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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250625T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250625T153000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250623T145007Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250623T145007Z
UID:10008398-1750860000-1750865400@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:CBE Doctoral Dissertation Defense: "Reconfigurable Metasurfaces Based on Multistable Elastic Pixels" (Jed-Joan S. Edziah)
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nMetamaterials are engineered materials designed to manipulate and tailor electromagnetic (EM) waves. Metasurfaces are planar metamaterials that rely on inclusions whose optical properties and spatial arrangements are designed to interact with incident EM waves to yield desired reflected or transmitted waveforms. A reconfigurable metasurface in which the relative positions of inclusions can be controlled could yield a range of EM responses from a single device. Building such metasurfaces remains a major challenge. In current methods\, one device state is typically defined by the spatial position of inclusions absent external forces or fields\, and the other\, volatile state (or states) are achieved via application of external forces or fields to alter inclusion position. Such reconfigurable metasurfaces require continuous energy input to maintain volatile device states\, impacting device energy efficiency. A method to define distinct non-volatile device states using inclusions designed to have multiple equilibrium loci separated by energy barriers that are large compared to thermal energies could allow for efficient device operation and for reconfiguration. Each stable state would yield a non-volatile device configuration. A switching field could allow the inclusions to move from one stable location to another\, defining distinct device states. The switching field could be removed\, and the reconfigured state could persist until it became desirable to reconfigure the device again. \nIn this thesis\, I define and develop the concept of a multistable elastic pixel (MEP). A MEP consists of an inclusion (i.e\, a colloidal particle\, disk\, or chip) placed in a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) filled pore. In my research\, rather than exploiting the birefringence of the NLC\, the NLC’s elastic free energy is exploited to control the inclusion position within the pore. By changing inclusion positions in a metasurface comprising an array of MEPs\, the EM response of the metasurface can be altered in a controlled fashion. The pore shape\, anchoring energies\, and those of the inclusions are designed to mold the NLC director field around spherical or disk-shaped inclusions. The NLC molecules within the pores are distorted from their preferred\, uniform spatial organization. These distortions in the nematic director field define an elastic free energy landscape that depends on colloidal particle position. Inclusions within the MEPs move to equilibrium locations within the pore where the distortions\, and hence the elastic free energy\, are minimized. By designing pore shapes to have multiple equilibrium loci separated spatially by zones with elastic energy barriers\, multiple inclusion docking sites and device states can be defined. In principle\, the MEPs concept can be demonstrated in the homogenized limit (for inclusion sizes and periodicities much smaller than the incident wavelength) or in the diffractive limit (for inclusion sizes and periodicities similar to the incident wavelength). However\, since the MEPs design relies on lithographic processes\, for ease of fabrication\, I focus on MEPs-based diffractive devices. \nI develop and explore two bistable MEP designs\, a ‘pillbox’ shaped pore and a ‘peanut’ shaped pore. Both pores feature curved ends connected either by straight walls (pillbox) or by a constricted region (peanut). I characterize the elastic energy landscape within these bistable MEP structures for colloids immersed in the NLC 4-Cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl (5CB). I focus on inclusions (Ag-coated silica colloids) confined within pores fabricated atop a borosilicate substrate via photolithography. Pores were confined with a top borosilicate substrate via a spacer\, such as a Cu electrode\, which was used to apply an electric switching field. The required switching fields were on the order of 103-104 V/m. In the absence of the switching fields\, inclusions remained in their stable locations. Energy landscapes were explored by displacing the colloidal inclusions from their equilibrium locations\, and observing their trajectories as they returned to equilibrium. In the limit of negligible particle inertia\, the trajectories are analyzed to reveal the forces and energy dissipated along a trajectory. Experiments agree with simulations of the NLC elastic free energy in the Landau-de Gennes framework\, which show that a spherical or disk-shaped inclusion finds a minimum energy configuration near the curved ends of the pores\, with an energy barrier to reconfiguration that is smallest for the straight-sided pillbox and becomes more significant for peanuts with narrower waists or greater antagonistic curvature. This design affords control of equilibrium inclusion locations and of the switching fields required to move between them. Furthermore\, the NLC elastic energy landscape is highly non-linear. Topological defects can arise that alter the energy barriers to reconfiguration. \nWe develop diffraction-limited MEP-based devices that enable reconfigurable optical states. By arranging multiple MEPs on a surface\, I design metasurfaces with nonvolatile\, reconfigurable scattering cross-sections. I demonstrate our two-state device design in which inclusions are tuned from a lattice (State A) to a chain (State B) configuration. First\, static ~10 μm Ag chip inclusions arranged in the State A and B configurations were fabricated on Si wafers using direct-write lithography and lift-off. These showed distinct far-field diffraction patterns in reflection mode under ~630 nm illumination in air\, consistent with Fraunhofer theory. We fabricated arrays of MEP and circular pores within which static 9 μm Ag chip inclusions were deposited and assembled into NLC cells\, which we refer to as MEP cells. The near-field optical responses of the two device states in the MEP cells were probed via reflected light microscopy using a partially coherent LED source filtered to emit green light. These responses were modeled by convolution with a circular kernel\, whose outer radius r increases along z such that r = z · NA_Illumination. We successfully modeled the observed power distributions for each device state. States A and B exhibited clearly distinguishable near-field scattering signatures. Using the same cells\, we also collected far-field diffraction patterns in reflection mode under normal-incidence 630 nm laser light with linear polarization filtering. The observed diffraction patterns corresponded to the unit cell periodicities of each state\, again confirming distinct EM responses. Together\, these results demonstrate that MEP-based architectures enable experimentally discrete optical states with both near-field and far-field distinctions. \nTo realize tunability\, we demonstrate that chip inclusions can serve as reconfigurable elements in the two-state device. We showed that a single ~500 nm thick Ag chip inclusion can be electrically reconfigured within an MEP pore. The inclusion translated toward the positive electrode and reversed direction with polarity switching\, similar to the behavior of colloidal inclusions\, though no defect dynamics were observed. The switching voltage (100 V) was lower than that required for colloidal inclusions\, likely due to reduced elastic forces\, which may be attributed to the chip’s thinner edges. We also designed a magnetically and electrically tunable chip MEP unit; the magnetic functionality is intended to enable the use of a magnetic probe to fill small areas of MEP arrays\, such as those utilized in demonstrating near-field optical signatures. Assembly of these chip inclusions into our MEPs is currently ongoing. Overall\, our observations demonstrate that MEP-based metasurfaces can function as reconfigurable diffraction-limited devices in the visible range. Our demonstration of MEPs enables tunable and nonvolatile beam steering\, which has significant applications in imaging\, spectroscopy\, and other laser-based technologies. \nZoom Link: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/98737258070?pwd=tqb0ucZcfWRCZiGaE8JzIZIFmAfAow.1\nMeeting ID: 987 3725 8070\nPassword: 256841
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/cbe-doctoral-dissertation-defense-reconfigurable-metasurfaces-based-on-multistable-elastic-pixels-jed-joan-s-edziah/
LOCATION:Glandt Forum\, Singh Center for Nanotechnology\, 3205 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Doctoral,Student,Dissertation or Thesis Defense
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250702T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250702T140000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250623T200528Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250623T200528Z
UID:10008400-1751461200-1751464800@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MEAM Ph.D. Thesis Defense: "Mechanical Robust Biocompatible Polymeric Networks for Repetitive Loading"
DESCRIPTION:Crosslinked biocompatible polymer networks offer unique potential for biomedical applications that demand high resilience under repetitive load-bearing conditions. However\, conventional hydrogels often exhibit poor mechanical strength and irreversible damage under cyclic deformation. To address these challenges\, this work presents a class of engineered polymer network designed for enhanced mechanical robustness: cryogel-based double-network (DN) hydrogels. \nIn this system\, collagen cryogels were formed through glutaraldehyde (GA) crosslinking\, producing hyperelastic and macroporous scaffolds with shape-memory behavior. These cryogels served as the first network of DN hydrogels\, further reinforced by an ionically crosslinked alginate network. Mechanical testing\, including uniaxial compression\, cyclic loading\, and hyperelastic modeling\, revealed excellent mechanical resilience (recovery after 90% compression)\, compressive modulus tunability (10-200 kPa)\, and peak stresses among 0.2~15 MPa. These hydrogels also demonstrated cytocompatibility\, making them suitable for dynamic applications in soft robotics\, tissue engineering\, and mechanobiology research. \nTogether\, these findings establish a framework for designing polymer networks that balance biocompatibility\, resilience\, and functionality under repetitive loading situation. The DN hydrogel systems exhibit reversible deformation\, offering new opportunities for load-bearing tissue regeneration\, minimally invasive implants\, and wearable devices. By combining network architecture with functional chemistry\, this research advances the next generation of durable\, adaptive biomaterials for clinical and translational use.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/meam-ph-d-thesis-defense-mechanical-robust-biocompatible-polymeric-networks-for-repetitive-loading/
LOCATION:Towne 319\, 220 S. 33rd Street\, Philadelphia\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Doctoral,Dissertation or Thesis Defense
ORGANIZER;CN="Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics":MAILTO:meam@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250703T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250703T150000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250630T140211Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250630T140211Z
UID:10008403-1751547600-1751554800@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:CBE Doctoral Dissertation Defense: "Computational Strategies for Efficiently Sampling Conformational Changes in Solvated Macromolecules" (Akash Pallath)
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nSolvated macromolecules such as proteins and polymers undergo conformational changes in response to stimuli such as pressure\, temperature\, pH\, ligand binding\, and post-translational modification. These transitions are fundamental to biological function\, from cellular signaling to misfolding and aggregation\, and are increasingly harnessed in applications such as drug delivery\, biosensing\, and biomaterials design. Understanding how such stimuli shape macromolecular conformation at atomic resolution is critical\, but experimentally challenging. Molecular simulations offer a powerful route to probe these transitions\, yet conventional approaches often struggle to capture them\, as the relevant timescales exceed those accessible to standard simulations. \nIn this work\, we develop strategies to overcome these challenges for a small but challenging subset of stimuli and systems. We begin with a simple stimulus: hydrostatic pressure. Proteins are known to denature under elevated pressures in the kilobar range. Studying their pressure response can shed light on the molecular basis of extremophilic adaptation and help uncover latent functional sites\, particularly those exposed upon allosteric activation. However\, simulating pressure-induced responses remains difficult due to slow\, solvent-coupled kinetics. We introduce a hydration-based biasing strategy that mimics the thermodynamic effects of pressure while bypassing its kinetic bottlenecks. Applying this approach to proteins such as Ubiquitin\, we efficiently sample pressure-denatured ensembles and benchmark predictions against high-pressure NMR data. We then demonstrate how our strategy can identify a functionally relevant allosterically-gated interface in the signaling protein CheY and map pressure-temperature stability landscapes of homologs from mesophilic and thermophilic organisms. \nWe then briefly turn to more complex or coupled stimuli\, which require us to fully resolve the underlying free energy landscape. To do so in a controlled setting\, we study linear hydrophobic polymers as a model system. We evaluate a range of collective variables for capturing their collapse transitions\, show that sampling becomes increasingly challenging at longer chain lengths\, and uncover hidden orthogonal barriers that hinder exploration even in these simple systems. \nTogether\, this work presents a framework for simulating conformational responses to environmental stimuli\, enabling mechanistic insight across proteins\, polymers\, and other solvated macromolecules.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/cbe-doctoral-dissertation-defense-computational-strategies-for-efficiently-sampling-conformational-changes-in-solvated-macromolecules-akash-pallath/
LOCATION:Amy Gutmann Hall\, Room 414\, 3333 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Doctoral,Student,Dissertation or Thesis Defense
ORGANIZER;CN="Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering":MAILTO:cbemail@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250703T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250703T160000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250701T142553Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250701T142553Z
UID:10008404-1751551200-1751558400@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:CBE Doctoral Dissertation Defense: "Computational Analysis of Colloidal Self-Assembly with Interaction Heterogeneity" (Po-Ting Wu)
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nMicron-scale colloidal particles with short-ranged attractions\, e.g.\, colloids functionalized with single-stranded DNA oligomers\, have emerged as a powerful platform for studying colloidal self-assembly phenomena with the long-term goal of identifying routes for metamaterial fabrication. Although these systems have been investigated extensively both experimentally and computationally\, the role of ‘real world’ features that may impact self-assembly in unexpected ways have been largely ignored. One such example of an important\, yet underappreciated\, feature is interaction heterogeneity (IH)\, i.e.\, variations in interparticle interaction strengths across a population of particles\, which can arise from variability in the DNA strand areal density on particle surfaces during fabrication. In this thesis\, we systematically investigate the impact of IH on equilibrium and non-equilibrium self-assembly processes in colloidal systems. \nFirst\, we refine a physics-based interparticle interaction model for DNA-functionalized colloids. Rather than recalculating interactions for varying DNA strand areal densities while implementing IH\, we propose a simplified approach by assigning a scalar binding modulator to each particle to scale interactions. This approach is shown to accurately and efficiently represent variations in DNA strand areal density. In the remainder of this thesis\, we use this interaction model to investigate the effects of IH on equilibrium and non-equilibrium self-assembly behaviors. Using a multicomponent coexistence tracing approach originally developed for size polydispersity\, we compute phase diagrams for both Gaussian and bidisperse IH distributions. Our results reveal that IH shifts the fluid-side coexistence boundaries outward\, promoting crystallization at lower particle volume fractions while also resulting in crystals that are enhanced in the stronger binding species. Both Gaussian and bidisperse IH show qualitatively similar effects\, suggesting that even relatively simple IH distributions produce the observed effects. \nUnder non-equilibrium conditions\, we study colloidal gelation induced by thermal quenching. In these non-equilibrium simulations\, crystallization is inhibited with size polydispersity so that gelation can be studied under a wide range of IH and quenching conditions. We find that IH spreads out the gelation processes in time whereby particles with higher binding modulators initiate gelation and weaker particles subsequently decorate the gel backbone. Although the influence of IH on macroscopic gel structures\, e.g.\, structure factor\, appears to be subtle\, significant differences are observed at the local structural level\, notably captured by the coordination number distribution. Overall\, our results emphasize that IH profoundly impacts both equilibrium and non-equilibrium colloidal self-assembly behaviors\, providing a new perspective on IH as a new control parameter for colloidal self-assembly. \nZoom Meeting ID: 94650952409
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/cbe-doctoral-dissertation-defense-computational-analysis-of-colloidal-self-assembly-with-interaction-heterogeneity-po-ting-wu/
LOCATION:PICS Conference Room 534 – A Wing \, 5th Floor\, 3401 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Doctoral,Student,Dissertation or Thesis Defense
ORGANIZER;CN="Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering":MAILTO:cbemail@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250708T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250708T150000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250627T174539Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250627T174539Z
UID:10008401-1751986800-1751986800@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ESE Ph.D. Thesis Defense: "Towards General Microscopic Robots"
DESCRIPTION:This defense presents my contributions towards general robotics at the microscopic scale. Namely\, through the introduction of fully programmable\, autonomous microscopic robots free to explore the microscopic world. The robots complete simple\, but essential milestones for microscopic robots. The machines we build are small enough to experience the same physics as their biological counterparts\, allowing us to draw comparisons. Yet because our devices are built and understood by humans; we can control and comprehend their behavior. Thus\, the lessons learned through deploying these small machines will fill in our understanding of the physics\, living matter\, and the relationship between the two. \nThis platform lays the foundation for general robotics at the microscopic scale. This is made possible through several constituent parts\, including design decisions needed during circuitry layout of the robot array\, fabrication steps that transform the custom microprocessors into robots\, and the user-centered experimental setup needed to communicate with and control these robots. Through decades-long and tremendous efforts in global semiconductor fabrication\, we can readily make computers with massive parallelization. My aim is to go beyond this reality – Can we build on top of complex circuitry to create fundamentally new systems? can it be done without harsh chemical waste?
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/ese-ph-d-thesis-defense-towards-general-microscopic-robots/
LOCATION:Towne 337
CATEGORIES:Dissertation or Thesis Defense
ORGANIZER;CN="Electrical and Systems Engineering":MAILTO:eseevents@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250711T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250711T090000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250707T134844Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250707T134844Z
UID:10008405-1752224400-1752224400@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ESE Ph.D. Thesis Defense: "Energy-efficient Wavelength-Division-Multiplexing Systems for the Next Generation of Optical Transceivers"
DESCRIPTION:The rapid growth of data traffic in data centers and AI applications demands faster\, more energy-efficient communication solutions to scale up parallel computing capabilities. This dissertation explores integrated photonic-electronic systems designed to significantly enhance data transfer rates and reduce energy consumption. By simultaneously using multiple wavelengths of light\, these systems achieve data rates reaching terabit-per-second (Tb/s). Key contributions include an ultra-efficient\, zero-static-power optical demultiplexer\, as well as two single-chip optical receivers capable of processing Tb/s-level data streams at minimal power consumption. These developments surpass current technologies\, laying the groundwork for more compact\, energy-efficient\, and reliable optical transceivers critical to next-generation computing platforms.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/ese-ph-d-thesis-defense-energy-efficient-wavelength-division-multiplexing-systems-for-the-next-generation-of-optical-transceivers/
LOCATION:Towne 337
CATEGORIES:Dissertation or Thesis Defense
ORGANIZER;CN="Electrical and Systems Engineering":MAILTO:eseevents@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250715T101500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250715T111500
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250630T143101Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250630T143101Z
UID:10008402-1752574500-1752578100@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MEAM Seminar: "Modularity Strategies for Pneumatic Control in Soft Robotic Systems"
DESCRIPTION:Soft robotic systems\, defined as both compliant robotic platforms and mechanically adaptive structures\, offer unique advantages such as safe human-machine interaction\, structural flexibility\, and environment-driven reconfigurability. By relying on deformable materials and embedded physical intelligence\, these systems can achieve complex motions and responsive behaviors that are difficult for conventional rigid robots. Pneumatic control\, including actuation\, sensing\, and logic\, has emerged as a powerful strategy in soft robotics due to its simplicity\, rapid response\, and compatibility with soft materials. However\, once fabricated\, traditional pneumatic systems are typically tailored to perform specific tasks and lack the reconfigurability needed for broader adaptability. \nThis seminar introduces modularity strategies for pneumatic control in soft robotic systems. I will present three representative projects: stimuli-responsive pneumatic valves for autonomous environmental interaction\, a modular actuator framework for task-specific motion and sensing\, and a pneumatically tunable lattice for structural adaptation. Together\, these works highlight how modularity enables pneumatic control across diverse functional domains\, supporting reconfigurability\, environmental adaptability\, and stimulus responsiveness. The talk will also outline ongoing research in small-scale actuator fabrication\, passive timing control\, and the design of simplified logic valves within modular pneumatic systems.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/meam-seminar-modularity-strategies-for-pneumatic-control-in-soft-robotic-systems/
LOCATION:Room 337\, Towne Building\, 220 South 33rd Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar,Doctoral
ORGANIZER;CN="Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics":MAILTO:meam@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250721T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250721T150000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250715T205325Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250715T205325Z
UID:10008410-1753106400-1753110000@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MEAM Ph.D. Thesis: "Geometric Methods for Efficient and Explainable Control of Underactuated Robotic Systems"
DESCRIPTION:Robots are complex\, high-dimensional systems\, governed by nonlinear\, underactuated dynamics and evolving on non-Euclidean manifolds\, posing numerous challenges for control synthesis and analysis. While optimization-based methods of control can flexibly accommodate diverse dynamics\, costs\, and constraints\, they often demand coarse approximations or powerful onboard processors (infeasible for many aerial and space systems) due to their relatively poor computational efficiency. Although learned controllers can generally cope with more moderate onboard resources\, the computational burden of offline training is heavy\, and both the training pipeline and the policy obtained are often brittle. Conversely\, explicit control laws designed analytically often have miniscule computational overhead and perform robustly\, but they are typically only applicable to individual systems or a narrow class\, limiting their broader usefulness. \nNonetheless\, robots are not black-box nonlinear control systems—rather\, their dynamics enjoy powerful properties (e.g.\, symmetry and mechanical structure) that can be leveraged to gain traction on control design problems. In this thesis\, we explore the role of geometric methods in mitigating many of the above drawbacks\, across both analytical and data-driven methods. We study the role of symmetry in identifying effective abstractions for trajectory planning in underactuated mechanical systems (in particular\, “flat outputs”) and explore applications to task space planning for aerial manipulation. We also develop methods for synthesizing tracking controllers for mechanical systems evolving on the general class of homogeneous Riemannian manifolds\, and give certificates for the almost global asymptotic stability of cascades\, which often appear in the closed-loop dynamics of hierarchical controllers for underactuated systems. Lastly\, we leverage symmetry to accelerate training of tracking controllers via reinforcement learning (by constructing “continuous MDP homomorphisms”)\, also improving converged performance. \nIn all these methods\, a geometric perspective enables us to explainably construct abstractions that reduce dimensionality\, enforce structure\, and capture essential properties\, all the while representing the system or problem in a form more convenient for analysis or design. In contrast to ad hoc methods\, such reduced representations typically improve computational efficiency\, while also encouraging generality over a broader class of systems and affording insight into why prior handcrafted approaches were successful for particular cases. Sometimes\, such realizations also guide mechanical design\, closing the control-morphology feedback loop and leading to synergies between a robot’s embodiment and its controller. By combining explainable abstractions with scalable computation\, such methods build towards a future in which robotic systems move through their surroundings as capably and dynamically as their counterparts in Nature.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/meam-ph-d-thesis-geometric-methods-for-efficient-and-explainable-control-of-underactuated-robotic-systems/
LOCATION:Raisler Lounge (Room 225)\, Towne Building\, 220 South 33rd Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar,Doctoral
ORGANIZER;CN="Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics":MAILTO:meam@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250722T101500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250722T111500
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250709T180609Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250709T180609Z
UID:10008409-1753179300-1753182900@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MEAM Seminar: "Exploring Jet-Propelled Soft Robots: Design\, Experiments\, and Theory"
DESCRIPTION:Understanding how marine animals migrate is critical for assessing the impacts of climate change on ocean ecosystems—and yet current Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs)\, with their noisy propellers and rigid hulls\, are ill-suited to operate alongside sensitive species. Bio-inspired robots offer a promising alternative by emulating the natural locomotion strategies of fish\, cephalopods\, and other marine organisms; however\, most existing prototypes still fall short of their biological counterparts in speed\, and energy efficiency—highlighting a significant performance gap. \nIn this talk\, I will focus on one specific locomotion—jet propulsion—and present our efforts to narrow that gap. First\, I will introduce our squid-inspired underwater robotic system and its evolution over the past few years\, discussing experiments and theoretical models that show how design and control parameters influence its performance. Next\, building on the squid-inspired robot platform\, we developed a salp-inspired robot with an additional frontal nozzle; experiments are conducted between the two robots to compare their performances and theoretical explanations are proposed to address the differences. Finally\, I will talk about our recently developed swivel-nozzle steering mechanism and describe our plan for achieving controlled two-dimensional navigation.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/meam-seminar-exploring-jet-propelled-soft-robots-design-experiments-and-theory/
LOCATION:Room 337\, Towne Building\, 220 South 33rd Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar,Doctoral
ORGANIZER;CN="Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics":MAILTO:meam@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250729T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250729T123000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250708T125222Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250708T125222Z
UID:10008406-1753788600-1753792200@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ESE Guest Seminar: "On-Device Probabilistic AI: From Gaussian Transistors to Light-Driven Spike Encoding"
DESCRIPTION:Emerging edge AI systems call for device-level approaches that are inherently low-power\, secure\, and capable of managing uncertainty. In this talk\, I will share our recent exploratory efforts toward realizing on-device probabilistic intelligence using custom-designed semiconductor devices. I will introduce Gaussian transistors that support analog Gaussian activation and probabilistic inference by harnessing device-level variability. These devices offer a potential path for implementing Bayesian operations directly at the transistor level. In parallel\, we have been developing photo-spike photodetectors that convert light fluctuations into asynchronous spike trains\, functioning as both neuromorphic input interfaces and entropy sources for physical randomness. While still in early stages\, the combination of these platforms suggests a promising direction for hardware-embedded probabilistic learning\, secure classification\, and physical random number generation. This work aims to show how tuning the physics of emerging devices may open up new opportunities for edge AI systems.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/ese-guest-seminar-on-device-probabilistic-ai-from-gaussian-transistors-to-light-driven-spike-encoding/
LOCATION:Room 221\, Singh Center for Nanotechnology\, 3205 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar,Colloquium
ORGANIZER;CN="Electrical and Systems Engineering":MAILTO:eseevents@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250730T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250730T090000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250716T154907Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250716T154907Z
UID:10008411-1753866000-1753866000@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ESE Ph.D. Thesis Defense: "Novel van der Waals Chalcogenides for Sustainable Light Harvesting"
DESCRIPTION:The global climate crisis demands a shift to renewable energy sources. Solar photovoltaics (PVs) are widely considered the most feasible renewable technology to meet global energy demands\, and solar photo-electrocatalysis is a promising approach to decarbonize industrial chemical production. However\, scaling solar energy harvesting technologies to meet energy demands must be done economically and sustainably\, minimizing materials consumption\, toxicity\, energy intensity of the processing\, and cost per watt. \nMy research aims to leverage the strong light-matter interaction of van der Waals (vdW) chalcogenides for solar energy harvesting with drastically reduced materials consumption while also developing low-cost solution processing of elemental vdW chalcogenides for PVs. In this defense\, I present work to (i) engineer vdW metal dichalcogenide nanophotonic structures to achieve broadband near unity solar absorption in extremely thin (18 nm) layers; (ii) apply hybrid light-matter states sustained by thin films of vdW metal dichalcogenides to PVs; and (iii) develop a precursor and process to fabricate thin film elemental chalcogenide PVs with widely tunable bandgaps from solution phase for low cost\, low temperature manufacturing without extremely hazardous solvents. Overall\, these contributions offer potential paths for materials processing and optical design to make future solar energy technologies more sustainable.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/ese-ph-d-thesis-defense-novel-van-der-waals-chalcogenides-for-sustainable-light-harvesting/
LOCATION:Raisler Lounge (Room 225)\, Towne Building\, 220 South 33rd Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Dissertation or Thesis Defense
ORGANIZER;CN="Electrical and Systems Engineering":MAILTO:eseevents@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250805T101500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250805T111500
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250722T133649Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250722T133649Z
UID:10008414-1754388900-1754392500@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MEAM Seminar: "Leveraging Robot-Based Haptic Dyads to Improve Community-Based Stroke Rehabilitation"
DESCRIPTION:Disabilities related to aging and stroke impact functional independence and quality of life for millions of older adults\, creating a growing need for scalable\, accessible rehabilitation solutions. Community-based robotic therapy that leverages social interaction and haptic feedback offers a promising approach\, particularly for individuals with motor and cognitive impairments. \nThis seminar presents work exploring how haptic interaction between individuals influences motor learning and usability in a rehabilitation context. I will begin with findings from a literature review on robot-based haptic dyads\, highlighting how haptic connections have previously been used to study motor learning in healthy young adults. I will then present our design for a low-cost robotic rehabilitation system to haptically connect multiple users. Next\, I will discuss preliminary results from a pilot study and full experimental protocol involving healthy older adults and stroke survivors\, comparing individual and partnered motor learning in a robot-based tracking task. Analyses include performance outcomes\, motor learning curves\, and user-reported experience across conditions. I will also introduce a computational model of solo human-robot interaction\, based on inverse optimal control\, to simulate impaired sensorimotor behavior in a simplified robot-based assessment task. \nTogether\, these studies provide a foundation for understanding how impairment shapes sensorimotor learning and how robot-based haptic dyads can be designed to support recovery. Future work will build on this foundation to model dyadic interaction strategies and implement adaptive controllers that balance partner abilities in collaborative rehabilitation tasks\, with the ultimate goal of enabling personalized\, socially engaging robot-based therapy.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/meam-seminar-leveraging-robot-based-haptic-dyads-to-improve-community-based-stroke-rehabilitation/
LOCATION:Room 337\, Towne Building\, 220 South 33rd Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar,Doctoral
ORGANIZER;CN="Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics":MAILTO:meam@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250806T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250806T120000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250805T154526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250805T154526Z
UID:10008420-1754478000-1754481600@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:[VIRTUAL SPEAKER]: Summer 2025 GRASP Seminar: Michal Gregor\, Kempelen Institute of Intelligent Technologies\, "Low-Resource NLP: Not Just Throwing Data at a Model and Hoping for the Best"
DESCRIPTION:This is a virtual event ONLY with attendance via Zoom.  \nABSTRACT\nThe talk will introduce several topics in low-resource and multilingual NLP – in the domain of disinformation combatting\, through works done at the Kempelen Institute of Intelligent Technologies in Bratislava – and also in the more general context of efficiently adapting large language models to smaller languages. It will argue that machine learning – even in the era of deep learning and large language models – is not just about throwing increasing amounts of data at a model and hoping for the best; our lack of understanding can and sometimes does severely limit the capabilities of our models.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/virtual-speaker-summer-2025-grasp-seminar-michal-gregor-kempelen-institute-of-intelligent-technologies-low-resource-nlp-not-just-throwing-data-at-a-model-and-hoping-for-the-best/
LOCATION:Virtual via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ORGANIZER;CN="General Robotics%2C Automation%2C Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab":MAILTO:grasplab@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250807T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250807T120000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250804T135920Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250804T135920Z
UID:10008419-1754560800-1754568000@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:CBE Doctoral Dissertation Defense: "Quantitative Transcriptional Regulation through Protein–DNA Interactions in Developing Systems" (Gaochen Jin)
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nPrecise regulation of gene expression is essential for controlling developmental programs\, maintaining cellular identity\, and ensuring proper tissue function. Dynamic interactions between proteins and cis-regulatory elements integrate molecular mechanisms and extracellular signaling to achieve precise control of transcriptional activity. In this thesis\, I investigate protein-DNA-mediated transcriptional regulation across two distinct developmental systems: mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and early Drosophila embryos. \nUsing PP7/PCP live-cell imaging\, I tracked Sox2 transcriptional activity in single mESCs under LIF pathway perturbations (Chapter 2). Removing LIF ligand or inhibiting JAK signaling induced heterogeneous changes in Sox 2 activity\, reducing the number of Sox2-active cells. Transcriptional output in remaining Sox2-active cells decreased\, caused by smaller and less frequent transcriptional bursts. LIF perturbation also decreased the number of pluripotent cells\, with pluripotent marker-positive cells showing higher Sox2 mRNA production. Moreover\, Sox2 transcription displayed transcriptional memory\, with active mother cells more likely to reactivate Sox2 in daughter cells\, even under signaling disruption. These findings reveal quantitative aspects of Sox2 regulation essential for pluripotency maintenance. \nIn early Drosophila embryos\, I investigated how the dosage of the transcription factor Dorsal (Dl) and TF binding sites affinity govern the spatial and temporal regulation of the snail (sna) gene (Chapter 3). Surprisingly\, reducing the level of Dl\, normally an activator of sna\, led to increased sna transcriptional activity. This inverted dosage effect is mediated by the autoregulation of the Sna repressor. Reduced Dl initially decreases Sna protein production\, which in turn reduces autorepressive feedback on the sna gene\, leading to compensatory increases in sna transcription. Increasing Dl binding sites affinity within sna enhancers also reduced sna transcriptional activity and altered bursting behavior. Finally\, we showed that Sna-mediated autorepression modulates enhancer responsiveness in a dosage- and context-dependent manner. \nTogether\, this work reveals how transcriptional feedback mechanisms can modulate gene expression outputs beyond the direct effects of TF input levels. Together\, these studies demonstrate how examining gene regulatory dynamics across distinct biological systems can uncover fundamental principles of transcriptional control and inform strategies for targeted modulation of gene expression in biomedical research. \nZoom Information: \nMeeting ID: 925 5127 1427 \nPasscode: 335045
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/cbe-doctoral-dissertation-defense-quantitative-transcriptional-regulation-through-protein-dna-interactions-in-developing-systems-gaochen-jin/
LOCATION:Towne 225
CATEGORIES:Doctoral,Student,Dissertation or Thesis Defense
ORGANIZER;CN="Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering":MAILTO:cbemail@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250812T101500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250812T111500
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250805T205246Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250805T205246Z
UID:10008421-1754993700-1754997300@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MEAM Seminar: "Predicting Infant Center of Pressure through Physics and Data Driven Modeling"
DESCRIPTION:Affecting roughly 2 in 1000 infants in the USA\, Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most common cause of motor impairment in children. CP has no cure\, but motor therapy is an effective tool for providing rehabilitation. Although therapy is most effective before the age of 2\, early CP detection is difficult and labor-intensive\, making the processes inaccessible in low-resource settings. To remedy this inaccessibility\, we seek to create an accessible technology-based tool to make detecting neuromotor impairment in infants less easier. Studies have shown promising results in quantifying infant impairment by observing changes in the Center of Pressure (COP)\, as they lie supine. Although a useful metric\, the force plates necessary to capture COP are often not readily accessible in low-resource settings due to factors such as high price and a lack of portability. In response\, my goal is to make COP easier to obtain by predicting supine infant COP through human pose data gathered with cameras. I seek to derive a generalized physics-based model of the infant’s dynamics that calculates COP based on insights gained from examining how infant movement interacts with changes in COP. I will then use this physics-based model to improve the ability to use machine learning to derive COP from only camera information. As a result\, I will create a novel framework involving the use of physics-based modeling and data-driven modeling to predict COP.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/meam-seminar-predicting-infant-center-of-pressure-through-physics-and-data-driven-modeling/
LOCATION:Room 337\, Towne Building\, 220 South 33rd Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar,Doctoral
ORGANIZER;CN="Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics":MAILTO:meam@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250819T101500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250819T111500
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250811T131814Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T131814Z
UID:10008425-1755598500-1755602100@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MEAM Seminar: "Temperature Dependent Offset for Spin Lattice Dynamics Modeling"
DESCRIPTION:Spin lattice dynamics (SLD) modeling is an approach to modeling magnetic interactions at the nanoscale. Current spin lattice dynamics models do not model magnetoelastic effects well\, giving non-physical lattice parameters and poorly modeling behavior like forced volume magnetostriction. A new model\, based on a temperature dependent offset that subtracts out the part of the magnetic interactions accounted for in the lattice potential to avoid double counting of forces\, has been developed to address these shortcomings. The current model matches lattice parameter for no field applied conditions. Currently\, forced volume magnetostriction is being studied with the model.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/meam-seminar-temperature-dependent-offset-for-spin-lattice-dynamics-modeling/
LOCATION:Room 337\, Towne Building\, 220 South 33rd Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar,Doctoral
ORGANIZER;CN="Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics":MAILTO:meam@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250826T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250826T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250821T165721Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250821T165721Z
UID:10008441-1756209600-1756213200@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:AI + Science Seminar
DESCRIPTION:Extracting Knowledge Priors from Scientific Texts for De Novo Molecular Design\nThis talk will explore a large-scale effort to exploit the natural-language understanding capabilities of large language models in order to unlock information about the structure\, function\, and biological activity for proteins\, small molecules\, genetic variants\, and other biological entities of interest. \nRegister Now
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/ai-science-seminar/
LOCATION:Amy Gutmann Hall\, Room 414\, 3333 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/AI-Science.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250827T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250827T131500
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250821T202002Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250821T202002Z
UID:10008444-1756296000-1756300500@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ASSET Seminar: "AIRFoundry: AI for RNA Discovery and Synthesis"
DESCRIPTION:Virtually everyone today is aware of the mRNA vaccine for COVID\, which saved many lives and earned the Nobel Prize for Drs. Drew Weissman and Katalin Kariko. The vaccine consisted not only of mRNA that coded for the COVID spike protein\, but a protective lipid nanoparticle envelope that carried the RNA to cells in the body. RNA has immense potential beyond vaccines\, for instance\, as a way of stimulating cells to manufacture particular proteins; silencing certain genes; altering gene expression; and targeting CRISPR/CAS gene editing. \nThe mission of the AIRFoundry is to offer an AI-guided facility for biologists\, veterinarians\, biomedical researchers\, and industry to develop and synthesize RNA and LNPs appropriate for different therapeutic uses. This exceeds the capabilities of existing scientific question-answering tools\, and needs to be done while simultaneously “bootstrapping” a community of users. In this talk\, I will describe our early experiences and innovations in developing AI question answering and “lead discovery” tools for promising candidate RNAs and LNPs — even as our collaborators build out tools for RNA and LNP optimization\, and robot-driven synthesis. \nCollaborative work with Daeyeon Lee\, David Issadore\, Drew Weissman\, Claribel Acevedo-Velez\, Joost Wagenaar\, Sharath Guntuku\, Rodolfo Ramanach\, Masoud Soroush\, Jake Gardner\, Mark Yatskar\, Jiaming Liang\, Varun Jana\, Haydn Jones\, and John Frommeyer. \n  \nSeminar Recording: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jsi-4eQoiPYg9u-ivvh4KflLC6oTY7Mr/view?usp=drive_link
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/asset-seminar-airfoundry-ai-for-rna-discovery-and-synthesis/
LOCATION:Amy Gutmann Hall\, Room 414\, 3333 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ORGANIZER;CN="AI-enabled Systems%3A Safe%2C Explainable%2C and Trustworthy (ASSET) Center":MAILTO:asset-info@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250827T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250827T190000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250821T175815Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250821T175815Z
UID:10008443-1756314000-1756321200@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:Entrepreneurship Expo 2025
DESCRIPTION:On Wednesday\, August 27\, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM ET\, Venture Lab is hosting the 2025 Entrepreneurship Expo\, a one-stop experience for students to explore co-curricular programs\, discover entrepreneurship clubs\, and learn how to take the next step in their entrepreneurial journey. \nFrom students who are curious about innovation to those actively launching ventures\, the Expo offers pathways for skill-building\, mentorship\, funding\, and more. It’s also a great way for students to network and get inspired by the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem at Penn.\n\nWho’s invited: This event is ONLY open to active Penn students and special guests.  \nLocation: 115 South 40th Street\nWhen: Wednesday\, August 27\, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM ET\n \nRegister Now \n 
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/entrepreneurship-expo-2025/
LOCATION:Stat
CATEGORIES:Student
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025_VentureLab_Expo2025_1920x1080.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250829T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250829T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250822T175318Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250822T175318Z
UID:10008454-1756465200-1756474200@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:CBE Doctoral Dissertation Defense: "Silica Nanoparticle-Based Platform for Rare Earth Element Recovery  and Separation" (Ivy Dai)
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nRare earth elements (REEs) are essential for clean energy technologies including batteries for electrical vehicles\, wind turbines and LED screens due to their unique magnetic\, optical\, and electronic properties. Efficient methods for their recovery and separation are urgently needed to meet the growing demands of a rapidly evolving green economy worldwide. However\, current separation technologies\, such as liquid-liquid extraction (LLE)\, suffer from harmful environmental impacts\, scalability limitations and high energy costs\, due to the similar physiochemical properties of REEs and the dependence on organic solvents. These environmental\, operational\, and economic challenges motivate the development of sustainable\, selective and scalable REE separations. \nNanostructured materials\, such as those incorporating silica nanoparticles (SiO 2 NPs)\, are promising materials to incorporate into REE separations due to their high surface area\, tunable surface chemistry and environmental compatibility. Their scale offers several advantages\, including high surface-to-volume ratio\, integration into dynamic architectures\, and stabilization of complex structures. These features offer new opportunities for designing alternative methods for REE recovery and separation methods which do not have the drawbacks of existing approaches. \nThis thesis focuses on developing a SiO 2 NP-based platform for REE separation\, building from fundamental understanding to practical applications. We investigate the fundamental interactions between SiO 2 NPs and REEs across the full pH range of pH 3 – 10\, identifying and mapping the transition of three distinct interaction modes with a combinational of technical tools. We demonstrate the intrinsic\, size dependent selectivity\, with SiO 2 NPs favoring smaller\, more charge dense heavy REEs (HREEs) over larger light REEs (LREEs) in both binary and ternary mixtures under competitive conditions. Our results also show reversible adsorption of REEs on SiO 2 NP surfaces\, enabling ligand-free separation processes. \nBuilding upon this mechanistic understanding\, we integrate the SiO 2 NP-based platform into three separation processes: (i) solid phase extraction\, where SiO 2 NPs act as active adsorbents that enable size-dependent selectivity and reversible capture and release via simple pH-swings\, (ii) froth flotation\, where SiO 2 NPs serve as REE carrier and foam stabilizer\, and (iii) bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsion gels\, where the nanoparticle-stabilized interfaces enable high interfacial area for REE adsorption and extractant loading. This work provides a foundation for developing sustainable REE separation strategies with nanoparticles.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/cbe-doctoral-dissertation-defense-silica-nanoparticle-based-platform-for-rare-earth-element-recovery-and-separation-ivy-dai/
LOCATION:Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology\, Room 121\, 231 S 34th Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Doctoral,Student,Dissertation or Thesis Defense
ORGANIZER;CN="Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering":MAILTO:cbemail@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250902T101500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250902T111500
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250812T201538Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250812T201538Z
UID:10008426-1756808100-1756811700@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MEAM Seminar: "Harnessing Living Bacteria\, Fungi\, and Plants as Functional Materials"
DESCRIPTION:For decades materials engineers have been inspired by biology to create improved properties\, for example nacre-inspired hierarchical structures to improve toughness\, tree-inspired vasculature to deliver fluids that can react and heal an interface\, and mussel-inspired strong underwater adhesives utilizing cation-pi interactions. Now\, the bioengineering toolset has reached a maturity where we can start to employ biology directly as materials for the built environment – the mission of the Engineered Living Materials Institute at Cornell. In this seminar\, I will highlight several recent projects and then focus on our design and validation of a hybrid living coating that can be applied to conventional structural materials for crack detection. I will describe the development of a bacterial spore–polymer composite coating that enables in situ detection of cracks under different loading modes\, geometries\, and substrate materials. Excitingly\, this biohybrid coating approach unlocks potential\, beyond crack detection\, for crack mitigation by leveraging the biological component.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/meam-seminar-harnessing-living-bacteria-fungi-and-plants-as-functional-materials/
LOCATION:Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101)\, Levine Hall\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ORGANIZER;CN="Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics":MAILTO:meam@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250902T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250902T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250827T183057Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250827T183057Z
UID:10008466-1756814400-1756818000@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:Penn AI Seminar Series: Geometric and Physics Stucture Preservation in Scientific Machine Learning
DESCRIPTION:Geometric and Physics Stucture Preservation in Scientific Machine Learning \nNat Trask\, Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics at Penn Engineering\, will share about his work constructing real-time digital twins built upon a data-driven finite element exterior calculus; constructing auto-regressive integrators with guaranteed long-term stability independent of rollout length; and constructing data-driven particle models built upon metriplectic bracket theory\, which preserve emergent statistical mechanics. \nLunch will be served. \nRegistration is required. Sign up here.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/penn-ai-seminar-series-geometric-and-physics-stucture-preservation-in-scientific-machine-learning/
LOCATION:Amy Gutmann Hall\, Room 414\, 3333 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250903T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250903T131500
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250821T202340Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250821T202340Z
UID:10008445-1756900800-1756905300@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ASSET Seminar: "Provable vs Impossible Trust: Reasoning\, Steering\, and Safety"
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: In this talk\, I will discuss a collection of highlights from our recent work in trustworthy AI.\n(1) Certifying reasoning explanations with reliability guarantees and aligning with expert knowledge\,\n(2) Simple yet effective steering inspired from theoretical rule-following mechanisms for transformers\, and\n(3) The impossibility of monitoring stateless attackers and what safety defenses should be doing.\n  \nSeminar Recording: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FNeVVPXb_vZiNWVexFTgTFoVKBM_QnqQ/view?usp=sharing \n 
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/asset-seminar-title-tbd/
LOCATION:Amy Gutmann Hall\, Room 414\, 3333 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ORGANIZER;CN="AI-enabled Systems%3A Safe%2C Explainable%2C and Trustworthy (ASSET) Center":MAILTO:asset-info@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250903T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250903T163000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250818T200954Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250818T200954Z
UID:10008427-1756913400-1756917000@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:CBE Seminar: "Water–Hydrophobe Interfaces: From Debunking Myths to Boosting Global Food–Water–Climate Resilience" (Himanshu Mishra\, KAUST)
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nFirst\, I will outline our work on overcoming barriers to desert rehabilitation for urban greening\, landscaping\, and regional food security. In arid regions\, freshwater is scarce\, sandy soils lose water and fertilizers rapidly\, which stifles plant growth. Our team has developed two complementary solutions: (i) Superhydrophobic Sand (SHS)1 — a plastic-free\, bio-inspired mulch that cuts evaporative water loss from topsoil by ~80%; (ii) CarboSoil2 — an engineered biochar that greatly enhances nutrient and water retention in sandy soils. I will share our translational journey from materials invention and characterization to multi-year field trials with food crops and native plants in collaboration with industry partners. Results show SHS and CarboSoil can dramatically improve irrigation and fertilizer-use efficiency in hot\, dry\, sandy environments. Terraxy LLC\, the startup I co-founded\, is now scaling Carbosoil production to 6\,000 tons/year for regional sustainability projects (video link). \nNext\, I will discuss our investigation into controversial claims that hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) forms spontaneously at the air–water interface in microdroplets3-5 — a phenomenon that would upend fundamental physical chemistry and impact fields from cloud chemistry to green synthesis. We tested H₂O₂ formation in sprayed and condensed microdroplets under varied flow rates\, air compositions\, pH\, and salt content. Our findings show that the effect is not due to the air–water interface or microdroplet geometry6. Instead\, H₂O₂ originates from the reduction of dissolved oxygen at the solid–water interface7. Within a 50 nM detection limit\, no H₂O₂ was detected in oxygen-free conditions (more here). \n  \nReferences \n\nA. Gallo\, K. Odokonyero\, M. A. A. Mousa\, J. Reihmer\, S. Al-Mashharawi\, R. Marasco\, E. Manalastas\, M. J. L. Morton\, D. Daffonchio\, M. F. McCabe\, M. Tester and H. Mishra\, ACS Agricultural Science & Technology\, 2022\, 2\, 276-288.\nK. Odokonyero\, B. Vernooij\, B. Albar\, L. O. Exposito\, A. Alsamdani\, A. A. G. Haider\, N. V. H. Musskopf\, N. Kharbatia\, A. Gallo and H. Mishra\, Frontiers in Plant Science\, 2024\, Volume 15 – 2024.\nM. A. Mehrgardi\, M. Mofidfar and R. N. Zare\, Journal of the American Chemical Society\, 2022\, 144\, 7606-7609.\nJ. K. Lee\, K. L. Walker\, H. S. Han\, J. Kang\, F. B. Prinz\, R. M. Waymouth\, H. G. Nam and R. N. Zare\, P Natl Acad Sci USA\, 2019\, 116\, 19294-19298.\nR. A. LaCour\, J. P. Heindel\, R. Zhao and T. Head-Gordon\, J Am Chem Soc\, 2025\, 147\, 6299-6317.\nN. H. Musskopf\, A. Gallo\, P. Zhang\, J. Petry and H. Mishra\, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters\, 2021\, 12\, 11422-11429.\nM. A. Eatoo and H. Mishra\, Chem Sci\, 2024\, 15\, 3093-3103.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/cbe-seminar-water-hydrophobe-interfaces-from-debunking-myths-to-boosting-global-food-water-climate-resilience-himanshu-mishra-kaust/
LOCATION:Wu & Chen Auditorium
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ORGANIZER;CN="Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering":MAILTO:cbemail@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250904T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250904T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250825T231628Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250825T231628Z
UID:10008456-1756987200-1756990800@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:FOLDS Seminar: Positive random walks and positive-semidefinite random matrices
DESCRIPTION:On the real line\, a random walk that can only move in the positive direction is very unlikely to remain close to its starting point. After a fixed number of steps\, the left tail has a Gaussian profile\, under minimal assumptions. Remarkably\, the same phenomenon occurs when we consider a positive random walk on the cone of positive-semidefinite matrices. After a fixed number of steps\, the minimum eigenvalue is also described by a Gaussian model. \nThis talk introduces a new way to make this intuition rigorous. The methodology provides the solution to an open problem in computational mathematics about sparse random embeddings. The presentation is targeted at a general mathematical audience. \n  \nZoom link: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/98220304722
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/folds-seminar-positive-random-walks-and-positive-semidefinite-random-matrices/
LOCATION:Amy Gutmann Hall\, Room 306\, 3317 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar,Colloquium
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250904T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250904T150000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250828T180248Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250828T180248Z
UID:10008473-1756994400-1756998000@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:BE Doctoral Dissertation Defense: Aoife O'Farrell
DESCRIPTION:The Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Arjun Raj are pleased to announce the Doctoral Dissertation Defense of Aoife O’Farrell. \nTitle: Stimulus Specificity of Trained Immune Memory in Human Macrophages\nAdvisor: Dr. Arjun Raj\nDate and Time: Thursday\, September 4th at 2:00 PM\nLocation: Smilow 12-146AB\nZoom Link: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/94438324577 \nThe public is welcome to attend.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/be-doctoral-dissertation-defense-aoife-ofarrell/
CATEGORIES:Dissertation or Thesis Defense
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250905T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250905T120000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250828T175551Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250828T175551Z
UID:10008472-1757070000-1757073600@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:BE Doctoral Dissertation Defense: Michael Yao
DESCRIPTION:The Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania and Drs. Osbert Bastani and James Gee are pleased to announce the Doctoral Dissertation Defense of Michael Yao. \nTitle: Distributionally Robust Machine Intelligence\nAdvisors: Osbert Bastani\, PhD and James Gee\, PhD\nDate & Time: Friday\, September 5th at 11am\nLocation: Amy Gutmann Hall\, Room 414 (3317 Chestnut St\, Philadelphia\, PA 19104) \nRSVP Link: https://www.michaelsyao.com/defense \nZoom Link: https://pennmedicine.zoom.us/j/93390061157?pwd=gzaxVRmcZs0ASpUxBVpEtkMhMxTV2I.1 \nThe public is welcome to attend. \n 
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/be-doctoral-dissertation-defense-michael-yao/
CATEGORIES:Dissertation or Thesis Defense
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250908T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250908T160000
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250717T155534Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250717T155534Z
UID:10008412-1757343600-1757347200@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:Future Proof Your Research With Rigor
DESCRIPTION:What’s the best way to avoid paper retractions and irreproducible results? Conduct rigorous research. Join us for a public talk with Ivan Oransky\, Co-Founder of Retraction Watch\, Anita Anita Bandrowski\, founder of The Research Resource Identification Initiative (RRID)\, and Jason Williams\, Assisant Director of the DNA Learning Center\, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory\, on doing science that stands the test of time—and scrutiny. \nHouston Hall – Bodek Lounge\, 3417 Spruce Street Philadelphia\, PA 19104 \nRSVP here to save your spot! \n \n*This event is part of the C4R25 Conference – Sep 8-10 in Philadelphia – the world’s only conference dedicated to research rigor! Learn more at c4r.io/conference 
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/future-proof-your-research-with-rigor/
LOCATION:Bodek Lounge\, Houston Hall\, 3417 Spruce St\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Faculty,Graduate,Student,Panel Discussion,Master's,Conference
ORGANIZER;CN="Community for Rigor":MAILTO:c4r@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250909T101500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250909T111500
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250903T142619Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250903T142619Z
UID:10008496-1757412900-1757416500@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MEAM Seminar: MEAM Faculty Showcase
DESCRIPTION:Please join us on Tuesday\, September 9 for an overview of research being done in the MEAM Department\, hosted by MEAM Department Chair\, Dr. Kevin Turner. This is an excellent opportunity for current graduate students to learn about the breadth of work being done in MEAM. The following faculty will be presenting (not in order of presentation):
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/meam-seminar-meam-faculty-showcase/
LOCATION:Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101)\, Levine Hall\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
ORGANIZER;CN="Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics":MAILTO:meam@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250910T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250910T131500
DTSTAMP:20260403T172655
CREATED:20250821T202705Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250821T202705Z
UID:10008446-1757505600-1757510100@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ASSET Seminar: "Rethinking Test-Time Thinking: From Token-Level Rewards to Robust Generative Agents"
DESCRIPTION:We present a unified perspective on test-time thinking as a lens for improving generative AI agents through finer-grained reward modeling\, data-centric reasoning\, and robust alignment. Beginning with GenARM\, we introduce an inductive bias for denser\, token-level reward modeling that guides generation during decoding\, enabling token-level alignment without retraining. While GenARM targets reward design\, ThinkLite-VL focuses on the data side of reasoning. It proposes a self-improvement framework that selects the most informative samples via MCTS-guided search\, yielding stronger visual reasoning with fewer labels. Taking this a step further\, MORSE-500 moves beyond selection to creation: it programmatically generates targeted\, controllable multimodal data to systematically probe and stress-test models’ reasoning abilities. We then interrogate a central assumption in inference-time alignment: Does Thinking More Always Help? Our findings reveal that increased reasoning steps can degrade performance–not due to better or worse reasoning per se\, but due to rising variance in outputs\, challenging the naive scaling paradigm. Finally\, AegisLLM applies test-time thinking in the service of security\, using an agentic\, multi-perspective framework to defend against jailbreaks\, prompt injections\, and unlearning attacks–all at inference time. Together\, these works chart a path toward generative agents that are not only more capable\, but more data-efficient\, introspective\, and robust in real-world deployment. \n  \nSeminar Recording: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13jOKuou0QzqkMo9QHEdoHA1nCIxOPsbm/view?usp=drive_link
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/asset-seminar-rethinking-test-time-thinking-from-token-level-rewards-to-robust-generative-agents/
LOCATION:Amy Gutmann Hall\, Room 414\, 3333 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ORGANIZER;CN="AI-enabled Systems%3A Safe%2C Explainable%2C and Trustworthy (ASSET) Center":MAILTO:asset-info@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR