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Events for July
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CS Colloquium: Aleksandra Faust - Towards Autonomy at Scale via Generalist Autonomous Agents
Wed, Jul 05, 2023 @ 02:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Aleksandra Faust, --
Talk Title: Towards Autonomy at Scale via Generalist Autonomous Agents
Abstract: Autonomous agent in the real world is any system, from autonomous cars, service robots to digital assistants, that works to perform meaningful tasks. All these applications share common challenges.The agents need to generalize well, learn new tasks and adapt to new and changing environments. They need to be competent and safe. And it should be tractable to train. This talk will discuss scaling up autonomous agents in the real world, along generalization, quality, and cost dimensions, anchored on robotics, autonomous driving, and digital assistant applications. Traditionally, we have been focusing mostly on the edges of this constraint triangle, and in the first part of the talk we will explore examples of efficient generalization, efficient high quality agents, and high quality generalists through the lens of social navigation, locomotion, and web agents. However, recent advances in machine learning enable us to start seeing progress in the tracktable high performing general agents. The second part of the talk will discuss our current and emerging work on the generalist agents, including some the roles of model capacity and data quality. We will conclude with a look into what the challenges and opportunities that future might hold, specifically how the progress in Large Language and Generative models might benefit autonomy at scale, and how the field might be changing
Biography: Aleksandra Faust is a Senior Staff Research Scientist and Autonomous Agents research lead in Google Deepmind. Her research is centered around safe and scalable autonomous systems for social good, including reinforcement learning, planning, and control for robotics, autonomous driving, and digital assistants. Previously, Aleksandra founded and led Task and Motion Planning research in Robotics at Google, machine learning for self driving car planning and controls in Waymo, and was a senior researcher in Sandia National Laboratories. She earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of New Mexico with distinction, and a Masters in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Aleksandra won the IEEE RAS Early Career Award for Industry, the Tom L. Popejoy Award for the best doctoral dissertation at the University of New Mexico in the period between 2011 and 2014, and was named Distinguished Alumna by the University of New Mexico School of Engineering. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, PC Magazine, ZdNet, and was awarded Best Paper in Service Robotics at ICRA 2018, Best Paper in Reinforcement Learning for Real Life at ICML 2019, Best Paper of IEEE Computer Architecture Letters in 2020, and IEEE Micro Top Picks 2023 Honorable Mention
Host: Stefanos Nikolaidis
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Melissa Ochoa
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DEN@Viterbi - Online Graduate Engineering Virtual Information Session
Tue, Jul 11, 2023 @ 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM
DEN@Viterbi, Viterbi School of Engineering Graduate Admission
Workshops & Infosessions
Join USC Viterbi School of Engineering for a virtual information session via WebEx, providing an introduction to DEN@Viterbi, our top-ranked online delivery system. Discover the 40+ graduate engineering and computer science programs available entirely online.
Attendees will have the opportunity to connect directly with USC Viterbi representatives during the session to discuss the admission process, program details, and the benefits of online delivery.
Register Today!
WebCast Link: https://uscviterbi.webex.com/weblink/register/r538f5b8a1456a485f4ea3aeb2544b48b
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Corporate & Professional Programs
Event Link: https://uscviterbi.webex.com/weblink/register/r538f5b8a1456a485f4ea3aeb2544b48b
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DEN@Viterbi - 'Limited Status: How to Get Started' Virtual Info Session
Thu, Jul 13, 2023 @ 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
DEN@Viterbi, Viterbi School of Engineering Graduate Admission
Workshops & Infosessions
Join USC Viterbi for our upcoming Limited Status: How to Get Started Virtual Information Session via WebEx to learn about the Limited Status enrollment option. The Limited Status enrollment option allows individuals with an undergraduate degree in engineering or related field, with a 3.0 GPA or above to take courses before applying for formal admission into a Viterbi graduate degree program.
USC Viterbi representatives will provide a step-by-step guide for how to get started as a Limited Status student and enroll in courses online via DEN@Viterbi as early as the Fall 2023 semester.
Register Now!WebCast Link: https://uscviterbi.webex.com/weblink/register/r052c4218540a2208774fe84bab7a1b94
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Corporate & Professional Programs
Event Link: https://uscviterbi.webex.com/weblink/register/r052c4218540a2208774fe84bab7a1b94
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CS Seminar: Jonathan Aldrich (Carnegie Mellon) - Gradual Verification: Assuring Software Incrementally
Fri, Jul 14, 2023 @ 11:00 AM - 01:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Jonathan Aldrich, Carnegie Mellon University
Talk Title: Gradual Verification: Assuring Software Incrementally
Abstract: Current static verification techniques do not provide good support for incrementality, making it difficult for developers to focus on specifying and verifying the properties and components that are most important. Dynamic verification approaches support incrementality, but cannot provide static guarantees. To bridge this gap, we propose gradual verification, which supports incrementality by allowing every assertion to be complete, partial, or omitted, and provides sound verification that smoothly scales from dynamic to static checking. I will describe a system that can verify first order specifications of programs that manipulate recursive, mutable data structures on the heap, demonstrate a prototype tool, and share some initial empirical results. Our approach addresses several technical challenges, such as semantically connecting iso and equi recursive interpretations of abstract predicates, and supporting gradual verification of heap ownership. This work thus lays the foundation for future tools that work on realistic programs and support verification within an engineering process in which cost benefit tradeoffs can be made.
Host: William G. J. Halfond
Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 213
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Melissa Ochoa
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PHD Thesis Proposal - Sina Shaham
Mon, Jul 17, 2023 @ 12:30 PM - 02:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
University Calendar
Thesis Proposal - Sina Shaham
Bhaskar Krishnamachari (Supervisor)
Srivatsan Ravi
Cyrus Shahabi
Barath Raghavan
Cauligi Raghavendra
Abstract:
Privacy and fairness are two crucial pillars of responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) and trustworthy Machine Learning (ML). Information privacy focuses on an individual's right to maintain a certain level of control over how their personal data is gathered and utilized and fairness aims to ensure that the revealed user information is handled fairly and equitably. Without careful attention to upholding privacy and ensuring fair representation in ML models, community members could face serious setbacks, including unfavorable employment decisions, inequitable loan distribution, and the misuse of personal information. Therefore, this thesis focuses on how ML can be employed for communities fairly and privately. In particular, it addresses the following: (I) strategies to protect individual privacy in diverse communities while employing a location-based alert system, (II) ways to determine geospatial boundaries of communities to ensure their fair treatment in ML models, (III) the design of responsible electricity demand response programs for communities.
Venue:
In-person: EEB 539 or over Zoom: https://usc.zoom.us/j/93666858332
Location: EEB 539 or over Zoom: https://usc.zoom.us/j/93666858332
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Asiroh Cham
Event Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/93666858332
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Webinar for U.S. Active Duty Military & Veteran Prospective Graduate Engineering Students
Tue, Jul 18, 2023 @ 12:30 PM - 01:30 PM
DEN@Viterbi, Viterbi School of Engineering Graduate Admission
Workshops & Infosessions
Join USC Viterbi to learn about the funding and support provided to U.S. active duty military and veterans who are interested in pursuing a graduate degree in engineering or computer science. This virtual information session via WebEx will discuss how USC Viterbi's flexible online DEN@Viterbi delivery enables active duty military and veterans to pursue their degree from anywhere in the world.
The session will discuss military funding and scholarships available, student support, enrollment options, FAQs, and more! Attendees will have the opportunity to connect directly with USC Viterbi Admission & Student Engagement representatives.
Register Now!WebCast Link: https://uscviterbi.webex.com/uscviterbi/onstage/g.php?MTID=e6374eac5ec13691216fcdd15b554d537
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Corporate & Professional Programs
Event Link: https://uscviterbi.webex.com/weblink/register/r7668dcfd9ead9e2b7d9fa628cf3595f8
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DEN@Viterbi: How to Apply Virtual Info Session
Thu, Jul 20, 2023 @ 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
DEN@Viterbi, Viterbi School of Engineering Graduate Admission
Workshops & Infosessions
Join USC Viterbi representatives for a step-by-step guide and tips for how to apply for formal admission into a Master's degree or Graduate Certificate program. The session is intended for individuals who wish to pursue a graduate degree program completely online via USC Viterbi's flexible online DEN@Viterbi delivery method.
Attendees will have the opportunity to connect directly with USC Viterbi representatives and ask questions about the admission process throughout the session.
Register Now!WebCast Link: https://uscviterbi.webex.com/weblink/register/r8f26794575597c288a2f21a96e8cfc5c
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Corporate & Professional Programs
Event Link: https://uscviterbi.webex.com/weblink/register/r0b55de6e5dc9a929c5ca8111e4bfceb1
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DEN@Viterbi - 'Limited Status: How to Get Started' Virtual Info Session
Wed, Jul 26, 2023 @ 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM
DEN@Viterbi, Viterbi School of Engineering Graduate Admission
Workshops & Infosessions
Join USC Viterbi for our upcoming Limited Status: How to Get Started Virtual Information Session via WebEx to learn about the Limited Status enrollment option. The Limited Status enrollment option allows individuals with an undergraduate degree in engineering or related field, with a 3.0 GPA or above to take courses before applying for formal admission into a Viterbi graduate degree program.
USC Viterbi representatives will provide a step-by-step guide for how to get started as a Limited Status student and enroll in courses online via DEN@Viterbi as early as the Fall 2023 semester.
Register Now!WebCast Link: https://uscviterbi.webex.com/weblink/register/r424ea7220b923ed0ea592b3c4a61948b
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Corporate & Professional Programs
Event Link: https://uscviterbi.webex.com/weblink/register/r424ea7220b923ed0ea592b3c4a61948b
