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Events for March 22, 2017

  • MHI CommNetS

    Wed, Mar 22, 2017 @ 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Corey Baker, UC San Diego

    Talk Title: When Disaster Strikes: Supplementing Centralized Infrastructure with Opportunistic Communication

    Series: CommNetS

    Abstract: Reliance on Internet connectivity is detrimental where modern networking technology is lacking, power outages are frequent, or network connectivity is sparse or non-existent (i.e., developing countries, natural disasters, and in-field military scenarios). Realization of the limitations resulting from reliance on Internet and cellular connectivity were prevalent in Hurricane Matthew (2016), which killed over 1000 people and destroyed cellular infrastructure. As an alternative, deploying resilient networking technology can facilitate the flow of information in resource-deprived environments to disseminate life saving data. In addition, leveraging opportunistic communication can supplement cellular networks to assist with keeping communication channels open during high-use and extreme situations. This talk will discuss the progress of a research platform and middleware that enables opportunistic communication and in vivo evaluation of delay tolerant routing schemes when the Internet is interrupted or unavailable by leveraging node relationships to create a delay tolerant social network. The solutions discussed in this talk further include applications related to IoT, mobile healthcare, and smart city environments.

    Biography: Corey E. Baker, Ph.D., is a University of California President's Postdoctoral Fellow in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of California, San Diego and is mentored by Professor Ramesh Rao. Dr. Baker's research interests are in the area of cyber physical systems specializing in opportunistic wireless communication for the Internet of Things (IoT), smart cities, smart homes, and mobile health environments. Particularly, Dr. Baker is interested in pragmatic applications and the fundamental issues related to real-world resource availability in today's operating systems for opportunistic wireless communication. Dr. Baker received a B.S. degree in Computer Engineering from San Jose State University, a M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from California State University, Los Angeles, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Florida where he was advised by Professor Janise McNair. Corey has served on the board of directors of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) numerous times as a two term National Treasurer and CFO, two term National Treasurer Emeritus, and as the Region 6 Chairperson. Dr. Baker is currently a NSBE Region 6 Finance Zone Advisor. Formerly, Dr. Baker was the official blogger for GEM and blogged about topics to promote success amongst STEM graduate students which included securing graduate school funding, navigating Ph.D. programs, and publishing.

    Host: Prof. Ashutosh Nayyar

    Location: 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Annie Yu

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  • Neuro-Gastroenterologic Engineering

    Wed, Mar 22, 2017 @ 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Todd P. Coleman, Associate Professor/UCSD

    Talk Title: Neuro-Gastroenterologic Engineering

    Abstract: The discoordination between the central and autonomic nervous systems is increasingly being identified as playing a key role in affecting neurological, psychiatric, and gastroenterologic problems; the causal role that the enteric nervous system may play in Parkinson's disease serves as an example. However, traditionally, the brain and GI system have been studied scientifically and treated clinically, separately. There is a dearth of approaches to use engineering perspectives to better measure, characterize, and provide actionable insight about the GI system as well as its interplay with the brain. In this talk, we will discuss our recent contributions to address this unmet need. Specifically, we will discuss our recent development of novel methods to assess the GI system with high-resolution multi-electrode surface potential recordings, an approach that non-invasively characterizes propagation velocity and propagation patterns consistent with gastric serosal slow wave myoelectric activity, which had not been accomplished until now. We will also highlight novel applied probability methods to interpret these classes of dynamic multi-channel physiologic datasets, including directed information graphs, a new class of probabilistic graphical models that provides minimal descriptions of causal relationships in multiple time series. To enable the recording of multiple physiologic time series simultaneously and unobtrusively, we will lastly discuss our development of multi-electrode arrays embedded within skin-mounted adhesives for ambulatory monitoring. We will highlight how all of these methods and technologies are being used within the context of neuro-gastroenterologic engineering and how there is transformational potential to improve health, reduce healthcare costs, and advance science.

    Biography: Todd P. Coleman received B.S. degrees in electrical engineering (summa cum laude), as well as computer engineering (summa cum laude) from the University of Michigan. He received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from MIT in electrical engineering, and did postdoctoral studies at MIT in neuroscience. He is currently an Associate Professor in Bioengineering at UCSD, where he directs the Neural Interaction Laboratory. Dr. Coleman's research has been featured on CNN, BBC, and the New York Times. Dr. Coleman has been selected as a National Academy of Engineering Gilbreth Lecturer and a TEDMED speaker.

    Host: Dr. Sandeep Gupta

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

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Mayumi Thrasher

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  • Computer Science General Faculty Meeting

    Wed, Mar 22, 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

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  • Seminar Announcement: Soft Robots for Delicate and Effective Interactions with Humans: Multi-Scale Soft Biomedical Robots

    Wed, Mar 22, 2017 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM

    Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Tomasso Ranzani, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University

    Talk Title: Soft Robots for Delicate and Effective Interactions with Humans: Multi-Scale Soft Biomedical Robots

    Abstract: Soft robots are constructed from compliant materials, resulting in machines that can safely interact with the natural environments. Given their inherent compliance, they are particularly suitable for exploring and interacting with unstructured environments, and manipulating soft, delicate, and irregular objects. These properties make soft robots particularly promising for biomedical applications, such as wearable and medical devices, given the highly compliant and delicate structures of the body. On the other hand, the compliance of soft robots limits their ability to effectively apply forces on objects whose stiffness is comparable to the one of the robot itself, leading to the challenge of matching the compliance of soft devices with the environment or objects they will encounter. During this talk, I will describe progress in soft robotics and its potential for revolutionizing biomedical devices. I will introduce a soft manipulator inspired by the structure and the manipulation capabilities of the octopus tentacle, which is able to selectively tune its stiffness to address the challenge of impedance matching. I will also introduce the potential of soft robotics at the millimeter and micrometer scales, addressing the challenge of manufacturing complex meso-scale three-dimensional soft structures using two-dimensional processes involving laser machining, lamination, and soft lithography. These manufacturing processes could pave the way for soft microrobots as well as a new class of deployable, small, and safe medical devices.

    Biography: Tommaso Ranzani received the Master's degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy, in 2010 and the Ph.D. degree in BioRobotics in 2014 at the BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Italy. During his Ph.D., he explored soft robotic technologies to develop a bioinspired manipulator, which integrates design principles from biological systems for performing advanced procedures in minimally invasive surgery. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Microrobotics Laboratory and at the Harvard Biodesign Laboratory working on different manufacturing paradigms, materials, and actuation technologies to develop novel mm-scale robotic tools and structures able to overcome current challenges in medicine and surgery. His research interests include soft and bioinspired robotics, medical robotics and advanced manufacturing.

    Host: Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

    More Info: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/3-22-17-ranzani.shtml

    Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Ashleen Knutsen

    Event Link: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/3-22-17-ranzani.shtml

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  • Film Screening of She Started It - featuring BS Computer Science Alumna

     Film Screening of She Started It - featuring BS Computer Science Alumna

    Wed, Mar 22, 2017 @ 07:00 PM - 10:00 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Receptions & Special Events


    The Computer Science Department and USC School of Cinema are pleased to bring you a special screening of She Started It.

    RSVP via: http://cinema.usc.edu/SheStartedIt

    She Started It gives a new face to the popular image of the tech entrepreneur: a female face.

    Following five women over two years as they pitch VCs, build teams, bring products to market, fail and start again, She Started It takes viewers on a global roller coaster ride from San Francisco to Mississippi, France and Vietnam. Along the way, it weaves in big-picture perspectives from women like investor Joanne Wilson; White House CTO Megan Smith; GoldieBlox CEO Debbie Sterling; and Ruchi Sanghvi, the first female engineer at Facebook.

    Through intimate, action-driven storytelling, She Started It explores the cultural roots of female underrepresentation in entrepreneurship. including pervasive self-doubt, fear of failure, and risk aversion among young women. It exposes, too, the structural realities women face as they become entrepreneurs, including lack of female role models and investors, and the persistent dearth of venture capital funding made available to women-led companies.

    Directed by Nora Poggi
    Co-Directed by Insiyah Saeed
    Produced by Nora Poggi and Insiyah Saeed

    Followed by a Q&A with Nora Poggi and USC B.S. Computer Science 2009 Alumna Thuy Truong

    7:00 P.M. on Wednesday, March 22nd, 2017
    The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108
    900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007

    FREE ADMISSION. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. RSVPs REQUIRED.

    RSVP via: http://cinema.usc.edu/SheStartedIt

    Location: School Of Cinematic Arts (SCA) - 108

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Ryan Rozan

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