March 2021 - Gradstudents - mailman.cs.vt.edu

seminars this week: Mar 9, 10, 11
by Cal Ribbens 08 Mar '21

08 Mar '21

Tuesday at 9:30: Min Lee, PhD CMU "Towards Human-AI/Robot Collaborative Systems: Improving the Practices of Physical Stroke Rehabilitation" https://cs.vt.edu/News/Seminars/MinLee.html https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/87584425154?pwd=TC9YS0k2L0Ftd2x4R0FVd3hFeTdI… Wednesday at 10:00: Debswapna Bhattacharya, PhD Missouri, Assistant Prof at Auburn "Bridging the Resolution Gap in Computational Modeling of Protein 3D Structures" https://cs.vt.edu/News/Seminars/DebswapnaBhattacharya.html https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/81491170251?pwd=UGY5OU5EUkt3OWsyRXJlTEVackFp… Thursday at 10:00: Junwen Yang, PhD Chicago "Improving Performance of Database-backed Web Applications" https://cs.vt.edu/News/Seminars/JunwenYang.html https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/89676032598?pwd=cUFZSGcvUDdnbzUrS2dWbGtBV2tF… Dr. R. -- Head, Department of Computer Science Virginia Tech https://cs.vt.edu/People/Faculty/cal-ribbens.html https://twitter.com/CalRibbens_VTCS

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CS|Source Announcements
by Julia Costello 05 Mar '21

05 Mar '21

Hi CS Students, Please find opportunities with employers listed below. View other positions in <https://career.vt.edu/job-search/Handshake.html> Handshake. See Announcement #3 for session today at 12:30pm. Announcement #1 Eastman Chemical has a Business Intelligence Analyst position available. Apply and send resume to Don Sanderson at <mailto:donsanderson@eastman.com> donsanderson(a)eastman.com. Job description attached. Announcement #2 ACM hosts Works of Wonder Student Project Showcase on March 25, 1-4pm. Submissions are due by 11:59pm on March 5 <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScW5kEMS5tSD9yfxdQ7J7kR_cbEJ97mg3j YI01FVe8f5MMvtQ/viewform?gxids=7628> here! Please reach out to Reilly McLaren at <mailto:rmclaren@vt.edu> rmclaren(a)vt.edu with any responses/questions/feedback. You have a chance to present to company recruiters, alumni, and faculty who are genuinely interested, while showing off your creative and technical skills! Announcement #3 ACM hosts Heidi Gilbert, an Assistant Director at Career and Professional Development to present, "Transitioning Into the Workplace During COVID-19" on today, March 5, 12:30-1pm. Add this to your google calendar using <https://calendar.google.com/event?action=TEMPLATE&tmeid=bGx2NHVtdmIyZTZhNzJ pcXR1NGhranExdGsgY19wZm5tbDNlZDFtNXV0Ymk3cG1mZjZmYnJoa0Bn&tmsrc=c_pfnml3ed1m 5utbi7pmff6fbrhk%40group.calendar.google.com> this link. The zoom link is in the description of the google calendar event. Whether in person, hybrid, or remote (in an internship or full-time position), learn strategies to smoothly transition into the workplace and positively stand out from day 1. Announcement #4 NSIN has a variety of opportunities with the DoD. Dates and deadlines on flyers attached. Julia Costello Strategic Partnership Coordinator Virginia Tech | College of Engineering | Department of Computer Science 2202 Kraft Drive | Blacksburg, VA 24060 540.250.6121 | <mailto:juliapc7@cs.vt.edu> juliapc7(a)cs.vt.edu CS|Source Website: <https://cs.vt.edu/cs-source.html> https://cs.vt.edu/cs-source.html CS|Source Portal: <https://www.cs-source.cs.vt.edu/> https://www.cs-source.cs.vt.edu CS|Source Portal Auto Emails From: <mailto:cs-source@cssource.cs.vt.edu> cs-source(a)cssource.cs.vt.edu

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Fwd: CHCI Annual Workshop- The Power of Immersive Stories
by Calvin Ribbens 04 Mar '21

04 Mar '21

See below for details about the 5th CHCI workshop on the future of human-computer interaction. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Sara Evers <saralevers(a)vt.edu> Date: Wed, Mar 3, 2021 at 11:15 AM Subject: CHCI Annual Workshop- The Power of Immersive Stories To: Calvin Ribbens <ribbens(a)vt.edu> Dear Prof. Ribbens, Thank you again for being a co-sponsor of the CHCI workshop “The Power of Immersive Stories <https://sova.vt.edu/immersive-stories/>” to be held April 15-16, 2021 (10 am - 4 pm). We hope you will be able to attend. The workshop will feature three outside keynote speakers and two outside artists, as well as brief talks by faculty and students, group discussions, videos, and demos. Please disseminate this email regarding the workshop and registration widely with your faculty and students. The workshop is free, but registration is required. The detailed agenda and registration link is available on the workshop website <https://sova.vt.edu/immersive-stories/>. Registration <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSedPbg8o6-TUg9EOkN17ivVThwCya2Ik2_…> In advance of the workshop, CHCI will hold three Reading Group sessions to re-acquaint ourselves with the ideas and research related to the theme. Everyone is welcome to attend. All three reading group sessions are on Fridays, at either 10 am or 1 pm, held on Zoom (see zoom link below). See the pre-workshop section of the workshop website <https://sova.vt.edu/immersive-stories/> for details of the reading sessions. Attached please find the paper for our first reading discussion on March 12 (at 10 am), by one of our keynotes, Rebecca Rouse. Papers for keynotes Jeremy Bailenson and Stephen Ware are forthcoming. We look forward to seeing you at the reading group discussion and the workshop! Wallace Lages Mike Horning Workshop Chairs Zoom invitation for Workshop Reading Group Sessions: CHCI is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Workshop Reading Group Discussions Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime Join Zoom Meeting https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/85187996515 Meeting ID: 851 8799 6515 One tap mobile +19294362866,,85187996515# US (New York) +13017158592,,85187996515# US (Washington DC) Dial by your location +1 929 436 2866 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 851 8799 6515 Find your local number: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/u/keskIWvHle Join by SIP 85187996515(a)zoomcrc.com Join by H.323 162.255.37.11 (US West) 162.255.36.11 (US East) 115.114.131.7 (India Mumbai) 115.114.115.7 (India Hyderabad) 213.19.144.110 (Amsterdam Netherlands) 213.244.140.110 (Germany) 103.122.166.55 (Australia Sydney) 103.122.167.55 (Australia Melbourne) 149.137.40.110 (Singapore) 64.211.144.160 (Brazil) 69.174.57.160 (Canada Toronto) 65.39.152.160 (Canada Vancouver) 207.226.132.110 (Japan Tokyo) 149.137.24.110 (Japan Osaka) Meeting ID: 851 8799 6515 Join by Skype for Business https://virginiatech.zoom.us/skype/85187996515 -- Sara Evers Virginia Polytechnic & State University, School of Education Doctoral Student, Curriculum & Instruction for Social Studies Graduate Assistant, Center for Human Computer Interaction

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CS|Source Announcements
by Julia Costello 03 Mar '21

03 Mar '21

Hi CS Students, Please find events and opportunities with employers listed below. View other positions in <https://career.vt.edu/job-search/Handshake.html> Handshake. Announcement #1 Zenith AeroTech is looking for exceptional individuals to join their Unmanned Aerial Systems Division, <https://zenithaerotech.com> https://zenithaerotech.com. Flyer attached with three job descriptions. Announcement #2 ACM hosts Works of Wonder Student Project Showcase on March 25, 1-4pm. Submissions are due by 11:59pm on March 5 <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScW5kEMS5tSD9yfxdQ7J7kR_cbEJ97mg3j YI01FVe8f5MMvtQ/viewform?gxids=7628> here! Please reach out to Reilly McLaren at <mailto:rmclaren@vt.edu> rmclaren(a)vt.edu with any responses/questions/feedback. You have a chance to present to company recruiters, alumni, and faculty who are genuinely interested, while showing off your creative and technical skills! Announcement #3 Heidi Gilbert, an Assistant Director at Career and Professional Development hosts, "Transitioning Into the Workplace During COVID-19" on March 5, 12:30-1pm. Add this to your google calendar using <https://calendar.google.com/event?action=TEMPLATE&tmeid=bGx2NHVtdmIyZTZhNzJ pcXR1NGhranExdGsgY19wZm5tbDNlZDFtNXV0Ymk3cG1mZjZmYnJoa0Bn&tmsrc=c_pfnml3ed1m 5utbi7pmff6fbrhk%40group.calendar.google.com> this link. The zoom link is in the description of the google calendar event. Whether in person, hybrid, or remote (in an internship or full-time position), learn strategies to smoothly transition into the workplace and positively stand out from day 1. Announcement #4 Virginia Technology Council presents Appian tech talk on Friday, March 12, 9-10am. Flyer attached to register. Julia Costello Strategic Partnership Coordinator Virginia Tech | College of Engineering | Department of Computer Science 2202 Kraft Drive | Blacksburg, VA 24060 540.250.6121 | <mailto:juliapc7@cs.vt.edu> juliapc7(a)cs.vt.edu CS|Source Website: <https://cs.vt.edu/cs-source.html> https://cs.vt.edu/cs-source.html CS|Source Portal: <https://www.cs-source.cs.vt.edu/> https://www.cs-source.cs.vt.edu CS|Source Portal Auto Emails From: <mailto:cs-source@cssource.cs.vt.edu> cs-source(a)cssource.cs.vt.edu

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CS|Source Announcements
by Julia Costello 02 Mar '21

02 Mar '21

CS Students, Please find opportunities with employers listed below. View employment opportunities in <https://career.vt.edu/job-search/Handshake.html> Handshake. Announcement #1 Grad Students - The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) hosts a virtual career fair on Wednesday, March 3, 10am-2pm and 3-5pm. Flyer attached to register. Announcement #2 International Council of Systems Engineering (INCOSE) hosts a virtual industry panel Thursday, March 4, 6:30-8:00pm. Flyer below with Zoom link. Julia Costello Strategic Partnership Coordinator Virginia Tech | College of Engineering | Department of Computer Science 2202 Kraft Drive | Blacksburg, VA 24060 540.250.6121 | <mailto:juliapc7@cs.vt.edu> juliapc7(a)cs.vt.edu CS|Source Website: <https://cs.vt.edu/cs-source.html> https://cs.vt.edu/cs-source.html CS|Source Portal: <https://www.cs-source.cs.vt.edu/> https://www.cs-source.cs.vt.edu CS|Source Portal Auto Emails From: <mailto:cs-source@cssource.cs.vt.edu> cs-source(a)cssource.cs.vt.edu

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CS Lightning Talks 2021
by elhamod＠vt.edu 02 Mar '21

02 Mar '21

I've invited you to fill out the following form: CS Lightning Talks 2021 Survey To fill it out, visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeaGStHA8SFOSHiKEHWdDX8MA8QeMrbIXE… Fellow CS grad students, Grad Council is excited to invite you to attend our Lightning talks for 2021. This annual event is a series of short 3-min presentations by some of your mates in our department. This is a great opportunity for everyone, especially new students, to get familiar with our different labs and the interesting research ideas being worked on. Talks will also include other topics of interest, such as getting involved with international student organizations. Date: March 10, 2021 Time: 6:00-7:00 PM EST Zoom registration: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RFPBXktjRGedjSKWwOUYgA For registration, as a speaker or an attendee, and for further information, please fill out this Google form: https://forms.gle/UUN3CWFP6Aj5BPh48 We are looking forward to hearing about your awesome work and seeing you all virtually this year! CS Grad Council p.s. Please, note that this event will be attended by our prospective students, who are not yet VT affiliated. Google Forms: Create and analyze surveys.

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Thanks for a successful Grad Recruiting Weekend!
by Cliff Shaffer 01 Mar '21

01 Mar '21

A huge "thank you" to the organizers and participants of this weekend's Grad Recruiting Weekend. Sang Won Lee and Anuj Karpatne organized a great event on the faculty side, with Sharon providing operational support along with Hayley and the communications team. Thanks to all the faculty who gave talks or held office hours at the event. As always, Grad Council and the current grad students organized great Saturday events and gave the attendees an especially warm welcome. Special thanks to Shakiba, Mohannad and Miles. This year was unusually challenging due to the pandemic ruling out in-person visits. The team was able to take excellent advantage of technology to deliver an outstanding virtual event. We would all prefer it if we could do this in person. But given the situation, I think we made the most of our opportunities. In fact, we were able to do a number of things that we normally either could not do or have not previously thought of until driven to it by our current circumstances. * We had the largest group of attendees ever. I'm not sure exactly how many, but I think it was around 60-80. * Most of the US-based attendees were sent a "swag box" of CS@VT items. * Slack proved to be a huge boost to our communications, providing an augmented real-time discussion channel while also building corporate memory about commonly asked questions. Some of these features could be on the table for next year. Assuming that we are "back to normal" then, we probably still want to take advantage of lessons learned this time around. I heard and saw at Slack a number of comments from attendees about how welcome they were made to feel, and how exceptional their whole range of interactions with VT has been so far. Grad council and our current grad students were the main drivers here. I can't say yet how much GRW affected the research track intake numbers in Blacksburg, which was its primary focus. But you might be interested to know that we are well on track to have by far our largest ever total intake of students this Fall. That was our goal last year, but the pandemic brought us down to a "normal" intake, which I guess could be viewed as a win. Combined with an exceptionally large Spring intake, we did grow by a noticeable amount this academic year, just not as much as had been hoped pre-pandemic. The goal is that next year will bring us back on track with the growth targets, especially within the MEng program. -- Dr. Cliff Shaffer Professor and Associate Department Head for Graduate Studies Department of Computer Science Phone: (540) 231-4354 Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 WWW: www.cs.vt.edu/~shaffer

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Seminar: Zhichao Cao
by Matthew Hicks 01 Mar '21

01 Mar '21

Zhichao's seminar "High-Performance and Cost-Effective Storage Systems for Supporting Big Data" is starting in a few minutes. Details below. Hit the link to join the zoom meeting: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/84838795866?pwd=bjZidHc0cWhicUtoak45UVkzVXpz… [image: image.png] *Seminar:* High-Performance and Cost-Effective Storage Systems for Supporting Big Data Monday, March 1, 2021 12:00pm -- 1:30pm https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/84838795866?pwd=bjZidHc0cWhicUtoak45UVkzVXpz… Abstract: With the widely usage of social media, e-business, smartphones, and smart home kits, data is generated everywhere, which constructs a new world. The world is all about data, we are in the big data era. Storage systems act as the keystone to ensure data persistency in today’s big data infrastructure. Due to the explosion of data scale, achieving a better tradeoff between performance and cost-effectiveness is one of the main challenges in designing and optimizing storage systems. In this talk, I will present my research that addresses the tradeoff challenges in primary storage, backup systems, and storage systems for AI/ML. I will primarily discuss the key-value store workload characterization in primary storage and AI/ML systems at Facebook. The key findings motivate two follow up studies in distributed key-value store that 1) explore a way of using NVM as a cache tier to better balance memory cost and overall performance, and 2) address the performance penalty in disaggregated infrastructure by introducing the in-storage computing architecture. I will also cover the research of data deduplication read performance improvement in backup systems for big data applications, which will include a hybrid look-ahead caching scheme and a data rewrite scheme. Finally, the vision of my future research on storage systems for new storage devices, AI/ML systems, and new infrastructure is introduced.. Biography: Dr. Zhichao Cao is a research scientist at Facebook, mainly working on data infrastructure, storage systems, and databases. He finished his bachelor’s degree in Automation from Tsinghua University in China and completed his Ph.D. degree in computer science from the University of Minnesota in 2020, supervised by Prof. David H.C. Du. Zhichao’s research is on designing and optimizing high-performance and cost-effective storage systems for big data. Specifically, he works on tiered file systems, key-value stores, secondary storage systems, systems for new storage devices, and storage systems for AI/ML platforms. Zhichao has published more than 15 papers in major conferences and journals, including USENIX FAST, USENIX HotStorage, IEEE MASCOTS, Computer in Industry, IEEE Transaction on Computers, and ACM Transaction on Storage. He also has rich industry experience through multiple research internships and research collaborations at leading companies such as NetApp, HPE, Veritas, and Facebook. You can find out more about Zhichao at https://www-users.cs.umn.edu/~caoxx380/. <https://www-users.cs.umn.edu/~caoxx380/>

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ACM Event - Works of Wonder Student Project Showcase- Deadline Extended to Friday March 05, 2021!
by Brittany Rasmussen 01 Mar '21

01 Mar '21

Good Morning CS Students, This is a reminder that ACM at VT will be hosting an event called Works of Wonder – Student Project Showcase. This showcase is a chance for you to show off your originality, creativity, and technical skills to company representatives, faculty, and alumni. You will be able to fully demonstrate all that went into your creation rather than it just being just a few bullet points on a resume. This event will be held via Zoom on March 25, 2021 from 1pm-4pm. Please complete the registration form below to register for this event. The deadline to register has been extended to March 05, 2021. Registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScW5kEMS5tSD9yfxdQ7J7kR_cbEJ97mg3j… Additionally, students can also submit their project using the link below to be part of the department's Virtual Student Showcase for the 50th Anniversary Celebration: https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3NUpjv33bq0SbLE. Please contact Hayley Roulston (hayleyr(a)vt.edu<mailto:hayleyr@vt.edu>) with any questions about the 50th Anniversary Student Showcase. Thank you, Brittany Rasmussen – Event Specialist Virginia Tech | Department of Computer Science 2202 Kraft Drive, Office 1139<https://www.google.com/maps/search/2202+Kraft+Drive,+Office+1139?entry=gmai…>, Knowledge Works II Blacksburg, VA 24060 (540) 231-1369|britf91(a)vt.edu<mailto:britf91@vt.edu>

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seminars Mar 1 and 2
by Cal Ribbens 01 Mar '21

01 Mar '21

Sorry for the last minute reminder! Monday at 12:00: Zhichao Cao, PhD Minnesota, now at Facebook "High-Performance and Cost-Effective Storage Systems for Supporting Big Data" https://cs.vt.edu/News/Seminars/ZhichaoCao.html https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/84838795866?pwd=bjZidHc0cWhicUtoak45UVkzVXpz… Tuesday at 12:00: Pedro Morgado, PhD UCSD "Learning to See and Hear from Audio-Visual Co-occurrence" https://cs.vt.edu/News/Seminars/PedroMorgado.html https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/82145084636?pwd=VmxxdEtVQnNxQmRVbGpNbjY0a0Vt… Dr. R. -- Head, Department of Computer Science Virginia Tech https://cs.vt.edu/People/Faculty/cal-ribbens.html https://twitter.com/CalRibbens_VTCS

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