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Events for May 08, 2025
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Technology for Business LeadersThu, May 08, 2025
Executive Education
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Bhaskar Krishnamachari, Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Talk Title: Technology for Business Leaders
Abstract: Technology for Business Leaders provides a comprehensive exploration of digital transformation and its impact on contemporary business landscapes. Through a series of structured modules, participants will delve into the core concepts of digital technologies, Industry 4.0, innovation, and organizational change management. By analyzing case studies and leveraging practical frameworks, learners will develop the necessary insights and skills to drive successful digital transitions within their organizations.
This course is designed for current and aspiring business leaders seeking to navigate the complexities of digital transformation and drive organizational change effectively. The course consists of five modules, each containing multiple lessons, and is designed to be completed as an asynchronous course, offering flexibility for busy professionals. Upon successful completion of the program, participants receive a University of Southern California Continuing Education Certificate.
Host: USC Viterbi Corporate and Professional Programs
More Info: https://viterbiexeced.usc.edu/technology-for-business-leaders/
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: VASE Executive Education
Event Link: https://viterbiexeced.usc.edu/technology-for-business-leaders/
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. -
PhD Dissertation Defense - Alexander Bisberg
Thu, May 08, 2025 @ 02:15 AM - 04:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
University Calendar
Title: Modeling Competitive and Social Success in Multiplayer Online Games
Date and Time: Thursday, May 8th, 2025 | 2:15pm
Location: GCS 502C
Committee Members: Emilio Ferrara (Chair), Luca Luceri, Dmitri Williams
Abstract:
This dissertation examines the continuum from competitive to social success in online multiplayer games, employing quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze player behavior and performance across diverse virtual environments. Beginning with a framework for systematically comparing skill rating models in competitive contexts (FRAGEM-S), the research progresses to novel applications of graph neural networks for win prediction, demonstrating improved accuracy and cross-league generalizability. At the intersection of competitive and social domains, analysis of communication patterns in World of Tanks clan networks reveals that high-performing teams exhibit distinctive communication structures characterized by distributed connectivity rather than mere volume. Moving toward the social end of the spectrum, a quasi-experimental study in Sky: Children of Light provides compelling evidence for both generalized reciprocity and third-party influence in virtual worlds, showing that experiencing or witnessing generosity significantly increases future prosocial behavior and game engagement. Finally, unsupervised learning techniques identify persistent behavioral archetypes—including Lone Wolves, Newbies, and Socialites that remain consistent across different time periods and game genres. Together, these findings provide a comprehensive framework for understanding competitive and social success in online games, with implications extending to virtual teams and online communities more broadly.Location: Ginsburg Hall (GCS) - 502C
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Alex Bisberg
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. -
PhD Dissertation Defense - Emily Chen
Thu, May 08, 2025 @ 09:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
University Calendar
Title: Human Behavior in Systems that Undergo Change
Date and Time: Thursday, May 8th, 2025 | 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Location: GCS 202C
Committee Members: Emilio Ferrara (Chair), Dmitri Williams, Fred Morstatter
Abstract: In an increasingly digital world, understanding human behavior requires looking at both what people say and what they do online. This dissertation bridges these two dimensions by examining how individuals express themselves on social media and how they behave in virtual game environments.
I first focus on explicit expression, analyzing Twitter data from the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 U.S. presidential election to explore how misinformation spreads and how political polarization shapes discourse. These studies show how crises intensify misinformation, particularly within echo chambers.
My research then turns to behavior, using data from two games -- League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics -- to investigate how players respond to different structural incentives. Despite the games rewarding different strategies, individual behavior remains surprisingly stable, highlighting the persistent influence of agency.
Together, these studies offer a multi-modal perspective on online behavior, contributing to computational social science and informing the design and governance of sociotechnical platforms.Location: Ginsburg Hall (GCS) - 202C
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Emily Chen
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. -
PhD Dissertation Defense - Elan Markowitz
Thu, May 08, 2025 @ 02:30 PM - 04:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
University Calendar
Title: Integrating Knowledge Graphs and Large Language Models to Improve Factuality and Reasoning
Date and Time: Thursday, May 8th, 2025 | 2:30p Location: GCS 202C
Committee Members: Aram Galstyan, Greg Ver Steeg, Bistra Dilkina, Antonio Ortega
Abstract: Large Language Models (LLMs) have rapidly emerged as the dominant paradigm in AI due to their powerful understanding of unstructured text, strong reasoning abilities, and highly general task completion capabilities. However, they also have limitations in terms of how they use knowledge. They are black boxes with internal reasoning that is hard to analyze; they hallucinate incorrect facts as if they are true; and they suffer from knowledge cutoffs based on when their training ends. Knowledge graphs naturally complement these weaknesses through providing vast, structured, up-to-date, information over both general and specific domains. At the same time, knowledge graphs have limitations, such as incompleteness and limited reasoning, that can be complemented by Large Language Models. Ultimately, through better integrating these approaches, we will deliver more reliable and trustworthy AI systems.
In this dissertation, I present a body of research on combining Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs to address many of their individual weaknesses. This includes topics such as addressing knowledge graph incompleteness through combining language models and more structured graph neural networks; Integrating LLMs and external knowledge graphs with advanced reasoning capabilities; Measuring how presentation and other factors impact Large Language Models' understanding of in-context Knowledge Graphs; and using Knowledge Graphs to improve model editing approaches for updating an LLM’s internal knowledge.Location: Ginsburg Hall (GCS) - 202C
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Elan Markowitz
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.
