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Events for the 4th week of January
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CS Colloquium: David Pynadath (USC ICT) - Data-Driven Modeling of Human Social Behavior with Recursive Decision-Theoretic Agents
Tue, Jan 21, 2020 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: David Pynadath, USC / ICT
Talk Title: Data-Driven Modeling of Human Social Behavior with Recursive Decision-Theoretic Agents
Abstract: Social scientists, policy makers, and other analysts have increasingly turned to multiagent social simulation as a generative methodology for representing, analyzing, and simulating human behavior. Typical agent-based social simulation methods are attractive, because they use simple, reactive rules that are directly expressible by the people seeking to use them. In contrast, AI provides algorithms for generating autonomous decisions that can match a human level of complexity, but that same complexity is a currently insurmountable obstacle to their use by AI non-experts.
At ICT, we have developed a social simulation framework, PsychSim, using decision-theoretic agents with a theory of mind (ToM) to form mental models about others and use those models to inform their own decision-making. While PsychSim's recursive Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDPs) offer a generative and transparent approach to social simulation, they share the disadvantage of similarly complex AI languages in that much effort and, often, much error is incurred when building models in them. Fortunately, the growing availability of data about people, their perceptions, and their behaviors offers a novel opportunity for automated support to both reduce the burden and increase the accuracy of the modeling process.
In this talk, I will present algorithms we have developed and applied to two different scenarios: (1) response of an urban population to a disaster, and (2) perceptions of inequality among different national, ethnic, and religious populations. In particular, we analyze the results of applying different automated methods for identifying dynamic influence diagrams whose output matches the beliefs and behaviors that people exhibit in these two scenarios. Because no single model correctly predicted everyone's perceptions and behaviors, we had our algorithm select additional models to capture atypical cases as well. Even with a very restricted space of candidate graphs, our algorithms found multiple models consistent with many of the people in the data sets. We quantify the ambiguity in the models selected by analyzing these cases, and, because of the graphical representation, we can compare models against each other to characterize potential differences in perceptions and behaviors. The result is an automated process that not only generates models for use within multiagent social simulation, but also quantifies the degree of confidence one can place in those models.
This lecture satisfies requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium
Biography: Dr. David Pynadath is the Director for Social Simulation Research at USC ICT. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1999. He has published papers on multiagent systems, teamwork, social simulation, human-robot interaction, explainable AI, and plan recognition. He is the co-creator and maintainer of PsychSim, the multiagent social simulation framework that was the foundation of the work to be presented. Dr. Pynadath has collaborated with partners in academia and government to apply PsychSim to drive virtual characters in interactive simulations for teaching urban stabilization operations, cross-cultural negotiation, disaster response, and avoiding risky behavior.
Host: Jon May
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 105
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Cherie Carter
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Epic Games Lunch & Learn
Tue, Jan 21, 2020 @ 12:30 PM - 01:30 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections
Workshops & Infosessions
Epic Games internship program is kicking off! Join our dev team for lunch and Q&A about careers in games and get to know the team. Free food provided (while supplies last!)
Epic Games can sponsor international students. We prefer if you are proficient in C++
Computer Science - Games students are encouraged to attend! You can attend this session, or our evening session in SGM 101 (also on Gateway)
We will provide an overview of the role of animation programmers, with a focus on how they support animators and designers to build gameplay mechanics. It will include an introduction to animation features of Unreal Engine and the math and technical skills that are needed to be successful on Epic's animation engineering team.Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Viterbi CS and EE students
Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Connections
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Astani Civil and Environmental Engineering Seminar
Tue, Jan 21, 2020 @ 02:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Amr Elnashai, Vice President/Vice Chancellor for Research and Technology Transfer, University of Houston
Talk Title: Machine Learning Approaches in Modeling Complex Structural Problems
Abstract: Please see attached Abstract and a short CV.
Host: Dr. Bora Gencturk
More Information: A. Elnashai Abstract-Short CV.pdf
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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ISE 651 - Epstein Seminar
Tue, Jan 21, 2020 @ 03:30 PM - 04:50 PM
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Güzin Bayraksan, Associate Professor, Ohio State University
Talk Title: A Multistage Distributionally Robust Optimization Approach to Water Allocation under Climate Uncertainty
Host: Prof. Suvrajeet Sen
More Information: January 21, 2020.pdf
Location: Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center (GER) - 206
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Grace Owh
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Resume Lab
Tue, Jan 21, 2020 @ 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections
Workshops & Infosessions
Work on your resume in the presence of a career advisor to get tips on the spot.
Remember to bring your laptop!
For more information about Labs & Open Forums, please visit viterbicareers.usc.edu/workshops.
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 211
Audiences: All Viterbi Students
Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Connections
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Epic Games Trojan Talk
Tue, Jan 21, 2020 @ 05:30 PM - 07:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections
Workshops & Infosessions
Coding for Games: Inside Development with Epic Games | Internship
This talk will provide an overview of the role of animation programmers, with a focus on how they support animators and designers to build gameplay mechanics. It will include an introduction to animation features of Unreal Engine and the math and technical skills that are needed to be successful on Epic's animation engineering team.
Epic Games can sponsor international students. We prefer if you are proficient in C++
Computer Science - Games students are encouraged to attend this session, or our afternoon lunch & Learn session in EEB 132 (also on Gateway)
Join us afterward to network with the Epic dev team for a variety of internship opportunities in gaming.Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Connections
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Meet USC: Admission Presentation, Campus Tour, and Engineering Talk
Wed, Jan 22, 2020
Viterbi School of Engineering Undergraduate Admission
Workshops & Infosessions
This half day program is designed for prospective freshmen (HS seniors and younger) and family members. Meet USC includes an information session on the University and the Admission process, a student led walking tour of campus, and a meeting with us in the Viterbi School. During the engineering session we will discuss the curriculum, research opportunities, hands-on projects, entrepreneurial support programs, and other aspects of the engineering school. Meet USC is designed to answer all of your questions about USC, the application process, and financial aid.
Reservations are required for Meet USC. This program occurs twice, once at 8:30 a.m. and again at 12:30 p.m.
Please make sure to check availability and register online for the session you wish to attend. Also, remember to list an Engineering major as your "intended major" on the webform!
Register HereLocation: Ronald Tutor Campus Center (TCC) -
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Viterbi Admission
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Computer Science General Faculty Meeting
Wed, Jan 22, 2020 @ 12:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Receptions & Special Events
Bi-Weekly regular faculty meeting for invited full-time Computer Science faculty only. Event details emailed directly to attendees.
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 526
Audiences: Invited Faculty Only
Contact: Assistant to CS chair
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Resume Lab
Wed, Jan 22, 2020 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections
Workshops & Infosessions
Work on your resume in the presence of a career advisor to get tips on the spot.
Remember to bring your laptop!
For more information about Labs & Open Forums, please visit viterbicareers.usc.edu/workshops.Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 211
Audiences: All Viterbi Students
Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Connections
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Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and Internet of Things and Ming Hsieh Institute Seminar
Wed, Jan 22, 2020 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dimitra Panagou, Aerospace Engineering Department, University of Michigan
Talk Title: Control Synthesis Under Spatiotemporal Specifications
Series: Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and Internet of Things
Abstract: Planning and control for multi-agent systems has been a popular topic of research, with applications in numerous real-world autonomous systems. Despite significant progress over the years, challenges such as constraints (in terms of state and time specifications), malicious or faulty information, environmental uncertainty and scalability are still open. In this talk, I will present some of our recent results and ongoing work on a Prescribed-Time Control Barrier Functions framework, where the barriers and underlying controllers meet state and time constraints. The framework builds upon the notions of finite-time and fixed-time stability, and redefines the standard control barrier functions to enable control synthesis that meets spatiotemporal specifications. The efficacy of the approach is illustrated via a spatiotemporal motion planning scenario.
Biography: Dimitra Panagou received the Diploma and PhD degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, in 2006 and 2012, respectively. Since September 2014 she has been an Assistant Professor with the Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan. Prior to joining the University of Michigan, she was a postdoctoral research associate with the Coordinated Science Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (2012-2014), a visiting research scholar with the GRASP Lab, University of Pennsylvania (June 2013, fall 2010) and a visiting research scholar with the University of Delaware, Mechanical Engineering Department (spring 2009).
Dr. Panagou's research program emphasizes in the exploration, development, and implementation of control and estimation methods in order to address real-world problems via provably correct solutions. Her research spans the areas of nonlinear systems and control; multi-agent systems and networks; motion and path planning; human-robot interaction; navigation, guidance, and control of aerospace vehicles. She is particularly interested in the development of provably correct methods for the safe and secure (resilient) operation of autonomous systems in complex missions, with applications in robot/sensor networks and multi-vehicle systems (ground, marine, aerial, space). Dr. Panagou is a recipient of a NASA Early Career Faculty Award, of an AFOSR Young Investigator Award, and a Senior Member of the IEEE and the AIAA. More details: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~dpanagou/research/index.html
Host: Paul Bogdan, pbogdan@usc.edu
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Talyia White
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AME Seminar
Wed, Jan 22, 2020 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Roger Ghanem, USC
Talk Title: Probabilistic Learning on Manifolds: The Small Data Challenge
Abstract: As the pace of technological innovation and scientific discovery continues to grow, so does the interest in accelerating their integration. We are thus, increasingly, faced with the task of product development without the benefit of hindsight or historical failures. Examples of this evolving paradigm include new materials and novel configurations of complicated systems with complex behavior. This challenge is exacerbated by the growing interactions between technological and socio-economic systems where failure of a technological component can have implications on social trends and public policy, thus highlighting the need to characterize extreme events both for each component and at the system level. The standard paradigm of mapping knowledge into engineered systems where new systems are essentially construed as perturbations of older systems is not equipped for these emerging requirements. Recent approaches under the general heading of Machine Learning (ML) are motivated by the explosion in sensing technologies. Fundamental advances in these ML methods are being realized at the interface of data science and physics constraints.
In this talk I will describe a recent effort within my group along these ML lines. I will focus on one particular approach, the Probabilistic Learning on Manifolds (PMoL), which is relevant under conditions of small data. This approach aims to augment a (small) training dataset with realizations that share with it some key features making these realizations credible surrogates of the original data. These features consist of 1) co-location on a manifold, and 2) statistical consistency. Thus as a first step, we associated a manifold with the training set, that we believe represents all the fundamental constraints (such as physics). We rely on diffusion maps constructs to delineate the manifold. Construed as fluctuating within this manifold, the training dataset is statistically more significant. As a second step, we generate samples on the manifold that have the same probability distribution as the training set. To this end, we construct a projected Ito equation whose invariant measure is that of the training set, and whose samples are constrained to the manifold.
I will show how the above ideas are used as building blocks in a scramjet optimization problem and the design of a digital twin for a structural composite.
Host: AME Department
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
Location: James H. Zumberge Hall Of Science (ZHS) - 159
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tessa Yao
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
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CAIS Seminar: Nikos Trichakis (MIT) - Data-driven Methods to Improve Organ Allocation for Transplantation
Wed, Jan 22, 2020 @ 04:15 PM - 05:15 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Nikos Trichakis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Talk Title: Data-driven Methods to Improve Organ Allocation for Transplantation
Series: USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society (CAIS) Seminar Series
Abstract: Current organ distribution and allocation policies have resulted in persistent disparities in access to donated organs for transplantation across different waitlisted candidates based on their geographic location, sex, and/or disease. We discuss a novel optimization scheme that leverages machine learning and simulation techniques to devise allocation policies that could alleviate these disparities and allow for a more efficient use of donated organs in the United States. We find that our proposed allocation policies could provide substantial waitlist mortality reduction (of the order of 20% for end-stage liver disease patients), while providing a more equitable organ access in comparison with other proposals.
This lecture satisfies requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium.
Biography: Nikos Trichakis is an Associate Professor of Operations Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. His research interests include optimization under uncertainty, data-driven optimization and analytics, with application in healthcare, supply chain management, and finance. Trichakis is also interested in the interplay of fairness and efficiency in resource allocation problems and operations, and the inherent tradeoffs that arise in balancing these objectives.
Host: USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society (CAIS)
Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Computer Science Department
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Engineering Honors Program Information Session 2
Wed, Jan 22, 2020 @ 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs
Workshops & Infosessions
Interested in becoming part of the W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Program? If so, please join the honors program faculty as they present information on the Engineering Honors Program. Come learn about the research and innovation track opportunities. Refreshments will be served. We look forward to seeing you there!
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Viterbi Undergraduate Programs
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CS Colloquium: Nanyun Peng (USC / ISI) - From Language Understanding to Creative Generation
Thu, Jan 23, 2020 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Nanyun Peng, USC / ISI
Talk Title: From Language Understanding to Creative Generation
Series: CS Colloquium
Abstract: Recent advances in data-driven approaches have demonstrated appealing results in generating natural languages in applications like machine translation and summarization. However, when the generation tasks are open-ended and the content is under-specified, existing techniques struggle to generate coherent and creative sentences. This happens because the generation models are trained to capture the surface form (i.e. sequences of words), rather than the underlying semantics and discourse structures. Moreover, composing creative pieces such as puns, poems, and stories require deviating from the norm, whereas existing generation approaches seek to mimic the norm and thus are unlikely to lead to truly novel, creative composition. In this talk, I will present several of our recent works related to creative story and pun generation, emphasizing the importance of understanding and control for creative generation.
This lecture satisfies requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium
Biography: Nanyun Peng is a Research Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southern California, and a Research Lead at the Information Sciences Institute. She received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University. Her research focuses on creative language generation, and the robustness and generalizability of natural language understanding, with works being featured in major tech media such as Wired and The Register. Nanyun received a Google Anita Borg Scholarship, a Fred Jelinek Fellowship, and multiple DARPA, IARPA, and NIH grants. She has backgrounds in Linguistics and Economics and held BAs in both.
Host: Xiang Ren
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Assistant to CS chair
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CS Distinguished Lecture: Manuela Veloso (JP Morgan) - AI for Intelligent Financial Services: Examples and Discussion
Thu, Jan 23, 2020 @ 04:00 PM - 05:20 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Manuela Veloso, JPMorgan AI Research, on leave: Herbert A. Simon University Professor School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University
Talk Title: AI for Intelligent Financial Services: Examples and Discussion
Series: Computer Science Distinguished Lecture Series
Abstract: After more than 30 years in academia researching in the area of AI, as a student and as a faculty, I joined JPMorgan to create and head an AI research group. In this talk, I will present several concrete examples of the projects we are pursuing in engagement with the lines of business. I will focus on areas related to data, learning from experience, explainability, and ethics. I will conclude with a discussion of my current understanding of the transformational impact that AI can have in the future of financial services.
This lecture satisfies requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium.
Biography: Manuela M. Veloso is the Head of J.P. Morgan AI Research, which pursues fundamental research in areas of core relevance to financial services, including data mining and cryptography, machine learning, explainability, and human-AI interaction. J.P. Morgan AI Research partners with applied data analytics teams across the firm as well as with leading academic institutions globally.
Professor Veloso is on leave from Carnegie Mellon University as the Herbert A. Simon University Professor in the School of Computer Science, and the past Head of the Machine Learning Department. With her students, she had led research in AI, with a focus on robotics and machine learning, having concretely researched and developed a variety of autonomous robots, including teams of soccer robots, and mobile service robots. Her robot soccer teams have been RoboCup world champions several times, and the CoBot mobile robots have autonomously navigated for more than 1,000km in university buildings.
Professor Veloso is the Past President of AAAI, (the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence), and the co-founder, Trustee, and Past President of RoboCup. Professor Veloso has been recognized with a multiple honors, including being a Fellow of the ACM, IEEE, AAAS, and AAAI. She is the recipient of several best paper awards, the Einstein Chair of the Chinese Academy of Science, the ACM/SIGART Autonomous Agents Research Award, an NSF Career Award, and the Allen Newell Medal for Excellence in Research.
Professor Veloso earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Instituto Superior Tecnico in Lisbon, Portugal, a Master of Arts in Computer Science from Boston University, and Master of Science and PhD in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University. See www.cs.cmu.edu/~mmv/Veloso.html for her scientific publications.
Host: Maja Mataric and Heather Culbertson
Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 101
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Computer Science Department
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Preparing for the Engineering Career Fair Open Forum
Thu, Jan 23, 2020 @ 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections
Workshops & Infosessions
Increase your preparedness for the Engineering Career Fair by attending this professional development Q&A moderated by Viterbi Career Connections staff or Viterbi employer partners.
For more information about Labs & Open Forums, please visit viterbicareers.usc.edu/workshops.
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 211
Audiences: All Viterbi
Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Connections
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Munushian Lecture - Raymond Beausoleil, Friday, January 24th at 2pm in EEB 132
Fri, Jan 24, 2020 @ 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Raymond G. Beausoleil, Hewlett Packard Labs, Palo Alto, CA
Talk Title: Large-Scale Integrated Photonics for Accelerated Communication and Computing
Abstract: The massive explosion in data acquisition, processing, and archiving, hindered by the end of Moore's Law, creates an opportunity for a complete redesign of the information technology stack, including hardware system architectures,
devices, networks, and software to enable future computing systems with multi-exascale performance-”and beyond. Key
to success in this challenging endeavor will be the paradigm shift of moving from a processor-centric to a memory-centric
approach. Architectural changes are necessary to overcome the limitations of the traditional compute-centric model, and will
require new network layouts (e.g., Hyper-X) and new high-performance memory-addressing protocols (e.g., Gen-Z) that rely on a high-bandwidth and energy-efficient photonic interconnect. We will describe the state-of-the-art in datacom photonics and present the advances that will be necessary-”and are already appearing in R&D laboratories-”to enable memory-centric computing at scale.
Memory-centric computing would be an ideal heterogeneous platform for in-memory hardware accelerators that can be
brought to bear on specific problems of scientific, engineering, or industrial interest. Ideally, a mature software ecosystem would simplify the design of a plug-and-play network interface that would allow users to compare the performance of the most advanced accelerators. We will describe such an accelerator-”a coherent optical Ising machine-”that targets NP-hard problems that scale exponentially as a function of system size and are common to applications such as traffic flow optimization, supply chain management, airline scheduling, and DNA sequencing. Optical Ising machines based on symmetry-breaking in pulsed optical parametric oscillators have already been shown to outperform a commercially-available quantum annealer, and there is good reason to believe that integrated photonic implementations of this approach can achieve similar results.
Biography: Ray Beausoleil is a Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Senior Fellow and a Senior Vice President, and an Adjunct Professor of Applied Physics at Stanford University. At HPE, he leads the Large-Scale Integrated Photonics research group, and is responsible for research on the applications of optics at the micro/nanoscale to high-performance classical and quantum information processing. His current projects include photonic interconnects for exascale computing, and low-power complex nanophotonic circuits. Ray received the Bachelor of Science with Honors in Physics from the California Institute of Technology in 1980, and his Ph.D. in Physics from Stanford in 1986 as a member of Ted Hänsch's research group. In 1996, Ray became a member of the technical staff at HP Laboratories. Among his early accomplishments at HP, he invented the optical paper-navigation algorithms incorporated into the HP/Agilent optical mouse, and now HP's large-format printers. He has published over 300 papers and conference proceedings and five
book chapters. He has over 150 patents issued, and over three dozen pending. He is a Fellow of both the American Physical Society and the Optical Society of America, and the recipient of the 2016 APS Distinguished Lectureship on the Applications of Physics.
Host: ECE-Electrophysics
More Info: https://minghsiehee.usc.edu/about/lectures/munushian/
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
Event Link: https://minghsiehee.usc.edu/about/lectures/munushian/
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Viterbi Voices Live Chat - Transfer Student Live Chat
Fri, Jan 24, 2020 @ 07:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Undergraduate Admission
Workshops & Infosessions
Join us for this student hosted live chat! During this hour long event, we will be sharing our experiences as transfer students at USC Viterbi. We are here to answer the questions you may have about the transfer process, classes, student orgs, and life as an engineering student at USC.
Location: Zoom
WebCast Link: https://applyto.usc.edu/register/transfer
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Viterbi Undergraduate Admission