Join leaders from the Northwestern Personal Development StudioLab for a presentation about the new Curious Life Certificate (CLC), a series of courses designed to give you a holistic approach to your performance both academically and in your personal life.

Whether we like it or not, the AI revolution is coming to education. In Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (And Why That’s a Good Thing), Salman Khan, the visionary behind Khan Academy, explores how artificial intelligence and GPT technology will transform learning, and offers a road map for teachers, parents, and students to navigate this exciting (and sometimes intimidating) new world.

Khan will be in conversation with Angela Duckworth(FAN ’12, ’16), co-founder of Character Lab, Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, faculty co-director of the Penn-Wharton Behavior Change for Good Initiative, founding faculty co-director of Wharton People Analytics, and author of the international bestseller Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.

Related Info

Register Now

Title: Operator Learning: Algorithms, Analysis and Applications

Speaker: Andrew Stuart, California Institute of Technology

Abstract: Approximating operators that map between function spaces can be useful for accelerating systems level tasks in scientific computing, and for discovering computational models from data. In its most basic form, learning an operator may be cast as a form of supervised learning in which the input-output pairs are functions. The talk will overview a variety of specific approximation architectures that have been developed in the last five years; emerging theoretical results explaining the approximation capabilities of the architectures will be explained; and applications to constitutive modeling (plasticity) and inverse problems (fluid mechanics) will be given.

Zoom: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/92621833245

-----

To subscribe to the Applied Mathematics Colloquia List send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.IT.NORTHWESTERN.EDU with the command:

add esam-seminar Youremail Firstname Lastname

This event will explore the role of AI in creative performance contexts. Panelists Thomas DeFrantz, Duri Long, and Ozge Samanci discuss opportunities for AI to expand creative possibilities in performance, challenges presented by live interaction with AI technology, and ethical issues surrounding the use of AI in creative performance. After short presentations and a moderated group discussion, the event will close with a live showcase of a performance project that creatively operationalizes AI.

Dr. Thomas DeFrantz, Professor, Performance Studies and Theatre, directs SLIPPAGE: Performance|Culture|Technology; the group explores emerging technology in live performance applications. He believes in our shared capacity to do better and engage creative spirit for a collective good that is anti-racist, proto-feminist, and queer affirming. He convenes the Black Performance Theory working group as well as the Collegium for African Diaspora Dance, a growing consortium of 325 researchers committed to exploring Black dance practices in writing.

Dr. Duri Long, Assistant Professor, Communications Studies, is a human-centered AI researcher interested in issues surrounding AI literacy and human-AI interaction. Dr. Long’s research looks at how humans interact and learn as a way of informing the design of public AI literacy interventions as well as the development of AI that can interact naturally and improvise creatively with people in complex social environments. She employs a variety of methodologies and theoretical frameworks in her research, drawing on the learning sciences, design research, and cognitive science. She has experience working with artists and museums around the country to develop co-creative, embodied exhibits and art installations involving AI and technology.

Dr. Ozge Samanci, Associate Professor, Radio/Television/Film, is a media and comic artist. Her areas of interest include interactive media art, installation art, virtual reality storytelling, interaction design, full-body interaction, location-based art, comics and graphic novels. Her recent interactive art installations have roots in the natural sciences and explore the tendency of human beings to perceive themselves above all ecosystems.

Sponsored by the Provost’s Generative AI Advisory Committee

Register Now

Next Steps in Python Workshop Series is a seven-part series covering intermediate Python skills, tips, and tricks guaranteed to make your coding life easier. You do not need to attend each session to participate - there is a new lesson each week.

Each one-hour session meets via Zoom on Wednesdays at noon, CDT.  

Parsing text with NLTK
NLTK is one of Python's main libraries for natural language processing (NLP). This workshop introduces the library by focusing on how to parse text to create bags of words. In other words, this workshop teaches how to go from raw text (a string) to a list of words that can be used for different NLP methods.

Prerequisites: Participants should be familiar with Python at an introductory level.

Register Now

Speaker:

Serguei Saavedra, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT

Title:

How Do Ecological Systems Become (re)Assembled?

Abstract:

One of the most iconic thought experiments in biology is what would happen if we could rewind the tape of life on Earth and play it again. Would the tape have a different story in every replay? Or is there a general order of events? The relevance of this thought experiment is not just philosophical or counterfactual, because (re)assembly processes undergone by ecological systems, from microbes to mega-fauna, are continuously replicating the experiment. By integrating theoretical and empirical work, in this talk I will provide a guideline to increase our understanding about the (re)assembly possibilities of ecological systems. Explaining and predicting the (re)assembly of ecological systems underpins our ability to develop successful interventions in bio-restoration, bio-technologies, and bio-medicine.

Speaker Bio:

Serguei Saavedra is an Associate Professor at MIT in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He is also an external faculty at Santa Fe Institute. Serguei is a theoretical ecologist focused on understanding the feasibility of observing the emergence, transformations, and regeneration of ecological systems under environmental changes. Before joining MIT in 2016, Serguei studied systems engineering in Mexico; specialized in mathematical modeling at Genoa University; completed his PhD in engineering science at Oxford University; and did his postdoctoral work at the NICO (under the mentorship of Brian Uzzi), Doñana Biological Station, and in the department of environmental systems at ETH.

Location:

In person: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster Street, Lower Level
Remote option: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/91082510906
Passcode: NICO2024

About the Speaker Series:

Wednesdays@NICO is a vibrant weekly seminar series focusing broadly on the topics of complex systems, data science and network science. It brings together attendees ranging from graduate students to senior faculty who span all of the schools across Northwestern, from applied math to sociology to biology and every discipline in-between. Please visit: https://bit.ly/WedatNICO for information on future speakers.

Related Info

Wednesday / CS Distinguished Lecture
May 22nd / 12:00 PM
Hybrid / Mudd 3514

Speaker
Brenda Darden Wilkerson, AnitaB.org

Talk Title
The Power of One: Who is Missing In Tech?

Abstract
AnitaB.org President and CEO Brenda Darden Wilkerson illustrates the conspicuous absence of women and non-binary individuals in key tech roles, questioning why these voices are often missing from crucial discussions and decision-making processes. She advocates fervently for their inclusion not only as consumers but as creators within the tech landscape, underscoring the detrimental effects of their underrepresentation through examples like biased AI systems and flawed medical devices. Wilkerson also champions the urgency of achieving gender parity in the tech industry, a goal projected to take an unsettling 132 years according to current estimates. With a deep sense of purpose, Wilkerson delves into the essence of humanity that AnitaB.org strives to embody, emphasizing the organization's commitment to understanding and addressing the distinct challenges faced by historically minoritized communities. She concludes by highlighting the critical importance of community and collaboration in overcoming societal challenges, inspiring her listeners to engage actively in creating a more equitable and diverse technological future.

Biography

Brenda Darden Wilkerson is a prominent figure in the tech industry, renowned for her dedication to promoting computer science education for all. She is the current President and CEO of AnitaB.org, a global nonprofit organization that works to connect and empower women and non-binary people in technology, with a vision of intersectional gender equity and pay parity in the tech ecosystem.

With over 30 years of experience in the technology industry, Brenda is a vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion in the field. She is a recognized leader in the movement to make computer science education accessible to all, regardless of gender, race, or socioeconomic background.

Prior to joining AnitaB.org, she spent 11 years managing computer science and information technology for Chicago Public Schools (CPS). In 2008, while she was still at CPS, she founded the groundbreaking Computer Science for All program, which aims to maximize the potential of every student through a computer science education defined by equity, empowerment, and opportunity. Also, during that time, Brenda founded the Chicago chapter of Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA). Through her efforts, she connected with educators and industry leaders to raise awareness about the importance of computer science education and the need to increase access to those opportunities.

In 2016, Brenda was appointed by President Barack Obama to the White House’s Tech Inclusion Task Force, where she worked with other experts to create strategies for increasing diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. She was also a driving force behind the launch of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), which seeks to increase the participation of girls and women in computing.

As the leader of AnitaB.org, Brenda has continued to influence technology equity on a global scale. Under her leadership, the organization has expanded its reach to include programs that support women and non-binary technologists at all stages of their careers, including mentorship, leadership development, and advocacy.

Brenda’s contributions to the field of technology education have been recognized with numerous awards and accolades, including the 2017 Computer Science Education Week Champion of Change Award from the White House and the 2019 Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a passionate advocate for access, opportunity, and social justice in the tech industry, and her work continues to inspire and empower women, non-binary people, and historically excluded groups in technology.

Brenda was named to the 2023 Forbes 50 Over 50 list for Impact. The third annual list is a collection of founders, innovators, and creators and is divided into four broad categories – Innovation, Impact, Investment, and Lifestyle. The women on the 50 Over 50 Impact list are leading the charge for a better world.

Most recently, Brenda was selected as one of five honorees for the 2024 SXSW Community Service Awards.

Research Area/Interests
Emerging Tech, Cybersecurity, AI Safety

Zoom: TBA

Join us at The Garage to hear from Alex Castrounis, Founder & CEO at Why of AI, who will provide insight on the near future and the ideas pushing it forward.

Castrounis is the founder and CEO of Why of AI, a book author on AI, and an adjunct professor of AI for Northwestern University's Kellogg & McCormick MBAi program. He has over two decades of experience advising startups to Fortune 100 companies on using data, analytics, and AI models to drive business growth and customer success.

Register Now

Speaker:

Joseph Paulsen, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, Syracuse University

Title:

Computing with a pile of sand: Understanding amorphous solids that “count” modulo n

Abstract:

In a perfect crystalline solid, the location of its ~1023 atoms can be determined from the whereabouts of just a handful of them. This highly symmetric structure underlies our modern theories of the solid state. By contrast, amorphous solids appear to be a jumbled mess — their lack of symmetry complicates predictions of their mechanical properties and can lead to unusual behaviors. Here we consider an intriguing response seen in simulations of amorphous solids under repeated shearing: the solid may repeatedly visit two distinct configurations at the end of each driving cycle; one at the end of each “even” cycle and one at the end of each “odd” cycle. We build a phenomenological model based on localized rearrangements in the material, which we show can form a faithful picture of this “multiperiodic” response. Beyond elucidating the physics of randomly-packed grains, our results provide a bonus: We obtain a set of design principles for mechanical metamaterials that can “count” the number of times they are disturbed.

Speaker Bio:

Joseph Paulsen earned a bachelor's degrees in Mathematics and Physics from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, and he completed his PhD in Physics at the University of Chicago with Sidney Nagel. He won a National Science Foundation CAREER Award for his work that studies connections between geometry and mechanics in thin materials. Outside of science, one of his passions is trying to squirrel away as much time as possible to ski with his 7-year-old daughter (his son and his wife are not skiers... yet).

Location:

In person: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster Street, Lower Level
Remote option: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/94291553667
Passcode: NICO2024

About the Speaker Series:

Wednesdays@NICO is a vibrant weekly seminar series focusing broadly on the topics of complex systems, data science and network science. It brings together attendees ranging from graduate students to senior faculty who span all of the schools across Northwestern, from applied math to sociology to biology and every discipline in-between. Please visit: https://bit.ly/WedatNICO for information on future speakers.

Related Info

McCormick School of Engineering PhD Hooding and Master’s Degree Recognition Ceremony

Related Info

McCormick School of Engineering Undergraduate Convocation

Related Info