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University Calendar
Events for February
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PhD Thesis Proposal - Tingting Tang
Mon, Feb 03, 2025 @ 12:30 PM - 01:30 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
University Calendar
Title: Optimizing Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning for Improved Privacy, Utility, and Efficiency Tradeoffs
Location: EEB 349
Date and Time: February 3, 2025, 12.30 PM-1.30 PM
Zoom Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/7995244109?pwd=OUp6RWhUZlFGclgyN3hkREh0Z21ldz09
Committee: Murali Annavaram (Chair), Salman Avestimehr, Bhaskar Krishnamachari, Harsha Madhyastha, Sai Praneeth Karimireddy
Abstract: Privacy-preserving machine learning (PPML) is essential for protecting sensitive data in machine-learning applications, requiring a careful balance between privacy, utility, and efficiency. However, the trade-offs and interdependencies among these dimensions present significant design challenges. This thesis proposal explores and optimizes their interplay through low-rank decomposition, focusing on two key PPML technologies: Differential Privacy (DP) and Secure Multiparty Computation (MPC). In the context of DP-based graph neural networks (GNNs), I propose a novel training framework leveraging low-rank singular value perturbation to protect sensitive graph edges while preserving the primary graph structure. This approach achieves a significantly improved privacy-utility trade-off and demonstrates resilience to edge inference attacks. For MPC-based secure model inference, I propose leveraging low-rank decomposition for the linear layers of ML models, reducing the number of MPC multiplications required during offline and online phases. Techniques such as truncation skipping and linear layer concatenation further reduce computational and communication overheads, enhancing overall efficiency in MPC ML workflows without compromising the robust security guarantees provided by MPC. By addressing the interactions between privacy, utility, and efficiency, my proposal lays the foundation for more practical and effective deployment of privacy-preserving machine learning solutions in real-world applications.Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 349
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tingting Tang
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PhD Dissertation Defense - Zihao He
Wed, Feb 05, 2025 @ 12:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
University Calendar
Title: Aligning Large Language Models with Human Perspectives
Date & Time: Wednesday, February 5th - 12:00p - 2:00p
Location: RTH 306
Committee: Kristina Lerman (Chair, CS), Emilio Ferrara (CS), Marlon Twyman (Communication)
Abstract: Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly deployed in real-world applications. However, their ability to accurately represent diverse human perspectives remains a critical challenge. This thesis investigates LLM alignment, which refers to how closely these models reflect the ideologies, values, and communication styles of specific communities. First, I develop methods for aligning LLMs to online communities and introduce Community-Cross-Instruct, a framework that generates structured instruction-answer pairs to enhance fidelity and scalability. Second, I propose comprehensive evaluation frameworks to assess alignment beyond positional stances, including affective alignment (how well LLMs capture emotional and moral tones) and multidimensional evaluations across authenticity, toxicity, and harm. Finally, I explore ethical risks in alignment, demonstrating how minimal biased data during instruction tuning can shift an LLM’s behavior, raising concerns about ideological manipulation. These findings highlight the technical, evaluation, and ethical complexities of LLM alignment, providing a foundation for ensuring that LLMs reflect diverse human perspectives and stay robust to ideological manipulation.
Zoom Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/97020518118?pwd=mZeDv2WhswDGTouNvvWFI9NFqhO5KR.1Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 306
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Zihao He
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"Keys to Life" series at USC ORSLMon, Feb 10, 2025 @ 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
University Calendar
"Keys to Life" with Prof. Weiss is a motivational discussion series designed to promote student success and well-being. This series is for students who want to develop their "keys" in a small group setting and a peaceful, reflective environment. Finding purpose is essential to living a meaningful life and key to personal fulfillment. This series will help students identify and articulate their purpose and provide group motivation to work towards it. A unique feature of the series will be its peripatetic "Purpose Walks" through campus.
More Information: Keys to Life with Prof. Weiss.jpg
Location: University Religious Center (URC) - courtyard
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Elisabeth Arnold Weiss
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"Keys to Life" series at USC ORSL
Mon, Feb 17, 2025 @ 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
University Calendar
"Keys to Life" with Prof. Weiss is a motivational discussion series designed to promote student success and well-being. This series is for students who want to develop their "keys" in a small group setting and a peaceful, reflective environment. Finding purpose is essential to living a meaningful life and key to personal fulfillment. This series will help students identify and articulate their purpose and provide group motivation to work towards it. A unique feature of the series will be its peripatetic "Purpose Walks" through campus.
More Information: Keys to Life with Prof. Weiss.jpg
Location: University Religious Center (URC) - courtyard
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Elisabeth Arnold Weiss
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DREAM Industry Mentorship speaker series- with Anu Vij
Wed, Feb 19, 2025 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
University Calendar
DREAM Industry Mentorship speaker series connects students with experienced industry professionals from a variety of tech and destination companies who help them create a vision for their futures, align their careers around purpose, and build character in the context of growth, reinvention, and constant change. Industry mentors discuss how professional challenges present opportunities for character and leadership development. https://eis.usc.edu/dream/
This event features Anu Vij COO of Ship and Shore Environmental SolutionsMore Information: DREAM Flyer 2-19 Anu Vij.png
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 217
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Elisabeth Arnold Weiss
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PhD Thesis Proposal - Curtis Bechtel
Thu, Feb 20, 2025 @ 12:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
University Calendar
Title: Incentivizing Efficient Delegation without Payments
Date and Time: Thursday, Feb 20, 2025 at 12:00pm
Location: Ginsburg Hall (GCS) 502C
Committee: Shaddin Dughmi (Chair), David Kempe, Shanghua Teng, Vatsal Sharan, Ruolin Li (external)
Abstract: In delegation problems, a principal wants to search through a stochastic space of feasible solutions for one maximizing their utility, but they lack the ability to conduct this search on their own. Instead, they must delegate this search problem to one or more untrusted agents with distinct utility functions. The principal is then faced with the problem of designing a mechanism that incentivizes agents to find and propose a solution maximizing their utility. Importantly, the principal's power is limited to announcing which feasible solutions they would accept or reject, so we don't allow the principal to offer direct transfers of value, either positive or negative, for any outcome. Despite this limitation, there often exist mechanisms under which the principal is guaranteed a constant-factor approximation of their first-best utility. In this work, we propose three broad approaches to modeling delegation problems that address different aspects of the problem: combinatorial search and solution constraints, additive costs for searching, and delegating to multiple agents. We then show how the principal can achieve competitive approximations for several variants of each of these approaches.Location: Ginsburg Hall (GCS) - 502C
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Curtis Bechtel
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"Keys to Life" series at USC ORSL
Mon, Feb 24, 2025 @ 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
University Calendar
"Keys to Life" with Prof. Weiss is a motivational discussion series designed to promote student success and well-being. This series is for students who want to develop their "keys" in a small group setting and a peaceful, reflective environment. Finding purpose is essential to living a meaningful life and key to personal fulfillment. This series will help students identify and articulate their purpose and provide group motivation to work towards it. A unique feature of the series will be its peripatetic "Purpose Walks" through campus.
More Information: Keys to Life with Prof. Weiss.jpg
Location: University Religious Center (URC) - courtyard
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Elisabeth Arnold Weiss
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PhD Dissertation Defense - Ulubilge Ulusoy
Thu, Feb 27, 2025 @ 01:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Astronautical Engineering
University Calendar
Zoom Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/97059968749?pwd=TLYaexD3QdGGx1b67zdab6dvBarHGf.1
Meeting ID: 970 5996 8749
Passcode: 546601Location: VPD 106
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/97059968749?pwd=TLYaexD3QdGGx1b67zdab6dvBarHGf.1
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Shanya Olivares
