| Date: | January 23, 2019 |
| Time: | 6:00pm |
| Location: | BLOC 220 |
| Speaker: | Dr. Michael Anshelevich, Department of Mathematics, TAMU |
| Title: | REU Information Session |
| Abstract: | A panel of experts will be available to answer student questions about summer Research Experience for Undergraduates programs. |
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| Date: | January 30, 2019 |
| Time: | 6:00pm |
| Location: | BLOC 220 |
| Speaker: | Dr. Heath Blackmon, Department of Biology, TAMU |
| Title: | Theoretical approaches to evolutionary biology: examples from quantitative and population genetics |
| Abstract: | Quantitative Genetics: Weighted linear regression offers the ability to infer the genetic architecture of a trait. We can use this approach to learn whether the genes responsible for a trait act alone or through interactions with other genes. We have recently extended this approach to allow the inference of genetic architecture under variable environments and in cases where males and females differ in their expression of a trait all while taking into account model selection uncertainty. Population Genetics: Recursion equations can be used to represent complex biological systems and allow us to predict the course of evolution under a broad range of conditions. We have applied this approach to understanding the fate of inversions on sex chromosome that increase the fitness of fathers but may lead to long-term difficulties in reproduction. |
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| Date: | February 6, 2019 |
| Time: | 6:00pm |
| Location: | BLOC 220 |
| Speaker: | Dr. Ivan Ivanov, Department of Vet Med - Physiology & Pharmacology, TAMU |
| Title: | Mathematical Models of Gene Regulatory Networks |
| Abstract: | The Central Dogma of the Molecular Biology describes the flow of information in the living cell. While the complex biochemical reactions underlying the cell functions can be modeled by stochastic differential equations those models have very little practical value, especially in situations where one would like to control for undesired cell phenotypes, e.g. cancer. We will discuss how the complex biochemical reactions can be projected onto the gene plane. The resulting gene regulatory network provides a fruitful ground for mathematical formalizations of the cell regulatory dynamics. One of the potential mathematical models, the Boolean Network model, will be discussed in detail. |
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| Date: | February 13, 2019 |
| Time: | 6:00pm |
| Location: | BLOC 220 |
| Speaker: | Vahid Attari, PhD Student, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, TAMU |
| Title: | Phase-field modeling of microstructure for designing high-performance industrial alloys |
| Abstract: | Phase-field approach is a relatively young interdisciplinary technique still being developed to predict the complex chain of chemistry, structure, processing, and property in materials. To make reliable predictions of materials response during service conditions, we should realize that the properties of a material and its integrity are controlled by the structure of the alloy in Micron to Nano scales. In this talk, I review the mathematical foundations of the phase-field approach and give examples of the calculated microstructures from real world alloys. These include the calculated microstructures for (1) the solder materials in electronic 3D Integrated Circuits (3D ICs), (2) thermoelectric materials for electricity generation through low-grid waste heat sources, potentially used in space exploration applications, (3) ultra-hard coating materials and many other examples. Phase-field approach can be very expensive and supercomputing knowledge is a plus. The goal of my talk is to introduce you to the interdisciplinary field of phase-field modeling where excellent mathematical and engineering skills are required to help design novel materials for novel applications. |
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| Date: | February 20, 2019 |
| Time: | 6:00pm |
| Location: | BLOC 220 |
| Speaker: | Dr. Jean-Francois Chamberland, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, TAMU |
| Title: | Isn’t It Odd that Flipping Coins Can Enable the Internet of Tomorrow? |
| Abstract: | This talk will survey how various mathematical notions, including random coin flipping and linear algebra, can help design the Internet of tomorrow. It will introduce a new scheme for the unsourced multiple-access communication problem whereby devices sends data wirelessly to the cloud. The envisioned divide-and-conquer approach leverages recent advances in compressive sensing and introduces a novel error correction paradigm to produce an uncoordinated access scheme, along with a computationally efficient decoding algorithm. Within this framework, every active device first partitions its data into several sub-blocks and, subsequently, adds redundancy using a linear block code. The original messages are obtained by connecting pieces together using a low-complexity, tree-based algorithm. Hopefully, this will help attendees grow their understanding of possible applications for fundamental notions in math. |
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| Date: | March 6, 2019 |
| Time: | 6:00pm |
| Location: | BLOC 220 |
| Speaker: | Dr. Igor Zelenko, Department of Mathematics, TAMU |
| Title: | Euler characteristic, winding numbers, and can we comb a hedgehog? |
| Abstract: | The goal of the talk is to give a glimpse into the remarkable topic of Mathematics, called Algebraic Topology on the example of solving of the following 'practical' problem: Can we comb a hedgehog? A hedgehog is called combed if there is no needle perpendicular to the surface of the hedgehog. To answer this question we need to define several remarkable integer numbers that do not change under quite large classes of deformations: the Euler number of a surface and the index of a stationary point of a vector field (which also related to a winding number of a curve) and then to relate this seemingly unrelated numbers. This kind of Mathematics should be definitely different from everything you have seen in high school and the first year of your university studies and I am sure you will not be bored. |
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| Date: | March 27, 2019 |
| Time: | 6:00pm |
| Location: | BLOC 220 |
| Speaker: | Dr. Nima Kalantari, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, TAMU |
| Title: | Deep Learning for Sampling and Reconstruction in Computer Graphics |
| Abstract: | The field of computer graphics, specifically computational photography and rendering, has seen tremendous progress over the past decades and, as a result, is an essential part of the film, gaming, and camera industries. In a variety of applications within these sub-fields, the goal is to reconstruct a high dimensional function from a sparse set of input samples. In this talk, I introduce several exciting applications such as light field super-resolution, high dynamic range imaging, and Monte Carlo denoising. I will then discuss our recent effort to address these applications through deep learning. |
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| Date: | April 10, 2019 |
| Time: | 6:00pm |
| Location: | BLOC 220 |
| Speaker: | Dr. Theodora Chaspari, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, TAMU |
| Title: | Computational models of human behavior for education and well-being applications |
| Abstract: | Bio-behavioral signal processing and systems modeling enable an integrated computational approach to the study of human behavior and performance. Recent converging advances in sensing and computing, including wearable technologies, allow the unobtrusive long-term tracking of individuals yielding rich multimodal signal measurements from real-life. In this talk, we will present the development of computational approaches for analyzing, quantifying, and interpreting these bio-behavioral signals. The first part of the talk will describe a novel knowledge-driven signal representation framework able to efficiently handle the large volume of acquired data and the noisy signal measurements. Our approach involves the use of sparse approximation techniques and the design of signal-specific dictionaries learned through Bayesian methods, outperforming previously proposed models in terms of signal reconstruction and information retrieval criteria. The second part of the talk will describe novel population-specific and contextual models of human behavior. Individual differences (e.g., personality, demographics) and contextual factors (e.g., time of day) are integrated into machine learning models through the use of adaptation techniques and multi-task learning. In order to address the scarcity of labelled data related to human behavior, the final part of the talk will outline the development of transfer learning techniques for detecting various aspects of affect in speech. We will demonstrate how knowledge related to human emotion and behavior can be transferred between various datasets collected under constrained and real-life settings, and discuss how results from this analysis can be employed toward designing human-assistive personalized bio-feedback systems able to promote healthy routines, increase emotional wellness and awareness, and revolutionize educational training. |
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| Date: | April 17, 2019 |
| Time: | 6:00pm |
| Location: | BLOC 220 |
| Speaker: | Todd Schrader, Department of Mathematics, TAMU |
| Title: | All About Actuaries |
| Abstract: | Whether helping plan for a foreseeable event such as retirement, or a surprise cost such as a hospitalization or environmental catastrophe, actuaries measure risk and help companies prepare for the future. In this talk we will look into the various roles actuaries play, as well as the path to becoming an actuary and the math you need to learn along the way. |
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| Date: | April 24, 2019 |
| Time: | 5:00pm |
| Location: | BLOC 220 |
| Speaker: | A Group of Undergraduate Students, Department of Mathematics, TAMU |
| Title: | Directed Reading Program Presentations |
| Abstract: | 5:00 - 5:15PM Introductions and food; 5:15 - 5:30PM James Woodcock; 5:30 - 5:45PM Guadalupe Valles; 5:45 - 6:00PM Jackson Haynes; 6:00 - 6:15PM Break; 6:15 - 6:30PM Melissa Cruz; 6:30 - 6:45PM Trevor Hollister; 6:45 - 7:00PM Bailey Johnson |
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| Date: | April 25, 2019 |
| Time: | 5:00pm |
| Location: | BLOC 628 |
| Speaker: | A Group of Undergraduate Students, Department of Mathematics, TAMU |
| Title: | Directed Reading Program Presentations |
| Abstract: | 5:00 - 5:15PM Introductions and food; 5:15 - 5:30PM Maryam Almaskin; 5:30 - 5:45PM Brent Loving; 5:45 - 6:00PM Yifei Liang; 6:00 - 6:15PM Break; 6:15 - 6:30PM Jonathan Reed; 6:30 - 6:45PM Nathan Medrano; 6:45 - 7:00PM Kate McCollough |
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