March 2024 - Gradstudents - mailman.cs.vt.edu

Jie Bu's Ph.D. defense [Feb 9 at 4 pm]
by Anuj Karpatne 02 Dec '24

02 Dec '24

Hello everyone, You are cordially invited to the final defense of PhD student Jie Bu on Thursday, Feb 9 at 4 pm. Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/5142223333 Title: Achieving More with Less: Learning Generalizable Neural Networks With Less Labeled Data and Computational Overheads Committee: Dr. Anuj Karpatne (advisor) Dr. Adrian Sandu Dr. Ismini Lourentzou Dr. Naren Ramakrishnan Dr. Anish Arora (from Ohio State University) Abstract: Recent advancements in deep learning have demonstrated its incredible ability to learn generalizable patterns and relationships automatically from data in a number of mainstream applications. However, the generalization power of deep learning methods largely comes at the costs of working with very large datasets and using highly compute-intensive models. Many applications cannot afford these costs needed to ensure generalizability of deep learning models. For instance, obtaining labeled data can be costly in scientific applications, and using large models may not be feasible in resource-constrained environments involving portable devices. This thesis aims to improve efficiency in machine learning by exploring different ways to learn generalizable neural networks that require less labeled data and computational resources. We demonstrate that using physics supervision in scientific problems can reduce the need for labeled data, thereby improving data efficiency without compromising model generalizability. Additionally, we investigate the potential of transfer learning powered by transformers in scientific applications as a promising direction for further improving data efficiency through domain adaptation. On the computational efficiency side, we present two efforts for increasing parameter efficiency of neural networks through novel architectures and structured network pruning. Thanks, -Anuj ------------------- Anuj Karpatne Assistant Professor Computer Science, Virginia Tech https://people.cs.vt.edu/karpatne/

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Muskan Gupta's Thesis exam
by Sang Won Lee 02 May '24

02 May '24

Hi, You are cordially invited to Muskan Gupta's thesis exam. I've included the details below. Sang Won Lee *When/Where* 8/31/2023 (Thursday) 1 PM-3 PM The Gilbert Place Room 3211 *Committee* Sang Won Lee (Chair) Eugenia Rho Scott McCrickard *Title*: Understanding Social Media Users' Perceptions of Trigger and Content Warnings *Abstract*: Exposure to distressing content on social media poses risks to users' mental well-being, leading to the use of trigger warnings (TW) and content warnings (CW). However, there is limited insight into user preferences and the factors affecting these warnings' effectiveness. This study addressed this gap through qualitative interviews with 15 participants. Findings revealed generally positive user perceptions of warnings, which provide protection from distressing content, create safe spaces for sharing sensitive experiences, and avoid such content in public spaces. However, understanding when, what, and how to use warnings varied among users, leading to complex decision-making. Factors influencing warning effectiveness included their separation from content, length, awareness, consistency, context, severity, reasoning, creator's intent, and audience knowledge. Participants stressed the need for enhanced education on warnings and triggers in social media. The study produced design recommendations, including personalized filtering, platform guidelines, specificity, nudging creators, interventions against excessive scrolling, accessibility improvements, and community feedback mechanisms. Participants also suggested post-trigger support measures. The study uncovers challenges in balancing warnings with user engagement, specificity, and personalization while avoiding the creation of filter bubbles. While the study spanned various platforms, future research should focus on specific platforms to address limitations like recruitment bias and broad scope. Future directions include incentivizing warning use, implementing nudges and interventions, and improving post-trigger support, as well as investigating audio triggers and quantitative studies for refined TW/CW design to promote a trauma-informed social media environment.

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Student activity reports and annual evaluation: SAR due April 8
by Shaffer, Cliff 08 Apr '24

08 Apr '24

The following information is mostly for MS/PhD students. MEng students use a different end-of-year evaluation process. Welcome to the beginning of the annual evaluation process for CS Graduate Students for 2024. Every year, ALL graduate students in the MS and PhD programs in Computer Science are obligated to submit a Student Activity Report. As part of this process, faculty advisers are then required to submit written evaluations for their students (that the students will see). A review process with GPC takes place on Reading Day (known as the "Green Thursday" process), after which students will receive additional feedback from GPC. This process somewhat mirrors the evaluation process that faculty in the CS Department undergo. The first phase of the process is for graduate students to complete and submit their Student Activity Report. This is done by going to https://gpc.cs.vt.edu<https://gpc.cs.vt.edu/> and signing in. You should then see on the menu bar at the top a pulldown menu labeled "SAR". Click on either "Submit SAR" or "Edit Current SAR" to go to the form. SARs are due from students by April 8, 2024. Faculty will then have until April 15 to complete the evaluations for all of their students. (Faculty will get more information about this prior to April 8.) All enrolled MS and PhD CS students must complete the SAR regardless of whether this is their first semester, last semester, or anything in between. Students who are scheduling a final exam this Spring must submit their SAR before I will approve scheduling their exam, so a few of you actually need to complete your form prior to April 8. If you already completed a SAR this semester due to this requirement, then you do not need to re-submit for the April 8 deadline. Students in the accelerated UG/G MS program who have not yet received their undergraduate degree should complete the SAR. Most UG/G students are on a rather tight schedule, and the SAR feedback is an important part of staying on track. Students who are somewhere in the process of switching between the MS and MEng programs should complete the evaluation process for the degree that they are going to, regardless of where they are officially located in April. If you are considering a switch, it would be ideal to complete that paperwork prior to April 8. For those of you who have done this before, this year's form is pretty much identical to last year's. You should be able to upload last year's report into the form, so that all you should need to do is update. A few key points: * Every milestone requires a positive indication for whether it has completed or been planned. (We have found in the past that the semester listed is not always a clear indicator.) * Some indication of funding source is required for every term in the program. If you are a full-time employee of a company (or of VT), this is always a bit confusing. If someone else paid the tuition, then mark it as "Government", "Company", "Fellowship", etc. as appropriate. If you (or your family) paid the tuition, then mark as "Self-funded", but indicate in the comments if you were working full time. If you were a GRA, indicate in the comments who with. If you were a GTA, indicate in the comments what course. If you are having trouble with the form letting you submit, missing data is often the cause. Before completing your SAR form, you should read the instructions at https://hosting.cs.vt.edu/gpc/#/sarinstructions. -- 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<http://www.cs.vt.edu/~shaffer>

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[PhD Students] Changes in MS on-the-way process
by Shaffer, Cliff 29 Mar '24

29 Mar '24

Good news for more recent PhD students who will be doing the "MS on-the-way" at some point in the future. Previously, we needed to make everyone sign up for an Independent Study course. While not intended as extra work (since PhD students would naturally be doing independent research anyway), this has resulted in a lot of bureaucratic nuisance since extra paperwork has to be completed prior to the start of the semester, or else the student misses their chance to sign up for that semester. Fortunately, the Grad School will now let us use a simpler procedure. To get the MS on-the-way, one needs to: * Complete the PhD Qualifier process. * Complete 30 credits that consist of coursework: normally, the 9 courses used toward your PhD, plus 2 seminar credits, and "something else" for the last credit. * Be enrolled in the semester (or summer term) in which the MS degree is awarded. We can't use research hours to get to 30 credits. But, absent any other "something else", we can now use CS5904 Project and Report to fill out missing credits. The reason why this is so much better than Independent Study is because there is no extra paperwork, and it can be force-added late in the same way as research hours. Thus making it far easier to arrange. Note that the Grad School still has restrictions about using a course for more than "two things". So there could be rare circumstances where not all of the 9 courses that count toward the PhD can also count toward the MS. But that is not common, as those rules appear to be looser now than they were in the past. -- 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<http://www.cs.vt.edu/~shaffer>

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CS talks scheduled for April 1 and 4
by Ribbens, Calvin 29 Mar '24

29 Mar '24

One talk in Arlington, one in Blacksburg. Both on Zoom. **Please do not publicize this information outside of Virginia Tech** Monday, April 1: Sabarish Babu 9:15 – 10:30am: Arlington Research Center - EBC - Foggy Bottom Room Seminar: Lessons Learned in Personal Space Interactions with Virtual Humans and Avatars, on Social Influences, Affordances and Perception-Action in XR Join Zoom Meeting https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/83155450735?pwd=MnhiRXJrK3pNajYwSzhmbHBRTUVs… Meeting ID: 831 5545 0735 | Passcode: 938530 Thursday, April 4: Xiaojun Bi 11:00am – 12:00pm, 1100 Torgersen Hall, Blacksburg, VA Seminar: Elevating Intelligent Input Technology in the AI Era Join via Zoom: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/83721767243?pwd=QkFWZ3NsK0dkeDh1ZFlCbm9oclRP… Meeting ID: 837 2176 7243 | Passcode: 058639

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Google PhD Fellowship
by Huang, Lifu 29 Mar '24

29 Mar '24

Please see below information about the Google Fellowship program for this year: https://research.google/outreach/phd-fellowship/. The university will be able to nominate up to four eligible students (including non-CS students). Faculty: If you are working with any PhD students who are appropriate for this opportunity, you might consider encouraging them to apply. PhD Students: This is meant for students who have completed graduate coursework by the academic award year (i.e., Fall 2024) when the Fellowship begins, and who will remain enrolled in the PhD program for the two years of the fellowship. PhD students who want to be considered for nomination should send us the following by the end of the day on Wednesday, May 1: 1. Student CV with links to website and publications (if available) 2. Short (1-page) CV of the student's primary advisor 3. 2-3 letters of recommendation from those familiar with the nominee's work (at least one from the thesis advisor) 4. Research / dissertation proposal (maximum 3 pages, excluding references) 5. Student essay response (350-word limit) to: Describe the desired impact your research will make on the field and society, and why this is important to you. Include any personal, educational and/or professional experiences that have motivated your research interests. 6. Student essay response (350-word limit) to: Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time. (A leadership role can mean more than just a title. It can mean being a mentor to others, acting as the person in charge of a specific task, or taking the lead role in organizing an event or project. Think about what you accomplished and what you learned from the experience. What were your responsibilities? Did you lead a team? How did your experience change your perspective on leading others? Did you help to resolve an important dispute at your school, church, in your community or an organization? And your leadership role doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to school activities. For example, do you help out or take care of your family?) 7. Transcripts of current and previous academic records More detailed information can be found from the FAQs: https://research.google/outreach/frequently-asked-questions/?filtertab=phd-…. Please also feel free to let us know if you have any questions. Best wishes, Eli Tilevich, Lifu Huang --------------------------------- Lifu Huang Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science Virginia Tech

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FW: New Scholarships for Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University HokieBirds!
by Kinder-Potter, Sharon 29 Mar '24

29 Mar '24

From: Dror Liebenthal <dror(a)boldscholarships.com> Sent: Friday, March 29, 2024 3:12 PM To: Kinder-Potter, Sharon <skpotter(a)vt.edu> Subject: Re: New Scholarships for Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University HokieBirds! Hi Sharon, Hope you are well! Just a gentle reminder about the scholarship opportunities available for Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University<http://aboutblank> students on Bold.org. We've just refreshed our 'Top Scholarships for Medical School Students in 2024<https://bold.org/scholarships/by-major/medical-school-scholarships/>' list, and it would be great if your students could be informed about it. Please feel free to post it on your scholarship/financial aid page at https://www.vt.edu/link/link/big-ideas/inclusion-diversity/impact_areas/rec…<https://>. Don't let your students miss out on opportunities like the "Saswati Gupta Cancer Research" Scholarship ($2,000) and the "Christina Taylese Singh Memorial" Scholarship ($2,000). Should you have any questions or need further details, please don't hesitate to reach out. Thank you for your assistance! Warm regards, Dror Liebenthal CEO, Bold.org Unsubscribe<http://tracking.boldscholarships.org/prod/unsubscribe-confirm/b967dd3d-7a37…> 415-475-BOLD The Bold Foundation 1580 N. Logan St. Ste 660, PMB 18696 Denver, CO 80203 US On Mon, Mar 25, 2024 at 7:28 PM "Dror Liebenthal" <dror(a)boldscholarships.com<mailto:dror@boldscholarships.com>> wrote: Hi Sharon, I'm Dror Liebenthal, CEO of Bold.org, the largest independent scholarship provider in the US with millions of active students. We recently updated our 'Top Scholarships for Medical School Students in 2024<https://bold.org/scholarships/by-major/medical-school-scholarships/>' list and we're hoping to receive applications from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. We'd highly appreciate it if you could share it on your scholarship/financial aid page: https://www.vt.edu/link/link/big-ideas/inclusion-diversity/impact_areas/rec…<https://> for your students to access it easily. I've listed some of the scholarships from our list below. Feel free to visit our page to view all our high school scholarships: https://bold.org/scholarships/by-major/medical-school-scholarships/. Saswati Gupta Cancer Research Scholarship * Eligibility: Any female college junior or senior student, or enrolled in a graduate program may apply for this scholarship. Low-income and first-generation applicants are highly encouraged to apply for this scholarship. * Amount: $2,000 * Winners: 2 winners, $1,000 each * Application Deadline: Apr 6, 2024 * Scholarship link: https://bold.org/scholarships/saswati-gupta-cancer-research-scholarship/ Christina Taylese Singh Memorial Scholarship * Eligibility: Any undergraduate or graduate student who has at least a 3.0 GPA and volunteering experience may apply for this scholarship if they're studying medicine or healthcare may apply to this scholarship. * Amount: $2,000 * Winners: 2 winners, $1,000 each * Application Deadline: May 3, 2024 * Scholarship link: https://bold.org/scholarships/christina-taylese-singh-memorial-scholarship/ Veerakasturi and Venkateswarlu Ganapaneni Memorial Scholarship * Eligibility: Any undergraduate student pursuing medicine, healthcare, business (finance, economics, etc.), and education with at least a 3.0 GPA may apply for this scholarship. * Amount: $500 * Winners: 1 * Application Deadline: May 5, 2024 * Scholarship link: https://bold.org/scholarships/veerakasturi-and-venkateswarlu-ganapaneni-mem… Balancing Act Medical Student Scholarship * Eligibility: Any undergraduate or graduate student who is studying medicine may apply for this scholarship. * Amount: $500 * Winners: 1 * Application Deadline: May 14, 2024 * Scholarship link: https://bold.org/scholarships/balancing-act-medical-student-scholarship/ James Michael Morris Family Scholarship * Eligibility: Students of any educational level are eligible to apply if they are pursuing a career in Ophthalmic professions such as Opticians, Contact Lens Examiners and Technical Practitioners. * Amount: $20,000 * Winners: 4 winners, $5,000 each * Application Deadline: Jun 1, 2024 * Scholarship link: https://bold.org/scholarships/james-michael-morris-family-scholarship/ Natalie Joy Poremski Scholarship * Eligibility: Any Christian, pro-life undergraduate or graduate student who is pursuing higher education in law, medicine, or political science may apply for this scholarship. * Amount: $1,000 * Winners: 1 * Application Deadline: Jun 15, 2024 * Scholarship link: https://bold.org/scholarships/natalie-joy-poremski-scholarship/ Raquel Merlini Pay it Forward Scholarship * Eligibility: Any single mothers or divorced women pursuing or considering pursuing a degree in the medical field are eligible to apply to this scholarship. * Amount: $1,000 * Winners: 1 * Application Deadline: Jun 24, 2024 * Scholarship link: https://bold.org/scholarships/raquel-merlini-pay-it-forward-scholarship/ Emma Jane Hastie Scholarship * Eligibility: Any undergraduate junior or senior, with volunteer and/or community service experience who is pursuing Medicine, Counseling, the Military, Hospitality, Municipal work, or other related fields may apply to this scholarship. * Amount: $1,000 * Winners: 1 * Application Deadline: Jul 3, 2024 * Scholarship link: https://bold.org/scholarships/emma-jane-hastie-scholarship/ Tanya C. Harper Memorial SAR Scholarship * Eligibility: Any black high school seniors or undergraduate students pursuing a degree in some aspect of the medical field are encouraged to apply. * Amount: $1,000 * Winners: 2 * Application Deadline: Jul 21, 2024 * Scholarship link: https://bold.org/scholarships/tanya-c-harper-memorial-sar-scholarship/ Maxwell Tuan Nguyen Memorial Scholarship * Eligibility: High school seniors and undergraduate students are eligible to apply if they are pursuing a career in the medical field. * Amount: $1,000 * Winners: 1 * Application Deadline: Aug 1, 2024 * Scholarship link: https://bold.org/scholarships/maxwell-tuan-nguyen-memorial-scholarship/ If you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to reach out. Thanks in advance for your support. Go Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University HokieBirds! Kind regards, Dror Liebenthal CEO, Bold.org Unsubscribe<http://tracking.boldscholarships.org/prod/unsubscribe-confirm/b967dd3d-7a37…> 415-475-BOLD The Bold Foundation 1580 N. Logan St. Ste 660, PMB 18696 Denver, CO 80203 US

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CS Distinguished Lecture today at 2:30PM, Torgersen 3100
by Ribbens, Calvin 29 Mar '24

29 Mar '24

CS Students, We are welcoming three distinguished lecturers to the department this semester. The first is Nicole Ellison<https://public.websites.umich.edu/~enicole/>, who is visiting today. Dr. Ellison is the Karl E. Weick Collegiate Professor of Information in the School of Information at the University of Michigan. Her talk is set for 2:30 Friday, in Torgersen 3100: "Reflecting Identity, Signaling Attention, Shaping Language: Examining Digital Social Practices.<https://website.cs.vt.edu/research/Seminars/Nicole_Ellison.html>" Also available on Zoom<https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/83928441335?pwd=UFFVbjZibkVIaVFsdXpoVXFKS3lG…>. I am sure this will be a very interesting presentation! Dr. Ribbens

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Participate in a Research Survey on Learning New Software Development Tools (Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card!)
by Rajeev, Swetha 27 Mar '24

27 Mar '24

Hi All, We’re looking for participants for a survey on software development tools and the challenges faced when learning new tools. We’re particularly interested in hearing from graduate students with experience in web development, app development, or full-stack development. The survey should take ~10-15 minutes to complete. As a token of our appreciation, participants will have a chance to win $50 Amazon gift cards. Your responses will be kept strictly confidential, and the data collected will be used solely for research purposes. This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board, and your participation is entirely voluntary. To participate in the survey, please click on the following link: [Survey Link<https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/professionals>] Thank you in advance for your time and contribution to this research. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me at rswetha(a)vt.edu

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Matthew Corbett's Ph.D. defense (Wednesday, March 27, 9:30 am)
by Ji, Bo 25 Mar '24

25 Mar '24

Dear all, You're cordially invited to join Mr. Matthew Corbett's Ph.D. defense. Detailed information can be found below. Title: Enhancing Security and Privacy in Head-Mounted Augmented Reality Systems Using Eye Gaze Date: Wednesday, March 27, 2024 Time: 9:30 am Room: Gilbert Place 4218 Zoom: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/85669817322 Committee members: Bo Ji (Chair), Brendan David-John, Wenjing Lou, David Raymond, and Jiacheng Shang (Montclair State University) Abstract: Augmented Reality (AR) devices are set apart from other mobile devices by the immersive experience they offer. The ability of these devices to collect information presents challenges and opportunities to improve existing security and privacy techniques in this domain. In this dissertation, I explore how readily available eye gaze sensor data can be used to improve existing methods for assuring security and protecting the privacy of those near the device. My research has presented three new systems, BystandAR, ShouldAR, and GazePair that each leverage user eye gaze to improve security and privacy expectations in or with Augmented Reality. As these devices grow in power and number, such solutions are necessary to prevent perception and privacy failures that hindered earlier devices. The work in this dissertation is presented in the hope that these solutions can improve and expedite the adoption of these powerful and useful devices. Best Regards, Bo

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