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Events for the 3rd week of March

  • laytest Open Alpha's Game! --- OPE 2

    Sat, Mar 13, 2021 @ 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Student Activity


    Hello!

    Open Alpha has THE SECOND PROTOTYPE of our newest game! Come playtest our prototype this Saturday March 13th, 10am-12pm PST!

    To sign up for a time slot, please RSVP by Friday 3/12! There's more information about the event at bit.ly/oaplaytest, but here's the gist of it:
    -On Friday, if you RSVPed, we'll let you know your time slot. Let us know if your plans change and you can't make it.
    -When you show up, we'll set you up in a breakout room with an OA member who will be running your playtest. It'll take about 20 minutes.
    -This playtest event is OPEN, meaning invite your friends! We want to get feedback from as many people as possible!
    See you Saturday 10am-12pm! For more information, check out our website here!

    RSVP form: https://forms.gle/RHhxwxxvgfBwtJ39A
    Zoom link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/8745829211

    Best,
    The OA Team

    Location: Online - Zoom

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Open Alpha

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  • CS Colloquium: Amy Zhang (McGill University) - Exploiting latent structure and bisimulation metrics for better generalization in reinforcement learning

    Mon, Mar 15, 2021 @ 09:00 AM - 10:00 AM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Amy Zhang, McGill University

    Talk Title: Exploiting latent structure and bisimulation metrics for better generalization in reinforcement learning

    Series: CS Colloquium

    Abstract: The advent of deep learning has shepherded unprecedented progress in various fields of machine learning. Despite recent advances in deep reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms, however, there is no method today that exhibits anywhere near the generalization that we have seen in computer vision and NLP. Indeed, one might ask whether deep RL algorithms are even capable of the kind of generalization that is needed for open-world environments. This challenge is fundamental and will not be solved with incremental algorithmic advances.

    In this talk, we propose to incorporate different assumptions that better reflect the real world and allow the design of novel algorithms with theoretical guarantees to address this fundamental problem. We first present how state abstractions can accelerate reinforcement learning from rich observations, such as images, without relying either on domain knowledge or pixel-reconstruction. Our goal is to learn state abstractions that both provide for effective downstream control and invariance to task-irrelevant details. We use bisimulation metrics to quantify behavioral similarity between states, and learn robust latent representations which encode only the task-relevant information from observations. We provide theoretical guarantees for the learned approximate abstraction and extend this notion to families of tasks with varying dynamics.

    This lecture satisfies requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium


    Biography: I am a final year PhD candidate at McGill University and the Mila Institute, co-supervised by Profs. Joelle Pineau and Doina Precup. I am also a researcher at Facebook AI Research. My work focuses on bridging theory and practice through learning approximate state abstractions and learning representations for generalization in reinforcement learning. I previously obtained an M.Eng. in EECS and dual B.Sci. degrees in Mathematics and EECS from MIT.

    Host: Sven Koenig

    Audiences: By invitation only.

    Contact: Assistant to CS chair

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  • CS Colloquium: Mai ElSherief (Georgia Institute of Technology) - Computational Methods for Identifying Deviant Content in Online Media Ecosystems

    Mon, Mar 15, 2021 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Mai ElSherief, Georgia Institute of Technology

    Talk Title: Computational Methods for Identifying Deviant Content in Online Media Ecosystems

    Series: CS Colloquium

    Abstract: In recent years, the pervasive adoption of social media has created an ecosystem populated by a pandemonium of opinion, true and false information, and an unprecedented quantity of data on many topics. While online information ecosystems provide freedom of expression and give voice to individuals, they have also suffered a wave of disorder due to the prevalence of malevolent online misuse, manifested as online harassment, cyberbullying, and hate speech; and online misinformation, such as fake news and medical misinformation movements. In this talk, I will present language-centric approaches for improving online hate speech detection and characterization. I will then showcase a human-machine mixed-initiative that aims at investigating and detecting online misinformation surrounding Opioid Use Disorders in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    This lecture satisfies requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium

    Biography: Mai ElSherief is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech. Her research interests lie at the intersection of Social Computing, Natural Language Processing, and Online Social Networks, specifically causes of social good. In her research, she adopts Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning methods to examine human behavior pertaining to online abuse, biases, public health intelligence, and community wellbeing. Prior to her Postdoctoral Fellowship, she received Ph.D. from the Computer Science department at UC, Santa Barbara within the Mobility Management and Networking (MOMENT) Lab along with a Certificate in College and University Teaching (CCUT) to demonstrate superior competence and experience in preparation for teaching at the university or college level.

    Her research on computationally understanding the psychological impacts of active shooting drills on K-12 school communities received press coverage by NBC, the Hill, and 11Alive. She has been a summer research intern at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University understanding anti-immigration sentiment and the discursive practices of online hate groups. She has been selected as a 2020 UC Berkley EECS Rising Stars Participant. She was also awarded the UCSB 2019 CS Outstanding Graduate Student and the 2017 Fiona and Michael Goodchild Graduate mentoring award for her distinguished research mentoring of undergraduate students.


    Host: Bistra Dilkina

    Audiences: By invitation only.

    Contact: Assistant to CS chair

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  • Executive Coffee with Verizon

    Mon, Mar 15, 2021 @ 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Student Activity


    This event is hosted by the USC Entertainment Technology Center and CS students are encouraged to attend.

    The -Executive Coffee with- program at the USC Entertainment Technology Center connects USC students interested in media and entertainment issues with media & entertainment industry executives.

    It is a win-win. The students have a structured low-pressure discussion with a senior industry executive. The executive explores the perspective and ideas of students with an interest in a topic that they care about.

    Monday, March 15, 12:00pm-1:00pm

    Lead Executive: Serhad Doken, Executive, Innovation and Product Realization for the Verizon Consumer Group, Verizon
    Student/Executive Discussion Topic: Expectations for the Future of Entertainment and UI/UX

    What kind of UX/UI do you expect in the future for communicating with friends and colleagues (ex. messaging, business presentations and analytics), being entertained (ex. video, gaming, immersion, social media), and performing mundane tasks (ex. housework)? Assuming that they are fashionable, what kinds of wearables would you want, what would you like the UI/UX to be like, and what functions/applications do you want them to perform?

    Students should go to https://bit.ly/37MLDsF for more information and to fill out the sign-up application.

    Location: Online

    Audiences: Undergraduate and Graduate Students

    Contact: USC ETC

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  • CS Colloquium: Dhanya Sridhar (Columbia University) - Beyond prediction: NLP for causal inference

    Tue, Mar 16, 2021 @ 09:00 AM - 10:00 AM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dhanya Sridhar, Columbia University

    Talk Title: Beyond prediction: NLP for causal inference

    Series: CS Colloquium

    Abstract: Why do some misleading articles go viral? Does partisan speech affect how people behave? Many pressing questions require understanding the effects of language. These are causal questions: did an article's writing style cause it to go viral or would it have gone viral anyway? With text data from social media and news sites, we can build predictors with natural language processing (NLP) techniques but these methods can confuse correlation with causation. In this talk, I discuss my recent work on NLP methods for making causal inferences from text. Text data present unique challenges for disentangling causal effects from non-causal correlations. I present approaches that address these challenges by extending black box and probabilistic NLP methods. I outline the validity of these methods for causal inference, and demonstrate their applications to online forum comments and consumer complaints. I conclude with my research vision for a data analysis pipeline that bridges causal thinking and machine learning to enable better decision-making and scientific understanding.

    This lecture satisfies requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium

    Biography: Dhanya Sridhar is a postdoctoral researcher in the Data Science Institute at Columbia University. She completed her PhD at the University of California Santa Cruz. Her current research is at the intersection of machine learning and causal inference, focusing on applications to social science. Her thesis research focused on probabilistic models of relational data.

    Host: Fei Sha

    Audiences: By invitation only.

    Contact: Assistant to CS chair

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  • Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Seminar

    Tue, Mar 16, 2021 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Wenjing (Angela) Zhang, Associate Professor, Executive MBA in Management of Technology, Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark

    Talk Title: Shaping our water technology by functional materials and electrospinning

    Abstract: With the ever-increasing growth of population and advancements in medical treatments, a growing number of contaminants are entering the aqueous environment from human activity. In particular, for industrialized countries, the concerns for public health and environmental impact are exemplified by the widespread use of pharmaceuticals and their significance as contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs). Some of CECs with highly persistent could lead to detrimental effects on survival and growth of aquatic organisms. Conventional municipal wastewater treatment technologies based on activated sludge remains ineffective. Thus, there is an urgent need for a sustainable and effective wastewater treatment technology to remediate water.

    In this talk, I would like to introduce the research projects where we combine functional material synthesis and electrospinning to structure the adsorbents/catalysts into a hiarchiary 3-dimentional reactor. By harvesting solar or mechanical energies, we are able to capture and degrade the contaminants while the clean water flows through.









    Biography: Dr. Wenjing (Angela) Zhang is an Associate Professor and leader of Advanced material and membrane research group in the Department of Environmental Engineering at Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Currently she has 9 Postdoc/PhD students in her research group with state-of-art facilities in the fields of catalyst synthesis, electrospinning, solution plasma, electrochemistry, photocatalytic chemistry and membrane filtration. She received her MSc in Mechanical Engineering in 2005 and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 2009 at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Prior to joining DTU, she was a Research Associate at Vanderbilt University in the United States for 3 years, where she obtained substantial experience in conducting independent award-winning research, mentoring PhD and undergraduate students, writing successful government subsidy proposals (US Department of Energy) and collaborating on research projects with renowned global companies (3M Corporation and Merck KGaA).

    Host: Dr. Amy Childress

    Location: Zoom: https://usc.zoom.us/j/97228056404; Meeting ID: 972 2805 6404: Passcode: 864779

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Evangeline Reyes

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  • CS Colloquium: Aloni Cohen (Boston University) - Bridging the Divide Between Computer Science and Law

    Tue, Mar 16, 2021 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Aloni Cohen , Boston University

    Talk Title: Bridging the Divide Between Computer Science and Law

    Series: CS Colloquium

    Abstract: Seriously engaging with law and policy exposes new computer science research directions that also have policy consequences. My work aims to understand and resolve the tensions between the theory of privacy and cryptography on the one hand and the privacy laws that govern its eventual real-world context. In this talk, I'll describe work that tackles three broad questions: How can we bridge the basic concepts of data privacy in computer science and law? How can privacy theory have a positive impact on policy? How can we incorporate legal powers and constraints into our cryptographic threat models for better cryptography?

    This lecture satisfies requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium.


    Biography: Aloni Cohen a Postdoctoral Associate at Boston University, with a joint appointment at the Hariri Institute for Computing and the School of Law. His research explores the interplay between theoretical cryptography, privacy, law, and policy. Aloni earned his PhD in electrical engineering and computer science at MIT where he was advised by Shafi Goldwasser and supported by a Facebook Fellowship and an NSF Graduate Student Fellowship. Aloni is a former affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society and a Fellow at the Aspen Tech Policy Hub.

    Host: Aleksandra Korolova

    Audiences: By invitation only.

    Contact: Assistant to CS chair

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  • Repeating EventUndergraduate Advisement Drop-in Hours

    Tue, Mar 16, 2021 @ 01:30 PM - 02:30 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Workshops & Infosessions


    Do you have a quick question? The CS advisement team will be available for drop-in live chat advisement for declared undergraduate students in our four majors during the spring semester on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 1:30pm to 2:30pm Pacific Time. Access the live chat on our website at: https://www.cs.usc.edu/chat/

    Location: Online

    Audiences: Undergrad

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    Contact: USC Computer Science

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  • ISE 651 - Epstein Seminar

    Tue, Mar 16, 2021 @ 03:30 PM - 04:50 PM

    Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Suvrajeet Sen, Professor

    Talk Title: TBD

    Host: Prof. Jong-Shi Pang

    Location: Online/Zoom

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Grace Owh

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  • Repeating EventVirtual First-Year Admission Information Session

    Tue, Mar 16, 2021 @ 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM

    Viterbi School of Engineering Undergraduate Admission

    Workshops & Infosessions


    Our virtual information session is a live presentation from a USC Viterbi admission counselor designed for high school students and their family members to learn more about the USC Viterbi undergraduate experience. Our session will cover an overview of our undergraduate engineering programs, the application process, and more on student life. Guests will be able to ask questions and engage in further discussion toward the end of the session.

    Please Register Here!

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    View All Dates

    Contact: Viterbi Admission

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  • How to Guide: Informational Interviews

    Tue, Mar 16, 2021 @ 04:00 PM - 04:30 PM

    Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections

    Workshops & Infosessions


    Are you unsure which career path to take or how to connect with employers? Interested in learning how to create meaningful connections? Attend the "How To Guide: Informational Interviews" workshop to learn tips on how to request informational interviews, best practices for preparing, and how to follow-up and create meaningful relationships.

    To RSVP: Log into Viterbi Career Gateway > Events > Workshops

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Connections

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  • VIP Workshop: Choosing STEM Activities for Online Learning

    Tue, Mar 16, 2021 @ 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM

    Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Organizations

    Student Activity


    Join your fellow peers in the Viterbi Impact Program (VIP) at the upcoming workshop: Choosing STEM Activities for Online Learning on Tuesday, March 16th from 5:00 - 6:00 pm PST. This interactive workshop focuses on how to identify high-quality online STEM activities using easily available resources and tools. Attendees will go on virtual scavenger hunts to find high-quality STEM activities. In small groups, attendees will also explore how they would modify the STEM activity for online learning. Open to all students!

    Please email Viterbi.UnderGradProg@vsoe.usc.edu for the Zoom link/more information. See you then!

    More Information: Choosing stem activities for online learning (1).png

    Audiences: Undergrad

    Contact: Viterbi Undergraduate Programs

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  • Repeating EventUndergraduate Advisement Drop-in Hours

    Wed, Mar 17, 2021 @ 01:30 PM - 02:30 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Workshops & Infosessions


    Do you have a quick question? The CS advisement team will be available for drop-in live chat advisement for declared undergraduate students in our four majors during the spring semester on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 1:30pm to 2:30pm Pacific Time. Access the live chat on our website at: https://www.cs.usc.edu/chat/

    Location: Online

    Audiences: Undergrad

    View All Dates

    Contact: USC Computer Science

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  • Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and Internet of Things and Ming Hsieh Institute Seminar

    Wed, Mar 17, 2021 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Hamed Mohsenian-Rad, Electrical & Computer Engineering and Bourns Family Faculty Fellow, University of California, Riverside

    Talk Title: Data-Driven Analysis of Events in Power Distribution Synchrophasors

    Series: Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and Internet of Things

    Abstract: Synchrophasor measurements offer an unprecedented level of visibility in power distribution infrastructure. These are time-synchronized single-phase or three-phase voltage and current phasor measurements on medium and low voltage distribution circuits. However, data availability alone is not enough to enhance operational intelligence. In this talk, we make the case that the analysis of "events" is a key to translate the data from distribution synchrophasors into useful high-level information. An event in this study is defined rather broadly to include any major change in any component across the distribution feeder. The real data that is used in this study is obtained from a pilot distribution feeder in Riverside, CA. The goal is to enhance situational awareness in distribution grid by keeping track of the operation (or misoperation) of various grid equipment, assets, distribution energy resources, loads, etc. A combination of data-driven machine learning tools and hybrid model-based methodologies are discussed to automatically (and often remotely) detect, classify, and identify the causes of events and their characteristics in power distribution systems. Use cases are diverse and may include asset monitoring, non-intrusive load modeling, analysis of system dynamics, cybersecurity, etc.

    Biography: Dr. Hamed Mohsenian-Rad is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a Bourns Family Faculty Fellow at the University of California, Riverside. His research interests include developing hybrid data-driven and model-based techniques for monitoring, control, and optimization of power systems and smart grids. He has received the NSF CAREER Award, a Best Paper Award from the IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES) General Meeting, and a Best Paper Award from the IEEE International Conference on Smart Grid Communications. Two of his papers are currently ranked as the two most cited articles in the IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid. Dr. Mohsenian-Rad is the author of a new textbook, Smart Grid Sensors: Principles and Applications by Cambridge University Press. He is the founding Director of the UC-National Lab Center for Power Distribution Cyber Security, a multi-disciplinary cyber-security research initiative across four University of California (UC) campuses and two Department of Energy (DoE) National Labs. He also serves as the Associate Director of the Winston Chung Global Energy Center, an endowed research center in the area of energy and sustainability at UC Riverside. He has served as the PI for over $10 million smart grid research projects. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada in 2008. Dr. Mohsenian-Rad is a Fellow of the IEEE.

    Host: Pierluigi Nuzzo, nuzzo@usc.edu

    Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Qk4-7AthThudso7LXs2OiA

    Location: Online

    WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Qk4-7AthThudso7LXs2OiA

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Talyia White

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  • AME Seminar

    Wed, Mar 17, 2021 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM

    Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Morteza Gharib, Caltech

    Talk Title: Vortex in the Eye: Thermal Effects on Fluid Mixing in the Eye

    Abstract: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of central vision loss in the developed world. Wet AMD can be managed through serial intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents. However, sometimes the treatment is ineffective. Given that the half-life of the drug is limited, inefficient mixing of the injected drug in the vitreous chamber of the eye may contribute to the ineffectiveness. Here, we introduce thermal heating as a means of enhancing the mixing-process in the vitreous chamber and investigate parameters that potentially influence its effectiveness. Our in-vitro studies point to the importance of the location of the heating on the eye. A significant increase in the mixing and delivery of drugs to the targeted area (the macula) could be achieved by placing heating pads so that a current against gravity is induced in the vitreous. The presented results can potentially help in the development of a better strategy for intravitreal injection and improve the quality of patient care.

    Biography: Mory Gharib is Hans W. Liepmann Professor of Aeronautics and Bioinspired Engineering; Chair of Graduate Aerospace Department (GALCIT); Director of Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies. He received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tehran University (1975) and his M.S. 1978, in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering from Syracuse University and his Ph.D.1983, in Aeronautics from Caltech. He joined Caltech as a professor of Aeronautics.

    Professor Gharib's current research interests in conventional fluid dynamics and aeronautics include Vortex dynamics, active and passive flow control, autonomous flight, and underwater systems. His Biological flows research includes cardiovascular and ophthalmology, and medical devices.

    Dr. Gharib's honors and affiliations include: Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Member, National Academy of Engineering; Charter Fellow, National Academy of Inventors; Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science; Fellow, American Physical Society; Fellow, American Society of Mechanical EngineeringHe has received the G.I. Taylor Medal from the Society of Engineering Sciences, The Fluid Dynamics Prize from the American Physical Society and five new technology recognition awards from NASA in the fields of advanced laser imaging and nanotechnology. In 2008 he received R&D Magazine's "R&D 100 innovation award" for one of the year's best inventions for his 3-D imaging camera system. Additionally, Dr. Gharib has published more than 250 papers in refereed journals and has been issued 120 U.S. Patents.

    Host: AME Department

    More Info: https://usc.zoom.us/j/97398164359

    Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/97398164359

    WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/97398164359

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Tessa Yao

    Event Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/97398164359

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  • DEN@Viterbi - Online Graduate Engineering Virtual Information Session

    Thu, Mar 18, 2021 @ 06:00 AM - 07:00 PM

    DEN@Viterbi, Viterbi School of Engineering Graduate Admission

    Workshops & Infosessions


    Join USC Viterbi School of Engineering for a virtual information session via WebEx, providing an introduction to DEN@Viterbi, our top ranked online delivery system. Discover the 40+ graduate engineering and computer science programs available entirely online.

    Attendees will have the opportunity to connect directly with USC Viterbi representatives during the session to discuss the admission process, program details and the benefits of online delivery for the working professional.

    Register Today!

    WebCast Link: https://uscviterbi.webex.com/uscviterbi/onstage/g.php?MTID=eff21e3ece316d0b2aa6fc1c47dbbb7de

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Corporate & Professional Programs

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  • How to Guide: Informational Interviews

    Thu, Mar 18, 2021 @ 08:00 AM - 08:30 AM

    Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections

    Workshops & Infosessions


    Are you unsure which career path to take or how to connect with employers? Interested in learning how to create meaningful connections? Attend the "How To Guide: Informational Interviews" workshop to learn tips on how to request informational interviews, best practices for preparing, and how to follow-up and create meaningful relationships.

    To RSVP: Log into Viterbi Career Gateway > Events > Workshops

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Connections

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  • CS Colloquium: Amy Pavel (Carnegie Mellon University / AI/ML Apple) - Human-AI Systems for Creating and Understanding Videos

    Thu, Mar 18, 2021 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Amy Pavel, Carnegie Mellon University / AI/ML Apple

    Talk Title: Human-AI Systems for Creating and Understanding Videos

    Series: CS Colloquium

    Abstract: Video is becoming a core medium for communicating a wide range of content, including educational lectures, vlogs, and how-to tutorials. While videos are engaging and informative, they lack the familiar and useful affordances of text for browsing, skimming,and flexibly transforming information. This severely limits who can interact with video content and how they can interact with it, makes editing a laborious process, and means that much of the information in videos is not accessible to everyone.

    But, what future systems will make videos useful for all users?

    In this talk, I'll share my work creating interactive Human-AI systems that combine the benefits of multiple mediums of communication (e.g., text, video, and audio) in two key areas: 1) helping domain experts find content of interest in videos, and 2) making videos accessible to people who are blind or have visual impairments. First, I'll discuss core challenges of finding information in videos from interviews with domain experts and people with disabilities. Then, I will present new systems that leverage AI, and the results of technical and user evaluations that demonstrate system efficacy. I will conclude with how hybrid HCI-AI breakthroughs will make digital communication more effective and accessible in the future, and how new interactions can help us to realize the full potential of recent AI/ML advances.


    Biography: Amy Pavel is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University and a Research Scientist in AI/ML at Apple. Her research explores AI-driven interactive techniques for making digital communication effective and accessible for all. Her work creating Human-AI systems to improve communication has appeared at ACM/IEEE conferences including UIST, CHI, ASSETS, and VR. She recently served as an associate chair for the UIST and CHI program committees, received 2 best paper nominations at CHI, and was selected as a Rising Star in EECS. She previously received her Ph.D. in Computer Science at UC Berkeley, where her work developing interactive video abstractions was supported by an NDSEG fellowship and an EECS Excellence Award. Read more about her research at: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://amypavel.com/__;!!LIr3w8kk_Xxm!_kp1txvo_2fY97o1Ag_-lE6oKo_wqfl1jqPYTl7GDZDnH5NsjUdzasIfRnuxsBo$



    Host: Heather Culbertson / Bistra Dilkina

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Assistant to CS chair

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  • NL Seminar Leave No Question Behind! Broadening the Scope of Machine Comprehension

    Thu, Mar 18, 2021 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    Information Sciences Institute

    University Calendar


    Abstract
    Despite remarkable progress in building Question Answering QA models, the scope of progress remains limited to niche dataset specific domains. How can we expand the scope of the problems that our models can address? In this talk, I discuss two instances of QA system design that cover a broader range of problems. In the first part, I introduce UnifiedQA, a single model that generalizes to multiple different QA formats multiple choice QA, extractive QA, abstractive QA, yes no QA. Then I will introduce ModularQA, a single system that addresses multiple multi hop reasoning datasets by leveraging existing single hop modules systems. For each system, I present empirical evidence on their better generalization and stronger robustness across datasets and domains.

    BIO
    Daniel Khashabi is a Young Investigator at Allen Institute for AI, Seattle. His interests lie at the intersection of artificial intelligence and natural language processing. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and his undergraduate degree from Amirkabir University of Technology Tehran Polytechnic.

    Location: Information Science Institute (ISI) - Virtual Only

    WebCast Link: https://youtu.be/O-ttj6CCb44

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Petet Zamar

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  • A Conversation with Visa's Leading Women: Celebrating Potential

    Thu, Mar 18, 2021 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections

    University Calendar


    *This is an external event hosted by Visa*

    Visa Inc., Girls in Tech at USC and the USC Career Center invite you to hear from some of Visa's leaders in honor of International Women's Day. As an attendee, hear from an amazing panel about their career journey and prepare to be the future leaders of the workforce!

    To RSVP: Viterbi Career Gateway > Events > Information Sessions

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Connections

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  • Repeating EventUndergraduate Advisement Drop-in Hours

    Thu, Mar 18, 2021 @ 01:30 PM - 02:30 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Workshops & Infosessions


    Do you have a quick question? The CS advisement team will be available for drop-in live chat advisement for declared undergraduate students in our four majors during the spring semester on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 1:30pm to 2:30pm Pacific Time. Access the live chat on our website at: https://www.cs.usc.edu/chat/

    Location: Online

    Audiences: Undergrad

    View All Dates

    Contact: USC Computer Science

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  • ACM presents Computer Science Subfields

    Thu, Mar 18, 2021 @ 07:00 PM - 08:00 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Student Activity


    Computer Science Subfields - Thursday, 3/18 7pm

    Did you know of the plenty subfields that lie within computer science? Learn more about these subfields including data science, cybersecurity, AI and machine learning today!

    ACM will present on the different subfields of computer science so that you can learn more about the careers you can pursue with computer science. There's more than just software developing!

    RSVP Link:https://forms.gle/3ZCtvUza2VSkgh2j9

    Zoom Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/97205032289

    Location: Online - Zoom

    WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/97205032289

    Audiences: Undergraduate and Graduate Students

    Contact: ACM

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  • USC KSEA State of the Industry: COVID-19

    Thu, Mar 18, 2021 @ 08:00 PM - 09:00 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Student Activity


    USC KSEA is hosting State of the Industry: COVID-19, a panel event focused on COVID-19's impact on the medical field. Our panelists will include doctors from a wide range of specializations, including oncology and anesthesiology. This event is perfect for those interested in the healthcare industry, as it will provide firsthand insights on how medicine has changed and how we can be prepared to adapt to these changes. We encourage all students to join, regardless of whether you want to pursue a medical profession. Come and witness how COVID-19 is personally impacting your health now and in the future.

    Featured Speakers:
    Susie Nam, MS, CCC-SLP - Speech-Language Pathologist
    Irene Kang, MD - Medical Oncologist at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
    Dae Ik Yi, MD - Anesthesiology Resident at Stanford Medicine
    Justin Lee - MD/PhD Student / PhD3 Bioengineering at UCLA-Caltech MSTP

    State of the Industry: COVID-19 Event Details
    Date: THURSDAY, March 18th
    Time: 8:00 - 9:00PM (PDT)

    RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScJfIBVq2VP0zAY58OEdE7gcLE03tYOaVnYpNMgBYiqXH93mg/viewform

    Zoom Link: tinyurl.com/ksea2021

    Please direct any questions to uscksea@usc.edu

    See you there!

    Location: Online - Zoom

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: USC KSEA

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  • Repeating EventGrammar Tutorials

    Fri, Mar 19, 2021 @ 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs

    Workshops & Infosessions


    INDIVIDUAL GRAMMAR TUTORING FOR VITERBI UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS
    Need help refining your grammar skills for academic and professional communication?
    Meet one-on-one with faculty from the Engineering Writing Program, build your grammar skills, and take your writing to the next level!

    Viterbi writing faculty will help you identify and correct recurring grammatical errors in your writing assignments, cover letters, resumes, articles, and dissertations.

    Tutorials are on alternate Friday mornings. Sign up here: http://bit.ly/grammaratUSC


    If you have questions, please contact helenhch@usc.edu.

    Location: ZOOM

    Audiences: Graduate and Undergraduate Students

    View All Dates

    Contact: Helen Choi

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  • DEN@Viterbi - Online Graduate Engineering Virtual Information Session

    Fri, Mar 19, 2021 @ 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

    DEN@Viterbi, Viterbi School of Engineering Graduate Admission

    Workshops & Infosessions


    Join USC Viterbi School of Engineering for a virtual information session via WebEx, providing an introduction to DEN@Viterbi, our top ranked online delivery system. Discover the 40+ graduate engineering and computer science programs available entirely online.

    Attendees will have the opportunity to connect directly with USC Viterbi representatives during the session to discuss the admission process, program details and the benefits of online delivery for the working professional.

    Register Today!

    WebCast Link: https://uscviterbi.webex.com/uscviterbi/onstage/g.php?MTID=e202ebdb05217b5980ebd5005a1c06dcf

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Corporate & Professional Programs

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  • Advanced Manufacturing Seminar

    Fri, Mar 19, 2021 @ 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

    Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Ming C. Leu, Keith and Pat Bailey Distinguished Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology

    Talk Title: Additive Manufacturing of Advanced Ceramics: Technologies, Applications and Opportunities

    Abstract: Ceramics are important engineering materials due to their unique properties such as high hardness, high-temperature resistance, and high-corrosion resistance. Additive manufacturing (AM) of ceramic material is difficult and challenging because of the high melting temperature and flaw-sensitive nature of ceramics. However, through intensive research over the past two decades, significant progress on AM of ceramics has been made. This talk will first review different categories of ceramic AM processes and recent technology advances in each category. Comparisons will be made on the advantages and limitations of each ceramic AM process category in terms of part quality, dimensional accuracy, surface finish, and material flexibility. The practical applications of various ceramic AM processes in relation to the characteristics of each process category will be described. A novel extrusion-based AM process, called Ceramic On-Demand Extrusion (CODE), which was developed in recent years by the seminar speakers research group for fabricating ceramic components with near theoretical density will be presented, including choice of support material and part fabrication with multiple and graded materials. Finally, future research needs and innovation opportunities of ceramic AM will be discussed.

    Biography: The research interests of Dr Leu include additive manufacturing, 3D printing, intelligent robotics and automation, and cyber-physical manufacturing. He has published over 480 papers in referred professional journals and conference proceedings. Dr. Leu has received numerous professional awards including, among others, the International Freeform and Additive Manufacturing Excellence (FAME) Award (2020), ASME Milton C. Shaw Manufacturing Research Medal (2018), University of Missouri President Leadership Award (2017), ASME Blackall Machine Tool and Gage Award (2014), ISFA Hideo Hanafusa Outstanding Investigator Award (2008), ASME Distinguished Service Award (2004), SME University Lead Award (1994), NJIT Harlan J. Perlis Research Award (1993), NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award (1985), SAE Ralph R. Teetor Education Award (1985), as well as several best paper awards.

    Host: Center for Advanced Manufacturing

    More Info: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-jklT28WSJ2J7rGF-jptng

    Webcast: Please register for this webinar at: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-jklT28WSJ2J7rGF-jptng

    More Information: Adv Mfg Seminar S21_Ming Leu.pdf

    Location: Online event

    WebCast Link: Please register for this webinar at: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-jklT28WSJ2J7rGF-jptng

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Tessa Yao

    Event Link: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-jklT28WSJ2J7rGF-jptng

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  • Instagram Live Q & A with VCC

    Fri, Mar 19, 2021 @ 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

    Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections

    Workshops & Infosessions


    Join Viterbi Career Connections Staff on Friday, March 19th at 10:30 am for quick professional tips and career advice via Instagram @viterbicareers.

    Location: Instagram @viterbicareers

    Audiences: All Viterbi Students

    Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Connections

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  • Transfer Information Session

    Fri, Mar 19, 2021 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    Viterbi School of Engineering Undergraduate Admission

    Workshops & Infosessions


    Our virtual information session is a live presentation from a USC Viterbi admission counselor designed for prospective transfer students and their family members to learn more about the USC Viterbi undergraduate experience. Our session will cover an overview of our undergraduate engineering programs, the application process, and more on student life. Guests will be able to ask questions and engage in further discussion toward the end of the session.

    Please Register Here!

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Viterbi Admission

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  • MEGA Student Speaker Series #10: Jasmine Persephone Jupiter

    Fri, Mar 19, 2021 @ 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Student Activity


    Are you a student in the games industry and want to learn about unionization? This Friday, March 19 at 5:00 PM PST, Jasmine Persephone Jupiter will be explaining the basics of labor organizing as well as giving a brief overview of the history of the movement for a games union. Jasmine will be presenting alongside Robin Trach, a fellow organizer with Game Workers of Southern California, former head of MEGA, and a representative from Code-CWA (the initiative that recently organized the union at Google!).

    Why is unionization important? If you're looking to work in the games industry, you may already be familiar with the expectations of 100-hour crunch weeks, high turnover, and pay gaps. The unionization effort aims to protect workers in the game industry and push for better working conditions. The Game Workers of Southern California is one such group dedicated to this cause.

    Game Workers of Southern California (GWSC) is a volunteer-based group of game workers and labor organizers in Los Angeles, Orange County, and the greater Southern California region.

    Zoom link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/97822819137?pwd=ZXg1MjRNK29MeEw4UjlVWlZkelZ1QT09
    Meeting ID: 978 2281 9137
    Passcode: 031921

    For any questions, please email megamesusc@gmail.com or reach out to us via our socials:
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/USCMEGA
    Discord: https://discord.gg/4rDUD6H
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/MEGA_USC
    Website: www.uscmega.org

    Best,
    MEGA

    Location: Online - Zoom

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: USC MEGA

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