Northeastern University College of Engineering

BioE Seminar Series Presents: Glenn Gaudette
2021-11-10 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | 010 Behrakis, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Glenn Gaudette, Ph.D.
John W. Kozarich ’71 Chair of the Department of Engineering, Boston College, Newton MA
“Crossing Kingdoms to Develop New Platforms for Tissue Engineering”
Wednesday, November 10th, 2021
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST
Behrakis 010
ABSTRACT:
Development of biomaterials for tissue engineering is challenged by the incorporation of a vascular network, which is necessary to deliver oxygen, nutrients, and essential molecules required for cells to survive. Like humans, plants have vascular networks. Removing plant cells from spinach leaves, a technique known as decellularization that was developed for mammalian organs and tissues provides a scaffold with an inherent network of vessels. This scaffold can be seeding with multiple cell types, including contracting human heart muscle cells and endothelial cells. After decellularization, the inherent network of vessels remain open and perfusable. Given the vastness of the plant kingdom, crossing it with the animal biological kingdoms may allow for new biomaterials with multiple applications in tissue engineering and beyond.
BIOGRAPHY:
Glenn R. Gaudette, PhD, is the inaugural John W. Kozarich ’71 Chair of the Department of Engineering at Boston College. Working together with his colleagues, they have developed the first Engineering program in the history of BC. His research has pioneered the use of plants as scaffold for heart regeneration. This work lead to significant recognition, including Prof Gaudette and his colleagues being featured throughout the world including Bill Nye Saves the World (on Netflix), CBS’s Innovation Nation, the BBC (live interview) and Popular Science. The work was displayed at the Centre Pompidou (Paris) as part of an exhibit entitled “The Factory of Life”. Recently, a children’s book (From Plant to Human: The Extraordinary Spinach-Leaf Heart by Oscar Silver) was published about this inspiring work. His recent research aims to develop cost-effective methods for growing meat in the laboratory setting, which could reduce our reliance on conventional animal agriculture. Dr. Gaudette is a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and the National Academy of Inventors.

Bioengineering PhD Student Seminar Series
2021-11-12 12:00 - 13:00 | 101 Churchill, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Join us Friday, November 12 at 12:00 PM in Churchill Hall 101 for the Bioengineering PhD Student Seminar Series! Our first presenter will be Bioengineering PhD student Kevin Bardon “Improved Sensor Response via Contrast Agent Optimization”. Our second presenter will be Noa Grooms “Multiple neuron types in C. elegans display different regenerative capacities”.

ChE Seminar Series: Designing Optically Active Semiconductor Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications
2021-11-12 12:00 - 13:00 | 108 SN
ChE Seminar Series Presents:
Dr. Allison Dennis
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering
Boston University
Abstract:
Although the unique optoelectronic properties of semiconductor nanoparticle quantum dots (QDs) enable a variety of commercial products including display technology, solid state lighting, and photovoltaics, different design criteria need to be considered to use these nanoparticles in biomedical devices. Here, I will discuss how we tailor the composition and optical properties of QDs for a variety of biosensing and bioimaging applications. For example, I’ll describe how we use bright red and green emitting QDs in a rapid, instrument-free assay to detect small molecules such as antibiotics in complex water samples and use near infrared and shortwave infrared emitters to improve the clarity and resolution of in vivo imaging in mice. Finally, I’ll describe how biodegradable and biocompatible plasmonic semiconductor nanoparticles could be used to overcome barriers to clinical translation for photoaccoustic imaging and photothermal therapy applications. Notably, the efforts to remove heavy metals from the nanoparticles compositions also reduces the environmental impact of QDs developed for energy applications. By carefully considering material properties and engineering design choices, we develop semiconductor nanoparticles for a wide variety of applications.
Bio:
Allison Dennis is an assistant professor in Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering at Boston University. After graduating with a B.S. in Bioengineering and B.A. in German from Rice University, Prof. Dennis pursued nanobiotechnology research with Prof. Achim Göpferich in the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Regensburg in Germany as a Fulbright Scholar. This research direction was continued during her Ph.D. work with Prof. Gang Bao at the Georgia Institute of Technology and post-doctoral research with Dr. Jennifer Hollingsworth at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies at Los Alamos National Laboratory. At Boston University, the Dennis Lab engages the fundamental material properties of heterostructured semiconductor nanoparticles to optimize them for sensing, imaging, fundamental photophysical investigations, and energy applications. The Dennis Lab appreciates past and current support from intramural and extramural sources including the NIH, NSF, and the BU Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

Developing Resilient Civil Infrastructure Systems – a Convergent Approach
2021-11-15 12:00 - 13:00 | 101 Churchill, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Distinguish Seminar Series is open for attendees from the College of Engineering and the University as a whole.
Developing Resilient Civil Infrastructure Systems – a Convergent Approach
ABSTRACT: Critical Civil Infrastructure systems, namely- Transportation network, Water systems, Waste-water systems, Electric grid and Communications network are vital to functioning of a community. They ought to be considered as Community assets and should be treated with the same care as all important assets are.
When a damaging natural hazard event such as earthquake, hurricane, and floods occur and strikes a community, the results can vary from tolerable to severe. To minimize the impact of such a hazard event, it is necessary that the community as a system respond in an integrated way. While it is necessary for built environment systems, economic systems, and social systems to work synergistically together, the focus of this talk is built environment systems – specifically the infrastructure systems, excluding the buildings. Because it is not always feasible to develop 100% resilience to damaging hazard events, acceptable functionality is strongly advocated. Such resilience in infrastructure systems can work quite well to keep the community functioning in an acceptable way.
Convergent engineering approach is used to develop the resilience, as it focuses on a Societal-level Problem, requires team -science and use of a transdisciplinary language, all required for a satisfactory solution.
BIO: Vilas Mujumdar practices as an independent consulting engineer since 2009. Previously he was CEO, President, and Partner of many large consulting engineering firms and worked at highest-level in the public sector, such as, Chief of Operations, Division of State Architect, State of California; Director, Engineering Research Centers Program – Natural Hazards, National Science Foundation.
His experience uniquely combines consulting engineering in the private sector – 35 years, State regulatory work – 10 years, and Research management at the Federal Govt. level – 6 years. This is enriched by working in different aspects of engineering such as: Civil/Structural Design, Project Management, Teaching, Research and Research Management in Asia, Europe, Canada, and the US.
Please arrive early to prevent disruption.

Office of Global Services: Visa and Immigration topics for the USA
2021-11-16 08:00 - 09:00
Join the Office of Global Services as they present the topic of Visa and Immigration topics for the USA. Students attending programs on US campuses are invited to attend.

Chemical Engineering Research Webinar
2021-11-16 10:00 - 11:00
Join Dr. Rebecca Willits on November 16th at 10:00am EST as she conducts a deep dive of her research. This event is open to all prospective students and applicants to the Chemical Engineering department.

Engineering Environmental Data Justice: From citizen science to community data
2021-11-17 12:00 - 13:00 | 101 Churchill, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Please join the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering for this Lunch & Learn seminar series, A Bimonthly seminar series focusing on convergent research, bringing together Northeastern colleagues and collaborators to think big/bold, explore ideas that build cooperation and foster transformative innovation within CEE and across disciplines beyond CEE.
Abstract: Premature births, unexplained human and livestock sicknesses, flammable water faucets, toxic wells and the onset of hundreds of earthquakes, the impacts of fracking in the United States are far-reaching and deeply felt. In this talk Dr. Wylie explores how extractive resource systems, like natural gas extraction through fracking, are proceeded and supported by extractive data systems that create asymmetric access to information. Drawing together the fields of Environmental Health, Environmental Justice and Data Justice, Wylie explores how we can build community centered information systems that help create accountability for corporations and state agencies.
Based on her work building tools for community monitoring of the oil and gas industry and co-developing the watchdog organization the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative (EDGI) Dr. Wylie reflects on how we can create community centered research and data systems that move beyond mapping exposure disparities to address the drivers of toxic contamination and make corporations responsible for their environmental harms. This precious present moment for action on Climate Change provides an opportunity to jointly create sustainable and just systems. Now is the time, Wylie argues to organize and collectively theorize, design, and engineer environmental data justice.
Bio: Sara Wylie is an Associate Professor Sociology/Anthropology and Health Science in Northeastern University’s Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute (SSEHRI). Her award-winning book Fractivism: Corporate Bodies and Chemical Bonds examines the U.S. unconventional energy industry. She is the co-founder of the citizen science organization Public Lab and the accountability organization Environmental Data and Governance Initiative (EDGI).

ChE Seminar Series: Game-Inspired Approaches to Engineering Education Across the Curriculum
2021-11-17 12:00 - 13:00 | 108 SN
ChE Seminar Series Presents:
Dr. Daniel Burkey
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education and Diversity, Professor-in-Residence in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and a University Teaching Fellow at University of Connecticut
Abstract:
Game-based educational techniques can be an interesting and novel approach to active learning in engineering courses. Because games often exist within their own rule sets, they can allow students to explore scenarios and make choices that they wouldn’t otherwise make because they are appropriate within the context and the rules of the game. In this talk, we discuss two different projects involving game-based learning. In the first, we explore multiple game-based approaches to teaching engineering ethics to freshmen engineering students in a multidisciplinary setting. At the beginning of the semester, students are given a baseline survey to quantify the sophistication of their ethical reasoning. Over the course of the semester, different game-based interventions are given to the students, and the survey instrument again is used to determine any changes in their ethical reasoning. The game-based interventions by their nature allow students to explore ethical reasoning in the context of behavioral ethics. In the second project, we discuss the development and use of a digital video game to teach process safety to senior chemical engineering students. Our research team developed a survey instrument to gauge the sophistication of student thinking about process safety. Students completing the survey instrument and then completing similar scenarios in the game show statistically significant differences in the types of responses they make, indicating that different reasoning modes may be activated by the game due to its more authentic and realistic portrayal of the material.
Bio:
Daniel D. Burkey is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education and Diversity, Professor-in-Residence in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and a University Teaching Fellow at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Burkey holds his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, and his M.S.C.E.P. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to UConn, he held positions at Northeastern University and at GVD Corporation in Cambridge, MA. Since joining UConn in 2010, Dr. Burkey’s area of research has focused broadly on engineering education, and specifically on moral and ethical development of engineering students, process safety education, and game-inspired educational techniques. Dr. Burkey currently serves as a Director of the Education Division of AIChE, where he runs the Future Faculty Mentoring Program. He is a past program chair of the ASEE Chemical Engineering Division and serves on the publications board of Chemical Engineering Education. In 2020, he was inducted into the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) for his contributions to engineering education in the state. In addition to his many teaching awards, Dr. Burkey is also the recipient of the 2020 AICHE Education Division Innovation Award for his contributions to new pedagogies in chemical engineering education, as was recently awarded the 2021 ASEE Corcoran Award for the best paper in Chemical Engineering Education in the previous year.

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition
2021-11-17 18:00 - 20:00
Please join Graduate Women in Science and Engineering (GWiSE) for our annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition! This year the 3MT competition will take place on Wednesday, November 17th, 6pm-8pm in Snell Library 090. Our Keynote speaker Dr. Jo Viney, an entrepreneurial scientist, a self-described “drug-hunter”, and an experienced biotech executive, will help us kick start the event with a short presentation on the importance of science communication both in academia and in industry.
What is the Three Minute Thesis Competition?
The Three Minute Thesis competition or 3MT, is an annual competition held in more than 200 universities worldwide. It is open to graduate students, and challenges participants to present their research in just 180 seconds, in an engaging form that can be understood by an intelligent audience with no background in the research area. This exercise develops presentation, research and academic communication skills and supports the development of research students’ capacity to explain their work effectively. And of course, a chance to win some amazing prizes!
Interested in Competing?
To compete, please only fill out this form by Friday, November 5th.
Interested in simply attending and watching the competition?
Please RSVP at this form to attend. Please be aware that the in-person attendance is limited to the first 50 people. Once the reservations are in, we will reach out to let you know if you are able to attend in person. There will be snacks and beverages during the networking portion prior to the start of the event and pizza and beverages for after the event.

Office of Global Services: Study Permit and Immigration topics for Canada
2021-11-18 08:00 - 09:00
Please join the Office of Global Services to discuss study permit and immigration topics for Canada. Students who plan to complete their studies on a Canadian campus are encouraged to attend.

ALLIED Project presents Enabling Engineering
2021-11-18 15:00 - 16:00
ALLIED (Allies for Leading, Learning, Inclusion and Education of Disabilities) Project presents Enabling Engineering, a Northeastern University student-led group that designs and builds devices to empower individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities.
Meet the student group and its mentor Professor Waleed Meleis, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Graduate Education, Office of the Dean on 18th November, 3-4 p.m. (EST) at ISEC (Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Complex) Room 655, 6th floor to know about their work.
Or join us on: https://northeastern.zoom.us/j/95619404556

Space Diplomacy and The Overview Effect
2021-11-18 15:00 - 16:00
Thursday, November 18, 2021 | 3PM – 4PM
Virtual Event
Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 932 3860 7285
Passcode: [REDACTED]

CSSH will welcome space philosopher Frank White, author of the book “The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution” for the Space Diplomacy Workshop. Based on this book, the film “Overview” has had more than 8 million views on Vimeo
As part of a Special Issue workshop on Space Diplomacy for the Hague Journal of Diplomacy (Spring 2022), guest-edited by Professor Mai’a K. Davis Cross, White will explain the dramatic cognitive change astronauts experience when traveling to space and seeing the earth not for its parts but as a whole in the midst of the universe. Their experiences shift the way they perceive themselves, the human race, and it’s many ‘differences’ that define politics and world affairs on earth today. White will share stories from his three-decades long scholarly endeavor defining and expanding the concept of the Overview Effect, his encounters with astronauts and cosmonauts, and his thoughts on the future of space exploration.
As space exploration is moving out of a selective field of experts into the realm of space tourism – or ‘citizen astronauts’ -, White’s talk is an exciting opportunity for students and faculty who are interested in space as the next great, and final, frontier of international relations, diplomacy, and wonder.

Frank White is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and a Rhodes Scholar. He earned an M.Phil. in Politics from Oxford, where he was a member of New College. The fourth edition of Frank’s best-known book, “The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution,” was published by Multiverse Publishing, a division of Multiverse Media LLC, this year. The Overview Effect includes transcripts of Frank’s interviews with numerous astronauts, both active and retired.

ECE PhD Proposal Review: Ziqiang Cai
2021-11-19 09:00 - 10:00
PhD Proposal Review: Near-infrared Optical Modulation by Hybrid Graphene Metasurfaces
Ziqiang Cai
Location: Zoom Link
Abstract: The field of metasurfaces has emerged as one of the most promising frontiers in optical research due to the compact footprint and flexibility in light manipulation. To further advance the practical applications of metasurfaces, tunable or reconfigurable metasurfaces are highly desirable. One approach is to utilize graphene by taking advantage of its tunable optical properties upon electrical bias. Graphene metasurfaces have been extensively studied in many applications, including polarization tuning, phase tuning, photodetectors, chemical sensing, tunable lens, etc. However, the working wavelengths of the reported graphene metasurfaces are limited in mid-infrared and terahertz spectra.
In this proposal review, I will discuss a graphene metasurface that can push the working wavelength into the near-infrared region (≤ 3.0 µm). The device combines graphene with plasmonic structures made of gold to enhance the interband transition of graphene, resulting in decent tunability at near-infrared wavelengths. The tuning process of our graphene metasurface shows distinct differences in comparison with the graphene metasurfaces operating in the mid-infrared or terahertz spectra, which can be accurately predicted by both theory and simulation. The measured results show a reflection modulation ΔR of about 10% and a modulation depth ΔR/Rmax of 17% at 2.42 µm.
Finally, by using an anisotropic plasmonic structure, our hybrid graphene metasurface can simultaneously operate in the near-infrared and mid-infrared spectra. The measured modulation depth is 18.2% at 2.30 µm and 24.7% at 5.67 µm. Our research substantially broadens the working wavelength of graphene metasurfaces, and manifest potential applications in near-infrared electro-optic modulators, reconfigurable lenses, and polarization modulators.

ChE Seminar Series: Unwinding Anxiety: An App Based Mindfulness Program
2021-11-19 12:00 - 13:00 | 108 SN
ChE Seminar Series Presents:
Dr. Nancy Lasson, DO, FACP, DipACLM
Primary care provider and medical director of the primary care group at the Women’s Medicine Collaborative of LifeSpan Physician Group in Providence, Rhode Island
Abstract:
Anxiety can be managed by understanding reward-based learning and using mindfulness to interrupt unwanted behavior. Habits form to promote survival. The underlying mechanism is based on reward-based learning. There are areas of the brain where habits run on autopilot. The neo-cortex, or new brain, is where mindfulness can help break the cycle of unwanted habits of anxiety. Anxiety as an emotion has associated behaviors, including worry, rumination, stress eating, and smoking. The goal of unwinding anxiety is to offer an alternative to autopilot habits by employing mindfulness techniques. Multiple studies have demonstrated significant efficacy in this tool. Mindfulness is the awareness that occurs when paying attention in the present moment intentionally, without judgment. The felt experience of mindfulness replaces autopilot habits like worry and stress.
Bio:
Dr Nancy Lasson is a primary care provider and medical director of the primary care group at the Women’s Medicine Collaborative of LifeSpan Physician Group in Providence, Rhode Island. She is also a clinical assistant professor of medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. Dr. Lasson received her B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania in religious studies and cultural anthropology. She studied medicine at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is board certified in both internal medicine and lifestyle medicine. She was a primary care physician in Limestone Medicine and Pediatrics of Christiana Care in Wilmington, Delaware where she achieved a “Top Doctor in Delaware” award in internal medicine. She is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and Diplomat of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Recently she became certified as a behavior change facilitator. Dr. Lasson’s clinical interests include women’s medical issues and care; preventive medicine, especially cholesterol management; coronary artery disease and cancer screening; end-of-life care for patients and their families; and mindfulness practices. She is passionate about struggles of the human soul.

Info session: 'Technical Innovation and Product Prototyping” at Silicon Valley
2021-11-19 18:00 - 19:00
Northeastern University is a leader in experiential, interactive, and innovative education. This unique dialogue program, the “Technical Innovation and Product Prototyping” at Silicon Valley prepares students to deal with future innovative challenges involving customer-driven Technical Innovation, product prototyping, and entrepreneurship far into the future. Attached is the flyer of the program, please feel free to pass the information to other interested students.
Important dates:

Student applications open: November 1, 2021
DOC fair: November 16 from 5:00pm-7:00pm, and November 17 from 11:00am-1:00pm at Curry West Addition
Priority deadline: December 1, 2021
Final deadline: January 20, 2022
Info session: November 19, December 3, and January 19 from 6:00pm-7:00pm at 208 SN, and November 23 and 29 from 6:00pm-7:00pm via zoom

If you are available and have time, visit the “Technical Innovation and Product Prototyping” at Silicon virtual booth at the Dialogue fair and info sessions and learn more about it. At the same time, if you want to start the application process, please visit the program site and start the process.
For more info please visit Technical Innovation and Product Prototyping.

Dialogue of Civilizations Information Session -- England and the Scientific Revolutions
2021-11-29 15:30 - 16:30
Dialogue of Civilizations trip to the UK, Summer 2 2022

England and the Scientific Revolutions
Dialogue Co-leaders:
Prof. Katy Shorey (College of Social Sciences and Humanities)
Prof. Waleed Meleis (College of Engineering)This Dialogue studies two revolutions in scientific thought: the Scientific Revolution of the 17th and 18th centuries and the computational revolution of the 20th century. Our goal is to understand these two revolutions and how they contributed to philosophical discussion of the nature of science and scientific explanation. From our base in London, we study Scientific Revolution and trace the evolution of scientific thought from the 16th through 19th centuries. Then, we survey the four fundamental limits on scientific knowledge that were discovered in the 20th century. Finally, we synthesize this material by discussing the practical implications of these ideas for modern scientists.

This Dialogue invites you to explore two parallel tracks in history of science and philosophy of science. GE 1210 (Scientific Revolutions) traces a timeline of key discoveries in scientific disciplines from the Renaissance through the Scientific Revolution, contrasting these turning points with revolutions in complexity, logic, computation, mathematics, and physics during the twentieth century. PHIL 1105 (Science and Pseudoscience) explores the ways in which these pivotal moments impacted core themes in philosophy of science, including debates about how to define science and how to characterize scientific inference, explanation, change, and theories of evidence.Please RSVP HERE to attend the upcoming information session where you can learn more about the trip:When: Monday, November 29: 3:30-4:30pm
Location: Renaissance Park 909 (Renaissance Park is the building directly across from Ruggles and IV)

Learn more and submit your application here.

ECE PhD Proposal Review: Sara Garcia Sanchez
2021-11-30 12:00 - 13:00
PhD Proposal Review: Learning and Shaping the Wireless Environment: An Integrated View of Sensing, Computing and Communication
Sara Garcia Sanchez
Location: TBA
Abstract: The explosive growth in Internet of Things (IoT) deployments and anticipated data volumes that will be generated within future autonomous vehicles require collecting and processing large amounts of data, generally transmitted over the wireless channel. In this context, conventional permanent deployments limited to leverage the existing wireless environment, often fall short of meeting the required capacity demand. To address this limitation, this dissertation takes a hands-on approach to equip communication systems with technology to perceive and collaborate with and within the environment. Specifically, we build (i) accurate physics-oriented predictive models and multimode sensing techniques to gain awareness of the existing channel, as well as (ii) novel multidisciplinary approaches to intelligently modify the wireless channel towards the communication link benefit.
In this dissertation, we first prove that combining wireless channel modelling, multimode sensing and robotics provides significant link performance gains. To this extent, we adopt a systems approach to study how millimeter wave (mmWave) radio transmitters on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) provide high throughput links under typical hovering conditions. Based on sensing and modelling efforts, we propose techniques to exploit the information contained in the spatial and angular domains of empirically collected data from GPS, cameras and RF signals. We demonstrate hovering impact mitigation by (i) selecting near-to-optimum transmission parameters as compared to the mmWave standard IEEE 802.11ad and (ii) proposing corrective coordinated actions at the UAVs from the robotic controls. These methods achieve mmWave beam-tracking and robust link deployment under event(s) impacting link performance, such as hovering or blockage in the light of sight between transmitter and receiver.
Then, this dissertation experimentally demonstrates how the wireless environment can be interactively programmed through the use of Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) to partially offload computation into the wireless domain. In particular, we propose AirNN, a system capable of realizing analog over-the-air convolutions, accurately enough to substitute their digital equivalent in a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN).
As proposed future work, this dissertation will explore innovative uses of the RIS technology in Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) systems for 6G and beyond. Specifically, we will investigate (i) how the use of RIS helps overcome environmental limitations of a highly spatially correlated MIMO channels, and (ii) whether the use of RIS can enable the use of MIMO techniques with a single antenna at the receiver.

ECE PhD Proposal Review: Sara Garcia Sanchez
2021-11-30 12:00 - 13:00
PhD Proposal Review: Learning and Shaping the Wireless Environment: An Integrated View of Sensing, Computing and Communication
Sara Garcia Sanchez
Location: Microsoft Teams
Abstract: The explosive growth in Internet of Things (IoT) deployments and anticipated data volumes that will be generated within future autonomous vehicles require collecting and processing large amounts of data, generally transmitted over the wireless channel. In this context, conventional permanent deployments limited to leverage the existing wireless environment, often fall short of meeting the required capacity demand. To address this limitation, this dissertation takes a hands-on approach to equip communication systems with technology to perceive and collaborate with and within the environment. Specifically, we build (i) accurate physics-oriented predictive models and multimode sensing techniques to gain awareness of the existing channel, as well as (ii) novel multidisciplinary approaches to intelligently modify the wireless channel towards the communication link benefit.
In this dissertation, we first prove that combining wireless channel modelling, multimode sensing and robotics provides significant link performance gains. To this extent, we adopt a systems approach to study how millimeter wave (mmWave) radio transmitters on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) provide high throughput links under typical hovering conditions. Based on sensing and modelling efforts, we propose techniques to exploit the information contained in the spatial and angular domains of empirically collected data from GPS, cameras and RF signals. We demonstrate hovering impact mitigation by (i) selecting near-to-optimum transmission parameters as compared to the mmWave standard IEEE 802.11ad and (ii) proposing corrective coordinated actions at the UAVs from the robotic controls. These methods achieve mmWave beam-tracking and robust link deployment under event(s) impacting link performance, such as hovering or blockage in the light of sight between transmitter and receiver.
Then, this dissertation experimentally demonstrates how the wireless environment can be interactively programmed through the use of Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) to partially offload computation into the wireless domain. In particular, we propose AirNN, a system capable of realizing analog over-the-air convolutions, accurately enough to substitute their digital equivalent in a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN).
As proposed future work, this dissertation will explore innovative uses of the RIS technology in MIMO systems for 6G and beyond. Specifically, we will investigate (i) how the use of RIS helps overcome environmental limitations of a highly spatially correlated MIMO system, and (ii) whether the use of RIS can enable the use of MIMO techniques with a single antenna at the receiver.

The Plant Shift Initiative Speaker Series | Plant Based Disruption
2021-11-30 15:00 - 16:00
The Plant Shift Initiative speaker series finale for 2021 will bring disrupters that have paved the way for new directions. This event features leaders revolutionizing their respective fields as lifelong animal and environmental advocates applying ethics to their work.
SEBASTIANO COSSIA CASTIGLIONI, PNT’23
Moderator | Founder & Chairman, Vegan Capital
ROGER LIENHARD
Panelist | Founder & Initiator, Blue Horizon
MIYOKO SCHINNER
Panelist | Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Miyoko’s Creamery
AMY TRAKINSKI
Panelist | Co-Founder & Managing Director, Veginvest
REGISTER

Learn about the Co-op Program (Disciplinary) Webinar
2021-12-01 08:00 - 09:00
Please join our Assistant Dean of Co-op at a webinar discussing the Co-op experiential learning opportunities available for graduate students in the departments of Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Mechanical & Industrial Engineering.
Register

ECE PhD Dissertation Defense: Kai Li
2021-12-01 09:00 - 10:00
PhD Dissertation Defense: Reconfigurable and Intelligent Wireless Charging Surfaces
Kai Li
Location: 232 ISEC
Abstract: Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) have received significant attention for theirpotential to transform the environments by intelligently reconfiguring the surfaces, infrastructures,and engineering the electrical and magnetic fields. On the other hand, while wireless power transfer has advanced, there has been limited progress on increasing the charging coverage, such as charging over large surfaces, multi-device charging, and automation. This dissertation aims to address these challenges and design and develop first-of-its-kindtheory and practice to transform ordinary surfaces into contactless, intelligent, and multi-devicewireless chargers. First, the combination between magnetic resonance and the so-called concept of‘energy hopping’ across wireless inter-connected coils turns a large surface into a programmablewireless charging surface. The magnetic fields are carefully shaped on the fly over the surface,enabling them to distribute energy efficiently at multiple locations on demand and charge differenttypes of devices. Two frameworks are developed: SoftCharge can deliver 23 W up-to 20cm over a larger surface, and iSurface enables the creation of arbitrary and configurable power spots and power flow paths over 2D and 3D resonator surfaces. Inspired by the strong coupled magnetic resonance wireless power transfer, two intelligentsurface sensing frameworks, SoftSense, and iSense, are introduced that create collaborative surface-based object sensing and tracking using networked coils. SoftSense allows detection of the type of object and where it is placed on a large surface. iSense enables robot tracking over large surfaces.We validate our design on real sensing prototypes, and experimental results show that each sensing coil only consumes few milliwatts and has 90% accuracy for velocity estimation.Combined with meta-surface, we extended the intelligent charging surfaces to enhances safety, end-to-end power transfer efficiency, and customized power pattern over the surface.Toward this, we design and develop a new system call meta-resonance wireless power transfer system that consists of power distribution layer and meta-resonance layer, along with a new theory and prototype for fine-tuned and controllable power amplifying, power blocking and normal power passing over the surface. We aim to create customized pattern and different application from portable devices(phone, tablet) to medical devices, and industrial devices with high safety and high power transfer efficiency.

ChE Seminar Series: Orchestrating Cellular Regeneration at Organ Scale
2021-12-01 12:00 - 13:00 | 108 SN
ChE Seminar Series Presents:
Yvon Woappi, Ph.D.
K99/R00 MOSAIC Fellow at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Abstract
Large scale tissue damage, such as organ failure and burn injury, is a leading cause of morbidity and death. However, the mechanisms underlying full regeneration of organs remain poorly understood. As the largest organ system in the body, the integumentary system is a composite tissue evolutionarily adapted for healing. Consequently, its complex physiology requires multifaceted cooperation between several distinct cell populations and cell lineages of embryologically distinct origins. Equally integrated within this dynamic process is local immune response that produces mitogenic and inhibitory signals throughout the restoration procedure. There remains a significant gap in understanding how these processes are orchestrated, and how various skin cell populations from distinct developmental lineages functionally cooperate to regenerate tissue at organ scale. My research seeks to characterize the molecular language of tissue healing and to harness this malleable dialect for the regeneration of mammalian tissues. Through the development of organoid models of wound regeneration, and the coupling of these systems with novel gene-editing approaches, my work is enabling the functional understanding of the multifaceted cellular events executed throughout restorative healing. This seminar will describe these high throughput technologies and will illustrate their utility in identifying novel regulators of tissue healing.
Bio
Dr. Yvon Woappi’s passion for life sciences ignited during his childhood in Douala, Cameroon and was magnified after his family immigrated to Hanover, Pennsylvania during his middle school years. He went on to receive his B.S in Biology at the University of Pittsburgh, and his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences as a Grace Jordan McFadden Fellow under Lucia Pirisi at the University of South Carolina. There, he developed a 3D skin organoid system to study the relationship between epithelial regeneration and virus-induced neoplasia. He subsequently completed postdoctoral training in the Harvard Dermatology Research Training Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital where he established novel in vivo gene editing systems to understand the contribution of distinct cell lineages in tissue regeneration and cancer. He was recipient of the 2019 Engineering the Genome Award, and was later selected as a Rising Star in biomedical sciences and engineering by MIT, Cornell, BU and Columbia University. Most recently, Dr. Woappi was awarded the NIH K99/R00 MOSAIC award to launch his independent research career. Away from the bench, he is an ardent proponent of inclusive excellence and currently sits on the advisory committee for the NIH Continued Umbrella Research Experiences Program at Harvard Medical School.

ECE PhD Dissertation Defense: Flavius Pop
2021-12-01 12:00 - 13:00
PhD Dissertation Defense: Intrabody Communication for Real-Time Monitoring of Implanted Medical Devices based on Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers
Flavius Pop
Location: Zoom Link
Abstract: Nowadays when we think about medical devices and patient monitoring, we can easily imagine ourselves laying down in a hospital bad, wires coming out of everywhere, and being looked after by nurses and physicians. Scary and not that comfortable! For this reason, medical wearable devices are becoming more popular for at-home monitoring and transmitting data back to the hospital. Sometimes wearables are not enough, this is why Implanted Medical Devices (IMDs) are still required to monitor many vital signs (blood flow, insulin level, neurons reading etc.) and act upon these readings (nerve stimulation, heart defibrillation, insulin pumping etc.). In order to be minimally invasive, reduce the risk of infection and rejection from the body, and last a long time (avoiding any further surgery) the IMDs require robust wireless communication technology to communicate with the external world. In this presentation I am going to show how we can implement an ultrasonic wireless communication link based on Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (pMUTs) arrays. PMUT arrays can be integrated with existing IMDs, used for wireless power charging, and can enable communication links for receiving and transmitting data. During the first part of the presentation I will show the modeling and design of the pMUT arrays, followed by the fabrication process and the device’s characterization for system level validation. At this point, the communication link is implemented with arrays implanted in a tissue phantom and the channel is characterized at several distances. During the second part of the presentation I will show novel techniques to improve the ultrasonic communication link such as duplexing matching networks for bandwidth definition and direct modulation for implantation depth increase and direct bitstream feeding. In the future I envision that the number of IMDs are going to increase, and therefore I developed a scanning protocol that will allow medical doctors to find all implanted devices. This is the equivalent of an “ultrasonic stethoscope”. Given the small form-factor of the IMDs these will have little to no space for a battery, limiting the operation lifetime. For this reason, I developed an Ultrasonic Wakeup Receiver (UWuRx) based and on the direct modulation system and on a Micromachined Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) switch which allows for near zero-power consumption in the idle state. This UWuRx enabled on-demand device usability and limited the idle power consumption, which leads to battery life extension.

ECE PhD Proposal Review: Zulqarnain Qayyum Khan
2021-12-01 15:30 - 16:30
PhD Proposal Review: Interpretable Machine Learning for Affective Neuroscience and Psychophysiology
Zulqarnain Qayyum Khan
Location: Zoom Link
Abstract: In this thesis, we leverage Machine Learning to investigate questions of interest in affective psychophysiology and neuroscience . We argue for and apply appropriate existing methods where possible and analyze the results they provide. Where existing methods fail to provide an answer we propose and build new models. We demonstrate the use of Hierarchical Clustering to investigate autonomic nervous system reactivity during an active coping stressor task, revealing physiological indices of challenge and threat. Similarly, we leverage Dirichlet Process Gaussian Mixture Modelling (DP-GMM) to reveal the variation in affective experience during a context-aware experience sampling study and to investigate the relationship between emotional granularity and cardiorespiratory physiological activity using resting state data for participants in the same study. We propose and develop Neural Topographic Factor Analysis (NTFA), a novel factor analysis model for fMRI data with a deep generative prior that teases apart participant and stimulus driven variation and commonalities and learns a latent space that can shed light on important neuroscientific phenomenon such as individual variation and degeneracy.
Based on the work we have already done, we propose three further lines of research that we intend to include in this thesis. First, NTFA can essentially be viewed as a family of models, where appropriate modifications can be made depending on what questions are needed to be answered. Leveraging this, we propose explicitly adapting NTFA to tackle the question of degeneracy in neural responses. This involves introducing another latent space which can be used to capture and visualize the interaction of each participant with each stimulus in a given fMRI study. The arrangement of inferred embeddings in this latent space can then suggest presence or absence of different types of degeneracy in neural responses among participants in response to the presented stimuli. Second, during the course of this interdisciplinary research we realized that there is a need for a comprehensive work that sheds light on the assumptions and limitations of some of the most popular machine learning methods used commonly in the sciences (specially psychology), and provide recommendations on how researchers can be more mindful of the underlying assumptions machine learning methods make. This can then equip users of ML methods to draw more appropriate conclusions from the results they get. We intend to include this in our thesis. Third, continuing along the same lines, there is also a need for better explanation models for the increasingly complicated ML models in use today. This is especially true in health sciences where the knowledge of why an ML model made a particular decision is almost as important as that decision being accurate. To this end we propose a theoretical work that ties the reliability of explanation models to the robustness of the models they are trying to explain.

Beyond the Pandemic – Transformative Engineering
2021-12-02 12:00 - 13:00
In the College of Engineering, we prepare the next generation of engineers to solve real-world global challenges. Join Dean Gregory D. Abowd for a panel discussion on the ways in which the pandemic has influenced our engineering curriculum and driven our students and faculty to innovate new solutions to issues related to health, sustainability, security and more.
This event is complimentary but registration is required.
All registrants will receive an email with information on accessing this virtual event.
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ECE PhD Proposal Review: Tong Jian
2021-12-02 15:00 - 16:00
PhD Proposal Review: Robust Sparsified Deep Learning
Tong Jian
Location: Zoom Link
(ID: 75807284369, Passcode: [REDACTED]
Abstract: In this thesis, we investigate and address robustness concerns about DNN-based real-life applications on resource constrained systems, environment adaptation, and adversarial learning, respectively. We propose a means of compressing a Radio Frequency (RF) deep neural network architecture through weight pruning, and provide a systems-level analysis of the implementation of such a pruned architecture at resource-constrained edge devices. In particular, we jointly train and sparsify neural networks tailored to edge hardware implementations. Under only negligible accuracy loss (less than 1%), we can achieve at most 27.2x pruning rate for 50-device classification. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach over multiple edge hardware platforms and our method yields significant inference speedups, 11.5x on the FPGA and 3x on the smartphone, as well as high efficiency.
Furthermore, we propose a new learn-prune-share (LPS) algorithm for achieving robustness to environment adaptation in the field of lifelong learning. Our method maintains a parsimonious neural network model and achieves exact no forgetting by splitting the network into task-specific partitions via an ADMM-based weight pruning strategy. Moreover, a novel selective knowledge sharing scheme is integrated seamlessly into the ADMM optimization framework to address knowledge reuse. We show that our approach achieves significant improvement over the state-of-the-art methods on multiple real-life datasets.
Finally, we investigate the HSIC bottleneck as regularizer (HBaR) as a means to enhance adversarial robustness. We show that the HSIC bottleneck enhances robustness to adversarial attacks both theoretically and experimentally. In particular, we prove that the HSIC bottleneck regularizer reduces the sensitivity of the classifier to adversarial examples. Our experiments on multiple benchmark datasets and architectures demonstrate that incorporating an HSIC bottleneck regularizer attains competitive natural accuracy and improves adversarial robustness, both with and without adversarial examples during training.

The Power of Alternative Data: an Entrepreneur's Tale
2021-12-02 18:30 - 20:00 | Raytheon Amphitheater (240 Egan), 360 Huntington Ave, 240 Egan, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Please join the Galante Engineering Business Program in welcoming Yiannis Tsiounis as he reviews how cellphone location data helps investors monitor companies; how real estate owners understand the demographics and occupancy ratio of their existing or competitive/prospective properties; and how insurance companies price risk. Yiannis will also share his entrepreneurial journey building and growing companies.
Yiannis is the CEO of Advan Research, which he founded in 2015, and an acting investor and advisor to several startups. He founded and led BQuotes, a fixed income price discovery platform in 2005. BQuotes was acquired by Moody’s in 2008. From 2003-2005 he was a Partner at Etolian Capital, a Fixed Income hedge fund. He was a consultant for Concord EFS, a payments processor, from 2002-2003, and prior to that, he was the co-founder and CTO of InternetCash, an internet payments platform, from 1999 to 2001. He was a senior member of the research staff at GTE Labs from 1997-1999. Yiannis holds a Ph.D. in Cryptography with a thesis in Anonymous Electronic Cash and a Master’s in Computer Science from Northeastern University, and a Bachelor’s in Mathematics from the University of Athens. He has published 14 peer-refereed papers in Cryptography and Privacy, and has been an invited speaker at MIT, NIST, RSA, Sandia National Laboratories, and Ecole Normale Superieure, among others.

First Year Engineering Expo
2021-12-03 08:30 - 17:00
Come by the Curry Student Center Indoor Pit to see the projects that our first-year engineering students have been working on this term.

ECE PhD Dissertation Defense: Murphy Wonsick
2021-12-03 10:00 - 11:00
PhD Dissertation Defense: Supervisory Control for Humanoid Robots Through Virtual Reality Interfaces
Murphy Wonsick
Location: ISEC 655
Abstract: Recent advancements in robotics have allowed robots to become capable enough to be used in a wide variety of domains that are dangerous for humans to operate in, such as disaster relief operations, exploration of extraterrestrial planets, bomb disposal, or nuclear decommissioning efforts. However, current supervisory control interfaces that allow humans to explore and interact in these environments through remote presence and teleoperation are complex and often require expert operators. Virtual reality provides a medium to create immersive and easy-to-use teleoperation interfaces. Virtual reality allows operators to visualize and interact with 3D data in a 3D environment that is not possible with traditional interfaces that make use of 2D devices, such as monitors, keyboards, mice, tablets, and/or game controllers. Yet, development of supervisory control virtual reality interfaces for robot operation is still very limited. Most present work in virtual reality interfaces focuses on direct teleoperation and not on high-level control that supervisory control interfaces can provide. In this dissertation, we focus on developing virtual reality supervisory control interfaces for remote robot operation. We specifically focus on high degree-of-freedom robots, such as humanoid robots or mobile manipulator robots, as they are the most suited types of robots for remote operation. To accomplish this, we first look to better understand and define humanoid robot capabilities using NASA’s humanoid robot, Valkyrie. Following, we synthesize the current state-of-the-art supervisory control interfaces for humanoid robots to create our own supervisory control interface using traditional devices. We then use this information to create a virtual reality supervisory control interface for Valkyrie. Finally, we look to improve virtual reality interfaces for robot operation through a user-centered design approach to inform future development on virtual reality interfaces.

Bioengineering PhD Student Seminar Series
2021-12-03 12:00 - 13:00 | 101 Churchill, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Join us Friday, December 3 at 12:00 PM in Churchill Hall 101 for the Bioengineering PhD Student Seminar Series! Our first presenter will be Bioengineering PhD student Hector Millan Coto “Longitudinal effects of electronic cigarette smoking on lung mechanics on Apoe Mice”. Our second presenter will be Amber Williams “Non-Invasive, Real-Time detection of Circulating Tumor Cell Clusters using Diffuse Light”.
