Awards & Honors
The IEEE Computer Society’s Awards Committee and the Society’s Board of Governors has selected Dr. Ahmed Louri (ECE) to receive the 2020 Edward J. McCluskey Technical Achievement Award “For pioneering contributions to the solution of on-chip and off-chip communication problems for parallel computing and manycore architectures.” The award is given for outstanding and innovative contributions to the fields of computer and information science and engineering or computer technology, usually within the past 10, and not more than 15, years. Contributions must have significantly promoted technical progress in the field. The award consists of a certificate and $2,000 honorarium and will be presented to Dr. Louri at the Computer Society’s annual awards dinner and presentation on May 27. More information about the award and a list of past recipients may be found online.
Faculty News
Conferences and Presentations:
Dr. Volker Sorger (ECE) delivered these seven invited talks at the annual SPIE Photonics West meeting, held February 1-6 in San Francisco, CA: 1) “Advanced 2D material optoelectronic devices;” 2) “Electro- and all-optical photonic neural networks: towards real- time processors;” 3) “ITO ENZ photonics: from modulators to optical limiters;” 4) “2D material-integrated optoelectronics;” 5) “Optical neural networks: from integrated photonics to free- space solutions;” 6) “Photonic convolutional processor for network edge computing;” and 7) “Electro-optic perceptron towards 1018 MAC/J-efficient photonic neural networks.”
Dr. Murray Loew (BME) participated in the panel discussion “Perfection: The Laurent Crystal Flute, 1807-1848” at the Library of Congress on February 15. The program also featured a concert that included performances on several of the nearly 200-year-old glass flutes. This was organized as part of the outreach efforts of the National Endowment for the Humanities-sponsored grant “Glass at Risk,” which is investigating new methods for characterizing and measuring the condition of glass objects of cultural importance. Dr. Loew is PI of the grant, being carried out in collaboration with the Library and Catholic University.
Student News
M.S. student Siyuan Huang (CS), advised by Dr. Gina Adam (ECE), received a travel grant and presented his student paper “Streaming Batch Gradient Approximation and Tracking for Neural Network Training Acceleration” at the AAAI 2020 conference, held February 7-12 in New York City.
Ph.D. student Rose Yin (BME) has been selected for the Highest Scoring Abstract Awards Presented to Women in Electrophysiology for the 2020 Heart Rhythm Society Scientific Sessions. Rose’s abstract, titled “Bioresorbable Wireless Battery-free Pacemaker and Bio-adhesive System for Electrical Stimulation of the Heart,” demonstrates the feasibility of a miniature, battery-free, wireless biodegradable pacemaker that is implanted with a bio-adhesive glue. She will present an oral presentation of her work at the conference. The award includes a plaque and cash prize, an honorary mention at the awards ceremony, and a complimentary registration to the annual scientific sessions. Rose is advised by Dr. Igor Efimov (BME).
Other News
The GW Innovation Center is representing GW SEAS at SXSW EDU (March 9-12), one of the country’s most influential educational conferences. Members of GWIC are assembling elements of an interactive booth focusing on GW’s unbeatable location and SEAS’ exceptional education. Any SEAS faculty, departments, or student organizations wanting GWIC to feature your department, research or projects, should send digital files to Erica Wortham (or send large digital files via Box) by end of day, March 6. Austin, Texas, here we come!
On February 19, Nada Kamona, a recent BME M.S. graduate, received an Honorable Mention for her poster “Automated detection of simulated motion blur in mammograms” at SPIE Medical Imaging, Houston. The poster was based on her M.S. thesis, supervised by Dr. Murray Loew (BME).
SEAS Computing Facility
Arduino Workshop
Saturday, February 29
1:00 – 4:00 pm
SEH, 1300/1400/1450
Register
Join SEAS Computing Facility for an introductory workshop on Arduino, where you will learn about the basics of this microcontroller and how to get started, and will gain experience with some introductory projects involving sensors, motors, and LEDs. Absolutely no experience with Arduino is necessary, and all equipment will be provided. SEAS CF staff will be on hand to lead the workshop and provide hands-on guidance. Bring a friend; group work is encouraged!
MATLAB Workshops: The SEAS Computing Facility (SEASCF) will hold five MATLAB workshops this semester. The remaining workshops will be held in Tompkins 406 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm on the following dates:
- Sunday, March 1: Linear Equation & ODE Solving
- Sunday, March 8: Image Processing and Toolboxes
MATLAB Office Hours: SEAS CF will also hold MATLAB open office hours throughout the Spring semester in Tompkins 406. Office hours are: Sundays (2:00 – 4:00 pm), Tuesdays (6:00 – 10:00 pm), and Fridays (1:00 – 5:00 pm). Please email us to schedule a tutoring appointment. The workshops and tutoring will be hosted by SEAS senior Emilie Lemieux. MATLAB and many other helpful programs are available to be downloaded onto any personal computer. For a complete list of applications, please visit the SEAS Computing Facility website.
Upcoming SEAS Events
E-Week Events:
Edible Car Contest with SWE and WiE
Monday, February 24
6:00 – 7:30 pm
SEH, B1 Green Wall
Register
Professional Development Night with WiE
Tuesday, February 25
5:30 – 9:00 pm
SEH, B1 Green Wall
Mock interview registration
Research Open House and Mocktail Hour
Wednesday, February 26
10:00 am – 4:00 pm (Mocktails: 4:00 – 6:00 pm)
SEH, B1 Green Wall
GW AIAA: “A Panel Discussion on Climate Change: Engineering and Policy Issues”
Thursday, February 27
6:00 – 7:00 pm (Panel)
7:00 – 7:30 pm (Food, refreshments, and networking)
SEH, Lehman Auditorium
RSVP
Join AIAA for this E-Week discussion featuring esteemed panelists who are leading voices in addressing climate change from NASA, Earthrise Alliance, and Resources for the Future. Potential topics include the emerging policy and engineering landscape of climate change, and the economic incentives of solving climate change.
GW's STEM + Health Career Connection Fair
Friday, February 28
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Marvin Center
GW's STEM + Health Career Connection Fair is an excellent opportunity for undergraduate students to connect with potential employers from clinical research and science to biotech, engineering, and public health. Register on Handshake for the Fair and for the GW STEM+Health Symposium: Forecasting Professional Futures in Science, Technology, & Healthcare, held before the Fair, from 9:00 am to noon.
The Engineers' Ball
Saturday, February 29
6:30 – 11:30 pm
The Mayflower Hotel (1127 Connecticut Ave, NW)
Tickets are required. Ticket are $40/person for SEAS undergraduates; for all other guests they are $50/person. Tickets can be purchased with cash only at the SEAS Student Services Front Desk (SEH 2500) Monday and Tuesday, 9:30 am – 5:00 pm. Please email E-Council if you have any questions.
Other SEAS Events:
Python and Jupyter Study Hall Sessions
Every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the semester
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Academic Commons (Gelman Library, 2nd floor)
All students are welcome to visit the study hall sessions to get help with Python and Jupyter. These sessions were set up to support courses (MAE 1117 and MAE 2117) in engineering computations, but they are open to all SEAS students who want help with computational assignments or projects.
BME Seminar: “Neural Interfaces - Emerging Neurotechnologies for Chronic Pain Mechanism and Therapeutic Lead Discovery”
Speaker: Dr. Bryan Black, University of Texas at Dallas
Monday, February 24
3:00 – 4:30 pm
SEH, B1270
BME Special Seminar: “Neural Assessments and Targeted Interventions for Hemiparetic Stroke”
Speaker: Dr. Yuan Yang, Northwestern University
Tuesday, February 25
2:00 – 3:30 pm
SEH, B1270
MAE Seminar: “Tellurene: An Emerging 2-D Multifunctional Material System”
Speaker: Dr. Wenzhuo Wu, Purdue University
Wednesday, February 26
3:00 pm
SEH, 3990
CS Lecture: “Using Virtual Reality to Visualize Disasters, Climate, and Extreme Weather Impacts”
Speaker: Shayna Skolnik, Navteca / NASA Headquarters Disaster Applications Group
Thursday, February 27
4:30 – 6:00 pm
Corcoran Hall, Room 103
This is a special topic lecture for the CSCI 6907 Augmented and Virtual Reality course. To attend, please RSVP to Dr. Hurriyet Ok by February 26.
ECE Distinguished Lecture Series: “Quo Vadis Digital Microfluidic Biochips? From Laboratory Research to Commercialization and Beyond”
Speaker: Dr. Krishnendu Chakrabarty, Duke University
Friday, February 28
2:00 pm (reception to follow)
SEH, B1270
BME Seminar: “Machine Learning-driven Neural Pattern Analysis for Medical Applications”
Speaker: Dr. Yu Zhang, Stanford University
Wednesday, March 4
1:30 – 3:00 pm
SEH, B1270
BME Seminar: “Wearable Brain-Machine Interface Architectures for Neurocognitive Stress”
Speaker: Dr. Rose Faghih, University of Houston
Monday, March 9
3:30 – 5:00 pm
SEH, B1270
BME Seminar: “iPSC-Derived Engineered Micro-Heart Muscle to Study the Relationship between Cardiomyopathy-Genotypes, Mechanical Loading and Arrhythmia”
Speaker: Dr. Nathaniel Huebsch, Washington University in St. Louis
Wednesday, March 11
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Marvin Center, Room 301
Entrepreneurship News & Events
Dolphin Tanks: GWomen X Springboard
Session 1: Monday, February 24 | 6:00 – 8:00 pm | 740 15th St NW, Floor 9
Register | Meet the Presenters
Session 2: Wednesday, February 26 | 3:00 – 5:00 pm | GW Marvin Center, Room 302
Register | Meet the Presenters
Join our top GWomen innovators as they give their final pitches! Dolphin Tanks®, a friendly version of Shark Tanks, encourage the pitching of innovative ideas to a panel of friendly and seasoned industry experts. Selected students in the GWomen program will each deliver a 3-minute pitch showcasing their idea and will get feedback, connections, and strategies sourced from the room.
Creating a Business Model Canvas for Startups Workshop
Tuesday, February 25
5:30 – 7:00 pm
GW I+E Lab
Register
Originally created by Alex Osterwalder, the Business Model Canvas (BMC) is a strategic management and entrepreneurial tool. It gives you the structure of a business plan without the overhead and the improvisation of a "back of the napkin" sketch. Join us for a hands-on workshop that will include a brief overview of the BMC, along with details about the nine key elements of a startup venture.
How to Craft an Engaging Startup Pitch and Slide Deck Workshop
Thursday, March 5 | Register
Wednesday, March 25 | Register
5:30 – 7:00 pm
GW I+E Lab (2000 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 7th Floor)
Pitching your business idea can be tough. Creating the “perfect” pitch deck can be even tougher. Don't fret! Our experts at the GW Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship will help you craft a sound presentation and pitch deck to impress your colleagues and peers.
Pitch’n in the Kitchen
Tuesday, March 10
5:30 – 7:00 pm
GW I+E Lab (2000 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 7th Floor)
Register
Do you have an idea? Do you want to talk through your idea or technology with the community of entrepreneurs at GW? Do you need a co-founder or a teammate? Pitch'n in the Kitchen is right for you. A casual, intimate pitch event where you can pitch your idea (no matter the stage) to your fellow peers and professional entrepreneurs from around campus, in an actual open kitchen. Why a kitchen? That's the place where things get made and new ideas are discovered.
2020 GW New Venture Competition Finals
Thursday, April 16
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Jack Morton Auditorium
Register
12 teams will take the stage to vie for over $500,000 in funding and support at the 12th Annual 2020 GW New Venture Competition. Join us for an evening of viewing some of the hottest, up-and-coming startups from GW, and see which teams will take the prize this year! All guests are invited to join us for an after-party at the Marvin Center Great Hall immediately following the competition.
External Events
Save the Date: GW Research Showcase
Tuesday, April 7
Charles E. Smith Center (600 22nd Street, NW)
The abstract submission form is open, and the deadline to apply is Monday, March 2. Find out more about the showcase.
Dissertation Defenses
Student’s Name: Reham Kaifi
Dissertation Title: “The Effect of Image Analysis on Intra- and Interobserver Reliability and Variability of Femoral Artery Pseudoaneurysm Measurements from B-mode Ultrasound Images”
Advisor: Dr. Vesna Zderic (BME)
Thursday, March 5
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
SEH, 5605
Student’s Name: Chong Liu
Dissertation Title: “A Machine Learning Method for Positioning in the 5G Cellular Networks”
Advisor: Dr. Hermann Helgert (ECE)
Thursday, March 5
2:30 – 3:30 pm
SEH, 5845
Human Resources News
Please visit this week's HR Corner, where HR manager Marion Flythe-Inman shares the most recent GW HR news and updates regarding:
- A new benefit available beginning July 2020
- GW Buff and Blue Day
- SEAS staffing updates
- New SEAS employment opportunities
- Benefits reminders