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MEAM Seminar: “Modeling the Unique Behaviors of Liquid Crystal Elastomers”

Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101), Levine Hall 3330 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States

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 […]

ASSET Seminar: “Towards Improving the Reliability of AI: Perspectives from Uncertainty Quantification and Fairness”

Amy Gutmann Hall, Room 414 3333 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, United States

Abstract: Artificial 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 […]

CBE Seminar: “Unlocking New Therapeutic Strategies by Reconstructing Cell Signaling Networks from the Ground Up” (Mohamad Abedi, University of Washington, Seattle)

Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101), Levine Hall 3330 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Abstract: Immunotherapies 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 […]

ESE Seminar – “A changing grid powered by the new generations of power conversion, control, and energy management”

Raisler Lounge (Room 225), Towne Building 220 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States

The electric grid is undergoing a transformative paradigm shift, driven by sweeping changes in generation, demand, and energy storage. By 2035, solar PV alone is expected to supply 40% of U.S. electricity, with substantial additional contributions from wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric sources—creating a renewable-dominant energy landscape. Meanwhile, electricity demand is accelerating due to rapid growth […]

BE Seminar – “The Neurobiology of Mistakes” (Becket Ebitz, Université de Montréal)

Berger Auditorium (Room 13), Skirkanich Hall 210 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Humans and other animals do not always choose the most rewarding course of action, even when we have ample time and computational resources. Why do we make mistakes? The noiseLab uses a combination of theoretical, behavioral, and neurobiological techniques to address this question. In this talk, Dr. Becket Ebitz will discuss converging evidence that mistakes are the product of representational and temporal nonlinearities in neural activity that constrain our ability to make good decisions. The talk will argue that some of these nonlinearities have long-term adaptive benefits, even when they fail to produce the best decision in the moment.

Berger Auditorium (Room 13), Skirkanich Hall 210 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Humans and other animals do not always choose the most rewarding course of action, even when we have ample time and computational resources.Why do we make mistakes? The noiseLab uses a combination of theoretical, behavioral, and neurobiological techniques to address this question. In this talk, Dr. Becket Ebitz will discuss converging evidence that mistakes are […]

LRSM Seminar: “Expanding Our Vision of Glasses: Physical Vapor Deposition Prepares Ultrastable and Anisotropic Materials”

Glandt Forum, Singh Center for Nanotechnology 3205 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Glasses are generally regarded as disordered and the idea of “controlling” molecular packing in glasses is reasonably met with skepticism.  However, as glasses are non-equilibrium materials, a vast array of amorphous structures are possible in principle. Physical vapor deposition (PVD) produces glasses with properties that cannot be achieved by other preparation routes, including high stability […]

MEAM Seminar: “Robots that Evolve on Demand”

Wu & Chen Auditorium

Soft robots have the potential to adapt their morphologies and behavioral control policies to changing tasks and environments. Inspired by the dynamic plasticity of living organisms and the general adaptability of animals, this talk will discuss several shape-shifting soft robot platforms for multi-task performance and multi-environment locomotion—for example, robotic skins, robotic fabrics, and robots with […]

CIS Seminar: “Decentralized Mechanism Design: Cryptography Meets Game Theory”

Wu & Chen Auditorium

In classical auction design, we take it for granted that the auctioneer is trusted and always implements the auction's rules honestly. This assumption, however, no longer holds in modern auctions based on blockchains, or those mediated by third-party platforms such as Google. For example, in blockchain-based auctions, the consensus nodes that partly act as the […]