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• Workshops & Infosessions (64)
• Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars (36)
• Student Activity (21)
• Receptions & Special Events (15)
• University Calendar (5)

Events for the 3^rd week of October

• Oct

  11

  Viterbi Voices Live Chat - LGBTQ+ Students in Engineering

  Sun, Oct 11, 2020 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 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 speaking with LGBTQ+ students in engineering about their experiences at USC Viterbi. We are here to answer questions you may have about getting involved, why we chose USC, and being a LGBTQ+ student in engineering.
  
  Register at the webcast link below

  Location: Zoom

  WebCast Link: https://applyto.usc.edu/register/LGBTQ+

  Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

  Contact: Viterbi Undergraduate Admission

  

• Oct

  12

  Virtual Viterbi Industry Networking Event: B.S & PhD Students

  Mon, Oct 12, 2020 @ 01:00 PM - 06:00 PM

  Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections

  Receptions & Special Events

  
  

  The Virtual Viterbi Industry Networking Events connect students with Viterbi Alumni and industry professionals from across the world in an online networking event.
  https://viterbicareers.usc.edu/vine/

  Location: Virtual

  Audiences: All Undergraduate & PhD Students

  Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Connections

  

• Oct

  12

  Mattel Inc. Information Session

  Mon, Oct 12, 2020 @ 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM

  Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections

  Workshops & Infosessions

  
  

  This is an external event hosted by Mattel
  
  Mattel is a leading global toy company and owner of one of the strongest catalogs of childrens and family entertainment franchises in the world. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic brands as well as other popular intellectual properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. We operate in 35 locations and our products are available in more than 150 countries in collaboration with the worlds leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering children to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.
  
  Review links and RSVP on Viterbi Career Gateway

  Location: Virtual

  Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

  Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Connections

  

• Oct

  12

  Professional Development Seminar

  Mon, Oct 12, 2020 @ 06:15 PM - 07:15 PM

  Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars

  
  

  Speaker: Titus Winters, Google
  
  Talk Title: Q&A with Titus Winters: C++ in 2020 and Beyond
  
  Abstract: Titus will answer questions such as, why should one learn C++ in 2020? Where does it stand compared to other languages? What are the most important skills of a software engineer? How important is it to know about your hardware? How does the C++ standard committee work? What is the C++ development flow at Google? How fast does your code need to be to cope with today's needs? How to write distributed, reliable, and parallel software?
  
  Meeting ID: 971 5570 9814
  Passcode: 2020
  
  Biography: Titus Winters is a Senior Staff Software Engineer at Google, where he has worked since 2010. At Google, he is the library lead for Google's C++ codebase: 250 million lines of code that will be edited by 12K distinct engineers in a month. He served several years as the chair of the subcommittee for the design of the C++ standard library.
  
  For the last 9 years, Titus and his teams have been organizing, maintaining, and evolving the foundational components of Google's C++ codebase using modern automation and tooling. Along the way, he has started several Google projects that are believed to be in the top 10 largest refactorings in human history. That unique scale and perspective has informed all of his thinking on the care and feeding of software systems. His most recent project is the book "Software Engineering at Google" (aka "The Flamingo Book"), published by O'Reilly in early 2020.
  
  Host: Arash Saifhashemi
  
  Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/97155709814?pwd=cVNDOVVLU2l5a0h3UytqQ3A3Vnkydz09

  WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/97155709814?pwd=cVNDOVVLU2l5a0h3UytqQ3A3Vnkydz09

  Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

  Contact: Benjamin Paul

  

• Oct

  13

  Evaluating & Negotiating Job Offers Open Forum

  Tue, Oct 13, 2020 @ 07:00 AM - 08:00 AM

  Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections

  Workshops & Infosessions

  
  

  Consider best practices on evaluating and negotiating job or internship offers by attending this professional development Q&A moderated by Viterbi Career Connections staff.
  
  To access this workshop, log into Viterbi Career Gateway>> Events>>Workshops: https://shibboleth-viterbi-usc-csm.symplicity.com/sso/
  
  For more information about Labs & Open Forums, please visit viterbicareers.usc.edu/workshops

  Location: Zoom

  Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

  Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Connections

  

• Oct

  13

  A Week in the Life of an Investigative Engineer

  Tue, Oct 13, 2020 @ 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

  Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections

  Workshops & Infosessions

  
  

  Please join Heather Todak, PE, and WJE Associate III as she talks about a week in the life of an investigative engineer at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE)
  
  At WJE, our people are our greatest strength. Recognized within the industry as the standard bearer of technical excellence, WJE offers a career alongside the best and brightest in our industry. Working at WJE is a team endeavor characterized by a culture of trust and personal responsibility. We encourage open communication, continuous learning, innovative thinking, ongoing mentoring, and free-flowing collaboration. We seek highly talented individuals who want to be challenged, who want hands-on work, who want to be measured against higher standards, and who want to be mentored by the industry's most accomplished experts.
  
  WJE offers opportunities for internships, co-ops, and full-time employment. Here are some tips for staying up on the latest in WJE employment opportunities.
  
  1. Join WJE's Talent Network. (Don't forget to upload your resume.): https://www.wje.com/resources/dont-miss-an-opportunity-with-wje
  
  2. Set up a Job Alert through our Careers page. (You'll be notified when new jobs are posted.): https://www.wje.com/resources/setting-up-a-job-alert
  
  3. Follow WJE on LinkedIn. (We post jobs here, too.)
  
  4. Subscribe to WJE News. (We'll keep you in the loop on what's happening at WJE.)
  
  We look forward to telling you more about a week in the life of an investigative engineer at WJE!
  
  Join Zoom meeting here: https://wje.zoom.us/j/98272184215?pwd=YmtScExjUjI2aGk4RlFzcWhEM0RRUT09
  
  Meeting ID: 982 7218 4215
  
  Passcode: 795880
  
  Dial by your location
  
  +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

  Location: ZOOM

  Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

  Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Connections

  

• Oct

  13

  ISE 651 - Epstein Seminar

  

  Tue, Oct 13, 2020 @ 03:30 PM - 04:50 PM

  Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

  Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars

  
  

  Speaker: Dr. Mayank Kejriwal, Research Assistant Professor of ISE, USC and Research Lead, USC ISI
  
  Talk Title: Knowledge Graphs and COVID-19: An Overview
  
  Host: Prof. Suvrajeet Sen
  
  

  More Information: October 13, 2020.pdf

  Location: Online/Zoom

  Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

  Contact: Grace Owh

  

• Oct

  13

  Lyman L. Handy Colloquia - JP Maria

  Tue, Oct 13, 2020 @ 04:00 PM - 05:20 PM

  Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

  Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars

  
  

  Speaker: JP Maria, Pennsylvania State University
  
  Talk Title: Lyman L. Handy Colloquia - JP Maria
  
  Abstract: JP Maria
  Pennsylvania State University
  Host: Prof. Jayakanth Ravichandran
  
  https://usc.zoom.us/j/93139729396?pwd=UmNqVmVac1BGcEZoVEgxaGNnRzVaUT09
  Meeting ID: 931 3972 9396
  Passcode: 514283
  
  
  Host: Jayakanth Ravichandran
  
  More Info: https://usc.zoom.us/j/93139729396?pwd=UmNqVmVac1BGcEZoVEgxaGNnRzVaUT09
  
  

  Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

  Contact: Greta Harrison

  Event Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/93139729396?pwd=UmNqVmVac1BGcEZoVEgxaGNnRzVaUT09

  

• Oct

  13

  Grand Challenges Lecture Series

  

  Tue, Oct 13, 2020 @ 05:30 PM - 06:30 PM

  Viterbi School of Engineering Undergraduate Admission

  University Calendar

  
  

  Join us as we kick-off the Grand Challenges Lecture Series with Guest Speaker Professor Narayanan.
  
  About the Guest Speaker: Professor Shrikanth (Shri) Narayanan is University Professor and Niki & C. L. Max Nikias Chair in Engineering at the University of Southern California, where he is a Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering,
  Computer Science, Linguistics, Psychology, Neuroscience, Otolaryngology and Pediatrics, Director of the Ming Hsieh Institute and Research Director of the Information Sciences Institute.

  Audiences: GCSP Participants

  Contact: Viterbi Undergraduate Programs

  

• Oct

  14

  DEN@Viterbi - Online Graduate Engineering Virtual Information Session

  Wed, Oct 14, 2020 @ 09:00 AM - 10:00 AM

  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 for the working professional.
  
  Register Today!

  WebCast Link: https://uscviterbi.webex.com/uscviterbi/onstage/g.php?MTID=e3fdecc62522f8cfc54ea3d0d32ca7b3a

  Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

  Contact: Corporate & Professional Programs

  

• Oct

  14

  Computer Science General Faculty Meeting

  Wed, Oct 14, 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: Zoom Meeting

  Audiences: Invited Faculty Only

  Contact: Assistant to CS chair

  

• Oct

  14

  Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and Internet of Things and Ming Hsieh Institute Seminar

  

  Wed, Oct 14, 2020 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

  Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars

  
  

  Speaker: Walid Saad, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virgina Tech
  
  Talk Title: Reliable Low Latency Communications for Connected Autonomy: Experienced Deep Learning and Control
  
  Series: Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and Internet of Things
  
  Abstract: In this talk, we provide an overview on the frontier of research in the area of ultra reliable low latency communications (URLLC) for connected autonomy. In particular, we first introduce a novel framework, dubbed experienced deep learning, that combines deep reinforcement learning with generative adversarial networks (GANs) to enable model-free URLLC under limited data availability and without requiring any knowledge or assumptions on the delay models of the wireless users. This framework is particularly suitable to enable reliable and low latency connectivity for connected autonomy applications whose performance is highly sensitive to the dynamics of the wireless network environment. We show how the proposed framework can intelligently optimize wireless resources while balancing the tradeoff between reliability, latency, and rate. This approach presents a major departure from prior URLLC approaches that often ignore the rate requirements of the users and rely on historic data or on unrealistic delay modeling assumptions. Then, we turn our attention to the problem of joint communications and control for autonomous connected vehicles. In this area, we introduce a new cyber-physical approach for characterizing the wireless reliability of an autonomous vehicle system while being explicitly cognizant of its control system requirements. After characterizing reliability, we show how one can optimize the operation of the autonomous vehicle system while jointly taking into account the delay of the vehicular network and the stability of the control system The synergies between URLLC and control system designs are then discussed. We conclude the talk with an overview on future opportunities in these exciting areas.
  
  Biography: Walid Saad received his Ph.D degree from the University of Oslo in 2010. He is currently a Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech, where he leads the Network sciEnce, Wireless, and Security (NEWS) laboratory. His research interests include wireless networks, machine learning, game theory, security, unmanned aerial vehicles, cyber-physical systems, and network science. Dr. Saad is a Fellow of the IEEE and an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer. He is also the recipient of the NSF CAREER award in 2013 and the Young Investigator Award from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) in 2015. He was the author/co-author of nine conference best paper awards at WiOpt in 2009, ICIMP in 2010, IEEE WCNC in 2012, IEEE PIMRC in 2015, IEEE SmartGridComm in 2015, EuCNC in 2017, IEEE GLOBECOM in 2018, IFIP NTMS in 2019, and IEEE ICC in 2020. He is the recipient of the 2015 Fred W. Ellersick Prize from the IEEE Communications Society, of the 2017 IEEE ComSoc Best Young Professional in Academia award, of the 2018 IEEE ComSoc Radio Communications Committee Early Achievement Award, and of the 2019 IEEE ComSoc Communication Theory Technical Committee. He was also a co-author of the 2019 IEEE Communications Society Young Author Best Paper. He received the Dean's award for Research Excellence from Virginia Tech in 2019. He currently serves as an editor for most major IEEE Transactions.
  
  Host: Pierluigi Nuzzo, nuzzo@usc.edu
  
  Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YSl0DRVOQJetWGNAACPOYQ

  Location: Online

  WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YSl0DRVOQJetWGNAACPOYQ

  Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

  Contact: Talyia White

  

• Oct

  14

  AME Seminar

  Wed, Oct 14, 2020 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM

  Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

  Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars

  
  

  Speaker: Shilpa Khatri, University of California Merced
  
  Talk Title: Fluid-Structure Interactions within Marine Phenomena
  
  Abstract: To understand the fluid dynamics of marine phenomena fluid-structure interaction problems must be solved. Challenges exist in developing numerical techniques to solve these complex flow problems with boundary conditions at fluid-structure interfaces. I will present details of two different problems where these challenges are handled: (1) modeling of pulsating soft corals and (2) simulations of crab odor-capture organs. Both of these problems will be motivated by field and experimental work in the marine sciences. I will discuss these related data and provide comparisons with the modeling.
  
  Biography: Shilpa Khatri received her Ph.D. in 2009 from the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences (NYU). After a postdoctoral position in the Department of Mathematics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she joined the faculty in Applied Mathematics at UC Merced in 2014. The focus of her research is fluid dynamics arising in the context of marine phenomena, such as the transport of nutrients, organisms, and pollutants in the ocean. She designs numerical methods for mathematical models that she develops and analyzes while comparing with experimental data - specifically for fluid-structure interactions and multiphase flows.
  
  Host: AME Department
  
  More Info: https://usc.zoom.us/j/92600319795
  
  Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/92600319795

  WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/92600319795

  Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

  Contact: Tessa Yao

  Event Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/92600319795

  

• Oct

  14

  Evaluating & Negotiating Job Offers Open Forum

  Wed, Oct 14, 2020 @ 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM

  Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections

  Workshops & Infosessions

  
  

  Consider best practices on evaluating and negotiating job or internship offers by attending this professional development Q&A moderated by Viterbi Career Connections staff.
  
  To access this workshop, log into Viterbi Career Gateway>> Events>>Workshops: https://shibboleth-viterbi-usc-csm.symplicity.com/sso/
  
  For more information about Labs & Open Forums, please visit viterbicareers.usc.edu/workshops

  Location: Zoom

  Audiences: All Viterbi Students

  Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Connections

  

• Oct

  14

  CAIS Seminar: Meredith Gore (Michigan State University) - Wildlife Trafficking in the Anthropocene: Conservation, Crime & Communities

  Wed, Oct 14, 2020 @ 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM

  Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

  Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars

  
  

  Speaker: Meredith Gore, Michigan State University
  
  Talk Title: Wildlife Trafficking in the Anthropocene: Conservation, Crime & Communities
  
  Series: USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society (CAIS) Seminar Series
  
  Abstract: Levels of unsustainable and illegal natural resource exploitation have escalated in scope, scale, and severity. Illegal over-harvest of plant and animal species occurs around the world and poses risks to species, ecosystems, and people. Beyond the risk of species loss, overexploitation represents stolen natural resources, is associated with corruption and insecurity, human rights abuses, and regional destabilization in some of the world's most vulnerable developing nations. This presentation will discuss conservation criminology-”an interdisciplinary and applied science for understanding risks to global natural resources. Two case studies will illustrate how conservation criminology offers novel human dimensions insight about crime prevention and more responsive law enforcement in dynamic and multi-scale conservation contexts. The first case study tracks more than a decade of research on environmental insecurity, illegal logging and wildlife trafficking in Madagascar using participatory and interdisciplinary intelligence mapping. The second case study highlights illegal urban wildlife trafficking in Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo using negative space and participatory risk mapping of illicit supply chains as well as crime-place network theory and crime science. Although the presentation will focus mostly on wildlife trafficking and illegal logging, conservation criminology is applicable to other causes and consequences of environmental change, including illegal fishing and mining, invasive species, emerging infectious disease and water insecurity.
  
  
  Register in advance for this webinar at:
  
  https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J3Q9F7t_SfOF0LcL5p-KbA
  
  After registering, attendees will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
  
  This lecture satisfies requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium.
  
  
  
  Biography: Prof. Meredith Gore is a conservation social scientist leveraging concepts of risk to enhance understanding of human-environment relationships. Her scholarship is designed to build evidence for action. The majority of her scientific inquiry can be described as convergence research on conservation issues such as wildlife trafficking, illegal logging, fishing and mining. Prof. Gore received her PhD in Natural Resource Policy and Management from Cornell University, MA in Environment and Resource Policy from George Washington University, and BA in Anthropology and Environmental Studies from Brandeis University. She is a National Academies of Sciences Jefferson Science Fellow, US Department of State Embassy Science Fellow and Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leader.
  
  
  Host: USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society (CAIS)
  
  

  Location: Online Zoom Webinar

  Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

  Contact: Computer Science Department

  

• Oct

  14

  DEN@Viterbi - Online Graduate Engineering Virtual Information Session

  Wed, Oct 14, 2020 @ 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 for the working professional.
  
  Register Today!

  WebCast Link: https://uscviterbi.webex.com/uscviterbi/onstage/g.php?MTID=ee77e58de03019701d139422d3e7955ce

  Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

  Contact: Corporate & Professional Programs

  

• Oct

  14

  USC MEGA Student Speaker Series

  

  Wed, Oct 14, 2020 @ 05:00 PM - 07:00 PM

  Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

  Student Activity

  
  

  In preparation for the Newbies & Vets Game Jam, MEGA has a Unity workshop that is perfect for beginners! Come join us this Wednesday, October 14 at 5:00 PM PST for A Unity Overview to End Them All with Weston Bell-Geddes. In this talk, Weston will be doing a live code demo covering the basic concepts of constructing a game. After that, we will dive into some more advanced topics and explore the depths of Unity beyond the game engine. If you would like to follow along, Weston will be using Unity version 2019.4.12f1 during the workshop. Whether you are completely new to making games or you would like to solidify your knowledge of Unity and C#, all are welcome to join!
  
  Weston Bell-Geddes is currently a sophomore at USC majoring in Interactive Entertainment and minoring in Video Game Programming and Immersive Media. In addition to having four years of experience as a professional augmented and virtual reality developer, he also has experience as a NASA Unity Engineer Intern. You may also remember Weston as one of the creators of Left on Read, which was released in May 2020 and has over 200,000 downloads. Have any questions for Weston? Stick around after the presentation for a quick Q&A session!
  
  Check out Weston's work here: https://www.westonbdev.com/
  
  Zoom link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/93739845990?pwd=ay9vNlVkOWszMy94bG9oaDEwR1VMUT09
  Meeting ID: 937 3984 5990
  Passcode: 101420 **
  
  **The passcode will always be the date of the event!
  
  For any questions, please email megamesusc@gmail.com or reach out to us via our socials:
  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/USCMEGA
  Discord: https://discord.gg/4rDUD6H
  Twitter: https://twitter.com/MEGA_USC
  Website: www.uscmega.org
  
  Best,
  MEGA
  

  Location: Online - Zoom

  WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/93739845990?pwd=ay9vNlVkOWszMy94bG9oaDEwR1VMUT09

  Audiences: Undergraduate and Graduate Students

  Contact: USC MEGA

  

• Oct

  14

  Academic Integrity Session for CS Undergraduates

  Wed, Oct 14, 2020 @ 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM

  Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

  Workshops & Infosessions

  
  

  The Viterbi Learning Program (VLP) invites you to join the Academic Integrity Session on Wednesday, October 14th at 5:00 p.m. (PDT). Led by Viterbi faculty, the session is designed to help engineering students better understand the Viterbi Code of Integrity and how to prevent academic integrity violations.
  
  This session will focus on academic integrity within Computer Science. This session is for undergraduate students.
  
  Please feel free to join the session by using the link below:
  
  Zoom Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98027727491
  
  For more information about the Viterbi Code of Integrity, please see https://viterbischool.usc.edu/academic-integrity/. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
  
  Best regards,
  
  Viterbi Academic Services
  
  Academic Services
  Viterbi Admission & Student Engagement (VASE)
  USC Viterbi School of Engineering
  University of Southern California
  

  More Information: Academic Integrity Session Flyer.pdf

  Location: Online - Zoom

  WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98027727491

  Audiences: Undergrad

  Contact: USC Computer Science

  

• Oct

  15

  NL Seminar Natural Language Understanding for Noisy Text

  Thu, Oct 15, 2020 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

  Information Sciences Institute

  Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars

  
  

  Speaker: Wei Xu, Georgia Tech
  
  Talk Title: Natural Language Understanding for Noisy Text
  
  Series: NL Seminar
  
  Abstract: In this talk I will present some of our recent work that focuses on understanding the meaning of user generated texts and extracting useful information. First, I will discuss the design of neural pairwise ranking models, and their applications to semantic analysis of hashtags. Our best ranking model, that incorporates multi task learning and Gaussian feature vectorization, can segment hashtags into meaningful word sequences. For Example dtlaartsdistrict DTLA Arts District with an over 95 percent accuracy. Second, I will highlight the importance of training customized BERT models for noisy text and zero shot transfer learning. I will provide two case studies 1 BERTOverflow model we trained on in-domain data that significantly outperforms off the shelf BERT on the new StackOverflow NER corpus. 2 GigaBERT, a bilingual BERT we developed specifically for English and Arabic, which performs better than Googles multilingual BERT and Facebooks XLM RoBERTa for cross lingual information extraction. I will conclude with our new work on annotating data and training automatic models to extract COVID 10 related events from Twitter.
  
  Biography: Wei Xu is an assistant professor in the School of Interactive Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Before joining Georgia Tech, she was an assistant professor at The Ohio State University since 2016. Her research interests are in natural language processing, machine learning, and social media. Her recent work focuses on language generation, semantics, information extraction, and reading assistive technology. She has received the NSF CRII Award, Best Paper Award at COLING, CrowdFlower AI for Everyone Award, and Criteo Faculty Research Award. She recently served as a senior area chair for ACL 2020 and an area chair, workshop chair, and publicity chair for EMNLP and NAACL conferences. She has been co organizing the Workshop on Noisy User generated Text annually.
  
  Host: Jon May and Mozhdeh Gheini
  
  More Info: https://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/
  
  Webcast: https://youtu.be/pr1HGaE5dAE

  Location: Information Science Institute (ISI) - Virtual Only

  WebCast Link: https://youtu.be/pr1HGaE5dAE

  Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

  Contact: Petet Zamar

  Event Link: https://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/

  

• Oct

  16

  MEGA presents Newbies & Vets Game Jam

  

  Fri, Oct 16, 2020

  Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

  Student Activity

  
  

  Want to make a game while quarantining at home? MEGA is excited to announce that the 2020 Newbies and Vets Game Jam will be taking place virtually from October 16-18! Whether you're new to making games or you're a veteran with years of game development experience, all are welcome during the 2020 Newbies and Vets Game Jam! We will be announcing a whole new game jam format so that this year's game jam can take place fully online.
  
  (SIGN UP BY 10/14 -- DETAILS BELOW)
  
  What's a game jam? A game jam is an event where participants work together to create a video game from scratch in a short amount of time. From level design to art direction to programming, all skill sets are welcome! The Newbies and Vets Game Jam is specifically designed with beginners in mind, so anyone from any major is welcome to participate!
  
  This year we'll be offering both team and individual signups. For individuals, we will be creating teams based on preferences and experience levels (so newbies can be teamed up with vets!).
  
  Signups close October 14, so be sure to get your form in early! Sign up here: https://forms.gle/ViyMc1fEwFV1yJNLA
  

  Location: Online

  Audiences: Undergraduate and Graduate Students

  View All Dates

  • Fri Oct 16, 2020
  • Sat Oct 17, 2020
  • Sun Oct 18, 2020

  Contact: USC MEGA

  

• Oct

  16

  PhD Defense -Yixue Zhao

  Fri, Oct 16, 2020 @ 09:00 AM - 11:00 PM

  Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

  University Calendar

  
  

  PhD Candidate: Yixue Zhao
  
  
  
  Committee:
  
  Nenad Medvidovic (Chair)
  
  Chao Wang
  
  Bhaskar Krishnamachari
  
  
  
  Date: 10/16/2020
  
  Time: 9am
  
  Zoom: https://usc.zoom.us/j/96796759326?pwd=aTF3SnJlS3ljM1pjMkhZNzIyVGttdz09
  Meeting ID: 967 9675 9326
  Passcode: 149878
  
  
  
  Title: Reducing User-Perceived Latency in Mobile Applications via Prefetching and Caching
  
  
  
  Prefetching and caching is a fundamental approach to reduce user-perceived latency, and has been shown effective in various domains for decades. However, its application on today's mobile apps remains largely under-explored. This is an important but overlooked research area since mobile devices have become the dominant platform, and this trend is reflected in the billions of mobile devices and millions of mobile apps in use today. At the same time, user-perceived latency has been shown to have a large impact on mobile-user experience and can cause significant economic consequences.
  
  In my dissertation, I aim to fill this gap by providing a multifaceted solution to establish the foundation for exploring various aspects of prefetching and caching techniques in the mobile-app domain. To that end, my dissertation consists of four major elements. As a first step, I conducted an extensive study to investigate the opportunities for applying prefetching and caching techniques in mobile apps, providing empirical evidence on their applicability and showing insights to guide future techniques. Second, I developed PALOMA, the first content-based prefetching technique for mobile apps using program analysis, which has achieved significant latency reduction with high accuracy and negligible overhead. Third, I constructed HiPHarness, a tailorable framework for investigating history-based prefetching in a wide range of scenarios. Guided by today's stringent privacy regulations that have limited the access to mobile-user data, I further leveraged HiPHarness to conduct the first study on history-based prefetching with "small" prediction models, demonstrating its feasibility on mobile platforms and in turn, opening up a new research area. Finally, to reduce the manual effort required in evaluating prefetching and caching techniques, I have devised FrUITeR, a framework for assessing test-reuse techniques in order to automatically select suitable test cases to evaluate prefetching and caching techniques, without real users' engagement as required previously.
  

  WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/96796759326?pwd=aTF3SnJlS3ljM1pjMkhZNzIyVGttdz09

  Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

  Contact: Lizsl De Leon

  

• Oct

  16

  Grammar Tutoring

  

  Fri, Oct 16, 2020 @ 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

  Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs

  Workshops & Infosessions

  
  

  One-on-One Grammar Tutoring for Viterbi Graduate and Undergraduate Students
  
  Students are welcome to bring any type of writing in any stage of development, including drafts. Examples include dissertations, articles, papers, cover letters, resumes, and personal statements.
  
  Viterbi writing professors will work with students to identify recurring errors and teach students how to correct them.
  
  Fall 2020 sessions will be conducted via Zoom on alternate Fridays. Contact helenhch@usc.edu to schedule an appointment today!

  Location: ZOOM

  Audiences: Graduate and Undergraduate Students

  Contact: Helen Choi

  

• Oct

  16

  AME PhD Student Seminar

  Fri, Oct 16, 2020 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM

  Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

  Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars

  
  

  Talk Title: Automated Stratified Wake Classification
  
  Abstract: There has been increasing interest in how and whether early wake information coming from body geometry and initial conditions can persist into a long-lived structure in a stratified fluid. As the wake evolves, the wake goes through various flow regimes mapped out in Re and Fr parameter space. In this talk, I will propose an automated pattern detection algorithm that classifies modes from Dynamic Mode Decomposition of a wake based on criterias set by the characteristics of each regime. Wake data from both experiment and simulation are explored to improve the robustness of this classifier, especially when the flow information is limited spatially and contaminated by noise.
  
  
  Biography: Chris Ohh is a Ph.D. student under Dr. Spedding. Her research focuses on identifying traceable stratified wake signatures from various initial conditions. She earned both a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from USC.
  
  
  Host: AME Department
  
  More Info: https://usc.zoom.us/j/92144809085
  
  

  Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

  Contact: Christine Franks

  Event Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/92144809085

  

• Oct

  16

  Financial Literacy Workshop

  Fri, Oct 16, 2020 @ 06:00 PM - 07:00 PM

  Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

  Student Activity

  
  

  Financial Literacy Workshop
  Learn from Artem Joukov, a Finance PhD student at the Marshall School of Business, about key finance concepts such as diversifying your assets, fundamentals of stocks and bonds, 401k, and more!
  Friday October 16 @6pm PST
  If interested, please fill in the form: https://forms.gle/yqw45aV58HZpDt7V9
  Zoom Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/99599051448?pwd=NXQra1ZsSmhlMkFjK1MyRUhNZFFLZz09
  

  Location: Online - Zoom

  WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/99599051448?pwd=NXQra1ZsSmhlMkFjK1MyRUhNZFFLZz09

  Audiences: Undergraduate and Graduate Students

  Contact: USC IEEE

  

• Oct

  17

  MEGA presents Newbies & Vets Game Jam

  

  Sat, Oct 17, 2020

  Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

  Student Activity

  
  

  Want to make a game while quarantining at home? MEGA is excited to announce that the 2020 Newbies and Vets Game Jam will be taking place virtually from October 16-18! Whether you're new to making games or you're a veteran with years of game development experience, all are welcome during the 2020 Newbies and Vets Game Jam! We will be announcing a whole new game jam format so that this year's game jam can take place fully online.
  
  (SIGN UP BY 10/14 -- DETAILS BELOW)
  
  What's a game jam? A game jam is an event where participants work together to create a video game from scratch in a short amount of time. From level design to art direction to programming, all skill sets are welcome! The Newbies and Vets Game Jam is specifically designed with beginners in mind, so anyone from any major is welcome to participate!
  
  This year we'll be offering both team and individual signups. For individuals, we will be creating teams based on preferences and experience levels (so newbies can be teamed up with vets!).
  
  Signups close October 14, so be sure to get your form in early! Sign up here: https://forms.gle/ViyMc1fEwFV1yJNLA
  

  Location: Online

  Audiences: Undergraduate and Graduate Students

  View All Dates

  • Fri Oct 16, 2020
  • Sat Oct 17, 2020
  • Sun Oct 18, 2020

  Contact: USC MEGA

  

• Oct

  17

  Open Alpha Playtest Event

  Sat, Oct 17, 2020 @ 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM

  Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

  Student Activity

  
  

  Like playing games? Want a peek behind the curtain in game development? Interested in seeing what Open Alpha does every semester?
  
  Come playtest OA's newest game prototype this Saturday October 17th, 2-4pm PST! Check out bit.ly/oaplaytest for more information!
  
  The event will run at this Zoom link. To sign up, please RSVP here. There's more information about the event at bit.ly/oaplaytest, but here's the gist of it:
  
  When you show up, we'll set you up in a breakout room with an OA member who will be running your playtest. It'll only take about 10-15 minutes.
  
  You can come at any time between 2pm and 4pm.
  
  If you can't make this one, keep checking your email; we'll have several more playtest events like this one!
  
  This playtest event is OPEN, meaning invite your friends! We want to get feedback from as many people as possible!
  
  See you next Saturday 2-4pm!
  
  RSVP form: https://forms.gle/aRP6WKcUytcAvuJ39
  
  Zoom link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98257683949
  

  Location: Online - Zoom

  WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98257683949

  Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

  Contact: USC Computer Science