Select a calendar:
Filter November Events by Event Type:
Events for the 5th week of November
-
Meet USC: Admission Presentation, Campus Tour, and Engineering Talk
Mon, Nov 27, 2017
Viterbi School of Engineering Undergraduate Admission
Receptions & Special Events
This half day program is designed for prospective freshmen and family members. Meet USC includes an information session on the University and the Admission process, a student led walking tour of campus, and a meeting with us in the Viterbi School. During the engineering session we will discuss the curriculum, research opportunities, hands-on projects, entrepreneurial support programs, and other aspects of the engineering school. Meet USC is designed to answer all of your questions about USC, the application process, and financial aid.
Reservations are required for Meet USC. This program occurs twice, once at 8:30 a.m. and again at 12:30 p.m.
Please make sure to check availability and register online for the session you wish to attend. Also, remember to list an Engineering major as your "intended major" on the webform!
RSVPLocation: Ronald Tutor Campus Center (TCC) - USC Admission Office
Audiences: Prospective Freshmen & Family Members
Contact: Viterbi Admission
-
Center for Systems and Control (CSC@USC) and Ming Hsieh Institute for Electrical Engineering
Mon, Nov 27, 2017 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Maxim Raginsky, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Talk Title: Decentralized Online Optimization with Global Objectives and Local Communication
Series: Fall 2017 Joint CSC@USC/CommNetS-MHI Seminar Series
Abstract: This talk, based on joint work with Soomin Lee and Angelia Nedich, focuses on a decentralized online convex optimization problem, where each agent controls only one coordinate of the global decision vector. The agents communicate with their neighbors over a static undirected graph or over a time-varying sequence of directed graphs under a uniform connectivity condition. We propose a decentralized variant of Nesterov's primal-dual algorithm with dual averaging. To mitigate the disagreements on the primal-vector updates that arise due to locality of communication, the agents implement a generalization of the local information-exchange dynamics recently proposed by Li and Marden in the undirected case, and a broadcast-based gradient push-sum dynamics in the directed case. We show that, when the step size is chosen appropriately and the objective functions are Lipschitz with Lipschitz gradients, the resulting regret is sublinear in the time horizon.
Biography: Maxim Raginsky received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in 2000 and the Ph.D. degree in 2002 from Northwestern University, all in electrical engineering. He has held research positions with Northwestern, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (where he was a Beckman Foundation Fellow from 2004 to 2007), and Duke University. In 2012, he returned to UIUC, where he is currently an Associate Professor and William L. Everitt Fellow with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Dr. Raginsky received a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation in 2013. His research interests lie at the intersection of information theory, machine learning, and control. He is a member of the editorial boards of Foundations and Trends in Communications and Information Theory and IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering.
Host: Ashutosh Nayyar, ashutosh.nayyar@usc.edu
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Gerrielyn Ramos
-
Seminars in Biomedical Engineering
Mon, Nov 27, 2017 @ 11:30 PM - 01:50 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Aris Economides, Ph.D., Vice President of Research, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Talk Title: Human Genetics, Rare Diseases, and Drug Development
Host: Stacey Finley, PhD
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta
-
MASCLE Machine Learning Seminar: Carl Vondrick (Google) - Predictive Vision
Tue, Nov 28, 2017 @ 03:30 PM - 04:50 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Carl Vondrick, Google
Talk Title: Predictive Vision
Series: Visa Research Machine Learning Seminar Series hosted by USC Machine Learning Center
Abstract: This lecture satisfies requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium.
Machine learning is revolutionizing our world: computers can recognize images, translate language, and even play games competitively with humans. However, there is a missing piece that is necessary for computers to take actions in the real world. My research studies Predictive Vision with the goal of anticipating the future events that may happen. To tackle this challenge, I present predictive vision algorithms that learn directly from large amounts of raw, unlabeled data. Capitalizing on millions of natural videos, my work develops methods for machines to learn to anticipate the visual future, forecast human actions, and recognize ambient sounds.
Biography: Carl Vondrick is a research scientist at Google and he will be an assistant professor at Columbia University in fall 2018. He received his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2017. His research was awarded the Google PhD Fellowship, the NSF Graduate Fellowship, and is featured in popular press, such as NPR, CNN, the Associated Press, and the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Host: Yan Liu
Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Computer Science Department
-
Epstein Institute Seminar, ISE 651
Tue, Nov 28, 2017 @ 03:30 PM - 04:50 PM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Jing Li, Associate Professor, Arizona State University
Talk Title: Data Fusion and Transfer Learning in Patient Care Life Cycle -“ From Diagnosis to Care to System-Level Decision Making
Host: Profs. Sze-Chuan Suen and Qiang Huang
More Information: November 28, 2017.pdf
Location: Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center (GER) - GER 206
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Grace Owh
-
Meet USC: Admission Presentation, Campus Tour, and Engineering Talk
Wed, Nov 29, 2017
Viterbi School of Engineering Undergraduate Admission
Receptions & Special Events
This half day program is designed for prospective freshmen and family members. Meet USC includes an information session on the University and the Admission process, a student led walking tour of campus, and a meeting with us in the Viterbi School. During the engineering session we will discuss the curriculum, research opportunities, hands-on projects, entrepreneurial support programs, and other aspects of the engineering school. Meet USC is designed to answer all of your questions about USC, the application process, and financial aid.
Reservations are required for Meet USC. This program occurs twice, once at 8:30 a.m. and again at 12:30 p.m.
Please make sure to check availability and register online for the session you wish to attend. Also, remember to list an Engineering major as your "intended major" on the webform!
RSVPLocation: Ronald Tutor Campus Center (TCC) - USC Admission Office
Audiences: Prospective Freshmen & Family Members
Contact: Viterbi Admission
-
Computer Science General Faculty Meeting
Wed, Nov 29, 2017 @ 12:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Receptions & Special Events
Bi-Weekly regular faculty meeting for invited full-time Computer Science faculty only. Event details emailed directly to attendees.
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 526
Audiences: Invited Faculty Only
Contact: Assistant to CS chair
-
Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and Internet of Things and Ming Hsieh Institute for Electrical Engineering Joint Seminar Series on Cyber-Physical Systems
Wed, Nov 29, 2017 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Soummya Kar, Associate Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
Talk Title: Resilient Distributed Inference in Cyber-Physical Systems
Abstract: In applications such as large-scale cyber-physical systems (CPS) and Internet-of-Things (IoT), as the number of devices or agents continues to grow, the integrity and trustworthiness of data generated by these devices becomes a pressing issue of paramount importance. An adversary may hijack individual devices or the communication channel between devices to maliciously alter data streams. In numerous IoT applications, we deploy physical devices throughout an environment, and we are interested in using the stream of sensor measurements to make inferences about the environmental state. Due to the large-scale and distributed nature of devices and data it might be infeasible to carry out computation and decision-making in a classical centralized fashion as well as to prevent attacks and intrusions on all data sources. As a result, reactive countermeasures, such as intrusion detection schemes and resilient inference algorithms become a vital component of security in distributed IoT-type setups.
As an alternative to traditional fusion-center based cloud setups, in this talk we focus on fog-type architectures in which devices themselves perform the necessary computations using local data and peer-to-peer information exchange with neighboring devices to make inferences about an environment. In the first part of the talk, we review distributed inference approaches and algorithms based on the consensus+innovations paradigm. We discuss performance metrics such as rates of convergence, communication complexity, and optimality. The second part of the talk focuses on recent work on secure and resilient variants of these algorithms in adversarial environments. Specifically, focusing on the case of data integrity attacks on the device network, we characterize fundamental trade-offs between resilience, quantified in terms of achievable inference performance and ability to detect intrusions and threats, and model properties such as observability and connectivity of the inter-device communication network.
Biography: Soummya Kar received a B.Tech. in electronics and electrical communication engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India, in May 2005 and a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, in 2010. From June 2010 to May 2011, he was with the Electrical Engineering Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA, as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. He is currently an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. His research interests include decision-making in large-scale networked systems, stochastic systems, multi-agent systems and data science, with applications to cyber-physical systems and smart energy systems. Recent recognition of his work includes the 2016 O. Hugo Schuck Best Paper Award from the American Automatic Control Council and a 2016 Dean's Early Career Fellowship from CIT, Carnegie Mellon.
Host: Paul Bogdan
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Estela Lopez
-
ASBME GM 6
Wed, Nov 29, 2017 @ 07:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Student Organizations
Student Activity
Are you interested in research opportunities in BME? Or are you looking for ways to get more involved as an engineering student? Come out to our student research panel on November 29th to learn more about the department's exciting research labs from current BME students. It is a great opportunity to network with current students who are involved in research and learn about the work associated among different labs. As always, dinner will be provided!
Location: Ronald Tutor Campus Center (TCC) -
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
-
Can Effective Communication Transform Your Career?
Thu, Nov 30, 2017 @ 12:00 AM - 01:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections
Workshops & Infosessions
Technical communication for engineers remains a valuable commodity that will differentiate you from the pack. In today's information-saturated age, how can you rise above the noise and become a trusted and valuable player? Transforming your professional potential starts with getting clear on communicating your message. Join this lunch time discussion to learn how to take the first step in outpacing the ranks to ignite your trajectory.
Irwin Umali graduated from USC with a BS in Industrial & Systems Engineering in 2007 and the following year with a MS in Industrial & Systems Engineering. Irwin uses his engineering background to help healthcare organizations and professionals improve their strategic performance.
To access this VIRTUAL workshop, go to https://bluejeans.com/289881167 and log in with your netID and password.Location: Online
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Connections
-
CS Colloquium: Andrew Miller (Harvard) - Advances in Monte Carlo Variational Inference
Thu, Nov 30, 2017 @ 02:00 PM - 03:20 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Andrew Miller, Harvard
Talk Title: Advances in Monte Carlo Variational Inference
Abstract: This lecture satisfies requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium.
Probabilistic modeling is a natural framework for reasoning about noisy data. Well-constructed probabilistic models that combine prior knowledge with data can uncover latent structure, make predictions, and support scientific discovery. However, specifying a model and actually applying a model to data are two distinct challenges. In this talk, I will illustrate and address these challenges by presenting new models and inference methods. Monte Carlo variational inference (MCVI) is an optimization-based class of approximate inference algorithms applicable to a wide range of probabilistic models. I will present work that improves MCVI by increasing the expressiveness of approximations and the robustness of optimization. I will also present new probabilistic models developed for a variety of applied problems.
Biography: Andy Miller is a PhD candidate in computer science at Harvard University, studying statistical machine learning. He develops probabilistic models and inference methods for complex, high-dimensional data in applications ranging from astronomy to health care to sports analytics. He is currently in the final year of his program, advised by Ryan Adams (Princeton and Google Brain), Finale Doshi-Velez (Harvard), and Luke Bornn (Simon Fraser).
Host: Fei Sha
Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 123
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Computer Science Department
-
Memristive Accelerators for Data Intensive Computing: From Machine Learning to High- Performance Linear Algebra
Thu, Nov 30, 2017 @ 02:00 PM - 03:15 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Engin Ipek, University of Rochester
Talk Title: Memristive Accelerators for Data Intensive Computing: From Machine Learning to High- Performance Linear Algebra
Abstract: DRAM is facing severe scalability challenges due to precise charge placement and sensing hurdles in deep-submicron geometries. Resistive memories, such as phase-change memory (PCM), resistive RAM (RRAM), and spin-torque transfer magnetoresistive RAM (STT-MRAM), hold the potential to scale well beyond DRAM and are promising DRAM replacements. Although the near term application of these technologies will likely be in main memory and storage, their electrical properties also make it possible to design qualitatively new methods of accelerating important classes of workloads.
In this talk, I will examine high-performance memristive compute engines that combine two powerful capabilities: in-situ data processing and analog computing. Implementations of these engines using PCM, RRAM, and STT-MRAM will be introduced, and their application to machine learning, combinatorial optimization, and scientific computing workloads will be presented. The talk will conclude with a discussion of the novel error correction techniques that are necessary to make the reliability and precision of memristive accelerators competitive with digital systems.
Biography: Engin Ipek is an Associate Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering and of Computer Science at the University of Rochester. His research interests are in energy-efficient architectures, high-performance memory systems, and the application of emerging technologies to computer systems. Prof. Ipek received his BS (2003), MS (2007), and Ph.D. (2008) degrees from Cornell University, all in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Prior to joining the University of Rochester, he was a researcher in the computer architecture group at Microsoft Research (2007-2009). His work has been recognized by the 2014 IEEE Computer Society TCCA Young Computer Architect Award, an HPCA 2016 distinguished paper award, three IEEE Micro Top Picks awards, an ASPLOS 2010 best paper award, an NSF CAREER award, and an invited Communications of the ACM research highlights article.
Host: Xuehai Qian, x04459, xuehai.qian@usc.edu
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Gerrielyn Ramos
-
Epstein Institute Seminar, ISE 651
Thu, Nov 30, 2017 @ 03:30 PM - 04:50 PM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Allen Yi, Professor, The Ohio State University
Talk Title: Thermoforming of Precision Optics
Host: Prof. Yong Chen
More Information: November 30, 2017.pdf
Location: Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center (GER) - GER 206
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Grace Owh
-
CS Colloquium: Zi Wang (MIT) - Bayesian Optimization and How to Scale it Up
Thu, Nov 30, 2017 @ 03:30 PM - 04:50 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Zi Wang, MIT
Talk Title: Bayesian Optimization and How to Scale it Up
Abstract: This lecture satisfies requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium.
In recent years, Bayesian optimization (BO) has become a popular and effective approach to optimize an expensive black-box function with assumptions usually expressed by a Gaussian process prior. Successful applications include tuning hyper-parameters for neural networks, optimizing control parameters for robots, and designing biological experiments. Despite these successes, BO has been limited to small-scale and low-dimensional problems due to computational challenges with Gaussian processes and statistical challenges in high-dimensional settings. In this talk, I will present our recent work on scaling up BO from several aspects. First, I will introduce Max-value Entropy Search, a new BO strategy that improves sample-efficiency and obtains the first regret bound for a variant of the entropy search methods. Building on the new acquisition function, we extend our approach to high dimensions by learning the additive structures of the kernel. And finally, we propose a scalable high-dimensional BO approach that gives previously impossible results of scaling up BO to tens of thousands of observations within minutes of computation. We also show some interesting new findings on how evolutionary algorithms and BO are related, and establish novel connections among several well-known BO methods including entropy search, GP-UCB, and probability of improvement.
Biography: Zi Wang is a Ph.D. student at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, advised by Stefanie Jegelka, Leslie Kaelbling and Tomás Lozano-Pérez. She received her S.M. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT in Feb. 2016, and B.Eng. in Computer Science and Technology from Tsinghua University in Jul. 2014. Her research interests lie broadly in machine learning and artificial intelligence, currently with applications to robotics problems.
Host: Fei Sha
Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Computer Science Department
-
Meet USC: Admission Presentation, Campus Tour, and Engineering Talk
Fri, Dec 01, 2017
Viterbi School of Engineering Undergraduate Admission
Receptions & Special Events
This half day program is designed for prospective freshmen and family members. Meet USC includes an information session on the University and the Admission process, a student led walking tour of campus, and a meeting with us in the Viterbi School. During the engineering session we will discuss the curriculum, research opportunities, hands-on projects, entrepreneurial support programs, and other aspects of the engineering school. Meet USC is designed to answer all of your questions about USC, the application process, and financial aid.
Reservations are required for Meet USC. This program occurs twice, once at 8:30 a.m. and again at 12:30 p.m.
Please make sure to check availability and register online for the session you wish to attend. Also, remember to list an Engineering major as your "intended major" on the webform!
RSVPLocation: Ronald Tutor Campus Center (TCC) - USC Admission Office
Audiences: Prospective Freshmen & Family Members
Contact: Viterbi Admission
-
ASBME LA Lights Social
Fri, Dec 01, 2017 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Student Organizations
Student Activity
Celebrate the end of classes with ASBME's next social event: LA Zoo Lights. With dazzling light displays including 3D projections, lasers and thousands of LEDs, the Zoo turns into a magical, mesmerizing wonderland. We will be attending on Friday, December 1st leaving from Tommy Trojan around 6:00pm. Tickets are $20 and ASBME will be helping to provide transportation. More information about the event can be found here: http://www.lazoolights.org/ and you can sign-up with the link here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe2wSh5MT91WeeHiZgtMqYa_ILe0tE2wMfruNx19yXdSwCFhw/viewform
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
-
Department of Biomedical Engineering Systems Cellular-Molecular Bioengineering Distinguished Speaker Series
Fri, Dec 01, 2017 @ 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Warren Chan, Distinguished Professor Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomedical Research (CCBR) Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry
Talk Title: Cancer Nanomedicine: The challenge of targeting nanoparticles into solid tumors
Series: Department of Biomedical Engineering Systems Cellular-Molecular Bioengineering Distinguished Speaker Series
Abstract: Nanotechnology involves the engineering of structures, materials, and particle in the size range of 1 to 100 nm. These nanostructures have unique biological, optical, electrical and magnetic properties that are in direct relationship to their size, shape, and surface chemistry. As a result of these properties, nanotechnology is currently exploited in medicine for diagnosing and treating diseases. In this presentation, the properties of nanomaterials and challenges associated with using them for cancer targeting will be discussed.The discussion will focus on how biological fluids, serum proteins, and the liver influence the morphology, surface chemistry, and targeting ability of the nanoparticles in cells outside and inside the body. We will further describe chemical strategies using DNA-based molecular assembly to address the nanoparticle "delivery" challenge.
Biography: Dr. Chan is currently a Distinguished Professor in the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto. Dr. Chan received his B.S. degree from the University of Illinois in 1996, Ph.D. degree from Indiana University in 2001, and post-doctoral training at the University of California (San Diego). He moved to Toronto in 2002 to lead the Integrated Nanotechnology/Biomedical Sciences Laboratory. His research interest is in the development and translation of nanotechnology for diagnosing and treating cancer and infectious diseases. He has received NSERC E. W. R. Memorial Steacie Fellowship, Kabiller Young Investigator Award in Nanomedicine, the BF Goodrich Young Inventors Award, Lord Rank Prize Fund award in Optoelectronics (England), and Dennis Gabor Award (Hungary). He is currently an Associate Editor of ACS Nano. Finally, he is also affiliated with a number of different departments at the University of Toronto: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the Terrence Donnelly Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Research Chemistry, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.
Host: Professor Eun Ji Chung
More Information: Warren Chan Flier_ejc _.pdf
Location: Corwin D. Denney Research Center (DRB) - 145
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta
-
Astani Civil and Environmental Engineering Ph.D. Seminar
Fri, Dec 01, 2017 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Preetham Manjunatha and Ashrant Aryal, Astani CEE Graduate Students
Talk Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA
Location: Von Kleinsmid Center For International & Public Affairs (VKC) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
-
Essentials of Composite Manufacturing
Sat, Dec 02, 2017 @ 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Executive Education
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Steve Nutt, Dr. Lessa Kay Grunenfelder, and Dr. Timotei Centea,
Talk Title: Day 1: Prepreg Processing, Day 2: Liquid Molding (RTM and Vacuum Infusion)
Abstract: Day 1: Saturday, December 2, 2017 and
Day 2: Saturday, December 9, 2017
8am - 5pm
Essentials of Composites Manufacturing provides a high-level overview of manufacturing science and engineering for aerospace composite structures, focusing on prepreg and liquid molding processes, including hands-on laboratory demonstrations.
Course participants will complete a multiple-choice quiz as a knowledge assessment, available online at the end of the course. When the course and quiz have been successfully completed, participants will receive USC Continuing Education Units.
Host: USC Viterbi Executive Education
More Info: https://viterbiexeced.usc.edu/engineering-program-areas/chemical-engineering-materials-science/essentials-composites-manufacturing/
Audiences: Registered Attendees
Contact: Viterbi Professional Programs