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SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT
Events for the 3rd week of August
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Six Sigma Green Belt for Process ImprovementTue, Aug 15, 2023 @ 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Executive Education
University Calendar
USC Viterbi School of Engineering's Six Sigma Green Belt for Process Improvement, offered in partnership with the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, allows professionals to learn how to integrate principles of business, statistics, and engineering to achieve tangible results.
Master the use of Six Sigma to quantify the critical quality issues in your company. Once the issues have been quantified, statistics can be applied to provide probabilities of success and failure. Six Sigma methods increase productivity and enhance quality. As a USC Six Sigma Green Belt, you will be equipped to support and champion a Six Sigma implementation in your organization.
To earn the USC Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate, you will be required to pass the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineer's green belt exam.Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) -
Audiences: Registered Participants
Contact: Karen Escobar
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PhD Thesis Defense - Basileal Yoseph Imana
Tue, Aug 15, 2023 @ 11:00 AM - 01:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
University Calendar
PhD Thesis Defense - Basileal Yoseph Imana
Committee Members: John Heidemann (Chair), Aleksandra Korolova, Bistra Dilkina, Phebe Vayanos
Title: Platform Supported And Privacy Preserving Auditing of Social Media Algorithms For Public Interest
Abstract:
Social media platforms are entering a new era of increasing scrutiny by public interest groups and regulators. One reason for the increased scrutiny is platform induced bias in how they deliver ads for life opportunities with legal protections against discrimination. Platforms use relevance estimator algorithms to optimize the delivery of ads. Such algorithms are proprietary and therefore opaque to outside evaluation, and early evidence suggests these algorithms may be biased or discriminatory. In response to such risks, the U.S. and the E.U. have proposed policies to allow researchers to audit platforms while protecting users privacy and platforms proprietary information. Currently, no technical solution exists for implementing such audits with rigorous privacy protections and without putting significant constraints on researchers. In this work, our thesis is that relevance estimator algorithms bias the delivery of opportunity ads, but new auditing methods can detect that bias while preserving privacy.
We support our thesis statement through three studies. In the first study, we propose a black box method for measuring gender bias in the delivery of job ads with a novel control for differences in job qualification, as well as other confounding factors that influence ad delivery. Controlling for qualification is necessary since qualification is a legally acceptable factor to target ads with, and we must separate it from bias introduced by platforms algorithms. We apply our method to Meta and LinkedIn, and demonstrate that Metas relevance estimators result in discriminatory delivery of job ads by gender. In our second study, we design a black box methodology that is the first to propose a means to draw out potential racial bias in the delivery of education ads. Our method employs a pair of ads that are seemingly identical education opportunities but one is of inferior quality tied with a historical societal disparity that ad delivery algorithms may propagate. We also develop a method for auditing ad delivery using inferred race that handles uncertainty in inference. Using inferred race is useful to address the lack of access to race attributes that is a growing challenge for auditing racial bias in ad delivery. We evaluate Metas delivery of education ads with both known and inferred race. When race is known, we demonstrate Metas relevance estimators racially bias the delivery of education ads. We then show, when race is inferred, inference error makes the test for bias in ad delivery less sensitive to small amounts of bias. Going beyond the domain specific and black box methods we used in our first two studies, our final study proposes a novel platform supported framework to allow researchers to audit relevance estimators that is generalizable to studying various categories of ads, demographic attributes and target platforms. The framework allows auditors to get privileged query access to platforms relevance estimators to audit for bias in the algorithms while preserving the privacy interests of users and platforms. Overall, our first two studies show relevance estimator algorithms bias the delivery of job and education ads, and thus motivate making these algorithms the target of platform supported auditing in our third study. Our work demonstrates a platform supported means to audit these algorithms is the key to increasing public oversight over ad platforms while rigorously protecting privacyLocation: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 213
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Melissa Ochoa
Event Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/93768511444?pwd=dDZTVjdyM0trSE1Qc2dqQ2hMcWNxUT09
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DEN@Viterbi - Online Graduate Engineering Virtual Information Session
Tue, Aug 15, 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/r8c2ba133bd76ff602b3631382b60a9b0
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Corporate & Professional Programs
Event Link: https://uscviterbi.webex.com/weblink/register/r8c2ba133bd76ff602b3631382b60a9b0
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Six Sigma Green Belt for Process Improvement
Wed, Aug 16, 2023 @ 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Executive Education
University Calendar
USC Viterbi School of Engineering's Six Sigma Green Belt for Process Improvement, offered in partnership with the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, allows professionals to learn how to integrate principles of business, statistics, and engineering to achieve tangible results.
Master the use of Six Sigma to quantify the critical quality issues in your company. Once the issues have been quantified, statistics can be applied to provide probabilities of success and failure. Six Sigma methods increase productivity and enhance quality. As a USC Six Sigma Green Belt, you will be equipped to support and champion a Six Sigma implementation in your organization.
To earn the USC Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate, you will be required to pass the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineer's green belt exam.Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) -
Audiences: Registered Participants
Contact: Karen Escobar
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PhD Thesis Defense - Guillermo Baltra
Wed, Aug 16, 2023 @ 09:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
University Calendar
PhD Thesis Defense - Guillermo Baltra
Committee Members: John Heidemann (Chair), Ramesh Govindan, Antonio Ortega
Title: Improving network reliability using a formal definition of the Internet core
Abstract: After 50 years, the Internet is still defined as a collection of interconnected networks. Yet seamless, universal connectivity is challenged in several ways. Political pressure threatens fragmentation due to de peering, architectural changes such as carrier grade NAT, the cloud makes connectivity indirect, firewalls impede connectivity, and operational problems and commercial disputes all challenge the idea of a single set of interconnected networks. We propose that a new, conceptual definition of the Internet core helps disambiguate questions in analysis of network reliability and address space usage.
We prove this statement through three studies. First, we improve coverage of outage detection by dealing with sparse sections of the Internet, increasing from a nominal 67 percent responsive 24 blocks coverage to 96 percent of the responsive Internet. Second, we provide a new definition of the Internet core, and use it to resolve partial reachability ambiguities. We show that the Internet today has peninsulas of persistent, partial connectivity, and that some outages cause islands where the Internet at the site is up, but partitioned from the main Internet. Finally, we use our definition to identify ISP trends, with applications to policy and improving outage detection accuracy. We show how these studies together thoroughly prove our thesis statement. We provide a new conceptual definition of the Internet core in our second study about partial reachability. We use our definition in our first and second studies to disambiguate questions about network reliability and in our third study, to ISP address space usage dynamics.
Location: Charles Lee Powell Hall (PHE) - 325
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Melissa Ochoa
Event Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/93940091161?pwd=S0tzNms2OW5EWTgzWFhtd3lSUlNudz09
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PhD Thesis Proposal - Nicolaas Weideman
Wed, Aug 16, 2023 @ 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
University Calendar
PhD Thesis Proposal - Nicolaas Weideman
Committee Members: Jelena Mirkovic (chair), Christophe Hauser, William Halfond, Mukund Raghothaman, Srivatsan Ravi, Peter Beerel
Title: Improving the Security of Modern Software Systems through Binary Program Analysis with Semantic Understanding, Automated Vulnerability Discovery and Non-disruptive Patching
Abstract: With the ever increasing reliance of the modern world on software systems, the frequency and impact of cyberattacks have greatly increased as well. Software must be analyzed thoroughly to evaluate its security, as vulnerabilities in software can have devastating consequences such as compromised privacy of users, shutdown of infrastructure and significant business losses, and even pose threat to human life. In this thesis we introduce our contributions toward addressing the challenges existing in software security evaluation. It is widely accepted that when evaluating the security of software, analyzing the source code is insufficient. We leverage and extend the field of binary program analysis in three key domains crucial for software security. These domains are semantic understanding, automated vulnerability discovery and nondisruptive patching. Jointly our contributions improve the field of binary program analysis in a threefold manner. We enable analysts to gain a deeper understanding of the program under analysis through extracting high level semantics. We design and implement a new approach for automated and precise vulnerability discovery. We automate vulnerability patching to secure software. Each of these directions independently pushes the boundaries of what is possible in defending modern software, leading to a more secure digital environment
Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 322
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Melissa Ochoa
Event Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/91332871311?pwd=TmhuUyttWEJqMWQ5NTd1cGlpZVk1QT09
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Six Sigma Green Belt for Process Improvement
Thu, Aug 17, 2023 @ 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Executive Education
University Calendar
USC Viterbi School of Engineering's Six Sigma Green Belt for Process Improvement, offered in partnership with the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, allows professionals to learn how to integrate principles of business, statistics, and engineering to achieve tangible results.
Master the use of Six Sigma to quantify the critical quality issues in your company. Once the issues have been quantified, statistics can be applied to provide probabilities of success and failure. Six Sigma methods increase productivity and enhance quality. As a USC Six Sigma Green Belt, you will be equipped to support and champion a Six Sigma implementation in your organization.
To earn the USC Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate, you will be required to pass the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineer's green belt exam.Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) -
Audiences: Registered Participants
Contact: Karen Escobar
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CS Colloquium: Jivko Sinapov - Multimodal Learning, Interaction, and Perceptions: The Path Towards Intelligent Collaborative Robots
Thu, Aug 17, 2023 @ 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Jivko Sinapov, Tufts University
Talk Title: Multimodal Learning, Interaction, and Perceptions: The Path Towards Intelligent Collaborative Robots
Abstract: Robots have the potential to transform the way we live and are increasingly deployed in applications ranging from assistive care settings to collaborative manufacturing. Enabling such robots to adapt in real time when facing novel situations, and problems, however, remains a challenge. In this talk, I will argue for a multimodal approach to learning, interaction, and perception for achieving robot autonomy in ever changing environments. First, I will describe how robots can transfer embodied knowledge across modalities e.g., touch, sound, and vision so that new robots, with different embodiments, sensors, and behaviors can still make use of the knowledge learned by other, more experienced, robots. Next, I will present results on how learned skills can be transferred from simple to complex environments as to afford the use of reinforcement learning methods that typically scale poorly in robotics domains. Finally, I will highlight multimodal approaches to interaction with people, including augmented reality and language, that help robots learn skills and concepts in order to be better partners and collaborators. We will conclude with a discussion on open questions and problems, along with our ongoing efforts to address them
Biography: Jivko Sinapov is an assistant professor in Computer Science at Tufts University where he leads the Multimodal Learning, Interaction, and Perception MuLIP lab. He received his Ph.D. in computer science and human computer interaction at Iowa State University in 2013 and subsequently worked as a postdoctoral associate at UT Austin prior to joining Tufts in 2017. His research interests include cognitive and developmental robotics, creative problem solving, human robot interaction, and reinforcement learning. Jivko received the NSF CAREER award in 2023 and is also the recipient of the Tufts ROUTE award for undergraduate research advising in 2022
Host: Jesse Thomason
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 202
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Melissa Ochoa
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Quantum Science & Technology Seminar - Zheshen Zhang - Friday, August 18th at 10am in EEB 248
Fri, Aug 18, 2023 @ 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Zheshen Zhang, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Talk Title: Entanglement-Enhanced Sensing and Data Processing
Series: Quantum Science & Technology Seminar Series
Abstract: The 20th century has witnessed the rise of quantum mechanics and its fueled scientific and technological revolution. The humankind is now on the verge of a second quantum revolution sparked by quantum information science and engineering (QISE). Entanglement as a quintessential quantum resource lies at the heart of QISE, giving rise to a plethora of quantum-enabled or enhanced capabilities that shift the landscape of communication, sensing, and computing. In this talk, I will present our recent experimental advances in entanglement-enhanced sensing and data processing. I will first describe entangled sensor networks for precise radiofrequency and optomechanical sensing beyond the standard quantum limit. Building on entangled sensors, I will introduce quantum-enhanced machine learning for data classification at a physical layer. Next, I will discuss a major endeavor to foster the transition from basic quantum research to near-term, widely impactful real-world quantum technologies: the construction of a quantum-network testbed as a distributed infrastructure to advance convergent QISE research and education.
Biography: Dr. Zheshen Zhang is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Prior to joining University of Michigan, Dr. Zhang was an Assistant Professor at University of Arizona from 2017 to 2022, a Research Scientist, and a Postdoctoral Associate both at MIT from 2012 to 2017. Dr. Zhang received his PhD degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Georgia Tech. Dr. Zhang's research encompasses a broad spectrum of quantum networks, quantum communications, quantum sensing, and quantum computing. His team harnesses unique quantum resources such as entanglement to develop quantum sensors surpassing the classical measurement limits, quantum communication systems with enhanced security and capacity, quantum networks for long-range entanglement distribution, and quantum processors capable of tackling problems intractable on classical computers. His work was recognized by an NSF CAREER Award in 2022. Dr. Zhang currently serves on the Editorial Board of Communications Physics of Nature Portfolio and Progress in Quantum Electronics of Elsevier.
Host: Quntao Zhang, Wade Hsu, Mengjie Yu, Jonathan Habif & Eli Levenson-Falk
More Information: Zheshen Zhang Seminar Flyer.pdf
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
