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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241121T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241121T163000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241114T192611Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241114T192611Z
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SUMMARY:BE Seminar: "Making Every Penny Count: Copper Conducted Kinase Signaling & Metabolism in Cancer"
DESCRIPTION:This seminar will be held in Moore 216 and remotely via zoom (check email for zoom link). Light refreshments will be served.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/be-seminar-making-every-penny-count-copper-conducted-kinase-signaling-metabolism-in-cancer/
LOCATION:216 Moore Building
CATEGORIES:Seminar,Faculty
ORGANIZER;CN="Bioengineering":MAILTO:be@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241122T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241122T114500
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20240913T192157Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240913T192157Z
UID:10008097-1732271400-1732275900@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:Fall 2024 GRASP on Robotics: Robert Katzschmann\, ETH Zürich\, "Building Life-like Robots: From Musculoskeletal Designs to Biohybrid Innovations"
DESCRIPTION:This will be a hybrid event with in-person attendance in Wu and Chen and virtual attendance on Zoom. \nABSTRACT\nNature’s musculoskeletal design can inspire both artificial and living robots to create systems that can better interact within our unstructured world. There is value in rethinking how we design and control robots by replacing traditional designs centred around electromagnetic motors and gearboxes with a bio-inspired approach that uses contractive muscles\, ligaments\, tendons\, and skeletons. Taking it even a step further\, living robots represent the next frontier in engineering materials for robotic systems\, incorporating biological living cells and synthetic materials into their design. These bio-hybrid robots are dynamic and intelligent\, potentially harnessing living matter’s capabilities\, such as growth\, regeneration\, morphing\, biodegradation\, and environmental adaptation. Such attributes position bio-hybrid devices as a transformative force in robotics development\, promising enhanced dexterity\, adaptive behaviours\, sustainable production\, robust performance\, and environmental stewardship. In this talk\, we will explore recent advances in artificial electrohydraulic musculoskeletal robots\, which employ electrohydraulic actuators to produce lifelike muscle contractions and adaptive motions\, as demonstrated in our recent work published in Nature Communications. We will also dive deeper into our breakthroughs in vision-controlled inkjet printing for robotics from our Nature and xolographic biofabrication techniques\, which enabled our biohybrid swimmers presented at RoboSoft. Additionally\, we will discuss the computational optimisation of musculoskeletal robotic hands from our recent work presented at Humanoids. The talk will showcase how musculoskeletal\, bio-hybrid\, and computational techniques open new frontiers in robotics interaction and manipulation.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/fall-2024-grasp-on-robotics-robert-katzschmann-eth-zurich-can-robots-based-on-musculoskeletal-designs-better-interact-with-the-world/
LOCATION:Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101)\, Levine Hall\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
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:20241122T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241122T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241122T135515Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241122T135515Z
UID:10008182-1732276800-1732282200@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ESE PhD Thesis Defense: "A Dynamical Systems Perspective on Optimization Algorithms"
DESCRIPTION:The intersection of machine learning (ML) and dynamical systems and control (S&C) has become a prominent area of research in recent years. While most work applies ML to S&C problems\, this dissertation explores the reverse direction: using S&C tools to address challenges in ML and optimization. This thesis is comprised of three parts: \nIn part I\, we examine connections between continuous-time dynamics and iterative optimization algorithms. Motivated by the matching rates observed by various optimization algorithms and their continuous-time counterparts\, we seek to gain a better understanding of the fundamental limits behind these matching rates. First\, we show that a simple rescaling of the gradient flow achieves finite-time stability\, which is clearly not preserved by its simplest discretization — the Forward Euler discretization — as it simply yields gradient descent. In fact\, this property is not exactly preserved by any explicit discretization as it relies on instantaneous corrections in the speed of the trajectories of the system\, which is not possible in discrete-time due to overshooting. Next\, we show that the rate of any continuous-time optimization system can be approximately preserved\, under sufficient regularity conditions\, by any sufficiently high order off-the-shelf ODE solver. \nIn part II\, we re-examine the relationship between convexity and smoothness and the role they play on the convergence rate of gradient-based optimization algorithms. Using and extending tools from part I\, we show that a rescaled form of gradient  descent achieves a rate that explicitly depends on given lower and upper bounds on the Bregman divergence of the cost function\, which collectively quantify convexity and smoothness. In particular\, we establish linear convergence with a generalized condition number\, generalizing the case of L-smooth and mu-strongly convex functions minimized via gradient descent. \nIn part III\, we discuss applications of S&C in two ML problems. The first is to re-examine the convergence of the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm with a prior using Lyapunov stability theory. Next\, we consider the conformal training (ConfTr) method of Stutz et al (2022) and show that\, in its current form\, suffers from severe sample inefficiency. We propose a simple fix and provide a preliminary theoretical analysis using tools from linear systems theory. We also use the principles established in part II to guide the training procedure.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/ese-phd-thesis-defense-a-dynamical-systems-perspective-on-optimization-algorithms/
LOCATION:Zoom – Meeting ID: 946 6798 0381
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:20241122T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241122T150000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241118T212101Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241118T212101Z
UID:10008180-1732284000-1732287600@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:Innovative Approaches in Data-Driven Chemistry and Reaction Optimization
DESCRIPTION:Research in the Zahrt group focuses on creating new tools to advance organic synthesis by integrating automation and machine learning workflows to enhance molecular function\, reaction efficiency\, and sustainability. We develop and use active learning strategies for catalyst design\, reaction conditions\, and other molecular properties. To accelerate the implementation of these algorithms\, we pair them with automated experimentation platforms. Applications of these approaches include the exploration of higher order solvent mixtures as a new optimization domain in organic chemistry\, a new algorithmic approach to catalysts design paired with on-demand catalyst synthesis\, and automated design and synthesis of biologically active molecules\, and the exploration of the new synthetic methodology. Current methodology exploration includes innovations in the cation flow technology\, using engineering solutions to overcome chemical incompatibilities to achieve one-pot transformations that would not typically be viable through other means.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/innovative-approaches-in-data-driven-chemistry-and-reaction-optimization/
LOCATION:PICS Conference Room 534 – A Wing \, 5th Floor\, 3401 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ORGANIZER;CN="Penn Institute for Computational Science (PICS)":MAILTO:dkparks@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241126T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241126T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241114T141201Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241114T141201Z
UID:10008170-1732618800-1732626000@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ESE PhD Thesis Defense: "Software-like Incremental Refinement on FPGA using Partial Reconfiguration"
DESCRIPTION:To improve FPGA design productivity\, our goal is to create a development experience for FPGAs that aligns closely with widely accepted software design principles. Software programmers quickly test their minimally completed design\, identify the bottleneck\, and incrementally refine the design. In FPGA design\, however\, such incremental refinement is not currently supported. (1) FPGA compilation is long\, (2) a minor refinement leads to another long compilation\, and (3) FPGA developers cannot easily identify a bottleneck of the design to know where to focus optimization effort to improve the application execution time. We introduce a divide-and-conquer strategy in FPGA compilation\, proposing a fast separate FPGA compilation using a Network-on-Chip (NoC) and Partial Reconfiguration (PR). Building upon this separate compilation framework\, in this thesis\, we take the next step to support variable-sized pages using Hierarchical PR to provide flexibility to the users. With variable-sized pages\, users can quickly test the design on the hardware\, just like software programmers start from a barely functional design. In addition\, we propose a bottleneck identification scheme based on FIFO counters to provide profiling capability in FPGA design. Finally\, we introduce a fast incremental refinement strategy that integrates our fast compilation framework and bottleneck identification scheme. The idea is to quickly map the design on the FPGA using the fast compilation framework and incrementally refine the design based on our bottleneck identification. The fast compilation with the NoC and PR pages iterates many initial yet important design points quickly\, and for the final\, optimized design\, our strategy migrates to the monolithic system that does not have the area and bandwidth overhead of the NoC. Throughout the design tuning\, we always have a hardware-mapped design whose performance we can measure to provide feedback to the users or automation script to identify the next bottleneck. We evaluate our fast incremental strategy with design tuning for realistic High Level Synthesis applications. Our framework\, fully compatible with AMD Vitis\, achieves 1.3–2.7× faster tuning time than a monolithic flow where the vendor tool monolithically compiles each design point.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/ese-phd-thesis-defense-software-like-incremental-refinement-on-fpga-using-partial-reconfiguration/
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:20241202T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241202T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241125T165736Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241125T165736Z
UID:10008184-1733139000-1733146200@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MSE Doctoral Dissertation Defense: "Polymer Infiltrated Nanoporous Gold: Kinetics and Optical Properties of Novel Polymer Nanocomposites" (Weiwei Kong)
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: One of the biggest challenges in the field of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) is to disperse high nanofiller loadings into the polymeric matrix. The high loading and uniform dispersion are limited by the unfavored polymer/nanofiller thermodynamics and the tendency for nanofiller to aggregate. In this thesis\, these are circumvented by using nanoporous gold (NPG) as a scaffold for polymers to fill. The ultra high loading (>50 vol%) is achieved by infiltrating polymer melts into NPG to produce a polymer infiltrated nanoporous gold (PING) composite . This novel composite provides promise for the next generation of advanced materials for coating\, optical sensors\, actuators\, and batteries. \nThis thesis contributes to our understanding of polymer kinetics under moderate confinement by varying the interfacial energy between polymer and pore wall\, and investigating the temperature dependence of infiltration. The confinement ratio in this thesis is defined by Γ = Rg/Rp. For polystyrene (PS) infiltrating into the NPG (Γ = 0.47 – 0.77)\, a weakly attractive interaction\, the infiltration time scales with molecular weight (Mw) as ???? ~ Mw1.30\, weaker than bulk predictions.  Moreover\, PS infiltration is much faster compared to the bulk behavior because confinement reduces the number of entanglement and the effective polymer-wall friction decreases as Mw decreases.  For poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) infiltration into the NPG (Γ = 0.18 – 0.78)\, a strongly attractive interaction\, infiltration time also exhibits a weak dependence as ???? ~ Mw1.43.  However\, compared at similar conditions\, P2VP infiltration is slower than PS which is attributed to the formation of a physisorbed layer during P2VP infiltration\, which is supported by the MD simulations. Lastly\, the temperature dependence of P2VP:NPG infiltration at moderately confined (Γ = 0.55) conditions follows the bulk WLF behavior\, while more confined P2VP (Γ = 0.97) exhibits a weaker temperature dependence  than predicted  by WLF.  This deviation is attributed to a confinement induced reduction in thermal expansion coefficient. Those fundamental studies on polymer kinetics enable the optimization of preparing  PING composites so they can be used for previously mentioned applications. \nThe optical response of the NPG during polymer infiltration is studied using UV-Vis spectroscopy. As the dielectric constant of the gold nanopores increases during filling\, the absorbance spectra intensity increases and the plasmon peak undergoes a red shift. The extent of infiltration measured by the evolution of the absorbance spectra is in good agreement with in-situ ellipsometry measurements. In Discrete Dipole Approximation (DDA) simulations are used to model the absorbance spectra at various stages of annealing time. Importantly\, a “T” shaped gold structure is found to better represent the plasmonic absorption of the NPG ligaments compared to a nanorod used in a prior study. These optical absorption studies demonstrate that UV-Vis is a facile method for studying polymer infiltration in metal scaffolds. \nThis thesis advances the understanding of polymer infiltration kinetics for polymers that weakly and strongly attract to the pore walls\, and show that confinement reduces thermal expansion of the polymer. To complement ellipsometry\, a new approach is presented to follow polymer infiltration using UV-vis spectroscopy. These advancements enable scientists to better understand polymers under confinement and advance the tool box for creating interconnected polymer/filler systems at high filler concentrations. \n 
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/mse-doctoral-dissertation-defense-polymer-infiltrated-nanoporous-gold-kinetics-and-optical-properties-of-novel-polymer-nanocomposites-weiwei-kong/
LOCATION:LRSM Reading Room\, 3231 Walnut St.\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Dissertation or Thesis Defense
ORGANIZER;CN="Materials Science and Engineering":MAILTO:johnruss@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241202T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241202T150000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241125T215109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241125T215109Z
UID:10008185-1733146200-1733151600@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:CBE Doctoral Dissertation Defense: "Utilization of Atomic Layer Deposition for Heterogeneous Catalysis in Biomass Upgrading Applications" (Mengjie Fan)
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nThe need for sustainable energy sources has intensified interest in biomass upgrading\, where biomass-derived feedstocks are transformed into fuels and valuable chemicals. A major challenge in biomass upgrading is the development of highly active\, selective\, and stable catalysts for complex reactions. Traditional synthesis methods often result in heterogeneous catalysts with poor dispersion of active sites\, limiting their efficiency. This thesis explores the use of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) as a precise technique for synthesizing catalysts with controlled composition and uniform structure\, aimed at understanding correlation between structure and reactivity as well as improving catalyst performance in biomass upgrading applications. \nTo investigate this\, I studied a few biomass upgrading reactions by depositing metal oxides and metals on various support materials by ALD. The formation of uniform thin films or highly dispersed particles with ALD was confirmed by XRD\, TEM\, and FTIR. Catalytic performance was evaluated for biomass upgrading reactions in flow reactor and TPD system. Our results demonstrated that ALD was capable of producing catalysts with well-defined structure\, thus enhanced selectivity and stability compared to those produced by conventional methods. This research highlights the effectiveness of ALD in producing single-site and highly dispersed catalysts that improve biomass upgrading efficiency. By enabling precise control over catalyst structure and composition\, ALD presents a promising approach for advancing sustainable catalytic processes in renewable energy applications. Future work will explore further optimization of ALD conditions to enhance the scalability and economic feasibility of ALD-synthesized catalysts in industrial biomass conversion.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/cbe-doctoral-dissertation-defense-utilization-of-atomic-layer-deposition-for-heterogeneous-catalysis-in-biomass-upgrading-applications-mengjie-fan/
LOCATION:Raisler Lounge (Room 225)\, Towne Building\, 220 South 33rd Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Doctoral,Graduate,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:20241203T101500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241203T111500
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241028T144644Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241028T144644Z
UID:10008153-1733220900-1733224500@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MEAM Seminar: "Differentiable Algorithms for Non-differentiable Robotics: Dexterous Manipulation via Implicit Learning and Control"
DESCRIPTION:As we ask our robotic systems to become more capable\, with the ultimate aim of deploying robots into complex and ever-changing scenarios\, the vast space of potential tasks drives the need for flexibility and generalization. For all the promise of big-data machine learning\, what will happen when robots deploy to our homes and workplaces and inevitably encounter new objects\, new tasks\, and new environments? A core challenge in generalizable robotics lies in the making and breaking of contact\, where non-smooth dynamics clashes with typical assumptions in gradient-based optimization and learning. With the goal of rapid adaptation to novel settings\, I’ll discuss our progress on real-time multi-contact MPC for dexterous manipulation\, where we can realize dynamic motions which dynamically and intelligently make and break contact\, with only a simple goal as the given objective. Control\, however\, requires a model\, and so I will present our recent results on contact-inspired implicit model learning learning\, where\, by embedding convex optimization\, we reshape the loss landscape and enable more accurate training\, better generalization\, and ultimately data efficiency. Lastly\, given time\, I’ll discuss how model learning and control can synergize in interesting ways: via online adaptation or by synthesizing task-relevant models which identify key aspects of multi-contact dynamics necessary to achieve a goal.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/meam-seminar-differentiable-algorithms-for-non-differentiable-robotics-dexterous-manipulation-via-implicit-learning-and-control/
LOCATION:Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101)\, Levine Hall\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ORGANIZER;CN="Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics":MAILTO:meam@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241203T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241203T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241127T181518Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241127T181518Z
UID:10008190-1733227200-1733230800@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:Fall 2024 GRASP Seminar: Anand Bhattad\, Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago\, "Are Generative Image Models Physically Grounded?"
DESCRIPTION:*This seminar will be held in-person in Raisler Lounge as well as virtually via Zoom. \nABSTRACT\nComputer vision has transformed from simple edge detection in the 1980s to modern generative models that generate uncannily realistic images: objects are in sensible places\, lighting seems realistic\, and textures appear accurate. But how do they achieve this understanding of our visual world? \nProbing their internal representations reveals that these models encode fundamental aspects of physical reality. Within these models\, we discovered classical computer vision concepts like intrinsic images — decomposing scenes into color\, shape\, and lighting — learned without explicit training. These discoveries allow us to manipulate real photographs in physically plausible ways. However\, we also find surprising gaps in their understanding\, such as their limitation of replicating principles of projective geometry\, which provides reliable signatures for detecting generated images. \nThis talk explores what knowledge emerges within generative image models\, revealing their strengths and weaknesses. I will discuss how these insights drive new applications and open challenges\, pushing us closer to building generative models grounded in the physical world.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/fall-2024-grasp-seminar-anand-bhattad-toyota-technological-institute-at-chicago-are-generative-image-models-physically-grounded/
LOCATION:Raisler Lounge (Room 225)\, Towne Building\, 220 South 33rd Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ORGANIZER;CN="General Robotics%2C Automation%2C Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab":MAILTO:grasplab@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241204
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241210
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241116T144326Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241116T144326Z
UID:10008175-1733270400-1733788799@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:BE Fall 2024 Demos
DESCRIPTION:The Department of Bioengineering Fall 2024 Student Demos. \nLocation: The Stephenson Foundation Bio-Makerspace (aka the BE Labs) in Skirkanich Hall 225. \nBE 3090\, aka BE MAD: Human-Cockroach Machine Interface. December 4th from 1:30-2:30 PM\, and December 5th from 3:15-4:15. \nBE 4950 Senior Design: Minimum Viable Product. December 9th\, 3:30-5:00 PM.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/be-fall-2024-demos/
LOCATION:Skirkanich 225
CATEGORIES:Student,Undergraduate
ORGANIZER;CN="Bioengineering":MAILTO:be@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241204T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241204T131500
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241111T152020Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241111T152020Z
UID:10008168-1733313600-1733318100@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ASSET Seminar: "Curious Embeddings\, Hazy Oracles\, and the Path to Safe\, Cooperative AI"
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nCooperation through safe and trustworthy communication and interaction is fundamental to how human teams accomplish complex tasks. Yet\, despite significant–and sometimes revolutionary–advances in AI\, we have barely begun to unlock the potential of safe\, cooperative AI. This may stem from our limited understanding of how multimodal\, large-scale AI models function\, the one-sided nature of contemporary\, fully-supervised AI approaches\, or social concerns about human-AI collaboration. In this talk\, I will dive into these layers of inquiry\, beginning with a principled exploration of what the embeddings in large-scale foundation models reveal about the underlying problem and data\, including new results disentangling sample-size from Bayes error and decision-boundary complexity. I will then introduce the concept of the human collaborator as a “hazy oracle”–a fallible partner rather than an omniscient information source–and establish a framework for modeling human-supplied error during collaboration. Building on these foundational insights\, I will conclude with applications of these ideas to foster safe and effective human-AI collaboration in the health sciences. \nZoom Link (if unable to attend in-person): https://upenn.zoom.us/j/99385572884
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/asset-seminar-curious-embeddings-hazy-oracles-and-the-path-to-safe-cooperative-ai/
LOCATION:Raisler Lounge (Room 225)\, Towne Building\, 220 South 33rd Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241204T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241204T160000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241126T175612Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241126T175612Z
UID:10008186-1733324400-1733328000@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:Fall 2024 GRASP SFI: Dylan Shell\, Texas A&M University\, "Robot situatedness and information requirements for tasks"
DESCRIPTION:This will be a hybrid event with in-person attendance in Levine 307 and virtual attendance on Zoom. \nABSTRACT\nThis talk describes investigations into the nature of robot–environment interaction and “niche fit” through the lens of state (or memory) minimization. The idea is that by limiting what a robot can store\, much like so-called bottleneck methods\, one hopes to uncover the information needed to perform specific tasks.  We study a setting in which robots are able to exploit structural regularity within the environment.  Doing so alters the minimization problem from classical reduction problems (i.e.\, those of Myhill–Nerode or bisimulation relations) in an important\, fundamental way: it changes computational complexity class.  The later part of the talk will try to explore interpretations and intuitions behind the (multiple) extra sources of this complexity.  Touching briefly upon intriguing ways in which nondeterminism and casualty manifest themselves\, the final part of the talk will describe how we are now approaching sensors within this theoretical framework too.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/fall-2024-grasp-sfi-dylan-shell/
LOCATION:Levine 307\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
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:20241204T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241204T163000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20240816T204301Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240816T204301Z
UID:10008056-1733326200-1733329800@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:CBE Seminar: "Creating a New Circular Carbon Economy via Carbon Capture\, Utilization and Storage" (Alissa Park\, UCLA)
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nTo meet the ever-increasing global energy demands while addressing climate change\, the development of carbon capture\, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies is one of the critical needs. In particular\, there have been significant efforts to develop innovative CO 2 capture materials and CO 2 conversion technologies to create a new circular carbon economy based on renewable energy. The next-generation CO 2 capture materials\, which are often water-free or water-lean\, have unique structural and chemical properties that allow their applications in a wide range of reactive separation systems. Nanoparticle Organic Hybrid Materials (NOHMs) are organic-inorganic hybrids that consist of a hard nanoparticle core functionalized with a molecular organic corona that possesses a high degree of chemical and physical tunability. It has recently been discovered that NOHMs have interesting electrolyte properties that allow the CO 2 capture to be pulled by the in-situ CO 2 conversion reactions. The development of these unique nanoscale hybrid materials will not only advance CO 2 capture materials design but also introduce unique research opportunities in various sustainable energy and environmental fields. This seminar will discuss the challenges and opportunities of different CO 2 capture and conversion pathways including Negative Emission Technologies (e.g.\, Direct Air Capture) that can allow the development of circular carbon and hydrogen economy using renewable energy.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/cbe-seminar-creating-a-new-circular-carbon-economy-via-carbon-capture-utilization-and-storage-alissa-park-ucla/
LOCATION:Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101)\, Levine Hall\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ORGANIZER;CN="Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering":MAILTO:cbemail@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241205T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241205T120000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241104T210122Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241104T210122Z
UID:10008161-1733394600-1733400000@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MSE Seminar: "Single Metal Site Catalysts for Sustainable and Clean Hydrogen Energy"
DESCRIPTION:Fossil fuels have been overwhelmingly used in many industry sectors in past decades\, causing significant CO2 and other pollutant emissions\, low efficiency\, and nonsustainability. Clean and efficient energy storage and conversion via electrochemical reactions associated with hydrogen\, oxygen\, and water have attracted substantial attention for energy and environmental sustainability. Among compelling energy technologies\, hydrogen proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are a promising zero-emission power source for transportation to mitigate environmental pollution and reduce fossil-fuel dependence. Meanwhile\, water electrolyzers have been clearly identified as the sustainable pathway to produce cheap green hydrogen efficiently using renewable electricity. However\, current materials\, including catalysts\, membranes\, and ionomers\, cannot meet the challenging targets of high-efficiency\, low-cost\, and long-term durability of hydrogen fuel cells and water electrolyzers. Developing high-performance catalysts from earth-abundant elements to replace current precious metals is crucial for making these hydrogen technologies viable for large-scale clean energy applications. U.S. DOE has continuously supported his research group in the past decade\, aiming to address materials issues by designing and scaling up innovative and highly efficient catalysts and electrodes. This talk discusses recent understanding\, progress\, achievement\, and perspective on developing low-cost and high-performance catalysts based on newly emerging atomically dispersed metal-nitrogen-carbon materials for sustainable and clean hydrogen technologies.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/mse-seminar-single-metal-site-catalysts-for-sustainable-and-clean-hydrogen-energy/
LOCATION:Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101)\, Levine Hall\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ORGANIZER;CN="Materials Science and Engineering":MAILTO:johnruss@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241205T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241205T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241007T183410Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241007T183410Z
UID:10008126-1733396400-1733403600@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:BE Doctoral Dissertation Defense: "High-throughput and high-dimensional single-cell analysis of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells" (Yuwan Guo)
DESCRIPTION:The Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Jenny Jiang are pleased to announce the Doctoral Dissertation Defense of Yuwan Guo.\n\n\nTitle: High-throughput and high-dimensional single-cell analysis of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells\nAdvisor: Dr. Jenny Jiang\n\nDate :Thursday\, Dec 5\, 2024\nTime: 11am – 1pm\nLocation: Glandt Forum\, 3rd floor Singh Center\n\nThe public is welcome to attend.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/be-doctoral-dissertation-defense-high-throughput-and-high-dimensional-single-cell-analysis-of-antigen-specific-cd4-t-cells-yuwan-guo/
LOCATION:Glandt Forum\, Singh Center for Nanotechnology\, 3205 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Doctoral,Graduate,Student,Dissertation or Thesis Defense
ORGANIZER;CN="Bioengineering":MAILTO:be@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241205T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241205T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241202T172903Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241202T172903Z
UID:10008191-1733400000-1733403600@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ESE PhD Seminar: "Multiferroic MEMS Magnetic Field Sensors for Biomedical Applications"
DESCRIPTION:The human body produces magnetic fields wherever ion exchange occurs. Detecting these pico-Tesla level magnetic fields enables non-invasive monitoring of brain and heart health\, but medical-grade sensing methods require large equipment with high power consumption. This talk will detail a solution using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) composed of a magnetostrictive and piezoelectric material. After an introduction to the sensor design and operation\, we will discuss the design process\, electrical and magnetic characterization\, and results.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/ese-phd-seminar-multiferroic-mems-magnetic-field-sensors-for-biomedical-applications/
LOCATION:Raisler Lounge (Room 225)\, Towne Building\, 220 South 33rd Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar,Colloquium,Doctoral
ORGANIZER;CN="Electrical and Systems Engineering":MAILTO:eseevents@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241205T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241205T163000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241116T143321Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241116T143321Z
UID:10008174-1733412600-1733416200@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:BE Doctoral Dissertation Defense: "Understanding the genome's structure-function relationship in early neural lineage commitment" (Katelyn Titus)
DESCRIPTION:The Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Jennifer Cremins are pleased to announce the Doctoral Dissertation Defense of Katelyn Titus.\n\nTitle: Understanding the genome’s structure-function relationship in early neural lineage commitment\nDate: December 5\, 2024\nTime:  3:30 PM\nLocation: CRB Austrian Auditorium\n\nThe public is welcome to attend.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/be-doctoral-dissertation-defense-understanding-the-genomes-structure-function-relationship-in-early-neural-lineage-commitment-katelyn-titus/
LOCATION:CRB Auditorium\, 415 Curie Boulevard\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Doctoral,Graduate,Student,Dissertation or Thesis Defense
ORGANIZER;CN="Bioengineering":MAILTO:be@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241206T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241206T114500
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20240911T192758Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240911T192758Z
UID:10008093-1733481000-1733485500@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:Fall 2024 GRASP on Robotics: Bill Smart\, Oregon State University\, "Privacy-Sensitive Robotics"
DESCRIPTION:This will be a hybrid event with in-person attendance in Wu and Chen and virtual attendance on Zoom. \nABSTRACT\nAs robots become more and more prevalent\, both in the workplace and outside it\, they will have greater access to the details of our lives. Sensors used by these robots to make intelligent decisions about what to do can also be used to record the people and things around them.  These sensors are fundamentally different from existing fixed infrastructure\, such as surveillance cameras\, because they are attached to a mobile system\, capable to operating autonomously.  How should we think about the new privacy risks that such systems bring with them?  How can we mitigate these risks\, while still reaping the benefits offered by the widespread use of robots?  What do we even mean when we say the word “privacy”?  In this talk\, we’ll give a framework for how to think about privacy in the context of mobile robot systems\, outline some of the potential risks introduced by this new technology\, and show some examples of technical mitigations that can preserve privacy\, while still allowing the robot to do its job.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/fall-2024-grasp-on-robotics-bill-smart-oregon-state-university-privacy-sensitive-robotics/
LOCATION:Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101)\, Levine Hall\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
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:20241206T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241206T120000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20240821T142225Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240821T142225Z
UID:10008068-1733482800-1733486400@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ESE Fall Seminar - "Quantum information processing stack: from bottom to top and back"
DESCRIPTION:Quantum processors have become quite large and sophisticated machines over the last several years\, with many tech companies racing to develop the first quantum computer of practical utility. While the progress has been impressive\, quantum processors still face significant hurdles such as short coherence times and high error rates. They are not yet able to compete with classical information processing technologies in solving problems of practical interest. I will review some of the recent advances in the field and discuss my group’s contributions across the quantum information processing stack\, from the control of quantum hardware to quantum algorithm development and back.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/ese-fall-seminar-title-tbd-20/
LOCATION:Glandt Forum\, Singh Center for Nanotechnology\, 3205 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ORGANIZER;CN="Electrical and Systems Engineering":MAILTO:eseevents@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241206T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241206T150000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241106T150548Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241106T150548Z
UID:10008165-1733490000-1733497200@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:BE Doctoral Dissertation Defense: "Clonal differences underlie differential responses to initial\, sequential\, and prolonged drug treatment" (Dylan Schaff)
DESCRIPTION:The Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Sydney Shaffer are pleased to announce the Doctoral Dissertation Defense of Dylan Schaff.\n\nTitle:”Clonal differences underlie differential responses to initial\, sequential\, and prolonged drug treatment”\nDate:December 6\, 2024\nTime: 1pm-3pm\nLocation: Wu and Chen auditorium\, Levine Hall\n\nThe public is welcome to attend.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/be-doctoral-dissertation-defense-clonal-differences-underlie-differential-responses-to-initial-sequential-and-prolonged-drug-treatment-dylan-schaff/
LOCATION:Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101)\, Levine Hall\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Doctoral,Graduate,Student,Dissertation or Thesis Defense
ORGANIZER;CN="Bioengineering":MAILTO:be@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241206T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241206T150000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241202T180109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241202T180109Z
UID:10008192-1733493600-1733497200@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:PICS Colloquium: Lipid Membrane Remodeling by Proteins and Peptides: Mechanistic insights from multi-scale analysis
DESCRIPTION:We will discuss the analysis of membrane remodeling by proteins and peptides using multi-scale computational methods; these include mainly molecular dynamics simulations at atomistic and coarse-grained levels\, although we will also touch upon analyses using lattice models and a mean- field theory. The discussions will cover several systems that we have analyzed in recent studies\, which include the SAR1 protein from the COPII machinery and the ESCRTIII complex; we will also briefly discuss how protein condensates interact with lipid membranes\, especially in terms of their mutual influence on morphology and phase behaviors. These examples illustrate different molecular properties and mechanisms that are potentially relevant to membrane remodeling\, as well as the values and limitations of various computational methodologies in such context.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/pics-colloquium-lipid-membrane-remodeling-by-proteins-and-peptides-mechanistic-insights-from-multi-scale-analysis/
LOCATION:PICS Conference Room 534 – A Wing \, 5th Floor\, 3401 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Qiang-Cui.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Penn Institute for Computational Science (PICS)":MAILTO:dkparks@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241212T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241212T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241206T143536Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241206T143536Z
UID:10008194-1734004800-1734008400@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MEAM Seminar: "Leveraging Impedance Properties for Free Self-Sensing in Actuators for Compact Robots"
DESCRIPTION:Self-sensing actuators provide a compelling approach to designing compact robotic systems by integrating sensing capabilities directly into the actuator\, eliminating the need for external sensors. This presentation\, titled “Leveraging Impedance Properties for Free Self-Sensing in Actuators for Compact Robots\,” highlights how the intrinsic impedance properties of actuators—resistance\, inductance\, and induced EMF—can be harnessed to achieve low-volume solutions of self-sensing actuators. Evidence for this approach is demonstrated through three projects: a self-sensing I-cord knitted SMA actuator that uses resistance measurements to monitor its state\, applied in an inchworm robot and a gripper; a custom PET solenoid actuator that utilizes induced EMF to sense movement and velocity\, enabling applications such as an origami-inspired bistable gripper and a facial reanimation device acting as an artificial muscle; and a custom acrylic linear solenoid actuator that leverages inductance to self-sense plunger position\, demonstrated as an active valve in underwater swimming robots. These examples illustrate the potential of impedance-based self-sensing to streamline actuator design\, enhance functionality\, and enable new possibilities in robotics across domains.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/meam-seminar-leveraging-impedance-properties-for-free-self-sensing-in-actuators-for-compact-robots/
LOCATION:Towne 319\, 220 S. 33rd Street\, Philadelphia\, 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:20241213T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241213T160000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241209T220551Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241209T220551Z
UID:10008195-1734100200-1734105600@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:CBE Doctoral Dissertation Defense: "Engineering Biomolecular Condensates: Insights Into Catalytic Activities and Structural Design" (Muyang Guan)
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nEukaryotic cells orchestrate cellular processes through spatiotemporal organization achieved by compartmentalization. Biomolecular condensates\, formed via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS)\, serve as vital hubs for enzymatic reactions and mediate cellular functions. \nTo investigate catalytic activities within biomolecular condensates\, a light-emitting enzyme (NanoLuc) was incorporated into LAF-1 RGG model condensates. Incorporation into condensates led to a significantly enhanced enzymatic reaction rate for the two-phase system compared to the single-phase reaction. The reaction exhibited diffusion-limited behavior in the condensed phase\, with light output affected by condensate viscosity. Given the low viscosity of our model condensates\, this diffusion-limited behavior is anticipated in most condensates\, suggesting the potential use of a condensate-NanoLuc system for identifying drug molecules that modulate condensate viscosity. In addition\, complementation of enzyme fragments inside condensates and recruitment of cargo proteins at condensate surface was demonstrated. \nTo study the miscibility between different condensed phases\, a second model condensate from the low complexity (LC) domain of human protein FUS was constructed. At physiological salt concentration\, FUS LC and RGG condensates formed discrete condensed phases that are immiscible. The two condensates partially wet each other\, indicating similar surface tensions. At high salt concentrations\, the two phases formed a core-shell structure\, suggesting the effect of charge interactions on interfacial tension. Additionally\, viscoelasticity affected miscibility between two condensed phases. Further\, dynamically driven substructures were observed as the system underwent out-of-equilibrium transition. This aspect can be harnessed to produce multiphasic condensates by kinetically trapping FUS LC inside RGG condensates. To systematically coordinate the interaction between the two phases\, a designer “surfactant” protein was developed\, reducing the FUS LC – RGG interfacial tension and enabling the integration of complex assemblies of two phases. These strategies demonstrated the ability to generate novel structures by bridging two phases that do not normally integrate\, showcasing the potential for controlling condensate architecture. \nIn summary\, this work provides valuable insights into the principles and strategies for modulating biomolecular condensate functions and structures\, laying a foundation for further exploration and potential therapeutic applications.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/cbe-doctoral-dissertation-defense-engineering-biomolecular-condensates-insights-into-catalytic-activities-and-structural-design-muyang-guan/
LOCATION:https://upenn.zoom.us/j/96301746733
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:20250113T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250113T100000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20250108T143053Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250108T143053Z
UID:10008210-1736762400-1736762400@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ESE Ph.D. Thesis Defense: "Wave Interaction with Nonreciprocal Swift-Electron Platforms and Reconfigurable Metasurfaces"
DESCRIPTION:The study of electromagnetic wave interactions with various media is of fundamental significance in both theoretical and applied sciences. Understanding how electromagnetic waves propagate\, reflect\, refract\, and scatter when encountering different materials is essential for the design of advanced technologies in telecommunications\, imaging\, sensing\, and computation. Furthermore\, the ability to manipulate wave behavior within diverse media presents new possibilities for developing high-performance devices\, such as antennas\, sensors\, and optical systems\, with applications ranging from wireless communications to medical diagnostics. \nNonreciprocal devices\, which enable unidirectional signal propagation\, are critical for protecting systems from interference and enhancing the performance of telecommunications and photonic technologies. Achieving a robust nonreciprocal response is vital for ensuring signal integrity and efficiency in these systems. In this study\, I present theoretical models that explore the strong and tunable nonreciprocal response of swift electrons interacting with various structures\, including those in vacuum and graphene-based media. My analytical and numerical analysis demonstrates that guided modes in metallic and dielectric waveguides can be effectively manipulated by fast-moving electrons\, resulting in unidirectional propagation regimes and significant nonreciprocity in light-matter interactions. Additionally\, I introduce a beam-steering structure based on the interaction between antenna radiation and an electron sheet comprising swift moving electrons at constant velocity. The nonreciprocal strength of these interactions is further modulated through space-time variation of electron velocity and density\, demonstrating extra degree of freedom in controlling wave propagation. The strong nonreciprocal response achieved using this method is highlighted through comparative analysis with existing approaches. I also investigate nonreciprocity in graphene-coated optical fibers\, where electrically biased electrons moving along the fiber axis interact with the guided modes of the dielectric fiber. Moreover\, I explore the impact of electrical bias on the absorption rate and resonance frequency of nano-patterned graphene based metasurface. This study opens new avenues for controlling and manipulating electromagnetic wave propagation in THz systems\, where the nonreciprocity strength is not inherently limited by material properties. \nFurther\, I explore the integration of memristors into conventional electromagnetic devices\, which represents advancement in information storage and processing. The convergence of memristive properties with electromagnetic wave propagation offers promising opportunities for new computing paradigms\, including neuromorphic computing\, data storage\, and communication systems. I demonstrate theoretically the design and functionality of a metastructure composed of an array of memristors (mem-cells)\, illustrating how this configuration can effectively capture both the amplitude and phase characteristics of incident electromagnetic waves.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/ese-ph-d-thesis-defense-wave-interaction-with-nonreciprocal-swift-electron-platforms-and-reconfigurable-metasurfaces/
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:20250113T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250113T160000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20250110T182620Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250110T182620Z
UID:10008215-1736776800-1736784000@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MSE Ph.D. Thesis Defense: "Controlling Assembly of Polymer-grafted Nanoparticles to Enhance Mechanical Properties in Polymer Nanocomposite Films"
DESCRIPTION:Polymer nanocomposite (PNC) films are of interest for many applications including electronics\, energy storage\, and advanced coatings. In phase-separating PNCs\, the interplay between thermodynamic and kinetic factors governs the assembly of polymer-grafted nanoparticles (NPs)\, which directly influences material properties. Understanding how processing parameters affect the structure-property relationship of PNCs is important for designing advanced materials. This thesis provides new insight by investigating a model PNC system of poly(methyl methacrylate)-grafted nanoparticles (PMMA-NPs) embedded in a poly(styrene-ran-acrylonitrile) (SAN) matrix. \nTime-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) was developed to quantify the distribution of NPs within PMMA-NP/SAN films\, enabling precise 3D reconstruction of PNC structures. Experimental parameters such as primary ion beam angle and charge compensation were optimized to enhance secondary ion signals and depth resolution. Upon annealing in the two-phase region\, PMMA-NP/SAN films exhibited phase separation and surface segregation\, leading to morphological evolutions characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM)\, ToF-SIMS\, water contact angle measurements\, and transmission electron microscopy. By systematically exploring the effects of film thickness on PNC structures\, we found that film thickness-induced confinement reduces lateral phase separation and enhances NP dispersion at the surface. A dimensional crossover from three to two dimensions was observed around 240 nm\, below which surface-directed spinodal decomposition is suppressed. As a result of phase separation and surface segregation\, six distinct bulk morphologies were identified\, allowing for the construction of a morphology map correlating film thickness and annealing time. Among these morphologies\, percolated structures were found to improve mechanical properties such as hardness and modulus\, while interconnected networks show the highest hardness and modulus at both low and high force loadings\, as measured using AFM nanoindentation. Additionally\, Marangoni-induced hexagonal honeycomb patterns were observed in spin-coated as-cast PMMA-NP/SAN films. By changing to a less volatile solvent\, these defects were eliminated\, demonstrating the importance of solvent selection in achieving uniform and high-quality thin films. \n\nThese findings demonstrate the potential for precise control of surface-enriched and phase-separated microstructures in PNC films through tailoring processing conditions. This thesis advances the understanding of PNC processing-structure-property relationships\, providing a foundation for designing highly functional materials with broad industrial applications.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/mse-ph-d-thesis-defense-controlling-assembly-of-polymer-grafted-nanoparticles-to-enhance-mechanical-properties-in-polymer-nanocomposite-films/
LOCATION:LRSM Reading Room\, 3231 Walnut St.\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Dissertation or Thesis Defense
ORGANIZER;CN="Materials Science and Engineering":MAILTO:johnruss@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250115T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250115T131500
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20250106T202511Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250106T202511Z
UID:10008209-1736942400-1736946900@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ASSET Seminar: "Poison and Cure: Non-Convex Optimization Techniques for Private Synthetic Data and Reconstruction Attacks"
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nI will survey recent results describing the application of modern non-convex optimization methods to the problems of reconstruction attacks on private datasets (the “poison”)\, and the algorithmic generation of synthetic versions of private datasets that provably provide strong privacy guarantees (the “cure”). \nZoom Link (if unable to attend in-person): https://upenn.zoom.us/j/97716959173
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/asset-seminar-poison-and-cure-non-convex-optimization-techniques-for-private-synthetic-data-and-reconstruction-attacks/
LOCATION:Amy Gutmann Hall\, Room 414\, 3333 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, 19104\, United States
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250116T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250116T120000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241125T150244Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241125T150244Z
UID:10008183-1737023400-1737028800@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MSE Grace Hopper Lecture: "Bioelectronics to Probe Brain-Body Physiology"  (Polina Anikeeva - Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
DESCRIPTION:Biological signaling in the mammalian nervous system spans a dizzying range of spatial and temporal scales. To understand how cellular and molecular signals contribute to physiology and behavior and to treat the neurological and psychiatric conditions our group designs tools that mimic biological complexity yet match the materials properties of tissues. By combining polymer engineering\, fiber drawing\, and solid-state microelectronics we create scalable fiber-based tools that record and modulate cell signaling in the central and the autonomic nervous systems in behaving rodents. Using these fiber-based tools we reveal the contributions of gut-brain circuits not only to ingestive and metabolic functions but also to high-level behaviors previously attributed exclusively to brain signaling. To probe receptor contributions to neural circuit dynamics\, we synthesize magnetic nanotransducers that convert externally applied magnetic fields into thermal\, chemical\, mechanical\, and electrical signals. Since biological tissues exhibit negligible magnetic permeability and low conductivity\, magnetic fields can penetrate deep into the body with no attenuation allowing us to apply the nanomagnetic transducers to remotely modulate ion channel function in arbitrarily deep tissues. We employ magnetic neuromodulation to control reward and motivation circuits and extend their applications to relieve motor dysfunctions in mouse models of Parkinson’s disease.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/mse-grace-hopper-lecture-bioelectronics-to-probe-brain-body-physiology-polina-anikeeva-massachusetts-institute-of-technology/
LOCATION:Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101)\, Levine Hall\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Distinguished Lecture
ORGANIZER;CN="Materials Science and Engineering":MAILTO:johnruss@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250121T101500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250121T111500
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241204T203334Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241204T203334Z
UID:10008193-1737454500-1737458100@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MEAM Seminar: "Modeling the Unique Behaviors of Liquid Crystal Elastomers"
DESCRIPTION:Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) exhibit complex thermomechanical behaviors that can be harnessed for a wide variety of applications in soft robotics\, biomedical devices\, and impact protection. The material comprises stiff mesogens bound in an elastomeric network of flexible polymer chains. The mesogens can order and disorder in response to temperature and mechanical deformation. This allows LCEs to undergo reversible phase transitions between the disordered isotropic\, ordered monodomain\, and polydomain states. The motion of the mesogens relative to the polymer network also leads to unique behaviors\, including large reversible actuation response to temperature and soft elasticity. LCEs also display enhanced dissipation over conventional elastomers from the viscous rotation and ordering of the mesogens and relaxation of the network chains. The viscoelastic dissipation mechanisms can be exploited to design LCE materials and structures with extraordinary toughness\, impact energy absorption\, and mechanical damping. Yet\, these same properties may impede the actuation and morphing capabilities of the material. Predictive modeling is needed to efficiently design and optimize LCE structures to achieve the desired performance. This presentation will describe our efforts to develop generalized continuum theories for the thermoviscoelastic behavior of monodomain nematic elastomers that describe the viscous director rotation\, viscous mesogen ordering\, and viscoelastic network deformation mechanisms. We specified constitutive functions for the nematic and mechanical components of the free energy density and viscosities based on experimental observations\, and applied the resulting models to design energy-absorbing architected materials\, evaluate the effectiveness of actuators\, and optimize the director pattern of monodomain nematic elastomeric sheets to maximize viscoelastic dissipation.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/meam-seminar-modeling-the-unique-behaviors-of-liquid-crystal-elastomers/
LOCATION:Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101)\, Levine Hall\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ORGANIZER;CN="Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics":MAILTO:meam@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250122T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250122T131500
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20241118T150858Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241118T150858Z
UID:10008176-1737547200-1737551700@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ASSET Seminar: "Towards Improving the Reliability of AI: Perspectives from Uncertainty Quantification and Fairness"
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nArtificial intelligence holds enormous promise to automate our life. At the same time\, AI systems can be incredibly brittle\, unreliable\, and biased. In this talk\, I will present a few approaches towards making AI more reliable\, trustworthy\, and fair\, drawing on recent work on uncertainty quantification and algorithmic fairness. Specifically\, I will discuss how to make large language models more calibrated\, how to construct prediction sets for data with multiple missing outcomes\, and how to obtain optimally accurate fair classifiers under constraints on linear disparity measures. \nZoom Link (if unable to attend in-person): https://upenn.zoom.us/j/97670810812
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/asset-seminar-edgar-dobriban-university-of-pennsylvania/
LOCATION:Amy Gutmann Hall\, Room 414\, 3333 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, 19104\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250122T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250122T163000
DTSTAMP:20260403T154757
CREATED:20250114T214808Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250114T214808Z
UID:10008217-1737559800-1737563400@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:CBE Seminar: "Unlocking New Therapeutic Strategies by Reconstructing Cell Signaling Networks from the Ground Up" (Mohamad Abedi\, University of Washington\, Seattle)
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nImmunotherapies have achieved remarkable success in treating hematological cancers\, yet the solid tumor microenvironment remains a significant barrier to therapeutic breakthroughs. Machine learning (ML)-driven computational protein design offers a powerful approach to creating novel protein components tailored for specific functions. By combining ML-driven design with synthetic biology and immuno-engineering\, we have developed innovative tools to overcome therapeutic barriers within the tumor microenvironment while deepening our understanding of the biological systems involved. In the first half of this seminar\, I will introduce three new technologies developed using these approaches: (1) a receptor degradation platform to remodel the tumor microenvironment and enhance therapy\, (2) a novel class of receptors that sense soluble tumor markers and localize therapeutic activity\, and (3) de novo-designed many-to-many protein networks resembling mammalian signaling complexity. In the second half\, I will present a computational protein design pipeline that reconstructs cytokines from the ground up. This approach allows us to design cytokines with customizable receptor clustering geometries\, enabling precise exploration of their cell-specific effects and the ability to fine-tune their naturally pleiotropic activities. Furthermore\, this approach enabled us to transcend nature’s designs by creating entirely novel cytokines that cells have never encountered before\, thus unlocking new therapeutic opportunities to manipulate the tumor microenvironment and expand our understanding of the underlying signaling mechanisms.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/cbe-seminar-unlocking-new-therapeutic-strategies-by-reconstructing-cell-signaling-networks-from-the-ground-up-mohamad-abedi-university-of-washington-seattle/
LOCATION:Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101)\, Levine Hall\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ORGANIZER;CN="Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering":MAILTO:cbemail@seas.upenn.edu
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