SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for February
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Epstein ISE Faculty Candidate Seminar
Tue, Feb 05, 2013 @ 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Pengyi Shi, Ph.D. Candidate, School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Talk Title: "Data-driven Modeling and Decisions for Hospital Inpatient Flow Management"
Abstract: Emergency department (ED) overcrowding negatively impacts patient safety and public health, and hence, has become one of the most challenging problems facing healthcare delivery systems worldwide. It is known that prolonged waiting time for admitted patients to be transferred from ED to inpatient beds (i.e., ED boarding) is a key contributor to ED overcrowding. Our research focuses on gaining insights into effective inpatient flow management to reduce this waiting time, and eventually, to reduce ED overcrowding.
Based on an extensive empirical study of a Singaporean hospital, we build a new stochastic network model of inpatient flow. The model contains several novel features including the service times being endogenous, and these features are critical for the model to predict the time-dependent empirical performance measures such as the hourly average waiting time and the fraction of patients waiting more than 6 hours. By simulating the stochastic model, we identify certain operational policies that can reduce ED boarding and eliminate the excessively long waiting times for patients requesting beds in the morning. These policies focus on discharging patients at an earlier time of the day. The model also allows one to study the impact of other operational policies including staffing and expanding step-down-care facilities on ED boarding. To obtain structural insights, we further develop a novel ââ¬Åtwo-time-scaleââ¬Â analytical framework to analyze the model. This framework overcomes many challenges, including the service times being extremely long compared to the time-variations of the arrival rate, faced by existing methods for large-scale queuing systems. In addition to exact analysis, we employ a heavy-traffic approximation. Finally, we discuss future directions for research and practice.
Host: Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
More Information: Seminar-Shi_Pengyi.doc
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - Room 526
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Georgia Lum
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. -
Epstein ISE Faculty Candidate Seminar
Thu, Feb 07, 2013 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Elisa F. Long, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Operations Management, Yale School of Management
Talk Title: "Patients without Patience: A Priority Queuing Simulation Model of the Intensive Care Unit"
Abstract: Patients admitted to a hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) often endure excessive wait times for bed assignment due to capacity shortages, and prolonged transfer times following receipt of ICU care. Many admitted ICU patients should instead be treated in an intermediate care unit, or step-down unit (SDU), to free up acute-care beds for more critically ill patients. When ICU utilization levels are high, patients experience shorter lengths of stay (LOS), as staff accelerate patient transfers to other areas of the hospital. In this paper, we propose an econometric model to investigate the impact of patient census levels on ICU LOS, which is divided into two components: active care ("service" time) and inactive care prior to transfer ("non-service" time). Using a logistic regression, we test whether bed transfer during higher census levels impacts 30-day readmission rates. We use nine months of patient-level data for Yale-New Haven Hospital, a tertiary care hospital with a large (51-bed) Medicine ICU. We also develop a four-class priority queuing model with multiple-server types and state-dependent service times, which we simulate using our empirical data. We consider alternative bed allocation policies that are presently under consideration, and examine their impact on projected wait times.
Host: Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
More Information: Seminar-Long_Elisa.doc
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - Room 526
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Georgia Lum
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. -
Epstein ISE Seminar
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: For Speaker Name, Contact Georgia Lum at glum@usc.edu, For Affiliation, Contact Georgia Lum at glum@usc.edu
Talk Title: "Cancer Therapy in the Presence of Data Uncertainty"
Abstract: In radiation therapy, high energy ionizing radiation is used to treat cancerous tumors. Based on the initial set of patient data, treatment variables can be optimized to attain desired dose distributions of geometrically complex shapes while satisfying clinical constraints on tumors and other organs at risk. However, uncertainties can degrade the quality of treatments, so much so that an otherwise optimal plan may turn out clinically unacceptable. We investigate different sources of uncertainty, such as imperfect setup during the treatment, imaging and dosimetric data errors, organ motion and regression, and discuss the corresponding robust convex or non-convex methods.
Based on clinical cases, we show that the proposed plans are intrinsically immune to the respective uncertainties and meet all clinical criteria. Furthermore, an extension to multi-modal treatments is motivated in conjunction with the concurrent application of chemotherapeutic agents. We show that data on spatiotemporal biological changes can be incorporated for individualized treatment.
Host: Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - Room 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Georgia Lum
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. -
Epstein Institute / ISE 651 Seminar Series
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 @ 03:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Daniel Bienstock, Professor, Industrial Engineering & Operations Research, Columbia University
Talk Title: "Robust Models of Epidemics, and Emergency Allocation"
Series: Epstein Institute Seminar Series
Abstract: In the event of an influenza pandemic, or even a severe epidemic, staff levels across many kinds of organization, will drastically be reduced, possibly impairing operations. For example, most public utilities require minimum staff levels in order to operate, at all. Police, fire and other emergency services would be severely impaired. Healthcare services, in particular, would be highly degraded. The impact of such staff shortfalls would be most severe in dense urban areas. To combat the shortfall, "surge" staff plans would be deployed, whereby emergency staff is temporarily reassigned from less densely settled areas, so as to manage the shortfall. Surge staff, however, would only be available in limited quantities and during limited time periods. Moreover, surge staff deployment levels would have to be carefully preplanned, for the simple reason that the logistics of large staff movements would likely make it very difficult to make large changes "on the fly".
The quantitative modeling of epidemics is traditionally carried out using "SEIR" or "SIR" models, which track the evolution of different population categories (in particular, infected individuals) as a function of time. SEIR models are rich in parameters, in particular the infectivity rate, p, which (broadly speaking) describes the probability that a contact between a sick and an healthy individual will result in contagion. In the epidemics literature, such parameters are treated as fixed (and known) quantities. However, many of these parameters are either difficult to actually observe, difficult to measure (post-epidemic) and in fact may represent quantities that are modeling tools rather than meaningful, "true" parameters. At the same time, SEIR models are highly nonlinear -- so changes in the parameters can drastically affect the evolution of an epidemic.
In this talk we will describe ongoing work using a variety of models so as to address, from a robust perspective, the evolution of an epidemic, and the resulting "optimal" deployment of surge staff. This is joint work with Cecilia Zenteno (MIT).
Biography: Professor Daniel Bienstock first joined Columbia University's Industrial Engineering and Operations Research Department in 1989. Professor Bienstock teaches courses on integer programming and optimization.
Before joining Columbia University, Professor Bienstock was involved in combinatorics and optimization research at Bellcore. He has also participated in collaborative research with Bell Laboratories (Lucent), AT&T Laboratories, Tellium, and Lincoln Laboratory on various network design problems.
Professor Bienstock's teaching and research interests include combinatorial optimization and integer programming, parallel computing and applications to networking. Professor Bienstock has published in journals such as Math Programming, SIAM, and Math of OR.
Host: Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
More Information: Seminar-Bienstock.doc
Location: Von Kleinsmid Center For International & Public Affairs (VKC) - Room 100
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Georgia Lum
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. -
Epstein Institute / ISE 651 Seminar Series
Tue, Feb 19, 2013 @ 03:45 AM - 05:00 PM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Satish T.S. Bukkapatnam, AT&T Professor of Engineering, School of Industrial Engineering and Management, Oklahoma State University
Talk Title: "Prediction of Complex Systems Evolution Using Wireless Multi-Sensor Platforms: An Application to Sleep Apnea Mitigation"
Series: Epstein Institute Seminar Series
Abstract: Recent advances in wireless communications and sensing technologies are transforming quality and integrity assurance in real-world complex systemsâ⬔such as ultraprecision manufacturing and human cardiorespiratory processesâ⬔from a reactive detect-diagnose, to a proactive predict-prognose paradigm. Since much of the complexity in these real-world processes emerges from the underlying nonlinear nonstationary dynamics, approaches based on capturing this complexity from sensor signals are essential for their effective prediction and prognosis. Development of such approaches has been identified recently to be one of the ten modern scientific challenges.
This talk introduces a nonparametric Dirichlet process-Gaussian Mixture (DPGM) modeling approach to predict the evolution of process states based on tracking the local nonlinear dynamic topological characteristics underlying the measured signals. The approach is applied for real-time monitoring of a common cardiorespiratory disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is found in 24% of adult males and 9% of adult females, and is considered a major risk factor for stroke and acute cardiorespiratory disorders. The current treatment methods, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) are not suitable to a majority of OSA patients. We developed a wearable wireless multisensory platform to continuously and noninvasively acquire physiological signals, and predict the nonlinear and nonstationary evolution of the coupled cardiorespiratory dynamics from the measured signal features using the DPGM model. Extensive tests employing recordings from the Physionet database and the wearable multisensory unit suggest that the present approach can predict an OSA episode 1 min ahead with an accuracy of 83%, and 3 min ahead with 77% accuracy. Such early detection can be used to adaptively adjust CPAP device airflow or the torso posture to avert major OSA episodes.
Biography: Satish T. S. Bukkapatnam serves as an AT&T Professor of Engineering at Oklahoma State University (OSU). His research addresses the harnessing of high-resolution nonlinear dynamic information, especially from wireless MEMS sensors, to improve the monitoring and prognostics of ultraprecision and nanomanufacturing processes and machines, cardiorespiratory processes, and other complex infrastructure and lifeline systems. His research has led to 122 peer-reviewed publications (70 published/ accepted in journals and 52 in conference proceedings), 5 pending patents, $4.5 million in grants as PI/Co-PI from NSF, DoD and the private sector, and ten best-paper/poster recognitions. He was a recipient of OSU Regents distinguished research award (2011), Halliburton outstanding college of engineering faculty awards (2011 and 2012), IIE Eldin outstanding young industrial engineer award (2012) and SME Dougherty outstanding young manufacturing engineer (2005) award. He received his MS and PhD degrees from the Pennsylvania State University.
Host: Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
More Information: Seminar-Bukkapatnam.doc
Location: Von Kleinsmid Center For International & Public Affairs (VKC) - Room 100
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Georgia Lum
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. -
Guest Lecture in ISE 576 (Industrial Ecology)
Fri, Feb 22, 2013 @ 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Organizations
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Sangwon Suh, Associate Professor, Bren School of Environmental Science, UC Santa Barbara
Talk Title: Life Cycle Assessment Tools for Green Buildings and Construction
Biography: Dr. Suh's research concerns understanding how industries utilize natural resources and energy while producing goods and services, wastes, and pollution -- also called "industrial metabolism". In particular, he has been studying the methods and applications of life cycle assessment (LCA), a tool to evaluate a product's environmental impacts from raw material extraction to manufacturing, use and recycling in a closed loop system. Dr. Suh's research has been supported by a number of funding sources including government agencies (NSF and USDA/DOE) as well as industries such as ExxonMobil Corp. and Xcel Energy.
Host: Dr. Bob Vos and Dr. Mansour Rahimi
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 120
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mansour Rahimi
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. -
Epstein Institute / ISE 651 Seminar Series
Tue, Feb 26, 2013 @ 03:45 PM - 05:00 PM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: John Slaughter, Professor, Viterbi School of Engineering and the Rossier School of Education
Talk Title: "The Changing Face of Engineering"
Abstract: America is a nation embroiled in a global contest for scientific and technological leadership. In todayââ¬â¢s flat world, we must act quickly on a number of fronts to maintain a strong position of competitiveness in science and technology in order to ensure a future of prosperity and security. Failure to act will guarantee that preeminence in innovation and entrepreneurship will reside in the hands of those nations that are most adept at developing and retaining talent. As Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and former head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said, ââ¬ÅIf we fail to act, the looming gap in the U.S. science and engineering workforce is a quiet crisis that will grow in intensity and quickly undermine the ability of our nation to continue as the preeminent leader in science and engineering.ââ¬Â
Given the demographic changes occurring in America, the deficiencies in many of our elementary and secondary schools, the tremendous progress in science and technology occurring in developing countries, and tightening immigration policies, we can no longer depend upon an endless supply of foreign talent, nor continue to afford the historic underrepresentation of women and minorities in the STEM disciplines. Confronting the Grand Challenges of Engineering will require that we improve opportunities for all Americans to receive rigorous and high quality educations in science and engineering. In short, the engineering profession must shed itself of the myopia that has limited its ability to benefit from the remarkable diversity of America. As Dean Yortsos stated in the concluding paragraph of his editorial, ââ¬Å . . . the realization is urgently emerging of the need to engage all of our talent pool.ââ¬Â
Diversity is not an issue that was on the radar screen of the engineering profession in America until the latter decades of the 20th Century. It was not until 1974 that an industry-inspired national program was initiated to increase the number of underrepresented minority baccalaureate graduates. In that year, the proportion of African Americans, Latinos and American Indians reached one percent of the cohort of approximately 44,000 B.S. engineering graduates. The number of women engineering graduates was similarly miniscule. While it is true that progress has been made since that time, especially with the presence of women, the representation of members of these minority groups among engineering students as well as practitioners still lags far behind their presence in the population. It is important, though dismaying, to note that industry and government have done a better job of diversifying their senior technical and management-level engineering positions than have our research universities with their engineering faculties.
Biography: Dr. John Brooks Slaughter joined the Rossier School of Education in January, 2010 as Professor of Education, with a joint appointment at the Viterbi School of Engineering. Slaughter has had remarkably distinguished career, which began as an electrical engineer and includes leading two universities and heading the National Science Foundation (NSF) as its first African American director, among many other accomplishments.
In 1956, Slaughter began his career as an engineer at General Dynamics Convair, which he left in 1960 to work as a civilian at the United States Naval Electronics Laboratory Center in San Diego. He worked for the Navy for 15 years, becoming director of the Information Systems Technology Department. Slaughter went on to become director of the Applied Physics Laboratory, a research and development facility at the University of Washington in Seattle, until his appointment as assistant director of the Astronomical, Atmospheric, Earth and Ocean Sciences directorate of the NSF in Washington, D.C. in 1977.
In 1979, Slaughter became academic vice president and provost of Washington State University, but left for his historic appointment in 1980 as the first African American to direct the National Science Foundation (NSF). He returned to higher education in 1982 as chancellor of the University of Maryland, where he made major advancements in the recruitment and retention of African American students and faculty.
Slaughter took the job of president of Occidental College in 1988, and transformed the school during his 11-year tenure into the most diverse liberal arts college in America. He taught courses in diversity and leadership for one year as Irving R. Melbo Professor of Leadership Education at USC before accepting the position of president and CEO of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), whose mission is to increase the number of engineers of color, in 2000.
Slaughter holds honorary degrees from more than 25 institutions, and has received numerous awards, including the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Award in 1997; UCLA Medal of Excellence in 1989; the first U.S. Black Engineer of the Year award in 1987; the NAE Arthur M. Bueche Award in 2004; UCLA Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 1978; NSF Distinguished Service Award in 1979, among many others.
Slaughter holds a Ph.D. in engineering science from the University of California, San Diego (1971), a M.S. in engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles (1961), and a B.S. in Computer Sciences from Kansas State University (1956).
More Information: Seminar-Slaughter.doc
Location: Von Kleinsmid Center For International & Public Affairs (VKC) - Room 100
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Georgia Lum
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.
