.jpg
Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Assistant to CS chair
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Epstein Institute / ISE 651 Seminar Series
Tue, Oct 28, 2014 @ 03:30 PM - 04:50 PM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Markos V. Koutras, Dean, School of Finance and Statistics, University of Piraeus, Greece
Talk Title: "Probability Models for Relıabılıty Systems: Exact and Asymptotic Results"
Series: Epstein Institute Seminar Series
Abstract: When studying a reliability structures , the interest may focus on two different types of results: explicit compact or recurrence formulae for the evaluation of the exact system reliability and approximations and/or limit formulae for assessing the reliability of large systems.
In the present talk we are going to present several results for both cases. The exact results that will be discussed involve traditional combinatorial analysis techniques, generating functions techniques as well as Markov chain imbedding techniques.
The approximations and bounds involve results based on Chen-Stein and related techniques, Poisson and compound Poisson approximations, Perron-Frobenius theory and large deviations theory.
Most of the results can be easily obtained by adapting to the reliability framework several probability models that have been developed for other scientific areas such as Quality Control (control charts), Actuarial Science (portfolio management), Engineering (start-up demonstration tests), Molecular Biology (DNA sequencing) etc. Therefore, the connection between reliability models and associated models of these areas will also be illustrated.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2014
GRACE FORD SALVATORI HALL (GFS) ROOM 101
3:30 - 4:50 PM
Biography: Markos V. Koutras
Education
1979 Diploma: University of Athens, Department of Mathematics.
1981 MSc: University of Athens, Department of Mathematics, Information Science and Operations Research.
1983 PhD: University of Athens, Department of Mathematics, «Contribution to the Theory of Spherical Distributions and Associated Discrimination Problems».
Research Interests
Theory of Runs and Scans, Multivariate Analysis, Combinatorial Distributions, Reliability Theory, Statistical Quality Control.
Current Position
Professor of Statistics and Applied Probability
Department of Statistics and Insurance Science,
University of Piraeus
Greece
Dean, School of Finance and Statistics
University of Piraeus
Greece
Teaching
Undergraduate courses
Combinatorics, Introductory Statistics, Applied Data Analysis, Introductory Probability Theory, Advanced Probability Theory, Combinatorics, Regression Analysis, Hypothesis testing.
Postgraduate courses
Regression Analysis and Analysis of Variance, Applied Multivariate Analysis, Research Methodology, Reliability Theory and Life Testing, Statistical Methods, Experimental Design.
Additional Information
• Publications in referred Journals and special volumes (by invitation): 80
• Number of Citations: >900
• PhD Thesis supervision: 5
• MSc Thesis supervision: >70
• Referee for >30 different Journals:
• Associate Editor in 6 International Journals
• Scientist in Charge in more than 10 Research Projects
• Referee for 5 NSF/NSERC Projects
• Textbooks and special volumes Editor: 10 in Greek, 5 in English (3 under preparation)
Host: Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
More Information: Seminar-Koutras.docx
Location: Grace Ford Salvatori Hall Of Letters, Arts & Sciences (GFS) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Georgia Lum
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Day-After-HotNets Mini-Workshop at USC Computer Science
Wed, Oct 29, 2014 @ 10:00 AM - 03:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Multiple, See Event Details
Talk Title: Day-After-HotNets Mini-Workshop at USC Computer Science
Series: CS Colloquium
Abstract: We hope we will see you at HotNets at the University of Southern California on October 27-28! The HotNets General Chairs (John Heidemann and Ethan Katz-Bassett) and the USC Networked Systems Lab (Ramesh Govindan, Minlan Yu, Wyatt Lloyd, and Ethan Katz-Bassett) would like to invite you to stick around for part of the following day October 29 to see various talks on related work and attend other talks as part of a mini-workshop, in our group's newly renovated lab on the USC campus a short walk from the HotNets venue.
Biography: David Oran: 10:00-10:25
Brighten Godfrey: 10:25-10:50
Fahad Dogar: 10:50-11:15
âImproving Response Times of Data Center Applicationsâ
Luigi Rizzo: 11:15-11:40
lunch: 11:40-12:40
Nina Taft: 12:40 - 1:05
âA New Frontier for Privacy: Data Mining on Encrypted Dataâ
Te-Yuan (TY) Huang: 1:05-1:30
âA Buffer-Based Approach to Rate Adaptation: Evidence from a Large Video Streaming Serviceâ
Host: Ethan Katz-Bassett, Minlan Yu
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Assistant to CS chair
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Communications, Networks & Systems (CommNetS) Seminar Series
Wed, Oct 29, 2014 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Lijun Chen, University of Colorado at Boulder
Talk Title: The Weighted Sum Rate Maximization in MIMO Interference Networks: Minimax Lagrangian Duality and Algorithm
Series: CommNetS
Abstract: We take a new approach to the weighted sum-rate maximization in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) interference networks, by formulating an equivalent max-min problem. This reformulation has significant implications: the Lagrangian duality of the equivalent max-min problem provides an elegant way to establish the sum-rate duality between an interference network and its reciprocal, and more importantly, suggests a novel iterative minimax algorithm with monotonic convergence for the weighted sum-rate maximization. The design and the convergence proof of the algorithm use only general convex analysis. They apply and extend to other max-min problems with similar structure, and thus provide a general class of algorithms for such optimization problems. This paper presents a promising step and lends hope for establishing a general method based on the minimax Lagrangian duality for developing efficient resource allocation and interference management algorithms for general MIMO interference networks.
Biography: Lijun Chen is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Telecommunications at University of Colorado at Boulder. He received a Ph.D. from California Institute of Technology in 2007, and was a Research Scientist in Computing + Mathematical Science at the same institute before joining Colorado. He was a co-recipient of the Best Paper Award at the IEEE International Conference on Mobile Ad-hoc and Sensor Systems in 2007. His current research interests are in communication networks, power networks, parsimonious recovery and low-rank solutions, and optimization, game theory and their engineering application.
Host: Prof. Ashutosh Nayyar
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Annie Yu
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Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series
Wed, Oct 29, 2014 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Joe Klewicki, Professor in Department of Mechanical Engineering University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH & University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
Talk Title: Self-Similarity in the Inertial Region of Wall Turbulence
Series: Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series
Abstract: The inverse of the von Karman constant, K, is the leading coefficient in the equation describing the logarithmic mean velocity profile in wall bounded turbulent flows. Previous research demonstrates that the asymptomatic value of K derives from an emerging condition of dynamic self-similar hierarchy of scaling layers. First-principles based analyses are used to reveal a number of properties associated with the asymptomatic value of K. The development leads toward, but terminates short of, analytically determining a value for K. Consistent with the differential transformations underlying the invariant form admitted by the governing mean equation, it is further demonstrated that the value of K arises from two geometric features associated with the inertial turbulent motions responsible for momentum transport. One nominally pertains to the shape of the relevant motions as quantified by their area coverage in any given wall-parallel plane, and the other pertains to the changing size of these motions in the wall-nominal direction. Data from direct numerical simulations and higher Reynolds number experiments convincingly support the self-similar geometric structure indicated by the analysis.
Biography: Joseph Klewicki holds joint appointments in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Melbourne, Australia and the University of New Hampshire. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and a Distinguished Alumnus of the Michigan State University (MSU) Department of Mechanical Engineering. He received his BS (1983), MS (1985) and PhD (1989) degrees from MSU, Georgia Tech and MSU respectively. His areas of specialization include experimental methods in fluid mechanics, turbulent and unsteady flows, vorticity dynamics, boundary layers, atmosphere surface layer phenomena.
Host: Professor Paul Ronney
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Valerie Childress
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CS Colloquium: Brian Scassellati (Yale University) - Building Models of Self and Task
Wed, Oct 29, 2014 @ 03:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Brian Scassellati, Yale University
Talk Title: Building Models of Self and Task
Series: CS Colloquium
Abstract: This talk is an amalgamation of two topics that came out of research on building socially collaborative systems that focus on building richer representations of both robots and the tasks that they engage in. First, I will discuss methods for building self-trained models of a robot's own kinematic structure and sensory systems. Second, I will describe on-going efforts to automatically learn hierarchical representations of task structure from observations. These two topics, taken together, present a novel viewpoint of how we can restructure the way in which we view the division between built-in representations and learned methods.
Biography: Brian Scassellati is a Professor of Computer Science, Cognitive Science, and Mechanical Engineering at Yale University and Director of the NSF Expedition on Socially Assistive Robotics. His research focuses on building embodied computational models of human social behavior, especially the developmental progression of early social skills. Using computational modeling and socially interactive robots, his research evaluates models of how infants acquire social skills and assists in the diagnosis and quantification of disorders of social development (such as autism).
Host: Maja Mataric
Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Assistant to CS chair
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Astani Environmental Engineering Seminar
Wed, Oct 29, 2014 @ 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Isaam Najm, Water Quality & Treatment Solutions, Inc
Talk Title: Challenges to the Implementation of Biological Groundwater Treatment
Abstract:
Host: Dr. Amy Childress
Location: Grace Ford Salvatori Hall Of Letters, Arts & Sciences (GFS) - 106
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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CS Colloquium: Chris J. C. Burges (Microsoft Research )
Thu, Oct 30, 2014 @ 03:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Chris J. C. Burges , Microsoft Research
Talk Title: From Machine Learning to Machine Comprehension? Plus, two challenge datasets, and a family relations model.
Series: CS Colloquium
Abstract: Will current Machine Learning approaches be sufficient to solve the problem of the machine comprehension of text? First I will explain why, despite its recent successes in attacking several basic problems in AI, I think that the answer is "probably not". Then I will describe two datasets that we recently created to spur research on this problem. Finally I will describe recent work on modeling relations between relations, as instantiated by a model of human family relations.
Biography: After a checkered past involving first theoretical physics and then systems engineering at Bell Labs, Chris Burges saw a cool demo of a neural network reading handwritten digits: this triggered his long descent into machine learning. He has worked on handwriting and machine print recognition (he worked on a system now used to read millions of checks daily, and on Zip code and handwritten address recognition for the USPS), support vector machines, audio fingerprinting (his work is currently used in XBox and Windows Media Player to identify music), speaker verification, and information retrieval. His ranking algorithm is currently used by Bing for web search. Chris manages the Machine Learning and Intelligence group at Microsoft Research. He was program co-chair of Neural Information Processing Systems 2012 and general co-chair of NIPS 2013. His main current research interest is on modeling meaning in language.
Host: Fei Sha
Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Assistant to CS chair
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W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium
Fri, Oct 31, 2014 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: David Crisalli, President, Polaris, Inc.
Talk Title: Development and Testing of Propulsion Equipment
Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Program
Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Jeffrey Teng
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BME Special Seminar: Developing interdisciplinary approaches using biomedical ultrasound
Fri, Oct 31, 2014 @ 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Cheri X. Deng, Ph.D., Professor of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Talk Title: Developing interdisciplinary approaches using biomedical ultrasound
Biography: http://www.bme.umich.edu/people/index.php?un=cxdeng
Host: Kirk Shung, Ph.D., Dean's Professor in Biomedical Engineering
Location: Corwin D. Denney Research Center (DRB) - 146
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta
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NL Seminar-Generating Psycholinguistic Norms
Fri, Oct 31, 2014 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Information Sciences Institute
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Nikolaos Malandrakis , (USC/SAIL)
Talk Title: Generating Psycholiguistic Norms
Series: Natural Language Seminar
Abstract: numerical representations of word and term content are very popular in NLP applications of behavioral analysis, like sentiment analysis, where the low dimensional representation allows for the use of complicated machine learning techniques, despite the lack of annotated in-domain data. In this presentation we will discuss our experiments on automatically expanding manually annotated lexica of linguistic norms, starting from word emotion norms and generalizing to include higher order terms, norms beyond emotion (like concreteness and age of acquisition) as well as languages other than English. We will present our attempts at domain adaptation of these norms, as well as the composition of norms for larger lexical units via their constituents by utilizing distributional semantic representations. As examples of actual applications we will present a highly ranked system of sentiment analysis submitted to SemEval 2014 and a multi-modal depression diagnosis system for German submitted to AVEC 2014.
Biography: Nikolaos Malandrakis is a third year PhD student at the USC Computer Science Department and a research assistant at the Signal Analysis and Interpretation Laboratory (SAIL). He is originally from Chania, Greece, where he completed a BSc and MSc in Computer Engineering at the Technical University of Crete.
Host: Aliya Deri and Kevin Knight
More Info: http://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/
Location: Information Science Institute (ISI) - 6th Flr Conf Rm # 689, Marina Del Rey
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Peter Zamar
Event Link: http://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/
