Select a calendar:
Filter April Events by Event Type:
SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT
Events for April 28, 2025
-
CS Colloquium: Alessandro Vespignani (Northeastern University) - From Data to Decisions: Computational Approaches to Dynamics, Behavior, and Forecasting in Complex Systems
Mon, Apr 28, 2025 @ 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Alessandro Vespignani, Northeastern University
Talk Title: From Data to Decisions: Computational Approaches to Dynamics, Behavior, and Forecasting in Complex Systems
Abstract: The behavior of complex socio-technical systems is shaped by dynamic interactions across multiple layers of data, infrastructure, and human behavior. Understanding and anticipating these dynamics is essential for improving resilience, governance, and societal well-being. In this talk, I will explore how advanced computational modeling—leveraging network science, dynamical systems, AI, and machine learning—can help decode, simulate, and forecast the behavior of large-scale interconnected systems. Starting from the study of contagion phenomena—biological, informational, and behavioral—I will highlight how data-driven modeling frameworks have advanced our ability to monitor and forecast collective dynamics in real time. I will then present applications in public health and infectious disease management, where such models have informed epidemic preparedness, intervention design, and decision-making. Moving beyond contagion, I will discuss the broader implications of these tools in understanding adaptive behavior, feedback mechanisms, and systemic risk in socio-technical systems. By integrating empirical data with mechanistic and machine learning models, we can begin to build predictive frameworks that support decision-making across domains—from public health to digital ecosystems—where complexity is the rule, not the exception.
This lecture satisfies requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium
Biography: Alessandro Vespignani is the Sternberg Family Distinguished University Professor at Northeastern University, where he directs the Network Science Institute. His research lies at the intersection of computational modeling, data science, and complex systems, with a focus on contagion phenomena such as epidemics, information diffusion, and collective behavior. Vespignani builds large-scale predictive models that integrate real-world data using mechanistic simulations and machine learning to understand and forecast the dynamics of interconnected systems. He currently leads the CDC-funded EPISTORM center, a national effort to build the next generation of epidemic forecasting infrastructure, integrating diverse data streams such as wastewater surveillance, viral genomics, and high-resolution mobility data. Vespignani has authored over 200 scientific publications in leading journals, including Nature, Science, and PNAS. He is also the author of several books and monographs on complex systems and network science. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the AAAS, and the Network Science Society.
Host: Cyrus Shahabi
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 132
Audiences: Everyone (USC) is invited
Contact: CS Faculty Affairs
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.
