Faculty News
Research:
Dr. Howie Huang (ECE) has received a three-year $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for the project “Towards High-Performance Machine Learning on Graphs.” The world in which we live has become increasingly intertwined through social networks, smart phones and, more generally, cyber-physical systems. In this project, Dr. Huang and the students in his GraphLab will design and develop a new set of high-performance machine learning algorithms and systems for big graph datasets. This effort will help achieve a better understanding of the relationships between different entities (e.g., people, messages, and transactions) in large-scale dynamic networks. The new graph learning system will significantly advance the state-of-the-art in machine learning on graphs, delivering new tools to an array of scientific disciplines from social to life sciences.
Drs. Guru Venkataramani (ECE), Tian Lan (ECE) and Peng Wei (MAE) have been awarded a three-year, $500,000 National Science Foundation grant for their project, “High Performance Multi-agent Reinforcement Learning.” The goal of this project is to investigate hardware-software co-design techniques that enable real-time and efficient multi-agent reinforcement learning by leveraging hardware accelerators and software optimizations simultaneously.
Conferences & Presentations:
Research Professor David Nagel (ECE) presented a virtual talk titled “Branching Ratios for LENR” at the 14th International Workshop on Anomalies in Hydrogen Loaded Metals, held August 30 in Assisi, Italy.
Other News:
Dr. Zhengtian Xu (CEE) has received the 2021 Hong Kong Society for Transportation Studies (HKSTS) Outstanding Dissertation Award cum Gordon Newell Memorial Prize for his dissertation, On the Empty Miles of Ride-Sourcing Services: Theory, Observation and Countermeasures, completed at the University of Michigan in 2020. In his dissertation, Dr. Xu investigated the formation and consequences of empty miles produced by ride-sourcing services and proposed countermeasures to bolster system performance. He has been invited to present a talk at the 25th International Conference of the HKSTS, to be held in December 2021 in Hong Kong. HKSTS established the Outstanding Dissertation Award in 2005 to promote transportation research and education in Asia. The Gordon Newell Memorial Prize is dedicated to the late Professor Gordon Newell of the University of California at Berkeley in recognition of his significant contributions to scientific research and education in traffic and transportation theories.
SEAS Events Re-cap
The September 7 GW Today article, “Ukraine Seeks Solutions to Drought with GW Experts,” highlighted a meeting on campus last week between Ukraine’s agriculture minister and experts from the Environmental and Energy Management Institute (EEMI) to explore working together to mitigate the impact of climate change on Ukraine’s agricultural sector. EEMI co-directors Dr. Jonathan Deason (EMSE) and Mr. Joe Cascio (EEMI), along with EEMI Visiting Scholar Dr. Mark Pollins, hosted Agriculture Minister Roman Leshchenko and his adviser, Aleksey Sukanov. Following the meeting, EEMI also hosted a Q&A session with the Minister and a group of EEMI colleagues, a meeting with SEAS Dean John Lach, and a small luncheon.
Announcements
The Innovation Center welcomes students back to campus: Beginning this Tuesday, September 7, M06 will be open for students! M06 is reserved for senior capstone teams from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm (M-F). From 2:00 – 6:00 pm, the space is open for GW community use! Come work on projects, use our tools, and explore different materials and ideas. A staff member will be on hand to answer any questions you have about the space and our equipment. On Friday afternoons we host Open Studio, a time for skill sharing and working on specific projects. Stay tuned for more! M06 is located on the mezzanine level of Tompkins Hall, off the H Street parking area on the main campus.
Upcoming SEAS Events
Graduate Student Welcome
Wednesday, September 15
9:30 am
The SEAS Center for Women in Engineering (WiE) and the SEAS Office of Graduate Admissions welcome all new SEAS graduate students and those who entered in 2020, as well as SEAS faculty, to join them for a welcome webinar. Students will have the chance to hear from female faculty members representing the six SEAS departments and leadership. More information
BME Orientation
Wednesday, September 15
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Lehman Auditorium (SEH, B1270)
GW Compass: “How to Land a Job & Thrive in Your Career”
Friday, September 17
1:00 – 2:30 pm
Hear from SEAS alumnus Rem Tolentino (MEng ‘19) as he discusses his career journey from GW to Stryker to his current role as an engineering project manager at Cepheid. Rem will offer strategies for landing a full-time offer and debunk myths about the job application process. He will talk about his experience on hiring committees and what he looks for in candidates. Lastly, Rem will discuss how to transition skills learned in school to the workplace to truly thrive in your career. More information
BME Speaker Series: “Advances in Musculoskeletal Regeneration”
Speaker: Dr. Warren Grayson, Johns Hopkins University
Wednesday, September 29
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Lehman Auditorium (SEH, B1270)
EEMI Webinar: “From Vikings to Wind Turbines, Denmark’s Journey Toward Sustainability”
New date: Thursday, September 30
8:00 am (ET)
The SEAS Environmental and Energy Management Institute (EEMI) will co-host a free webinar on Denmark's pioneering actions towards energy sustainability. The event will feature Dan Jørgensen, the Danish Minister of Climate, Energy, and Utilities. He will be interviewed by EEMI Visiting Scholar Ambassador András Simonyi on Denmark’s journey toward sustainability. Topics will include the European Commission’s 2021 "Fit for 55" legal framework to achieve climate goals, Denmark's pioneering role in energy transition, transatlantic climate and energy cooperation, and preparation for COP26.
SEAS Open House
Sunday, October 3
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
SEH, B1 Level
Dean John Lach invites all SEAS alumni, students, and their families to join him for the SEAS Open House during GW’s Centuries Celebration Weekend. Check-in for the open house will take place in the first floor lobby of the SEH.
BME Speaker Series: “Image-Based” Systems Biology - A New Paradigm in Cancer Research”
Speaker: Dr. Arvind Pathak, Johns Hopkins University
Wednesday, December 1
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Lehman Auditorium (SEH, B1270)
External Events
SSPI Women in Engineering Student Event
Friday, September 24
6:15 pm (Check-in begins at 5:45)
Room 309, GW University Student Center (800 21st Street, NW)
Space and Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) invites college women in technical majors to a panel discussion and “speed networking” session. Panelists Nicole Robinson (president at Ursa Space Systems and chair of SSPI) and Danielle Phillips (senior principal business solutions engineer at Intelsat) will share their views on challenges they've faced in their careers and offer advice for younger professionals and aspiring space and satellite professionals. This event is free.
GW Centuries Celebration Weekend
Friday, October 1 – Sunday, October 3
Join GW for the culmination of our bicentennial. The weekend includes in-person events and activities for alumni, students, faculty, staff, and GW families, as well as Commencement for the Classes of 2020 and 2021, opportunities to honor our Monumental Alumni, and a closing Bicentennial Bash.
RCR and Beyond
Classes meet throughout the Fall semester
Thursdays, 12:00 – 1:30 pm
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) @ GW and Beyond is a semester-long weekly seminar course designed to develop and strengthen ethical problem-solving skills along with cultivating sensitivity to ethical issues commonly found while conducting research. The course is open to the entire campus community, including undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, researchers, staff and research administrators. Registration is capped at 20 participants, first come, first served. Classes are held on Thursdays, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. throughout the semester, unless otherwise noted.
Human Resources News
Find updates on benefits, employee resources, and more at the HR Corner. Please visit the HR Corner to get the latest news and information.