Doctoral Student Profiles - USC Viterbi

Kyle Russell
PhD in Aerospace Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The best advice I've ever been given is to think of research as a lifestyle rather than "work". To gain mastery over a topic, I have to spend many hours toiling over challenging concepts and problems, constantly looking for ways to better my own understanding. I do not get to mentally clock out in the afternoon and feel good about my productivity if I haven't made any progress towards internalizing a paper's findings or a textbook chapter. On the other hand, I definitely take time away from my studies and research to reset and rest.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Throughout high school and college, I struggled in math. I got fine grades, but math took a majority of my study time and it never felt intuitive to me. In my freshman year of college, I got a B- in multivariable calculus which really made me question whether I was cut out to pursue a STEM degree. Regardless, I pressed on and chipped away at areas that didn't come easy to me. Even in advanced classes, I would regularly go back to review early calculus and linear algebra concepts on YouTube and in old textbooks. By the end of my undergraduate, I was getting A's in graduate-level math courses and the material felt natural to me. I began to not only grasp every concept I encountered but appreciate some of the beauty in it. Although not an individual event or project, my journey through math courses and personal growth is one of my proudest achievements.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I had been in the process of building my own computer for months. I spent months coming up with a build, selecting parts, and assembling the hardware. However, COVID in conjunction with a surge in cryptocurrency mining led to a global shortage of graphics cards. Although not technically an impulse buy, I finally gave in and bought a GPU at a marked-up price, but I could not be happier with my decision.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I synthesize nanofilms and find connections between microstructural changes and material properties. The synthesis process involves confining an argon plasma against a metal target which is, in turn, ablated forming a vapor; the metal vapor condenses onto substrates thus allowing for the precise design of nanofilms. I am particularly excited about this research because designing and manufacturing materials on the nanoscale stand to revolutionize entire industries including aerospace, energy, computer science, and space exploration. Furthermore, material science is an interdisciplinary field. I love connecting topics such as diffusion, plasma characteristics, and grain/phase boundary energy back towards my background in physics.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

In high school, I truly fell in love with ecology. I don't have a particular occupation in mind, but work-related to maintaining national parks, coral reefs, or revitalizing land would be a dream come true.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I would love to pursue a career in spaceflight technology development. Although not necessary, a PhD certainly helps in pursuing that passion.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

The beach. Any beach.
Try to find some hikes off the beaten path that might not be super popular. There are some great ones north of Malibu.
K-town bbq

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I will forever cherish the time I get to spend with the rocket propulsion lab out in the desert assembling and testing our rocket systems. Getting the opportunity to work with fantastic people on rocket engineering is something I will cherish long after I graduate.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I sang at Barack Obama's first inauguration as a member of the San Francisco Boy's Choir.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to pursue a career in spaceflight research and development.

Hometown (city, country):

Alameda, US

Personal Website (if any):

N/A

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Andrea Hodge

Orazio Pinti
PhD in Aerospace Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

When I left my home country to move to the US, my grandfather told me to never look back in life with sadness, but always ahead with excitement and drive, while keeping a fond and grateful look in my rearview mirror.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I was the first person (and not the last!) in my family to graduate from college!

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Ski gear and the Ikon Pass

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I am working at the interface between machine learning and computational engineering. This means I am developing and/or applying machine learning-based techniques to compute the numerical solution of different physical problems.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

It would be a theoretical physicist. Alternatively, outside STEM fields, having a ranch has always had a certain appeal to me.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Quality of education, diversity, USC staff reliability, and attention to students' well-being. Furthermore, Los Angeles is such a great place to live!

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Griffith Observatory, The Getty Villa in Malibu, and Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley at night to see the Milky Way.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Reading and working outside my office, somewhere on the beautiful USC campus, during one of the many cloudless, sunny days of LA.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I love doing many sports, but I never watch any, and I know absolutely nothing about teams, championships, rankings, and so on and so forth.

What are your plans after graduation?

I am not sure yet, but as of today, I would like to work in a company's R&D department.

Hometown (city, country):

Termoli, Italy

Personal Website (if any):

N/A

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Assad Oberai

Jeffrey Asher
PhD in Astronautical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Before coming to USC I was working full-time at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab. I
recall having just graduated from undergrad and being pulled into several working groups with
senior staff. I was usually quite shy in these meetings and rarely spoke up. One day one my
manager took me aside and told me “Jeff, you’re invited to these meetings because we want to
know what YOU think. You need to make sure your voice and opinions are heard.” I feel like I
really needed to hear that in that moment and really respected my manager for it. It’s
something I keep in mind.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I think once I finish this degree, I’ll consider it my greatest accomplishment, but until then, I’d
have to say my work designing and building a CubeSat during undergrad. The spacecraft was
called ELFIN, which stood for Electron Losses and Fields Investigation. I was the lead thermal
engineer and lead systems engineer. Working with the small team of students and faculty on
that project really gave me my start in the space industry. Working on that project got me my
job after undergrad, and I’m sure it helped with my application to USC. It was amazing to be
witness this spacecraft slowly come together over the years. The big culmination was when we
all drove up to watch it launch out of Vandenberg Air Force Base. As of today the spacecraft are
still healthy and providing critical scientific data.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I bought a DIY mechanical watch making kit. The funny part is that it was 100% a specifically
targeted Facebook advertisement that got me to buy it. I’m sure the advertiser was like: 20-
something, male, engineer? – CHECK. Anyways, I really enjoyed assembling it and its still one of
my favorite watches.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is investigating the plume dynamics of a new type of spacecraft electric propulsion. These thrusters are called ionic electrospray thrusters, and what makes them special is that they offer a small, low power, and clean means of propulsion. This enables small spacecraft, like CubeSats, to maneuver while on-orbit. The plume that these thrusters generate consists of complex molecular ions of varying sizes and composition. This technology has little flight heritage currently, but several companies are beginning to invest more into it which is exciting.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I’m assuming for this question that I’ll have to forego the space industry as well. In that case, I’ll say something like a board game designer. We are currently in a golden age of board games, and I think it would be fun to try and make a fun and interesting game. Maybe it can be space related?

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I’m local to Los Angeles, so pursuing my degree somewhere close to family was a big factor. I chose USC specifically due to its unique Astronautical Engineering Department. Most schools do not have a dedicated department for space. The thought of a department of coursework and expertise just dedicated to spacecraft engineering really excited me.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Yosemite National Park – I’m big into the outdoors and hiking and cannot recommend Yosemite enough. It is beautiful.
Griffith Observatory – A great place to hike, gaze out at the city, and learn some cool science!
Simply Pho Noodle House in Orange, CA – My fiancé and I love pho. We have sampled a lot across LA and both agree this place is the best. A close second is Pho Show in Culver City.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I will forever cherish the opportunity to present my final project to Buzz Aldrin. As part of my ASTE-527 final we had to pitch an innovative or disruptive concept for the future exploration of the Moon and Artemis missions. Little did I know that we would be having a special guest for the final! Being able to interact with such a meaningful figure in my career field is definitely something that will be with me for the rest of my life.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I’m an avid runner. I’ve trained for and competed in 3 marathons in: Chicago, Huntington Beach, and Washington, D.C. Running in the LA marathon is still on my list.

What are your plans after graduation?

After a long vacation, I plan to go back to full-time employment at my current job with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, supporting the US Space Force at LA Air Force Base. In addition, I hope to pursue opportunities for guest lecturing at USC within the ASTE department or other local colleges and universities.

Hometown (city, country):

Valencia, California, USA (just north of LA near Six Flags Magic Mountain)

Personal Website (if any):

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-asher-923497134/

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Joe Wang

Parisa Pouya
PhD in Astronautical Engineering/Systems Architecting Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Never give up and just keep going and exploring until things start working for you!

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I worked as an intern for General Motors company in 2020 and I was able to successfully demonstrate my research abilities and skills, which resulted in an ongoing collaboration between me and the research team at GM. As a PhD candidate who works on autonomous vehicles and their applications, it's always been my dream to join this industry in the future and I would consider my ongoing collaboration with GM as one of my biggest achievements.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

3 pairs of colorful leggings for workout! The leggings (mostly the colors) really motivate me to workout. This has been really helpful in terms of both physical and mental health

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research focuses on developing models and techniques for real-time planning and control of autonomous systems (e.g. quadcopters and autonomous vehicles) that operate in uncertain and noisy environments. Being able to develop models and techniques from scratch, experimenting with these models on real systems, and getting to see that the techniques and models actually work on real systems is what excites me about my research!

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Probably a dentist!

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

USC is well-known for its diversity, which makes it a great school for international students! In addition, the school's engineering programs/departments are always ranked high not only in the country, but also in the world. Finally, most of the professors at USC support their students with research and/or teaching assistantship funds.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

1- Balboa island in NewPort Beach (California)

2- Hiking places in Bay area and San Francisco (Fort Funston in Bay Area and Land's End trail in SF)

3- Griffith observatory

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Celebrating Persian new year with friends at the Electrical Eng. department

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I am very adventurous and love any kind of (positive) activity that boosts Adrenaline.. For instance, I love hiking in the dark, riding motor bikes, riding roller coasters, etc.

What are your plans after graduation?

I am planning to join the industry, especially the automotive industry and my plan is to become a technical manager as soon as possible!

Hometown (city, country):

Oroumieh (or Urmia), Iran

Personal Website (if any):

https://www.linkedin.com/in/parisa-pouya-b434b4144

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Azad M. Madni (Astronautical Eng. Department)

Shatad Purohit
PhD in Astronautical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The best piece of advice that I have ever been given is to 'establish involvement without discrimination'. And, simply doing whatever is needed with total commitment and attention.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

One of the most significant accomplishments in my professional life is getting admitted to the Ph.D. in Astronautical Engineering with a specialization in Systems Architecting and Engineering at the University of Southern California.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A few months back, I got a low-tech mobile phone as a replacement for my old phone, which fell in a small river stream during a trek. I first thought I would only use this phone for few days. But I started liking it now!

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I am currently a Research Assistant in the Distributed Autonomy and Intelligent Systems Laboratory. My research interests are systems architecting, complex system analysis and design, modeling and simulation, model-based systems engineering (MBSE), and integration of digital twins into MBSE. My research is about finding efficient ways to develop complex systems, specifically in aerospace, defense, and automotive industry verticals. I see many opportunities to apply the research in the context of the increasingly changing socio-technical world of today. My studies allow me to look at the situations in the world in a multidisciplinary and holistic way. There are general tendencies to simplify the problem to fit the existing methodologies, but systems architecting and engineering focus on expanding the methods to address the complex problems without dumbing problems down.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would choose studies of economics and ecology, as it is one of the most crucial challenges our generation faces worldwide. In general, ecological solutions are found to be against economic wellbeing, and economically feasible options are not ecologically sensitive. Therefore, it is essential to initiate the marriage of economy and ecology. If people see financial prosperity in ecological solutions, it can help scale the solutions rapidly, which is most required today. In my view, marrying economics and ecology is a transdisciplinary systems problem.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Before joining USC, I spent four years in the industry in the systems engineering domain. As a result, I was well aware of the ecosystem in terms of research, state-of-the-art, and best practices in academia and industry. When I was planning to come to the US, my first choice was USC due to the Systems Architecting focus of the program. This is the only program in the country with an explicit focus on systems architecting in the curriculum. Additionally, academics focus on model-based systems engineering, system-of-systems integration, engineering resilience, economics, case studies, machine learning, and advanced mathematics, which made the program most favored for me. I look at systems architecting and engineering as a necessary foundation to develop systems of the future. It should not be surprising to know that the domain originated in NASA. I enjoy working and studying the system's domain. Therefore, when I received the opportunity to pursue Ph.D., I readily accepted it. Additionally, the faculty members are the leaders in the discipline and are well known for their field contributions.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

I recommend Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, and Joshua Tree National Park to incoming students because of the variety of ecological systems, terrains, and life forms they would get to see in these places. Mountains of Yosemite, trees of Sequoia, and landscapes of Joshua should not be missed by anyone living in California.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I appreciate the incredible opportunities that I received in this fantastic university and in this beautiful country. It feels like a dream when a person like me from Latur, a small town from the diametrically opposite side of the planet, comes to LA, joins the astronautical engineering department, and starts working under the most sought-after researcher in the discipline.

On the first day of class in my MS program, I remember that on August 20, 2018, I had an appointment with Dr. Azad Madni. I prepared for the meeting as I wanted to ask whether any research assistantship opportunities are available in his lab. I already sent my previous research work and resume to him some time back. During the meeting, as I started speaking, before I could get a chance to ask, Dr. Madni offered me an opportunity to work with his team. This incident shaped my life the way it is today. Later I joined the Ph.D. program and received a full scholarship. It took care of many things for me.

I always liked studying the engineering and systems domain. At USC, I spend time exploring the vast world of engineering and collaborate with experts associated with various organizations such as NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, Aerospace Corporation, General Motors, NSF, DoD, and US Air Force.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I can cook three distinct types of Indian cuisines - Rajasthani, Gujarati, and Maharashtrian. Rajasthan is a northwestern state of India known for its arid region and Thar desert. The cuisines are shaped by the availability of ingredients in the area. People eat low heat food with a variety of milk products and sweets.

Gujrat is a mid-western state with various terrains, from the Rann of Kutch desert, Arabian sea coast, to Narmada river basins. Due to this, the cuisine has multiple ingredients ranging from gram flours, vegetables, spices, and snacks that vary widely in flavor and heat.

As we move from north to south, the spiciness increases in cuisines. Maharashtra is a southwestern state with Sahyadri western ghats and numerous rivers like Godavari, Krishna, and Tapi. This results in the availability of a variety of spices for the cuisines along with millets, native serials, lentils, fruits, vegetables, and traditional grains.

I cherish diversity and cook food with absolute involvement. In my view, cooking is like engineering complex systems. The final outcome is not merely a sum of its parts or ingredients. And to get the desired results, you need science and art.

What are your plans after graduation?

I wish to work on advancing the field of systems architecting and engineering through my research in model-based systems engineering and digital twins. In addition, I see possibilities to apply my skills in the aerospace, defense, and automotive industry.

Hometown (city, country):

Latur, Bharat (India).

Personal Website (if any):

www.shatad.com

Faculty Advisor:

Azad M. Madni.

Quianhui Wu
PhD in Biomedical Engineering

Tell us a little bit about yourself
I am an international student from Shanghai, China. I completed my Bachelors degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in New York, and pursued my masters in engineering degree at Cornell University, New York, both in Biomedical Engineering. I joined USC for the PhD program in Biomedical Engineering in fall 2015.

What attracted you to choose USC for your graduate studies?
The main reason is that I found strong interest in the research topic and focus that my advisor, Dr. Stacey Finley has. Her lab, Computational Systems Biology Laboratory, use computational tools to study cancer biology, angiogenesis, and immunotherapy, which can provide insights for design of optimal cancer therapeutic strategies. My research at Cornell was also related to similar topics, which was how I became more familiar as well as interested in the research strategies employed in Dr. Finley's lab. Another important reason is that, the weather in southern California is undeniably nice. Having spent many years in upstate New York, I could really use some nice and warm sunny days. It definitely makes me happy and helps me enjoy life as a graduate student.

Tell us about your interests outside the classroom.
I'm very much into powerlifting. I train 5 to 6 days a week. For the rest of the time I relax so, I can recover from training and be stronger next time.

Tell us about some exciting and unforgettable incidents from your two years at USC?
I guess the most exciting thing that's happened to me here is that I recently won the outstanding mentor award for school year 2017-2018. I've always felt so happy to meet my two great mentees. I'm normally an introvert and a bit anti-social, but putting myself out there and providing my support and guidance was a great and enjoyable experience. Moreover, I made two great friends.

Is there something that may surprise people to know about you?
I'm pretty strong in powerlifting. I can probably out-lift 50% of all the people who work out. maybe 90% of the girls who work out. I do want to compete but feel reluctant to follow a traditional powerlifting training program, though. So, I train myself.

Overall, how was the two-year journey at USC?
It will be three full years in August 2018. I'd say it has been wonderful. I've learned a lot about myself, people around me, and just life in general, thanks to all the resources that are easily accessible to students here. Comparing USC to my college, it's a very different environment, and honestly, I enjoy it more here. I think USC made it possible for us graduate students to enjoy life as much as we can while grinding on the research work. I feel very fortunate and grateful to be here.

What are your future plans after completing your degree?
I'm thinking of joining a research team in a pharmaceutical company, to make good use of my knowledge and skills in developing novel therapeutics. It's always been my goal to be able to contribute to advances in science and healthcare.

Trevor Hudson
PhD in Biomedical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Don’t be afraid to fail.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Earning my PhD!

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Hiking boots – after defending, I went on a backpacking trip to Denali National Park. It was challenging, but exciting to get to see the grizzly bears and other wildlife there.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I work with biomedical flow rate sensors fabricated on polymer substrates. These devices could one day be used to monitor implanted shunts and catheters for life-threatening blockages. It’s a great privilege and very motivating for me to research technology which is both cutting-edge and able to relieve patient suffering.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Medical doctor – I enjoy solving problems and figuring out the root cause of a malfunctioning system, so I think I would also enjoy diagnosing patients.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I appreciated the energy and ambition of USC students I met, as well as the technology commercialization activity and ties to industry which USC is known for.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

First, despite its reputation for urban sprawl, LA actually has myriad outdoors activities to do within an hour or two drive from USC such as Mt. San Jacinto with great views at the top whether you hike, take the tram, or some combination of the two. The Getty Museum also has a beautiful campus and collection. Thirdly, it’s always fun to see a show at the Hollywood Bowl.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

When I delivered my first conference presentation. I’ve always been a nervous public speaker so I was happy to be able to deliver my talk well in that setting.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I maintain my beater 1988 Volvo 240 myself in my spare time.

What are your plans after graduation?

I am helping out a startup spun out of my lab with some work for a few months while interviewing for other industry opportunities.

Hometown (city, country):

Seattle, WA

Personal Website (if any):

https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevorqhudson/

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Ellis Meng

James Yoo
PhD in Biomedical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

"Compare and despair" (it's easy to compare someone else's highlights to the entirety of your own life, faults and all)

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Marrying my wife. I wouldn't be in grad school if it weren't for her encouragement and continual support. She's good about celebrating the small victories along the way.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

The Tick: The Complete Edlund. It's a collection of the first 12 comics written and drawn by the creator. I read the first few issues as a kid, and these days superhero fatigue is making me seek out parodies.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

Our lab makes medical devices both for research and clinical applications, and there's something very sci-fi about using engineered polymer electronics to help patients.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Songwriting and music production. I have a lot of gear, but hardly any time or quiet space these days

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I'm a SoCal native, so moving back here to be close to family was a big factor. Plus, USC's biomedical engineering department does some great work in medical devices.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

1. Koreatown - my favorite restaurants are Han Bat Sul Lung Tang (ox bone soup), Myungin Dumplings, Sun Nong Dan (for braised short ribs), Ham Ji Park (for pork neck stew and pork ribs), The Dragon (for black bean noodles)
2. Natural History Museum - free entry for USC students and faculty; free kids' shows every 1st Saturday of the month; the ScienceCenter next door is also fun

3. Griffith Observatory - great view of the city and the Hollywood sign on a clear day; hiking and kids' park nearby; you can sneak up there late at night and re-enact La La Land (j/k don't do that)

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Early in my research, I spent a lot of time testing and correcting a new method I'd developed, and the time had come to try it on a real device. After running it through my process, I checked the device under the microscope with a multimeter, and it worked! One loud "YES" and a bunch of fist pumps followed while the undergrads just looked confused (they were new).

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I make a mean snickerdoodle.

What are your plans after graduation?

If I can nab a postdoc position that works for my family, I'll take it. Otherwise, I'll probably go back into the medical device industry.

Hometown (city, country):

Los Angeles, CA.

Faculty Advisor:

Ellis Meng

Sue Wang
PhD in Biomedical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The key to success is focus.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I just passed my qualification exam, and I am expecting to earn my Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering in 2022. Besides that, I am also completing a MS degree in Electrical Egineering in December, 2021.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I started to buy stocks and learn about investing last year when stocks were hot on social media. Investing in stocks has been an interesting journey which I enjoyed a lot and also that made me learn a lot not only about economics but also about life and humanity.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I am working to develop a flexible brain probe used for recording from deep brain to decode the neural signals. I am also designing and characterizing the implantable sensors used to monitor the blood flow for patients with heart disease. I am excited to develop tools to help doctors to better and more efficiently treat patients and help more people.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Medicine. If I did not pick biomedical engineering, I would have gone to medical school. I want to work in the medical field, because I want to make people live a healthier and better life, so they could enjoy life with their loved ones.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

USC has strong engineering programs and research groups that I am interested in. USC has an open environment for people from different backgrounds, race and country. The Viterbi School of Engineering is very supportive for women in engineering.

Also LA is a good place to live, and has a lot of things to do during free time. I like sea fishing, hiking, skiing. I think that LA is a great place to have work and life balance.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Big Bear mountain-great place for skiing and hiking;

San Gabriel (great place for Chinese food);

Malibu (nice trail next to ocean especially during flower season).

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I have made great friends and partners in class at USC and together, we found a medical device company to help clinicians and patients to administer medicine in a more effective and safer way.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I learned how to ski after I moved from the East Coast to Southern California.

What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation, I plan to keep working to develop medical devices and tools to help doctors to better treat patients. I will be looking for opportunities both in industry and academia.

Hometown (city, country):

I was born in China (Liao Ning Province).

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Ellis Meng

Anshu Goyal
PhD in Biomedical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The best piece of advice I've been given is you should always ask questions. It's better to understand things than to try to make things up as you go.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment has been getting a black belt in karate after training for 10 years.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

My favorite impulse purchase in the last year is a Nintendo Switch.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research focuses on developing an informatics-based system to aid physical therapists at Rancho los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center visualize and access patient information. I find this research very meaningful because it has the potential to help all sorts of patients from stroke victims to foot injuries literally get back on their feet and walk again.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

If I could choose any profession outside engineering or computer science I would choose a profession in Biology.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Some factors which helped me choose to pursue my PhD at USC were: living in Los Angeles, a great research community to collaborate with, and the amazing resources available to me.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

3 places in Los Angeles I'd recommend an incoming student to visit in LA would be: Griffith Observatory, Santa Monica Pier, and Hollywood Blvd

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

My favorite memory at USC (so far) is celebrating with my fellow first year PhD students after I finished presenting my work in my first Grodin's Symposium.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

A surprising fact about me is that I edit scripts for youtube comedy shows.

What are your plans after graduation?

I'm still not sure what my plans are for after graduation, but currently I'm leaning towards working in industry.

Hometown (city, country):

My hometown is Phoenix, Arizona.

Faculty Advisor:

My faculty advisor is Dr. Brent Liu.

Ali Marjaninejad
PhD in Biomedical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

To be kind and fair to myself.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I think my greatest accomplishment is to find out what I want from mylife and work toward it. I realized that peace and happiness is what I ultimately am looking for and I have spent my time on things that makes me happy on both short and long term, including making other people happy which I have figured to be one of the things that makes me the most happy.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Massage belt.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I am working on enabling robots to learn how yo perform challenging tasks such as keeping balance, walking, running, and manipulating objects. I am extremely excited about it because the robots I work on get to be more and more similar to biological systems each day and are eventually going to make useful additions to a safer, more efficient, and more peaceful ecosystem.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I think I would have chosen medical research.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I really liked the idea that we are all part of a greater family called the Trojan family. Also, I was super happy to see how valuable each new student is to USC and to see they were there for me during all steps of my application and admission process.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Manhattan beach, Santa Monica Pier, and Some rooftop bars in Downtown LA.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I remember the first time that the robot we were working on learned to kick its leg; It felt amazing! I don't have a baby yet but I feel like the feeling could be comparable since you feel like you have added something really beautiful to this world that can autonomously learn to do useful things.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

Well, I was born in Iran, grow up in Turkey, went back and forth between Iran and Turkey and am now in US. So, every time someone asks me where I am from, I have an interesting story to explain!

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan on staying on the same field and continue my research on AI and embodied intelligence in both academic and industrial capacities.

Hometown (city, country):

Tehran, Iran.

Personal Website (if any):

http://valerolab.org/marjani/

Faculty Advisor:

Professor Francisco Valero-Cuevas

Octavio Marin Pardo
PhD in Biomedical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

I think a really good one is that it is always ok (and sometimes necessary) to ask for help; of course, after trying to sort things out within a reasonable time. Another one would be that it is essential to keep balance in life, that it is important to work hard but it is equally important to take care of oneself.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Joining the universities of both my undergraduate and graduate studies; that is, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the University of Southern California (USC).

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I would like to think that the only one that counts as "impulsive" would be a video game I bought last year hehe.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

Briefly, my research focuses on using electromyography and electroencephalography in personalized biofeedback training to understand motor recovery after stroke. What I really like about my research is that allows us to get a better understanding of how the brain works, and to also use that knowledge to try to help people recover their motor function.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Either guitar player or chef.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Among the many reasons to pursue a degree from USC, I would mention its strong graduate programs, its world-class faculty and facilities, and the wide range of resources it provides to do state-of-the-art research. I would also highlight its interdisciplinary focus and the collaborative environment it fosters.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Hiking to the Hollywood Sign, visiting The Getty museum, and going to at least one beach.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

All the great food and cuisines I got to know here.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

That I like musical theatre and have been to a good number of plays here in LA.

What are your plans after graduation?

I am planning to continue doing healthcare-related research in a company, hopefully here in California.

Hometown (city, country):

Mexico City, Mexico.

Faculty Advisor:

Sook-Lei Liew, PhD, OTR/L.

Wen Shi
PhD in Biomedical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Balance passion and objectivity. Passion allows researchers to overcome all kinds of difficulties and search for breakthroughs. However, single-minded passion prevents us from maintaining objectivity. We may become blinded and biased by having too much passion or love for a specific project. We can’t fall in love with our research conclusions, otherwise we may become emotional and fail to think logically, leading to biases in our results.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I’ve made a handful of the most amazing, passionate, and supportive folks I am happy to call my lifelong friends in grad school. They are people who give constructive suggestions for my research projects, go with me on food adventures, share all my tears and laughter, and are there with me through thick and thin. They are the type of people who give you a hand when they see you drowning and in the next second share ridiculous PhD memes with you. They are both my cheerleaders and life mentors, and I am beyond lucky to have made them my friends.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Tamagotchi (a handheld virtual pet)! I never had a Tamagotchi when I was a kid, and now that I’m an adult, I’ve learned that it’s what the 7 year old me needed! It’s a nostalgic reminder of the 90s while still being super new to me. Though I’ve had a complete collection of the wild life in Animal Crossing, having a Tamagotchi means so much to me and is incomparable.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it

I developed a visualization method to peer deeply into large-scale microscopy datasets in living organisms and enhance subtle spectral differences in images for disease diagnostics.

The first step to curing diseases is always to visualize an affected biological environment, and that isn’t always easy. Live biological systems contain a continuous complexity of interactions. Tissues, proteins and their functions within organisms are deeply intertwined. Scientists have been relying on medical imaging techniques to monitor temporal dynamics and spatial structures. However, these techniques come with limitations. One limitation is the lack of full-color spectral information. Another is the requirement for large amounts of data, which is time-consuming and computationally expensive. Our group developed an algorithm called Spectrally Encoded Enhanced Representation (SEER). It distinguishes subtle spectral differences, providing a fast, intuitive and mathematical way to interpret hyperspectral images. It can process multiplexed data across the full spectrum of colors for greater clarity and use much less computer memory as it relies on dimensional encoding to parse the data faster. It pushes beyond the capabilities of human vision and captures exceedingly small differences in the electromagnetic spectrum.

The thought that my project may improve the way the medical field visualizes and diagnoses diseases and injuries is one of the major reasons that I am passionate about this project. It has shown me that I can apply theoretical bioengineering knowledge that I have long viewed as abstract to the many concrete problems that affect a vast majority of people.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

A gallerist. Being someone who not only brings and shows art to people but also supports and represents artists is fascinating to me.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The PIs and research projects at USC were the core reasons for me. There are so many highly reputed, inspirational academics in science and technology, and a lot of them are pioneers in their fields. They are driven and passionate. The projects they are working on are interesting and impactful at the same time. The skill sets and disciplines students develop along the way help them thrive within their careers and beyond. Besides self-development, I find the sheer joy of learning when I work on the project, it motivates me to be an inner-driven, independent thinker and I believe that’s something deeply profound.

The support system at USC was also a huge plus to me. USC provides rich resources to help PhD students achieve their goals. Not only are the faculty and students knowledgeable and sharing, but also there is a variety of specialized support staff behind the scene organizing these resources and supporting academics. It is a strong community and network of faculty, peers, and staff who have been helping to guide and support me throughout my PhD journey.

Last but not least, Trojan connections! USC alumni are in all types of fields, and they are dedicated to helping out or uplifting their fellow Trojans. Joining the Trojan family is to join a network that is “lifelong and worldwide”. No matter where you end up, you can always find and engage with your fellow USC alumni. There is an association in almost every city, whether you are walking down Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles or sitting on the steps at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, or Tokyo, or Shanghai, you will find Trojans thriving and supporting one another.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

The Getty Villa, Malibu beach, and of course any popular brunch spot with 5-star reviews on Yelp to spend your Sunday, lingering over eggs benedict or pancakes, preferably with a latte or mimosa in hand.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

When I was preparing for my screening exam, I was expected to give a presentation about my thesis project. There were lots of stressful and frustrating moments, and my lab mates supported me through the tough time. I can’t remember how many practice talks I’ve given, but I remember they were there every time. One night, two of my friends worked with me until 3am at the lab and we went through my 50-page long presentation slide by slide. They were so caring and supportive. If I look at the final version and my first draft now, I won’t believe they are referring to the same project, all because of the people who are unbelievably caring and supportive.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I love painting! I learned acrylic painting as a child, but I remember not liking it then. During the pandemic, I picked up painting again. Now I am making pieces for my graduation exhibit, and one of my dreams is to open an art gallery by the time I’m 40.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan on doing so many things. Visit my family in China and take them to the brunch place we always go to. Travel Europe, hold an art exhibit, help one of my best friends plan her wedding!

Professionally? Get an industry job in R&D. I am very passionate about translational sciences in medical imaging and I would like to improve medical imaging techniques and develop analytical tools to unravel the complexity of life sciences. I look forward to working on industrial projects where I can apply cutting-edge technologies in image processing and machine learning to make an impact on healthcare.

Hometown (city, country):

Xi’an, China

Personal Website (if any):

https://sites.google.com/usc.edu/wenigma

Faculty Advisor:

Scott Fraser

Pu Wang
PhD in Biomedical/Medical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

If you know something may fail, let it fail fast. (This is the advice given by my PI when I discussed the potential problems of one method we were planning to use in our research. He encouraged me to try it instead of looking for reasoning why it might or might not work. It's a very important piece of advice for doing research especially in solving engineering problems.)

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

The greatest accomplishment is not a specific achievement for me. Instead I think it is the ability and capability to solve problems by fast and efficient self teaching/researching and a systematic thinking of how to tackle problems. I think I can call myself a well-trained Ph.D. candidate because of that not because of specific paper/patents.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

It's a CNC router I bought off Amazon. I wanted to start to learn how to fabricate metal parts after designing phase. I didn't know well enough about the constrains such as machine rigidity, work holding etc for making high tolerance parts so I got myself a CNC router. The router turned out to be a project itself since it has too many limitations. It seems to be a disaster and bad impulse purchase but I got the hands on experience with minimal cost. Now I have access to industrial level CNC machine and are able to make great parts for research and I use tons of knowledge learned from tweaking the router in my garage.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is building optical microscope systems that have the capability of resolving multiple fluorescent signals within live biological samples. What excites me about it is I get to build a system from ground up with integrating optical, mechanical hardware along with analysis algorithm and software prototype. It's another level of feeling of achievements when you know every aspect of your 'baby' and see other researchers to use it for their own research.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would choose to be a director of photography for filmmaking. I love capturing pictures and videos since I was a child. We are living in an era when so many great camera gears are affordable, for me, I really enjoy using them everyday as a way of storying telling. As a matter of fact, I created a Youtube channel Paul LA to share my opinion on filmmaking gears from a perspective of a serious filmmaking enthusiast. I would not hesitate to pursue a filmmaking career if I am not already an engineer.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I got my master of engineering degree from electrical engineering department of USC. For me, choosing USC does have some personal preference as I am so familiar with this school. But most importantly, USC has one of the greatest engineering school in this country and the school can provide you with so many resources for you to achieve your research goals. At the end of the day, doing research especially in engineering field, resources to the tools, equipment etc are one of the most important factors, USC always have them. Another factor is the location. I love SoCal, the dynamic cultures, food, and weather are things you wont be able to find elsewhere. Also so many opportunities around when you graduate.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

California has so many places that are worth going, if I only recommend 3 places, as a Chinese immigrant, first place I would recommend going is always San Gabriel valleys, you will find a TON of great genuine Asian food there. It's only 15miles from the campus. You might also want to check out the mountains in San Bernardino valley like Big bear or Lake arrowhead if hiking or skiing if your thing. Also you want to check out the beaches in Long beach or Orange County which are beautiful. By the time you checking them all out, you will find here you have access to mountains, sea, best food all within 1.5hr driving

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Kobe used to describe his hardworking in training by seeing 4am LA every day. You will be proud of yourself by solving research problem till the mid of the night as a hardworking Ph.D. student. One thing I really cherish about the time is here in USC, the neon light from DTLA will always be with you when you work into late of the night.

What are your plans after graduation?

I will look for an engineering position continue doing what I am good at after graduation.

Hometown (city, country):

Zhengzhou, China.

Personal Website (if any):

Photography website: https://www.puwangphotography.com/

Faculty Advisor:

Scott E. Fraser and Francesco Cutrale

Catherine Yunis
PhD in Biomedical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Not advice but encouragement generally - I think there have been points in my life when I have been unsure about a big decision or the course of some work I've done and hearing positive encouragement from a professor has given me a huge boost in my confidence in myself and the work I'm doing.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Graduating MIT. Getting through undergrad at MIT is very difficult.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A backflow incense burner. I love watching the smoke trickle downwards and I've found some nice smelling new incense as a result.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

In short, I study the relationship between touch, vision and walking. I am excited to learn the neuroscience between movement - how sensory inputs of the peripheral nervous system can influence commands sent by the brain to the body.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I'd be an artist.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The location (love Los Angeles and California and the access to the medical device industry in SoCal), the potential for tech transfer from research to industry and the emphasis on and support for diversity at the school.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Barnsdall Park in LA for the view, Point Lobos National Park south of San Francisco for the gorgeous scenery and a beach in Santa Barbara to feel like you're on vacation.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Being able to eat lunch with my friends/classmates in the Engineering Quad before covid changed the policies about who can be on campus.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I am very tall - about 5'9". It's hard to tell over Zoom. I also like to change my hair color about every month or two.

What are your plans after graduation?

To work for a research group at a large tech company or to start my own business.

Hometown (city, country):

Chicago, IL, USA

Personal Website (if any):

I am due to update this but for now I like to share this work from when I was in college: https://neuralfashion.blogspot.com/ or you can look me up on LinkedIn.

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. James Finley and Dr. Heather Culbertson.

Jeffrey Santoso
PhDin Biomedical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Don’t romanticize overworking and don’t confuse working hard with overloading.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I find research mentorship very rewarding, so I take a lot of pride in working with undergraduate and high school students in our lab. I consider my greatest accomplishments to be working with them to build strong research foundations for the successful pursuit of graduate or professional studies.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Waffle iron.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it

Neuromyopathies result in the death of motor neurons responsible for muscle movement, leading to muscle atrophy and eventual death. Due to the immaturity of traditional laboratory models, understanding disease pathology is hindered and developing therapeutics is slow and expensive. By combining advancements in stem cell culture, micro-fabrication, and next generation sequencing, my research involves probing the degeneration of the neuromuscular junction in engineered systems, paving the way for neuromuscular disease modeling on a chip.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Some kind of teaching position, or escalator installation and repair.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

It’s hard to beat the combination of stability of weather, diversity of food and culture, and variety of recreational activities available within a short trip throughout southern California.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Howlin’ Rays in Chinatown for Nashville hot chicken; The Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino; Angel City Brewery in the Arts District

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Going to the UCLA @ USC basketball game with my colleagues and watching Lonzo Ball miss two free throws in a row in the second half, winning everyone in Galen Center free Chik-Fil-A sandwiches.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I don’t enjoy sleeping in.

What are your plans after graduation?

Postdoctoral studies. I am especially interested in the role of immune system components in engineered tissues and the development and market translation of edible, renewable, and (most importantly) good-tasting cultured meats.

Hometown (city, country)

Diamond Bar, CA, USA

Personal Website (if any)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwsantoso/

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Megan L. McCain, Department of Biomedical Engineering

Jia Hao
PhD in Biomedical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Whatever you plan to do, start it early. Don't wait till everything is fully ready because it may never happen. This advice really helped me to fight against procrastination and better manage my time, especially through multitasks.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

It would definitely be the successful completion of my first PhD research project. I was a materials science major for BS and MS, and starting my PhD in a highly bio-based lab was very challenging for me in the beginning. I literally had to google what everything means when I started reading papers in this field. Throughout the three years of this project, there have been countless trials and errors. And when I finally got this project completed, I realized I myself have grown quite a lot along with it.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I got a mini blender last summer and loved it! Just throw in yogurt, frozen fruit and water, and you get a great smoothie in one minute!

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I design innovative microdevices to study how hematopoietic stem cells interact with their bone marrow neighbors. I have always been fascinated by stem cells because of their endless potentials. What excites me most is that I get to be creative and innovative and utilize my knowledge in both biology and engineering. The knowledge we gain from my research can inspire novel treatments for blood and immune diseases.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

A singer!

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

First, USC is a prestigious university, and I was attracted by the research projects that my lab has. And secondly, definitely the city itself. We know PhD programs are usually long (4-5+ years) and it is essential to have a life outside your lab or work in order to keep your mind fresh. Los Angeles boasts cuisine from all over the world, mountains and beaches if you love nature, and all kinds of city activities. You will never be bored studying at USC :)

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

1. BCD tofu house (my favorite restaurant in town!)
2. Abalone cove shoreline (a unique beach park with clear shallow water and so many crabs on rocks);
3. East fork trail in San Gabriel mountains (best hike for summer: get ready to cross shallow rivers)

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I have been attending Zumba classes hosted at the USC gym every week for two years now. I am so grateful that even during the pandemic, USC still managed to keep workout classes available for all students- although Zumba becomes Zoomba :) I highly recommend our instructor Shira. She has the best energy and the funniest class. Working out with her has been my best way to release any stress from my work.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I am expecting a baby! Looking forward to having her in my arms during my Ph.D. hooding ceremony (Yay!)

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to keep pursuing my passion in the biotech industry and work as a scientist (ideally in Seattle; that's my next destination).

Hometown (city, country):

Changchun, China.

Personal Website (if any):

www.linkedin.com/in/jia-hao-usc/

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Keyue Shen

Jonathan Wang
PhD in Biomedical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

I would say the best piece of advice given is that: there is never a “perfect” time to start reaching for a goal. It will always be fruitful to start consistent progress towards a target, instead of waiting for a “perfect” scenario. This shifted my mentality to accept difficult times and problems that arise, and recognize it is a normal part of life. The successful ones are the people that just don’t quit on their goals.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I would say a very recent one, which is obtaining my PhD. I am the first PhD student under my advisor, Professor Eun Ji Chung, so I started my project from scratch and followed it through until publications. I was able to switch from a mechanical engineering focused undergrad into a biomedical engineering topic while learning all new skills and scientific workflows. In the end, I won the “best research assistant in biomedical engineering” award from Viterbi, which demonstrated that my contributions to the lab were recognized by the whole department. It was a great feeling to have that recognition, and put the lab in a position for future success.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Not a very expensive one, but my girlfriend and I wanted to buy some Pokemon cards that were getting popular during COVID. We suddenly decided one weekend to look for them, and we went to 4-5 stores before finding them. A Target had them restricted behind the customer service desk, and we bought all three packs they had left that day.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research aims to use nanoparticles to treat disease, specifically a genetic condition called polycystic kidney disease. Nanomedicine in general was once very obscure in the eyes of the general public, but now it is reaching more widespread appeal due to the COVID vaccines being nanoparticles. I think many industry research and development roles are now realizing the potential of nanoparticle drug delivery platforms. During my time at USC, I saw the landscape of PKD treatment shift dramatically, which is so exciting to see that I work can directly impact patients receiving treatment in the future.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Ideally, (if money weren’t an issue, and I were talented enough), I would want to be on a professional urban dance team. The team I admire the most is called Kinjaz; they are based in Los Angeles so I would strive to make it as a member.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Definitely my advisor, and the energy she brought to all the research topics she presented on. The chance to directly head my own project was a huge draw, as I would be working on the chemistry, cell work, mice work, and all steps in between. It turned out to be true that I gained a huge breadth of skills for my target industry of biologics production.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

I would recommend: The Grove/Farmers Market for upscale shopping, Little Tokyo for Asian food, and Santa Monica beaches.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I would say going on each of my academic conferences, particularly the year Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) trips. It would always be fun traveling with other lab members, and touring each new city.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I ride a motorcycle, and think it is one of the most thrilling/liberating feelings I can have.

What are your plans after graduation?

Working in the biologics and pharmaceuticals industry in California, I am currently interviewing with a couple companies.

Hometown (city, country):

San Jose, CA.

Personal Website (if any):

Not personal, but our lab website can be found here: https://chunglaboratory.com/

Faculty Advisor:

Professor Eun Ji Chung

Abdullah Aljasmi
MS in Chemical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Do not stop research!

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment in life, is completing my PhD in chemical engineering at USC with a time period of 3 years.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

My favorite impulse purchase over the past 12 months is my new car, that I was planning to purchase from 4 years ago.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

Advances in instrumentations, together with rapid increase in the speed of computations, have made it possible to begin simulation of multiphase flow in 2D and 3D images of heterogeneous porous media, hence avoiding altogether the assumption and approximations that are involved in the development of models of porous media. However, as image-based simulation of multiphase flow in heterogeneous porous media becomes more practical, one must still address the issue of its high computational cost. In this chapter we described a new methodology to address the issue, which is based on curve-let transforming the image and denoting it by removing those details of the image that do not contribute significantly to the simulation. The computations in the less noisy, and hence more coarsened images yield results that are as accurate as those in the original ones, but with a very high speedup factor. Thus, the methodology represents a significant step toward achieving the ultimate goal of such simulations, namely, making image-based simulation of multiphase flow in heterogeneous porous media a standard practice. What makes me excited about my research is its novelty. As it is a new methodology for efficient simulation, and I was very excited to discover new ideas and approaches to tackle one of the most challenging problems in my field of study.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I am really into legal law, so if I would choose another profession for sure I will go to the Law school.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

There are many factors that helped me to decide to pursue my PhD at USC. First, USC is considered one of the world class prestigious universities. In addition, it is located in one of the most wonderful places in the world, Los Angeles. Also, the staff and faculty members are very helpful supportive and knowledgeable.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Of course, Disney Land, Hollywood Universal studious and San Francisco golden gate bridge.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

My greatest memory is my wonderful time that I spent with my friends Saleh and Hatem and enjoying the hot coffee with them.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I have never went shopping, I buy all my stuff online!

What are your plans after graduation?

I have returned back to my home country, to join the Faculty at Kuwait University.

Hometown (city, country):

Zahraa, Kuwait

Faculty Advisor:

Professor Muhammad Sahimi

Jose Cobena-Reyes
PhD in Chemical Engineering

Tell us a little bit about yourself
I am originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador. My bachelor’s degree is in chemical engineering, and after graduating, I worked for a few years as a Production Supervisor at a company called Holcim in Ecuador. I have always wanted to study abroad, so I took my chance and I came to USC.

What attracted you to choose USC for your graduate studies?
It’s a world class university and the research I’m doing here is related to my interests, which is a mixture of chemical engineering and computational research.

Tell us about your interests outside the classroom.

Currently, I serve as the Graduate Student Representative for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) Chapter at USC. I plan activities tailored to our Hispanic graduate students. Our most popular event is Painting Night! We gather together to paint on small canvases, it is very relaxing.

Last year, I served as part of the Center of Engineering Diversity Advisory Board at USC. We held meetings were we gave feedback and shared our concerns about the needs of our communities.

During my free time, I play the guitar. I also love watching soccer and movies.

How has SHPE helped you grow?
In so many ways. Professionally, thanks to SHPE I have learned networking techniques, how to follow up after meeting someone either by email or by Linkedin, how to approach people in networking events; in general some social conventions that we should apply when we attempt to grow our network. Socially, there are always opportunities to connect with other Hispanic graduate students during the SHPE events. That helped to make more friends!

Tell us about some exciting and unforgettable incidents from your two years at USC.

Related to my research, the publication of my first paper was incredibly important to me. I worked for a year and a half on it before I was able to finally publish it.
I would also say that my networking skills have strengthened thanks to many workshops I have attended. I’ve been able to expand my network considerably and meet many new people.

Is there something that may surprise people about you?
I also have a master’s in business administration!

Overall, how has the PhD journey been at USC?
I would say that it has been probably one of the most fruitful experiences in my life. I have grown a lot, both personally and professionally. Studying abroad in Los Angeles and at USC has been a great time learning about other cultures and about myself and learning how to conduct world class research.

What are your future plans after completing your Phd?
My aim is to do research either in the semiconductor or chemical industries.

What innovations/discoveries do you hope to see (or be a part of!) in the next ten years?

The computational techniques that I use are currently moving towards a combination that involves machine learning to either predict material properties or to accelerate molecular simulation. I think exciting times about this are coming.

Kylie Trettner
PhD in Chemical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The best piece of advice I've ever been given is to always carry around a notebook. Though I suppose the true advice is what that implies: to write everything down. Writing out my thoughts and reasons why I want to try things (in terms of research) has been so helpful! Not only do I have a handful of notebooks (I'm really organized so each one serves a different purpose) but I've also found that typing up notes to myself when I need to get an idea out quickly is so helpful as well.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Since I'm still working toward earning my PhD, I'd have to say my greatest accomplishment was running TSP DIY last year (TPS = The Speed Project). It's normally a relay-style race from the Santa Monica Pier to the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign, but because of COVID we did it around Santa Monica and Beverley Hills. I ran 31 miles at 6:27 average mile pace over the course of the 31-hour 45-minute race with 8 other women. It was incredible and I can't wait to run the real TSP relay next year!

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I don't impulse buy! I have to stick to my budget and I usually plan out my bigger purchases a few months in advance to spread them out. Once in a while I'll be tempted by the Madewell sales or buying a few more books than the one that I'm looking for, but if I can't fit it in my budget I don't buy it.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is a very interesting mix of materials science, electrical engineering, microscopy, and cancer biology! I'm currently working on creating both a magnetic hydrogel system and electromagnetic microscope mount to be able to use and applied magnetic field to change the mechanical properties of the hydrogel. I'm using this as a tumor microenvironment model to study howincreased material stiffness (modulus) changes the biological properties of cancer organoids grown in the hydrogel matrix. Eventually, I'll use this to study the cellular secretion profile and pair the system with a mechanotransductor to get both biological-only and material/organoid interface read-outs. I'm excited to work on engineering solutions to study biological effects and I've found myself working in the biophysics field - an industry I never knew existed until I began designing my project - and it truly forces us to push the boundaries between engineering, physical sciences, and biology to unlock the fundamental properties of fibrotic diseases.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would hands down be a professional athlete. I was a student-athlete in undergrad and I'm really involved in the running community here in Los Angeles and if I was ever given the opportunity, I would jump into full-time training.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Beyond USC's location, I saw within USC the opportunity to truly forge my own path. Part of this is because I recognized my PI's encouragement for collaborations (both within and outside of USC) and actively pursued an institution that would support me but also give me the freedom to create at the same time as investigating biologically-inspired questions.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

There's too much to pick for all of California, so I'll limit it to a ~4 hour drive from LA. I absolutely love Death Valley National Park! In LA, the Santa Monica Mountains are probably where I spend most of my weekends (cycling through, but hiking and running are incredible there too) and while I'm talking of mountains, the access to various national forests is great here too (Angeles National Forest and San Bernardino and a few of those mountains are often my cycling destinations for Saturdays as well). My third place would be Ginger's Divine Ice Cream on Washington in Culver City; it's probably the best ice cream I've ever had!

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

A memory I'll always cherish from USC actually happened during my visit weekend. It rained the whole day we toured campus and spoke with professors. Once I got out of my final meeting (with my current PI) and went to head back to the hotel, a rainbow popped up across campus I ended up walking back through campus under it. I think it was a sign haha!

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I was on Good Morning America when I was in middle school on accident. I went to watch the Fray perform, but during the interview with Steve Martin (he was promoting the Pink Panther movie) they decided to ask the crowd to try and repeat things in his character's accent. They came up to me! After I did it, the hostess turned to Steve and said, "I guess the accent isn't so hard!" which I took to mean I did pretty well.

What are your plans after graduation?

I'm really not sure what I want to do after graduation! I have a couple more years and right now I'm not sure if I want to continue my career doing benchwork or transition to a more consulting-type position. I love problem solving and building but I also really love science communication and public speaking, so I know I'll have to find the right position that will give me a good balance of both.

Hometown (city, country):

Wading River, NY, USA

Personal Website (if any):

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylietrettner

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Andrea Armani

Ghena Alhanaee
PhD in Civil Engineering

Tell us a little bit about yourself
I am from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates where I grew up and spent my formative years all the way to completing my bachelor’s degree at The Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi (now renamed Khalifa University). I was always interested in physics and math and after some exploring, found myself intrigued by mechanical engineering which ended up being my maopr for my undergraduate studies. Throughout my studies, I grew more and more interested in the energy sector and had the opportunity to pursue a master’s in energy resources engineering at Stanford University.

What attracted you to choose USC for your graduate studies?
I then decided I wanted to continue working on and pursuing research in the energy and environment field, with a specific focus on my hometown and the surrounding region (the Persian Gulf). At the time, UAE had just announced they were constructing 4 nuclear reactors to diversify their energy sector. This would be the first time any of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries would enter the nuclear sector, and this really shaped my decision on what I wanted to focus on for my PhD research. I ended up finding an opportunity to work on research focused on my interests at the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department at USC, which brought me to Los Angeles.

Tell us about your interests outside the classroom.

Outside of the classroom, I love taking advantage of the beautiful Californian weather, spending time outdoors, going on hikes, and enjoying the sunshine.

Tell us about some exciting and unforgettable incidents from your two years at USC.

I am now starting my sixth year at USC (hopefully my last!) and have had the opportunity of meeting people from all sorts of backgrounds and countries and cultures. I have really enjoyed connecting with people from all walks of life and different corners of the world, that I wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to do.

Is there something that may surprise people about you?
Something that might surprise people about me is that I am an avid traveler. Whenever there is a vacation or even a long weekend, you will probably see me in a new city, new state or even a new country.

What are your future plans after completing your Phd?
After completing my degree, I am open to possibilities and opportunities and will see what comes my way (after taking a long much-needed vacation).

What innovations/discoveries do you hope to see (or be a part of!) in the next ten years?
I hope to see and be part of finding more sustainable ways to provide energy and protect the environment. I think we can definitely do better.

Agnimitra Dasgupta
PhD in Civil Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Make a choice and commit to it.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I once won a bet of having ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
On a serious note, I am proud that I have published before.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

An ergonomic chair. It was expensive, but has really helped with back pain from working long hours in front of the computer, and in hindsight completely worth it.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

The core theme of my research is quantifying uncertainties associated with inverse problems. More specifically, I am trying to characterize material heterogeneities from noisy response measurements, I believe my research has philosophical implications and has wide-ranging applications ranging from medical imaging (dealing with things that are hard to see) to structural health monitoring (where the scale is many times larger).

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Growing up, I wanted to be a chemist. I still harbor that interest.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Briefly, the ongoing research in my department, my advisor, the security of the Fellowship I was offered and the location of the University.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

If you are in California, you should not leave without visiting Yosemite.
I would also recommend San Francisco, I think the city has an interesting vibe. Catch the sunrise or sunset from Battery Spencer with a view of the Golden Gate bridge, and later you can either take a sip of Irish coffee at the Buena Vista Cafe or enjoy some ice cream or chocolate at Ghirardelli square.
More locally, Santa Monica beach is a nice place to enjoy sunsets.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I will miss my friends and roommates from my time at USC.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I have a superpower; I can chop onions without tearing up

What are your plans after graduation?

I wish to remain in academia after I graduate. I will probably be looking for post-doctoral opportunities.

Hometown (city, country):

Kolkata, India.

Personal Website (if any):

https://adasgupta94.github.io/

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Erik A Johnson, Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Preetham Manjunatha
PhD in Civil engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

It was given by my mother, "Whatever difficult scenario arises in your life, you should not lose your inner self".

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Gaining a small amount of knowledge that lasts forever and pursuing a Ph.D. and two master's degrees at the same time.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I bought a dozen of shirts that I purchased the next day after purchasing a single shirt from a French company, Celio.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is focused on developing automated techniques for the condition assessment of the civil and mechanical infrastructures by tracking the evolving changes such as cracks and surface damages. Making a small contribution to the welfare of this big world excites me most. And also, the thought process involved in building cutting-edge solutions to tackle the automation problem thrills me.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

"Musician". I love music had been to many rock and hard rock concerts in and around Los Angeles. Not only western music and I enjoy classical Indian Carnatic and folk music.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The interest in doing research and problem-solving. Also, an immense love of mathematical aspects of Finite Element Analysis (FEA), a structural analysis method, and structural dynamics.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

The places which I liked most are Yosemite, Griffith observatory, and Venice beach.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I have several memories, to name some: the first memory was when the Master's thesis committee mentioned that the thesis was the best one they have seen. The second was mentoring master's students from Viterbi CS and EE departments. Third, was when pursuing my first master's degree, the visits to USC, Traditions with friends during the weekends.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

That I am a good cook (my friends say that all the time). I love to cook food, I made my first recipes (lentil stew/curry and deep-fried chicken kabab) when I was 10 years old.

What are your plans after graduation?

To join a software company to pursue my interest in the application of AI and computer vision. And to expand the same for the civil engineering industry.

Hometown (city, country):

City is Mysore, and the country is India.

Personal Website (if any):

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmanjunatha/

Faculty Advisor:

Professor Sami F. Masri.

Mert Oytun
PhD in Civil Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Never think about what other people might say when making a decision.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Some can assume that granting one of the most prestigious scholarships, the Fulbright scholarship, must be the greatest achievement in my life; however, it is not the case. One of my greatest accomplishments was transcending Bosphorus from Asia to Europe by swimming around 6.5 km. I firmly believe that these challenging activities pave the way for exploring oneself and ease reaching the other achievements in life (e.g., academic and social success in life).

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Car and air fresheners because they make my memories more permanent.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

To put it briefly, my research focuses on the acquisition, modeling, and analysis of the data needed for user-centered built environments by developing novel algorithms and visualization techniques. More specifically, I focus on the Human-Robot interaction and related technologies in Civil Engineering. What excites me in my work is that I strive to explore the unknown with an interdisciplinary approach.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

It would definitely be a finance-related field because (1) I am delighted with making good guesstimates, and (2) the world revolves around finance, whether we admit it or not.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

One of the most important factors is that our university had a very strong and competent academic staff. In addition, the strategic privilege of our university's location has also played an essential role in my decision to pursue a Ph.D. at USC. Thanks to this privilege, USC offers us the opportunity of networking with leading institutions and organizations in many fields, primarily in technology.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Highway 1, Beverly Hills, and San Diego.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Exploring the statues at USC. I also like the Fight song, which is the basis of our universities' motto, "Fight on!".

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

Although I am a realistic person, I love to dream.

What are your plans after graduation?

I am open to the opportunities that life offers me. For this reason, I believe that plans should not be static.

Hometown (city, country):

Ankara, Turkey.

Personal Website (if any):

http://www.mertoytun.com/

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Lucio Soibelman & Dr. Burcin Becerik-Gerber.

Ruying Liu
PhD in Civil Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

“In the moment when the coin is in the air, you suddenly know what you are hoping for.”

I always flip a coin in my mind when I make hard decisions.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I won the Charles Innes Prize in our department in my senior year at the University of Edinburgh. The prize awarded annually to the foremost student in the Honors course in the final year. It is not my first time being the foremost student in class. But winning this price in my last year at Edinburgh did not only give me a happy ending of my undergraduate life, but also has become a huge encouragement for me. When I faced difficulties, this prize reminded me of my achievements, the unforgettable memories in the windy Scotland, and the invaluable support I’ve received in the past. All these boost my inner strength to pursue my next goals.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Gaming chair.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My current study is on humans, emergencies, and the built environment. As a multidisciplinary topic, it involves studying human building interaction in the context of different disasters with technologies such as virtual reality. My research provides significant insights in enhancing occupant safety and facilitating evolution of the built environment in satisfying human needs.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would choose Language and Literature. I enjoy reading and learning new languages. I may become a publication editor or a novel writer.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

USC invited me to the campus visit and I met my advisor in person. She is a very supportive advisor and a reputable researcher. During the campus visit, I was attracted by the friendly ambience of the university as well. A place with sunshine, lovely people, beach, and music will never bore me in the next 5 years.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Apparently 3 places are not enough. My top 3 is Golden Gate Bridge, California State Route 1, Malibu beach especially the amazing sunset.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I joined USC when the Covid-19 hit in 2020. Unfortunately, I was not able to participate in many social events or spend much time on campus. But I do cherish the experience working with team members on class projects. Even with online zoom meetings, we made good communications and excellent teamwork.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

When I was in high school, I became a member of the Calligraphers Association of our city.

What are your plans after graduation?

Find a postdoc position or a faculty position.

Hometown (city, country):

Tangshan, China.

Faculty Advisor:

Burçin Becerik-Gerber.

Audie Lee
PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

“Think you are the best” my advisor, Dr. Qiming Wang, said. Delivering my screening exam presentation, I shrank and choke before committee members. Everyone could readily figure out I was frozen solid. After it ended, my advisor kindly explained me in detail why I should be or, at least, try to look confident when presenting my idea (basically, no one buys yours when you don’t look like buying yours), and the best way to do so is to think I am the best. At that time, I could understand why he had sometimes told me “Audie, you are smart” or “you are doing great” in the lab – an aha moment. He had been planting seeds of confidence in me for about two years (gosh, I was too dull to figure it out early). Well, in fact, this advice itself is one that everyone can give out easily. But that advice from him reflects his long observation and thoughtfulness towards me – the best piece of advice.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

If my future children say ‘I wanna become a grown-up like my dad,’ that must be the greatest accomplishment ever in my life.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Some Nintendo Switch game cartridges – I don’t have Nintendo Switch and have no plan to get one lol Doesn’t this make you laugh already? Well, just thinking “Someday I’m gonna play it so hard” makes me feel better when I get stressed. I didn’t purchase just a bunch of game cartridges, instead, I bought a collection of (well-sugarcoated) mood shifters.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research fields include mechanics, wave propagation, metamaterials, and some novel structures. Does it sound like civil engineering topics? Most people usually think that civil engineering is all about soils, rocks, construction, earthquakes, and water. Right, but not ‘all.’ Surprisingly, due to many efforts for interdisciplinary research, the intersection area between research fields has been emerging wide – and that’s where something new is likely to come about. I mix civil engineering, mechanical engineering, materials engineering, and physics all together to bridge novel ideas with reality. Becoming an explorer looking for a treasure chest full of groundbreaking ideas, doesn’t it excite you?

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Paleontology. Trojans love Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones, right? Forget that Dr. Jones is actually an archeologist. Harrison Ford in Jurassic Park, that’s what I want to be in my second life. Hmm, Han Solo in Jurassic Park is also not a bad idea.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Support from USC. USC always tries its best to offer students an optimal environment for research. Especially, I have been more than just satisfied with the assistantship that USC provides. With all concerns about money-related issues excluded, I can only focus on my research during my Ph.D. career. I profoundly appreciate USC and proud alumni for their financial support.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Griffith Observatory: While many tourists perceive it as just one of the popular places in L.A., it comes to me as something like home where I can freely visit and blow away all the stress with the cool breeze, looking at the grid of the city.

El Taurino: It’s one of the best Mexican restaurants in L.A. Luckily, it’s right next to USC. Just go try burritos there. Further words are a waste of ink.

UCLA Rose Bowl: Watching Trojans vs. Bruins football match at Rose Bowl is the best thing you can do in L.A. – Trojans never lose.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

In early 2020, a tragedy visited my family, and I was withering away like barley plants during the Dust Bowl period. But my Ph.D. colleagues and USC staffs picked me up from the dust swamp. Their support was the rope of hope I could hold on to get out of that depression. It was the spirit of ‘Together We Fight On.’ This memory will never fade away.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

Nothing. My life has been boring, especially during the COVID-19 period.

What are your plans after graduation?

Pursuing postdoctoral researcher position and faculty position.

Hometown (city, country):

Busan, South Korea

Personal Website (if any):

https://www.linkedin.com/in/audielee/

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Qiming Wang

Sara Babakniya
PhD in Computer Science

Wht’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

While it is good to listen to many advice, there is no best advice for you. Your life and situation are unique, and you are the one who has to consider all the critical factors and decides what's the best to do.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Admission to my dream university/major for B.Sc.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Home decor items, one morning, I realized I don't particularly appreciate how my home looks and purchased some home decors, and I must say now my apartment feels more like a home to me.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

Currently, I am working on the privacy and security of machine learning. The fact that I am working on real-life problems and any possible enhancement impacts the world is my first motive. Also, personally, I prefer to work on the intersection of theory and programming, which I am doing right now.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Social scientist.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Combination of university reputation, location, field, quality of research.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Everyone should visit the beaches, Griffith observatory and Hollywood sign.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I went to the USC - ASU football match in the LA Memorial Coliseum, and I truly enjoyed every part of it.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

While I enjoy talking to people for hours and hours in person, answering my phone is almost impossible for me. Most people think that I am highly extravert, but I am not.

What are your plans after graduation?

I have always dreamed of being a faculty member. I hope I can be one after my graduate studies.

Hometown (city, country):

Rasht, Iran.

Personal Website (if any):

www.linkedin.com/in/sara-babakniya

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Leana Golubchik.

Chelsea Luo
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Being unhappy is all about wanting yes but getting no. But happiness is not determined by circumstances. How we react plays a much bigger part.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

To welcome all challenges and be constantly learning to be a better self.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A rainbow-colored utensil set.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research focuses on speeding up machine learning from a system point of view. I like it because it can potentially benefit a lot of fields as machine learning is changing the world right now.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would choose marine biology. Oceans are just so fascinating.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I was fortunate to have a research internship at USC when I was an undergrad. I enjoyed my time at USC a lot as an intern and was attracted by the open and diverse culture.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

(1) Griffith Observatory - the view is amazing!

(2) Huntington Library - many beautiful gardens

(3) La Brea Tar Pits & Museum - it's really cool, and it's right next to LACMA

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Getting my first paper accepted. I will always remember the excitement and all the hard work that went into it!

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

At one point, I kept hundreds of silkworms at home. Feeding them was a huge problem!

What are your plans after graduation?

I want to be a professor so that I can do what I enjoy: teaching, and helping people.

Hometown (city, country):

Nanjing, China.

Personal Website (if any):

http://alchem.usc.edu/~qinyi/index.html

Faculty Advisor:

Xuehai Qian

Wei-Cheng Wu
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Don't make big decisions because of someone else (like your girlfriend etc), cause you'll probably regret it.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

None. Stay hungry stay foolish.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I bought a LaunchPad! A whole new way to make music.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research focuses on computer security, specifically binary analysis. I think it is exciting as it really pushes us to think outside of the box. Companies or software developers always try to provide a perfect system, while hackers can always still find ways to comprise it. Then people will come out with new techniques to mitigate the vulnerabilities. As a security researcher, we must have the mindset of both sides and keep challenging the current technology.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I guess a guitarist. Although I feel like making music is also engineering in many ways

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I think the only factor is the research area. I am accepted to a lab that does research I am really interested in.
And I am still happy about the decision so far.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

(1) Dockweiler beach: You can have bonfire aside the beach
(2) OUE Skyspace LA: Must see, the DTLA night view
(3) Bike from Venice beach ~ Santa Monica

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I think it's a bit hard for me to answer this question at the current stage. Let me save this question till I graduate.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I practice Aikido.

What are your plans after graduation?

For career I definitely plan to work in a US Tech company for a while. Honestly no further plan for now (well who knows how the world will be like by then). I've always just prepared myself as best I can at anytime. When chances come, I will know what to do.

Hometown (city, country):

Taipei, Taiwan

Personal Website (if any):

https://steel.isi.edu/members/weicheng/

Faculty Advisor:

Jelena Mirkovic

Basileal Imana
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Plan tomorrow the night before. I am not sure if I can call it the best but it has certainly been very useful. The advice also extends to planning for goals to accomplish in a week, a month, a year, or even a decade.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I would say pursuing my Ph.D. this far, and the internships I got the opportunity to do along the way.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

The closest thing to an impulse purchase I have done recently is buying Airpods -- they have made my life much easier.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My current research focuses on auditing advertising platforms that deliver job ads to ensure they do so in a fair way across demographic groups. It excites me because it has positive societal implications for millions of people that use such platforms to learn about employment opportunities.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

It would probably be architecture -- I used to like doing freeform sketches and enjoyed working on my technical drawing projects when I was in high school.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

It was a combination of several factors. The main ones were the financial package (USC awarded me a fellowship), the match with my research interests (there were at least a few potential labs I could see myself joining), and the location (LA is close to where my brother lives).

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

I would recommend visiting Torrey Pines beach in San Diego (an amazing place to see a sunset), a road trip on CA Highway 1 (which runs past many places worth seeing across the Pacific), and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

During the start of my second year at USC, I ran into someone that introduced me to a Christian church community called ICA that became like family shortly after.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

My mother, father, and I all have different last names due to the difference in naming conventions used in Ethiopia (my home country) and in the US.

What are your plans after graduation?

In the short term, I plan to work in industry research. I am also very interested in teaching and would like to explore doing that in the long term.

Hometown (city, country):

I was born and grew up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Personal Website (if any):

https://ant.isi.edu/~imana/

Faculty Advisor:

Aleksandra Korolova and John Heidemann

Rey Pocius
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The best piece of advice that I’ve ever been given is...when confronted with an amazing opportunity, say yes, if you don't know something, roll up your sleeves and just do it. Any opportunity to keep learning is invaluable.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I consider my greatest accomplishment to be winning a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. I received the fellowship during the first year of my PhD and it embodies all of the work that I put towards research in my undergraduate studies and during my first year at USC.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A new USC sweater. Fight on!

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is on synthetic location data generation, what excites me most about this area of research is the possibility of creating synthetic data generators that can account for sparsity within incomplete datasets.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

If I could have chosen any other profession it would have been to be an architect. I grew up outside of the city of Chicago and lived in a town with incredible architecture.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

USC has a very strong collaborative culture and is at the heart of the exciting city of Los Angeles. Many of the students and faculty who I met during the visit days were extremely supportive and high energy. The facilities and faculty at USC are world class.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Koreatown, Newport Beach, San Clemente.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

The Computer Science department's annual holiday party.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I am an artist. I paint with oils and acrylics.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to pursue research engineer and software engineer positions within industry related to my research.

Hometown (city, country):

Elmhurst, Illinois.

Personal Website (if any):

https://reypocius.github.io/

Faculty Advisor:

Cyrus Shahabi.

Sepanta Zeighami
Phd in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

"Find your niche". I think big pictures are important, but it's easy to get lost in them. Starting small and finding a niche that you can become an expert in helps a lot in building up to the visions one has

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Being able to work on what I'm passionate about.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Artificial grass, pull-up bar and a tent. We built a gym in our front yard.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I'm working on replacing databases with neural networks, basically how the human brain stores information. The goal is to store data more efficiently and answer queries on the data faster. It is exciting because it's a fundamentally different approach towards data storage compared with existing systems and there are many new things to explore.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Musician. I've always wanted to make/play music. I've been playing the piano for quite some time now, and I enjoy performing in front of other people and coming up with new music.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I think the main two factors for me were the location of the university and the research group. California weather is great and LA beaches are nice. I liked the research projects in the lab I'm currently working in, and I also talked to my advisor to make sure that his advising style is a good fit for me.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Big Sur, Lake Tahoe, Joshua Tree.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

When I went to Santa Monica in the first few days of school with other new PhD students that I didn't know, with whom I've become close friends now.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I've lived in five different cities in the past two years and four different countries in the past ten.

What are your plans after graduation?

I would like to stay in academia, hopefully become a professor and continue with my research.

Hometown (city, country):

Tehran, Iran.

Personal Website (if any):

https://szeighami.github.io/

Faculty Advisor:

Cyrus Shahabi.

Fiona Guo
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

When I took my first computer science class in undergrad, my professor told us “Build everything incrementally.” Of course he said this in the context of writing codes, but I’ve just found it applies to many more things in our lives.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment so far is that I made the decision to start my PhD, and I’m sticking to it so far. I’ve been grown a lot, and I’m having fun exploring in my research.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

My favorite impulse purchase recently is a tomato plant that’s thriving and providing me cherry tomatoes for salads.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is about applying machine learning and data analytics in social science context. For example, one recent project is that I use data collected from social media like Twitter to study how George Floyd’s death changed people’s moral thinking, and I’ve found evidence that this event had increased people’s vice sentiments toward many aspects such as authority. I think learning and discovering interesting social science patterns is very exciting to me, I’m learning how people think, behave and react. And even better, we are discovering all these patterns from data!

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I’d probably be a cook. I enjoy food very much myself, and I also enjoy cooking for others and sharing what’s good.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The biggest factor is, when I was applying I found advisors at USC whose research I’m really interested in, and they happened to like me as well.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Yosemite, Channel Islands and Redwood parks. These are my 3 favorite parks. Yes I love hiking.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Actually I had to switch advisor during my second year because my previous advisor was leaving USC. I’m very grateful that my current advisor Dr. Kristina Lerman took me in. I’m also thankful for all the help from USC Viterbi office and the department advisors. It is something I’d always remember and appreciate.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

90% of the songs I listen to are from 60’s or 70’s.

What are your plans after graduation?

I think I want to join some company, where I can use my knowledge and ability to develop novel applications. It could be a biotechnology company where I could contribute to solving human health problems, or a social networking company where I could help to build a better and healthier online community for people.

Hometown (city, country):

Zhejiang Province, China

Faculty Advisor:

Kristina Lerman.

Neal Lawton
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Always give 100%. In anything you do, try your best.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I consider my greatest accomplishment to be graduating from college.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I have not made any impulse purchases in the past 12 months.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research revolves around better ways to train neural nets (optimization and neural architecture search). I like this subject because it's immediately applicable to every application that uses neural nets.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Dog walker.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Information Sciences Institute (ISI) where I do research has an especially diverse research community. Researchers here study lots of different topics, from Natural Language Programming to information theory to robotics. The "USC Startup Garage" is also located in our building.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

I would recommend an incoming student visit 1. The Natural History Museum just south of USC (big dinosaurs!), 2. Everything in DTLA (Hollywood sign, the Grand Central Market, the Broad museum, Dodger stadium), and 3. Santa Monica Pier.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

A memory I'll cherish about USC is attending conferences with my lab-mates and meeting new people.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

One thing about me that might surprise you is, I can say the alphabet backwards!

What are your plans after graduation?

My plans after graduation are to work for a lab in industry.

Hometown (city, country):

My hometown is Costa Mesa, CA (an hour south of LA)

Faculty Advisor:

Aram Galstyan and Greg Ver Steeg.

Bowen Song
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Making a breakthrough in research is about keep going at it knock your head against that wall until the wall breaks.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My next goal.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A 2k Jura coffee machine. Worth every penny!

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I study every aspect of cloud and distributed computing including the systems, networks and communications, security, privacy, etc. There’s a term in the cloud community called container orchestration, every part of the system working together to create a symphony. Working in this area, I get to orchestrate each part of the system so that it fits with the others like puzzle pieces. When you think about it, it is hauntingly beautiful. I love the feeling that an idea in my head becomes reality, much more so when the design joins all the disconnected parts together and creates a beautiful image.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

History. I love a good story. Every bit of it shapes the world we live in. (Too bad it doesn’t pay.)

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I love LA. I first visited LA back in 2012 with my best friend. I fell in love with the place ever since, and every time I visit I love it even more, the weather, the beaches, the flat city. Everything about LA is so lovable.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Santa Monica Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes, Huntington Park.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Talking with my prof. and my postdoc. Cherish + Enjoy + Love!

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I run 6 - 10 miles per day. Plus, now that I moved back to the west coast in LA, no more rain/snow days!

What are your plans after graduation?

I don’t know. Surprise me world! I am confident I can handle anything thrown at me.

Personal Website (if any):

Nothing other than LinkedIn.

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Leana Golubchik

Jacqueline Brixey
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

It was not advice given specifically to me; however, I like the advice: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” Shirley Chisholm.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My doctoral work on my Native American language, Choctaw, brings me a great sense of accomplishment. It is important that technology exists for all languages in the world, including indigenous languages. I am proud to have created the first corpus for Choctaw, which lays the foundation for other researchers to work on the language.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I gave in to the Covid fad of baking bread. However, I found that I really didn’t like to knead bread, so I bought a bread maker. I just pop the ingredients in the machine and come back to freshly made bread in three hours!

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I work on dialogue systems, particularly for low-resource and American Indian languages. As an American-Indian, it is exciting to build these systems for my indigenous language, Choctaw. There are interesting challenges to working on a language that no other computer scientist has worked on, and it is fulfilling to me personally to develop language technology for my indigenous community.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I previously worked as an English language teacher, and I previously worked as a journalist. I would be happy to return to either of those professions.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I was thrilled at the opportunity to work with the Natural Language Dialogue researchers at ICT. It is meaningful to work with scientists who not only are at the top of the field, but who also care about AI for social good.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

I would recommend going to The Getty, The Broad Museum, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

One great memory I have is documenting the language Ladin in Italy on a summer project with Dr. Khalil Iskarous. It was an incredibly beautiful area of Italy, and I feel lucky to have participated in such an interesting experience, I learned so much!

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I have a black belt in taekwondo.

What are your plans after graduation?

I’m not sure if I will go into academia or industry. One thing I am sure about is that I will continue working on technology for American Indigenous languages.

Hometown (city, country):

El Paso, TX, USA.

Personal Website (if any):

www.jacqueline-brixey.com

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. David Traum

Jingbo Wang
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Don’t be discouraged if you fail to accomplish anything in your first year. We all have to get used to the transition from the undergrad to the graduate and sometimes it takes quite a long time to grow up to be an independent researcher. A little more persistence will pay off and lead to a promising future. In my first year, I struggled a lot in my first year. Many things deter me, including choosing a research topic, having no idea how to handle problems, and peer pressure. Fortunately, I have so many friends and lab-mates helping me get through and encourage me to tackle difficulties instead of giving up. Therefore, I also want to encourage new grads to insist on their goals and never get discouraged.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Giving a great presentation of my work at a prestigious conference. It is really important to share your findings with the rest of the research community and to shed more light on the potential directions. Delivering such a talk is audience-centric, therefore we have to jump out of our own bubbles to get our message come across. In the beginning, I used jargon a lot, resulting in a lot of puzzled looks from my audience. It takes me a while to realize that, less is more. I have to look for simpler ways to explain my idea. Here, I really want to thank Gary Polakovic, as he gives us a lot of suggestions for communication skills. By practicing and sticking with the 3C principle - clear, concise, and consistent, I finally become capable of abstracting my research materials to get my audience understood.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Nintendo switch! During COVID, most of the time, we have to stay at home. Playing some games (e.g. animal crossing) on Nintendo switch is really relaxing

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research focuses on developing rigorous methods and analysis tools for improving the security of software systems. I focus on a class of emerging security threats called side-channel attacks. Recent examples include Meltdown/Spectre, which are side-channel attacks that affect the vast majority of today's computers, thus highlighting their profound social and economical impact. During a side-channel attack, the adversary relies on exploiting statistical dependencies between the secret data (e.g., passwords or encryption keys) and seemingly-unrelated non-functional properties (e.g., power consumption or execution time) of the computer. The ubiquity of the software system and our growing reliance on those systems are leaving us more vulnerable to safety and security threats than ever before. The most exciting part of my research is that all the tools I’m building are trying to provide a shield for the safety of our daily life, and it has been adopted in many cryptographic programs.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I think I would like to pursue J.D. or LL.M in law school. For some of the code-based laws, it is well suited to apply formal methods and logic to represent them. Researchers have proposed a default logic to formalize the federal tex code and its accompanying regulations. What I’m currently doing is applying the logic to formalize the behavior of the software. In the future, I wish I could use that to formalize code-based laws, to detect ambiguities and drafting errors.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

There are so many reasons:) First, the professor I want to work with is at USC. Second, there are many PL/SE researchers in USC and we could discuss, collaborate in many possible ways. The atmosphere here is really motivating. Third, USC has so many female clubs (e.g. WinCC, WiSE) where we could learn from each other’s experiences and try to encourage more females in the STEM area. Fourth, USC provides many valuable classes such as public speaking, creative thinking, arts performance and etc. It really broadens our horizons in addition to our own expertise. Last but not least, LA is such a special city with palm trees, skateboarding teens, oddball bohemians, and the occasional movie star. You will fall in love with it once you come here.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Griffith observatory, Universal Studios, Getty center

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

There are so many unforgettable memories at USC. The farmer’s market outside Leavey library, annual conquest rally, birthday celebrations for our lab-mates, and hanging out together in USC Village.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

Although I give public presentations in the premier conference and make friends with other researchers, I am a typical introvert and I dislike social activities. When attending the conference, people are expected to interact with each other over few days. To be frank, I enjoy talking with people and introducing my research. However, none of these could compare favorably to solitary. I always spend a lot of time learning and reflecting in solitude. It’s more like a meditation where I could relax and talk with myself.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to stay in academia and look for faculty jobs or other research-related jobs.

Hometown (city, country):

Nanyang, China.

Personal Website (if any):

http://scf.usc.edu/~jingbow/

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Chao Wang.

Sarath Shekkizhar
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

In my high school I was very much intrigued by poetry. One poem, Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson, struck a chord with me ever since I read it for the first time - The takeaway message, as I remember it, is experience and knowledge is an unceasing endeavor that fills us with joy, pain, and an everlasting desire for more. Whatever your passion or goal, be sure "to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield"

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Recently, I was awarded the Best Student Paper Award at the IEEE International Conference on Image Processing, 2020 - I'm particularly fond of this achievement since it gave me the courage and motivation to keep going on with my research.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A pair of rock climbing shoes and a summer climbing membership.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My current research focus is in graph based machine learning. Graphs provide a generic setup to describe and analyze patterns in data where instead of observing data as an isolated set of points, one can take a bird's eye view where the data interacts amongst themselves to form a network of connectivity. I find this idea of learning by association appealing due to its simplicity and its potential to be applied in any real world problem involving data.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I love the outdoors - skiing, scuba diving and backpacking are some of my favorite leisure activities. If I were to pick a profession outside engineering I would probably end up as an instructor or guide in one of these activities.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I originally joined USC as a MS in Electrical Engineering student and had the opportunity to interact and work with my current advisor and other researchers at USC. The freedom in choosing one's research and the support that one has as a community were two major reasons for me in deciding to pursue my PhD at USC.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

1. Hike to the Hollywood sign while taking a stop at Griffith.
2. Take the metro to Santa Monica and walk/bike along the beach
3. Enjoy the food that LA offers. I'm a bit of a sweet tooth, so here are some of my favorites: Milk and Berries cake from Porto's, Tiramisu from Bottega Louie, Griddle Cafe pancakes, Diddy Riese cookies

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

My first tailgate experience and the walk down Trousdale way to watch the USC football game against Notre Dame at the Coliseum.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

Contrary to what others think of me, I think of myself as an introvert.

What are your plans after graduation?

My immediate plans after graduation is to pursue a postdoctoral position in an academic or corporate environment. Ultimately, I hope to pursue a professorship to continue my career in research and share my passion for discovery.

Hometown (city, country):

Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India.

Personal Website (if any):

https://shekkizh.github.io/

Faculty Advisor:

Antonio Ortega

Nathaniel Sands
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

A Professor once told me, "Don't try to do too many things. Focus on one of your interests; the rest will fall into place." Unfortunately, I've mostly ignored this advice.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Becoming a Detective with the New York City Police Department.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

My instapot.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

Part of my research involves the development of tools that will help software engineers write safe and secure code. Since our lives are pretty much mediated by software these days, it is critically important to have these tools, particularly in fields like medicine or industrial robotics.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

A veterinarian.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I wanted to be at a large research university with a top-notch school of engineering - not just in computer science, but in all sub-disciplines. In fact, I hope at some point to work in collaboration with people from the mechanical and electrical engineering departments. Also, I wanted to live in Southern California. Best climate on the planet.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

The city of Healdsburg in Sonoma County for the wine, San Onofre for the waves, and Koreatown in L.A. for the BBQ

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I think going back to in-person classes and socializing with other students will be a pretty memorable experience. Being cut off from other people has been one of the most difficult things about the pandemic, even for introverts like myself.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I'll probably look for a job in industry, but it's too early to say! Right now I'm just enjoying being back in school full-time and learning new things every day.

What are your plans after graduation?

I'll probably look for a job in industry, but it's too early to say! Right now I'm just enjoying

being back in school full-time and learning new things every day.

Hometown (city, country):

Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Mukund Raghothaman

Mingxuan Yue
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

"Think big but start with small." This works in many aspects. I developed a habit of running every morning because I told myself you just need to talk a short walk every day and enjoy the morning air.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I got married during my Ph.D. :)

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I bought a whiteboard during the time I worked remotely. Before buying it, I always believed I can rely on the notes on my phone and laptop to track my TODOs. But the fact was I never checked them. The whiteboard is super useful as it stands in front of my desk and it's hard to ignore it. I rely on it a lot to make plans and clear my mind when dealing with multiple and complex tasks.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is mainly about how do we use machine learning techniques on spatial and temporal data to mine knowledge and benefit real-world applications. An example is how to automatically label a human trajectory as behavior such as a work commute. My research mainly excited me because most of them came from real-world demand during my discussion with my collaborators in different domains.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

A novelist.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

- why Ph.D.: I felt it would be a unique experience in my life and it's hard to have another chance to experience it.

- why USC: I love the weather here :)

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

- If this is your first time visiting the U.S., Universal Studio is a must-go.

- San Diego Zoo and Seaworld are fun if you like animals.

- Arrowhead Lake is perfect for a casual weekend.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

The time when I lived with four nice roommates.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I'm graduating soon but I haven't got a chance to watch a football game at USC!

What are your plans after graduation?

I will join Google as a software engineer.

Hometown (city, country):

I was born in Shenyang, China. People living there are super funny and friendly.

Personal Website (if any):

http://www-scf.usc.edu/~mingxuay/

Faculty Advisor:

Cyrus Shahabi

Kushal Chawla
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

One should never judge their own or someone else’s decisions based on the outcomes (that is, in hindsight). That’s just unfair! Instead, think about whether the decision made sense, given the situation you were in. If you are in a similar situation again, how can you make a better call?

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

That has to be the network of friends and colleagues that I could build from a variety of professional experiences in both academia and industry. Life is a bit easier with folks you can always turn up to for some advice and of course, for referrals!

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Minion-shaped slippers with button eyes that move when you walk.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I am currently working on enabling human-machine negotiations in natural language such as in English. Think about buyer-seller price negotiations or salary negotiations. Automated systems that negotiate with humans can be really helpful in advancing conversational AI and for teaching social skills to humans. Most practical systems in this space are based on restrictive communication protocols such as a predefined menu of options. Instead, I am trying to incorporate more natural means of communication such as language so that these systems can be more useful in the downstream applications. This area opens up exciting avenues for interdisciplinary research between NLP, Affective Computing, and Psychology. For a glimpse of what I do, here is a TechXplore blog that covers our recent work published at
NAACL-HLT 2021: https://techxplore.com/news/2021-05-casino-campsite-based-dialogs-
automatic.html

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

A full-time host for grand cultural events! I just love the job and the feel that comes with it! Even now, I grab such opportunities with both hands.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

First and foremost, my interactions with the lab that I am joining. I would definitely recommend that to all the prospective students. Secondly, the ever-increasing research opportunities and a helpful environment over here at USC. Lastly, it would be unfair if I don’t include this but the nice LA weather was always there at the back of my mind.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

- Weekend getaway at Big Bear
- Manhattan beach
- Hikes in Malibu

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I am a part of a religious organization at USC called the Bridges International. In Fall 2019, we went to Big Bear for a weekend, in a group of nearly 30. We rented out two huge houses near the lake, danced and sang songs from different cultures around the globe, and went for a hike! Amazing experience!

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I have an OCD of repeatedly checking the locks and always making sure that everything is locked. It is so bad that once, during my undergrad, I preferred to calmly lock my door first, when everyone else was vacating the building due to a strong earthquake. As a side note, I later got to know that my friend ran with a laptop in her hand: the most expensive stuff that she could find in her room. People have weird priorities!

What are your plans after graduation?

I am keeping it wide open for now, although I am slightly inclined towards joining the industry again, given my previous experience as a full-time researcher at Adobe for a couple of years.

Hometown (city, country):

Delhi, India.

Personal Website (if any):

https://kushalchawla.github.io/

Faculty Advisor:

I am jointly advised by Gale Lucas and Jonathan Gratch at ICT, USC.

Kegan Strawn
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

I subscribe to the "next right step" advice. Life can be overwhelming at times, especially during your studies, and focusing on the next right step rather than the entire mountain you are trying to hike up has really helped me every day.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I come from a family where no one has been in academia and I was not exposed to anything close to it growing up. Research, and even college, felt like this scary gated community that only a certain few could participate in and I'm very grateful to those in my undergraduate studies who helped open the gate for me and showed me that anyone can do this. Don't get me wrong, I have many privileges in my life, but I'm very proud to be here at USC and working hard among some very smart peers every day.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Last week I bought an LA Dodgers hat at the game against the Giants. I think this means I can officially say I live here now.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I work in multi-robot coordination and collaboration. I'm very interested in how robots can work together with other robots and humans as part of a team to help improve our lives. It's slightly different from the majority of current work that is about training a robot to beat us at a certain game or to replace a job completely. I spend a lot of my time thinking about how we can improve the algorithms they use and the way they learn to work together and I find it incredibly fun and rewarding work.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I always wanted to be a veterinarian when I grew up. I love animals and find biology and genetics fascinating. So, I think I still want to be a vet when I finally grow up.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The Professors here and the Professor I came to work with is what led me to USC and to choosing USC. Outside of academics too, the robotics group here is really great, social, and supportive. Then you combine that with the incredible weather and outdoor activities you can do here in LA and it helps you stay healthy both mentally and physically as you go through this challenging experience.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

If they are looking to live somewhere I highly recommend the Culver City area. For things to see, I really like the Getty Center for not only the art but the cool architecture and outdoor garden. I also love cruising up and down the pacific coast highway and going to any of the beaches (although Hermosa beach down south is my favorite). Finally, I'd recommend some Korean BBQ in Koreatown.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

The people here are fantastic and I will always remember working with them and spending time with them outside of work. There are too many good memories with them to choose one.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I only applied to drama colleges for college. I was fully expecting to only ever be in LA for acting, but now I'm here for my Ph.D. working in computer science and robotics. Life has a crazy way of working out!

What are your plans after graduation?

Currently, I am interested in continuing in academia with a postdoctoral position.

Hometown (city, country):

Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.

Personal Website (if any):

https://sites.google.com/view/kegan-strawn

Faculty Advisor:

Professor Nora Ayanian

Aniruddh Puranic
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

My parents have always told me to focus on the process and not on the results, and to be persistent in whatever I do.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Last year, I published my first paper as a PhD student at one of the top robotics conferences - Conference on Robot Learning (CoRL). It immediately received media coverage by the Viterbi news and I was thrilled to see it on the main USC webpage. Soon after, it also appeared on other very reputable news platforms – ACM TechNews and RISKS Digest (a periodical that is edited by Dr. Peter G. Neumann, a pioneer in computer science).

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I bought some limited-edition merchandise from one of my music and technology idols Richie Hawtin, a highly distinguished electronic music producer and DJ. It also included a personal handwritten note from him, which made it even more special.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research revolves around learning-based human-robot interaction (HRI) systems and is cross-disciplinary as it involves formal methods and robotics. Specifically, I work on verifiable and safe HRI systems wherein robots can learn from humans showing them how to perform tasks. As robots are becoming more commonplace (such as robots in warehouses, households, autonomous cars, etc.), it is laborious for humans to program them for each task and deduce the behavior for new tasks or environments that the robot may encounter during its lifetime. It is rather easier for humans to show the robot how to perform these tasks and thus, the robot can learn to mimic or imitate the demonstrated behavior – this programming paradigm is called Imitation Learning or Learning-from-Demonstrations. With the recent evolution of deep learning, many techniques require large amount of data, whereas we, as humans, can learn to perform tasks only from a handful of data. Moreover, it is difficult even for experts to understand what the robot is learning as this internal learning process is not easily interpretable. Further, this may lead to the robot learning unsafe or undesirable behaviors that may have dire consequences such as the robot causing harm to the human or getting damaged. Hence, developing safe robots that interact with humans is a very exciting research area with huge impact on improving human lifestyle and I hope to make a great contribution to this field. Various promising applications of this are medical assistants (for rehabilitation, elder care, assistive surgery), industrial robots (such as those in manufacturing and warehouses), households (helping with everyday chores), autonomous vehicles, etc.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would choose to pursue a career in tennis as I used to play competitive tennis since I was 7 years old.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

There were several factors that aided my decision to enroll in PhD at USC. Firstly, it is the great reputation of USC, especially the Viterbi School, in academic research, and home to the highly reputed industry-focused research institutions: Information Sciences Institute (ISI) and Institute of Creative Technologies (ICT). USC has very diverse research areas, esteemed faculty and allows students to easily collaborate with others from different fields (specializations) within and across other departments. I first joined USC as a masters student specializing in intelligent robotics and got the exposure to projects in various robotics labs, including the Intuitive Surgical Da Vinci robot at the Keck Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. I also got to know about and understand faculty collaborations with R&D departments in the industry. During my masters, I worked with Prof. Jyotirmoy Deshmukh, who had several years of industrial research experience at Toyota R&D North America, on a few interesting projects which also introduced me to academic research. It was then that I decided to pursue my PhD under Prof. Deshmukh. Another factor that influenced my decision was USC’s location - Los Angeles, which is close to not only tech start-ups, but also big companies, thus providing ample opportunities for collaborative research. After completing my masters, I interned at Toyota R&D in Mountain View and enjoyed working on a few patents, which motivated me further to pursue a PhD.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

I’d recommend visiting (1) Santa Monica Pier and Beach, (2) Hollywood Boulevard and studios and (3) Palm Desert, especially for tennis and golf enthusiasts.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

USC has given me numerous memories over the past 5 years. Working with Dr. Andrew Hung at the Keck School of Medicine in the field of robotic surgery and having the opportunity to experience operating a highly sophisticated state-of-the-art surgical robot (not on a real person, of course!) is one of my most memorable experiences at USC.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

Besides academics and tennis, I am very passionate about electronic (techno) music and am a novice DJ, mainly influenced by my friends who are music producers and/or record label owners.

What are your plans after graduation?

I am open to various options in the academia and industry. I had a successful semester as a teaching assistant for my advisor’s class and received exceptional feedback from him and the students on my teaching abilities. I am keen on applying my research to the medical domain at the Keck School of Medicine and would also like to work in industrial R&D at pioneering institutions such as USC-ICT, USC-ISI, SRI International, etc.

Hometown (city, country):

I’m from Bangalore, India.

Personal Website (if any):

My webpage is available at https://aniruddh-puranic.info

Faculty Advisor:

My advisor is Prof. Jyotirmoy Deshmukh of CPS-VIDA group. I am also closely mentored by Prof. Stefanos Nikolaidis from ICAROS group.

Avijit Thawani
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Every year, pick up to five idols (living, dead, or fictional) and try to emulate them, e.g., reading books that they’d like or practicing skills that they possess. You’ll eventually get closer to their personality and aptitude.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

In my technical field, I’m yet to make an impact that I would like to boast about.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

An illustrated version of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” I otherwise prod through reading any fiction so it helped me appreciate the masterpiece without much effort.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I work on AI, particularly on text inputs such as when Google needs to answer a question by reading lots of documents on the internet. More specifically, I'm helping such text-reading systems get better at understanding numbers, say when counting, adding, comparing or approximately measuring quantities.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

A writer perhaps. I’ve written short stories and a sci-fi novel when I was in high school, and am writing another sci-fi short story these days.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

(1) A vast number of amazing faculty members relevant to my research area - as opposed to smaller niche research centers in case you later discover you’re interested in something else entirely (2) excellent location - I attended around a dozen top tier conferences only due to proximity to Los Angeles - all in the six months before the pandemic.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

(1) The Vista theatre which screen vintage masterpieces from time to time.
(2) The Dish hike near Stanford University.
(3) the road to northern California.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Lots more to make once school re-opens, but so far I’ve loved attending arbitrary events open to all students, whether it be a talk on Brexit, an industry connect session, a research talk, a festive celebration, or a halloween movie screening!

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

While studying Computer Science and conducting research in machine learning in my undergrad, I spent two good years to learn to write and direct a short film. It was an amazing experience with a rewarding release - it has been watched over 60 thousand times last I checked.

What are your plans after graduation?

I intend to join either an industrial research lab or a technical startup where I can build real usable products related to my research expertise.

Hometown (city, country):

Lucknow, India

Personal Website (if any):

http://avi-jit.github.io/

Faculty Advisor:

Jay Pujara

Shariq Iqbal
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

When I started undergrad, it was common to hear "You don't need to know what you're going to do after college. Make sure you take the time to explore all of your options." and I wish I had taken that advice more seriously. I spent all of my college years on the pre-med track without seriously considering anything else until I started working in a research lab after graduation. I think that advice can be equally applied to graduate school. It's good to have a general idea of what kind of research you want to do when you start, but it's extremely important to keep your mind open and to allow yourself to explore a bit.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I'm proud of having made it this far into a PhD! I began the program with doubts as to whether I was cut out for academia, but now I am on track to graduate.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I've started brewing coffee at home a lot more since COVID started, and I recently bought a nice coffee grinder which I've gotten a ton of use out of.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I work mostly on cooperative multi-agent reinforcement learning. I like the problem, as I think most of humanity's most impressive accomplishments have come as a result of collaboration. I feel that one of the key components to achieving strong AI is to design agents that are capable of collaboration and specialization, such that their combined capabilities become greater than the sum of their parts.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I worked as an audio engineer at a student-run music studio during my undergrad, and I think I would enjoy that quite a bit. I guess that still has "engineer" in the title, but it's the best I can do :)

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

In general, I think there is a strong spirit of collaboration and friendliness across labs that isn't present at all schools. I chose my specific lab because they were working on an interesting variety of problems within the machine learning space. As such, I felt like I would have the freedom to discover a sub-field that aligned closely with my strengths and interests.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Koreatown - Incredible food and a lively atmosphere. My favorites are Sun Nong Dan, Oo Kook, and Somi Somi (dessert).
Sawtelle - More great food (mostly Japanese). My favorites: Tsujita, Killer Noodle, Chinchikurin, B Sweet (dessert).
Angeles National Forest - Sometimes it's nice to get out of the city, and this place is surprisingly accessible while still feeling far away from the noise and commotion.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

While they were certainly stressful at the time, I will look back fondly on the all-nighters prior to paper deadlines spent with my labmates. The feeling of camaraderie and shared struggle brought out by these moments would be hard to replicate in any other work setting.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I never did any form of research during my undergrad! I think it's worth mentioning because the prospect of getting a PhD can seem really intimidating, and it's good to know that it's never too late to pursue something you're passionate about.

What are your plans after graduation?

I am hoping to work in some sort of research role at a company and potentially transitioning to more applied work down the line.

Hometown (city, country):

Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Personal Website (if any):

https://shariqiqbal2810.github.io/

Faculty Advisor:

Fei Sha

Aleksei Petrenko
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Don't be intimidated into doing what everyone else is doing. There is unique value in being the weird person that you are.

Don't read top-50 "must-read" books of all time if you don't want to; read 50 books no one else had read. Talk to a person who is not popular and learn from them. Become really good at something no one else wants to deal with.

Another one. Define your 10-year goals and ask yourself: what can I do to achieve these goals in 6 months? I believe this one is from Peter Thiel.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Probably taking 2nd place in a Red Bull go-karting tournament against much more experienced racers. Seriously hope my greatest accomplishments are still in the future. Getting into a competitive PhD program and publishing at top conferences was hard and I am proud of it, but I consider these as steps towards bigger things.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I almost never do impulse purchases. Usually, I mean to buy something for a while before I finally go and get it.

From the recent purchases the best one would definitely be my red Dodge Challenger. I had so much joy with this car, it's hard to even compare it to other things. Best smiles per gallon ratio of anything I owned.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is on accelerating simulation and training in the context of reinforcement learning, as well as applying large-scale reinforcement learning to new domains.

Essentially we're doing our modest baby steps towards a great goal, the AGI. The goal is so big and daunting, and the steps are so tiny that it is sometimes hard to find motivation, but I believe advanced AI is a key to humanity's survival and success in the future.

Someone has to do this work now and this makes it meaningful for me.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would say the study of gerontology and radical life extension, but those are so intricately intertwined with computational biology that it is hard to consider them as being outside of computer science.

Other than that, it would be cool to be a racing driver or a pilot. Or perhaps a futurologist and a sci-fi writer.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

My advisor gave me almost complete freedom to choose research topics, so I could really focus on what interested me most. Also, access to resources, wonderful colleagues, and the unique climate & nature of California.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

I love nature, so definitely explore lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Tuolumne Meadows, Big Bear. In LA, check out the cliffs of Palos Verdes and Abalone Cove Beach. Calspeed in Fontana is the best go-karting track in SoCal!

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Rooftop computer science PhD parties and the lab retreats were the best.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

Hard to find a thing that would surprise everyone. I routinely work until 5 in the morning and then sleep late. 9am meetings ruin my day. But is it so unusual among PhD students?

What are your plans after graduation?

Sooner or later, I want to start a company to transform the world further with AI. Particularly interested in energy, productivity, biotech and life extension.

If I tell this to enough people I'd be embarrassed not to do it, which might motivate me to sacrifice the comfort of a corporate job.

Hit me up if you want to discuss ideas!

Hometown (city, country):

Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. 1.4M people, 300 miles east of Moscow.

Personal Website (if any):

http://alex-petrenko.github.io/ update long due

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Gaurav Sukhatme

Mozhdeh Gheini
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Don't long for the past.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Coming here and living alone for the first time in my life (had lived with my parents before my whole life) when I started my graduate studies here; just figuring out LA bit by bit every single day.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A cast iron pan.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I work in the field of Natural Languages processing, and transfer learning for Machine Translation specifically. I've always been fascinated by the language. And the field has gained a lot of pace over the past few years. I'm very excited about all this progress on the computational linguistics side, and interested in more discussion with linguists on how the approaches might lack on some grounds, and can be improved.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Either a chef or a sound engineer

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I was lucky and fortunate to have discussions with some very kind, helpful, and supportive people who helped me decide easily.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Try the fried chicken sandwich at Howlin' Ray's. You also have to try Din Tai Fung. It's best if you go in a large group so that you can order multiple things and share. Don't skip the cucumber salad, the pork xiao long bao, and the spicy shrimp wontons. Finally, hopefully when the pandemic is over, and they start putting on shows again, go to an improv show at the UCB theater.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I've met some of the best people I've ever known at USC. I'll cherish all the interactions with them and will be grateful for that forever.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

Just how much of a foodie I am.

What are your plans after graduation?

Honestly, I'm still thinking about it before deciding.

Hometown (city, country):

Tehran, Iran.

Personal Website (if any):

http://www-scf.usc.edu/~gheini/

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Jonathan May

Bryon Tjanaka
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

I was once told to never self-reject myself, whether it is applying for a job, grad school, etc. Whenever I think I might not be "good enough" for something, I realize that that is not for me to decide. Rather, my job is to present the best version of myself and let someone else decide whether I am suitable.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I don't think I have a good response to this question!

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Prescription sunglasses. For the first time, I can put on my own sunglasses instead of wearing other sunglasses over my current glasses.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I research quality diversity (QD) algorithms and their applications to robotics. QD is a relatively new class of algorithms which seek to find many good solutions to a problem, rather than just one. I find QD exciting because it is often important to know how to do something in more than one way. For instance, a robot should know how to work with many kinds of humans, not just one human.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would likely be a bartender, whipping up intoxicating drinks while dispensing sage advice.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I chose USC primarily for its vibrant robotics program. We have a dozen or so professors in robotics, so I was excited about the opportunities for learning and collaboration. Naturally, I also considered USC's prime location -- nothing beats Los Angeles weather!

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

First, since there are so many sights along it, I would recommend biking along Figueroa Street, starting down at Exposition Park and going all the way up to 1st street and eventually Union Station. Second, I would recommend The Grove -- the farmers market there has some great food! And finally, a visit to the Hollywood sign would give an inspiring view of LA.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I'll definitely cherish my visit day, as it was the first time I got to see USC and learn about life as a robotics PhD student here.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

Many people are surprised when they find out my age; I guess I'm pretty young for a PhD student.

What are your plans after graduation?

Like many PhD students, I believe I will ultimately choose between becoming a professor and joining an industry lab. I used to think I wanted to become a professor, but more recently, I think I may be targeting industry. Who knows, maybe I'll switch a few more times over the next few years?

Hometown (city, country):

Santa Clara, California, USA

Personal Website (if any):

https://bryon.tjanaka.net

Faculty Advisor:

Stefanos Nikolaidis

Timothy Greer
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

My mother once told me, “Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Your actions become habits, which defines your character. Your character becomes your destiny.” That stuck with me: I believe our inner thoughts are reflected in who we are and what we do. Having a good mindset is supremely important!

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I was very fortunate to have my research at USC covered by news sources from all over the globe. Some research that I worked on a few years ago was featured in the New York Times; it was surreal to see my team’s work on studying beatboxing highlighted by such a prestigious institution!

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I recently bought a hula hoop to see how quickly I could learn it (I never could get the hang of it in elementary school). It’s so much more difficult than I thought it would be! After several frustrating hours and YouTube tutorials, I can now waist hoop; and I’ve found it’s a fun and healthy study break!

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I study music perception through application machine learning principles. This area of research is so exciting to me because it combines two traditionally disparate fields of study--music and engineering--both of which I love! With our increasing access to music and the lower barriers of entry for music creators, it has never been more important to understand how music affects us. I’m very fortunate to be working on such an interesting (and challenging) problem!

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would choose professional musician! I have been playing gigs since I was 14 years old, and I’ve made it a point to continue practicing during graduate school. Los Angeles attracts talented musicians from all over the world, so I’ve been constantly inspired to improve my craft as well. In my spare time, I make indie pop music in a band called Saticöy, so it’s safe to say music is a huge part of my life!

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I came to Los Angeles to visit USC for a weekend in the dead of winter. In that weekend, I attended a jazz show with my future advisor, played volleyball on the beach with friends, and enjoyed street tacos near USC’s campus. Because I had come from Boston to visit, I was blown away by the sheer number of activities that Angelenos could enjoy year-round. I was also impressed by the rich diversity of Los Angeles. From a few days visiting, not only did I get the sense that USC was a terrific fit for me; I also knew that LA would be a great city to spend my graduate school years.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

1. Revolutionario Tacos on Jefferson (recently moved to 4th and Van Ness). Owners Chef Zadi and his wife Susan are modern-day saints and Zadi’s merguez is to die for.
2. Museum of Jurassic Technology. The weirdest museum you’ll probably ever go to. As strange as it is, people have their weddings at this museum all the time. I won’t spoil anything for you though! You’ll have to go so you can see for yourself.
3. Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine in Malibu. This may seem hippy-dippy, but this place always relaxes and distresses me. The shrine was built by a prominent yogi in the early 50s, and it still attracts people from all over the world today. There’s a nice hike nearby called the Los Leones Trail, too!

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I’ll certainly cherish the friends that I’ve made along the journey. My first conference was extremely memorable for me: I was given the privilege of speaking in the auditorium where Nobel Laureates give their acceptance speeches, and I got the chance to network with other researchers in my field and meet many people whom I now consider family!

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I play on USC’s club water polo team, and in the off-seasons I play with a Masters team based out of West Hollywood. Both teams are incredibly talented--USC’s club earned second place at Nationals in 2019 and WeHo’s team has won international tournaments--and wonderful support systems!

What are your plans after graduation?

My plans after graduation are simple: continue conducting research that I love conducting! Larger companies such as Spotify, Apple, and Pandora are appealing to me because of their music research groups. However, I’m not ruling out the possibility of joining a start-up that is working in similar domains.

Hometown (city, country):

Philadelphia, PA

Personal Website (if any):

https://sites.google.com/site/timgreersportfolio/

Faculty Advisor:

Shrikanth Narayanan

Johnny Wei
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

One of my best friends told me "some friends you have to carry" and that really stuck with me. I'm not sure what the takeaway is - people have issues? You have to be there for others? For me, I think it means that when I'm dealing with people, I have the responsibility to do the right thing.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My most recent paper! My advisor and I applied statistics to explain an unintuitive phenomenon. I hope a "greatest" accomplishment comes again soon enough.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I haven't impulsively bought anything recently. I did impulsively give away my second bike to my brother recently.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it

I'm interested in methods for adaptive data collection. So, how can we best collect data to complement our machine learning algorithms? I studied statistics in my undergraduate, and I think there will be statistical solutions here, and that those methods will be impactful for a long time.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would go chase UFOs.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I was in rural Massachusetts for a long time, and I wanted to be in a city. My advisor is great too!

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

I recommend biking along the LA river from Vernon to Long beach, at least once. I would also recommend going to radio hill gardens, because it is not easily accessible by car. I would also recommend going to the culver city stairs

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

In my two years here so far, I really liked the calisthenics parks on campus (one near Parkside, one near Leavey, and one in the track, in descending order of preference). I even made a really good friend there!

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

In my everyday life, some people are surprised that I can speak Chinese fluently. I also can write with both hands, because I had to learn when our family moved to China when I was 8.

What are your plans after graduation?

I don't know.

Hometown (city, country)

Amherst, Massachusetts.

Personal Website (if any)

https://johntzwei.github.io/

Faculty Advisor:

Robin Jia.

Hsien-Te Kao
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

“You don’t need to know everything,” Dr. Jennifer Switkes once said. “But you have to ask when you don’t know.” That was my undergraduate adviser setting an optimistic tone for the research meetings. For three years, I posed all sorts of methodological questions challenging

our research boundaries. Dr. Switkes joked when I led the research project, “This time, it is my turn to ask the questions.” I carried the same curiosity and passion to the Ph.D. program. It is surprising how much I don’t know about computer science. However, I am not afraid to say to other researchers, “I don’t know about this. Can you explain it to me? If not, where can I read/learn about it?”

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I consider winning the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship as one of my greatest accomplishments. NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) received more than 13,000 applications and made approximately 2,000 fellowship offers (~15% acceptance rate) each year. The expert panels rigorously judge applicants on their scientific potential, intellectual merit, and broader impacts. This fellowship is highly selective. In 2019, I was 1 of 11 USC graduate students and 1 of 3 Computer Science graduate students who won the NSF fellowship. These prominent scholars shared my concerns about algorithmic fairness in decision-making applications. They unanimously agreed that my research would drive critical algorithmic reforms and remarkable societal impacts.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I have impulse cooking from time to time. Most of the time, it would be some food in the videos (YouTube, Netflix, etc.) that I watched. Sometimes it is out of the blue. There would be a food craving. I would look up the recipe if I cannot figure out the ingredients and cooking steps on the spot. I carefully plan a list of shopping items. If I am lucky, I can find all the ingredients at the market. However, that is often not the case. I need to be creative at substituting the ingredients with what I have. I have to say that is the most exciting part of cooking. The final dish can make or break based on the ingredients and substitutions. I would know what ingredients to change for the next time.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

Intelligence systems are critical to automated decision-making applications. Recent controversies have sparked public concerns on algorithmic fairness. The research community has implemented algorithmic oversight by proposing fairness criteria and mitigation methods. It is crucial to examine the fairness mechanism. Fairness frameworks often require such information to mitigate the model unfairness. However, many laws prohibit collecting information on protected characteristics. I propose a framework to identify the data bias and mitigate the model unfairness without accessing the protected characteristics. Everyone deserves an equal opportunity. That is what algorithmic fairness guaranteed; that is also what I ensured through my research.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Behavioral Psychologist – Human mind, body, and behaviors are always fascinating. There is so much left unsolved.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

[1] Research Trajectory

[2] Rich Opportunities

[3] Valuable Resources

[4] Interdisciplinary Collaborations

[5] World-Class Researchers

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

[1] Hollywood Pantages Theatre

[2] The Getty Center

[3] The Magic Castle

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I enjoy having a one-on-one research discussion with my colleagues to exchange methodological ideas and provide critical feedback. I am known as the to-go person if someone wants to flash out their research ideas. The discussion often runs about three to four hours. They would present their ideas. I would listen carefully and ask questions for clarification. Afterward, I press challenging questions on the theory, methodology, experiment, take-away, and bigger picture. This feedback allows them to identify critical problems. I also provide creative suggestions to tackle these issues. This is a meaningful research process that produces fruitful outcomes for all of us.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

It may surprise you that I started the Computer Science Ph.D. program without any prior knowledge. I didn't even know how to code at that time. "You would be working on the TILES study," my adviser said to me in the first meeting, "We would have our first IARPA site visit in three months." I responded, "What should I learn? Where should I start? What should I do first?" After three months, Dr. Ferrara was surprised that I was able to overcome the challenging obstacles. I had promising results too. After the meeting, all PIs selected me to showcase the research results in the site visit. We went through a two-day intensive dry run and made last-minute presentation adjustments. The first IARPA site visit was a big success. For the next three years, I continued to play a critical role in the TILES team.

What are your plans after graduation?

I intend to become a postdoc at a research institute after graduation to continue working on algorithmic fairness. Afterward, I would transition into a research position working for the federal government. I have not decided on the research relationship (independent work, collaborative study, or research team). I would have a clearer picture once the research position, research organization, and research project come into play. I plan to start at a research institute and lead collaborative projects funded by federal agencies. I would later join a federal agency to run large-scale research projects across multiple research teams. It is hard to say what opportunities are available in the future. I would leave all my options open.

Hometown (city, country):

Taipei, Taiwan.

Personal Website (if any):

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hsientekao

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Emilio Ferrara

Nathan Dennler
PhD in Robotics

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

I am not sure how applicable this is to anyone else, but the best advice I have personally been given was to try dying my eyebrows. Obviously, this is a rule-of-thumb for an inherently indeterminate thing such as physical appearance, but it really opened my eyes to a measurable and specific way to try experimenting in this design space. By hearing this rule, I was suddenly able to put into words something that was previously incredibly confusing, and once I was able to identify it, I was able to consciously make the choice of subverting the rule. This kind of thinking has been particularly useful in research for real problems because many "truths" that I have learned are not universal. By identifying how choices both shape and are shaped by specific problem contexts have helped me make sense of different approaches to different problems, and make better choices in my own problems.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

In undergrad, I was part of a community service group and for one of the semesters I was responsible for planning community service events with my friend. At the end of the semester, we were able to plan over 3000 person-hours of events where we helped local communities and national non-profit organizations.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I bought a MIDI keyboard on a whim to learn how songs are made! I've been experimenting a lot with making my own samples which has been super fun!

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is about learning how different aspects of the design of robotic systems (physical design and algorithmic design) can affect end users of these systems in different ways. Then the goal is to adapt systems to align with how users expect and want the system to behave. I am particularly excited by this because learning about how systems can adapt to users, I also learn more about the users themselves.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Unfortunately I am too easily interested in trying many disparate things--I think I'd also be happy to try to be a fashion designer, 3D animator, (medical) doctor, or teacher.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I really liked the sense of community that the students here had when I came to visit--I liked the research that was done here too, of course. I also personally wanted to live in a well-populated city since I grew up in a small town.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

The great thing about LA is that there is a little bit of everything for everyone! Personally, my favorite places to go would be to go hiking in Malibu (or the beach, if that is more your speed), Koreatown for dinner (specifically Gol Tong Chicken which is the most chaotically delightful food I have ever had), and West Hollywood to go dancing (they also have drag brunch which is super fun)!

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

As silly as it is, my favorite thing to do was to go to the campus center for lunch and get Panda Express and iced coffee with my other friends after our seminar class.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I used to compete across the US as a pairs figure skater! I really liked (and still like!) skating because it combined athleticism through doing specific jumps and spins and storytelling through emoting through the different parts of the songs.

What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation, I hope to work in industry for a few years to get a sense of what technology is actually used, and what works best for different markets. I hope to eventually transition into a teaching position later on to give back to the next generation of students!

Hometown (city, country):

Lunenburg, Massachusetts (about an hour from Boston).

Personal Website (if any):

https://ndennler.github.io/

Faculty Advisor:

Maja Mataric and Stefanos Nikolaidis

Adriana Sejfia
PhD in Computer Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The best “piece” of advice I received was from my mom. I say “piece” because it wasn’t really advice but rather the way she lived her life. She would always see the best in people and always treat them with kindness and an open mind. I try my best to live up to this advice every day.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I like to measure my accomplishments but how much I would surprise my past self. When I was in college, I would dream of doing a PhD in Computer Science in the United States. I think my younger self would be amazed by the fact I am living this dream and on top of that I am a student at USC, one of the top schools in the US and beyond.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A tote bag from Man Who Has it All, a social media account that parodies today’s gender expectations about women by turning them on their head. My tote bag says “Women will be women: rational, scientific, objective”.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it

My main research focus is in the field of secure software engineering. I am very passionate about the goal of my research: I believe that in free societies that are becoming increasingly digitized, it is our moral duty to ensure that there are strong fences that protect us from malicious entities. This is what drives me to conduct research and do a PhD. Last year I was awarded a Google PhD Fellowship for my research and that was definitely a major motivation to continue pursuing it. But in my day-to-day work, I find immense pleasure in the techniques I use: program analysis and machine learning. As a self-proclaimed data-enthusiast, I cannot wait until my analyses and experiments finish so that I can start looking at the data.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would like to be a writer. I’ve always admired the way writers can connect to so many people. For me personally, the way in which I’ve mostly been influenced has been through reading. I find the research writers do to write their books very intriguing.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The main factor was my advisor and the software engineering program; my advisor, before I even decided to come to USC, was willing to meet with me several times and discuss potential areas for research. The care he showed towards me and his knowledge about the different software engineering topics made USC a good candidate. Moreover, the USC software engineering group in general is well-regarded; I wanted to be surrounded by such smart and hard-working individuals. Lastly, before coming to USC I was living in upstate NY; the fact that USC was in Los Angeles, a place where I wouldn’t need to see snow if I didn’t want to, was a strong point in favor.

I have to say that once I moved to Los Angeles, I was very happy with the decision I made not only for the reasons I mentioned, but also because of the diversity of the city. I am so pleased to be living in a city with so many vibrant and lively communities of different ethnicities and backgrounds. The experiences (and the food!) have been life-altering.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

I love California so much that picking only three places seems impossible. I think it will be more doable if I narrow the scope of the recommendations only to Los Angeles County. The first on my list is a place that by now is probably considered a cliché, the Griffith Observatory. Despite it being so well known and at times crowded, the sunsets I’ve seen from Griffith are simply awe-inspiring. There’s something poetic about being so close to a place you can see the sky through so much technology, but also be able to enjoy the sunset just with your own eyes. You can drive up there, but I think a much better way is to hike.

The second recommendation is the Los Liones Trail in Malibu. Hiking with a view towards the Pacific Ocean is a must.

The last recommendation is for people who crave a bit of going out for coffee, chill and eating culture. I do miss this in the US, at least the way it is manifested in my home country (I have also been told from friends from the Middle East and Europe that they feel the same). The Culver Boulevard Street, my third recommendation, in Culver City satisfies that craving.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

There are a lot of memories from my time at USC that I will forever hold dear. For starters, I will forever be grateful for the friendships I made here. I will always remember fondly times with my friends where we sat at the PhD lounge to share a meal or to play a game, when we would walk to the village for a rose milk tea, or even times when we spent the whole night at the lab because we were working hard to meet a deadline.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I think one sad thing about me that surprises everyone is that throughout my life I have broken 5 different bones.

What are your plans after graduation?

Post-graduation, I want to seek a job in research. My main goal would be to continue in academia but I am open to research positions at other institutions as well.

Hometown (city, country)

I am from Pejë, Kosovo (a tiny country in the south-east of Europe).

Personal Website (if any)

https://softarch.usc.edu/~adriana

Faculty Advisor

Professor Nenad Medvidović

Abdul Qadeer
PhD in Distributed Systems

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The process of doing novel research has its specific character.Many of the incoming Ph.D. students are unaware of this process and at times no one tells us about it except leaving us to experience it head-first. Uri Alon brilliantly explained the nature and character of producing novel research in his famous Ted Talk: Why science demands a leap into the unknown (https://www.ted.com/talks/uri_alon_why_science_demands_a_leap_into_the_unknown/transcript?language=en)

Uri's advice helped me a great deal to go through research challenges and to face them with the right mindset.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My Ph.D. advisor taught me how to identify a good problem

to work on, and how to attack a problem to find possible solutions. I feel empowered because the problem-solving toolsets that we learn during our Ph.D. are also helpful in navigating the world better, and appreciating the subtle complexities of everyday problems. This new way of thinking is one of the big achievements for me.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Fortunately (or unfortunately) many Ph.D. students don't afford impulsive purchases.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research enables multiple teams of an organization to collaboratively solve bigdata problems where our system first provides a shared canvas for easy collaboration (without the need for team members to be present simultaneously), and then automatically finding duplicate processing and data production across all users. Our system removes all such duplicates, runs processing once, but gives end users an illusion as if they have their separate data. Our system also provides multiple processing abstractions that collectively enable end-users to develop a broad range of applications within a single framework. Collectively we save an organization a lot of compute and person-hours and to do more with less. (See my dissertation at: http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/digital/collection/p15799coll89/id/434881/rec/5). When I look back it excites me that how far our research has come and our software (Plumb framework) is now in production use for USC/ISI's B-Root DNS post-processing analytics.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I might be a National Park Ranger and wandering in the wilderness and appreciating the natural beauty.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Earlier I did my Masters from USC and did directed research with my current advisor (Prof. John Heidemann). When I decided to go for a Ph.D. it was an easy decision for me to go to USC due to my earlier connections and research experience.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

(1) Scenic route along Tioga Road, stop by (or swim) in Tenaya Lake

(2) Mist Falls hike at Kings Canyon National Park (its 8 miles round trip hike) Your pay off is when you reach the mist falls

(3) Los Leons trail in Pacific Palisades and then breakfast at Malibu Farm Cafe.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I spent seven magical years here and there are so many great memories and friends made here. I will miss the USC environment.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

There are very few full-nighters that I had to pull during my

tenure here as a Ph.D. student. It is a common belief that Ph.D. students need to put in as many working hours as possible, even sacrificing sleep and health. I firmly believe that a good night's sleep every day is crucial to get you going for the long run.

What are your plans after graduation?

I just graduated (May 2021). I am joining an EdTech startup (Educative Inc).

Hometown (city, country):

Lahore, Pakistan

Personal Website (if any):

https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdul-qadeer-15aab613/

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. John S. Heidemann

Abdulla Alshabanah
PhD in Computer Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

An advice I got from a 20 years chef who quit her job as she couldn’t handle the food waste. She said everyone has to work to make a living, but you also have to work to feed your soul.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Ranked among the top 30% finishers of 2020 LA Marathon.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A rocking recliner. A must during the lockdown.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

Currently I am addressing performance issues of distributed machine learning. It excites me that such a domain has applications in healthcare especially in cancer research.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would choose Psychiatry.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

PhD is an experience of a lifetime, so I wanted to pick a school that: has competitive students, excel in all of its programs, close to Silicon Valley and help its students to have a work-life balance.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), Yosemite National Park and Redwood National Park.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Listening to Dean Varun Soni’s talk quoting the famous Harvard Study of Adult Development in the alumni park at 2019 graduation ceremony, the day I got my master’s degree.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

Even though I have a mild fear of heights, I have been leading hiking groups for the past couple of years.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to pursue an academic career path back in Saudi Arabia.

Hometown (city, country):

Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Personal Website (if any):

www.linkedin.com/in/abdulla-alshabanah-548016179

Faculty Advisor:

Murali Annavaram.

Kartik Lakhotia
MS in Computer Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Best place I've been to is Phi-phi island. It's a thin strip of land with mountains, a jungle (sort of) and white sand turquoise water beaches. Extremely laid back and great Thai food.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Finishing the PhD would be a great accomplishment (hopefully happens in Fall 21). Two-three years down the lane, I felt stuck and couldn't generate new ideas to work upon. I almost quit the PhD, but my wife insisted that I continue and create a broader perspective. Thereafter, I published a few papers, two of them being in one of the highly sought after Computer Science conferences. Those two papers were great achievements given where I was coming from.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Car - I bought a Passat Diesel premium in a day. Went to dealerships, test drove some cars and got turned down on the car I actually set out to buy. Got a phone call in the evening about some deal on this other car and bought it the next morning. It turned out to be good because you get renewable diesel in California which aligns with my environmental friendly goals (still try to take public transport as much as possible).

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it

I work on parallel algorithms for graphs that model relationships in data. The algorithms I develop make it feasible to mine useful information from these abstract structures in a reasonable time. Recently, I have worked on some notorious analytics that are very difficult to parallelize. Finding new insights in them and coming up with these ideas that nobody else thought of really excites me. I also love to work on parallel computing platforms and am really amazed by how large-scale systems are built on top of them. Those are some really complex hardware+software collaborations.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

My pick for an alternate profession would be a Forest Officer in India - love outdoors, love forests andtropical forests have a lot of animal biodiversity

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I was a hardware engineer and wanted to move up the computing stack - more towards algorithms or high-level optimization. My advisor works on this mix of FPGA (hardware) + high-level optimization techniques which was quite a fit. Although in the end, I did not do any FPGA stuff in my PhD.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

I love California and absolutely love Los Angeles. Three must go places for me would be Venice beach (it's a really cool and hip place), Joshua Tree national park (best night sky I've ever seen in my life) and Idyllwild (mountains, snow, hiking, skiing, small bistros, what more does one want).

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I will certainly remember my Teaching Assistantship under Prof. Puvvada Gandhi. He works really hard for his course and expects you to do the same. Initially, it can feel like way more work than fellow TAs, but the response from him and from the students in the class is extremely rewarding. I actually used to look forward to my TA work as a source of joy.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

My love for adventure activities would surprise anyone who knows me. I am a really easy person to scare. I shout and scream when watching a horror movie or when on a(mini) roller coaster, at times to the great embarrassment of my wife. But I still love doing all of that. I mean I regret immediately once I am in that situation, but before that I really want to give it a shot. That, and tattoo :P

What are your plans after graduation?

Not much to be honest. Taking a couple of weeks break to help with my wife's residency applications and then I will be joining Intel labs. I plan to go home soon, my dog back in my hometown is growing old and I want to spend some time with her.

Hometown (city, country)

Sumerpur in Pali district, India.

Personal Website (if any)

https://kartiklakhotia.wixsite.com/mysite

Faculty Advisor

Academic Advisor - Diane Demetras
Thesis Advisor - Viktor Prasanna

Milad Pooladsanj
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

“You should not sacrifice proper education in order to make more money because, you can always make up for the money you have not earned, but you cannot do the same for the education”. This is what my dad told me once and I think it is great advice.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Being able to overcome my fear of failure.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

This is a tough one. I had many impulse purchases during Covid. But I would say my favorite one was an Apple watch!

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I try to understand whether we can use our current road systems more efficiently if the vehicles, traffic lights, etc. were more “intelligent”. Problems in this area are quite exciting because they have the potential to resolve societal-scale challenges such as traffic congestion or pollution. At the same time, they have very rich theoretical aspects.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would have probably chosen psychology or became a firefighter.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

One important factor for me was knowing that I would be working with brilliant advisors on an interesting research topic. Also, USC is a top-notch university located in a beautiful city. What else could someone ask for?!

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Los Angeles has many options to offer. Since I must pick only 3 places, I would recommend Santa Monica Pier, Griffith Observatory, and Universal Studios Hollywood to start with.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

My fondest memory of my time at USC is the networking events where I could meet talented people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. I made many connections through these events and learned a lot from them.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I once jumped off of a 30 ft waterfall.

What are your plans after graduation?

I am passionate about doing research and working on challenging problems. I also love teaching. Putting these together, I would say that I would like to pursue an academic job.

Hometown (city, country):

I was born in Mashhad, Iran.

Personal Website (if any):

Feel free to connect with me through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milad-pooladsanj

Faculty Advisor:

I have two advisors: Petros Ioannou and Ketan Savla.

Thomas Choi
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The best advice I received was not to compare myself with other people. It is easy to feel disappointed or frustrated with yourself during your PhD; your paper with a lot of effort can be rejected, rival groups may publish a better paper with a lot of citations than your paper, students who came after you might graduate faster than you, or you can feel lonely or behind in life when comparing with your friends in the workforce with high salaries. However, PhD is a rare and valuable opportunity when you can truly explore open problems which have not been addressed yet, under an advisor with extreme wealths of knowledge and experiences. While it is difficult to do so, I now try to enjoy the "process" of research as best I can, instead of focusing too much on end results - which actually improved both my everyday research quality and life quality.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I would like to think my greatest research accomplishment is still yet to come. From a career perspective, while I was never a full-time employee, I had privileges to intern in three different workplaces: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, SpaceX, and Facebook. I take pride in that my research topic is pragmatic, and I hope my research can also see its practical use in the future.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I wouldn't call it an impulse "purchase", but adopting my puppy Noir from a shelter was the best decision I have made during COVID days.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is focused on antenna deployment strategies for future wireless communications. Basically, I try to study if there are any benefits to modifying the current base station systems from being centralized (on cell towers) to distributed, experimentally. I get to design cool antenna systems and fly the drone around the campus running measurements - what else can be more fun than that?

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Probably a statistician in the field of sports statistics.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I did my undergraduate in electrical engineering at USC, and went to Georgia Tech to pursue a PhD degree in aerospace engineering. By my second year, I knew aerospace engineering was not a good fit for me, and also wanted to come back to Los Angeles to end the long distance relationship with my fiancé (girlfriend at the time). So USC was an obvious (and only) choice.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

a) Drive Sunset Blvd from downtown LA all the way to Santa Monica - you can see different parts of LA like Silver Lake, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, etc.

b) Watch sports games at Dodgers Stadium/Staples Center/Coliseum! No need to watch UCLA Bruins though.

c) Ride bikes from Fisherman's Wharf across Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito in San Francisco.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Playing intramural soccer with my lab members was very fun.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I was born in Moscow, Idaho.

What are your plans after graduation?

I would like to pursue my career in industry; I am especially interested in startup opportunities.

Hometown (city, country):

Daejeon, Korea

Personal Website (if any):

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaschoi6/

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Nf-oT6IAAAAJ&hl=en

Faculty Advisor:

Andreas F. Molisch

Digbalay Bose
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

My parents have always emphasized that even in difficult times, it’s not wise to lose patience. I guess that advice holds not just for Ph.D. but for life in general.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

During my school final year, I was selected for a young scientist program called KVPY by the Dept of Science and Technology, Govt of India. I consider that my greatest accomplishment, since it was the first time I faced a research interview conducted by eminent scientists and was able to provide satisfactory explanations.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I would say a wide-angle lens for my camera kit.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research primarily focuses on how different modalities (audio/visual/text) interact and how we can translate those interactions to understand media content like advertisements and movies from a computational perspective. I also work on developing robust machine learning based systems for clinical use-cases like automated diagnosis of facial paralysis. The exciting part about my research is the human-centered aspect, which can help in making these systems more interpretable and accessible, even in noisy real world scenarios.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would have explored photography as a profession and especially wildlife photography.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The major factor behind pursuing a PhD at USC is the opportunity to work at SAIL under Prof. Narayanan. SAIL has a rich history of working on diverse applications, cross-cutting the domains of healthcare, multimodal signal processing and affective computing. Further, Los Angeles being a vibrant city to live in also contributed to my choice.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

In Los Angeles, I would recommend Last Bookstore and Kenneth Hahn Park. Among national parks, Yosemite is a must visit.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

One memory that would definitely be on my mind is attending the on-campus Los Angeles Times Festival of Books in 2019. It was a great experience interacting with different authors and publishers during the festival. Hope to see it on-campus once the pandemic is over.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I can sketch animated characters pretty well.

What are your plans after graduation?

I would be interested in joining the industry and if possible, work in close collaboration with the medical community to develop accessible AI-based systems for widespread use.

Hometown (city, country)

Kolkata, India

Personal Website (if any)

I am active on twitter (@digbose92)

Faculty Advisor

Prof. Shrikanth Narayanan

Seyedeh Hanieh Hashemi
PhDin Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

When you make a mistake, if you can fix it, you don't need to worry about it. But if you can’t, eat as much as ice cream you want. It always helps!  

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I was born and raised in a small city in Iran. I'm proud of myself for moving to the US on my own, starting with almost nothing and building this beautiful life thousands of miles away from home. Other than that, I could find a good work-life balance during my Ph.D. life. I would say enjoying my life while having accomplishments in my academic career is another one of my greatest achievements.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

My impulse trip to Costa Rica. It was worth every penny.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is on Data Privacy for Machine Learning. I am excited that I work on an ethical problem that is one of the biggest challenges in the tech world these days. Protecting people's information can have a huge impact on our society.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Marketing Specialist, Fashion designer!

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The fellowship offer from USC made it easier for me to decide on my Ph.D. group and project with more flexibility. Also, life and weather in LA were some of the important factors for me to choose USC. I believe I made the right decision because I could find the Ph.D. project that excites me and I never felt bored (or cold) in LA.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Yosemite, Griffith Observatory, Big Sur .

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

ECE department events specially ECE retreat in Palms springs a couple of months before the pandemic starts.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I have 55 cousins.

What are your plans after graduation?

I will take a 3 months break that includes traveling to my favorite destinations, and planning my wedding ceremony. Hopefully, after the 3 months, I will start my full-time job on one of the best teams in the world working on data privacy methods for machine learning.

Hometown (city, country):

Yazd, Iran.

Personal Website (if any):

https://twitter.com/hashemi_hanie

Faculty Advisor:

Murali Annavaram.

Sasindu Kangara Mudiyanselage
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

To believe in me through the ups and downs in life. Because if I don’t believe in myself, then no one will.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I received a full scholarship to pursue my education at a top middle/high school in my home country at age 10. It gave me a chance to shape my future as it is now.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Fitbit.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My current research involves developing parallel algorithms for applications with a bottleneck in accessing the memory. I mainly focus on application areas with sparse algebra, including tensor decomposition and graph analytics. I also map the parallel algorithms onto accelerator platforms such as FPGAs and GPUs. The usability of this work in real-world applications is the most exciting factor in my research.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

A Cricket player (Even though I have zero talent in this sport).

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

As an undergraduate student, I read some interesting papers published by the FPGA/Parallel Computing Lab, USC. Also, I found out the unique exposure that USC graduate students have towards experimenting with cutting-edge technologies. Those factors pushed me to pursue my PhD at USC.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

1. Yosemite National Park
2. Los Liones Canyon Trail + Santa Monica beach
3. Dinner outside In-N-Out, next to LAX (Remind me of how nervous I was when I first land in LA)

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I cannot pinpoint a single event. But I like to make friends with students from all around the world. In general, I love to listen to their experiences and stories.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I am good at making traditional Sri Lankan food.

What are your plans after graduation?

I have several ideas in my mind now. In all those cases, my ultimate goal is to make significant contributions to my current research field.

Hometown (city, country):

Country: Sri Lanka
City: Kegalle

Personal Website (if any):

https://kangaram.wixsite.com/personal

Faculty Advisor:

Professor Viktor Prasanna

Karel Mundnich
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

"In any [kind of] relationship with another person, the only thing you can change is yourself."

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Understanding that a life without kindness and compassion towards yourself and others is meaningless. This is connected to one of my favorite quotes from Richard Feynman:

“The highest forms of understanding we can achieve are laughter and human compassion.”

― Richard P. Feynman

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I don’t have any, which makes for a boring answer. I think and consider my needs (possibly too much) before I buy anything.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

At USC I focused on behavioral aspects of human-centered machine learning. I worked on a project related to understanding work performance, as well as affect and other behavioral states of people in a demanding workplace setting. My thesis was related to processing input from people when asked about subjective constructs, so that we can learn from these. What I find exciting about it is to be able to think about complex behaviors and simplify aspects of them to the point where we can mathematically model them, and therefore infer, predict, or learn from them.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Something related to the outdoors and traveling. Maybe landscape photographer.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

USC has some unique research areas at Viterbi, together with strong programs and good classes that allow you to master the fundamentals. These traits brought USC into my consideration.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

I could go for known places (Big Sur, Yosemite), so I’ll go for the road less traveled: Trinity Alps as well as Desolation Wilderness in the Lake Tahoe area. A third place is an Italian Deli in Little Italy in San Francisco with the best gelato I’ve found outside of Europe, which seems to have no name (it does have one).

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

The sense of family and support found in our lab, SAIL.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

However, I’ll say that I have a published photo in one of NatGeo’s magazines.

What are your plans after graduation?

I started working at Amazon Web Services as an Applied Scientist. Before joining Amazon, I was able to travel a little, including a short trip to Alaska.

Hometown (city, country):

Santiago, Chile.

Personal Website (if any):

https://kmundnic.github.io

Faculty Advisor:

Shri Narayanan.

Rimita Lahiri
PhD in Electrical

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Once my father told me, "Do your own work, what you are supposed to do, the rest will eventually fall in place, sometimes early, sometimes late, but it will definitely", this is something I strongly believe in.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My family was going through a financial crisis during my undergrad days, so coming out strong after that and continuing my education was my greatest accomplishment so far.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I got myself a pair of dumbbells for training during the pandemic.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research interests include deep learning and machine learning with applications in speech and language processing related tasks. Currently I work on developing solutions based on machine learning and deep learning algorithms for understanding human behavior in a better way. I work on creating computational systems for discovery and translation in Autism Spectrum Disorder, for doing my research I actually go through a lot of video segments of children with an ASD diagnosis and a clinician for analyzing those video sessions. In the process, I always end up getting to know different aspects of the communication difficulties associated with ASD and understand them.The kind of research I do actually helps me in understanding different human behavior and also develop empathy for humankind.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

It has to be something associated with food, may be a chef, I still want to start a restaurant someday.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Honestly, the research work carried out in the labs, the course and the exposure were definitely important factors, apart from that, southern California weather and obviously staying in LA was also a factor.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Santa Monica and possibly watching the sunset there, hiking to Griffith observatory and watching city lights, Santa Barbara.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Research festival in MHI, I got to know a lot of folks and their journey so far.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

Initially it takes time, but once I am familiar, I usually talk a lot, not sure if that is enough surprising...:P

What are your plans after graduation?

I would like to continue working on diverse problems that can actually help the society to grow.

Hometown (city, country):

Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Faculty Advisor:

Shrikanth Narayanan

Filipe Vital
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

To hang in there. Sometimes things are difficult, but it was also tough to get where you are, so you might as well keep at it a bit longer.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Surviving the PhD.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Several bottles of passion fruit juice. That certainly makes life better, no clue why I hadn't done that yet.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I work with integrating parking information into route and schedule optimization for long-haul trucking. Basically, I develop algorithms to help truck drivers plan their trips so that they can find safe parking locations and get proper rest while keeping costs low. I also study how to efficiently use electric vehicles for long-haul trucking and ways to coordinate truck parking demand to avoid parking shortages. I find it rewarding that improvements could significantly impact individuals (e.g., drivers’ safety and quality of life) and society (e.g., fewer accidents, pollution).

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

A pilot.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The labs had interesting research topics, and LA's weather is really nice.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Huntington Gardens, Getty Center, Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

My time at USC's Archery club. It was a great place to make friends, and competing was pretty fun too.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I went to a military high school.

What are your plans after graduation?

I'll look for a job in the industry. And hopefully get a long-awaited vacation.

Hometown (city, country):

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Personal Website (if any):

https://www.linkedin.com/in/filipe-vital-b521a611/

Faculty Advisor:

Petros Ioannou.

Juan Garcia Nila
PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Never surrender, keep fighting.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Being accepted in an American university.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

My tablet. I was considering buying an IPad just for fun, but I have been using it for all my ONLINE classes at USC.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I am involved in Quantum Information Processing and specifically in Quantum Steganography and Continuous Measurement.

In simple words, a quantum computer protocol could break any encryption system used nowadays. Steganography is the process to hide information inside an innocuous message, like hiding your SSN inside a Da Vinci's painting. Also I am interested in quantum continuous measurements, in which I basically study the interactions of a quantum state with the environment. I also find exciting how people are interested in these topics, maybe having misunderstandings about it, and how they keep asking questions about the applications of quantum systems.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Maybe dramatic arts or history. I am a passionate about theater productions and of course the unraveling of history.

Also I have interest on psychology, I would love someday to read literature about this.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I won a scholarship called Opportunity funds, for Mexican students who want to pursue a degree at an American university. They out me in contact with the University of Southern California. I was accepted in some other universities, but I love Los Ángeles and I met my advisor Todd Brun, whose research interests align with mine.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Santa Monica beach,

Exposition Park,

Griffiths Observatory

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I haven't been at USC campus since I was accepted as an online student because of the pandemic. But a time I will cherish is joining USC Quest Queers in Science, Engineering and Tech. We are a group of friends supporting other LGBTQA+ students focusing on making professional or informal entertaining events in STEM.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I used to speak a little Japanese and I come from Iztapalapa, Mexico.

What are your plans after graduation?

Pursuing a Postdoc or joining a Data Science job. I would like to be a Professor at my home country university at Mexico. However, the ivory tower seems sometimes to high!

Hometown (city, country):

Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico

Personal Website (if any):

https://www.linkedin.com/in/juan-garc%C3%ADa-nila-20ba06187

Faculty Advisor:

Todd A. Brun

Rodrigo Lobos
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

My advisor gave me one piece of advice that I always remember: "Life is too short to work with people who don't respect you". Maybe he used other words, but it was something similar.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Coming to the United States by myself and starting a life far away from the support of my family and friends.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I bought an electric guitar! It was an impulse purchase, but it really helped me during the pandemic.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

In very simple words, I use mathematics to improve images generated with MRI scanners. For me the whole research process behind new ideas is always exciting. What starts as an idea while you are having your morning coffee, is then converted into equations, then you test that idea in your computer, and then you implement that idea in a real MRI scanner. This process can take months, or even years, but nothing is invented and perfected at the same time.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

High-school teacher. Teaching is one of my passions, and fortunately I had the opportunity to teach high-school students in the past. I'm very grateful for that time, where I was able to learn how to connect with the students to understand their needs. That is something that has really helped me as a TA during grad school.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

My current advisor helped me from the very beginning, and he was very open about what working with him would be like. The potential research lines were fascinating, and the classes offered were exactly what I needed. All the faculties were world-class researchers, and I knew I was going to have the opportunity to learn from the best in my field.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

The Grand Central Market is one of my favorite places in LA. You have food from all over the world, and it is such a nice experience. The Last Bookstore is another place that I always enjoy going to. The Art District is another good place to hang out with friends after a research week. All these places are 10 minutes driving distance from USC, so you're welcome!

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I'm a caffeine addict, so having my morning coffee at the RTH cafeteria was part of my daily routine. People at that place knew me very well, and my coffee was ready before ordering it! I always had a laugh with the staff, and they helped me to distract my mind from research. At that place I also had profound and long conversations with my colleagues about research, which ended up turning into scientific publications. Some ideas written down in napkins turned into very cool inventions.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I'm very into functional fitness and olympic weightlifting, and I try to practice them at least 5 times a week. They have helped me tremendously during my PhD, since you develop a mentality which is really useful for research. You have to be always pushing yourself, you have to be disciplined, and you have to execute everything with perfect technique. If you think about it, these are three principles that many researchers follow in science.

What are your plans after graduation?

I'll be applying to postdoc positions with the intention of continuing an academic career.

Hometown (city, country):

Santiago, Chile.

Personal Website (if any):

https://ralobos.github.io

Faculty Advisor:

.Justin Haldar

Mustafa Altay Karamuftuoglu
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

You can do anything you set your mind to. Even if the progress that we make is not completely in the right direction or its speed is not as we expected, we should believe in ourselves and keep moving forward.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

One of the circuit designs had a problem that we didn’t realize while I was with my previous research team. Two days before the chip tape-out deadline, we realized the mistake, and I had to find another solution. It was so overwhelming to handle but within the same day, I came up with a solution. I redesigned the related part of the circuit and made it ready for the fabrication. Since we sent the tape-out to Japan for fabrication, this helped us to save time and money. Upon obtaining the fabricated chip, I performed experiments and obtained the same results like in the simulations.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I didn’t do any due to the pandemic. I guess it would normally be something related to electronics.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is mainly about the design of low power VLSI circuits and systems. I like running simulations and drawing custom circuit layouts. To be specific, I am currently working on superconducting neural network implementations. The feeling of creating something from scratch and learning new things about my field of study is what motivates me to conduct research.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would choose to be a doctor or probably anything in the medical field. With the pandemic, we also see how important their role is in our lives.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The faculty members here have amazing achievements and knowledge. Looking at the list of their publications has given me a sense that continuing my research and education at USC is a great match for my interests. Given the information on the department’s webpage, I easily accessed a variety of resources that guided me to find out more about the expectations.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

The first place would be Universal Studios Hollywood for the unique experience since I like theme parks in general. Santa Monica Pier is a beautiful place to go and walk around. For delicious food, I would recommend them to visit some restaurants around Koreatown.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

It would be the time that I spend conducting research with great professors and colleagues to overcome the difficulties. It is an incomparable experience. The welcoming environment gives me the feeling that I fit in here well.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I eat a lot. It might not be shown.

What are your plans after graduation?

I would like to be involved in research in my field of study since it is my passion, and of course get a job that is related to my interest as well.

Hometown (city, country):

I am from a small city called Osmaniye, Turkey.

Personal Website (if any):

https://www.linkedin.com/in/altaykaramuftuoglu/

Faculty Advisor:

Massoud Pedram.

Yinghua Hu
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Think twice before you take action.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Ph.D. is not an easy profession, which I did not fully realize before joining. My greatest accomplishment is my perseverance to the goal of finishing my Phd.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I purchased a car before the price started to sharply increase during the pandemic.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it

Integrated Circuits (IC) are everywhere in our daily lives, such as the chip in our smartphone, laptop, and cars, and have made our lives better than ever before. My research interest is focused on hardware security. More specifically, I work on the development of efficient countermeasures against any types of reverse engineering of IC that can potentially lead to IP piracy or hardware Trojan insertion. I like this line of research as it makes me feel accomplished to help address real-life threats.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would be a singer or linguist, both of which are my current hobbies.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

USC Viterbi’s ranking is among the top 10 in the US. The research expenses and funding are sufficient. In addition, I find my advisor a perfect match to do research based on my research interest. I also find Los Angeles a diversified and dynamic city that is comfortable for a foreign student to live in. Many good Chinese restaurants are around

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Universal Studios, Yosemite National Park, San Diego Sea World.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I met my wife here in my first year at USC.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I recently learned to whistle out Chopin’s Nocturne.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to continue working on hardware security research topics, either in a research university or at a research lab.

Hometown (city, country)

Yangquan, China.

Faculty Advisor

Pierluigi Nuzzo.

Rezwan Rasul
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Done is better than perfect.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

To pursue the undergraduate degree in a foreign country in a new language (Japanese), which I learnt for only a year before.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Nothing, not much of an impulsive buyer.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I focus on the analog and mixed-signal implementation of the building blocks of deep-learning algorithm. An alternative approach to the conventional digital implementation found in the CPU, this design approach has potential to reduce the high energy and throughput cost of the learning algorithm. The specialized processor, aka accelerator, can eventually translate into orders of magnitude energy saving, which can bring the algorithm in edge devices and may even have environmental impact, i.e., significant reduction in the carbon footprint of this algorithm.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Fiction writer.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

1: I attended a seminar at Tokyo in 2015 about the graduate study opportunity at USC. The seminar along with a small chat with Ms. Lee, the speaker, was the first time I came to know about the Viterbi graduate program in detail, which later influenced me to apply to the school. 2. The beautiful USC campus located in Los Angeles, a major happening city in the world. 3. The fact that USC offers guaranteed funding for a PhD student, which provides mental peace to continue the research endeavor.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Joshua Tree National park, Malibu beach, Hollywood

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

The friends I have made both in and out of the research group. I had many engaging discussions on diverse topics with my lab-mates late at night on the way to Starbucks close to the Leavey Library. I also played football with my friends in the University village which I will cherish as a wonderful memory.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I am a decent cook, and as per my friends, my mushroom sauté tastes delicious (or maybe they were just being nice).

What are your plans after graduation?

Pursue a career in cutting-edge industry or academic research.

Hometown (city, country):

I grew up in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh.

Faculty Advisor:

Mike Shuo-Wei Chen

Baishakhi Rani Biswas
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Always listen to your heart.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

In my grade 5, I participated in a national scholarship program back in my home country. It was a competitive scholarship, and nobody really expected me to receive it. It was surprising for all when I received the scholarship, and it was a turning point for my academic career. I started to discover my potential and became much more focused on my studies. There were many more academic accomplishments for me later but the first one will always be special.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

My vacuum robot cleaner. It’s an amazing time-saving device and I just love it.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I am currently working on building logic circuits from emerging devices like Memristor. I have built an automatic enumerator and simulator tool that can discover new efficient digital logic cells and families. The exciting part is that while researchers and scientists discover digital logic cells by manual explorations, my tool can discover the same cells automatically in a very limited time. We plan to apply this method to future emerging technologies.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would have loved to work in marketing or business promotion.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

USC is one of the top ranked schools in Electrical Engineering and there are a lot of renowned professors here who are working in digital circuit and CAD/VLSI area. So, USC has always been a top choice for me. Apart from that, I wanted to live in a beautiful place like California and the weather here is very similar to my homeland. In Los Angeles, we have a lot of Bangladeshi restaurants. As I am very fond of my country's food, I took no time to choose USC as my PhD destination.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Yosemite national park, Big Bear Lake, San Diego Beaches.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Weekend late night board games with my friends here in USC. Some of the exciting games we play are Avalon, Pictionary etc.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I confidently try new activities or games and kill it.

What are your plans after graduation?

I am very passionate about teaching and interacting with students. I plan to become a teaching faculty after my graduation.

Hometown (city, country):

Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Personal Website (if any):

https://sites.google.com/view/baishakhi-rani-biswas/home?authuser=0

Faculty Advisor:

Sandeep Gupta

Subrata Das
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Stop stressing and start counting your blessings.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I think that my greatest accomplishment so far is to avail the opportunity to pursue PhD in one of the top universities of the US. Despite lots of constraints, my middle-class family of a developing country supported me to accomplish my limitless interest to pursue higher studies.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

My favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months is a dishwasher for my mother which made her smile from ear to ear.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research group has recently demonstrated that a semiconductor–insulator–graphene device can drive the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at the graphene surface with a reduced onset potential by injecting hot electrons into graphene. However, the catalytic properties of graphene were limited by the large hydrogen adsorption energy and lack of electrochemically active sites. My research interest is to further fabricate/develop novel semiconductor–insulator–graphene devices with the desired catalytic properties by enhancing electrochemically active edge sites on the graphene. I am highly intrigued by the extraordinary electronic, chemical, mechanical, thermal and optical properties of two-dimensional graphene and its promising potential as energy-storage materials, in nanoelectronics, in catalysis, and many more.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would happily choose to be a teacher at a kindergarten or elementary school.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The main factor that motivated me to pursue my PhD at USC is its state-of-the-art research facilities. In addition, the word-class faculty, cutting-edge graduate program, ethnic inclusiveness, great network of alumni and the amazing location of the school helped me decide.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Griffith Observatory, Yosemite National Park, and Big Bear Lake.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

During the one year I have been in USC, I had to attend all the classes and programs online due to the pandemic. Even then I got the opportunity to participate in lots of fun-games and exciting events arranged by the ECE department and USC Viterbi School of Engineering's Office of Admission & Student Engagement (VASE). Among this experience, the memory which I’ll cherish most is winning the BINGO game with my ECE big sister at the ECE PhD Siblings Kick Off Party and winning prizes.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

The power of my imagination, speculation and priority selection

What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation I want to join academia to support young fellows to build their meaningful careers.

Hometown (city, country):

Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Faculty Advisor:

Professor Rehan Kapadia

Aristotelis - Angelos Papadopoulos
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Here, I would like to share a quote from the great Stephen Hawking: “However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. While there is life, there is hope.”

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment was getting admitted at USC for PhD studies. This is mainly because the selection process is highly competitive since you have to stand out among thousands of international students who apply for graduate studies at USC.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A sky galaxy projector that I ordered from Amazon.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research interests lie in the fields of Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Optimization and Game Theory. In my latest research results, we designed a machine learning algorithm that can learn the routing preferences of individual drivers. Subsequently, a routing optimization algorithm assigns the drivers into the traffic network in a way that the total travel time of the network is minimized while at the same time, all drivers are given routes according to their personal routing preferences. What really excites me about my research is the fact that the solution to this problem can have a positive impact on people’s lives.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would choose to be a doctor because from an early age, I wanted to pursue a profession that would allow me to make a positive impact on people’s lives.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

There were several factors that helped me decide to pursue my PhD at USC. First, USC is one of the top engineering schools where you have the chance to be taught by world renowned professors. Second, USC ranks among the top universities in the US for student diversity. As an international student, USC made me feel included. Lastly, USC is located in Los Angeles, California. Apart from the beach and the sunny weather, living in California is the dream for many engineers who want to live in the heart of technology and innovation.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

The world famous Santa Monica pier. The ocean view and the sunset from the pier are really nice.
The second place is Venice beach. Riding a bike in Venice beach is one of my favorite things to do in LA.
Lastly, I would also recommend Griffith Observatory. You can have an amazing view of Los Angeles and realize how big this city truly is.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

First, USC felt like a “home away from home” since it really cares about its international students. Second, I’ll always remember all the brilliant minds that I met here, both faculty and students. Lastly, I will never forget the statue of Tommy Trojan and the quote “Fight on!”.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I love watching NYC apartment tours on Youtube.

What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation, I plan to work as a research scientist in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning. My ultimate goal as an engineer is to make a positive impact on society.

Hometown (city, country):

I was born and raised in Athens, Greece.

Personal Website (if any):

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aristotelisangelospapadopoulos6b25a8113

Website: https://aristotelispap.github.io

Faculty Advisor:

Professor Petros Ioannou

Muhammad Waqas
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Instead of procrastinating on some very revolutionary idea, focus on research problems that are just outside your comfort zone. Slowly and consistently push yourself beyond your comfort zone.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest achievement is that I have won the Fulbright scholarship.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I purchased a car without doing any due diligence and just trusted my guts. It turned out to be a good decision.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I am working in Control Systems, Formal Methods, Autonomous Vehicles, and Advanced Driving Assistance Systems. The main goal of my research is to make autonomous vehicles safe, reliable, and efficient.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would choose to become a lawyer in the field of human rights and international law.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I choose Viterbi School of Engineering at USC as it is one of the most prestigious universities in the world. I wanted to join the research in Autonomous Vehicles at the USC Center of Advanced Transporation Technologies led by Prof. Petros Ioannou.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

California is full of beautiful places. It is very hard to choose. I highly recommend new students to San Francisco, Santa Monica, and Palm Springs. San Francisco is one of my cities in California.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

The enrichment seminar organized by Fulbright Association is one of my favorite memories at USC.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I run sub 60min 10k three times a week. I did a dual degree program MS EE along with a bachelor's in Law.

What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation, I want to work in the industry in the field of Autonomous Vehicles.

Hometown (city, country):

Sadiqabad, Punjab, Pakistan.

Personal Website (if any):

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwaqassandhu/

Faculty Advisor:

Petros A. Ioannou

Chien-Sheng Yang
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

No pain no gain.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My paper was the best paper award finalist in MobiHoc 2019.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

It was a Sony WH-1000XM4 headphone.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research interests are mainly on modern large-scale distributed computing, and secure/private computing. In particular, I have developed online scheduling policies for both dispersed computing and distributed coded computing networks to support the intensive real-time machine learning computations on tremendous data usages and communications for edge devices in IoT (Edge computing). Moreover, I also focus on designing new approaches for secure aggregation in federated learning. It is exciting to work on the problems which are imperative to edge computing. I believe that the results of my research make substantial contributions to the era of Big Data (need intensive real-time computation) and help developing 5G (allow tremendous data usages and communications for mobile devices).

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would choose mathematics

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

First, USC is located in Los Angeles, one of the biggest cities on the west coast. Second, the Viterbi engineering school at USC is top engineering in the states. Lastly, the faculties in the department of electrical and computer engineering are really outstanding.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

(1) Getty Center

(2) Santa Monica

(3) Griffith Observatory

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I really cherish the time that I can discuss with my colleagues for research in school. I can always learn a lot from them.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I have liked the Lakers since I was a kid. It is kind of destined for me to study at USC.

What are your plans after graduation?

I will be joining MediaTek as a senior engineer.

Hometown (city, country):

New Taipei City, Taiwan

Personal Website (if any):

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chien-sheng-yang-63b213b5/

Faculty Advisor:

Professor Salman Avestimehr.

Yongkui Tang
PhD in Electrical and Electronics Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Never stop learning.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Getting my PhD degree after seven years of hard work.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A robot vacuum cleaner/mop with an auto-empty station that I bought last Black Friday. Saves so much time and effort on cleaning.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is mainly about creating miniaturized devices that could generate and modulate acoustic or ultrasonic waves. What excites me about my research is that through thoughtful engineering, these invisible waves could unfold numerous possibilities when used as powerful and versatile tools in a wide range of applications such as cancer treatment, neuromodulation, droplet ejection, contactless manipulation of objects, and acoustic propulsion.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

A botanist. I used to be really into plants and I could name most of the common plants in my hometown.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

World-renowned academic traditions, great environment and climate, culture diversity and inclusion

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

(1) The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens; (2) The Getty Center; (3) Joshua Tree National Park.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

One night before an important deadline the equipment I was using stopped working. I called another PhD student at 2 AM who lent me their lab's equipment and delivered it to me. I was extremely grateful for the help in need.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

The fact that I have a collection of over 150 CDs and vinyl records, and at one time I owned four Guitars.

What are your plans after graduation?

To continue my research as a postdoctoral researcher in University of California, Santa Barbara.

Hometown (city, country):

Changsha City, Hunan Province, China.

Personal Website (if any):

https://sites.google.com/usc.edu/yongkui-tang

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Eun Sok Kim.

Lucine Oganesian
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Listen to everyone; trust your gut. Another piece of advice I got from multiple people before starting graduate school was the importance of having at least one hobby that I maintained consistently throughout my PhD. The reasoning a lot of people gave was two-fold: 1) working all the time won't necessarily help with progress so breaks are important, and 2) research is non-linear and getting stuck is inevitable, but having a different activity where it feels like there is progress helps balance out the frustration.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I don't think there's any particular accomplishment I consider to be my greatest. Each accomplishment is its own milestone, a byproduct of effort and labor. To name a few that probably stand out the most: the first time I presented my research as an undergraduate; when the first (and only) consumer product I worked on shipped (didn't appreciate this achievement until I saw some of my close friends using the product); my first abstract submission to a professional academic conference as a graduate student; and the first time I landed a proper au de coluna and macaco (acrobatic movements from capoeira).

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Kicking pads for training capoeira.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research involves developing algorithms for modelling and decoding neural dynamics. The statistical and mathematical tools that I work on can be used in neurotechnology, with potential clinical applications (e.g., decoding neural activity to control prosthetics), and in neuroscience research to study cognitive processes. My work excites me in two regards: 1) the mathematical toolkit I get to use on a day-to-day basis, and 2) the potential clinical applications of my models/algorithms, whether it be for actuating motor prosthetics or for emotional rehabilitation.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

That's a tough one..... At this stage in my life I would have to say either an animator / comic book artist, or a high-school math teacher.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Two factors: the research and the people. Coming back to school from industry, these were probably the two most important factors for me. I wanted to do research that I was excited about, and USC offered a lot of really excellent research opportunities -- work that I could steadfastly commit to over the next few years. Secondly, the people I work with and the community I am a part of also largely impacts my day-to-day motivation. Sometimes work becomes grueling -- especially when stuck on a problem; having motivated, supportive, and compassionate peers helps me push through these difficult moments.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

The Last Bookstore, Joshua Tree National Park, Griffith Park / Griffith Observatory.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

It's not a particularly extravagant memory, but it would have to be the first time I went to my lab as a graduate student. My first year as a USC student was remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and since our group is a computational group we did not need to be in the office to do our work. So, the first time I went to my lab room and picked out my office desk was definitely an exciting moment for me.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

Difficult question! Depends on one's expectations. Hmmm... I guess some individuals find it surprising that I grew up in LA, but I never tried Korean BBQ in Korea Town.

What are your plans after graduation?

Current plan is to stay on the academia track: work as a postdoctoral researcher before transitioning to a faculty position at a research university. The goal is to lead my own lab, while also teaching.

Hometown (city, country):

Glendale, California, USA.

Personal Website (if any):

lucineoganesian.com

Faculty Advisor:

Professor Maryam Shanechi,

Yue (Julien) Niu
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

When I was taking EE503 (Probability for Electrical and Computer Engineers), Professor Bart Kosko said “You earn the knowledge by proving it yourself everyday”. This is the most valuable advice I have got so far. As a graduate student, not only do we need to think about what problems to be solved, but also to equip ourselves with sound and solid fundamentals. Otherwise, we are just scratching the surface.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

The most exciting thing I have done so far is to work as a TA in EE 354 (Introduction to Digital Circuits). Teaching younger students and learning the feedback from them really helped me improve my communication skills and thinking process.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A Guitar

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I am working on privacy-preserving machine learning (ML). In training ML models, we usually need to feed the models with a large dataset that sometimes contains sensitive information. The project I am working on is to protect the sensitive data when using them to train ML models.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I will choose a history related topic! I am always a history fan.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

USC creates a very supportive environment for graduate students. When I was once struggling with my PhD life, the department and my advisor really listened to my difficulties and gave valuable suggestions.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Malibu Beach, Sequoia NP, Venice Beach

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

The most valuable experience I still remember now is talking and drinking with a couple of close friends over the whole night.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I like Kart Racing.

What are your plans after graduation?

Seek a research position, better in colleges, but companies are also fine.

Hometown (city, country):

Anhui, China.

Personal Website (if any):

https://julienniu.wordpress.com/

Faculty Advisor:

Salman Avestimehr (Electrical and Computer Engineering)

Emir Ceyani
PhD in Electrical and Electronics Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

If you aren't satisfied with yourself, be brave and bold to change it! Go beyond your limits, Stand firm, and never give up! Resolute perseverance is the key to conquer your limits and everything else in the world!

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Starting my Ph.D. at USC during COVID-19 times & uncertainties with the US Border in December 2020. These uncontrollable events solidified my determination more than ever it is. When you accomplish things that are beyond your control, rewards are beyond your imagination!

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Interestingly, nothing.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is about understanding a new machine learning paradigm, federated learning, pioneered by Google, from a probabilistic perspective. This new paradigm allows practitioners to deploy their algorithms under challenging scenarios where privacy and decentralization of data are absolute such as smartphones, IoT devices, and hospitals. The exciting part of my research is that the years of knowledge and notions accumulated for machine learning research are not translative to my research field. That is, you have to defy common assumptions in the classical works and have to think from different, yet unexpected perspectives. Things deemed to be inefficient or unpopular may shine in my field.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

A singer in a rock band. You have to convey your enthusiasm even in challenging times. You have to rise and shine like a phoenix. (Note: My favorite band is TOOL)

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

First reason is thanks to my advisor, Prof. Salman Avestimehr, and his vITAL lab at USC. Being able to contribute to a new field with an innovative role model was and still is one of the breakthroughs in my life! Second and my final reason is Los Angeles itself, the city that I wanted to live in for a long time!

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

1. Griffith Observatory
2. Malibu
3. Venice Beach

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Going to dinner at Prof. Annavaram's house to celebrate my first paper submission to a top-tier machine learning conference in June 2021.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I used to have a red-black belt in Taekwondo.

What are your plans after graduation?

To be a role model, conveying my enthusiasm to solve challenging problems and being a real example for many people who had many struggles in their lives. I want to show that pure determination can change ourselves and the world we live in! For this, I still haven't decided on whether I want to be an academician or a research scientist. Why not both?

Hometown (city, country):

Izmir, Turkey

Personal Website (if any):

https://ceyani.io

Faculty Advisor:

Professor Salman Avestimehr

Yun Cheng Wang
PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I consider pursuing a PhD degree as my greatest accomplishment right now because it requires lots of work but the rewards are also satisfying.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I decided to spend less money at Starbucks and bought a portable coffee machine but I still went to Starbucks once in a while.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is to use mathematical tools and machine learning models to discover underlying facts in relational data, such as web pages and user profiles. There are a lot of applications in my research. For example, Google uses it to rank web pages for Google search. Another more exciting application recently is that scientists are developing Covid vaccine by modeling the Covid spike protein as relational data.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I once had the impulse to be a physicist and an astronaut after watching the movie “Interstellar”. I was fascinated by space travel and I wanted to discover the mystery of the origin of time.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

First of all, I think finding an advisor that you have a good time collaborating with is very important for a PhD student. I like how my current advisor runs the lab and I am interested in the research topic we are working on. Secondly, I like LA.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Griffith Observatory is definitely the first place to visit when you are in LA. You can enjoy the best sunset and night view there. There are also many hiking trails to go on the weekends. If you like to spend time in art museums, I recommend the Getty Center. They also have a beautiful garden to take pictures in. If you want to enjoy some local foods and shopping, you should visit the farmer’s market and The Grove.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

What I like about USC is the diversity of the students. I have friends from Korea, China, India, and Vietnam. We study together and we like to hang out on the weekends. My Korean friend always shows us authentic Korean foods in Korean Town.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I like to sing rap songs lol.

What are your plans after graduation?

I would like to join the industry first because I think it’s the most direct way to contribute to human society. Besides, it’s important to know the trends and needs of the customers in my field. After several years, I might consider becoming a professor in my home country, Taiwan, to educate the next generation.

Hometown (city, country):

I am from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, a beautiful port city.

Personal Website (if any):

https://yunchengwang.github.io/

Faculty Advisor:

Professor C.-C. Jay Kuo

Souvik Kundu
PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

If you don't give up you can't fail.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

To have a mindset of continual learning without having the hindrance due to the pride of success, superiority (or depression of failure), or lethargy of aging. From a materialistic aspect, I have a few: 1. USC Annenberg Fellow, 2. USC MHI scholar finalist, 3. USC research festival best poster award winner, 4. Departmental topper at IIT Kharagpur, India. All accomplishments are close to my heart, so could not rank them :(

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A flight ticket to Salt-lake city (Utah), for a trip to Yellowstone National Park. The trip was made during the beginning of Summer 2021. FYI, it was one of the best national parks I had ever visited. A must-go place in the USA for nature lovers.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

With the ubiquitous deployment of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) enabled devices in our surroundings, three major issues are getting more and more prominent :1. The arduous energy demand of such devices makes a heavy carbon footprint in our environment. 2. The reliability and robustness of these devices, particularly, for safety-critical applications (for example military drones, autonomous vehicles), 3. The privacy-preserving aspect of these devices while deployed for private applications (for example medical usage). My research on "Hardware-algorithm co-design for energy-efficient and reliable Machine Learning (ML) accelerators" using both conventional and brain-inspired neuromorphic approaches aim at addressing all the above-mentioned issues. In particular, the potential to make an immense and significant impact on improving our own day-to-day life and making a sustainable future really makes me excited and motivated in my research. For further details and collaboration opportunities, I am reachable through email: souvikku@usc.edu.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Maybe a park ranger, given my huge love for national parks and traveling in general.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

USC has one of the best Ph.D. programs in Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Science in the world. The research community here at USC is pretty strong and extremely motivated. Also, various collaborations with both Govt agencies like NSF, DARPA as well as Industry leaders like Amazon, Intel, Microsoft, Nvidia makes USC provide us a truly world-class research platform. And last but not the least, the wonderful weather and beaches of Southern California. :)

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

It is a pretty hard job to limit my choice to three. So, I will mention two and keep the third one as a journey instead of a destination. 1. Yosemite National Park (CA) -- a wonderful place for camping as well, 2. Venice Beach, LA -- a must-visit place for summer chill-out (there are many others.. haha.. :)), 3. A drive along the pacific coast highway -- one of a kind experience, particularly, for long-drive lovers.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

"My time at USC". The whole Ph.D. journey, the success, the failure, the learning will remain as memory and give me strength for my future endeavor.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I have a unicorn at my place. Lol, kidding! I don't really have anything to surprise as such. However, one fact about me is that I never thought of doing a Ph.D. till 3 months before my application for Ph.D. at USC.

What are your plans after graduation?

Working as a researcher in Industry with close collaboration with Academia or vice versa.

Hometown (city, country):

City: Kolkata (renowned as the city of joy in India)
Country: India.

Personal Website (if any):

https://ksouvik52.github.io/

Faculty Advisor:

I am advised by two extremely supportive and prolific professors of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at USC: 1. Prof. Peter A. Beerel and 2. Prof. Massoud Pedram.

Nikhil Naik
PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The best piece of advice I have ever received is to Fight On! To carry on, to keep forging ahead despite failures and successes is what counts the most. Life is never a single path – new ways always appear in places you least expect them. It is the intent to unhesitatingly explore the most promising path which counts.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment has been to secure admission to the best academic institutions of the world for Electrical Engineering. I had the excellent fortune of studying Instrumentation Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur at the undergraduate level and then at USC Viterbi’s Electrical and
Computer Engineering Department for the Graduate and Doctoral level. I owe my entire career to these two institutions, which truly made me what I am.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I am an enthusiast for good old-fashioned fountain pens. In the digital age, writing something by hand excites me as it is a very personal thing to do. I have always nurtured a love of writing, and a good pen always sets the tone for me. It so happened that a few months ago, I noticed a fine piece online, manufactured by the Platinum Pen Company, Japan and instantly purchased it! I love every bit of the ninety-dollar writing experience!

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

All around us, we observe increasingly smarter and connected devices and systems inseparably interacting with the physical world. My work revolves around the study of these “Cyber-Physical” Systems, including their design and verification. The most exciting part about my work is a close, first-hand study of the building blocks of futuristic Cyber-Physical Systems like Autonomous Cars and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The operation of such complex smart machines involves a delicate balance between safety and reliability on one hand and efficient and cost-effective manufacturing and operation on the other. My effort involves leveraging mathematical formalisms and software tools to study the most optimal way of designing these large-scale systems. Moreover, coming up with ways to mathematically characterize their safe, robust and reliable operation in the presence of real-life uncertainties is also a part of my doctoral work.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

My cherished belief is that languages are the sine qua non of the human experience. If I were not an engineer, I would certainly have become a professor of literature in the languages of the Indian Subcontinent. I have a great love of the Sanskrit language, one of the most ancient languages of the world. Its structure and grammatical intricacies delight me. I have had the fortune of attempting an amateur study of two Sanskrit epic poems of ancient India, namely the Ramayana and the Mahabharata alongside other masterpieces such as the Abhijnana-Shakuntalam of the poet Kalidasa as a hobby in my spare time. I would surely explore them professionally if I were to be presented with such an opportunity.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I have always held USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering in the highest regard. I was well aware of the school’s stellar contributions in the field of Electrical Communication and Signal/Image Processing, right from my earliest days as an Undergraduate. In my senior year at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, I was already set on further studies as my goal. I consulted my professors, batchmates and seniors on which schools would best aid my cause. Many frequently recommended USC as a premier
institution in my field of research. Then there is always the experience of studying in Los Angeles, which is one of the most well-known, largest and most globalized cities in the world. A bonus was the awesome weather in California!

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Southern California is a wonderful place to be – the best weather, the best opportunities and a meeting point of every culture in the world! I would certainly recommend exploring SoCal while you’re here. Go see the beaches, the mountains and the desert. Closer to Los Angeles, I would recommend Long Beach, Mount Baldy and Palm Springs as wonderful places to explore. Other places like Yosemite National Park and La Jolla Cove in San Diego would also make it to the top of my list.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

USC has been a great experience for me. I truly experienced life and work at an elite top-tier university whose name resonates globally. I found the infrastructure to be the absolute best in the world, and the opportunities have been top-notch. I will cherish the affable University staff who helped me out at every step of my journey. I would particularly point appreciatively to the services
of the Office of International Students which helped me complete all my paperwork for a Curricular Practical Training (CPT) internship even in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. I will always remember their prompt help in those uncertain times.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I am currently a doctoral student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, but I came very close to being a professional astrophysicist! Throughout my undergraduate days in India, I have had the rare privilege of working with living legends in the field of Astronomy and Astrophysics. I even had the chance to publish a paper in the Astrophysical Journal on my work. I look back upon those days fondly, and still try a hand at the telescope if there is one around!

What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation, I plan to continue working in the general direction of my doctoral work. At the outset, I aim to make my mark in the industrial design and development of autonomous, safety-critical systems. In the long run, I would also be open to teaching the next generation of students in an academic setting.

Hometown (city, country):

My hometown is the city of Hyderabad, the capital of the state of Telangana (India).

Personal Website (if any):

https://sites.google.com/usc.edu/nikhilnaik/home

Faculty Advisor:

My advisor is Prof. Pierluigi Nuzzo, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, USC Viterbi School of Engineering.

Jiali Duan
MS in Electrical and Electronics Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

“In life, it’s not how much we achieved, it’s how much we’ve gone through the tough days and mistakes”.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Earning a PhD degree.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I purchased virtual attendance to ICML out of impulse, and I really enjoyed being part of it.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is related to human-robot interaction and representation learning. In my 2nd year of PhD,

I worked on a cool project on teaching robot with adversarial users, which won best paper finalist in IROS.

In my 4th year PhD, I developed a teacher-student training pipeline for representation learning, accepted in CVPR.

I’m excited about getting recognized academically.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Artist. I love piano and the peace it’s able to bring.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The inclination to experience a different life style and learning environment are the most important reasons.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Rancho Palos Verdes, Catalina island, Huntington Park.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I still recalled the very first days as a PhD when I had to take different courses. They turned out to be the best memories that I have, because I don’t have to worry about paper deadlines.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I eat all kinds of snacks without gaining weight.

What are your plans after graduation?

I’m considering getting a driving license and getting married.

Hometown (city, country):

Guiyang, China.

Personal Website (if any):

https://davidsonic.github.io/index/

Faculty Advisor:

C.-C. Jay Kuo

Hefei Liu
PhD in Electrical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Care more about self-evaluation than others’ thoughts.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Raised a fund to help the stuff of my dormitory upgrade their facilities during my undergraduate.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Noise-cancelling headsets. They saved my ears from the noise in my lab.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I’m working on novel nanofabrication techniques of 2D materials, like graphene. 2D materials have a lot of unique properties so that we can process them like playing paper folding. To create microscopic patterns like folding, rolling and wrinkling structures with novel functions is very intriguing to me.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Actor. I think being an actor may allow me to experience “others’ lives”.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Mainly the research topic. Also, school ranking, food, salary, weather…

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Restaurants in LA, Chinese, Peruvian, Ethiopian, and so on, all authentic.
Yosemite national park. I love the waterfall there.
Santa Monica beach, beautiful sunset

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

All members of my group attended a research festival held by the EE department. We worked together designing the poster and introduced our research projects to others. I also learned a lot of interesting ideas from others’ poster.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I started learning how to play the saxophone since last year, as a complete beginner. Currently I practice the saxophone at least one hour every day IN MY OFFICE, because the instrument is so loud that would bother my roommates. I play with it in my office at night when all my labmates have left.

What are your plans after graduation?

I would like to continue my research life, and will apply for a postdoc position.

Hometown (city, country):

Harbin, China

Personal Website (if any):

I don’t have a personal website, only google scholar.

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Han Wang at the EE department

Amir Minoofar
PhD in Optical Communication

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Trying to pursue different approaches and do not stop hard-working until reaching the final results.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Among my most recent publications in collaboration with my colleagues on different journals such as Nature Photonics, Scientific Reports, etc.., having my own paper accepted as highly-scored on ECOC conference as a famous international conference on optical communications has more value in my mind.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Working at home may also be helpful providing a big opportunity to deeply and carefully think about real issues of research and life, which was not available or at least could not be considered before the quarantine due to covid.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

To avoid a "capacity crunch", other aspects of free-space optical communication
(FSOC) is worth investigating on how to increase the transmission throughput. Considering this my research is based on using mode division multiplexing for FSOC to improve the data rate.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I really like to work as a professional soccer player.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Previous graduate students who got the same position as research assistants in electrical engineering helped me to find my path toward this position.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

I didn't have too much time to visit such places but I would probably recommend visiting Santa Monica, Downtown LA, and Griffith observatory.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Our trip to palm spring with all electrical engineering students in Summer 2019 as the USC EE retreat program was wonderful and amazing.

What are your plans after graduation?

I am not sure yet.

Hometown (city, country):

Tehran, Iran.

Personal Website (if any):

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=vuh9IqwAAAAJ&hl=en

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Alan E. Willner

Rebecca Peer
PhD in Environmental Engineering

Why did you choose the Viterbi School for your PhD program?
I chose to pursue my PhD at USC mainly because of my advisor and her extraordinary visions for potential research projects, but also because of the amazing amount of flexibility I am allowed as a PhD student here. I am able to research a very interdisciplinary project because I have been able to take classes and seek advice from professors in many different departments not only in the Viterbi School of Engineering, but in other areas of the University as well. So far, I have felt encouraged to strive for truly unique and scientifically relevant research with the support of my fellow students, my advisor, and my Engineering department.

What has surprised you most about the USC experience?
I was most surprised about the strong sense of community here at USC. I came from a very small undergraduate institution and was afraid of being lost in the crowd here in Los Angeles, but I have experienced the complete opposite. I have made many new friends who come from all over the world and have genuinely enjoyed integrating myself into the PhD community within the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department as well as many other non-academic communities at the University.

What is your current research project?
I work on evaluating the impact of future changes in climate – such as rising air and water temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, shifts in storm intensities and rising sea level – on the resiliency and reliability of the Western electricity grid. These future changes in our climate have adverse impacts on the power generation sector and often impose complex feedback loops that have not been modeled with scientific rigor. Considering that electricity is critical to maintaining quality of life, human health, and a safe food and water supply, understanding the scale of potential challenges is critical to ensuring a reliable power grid.

Who has been your biggest influence at USC?
My biggest influence here at USC has undoubtedly been my advisor, Dr. Kelly Sanders. Not only has she been an incredible source of information and guidance throughout my time at USC, she has also served as the basis for my personal support system. The relationship between myself and my advisor is one that I treasure greatly. Although she has helped me immensely in my academic career, I would argue that she has had a much greater impact on my personal growth and development, even if she doesn’t know it!

What do you do for fun when you aren’t in the lab or classroom?
I spend most of my free time training with the club triathlon team here at USC. I joined the team when I first came to USC and haven’t looked back! I was a varsity swimmer as an undergraduate and have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of learning how to exercise on land. On top of meeting many talented and interesting new friends, participating in this club sport has helped me maintain a great work-life balance.

What is your favorite thing about living in Los Angeles?
There are so many great things about being a grad student in LA! My favorite things include the incredible food, the eclectic neighborhoods, the beaches, and the lovely, sunny weather, of course!

What are your plans for after graduation?
The dreaded graduation question…How I wish that I was confident enough to say that I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I graduate and where I wanted to do it! Ultimately, I dream of having a job where I am able to contribute to the improvement of our lives and the life of our planet. Although I haven’t decided on a career path, I would say that I am most excited about researching as a scientist or as a professor.

Raven Althouse
PhD Environmental Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The more you learn, the more you’ll realize there’s so much you don’t know: It’s okay to not know things. What’s important is being willing to learn.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Prioritizing my mental health, particularly when transitioning to a new program and city during lockdown.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A new pair of running shoes!

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research focuses on microbial processes in engineered water systems. Currently I’m investigating the use of novel archaea in membrane biofilm reactors (MBfRs) to remove dissolved greenhouse gases. Understanding that this research will be a piece to the puzzle of combating global climate change is extremely exciting to me, particularly considering this research has the possibility of one day helping to lower, and possibly even eliminate, the greenhouse gas emissions that water treatment systems currently produce.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

If I had to choose a profession outside of engineering, I would explore interior design (or be a farm hand on a dude ranch).

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

When deciding on attending USC, there were a few things that set Viterbi apart from other programs I had applied to. First, I loved how much freedom I was given as a PhD in choosing the courses for my degree. While there are of course required core courses, having the power to choose electives that I think are relatable and valuable to my research, regardless of the department by which they’re taught, is extremely unique and I love the interdisciplinary approach. Second, I wanted to go to a school that offered the opportunity to not only be a research assistant, but a teaching assistant as well. Wanting to go into academia in the future, this is an extremely valuable way for me to learn what goes into teaching a course, and to help me strengthen my skills as an educator. Lastly, by observing the atmosphere created by the students, faculty, staff, and alumni, I knew USC would offer not only a rigorous education, but a supportive environment as well as a valuable network both during and after my time at Viterbi.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Although LA has so much to offer and explore, sometimes it’s nice to get out of the city rush for a bit and have a change of scenery. For that reason, I recommend incoming students check out Descanso Gardens, Chino Hills State Park, and Normandy Village.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I love getting together with fellow PhDs outside of the lab—whether it’s going out for a meal after a long day in the lab, watching movies at someone’s apartment, or exploring a new part of the city together, those memories mean so much!

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I’ve been to the Greenland Ice Sheet!

What are your plans after graduation?

’m hoping to go down the path of applying to be a post-doc for a few years before securing a faculty position at a university.

Hometown (city, country):

Rebersburg, PA, USA.

Personal Website (if any):

USC Smith Lab website: https://www.smithresearchusc.com/

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Adam Smith

Hannah Schlaerth
PhD in Environmental Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

When I was a junior in high school, I had an English teacher who told our class that learning to critically read and write would help us in any career path we wanted to pursue. Every acceptance letter I’ve ever received is in part thanks to this advice and the writing skills I learned in her class.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment so far has been getting my master’s degree in environmental engineering. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in geology, I moved across the country and completely changed fields— I went from looking at rocks all day in the suburbs of Ohio to thinking about air pollution in Los Angeles. Everything was new to me, and not in a fun way but a way that was overwhelming and exhausting. Getting my master’s degree feels emblematic of my perseverance through such a difficult time and I never would have believed that I could grow so much as both a scientist and an individual.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I recently splurged on a pair of Big Bud Press work pants and now they’re all I wear!

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it

My PhD research so far can be summed up as a study of weird sources of emissions: tugboats and trees. In my first study, I measured emissions from tugboats of a cancer-causing aerosol called black carbon. I found that tugboats spend most of their operational time near shore and emit more black carbon per fuel consumed than other similarly sized vessels. This is important information because these vessels are emitting close to where people live. These findings culminated in a paper I just recently published in the journal Atmospheric Environment. My current project investigates the air quality impacts of tree planting in urban areas using a climate-chemistry model. Many cities propose tree planting goals as a form of heat mitigation because trees provide shade and evaporative cooling. However, it’s often overlooked that trees are emission sources of volatile organic compounds. These emissions lead to the formation of air pollutants like particulate matter and ozone under the right atmospheric conditions. I’m hoping that the results of my study will help city planners maximize the considerable cooling benefits of tree planting while avoiding serious drawbacks to air quality. My research excites me because it truly feels like I’m helping make the world a better place. These projects are extremely policy relevant and improving air quality literally saves lives.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

If I didn’t end up in a STEM field, I would have pursued illustration. I like that science changes the way I see the world around me—it’s a really unique feeling to look at something completely ordinary like a cloud in the sky and suddenly notice that it’s the sum of all these physical processes at play. I feel that some form of art, like drawing or painting, would probably reproduce this same feeling, but maybe the things I’d be noticing would be form, color and light.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I decided to pursue my PhD at USC based on funding and my faculty advisor. I appreciated the security and transparency of my offer letter, which gave me an idea of where my funding would be coming from throughout my PhD. My advisor also seemed like a great fit for me- laid back, but incredibly research productive in cutting-edge science. Prior to accepting my offer, I talked with my future lab mates and I could tell he would be someone who I would enjoy working with and whose expectations of me would be reasonable.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Parker Mesa Overlook: This 7-mile, round trip hike takes you to the top of the Santa Monica Mountains. On a clear day, you can see the city skyline on one side and the Catalina Islands on the other.
The Galaxy Café on top of Mt. Wilson: I once hiked 10 miles to the peak of LA’s tallest mountain only to find that you can drive up it from the other side. This charming concession stand is great for some well-earned refreshments after a brutal hike- or just enjoy the beautiful view with a coffee if you’re smarter than me and drive.
Shorthand Highland Park: This beautiful little store is full of curated writing utensils and locally printed stationery. It’s like the Scholastic Book Fair, but for adults.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

A group of PhD students in our department decided they wanted to celebrate Pi Day one year, so on March 14 we all went on a 3.14-mile walk to a pie shop downtown. It was just a silly excuse to socialize together, but I had so much fun and the pie was great!

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I’m a bird person! I own two parakeets, BMO and Picasso, and their favorite thing to do is squawk during important Zoom meetings.

What are your plans after graduation?

When I graduate, I want to pursue a tenure-track position in an earth sciences department. I’m not quite sure what this will look like yet, but I love teaching and doing policy-relevant research. I’m confident that being a professor is a job I could excel at while making a positive impact in my community.

Hometown (city, country):

Pickerington, Ohio

United States

Faculty Advisor:

George Ban-Weiss

Yun Li
Phd in Environmental Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Always be confident in yourself. PhD study is definitely not an easy route, and there are times when you can have doubt in yourself. For me, sometimes I feel depressed when thinking about questions like: Do I have the ability and knowledge to solve the problem? Am I taking the right method to solve this issue? Can I express myself clearly in scientific writing? … Thanks to my advisor who is always encouraging, and tells me to look at and be proud of what I’ve already done. His advice makes me feel I can deal with any obstacle in my research.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

The project that I’ve worked on for the past one year and a half was part of a systematic project called the City of Los Angeles 100% Renewable Energy Study (LA100) which was initiated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The results from LA100 were announced by the Mayor’s Office in March (available at: https://www.lamayor.org/mayor-garcetti-announces-findings-historic-100-percent-renewable-energy-study) as a guidance for the city to achieve 100% renewable energy goal in the next ~25 years.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I bought a switch game called Fire Emblem Three Houses last summer (not an ad!). I really enjoyed the stories and connections among different characters in the game, especially during the pandemic when people are far apart from each other.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it

My research uses atmospheric models to study the interaction among humans, land cover change and atmosphere in Los Angeles. More specifically, my first project focuses on how land cover changes (e.g., replacing natural shrubs with buildings and roads) via historical urbanization has impacted meteorology (e.g., air temperature) and air quality (e.g., ozone and PM2.5 concentrations) in Los Angeles Basin. My second project looks at the influence of adopting renewable energy on air quality in Los Angeles in a future year. I enjoyed working on my research projects because they applied scientific knowledge I learnt to solving actual environmental problems that we’re facing today. The research carried out in my group can be informative for policy-making for achieving sustainable development of a city.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would really want to become a sports journalist because I have been inspired a lot by the stories of those talented and hard-working athletes.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I think the most important factor is my research advisor. I enjoyed interviewing with him while I was applying for PhD, and got to know more about him while chatting with his PhD student at that time. He is an inspiring advisor during work, and an easy-going friend in life. I also find the university itself another very important factor. The flexibility in course selection and abundance in various study and living resources at USC are especially attractive to me. Last but not least, the city where the university is located matters a lot as well, and Los Angeles is a good place to live in.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

I would recommend Griffith Observatory for a birdview of Los Angeles, Universal Studio for relaxation and entertainment, and Joshua Tree National Park for a unique natural scene in SoCal.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I enjoy hanging out with my group! I remember one time we went bouldering and ate at a pub in Koreatown. It was a lot of fun.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I’m usually a very quiet person, but I like things that are thrilling like watching sports games and riding roller coasters.

What are your plans after graduation?

Currently, my plan is to look for a postdoc position in my research field, and pursue a career path in academia. But I’m also open to an industry career path. Nevertheless, I want to use the knowledge I’ve gained during my PhD study to help address air quality and climate change issues.

Hometown (city, country):

Beijing, China.

Faculty Advisor:

George Ban-Weiss

Bianca Costa
PhD in Environmental Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

“Develop an interest”- I got this piece of advice in undergrad when discussing the difficulties of some tedious classes with a senior student. Though I got this advice when discussing about classes that might not catch my attention initially, I have been able to apply this to other aspects of my life. There might be things that might seem boring, tedious or seem superficial to what you are trying to accomplish at first, but if you develop an interest about them- you find the right angle in which you can find the motivation to learn and discover new things you can pull through even the tasks that seem the hardest at first.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Getting accepted to a PhD program and getting awarded the National Science Foundation fellowship (GRFP).

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A scrub brush drill attachment.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), sometimes referred to as forever chemicals given their degradation resistance, bioaccumulation in food chains, and long half-lives, have called for a national emergency. Associated with low birth weights, thyroid hormone disruption, cancer and immune system effects, they pose a risk for human health and the environment. The CDC has reported that almost every person living in the US have PFAS in their bloodstream. Their widespread use in fire-retardant, foams, coatings, paints, lubricants, food packaging, and cosmetics make their use pervasive and exposure unavoidable. PFAS enter our waste streams (landfills and wastewater) due to their molecular structure they are very hard to degrade. While alternative physicochemical methods exist for their removal, they remain costly , energy intensive and produce significant residuals. Biodegradation of PFAS is thermodynamically favorable under anaerobic conditions, few studies have studied anaerobic biodegradation of PFAS and other halogenated compounds are able to be biodegraded after a long term assumption they were recalcitrant to biodegradation. Just recently defluorinating bacteria were isolated implying other microorganisms capable of PFAS degrading metabolisms are yet to be discovered. My research focuses on culturing PFAS degrading microorganisms from highly polluted sources to be applied in biotechnologies like Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors. I am excited about learning the factors that influence biodegradation of these chemicals, possibly discovering novel microorganisms and the impact they could have in applied sustainable technologies.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Medical doctor.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Community, amazing faculty, great facilities for research, and location.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Griffith observatory, Abbot Kinney, Santa Monica.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Going for lunch with lab mates at the Village.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I have gone paragliding.

What are your plans after graduation?

Still figuring out.

Hometown (city, country):

Lima, Peru.

Faculty Advisor:

Adam Smith

Emily Anne Vargas
PhD in Materials Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

My mom always used to say to me “No olvides tus raíces aunque estés en la cima.” Which means to never forget your roots, even when you are at the top. To never forget why you started, how you started, and to give back to the communities that made you who you are today. My second favorite quote is “You don’t know what you don’t know.” Ask questions. Find a mentor that can help answer the questions you didn’t know how to ask or knew to ask.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Being a first-generation college graduate, the first engineer in my family, and the first person to go to graduate school. I couldn’t have done it without my family’s support and unconditional love. They immigrated from Cuba with nothing but the clothes on their backs and, in turn, provided the opportunity for me and my sister to live out the American Dream.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

My K2 Inline Skates! My friend, Jose, has been teaching me how to rollerblade on campus (I haven’t fallen…yet).

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I’m currently working on how the manufacturing process affects the microstructure of oxide-oxide ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) and how the microstructure affects the overall mechanical behavior! I like to think about my research like the show “How It’s Made”. You don’t quite realize how the smallest of changes in a manufacturing process can truly impact the outcome of whatever material or product you’re making. I also like how I can see the real-world applications of my research. CMCs are used in high temperature applications ranging from car brakes to heat shields for rockets!

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would be a visual artist! In my spare time, I love to draw and paint and almost went to an art magnet school for high school.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I made a list of non-negotiables when choosing PhD programs and ultimately, they all were components that led to my happiness. Location, being near an international airport so I could visit my family, Vitamin D (sunshine makes all the difference!), my faculty advisor and the research topic, how much effort the university puts in DE&I initiatives, and the people/culture. Many people don’t realize the culture from undergrad to grad is vastly different, so surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals is super important to maintaining your health and well-being physically, mentally, and emotionally. Shout out to Andy Chen and Kevin Henry for showing me how much USC cares about their students and treats them like family!

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Joshua Tree National Park (and any other National Parks in the neighboring area) for stargazing, Smorgasburg if you’re a foodie, and the Huntington Library.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Meeting my best friends, Jose, Joel, and Sophia, and forming a WhatsApp group called “The Pupusa Squad” one day after we had gotten lunch together at a pupuseria. Together, we played hooky one time at a conference held at UC San Diego and explored La Jolla and the beaches.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I currently serve as the Vice-Chair on the National Board of Directors for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. I’m the youngest Vice-Chair the organization has ever had.

What are your plans after graduation?

I’d like to work in either the aerospace, automotive, or energy/power industry as a chief composites engineer within R&D.

Hometown (city, country):

Miami, FL, USA.

Personal Website (if any):

https://composites.usc.edu/emily-vargas/

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Steve Nutt from the USC M.C. Gill Composites Center.

Yu Wang
PhD in Materials Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Comparing yourself today with who you were in the past allows you to feel proud of how far you’ve improved. Then comparing yourself with who you hope to become helps you focus on doing things that truly matter to you.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Having the opportunity to study and do research in clean energy technology in order to help solve the climate change challenge.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

My favorite impulse purchase is the air purifier bought last year. As more and more wildfires take place each year related to climate change, the air quality in California is becoming less and less stable. Having an air purifier at hand is really helpful because it is always sold-out during fire season.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

One area of my research is about developing green hydrogen technology using photocatalytic methods to replace the current industrial hydrogen production process, which involves a large amount of CO2 generation. The other area of my research is thermoelectricity, which generates electricity from temperature differences. This is an efficient way of recovering energy from wasted heat produced in cars and power plants. The objective of both research areas is to produce clean energy without emitting CO2, which is the main climate change contributor.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Maybe a rock band guitarist.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

First factor is diversity. USC has many international students and faculties from many different countries, which helps me to hear different opinions about the same problem. Second factor is vast academic resources. There are many world class scientists I can learn from and collaborate with during my study at USC.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Santa Monica beach, Getty Center, Griffith Observatory.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Spending time doing research in the lab.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I met my girlfriend at USC, and we plan to get married next year.

What are your plans after graduation?

My plan after graduation is to find a postdoc position and continue my research in developing clean energy technology.

Hometown (city, country):

Xuzhou, China.

Personal Website (if any):

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yu-wang-368b8b61/

Faculty Advisor:

Professor Stephen Cronin

Alina Garcia Taormina
PhD in Materials Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

"Never forget who you are and how much you're capable of."

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I think seeing the Ph.D. through to the end has been my greatest accomplishment while in grad school. There were many times that I considered not finishing the program, may it be from thinking I wasn't good enough, that I didn't measure up to my peers, or that my heart wasn't in it. I am proud of myself for pushing through.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I love photography, so anytime I get the chance to go out and shoot photos, it is so grounding for me. I recently bought a new camera lens and was so excited to get to use it on my recent trip up to the pacific northwest.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research focuses on the synthesis and development of metal-polymer core-shell composite micro-lattice materials through the exploration of various physical vapor deposition coating conditions and configurations. Additionally, in collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, I have investigated the mechanical behavior of stitched nano-architected lattice materials to gain further insight into fabricating macro-scale 3D printed parts that contain nanoscale features. What excites me about my research is that nano- and micro-architected lattices are an emerging class of materials and there is still so much to learn and discover about their properties and functionalities.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I'd want to be a filmmaker! Before switching over to chemistry in undergrad, I was pursuing film production. It had always been a dream of mine to work in film, but I am grateful I also found my passion in STEM.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The research opportunities in Viterbi really attracted me to USC, and also the members of my research group. I felt like I really clicked with the Ph.D. students in the Hodge Materials Research Group; the collaborative culture and inclusive environment was what I was looking for, and I found it here at USC. Additionally, I have completed all of my schooling here in my hometown of Los Angeles, CA, so the location was ideal.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

The three places I would recommend to go in CA/LA would be the beach for a bonfire or a day with friends, Grand Central Market for a nice variety of good food, and definitely a weekend trip to Joshua Tree.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

All the times my lab-mates and I were able to spend together. I will cherish every time we were able to get together as a group and take a trip, have a game night, celebrate a birthday, go shoot some photography, go out and eat delicious food, and be there for one another.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I have a pet turtle, and I enjoy playing tennis.

What are your plans after graduation?

I will be going to work for Northrop Grumman as a Materials and Process Engineer!

Hometown (city, country):

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Andrea Hodge

Jingxin Zhang
PhD in Materials Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Be patient.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment is that I’m working on the research I l enjoy and I find it very meaningful, pushing the boundaries of current science and technologies furthermore. Being a researcher is my childhood dream, and now I’m living my dream and I'm very thankful to be able to work in a lab with all the state-of-the-art equipment.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Sony A7RIV camera and PS5.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it

I’m currently working on a Quantum Dots Blinking project. The main goal is to investigate the blinking phenomenon on our QDs. Unlike our lights which can be bright as long as we turn on the switch, QDs have a discontinuous and random emission of light. This is a very interesting topic with many unknown mysteries waiting for us to unveil. Based on the current research, we can’t predict when the QDs will turn back on once it is turned off. This makes it very interesting to me.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I want to be a Vloger traveling around the globe and record my everyday experience and share it on the internet.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The most important reason I decided to go to USC is that my current advisor Prof. Andrea Armani is so nice and I want to work in her lab. Additionally, Viterbi School of Engineering is a top-ranked engineering school in this country with massive top class equipment. I was so excited to receive the offer letter from Andrea.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Yosemite National Park for the exploration of our mother nature.

Griffith Observatory for the night view of this amazing city of los angeles

Big Bear Lake for an escape tour to have a quiet time.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I like our weekly group lunch time, we always have some interesting topics, talking about our life and news.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I’m a full time PhD student and a full time dog dad. I have two dogs. One 18 month old Akita girl and one 8 month old Rottie boy.

What are your plans after graduation?

I’m going to industry, that’s the plan for now and save more money.

Hometown (city, country):

Chengdu, China

Personal Website (if any):

https://jingxinzhang.com/

Faculty Advisor:

Andrea Armani

Danielle White
PhD in Materials Science

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

If you pray, don’t worry. If you worry, don’t pray.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Graduating from my historically Black university with an engineering degree and coming out even stronger than I went in is by far my greatest accomplishment. I still wear my Order of the Engineer ring everyday.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

While I was aggressively saving for a car, the original plan was to purchase it this upcoming October. Long story short, I bought my vehicle on May 1st!

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research goal is to characterize the mechanical behavior of a certain subset of thin films. The films themselves are transparent, which, to this day, excites me. Even though science explains exactly how I am able to synthesize a transparent film, I feel like a magician that can make opaque ceramics and metals disappear.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would most certainly be a curator (art, music, experience) of intimate and expressive spaces.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Research! I figured I might as well like what I’m researching if I’m going to be focusing on it for the next ~5 years.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

PLEASE go to any national park- Yosemite is my favorite. Find an upscale restaurant/event, treat yourself, and have fun! Lastly and maybe most importantly, find a restaurant that is going to remind you of home. My go-to is Delicious Southern Cuisine.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I’ll always cherish our spontaneous lab outings. We’ve played tennis, gone to batting cages, and so much more!

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I paint! The pandemic gave me the opportunity to develop my own painting style and invest in myself. Also, I’m pretty fashion forward for no good reason.

What are your plans after graduation?

The goals are to climb the ladder at NASA (following the footsteps of Dr. Wanda M. Austin and Vanessa Wyche), share more of my artwork publicly, and take steps towards establishing an LLC for the underserved. But, we’ll see what God has planned!

Hometown (city, country):

Lynn, Massachusetts, USA

Personal Website (if any):

charbondew.com

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Andrea M. Hodge

David Johnson
PhD in Materials Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The best piece of advice I have ever been given is as follows: "Time spent building relationships is time best spent."

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment is making it into USC for their Materials Science PhD program!

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

My favorite impulse purchase, even though it happens quite a bit, will always be a double scoop from Salt and Straw, an ice cream shop here in LA.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My main research goal is to better understand protein-cell membrane interactions through the use of model membranes, some biophysics, and a lot of nonlinear optics. I think it is an exciting field because much of the basic research that we do contributes directly to a greater understanding of how to combat neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinsons or Alzheimers

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

If I had to choose a profession outside of my current field, I would be a confectioner working in an ice cream shop or a candy store. Everyone leaves with a smile when they are getting sweets, what better profession could you ask for?

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

A big factor in choosing to pursue my PhD at USC was the city of LA itself. My wife is a social worker who, because of being in an incredibly diverse city, has had many opportunities to serve the city of LA which was important for me. Additionally, I love the foods from cultures around the world that I get to eat within a 15 minute drive.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

There are so many cool things to see and do in LA, but I can only give three so here they are: a show at the Hollywood Bowl, a game at Dodger Stadium (I'm a big baseball fan), and you NEED to get Korean BBQ in Koreatown. In fact, you could probably do that all in one day if you get lucky.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I haven't been at USC for long, but I have already enjoyed building relationships with my classmates in the program. I can't boil it down to one moment, but those are the memories that I will cherish most when I leave.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

One thing about me that could surprise you is that I was a member of the University of Illinois Varsity Men's Glee Club in my undergrad! We were on the schedule to perform a Shostakovich piece at Carnegie Hall with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, but it was cancelled because of COVID-19. A real bummer.

What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation, I am planning on moving closer to my immediate family in Illinois to find a job in the state. I hope to raise a family there with my wife while also pursuing a fruitful career with my PhD.

Hometown (city, country):

Champaign, IL, USA.

Faculty Advisor:

My advisor is Wade Zeno (the best).

Yeo Jung Yoon
PhD in Mechanical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

“Be positive!”

Whenever I face a challenge in my graduate studies, I try to have a positive and fresh mindset. Positive thoughts help me a lot to overcome various hardships. I believe the way I think really affects the way I react.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

In my first year of my PhD, My colleagues and I won the best paper award for robotic 3D printing research at ASME IDETC-CIE conference. We worked hard for the project and it felt really great to see our hard work finally pay off.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Recently, I found a cool home-décor shop in K-town and bought a bunch of home décor items. My room is now more fun and interesting with cute planters, various candles, a huge wall clock and artistic tissue box.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it

My research is about developing robot learning algorithms for various manufacturing applications. I have been fascinated by the fields of robotics and Artificial Intelligence since I was an undergraduate student. I love the idea that my research problems are at the intersection of both fields!

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Travel writer! I love to travel, eat local food, and experience local cultures. It would be interesting to travel to other countries and write about interesting episodes.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Great resources for research, well-organized graduate program, and the location. I visited USC campus and my lab before coming to USC. I was amazed by the wonderful support that USC can offer to prospective graduate students and decided to pursue my PhD here.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

The Getty Center is a place where you can see lots of art and walk beautiful gardens. I also recommend visiting Griffith Observatory. It is especially beautiful during sunset times, and a great place for hiking. Also, if you want to feel the ocean breeze, I recommend going to the beaches in Malibu.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

The time I have spent with my friends and colleagues. We studied and hung out together, discussed various topics, and helped each other. My graduate life is wonderful because of them!

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I have been a devoted yoga practitioner for the past 7 years. I love to do beach yoga and hot yoga. It helps me to release stress and clear my mind.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to pursue a career in academia. I love being in academia because I can work on the problems that I feel most interested in. I also like to work and communicate with scholars and students who have the same research interest as me. They are inspirational!

Hometown (city, country):

I grew up in Seoul, South Korea

Faculty Advisor:

Satyandra K. Gupta (Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department)

Prahar Bhatt
PhD in Mechanical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

I feel the best advice depends on the situation. During the hard times in my Ph.D. career, the best advice I received was to go and fail again. It helped motivate me to not stop trying in case of failure but to learn from it. Eventually, you will improve and succeed.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Getting the best paper finalist award for my research as a lead author at an international conference is my greatest and latest achievement in my Ph.D. career so far.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Waking up and booking an electric car online with my wife is my favorite impulse purchase that I made last year. We had not seen or test-driven the vehicle, and it turned out to be great!

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is on planning for robotic Additive Manufacturing (AM). AM (also known as 3D printing) and robotics have revolutionized the manufacturing industry. My research combines artificial intelligence (computer vision, motion planning, machine learning, and optimization) with robotic additive manufacturing to automate it. This amalgamation of technologies excites me the most about this research.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I would have enjoyed being an automobile designer.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Three factors motivated me to select USC as a place to pursue my Ph.D., a) Getting a Ph.D. advisor with whom I have enjoyed working in the past, b) the state-of-the-art robotic equipment at Center for Advanced Manufacturing, USC, and c) a funding guarantee for four years from day one of my Ph.D. career.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

1) Santa Barbara, 2) Yosemite National Park, and 3) Napa Valley.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

All the fun and laughs I had with my colleagues at the Center for Advanced Manufacturing, USC, will be cherished by me.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

Usually, it is not expected of engineers or technically inclined people to be very creative or artsy. But that is not the case with me. I enjoy painting and photography.

What are your plans after graduation?

My plan is to make use of my research experience to help expand the up-and-coming automated manufacturing industry to build better customized and sustainable products.

Hometown (city, country):

Ahmedabad, India.

Personal Website (if any):

https://praharbhatt.com/

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Satyandra K. Gupta

Ragheb Raad
PhD in Mechanical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

It is not you who gives, but it is God who gives.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Getting accepted into Viterbi's PhD program. I feel that it was the turning point in my career especially with the lack of opportunities in my home country.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

My Nike shoes on Black Friday.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research currently involves using Machine Learning algorithms as applied to medical problems. The two projects I have worked on so far are predicting cancer recurrence in bladder cancer patients who underwent cystectomy and imputing kidney cancer tumor images. It is great to be able to contribute to projects that might help save people's lives.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I love watching movies and series, so it would be something related to the entertainment industry.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

USC is a very diverse place that allows lots of activities and networking opportunities on campus. Being located in the heart of Los Angeles with great weather and job opportunities also played an important role.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Griffith Observatory/ Beverly Hills/ Yosemite National Park.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Being able to meet people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I am a mechanical engineer but I barely know anything about cars. The major is so broad that I ended up choosing topics that do not really talk about vehicles or engines

What are your plans after graduation?

I still don't know. I still have at least 3 years in my program. It is going to depend on lots of factors, especially that I am getting older and my preferences in life are continuously changing. The opportunities that will be present then will also affect my decision.

Hometown (city, country):

Beirut, Lebanon.

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Assad Oberai.

Javier Murgoitio Esandi
PhD in Mechanical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

My grandmother always told me that above all I should be a good person. I think that’s the best piece of advice I’ve ever been given.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I believe that my greatest accomplishment is studying a PhD at a great university such as USC.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

My favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months is definitely my mountain bike. I was doubtful when I bought it but I have enjoyed many great cycling days since then.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

At the moment I am working on solving the inverse elasticity problem using generative adversarial networks (an AI tool). This research will be applied to analyze measurements obtained with medical imaging techniques.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

If I wouldn’t have studied engineering, I would have loved to study Physics and do research in the field.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The main factor was that the USC Viterbi School of Engineering is a great engineering school with excellent faculty. Furthermore, the interview with my advisor convinced me that studying at USC would be the right step in my career.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Hiking or cycling in the mountains surrounding Los Angeles is one of the great things to do here. My personal favorite is hiking or cycling in Santa Monica mountains starting from Will Rogers State Park (great views!). Another thing that I would recommend is trying the different foods that LA has to offer, I really like going to food markets such as Smorgasburg and the Grand Central Market. Finally, I love visiting the beaches in Southern California, specially beaches in Malibu such as El Matador Beach.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I have lived in four different countries (Spain, Germany, United Kingdom and United States) and am able to speak four different languages (Spanish, Basque, English and French).

What are your plans after graduation?

I want to have a career focused in research and development in industry. Following the work I am doing now, I would love to work developing tools that would improve the available medical imaging techniques.

Hometown (city, country):

Zarautz, Spain.

Faculty Advisor:

Assad Oberai.

James Croughan
PhD in Mechanical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Fail often but safely. Often the fastest way to learn and master something is to learn every way of not doing it, either by trying it yourself or watching others attempt it. That being said, you need to make sure each failure does not result in harm to yourself or others. So long as that is possible, the fastest path to success is to fail constantly and creatively.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

In high school I struggled with maintaining enough body weight, and had several health issues related to that. At the time I was about six feet tall and weighed 130 pounds, and my doctor told me I needed to put on at least 30 pounds of muscle to be healthy, but the more I put on, the healthier I would be. I very much took that to heart and have been getting stronger ever since. It has been 13 years since I started daily weightlifting and monitoring my diet, and I have now put on nearly 70 pounds of muscle and am the healthiest I have ever been.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Blackout curtains. I saw them at Target and decided to try them out, and instantly started sleeping much better. I had no idea how sensitive to light I was until I experienced sleeping in a genuinely dark room. I probably get an extra 2 hours of sleep now, simply because the light isn’t waking me up too early.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I am an experimentalist who works on very high-performance wings in the Dryden Wind Tunnel. I have built several wings designed to invalidate many of the assumptions used in traditional wing aerodynamics, with a goal of explaining how and why these models must change when key assumptions are false. The two most exciting parts of this are the implications and how my analysis process works. My research clearly shows that many of the design rules currently used in wing design only apply to a small range of wing designs. If you go outside of these traditional designs, much higher performance wings are possible than what traditional aerodynamics would predict. How I determine this is also very exciting. All of my wings were designed to cover a broad range of possible outcomes without knowing the exact math that might predict those outcomes, making an accurate prediction of the results impossible beyond basic intuition. As such, I really didn’t know what to expect when I first started seeing my results. When they finally came in, they far exceeded my expectations, which is awesome.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Lawyer. I love debating anything and everything and am very extroverted and analytical, so trial lawyer or something like that would make sense and be fun.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I wanted to pursue bigger and crazier projects than what I had been doing previously, and I knew I needed a stronger educational background to be qualified to do that. USC and Dr. Uranga were the only school and advisor combination I looked at that offered a specialization in system, experimental, or mechanical design, in combination with a specialization in a more traditional engineering area. Additionally, I am from the LA area, and have absolutely zero desire to leave and have been a fan of USC for a long time, so that made it a very easy choice.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Watch your favorite band at the Hollywood Bowl.
Climb Mt. Baldy or Mt. San Jacinto.
Take a long walk on the beach in Malibu around sunset.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

All the trips to all-you-can-eat sushi and Korean bbq with lab-mates and classmates. Lots and lots of good food and good times.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I travel a ton but have a rather short list of places I have been. I am on a round trip plane flight about every 50 days on average, yet have somehow never been to New York, for example.

What are your plans after graduation?

I am in the pure writing stage of my thesis work, and have already started working full-time for an aerospace company as I finish that up. I was previously a consultant for Rhoman Aerospace, and became VP of Engineering and Controls in July.

Hometown (city, country):

Claremont, California, USA

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Alejandra Uranga

Vanessa Rubien
PhD in Mechanical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Pursue what is meaningful, not what is expedient.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment is having developed the persistence and dedication to get where I am today. Every achievement, big or small, has taught me so much and helped me get to this point.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A 3,051-section paint-by-number kit.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is focused on the use of high-fidelity numerical simulation to model and analyze phenomena occurring in high-speed turbulent fluid flows. It’s very exciting to see how far simulation capabilities have come, and how critical they are in modern engineering. I feel fortunate for the opportunity to learn about and contribute to these capabilities in my field.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

If I could choose any other profession outside of engineering, I would be interested in researching child psychology and development.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

After completing my undergraduate coursework in fluid mechanics, I discovered that I had a strong interest in hypersonic and high-speed aerodynamics. I knew that I wanted to develop a deep understanding of this subject in order to conduct relevant research. While applying for PhD programs, I found that USC was not only doing the research I found most interesting, but also that its students and faculty created a supportive and collaborative educational atmosphere. After my first year at USC, I've developed a deep respect and admiration for the expertise of my advisor and the other AME faculty members.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Sequoia National Park, The Getty Museum, and Afters Ice Cream.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

As a remote student, I haven’t made too many on-campus memories yet, but one of my favorite memories at USC so far has been receiving the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) Aerospace Research Fellowship. The fellowship allowed me to work as a summer intern at The Aerospace Corporation, and will provide me with opportunities for networking, outreach, and professional development throughout the upcoming year.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I speak fluent German!

What are your plans after graduation?

In the future, I hope to apply knowledge gained in high-speed aerodynamics research to cutting-edge programs that work with emerging hypersonic technology.

Hometown (city, country):

Redondo Beach, California.

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Ivan Bermejo-Moreno

Shantanu Thakar
PhD in Mechanical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The best piece of advice I was given was to not take your career related defeats too seriously and most importantly not letting them affect your mental health. To get into detail, at the time when something you’re not happy with happens, it feels like a huge deal. But for the long term such things do not matter much. For example, if one doesn't get admission in their dream university, although it feels like a huge defeat at the time, after 10 years you won’t even remember much about it. Hence, it is necessary to not take any such defeat too seriously. Ofcourse, you should feel sad and strive to achieve better but it is very important to not let it affect your mental health. Things have a way of falling in place. For example, even if you do not get your dream university, you may end up getting a job better than most people at that university.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

For me the greatest accomplishment would be successfully completing my PhD from one of the top universities and receiving the Best Research Assistant award in the process.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

It has to be the new Tesla that is yet to be delivered.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it

My research is in the area of AI and machine learning for motion planning for complex robots like robotic arms, or robotic arms mounted on mobile robots or multiple robotic arms moving together for performing several tasks. Making sure that such complex robots move safely and successfully is extremely challenging. Coming up with novel solutions for solving such challenging problems for different applications is what excites me. However, the thing that excites me most is actually seeing robots move and perform interesting tasks like disinfection, grasping, transportation of objects, to name a few. It is highly satisfying to see that my research can benefit making life easier and safer for people.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

It has to be one of astronomer or a soccer player

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The two most important factors for me were my advisor, Prof. Satyandra K. Gupta and the excellent infrastructure and facilities for robotics at USC. Prof. Gupta’s research was exactly what I was interested in and looking to get into. Moreover, he is an excellent advisor who gives you a lot of freedom to express yourself, but also makes sure you are moving towards the goal. He makes sure his students work on problems that are relevant for the industry. The facilities at the center for advanced manufacturing, where he’s the director at, are state-of-the-art. I have not seen so many varieties of robots and 3D printers anywhere else.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

It is really difficult to recommend just 3 places in Southern California, let alone in the entire California. Let me stick to SoCal. The first place I recommend is one of my favorite national parks, Channel Island National park, off the coast of Ventura. Not only are the islands extremely beautiful with blue waters and rich marine life for snorkelling and scuba diving, but also, on the way there, you will get to see dolphins, seals and if you’re lucky whales. It’s a must visit! The second is my favorite beach in LA, Hermosa Beach. It is a small city of its own with amazing restaurants. The sunset from Hermosa beach is one of the prettiest I have seen. The third place would be my absolute favorite ice cream place near Westwood, Saffron & Rose. The Persian ice cream they serve is one of the best ice creams I have ever had.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Some of the memories I’ll cherish the most are working late at night at the lab chasing a deadline, after which, our entire lab would go to the diner close by for late night food and beer. Apart from this, I miss playing soccer at the Brittingham field till late at night.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I could solve the Rubik’s cube in less than 30 seconds

What are your plans after graduation?

I have joined Amazon as a Research Scientist in Robotics.

Hometown (city, country):

Pune, India

Personal Website (if any):

shantanuthakar.github.io

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Satyandra K. Gupta

Sina Heydari
PhD in Mechanical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

“First understand nature’s rules.”

This quote by Dr. Tarnita of Princeton University is not only a short description of what my PhD research has been about, but I’ve also found it to be very useful advice in life in general

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My first paper with my PhD advisor on sea star inspired locomotion received a lot of attention from different news outlets (BBC news and world updates, KQED, Mashable, …). It was a challenging project that took a long time to finalize and seeing that it was met with interest by the community was definitely very fulfilling and rewarding.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

My rock-climbing gym pass. It was kind of expensive and at the time I wasn’t sure how much I would actually enjoy the sport. But it turned out to be one of the best purchases I’ve ever made.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

In Dr. Kanso’s bio-inspired motion lab we use mathematical tools to study how living things move around. My research focuses on sea star locomotion and how it happens through the combined action of hundreds of tiny tube feet.

We find that nature usually comes up with great, if not perfect, answers to many of the problems we as humans might face. Going deep into a biological system, finding those answers, and potentially applying them to an engineering system is what I find most exciting about my research.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Wildlife photographer.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Well, first of all, USC is a very prestigious university and I knew that getting my graduate training and degree from USC can open up a lot of doors in my future career.
Another major factor was definitely my advisor’s research interest which lies on the intersection of mathematics and biology. As an engineer with a lot of interest in wildlife and ecology, I found the opportunity to work in this area extremely appealing.

The third factor was the opportunity of being a graduate student in Los Angeles. From the many nearby hiking trails to the world-famous tourist attractions, LA never fails to provide you with different options to blow off steam whenever the research may seem too challenging.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

(1) Anywhere in the Sierra-Nevada mountains, (2) Joshua Tree national park and (3) Natural history museum of LA county (which is right across the street from our campus).

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Meeting my wife here at USC.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I’ve been lucky enough to see and photograph a California condor; a critically-endangered species with a population size of smaller than 300 individuals left in the wild.

What are your plans after graduation?

As of right now my plan is to pursue a career in academia and the first step on that path would be to do a Postdoc position in my field of research.

Hometown (city, country):

Born in Tucson, AZ, raised (mostly) in Tehran, Iran.

Personal Website (if any):

http://scf.usc.edu/~sinaheyd/

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Eva Kanso.

Siyuan Yao
PhD in Industrial Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Hard work may not pay off, but laziness pays nothing.

My advisor mentioned it during a group meeting to encourage us during the pandemic. Coincidently, a calligraphy decorated in my father’s office shares the same meaning. I personally consider trial and error as a big part of the research process. When I face challenges, I always try many different approaches to tackle the problem as I believe that diligence will be rewarded.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My marriage is my greatest accomplishment. I met my wife at USC and we have been married for two and a half years.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

A Montblanc Meisterstuck fountain pen.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

Traffic congestion is an urgent social issue calling for solutions, especially for metropolitan cities. My research is driven by the needs. Specifically, I am currently working on drayage operation optimizations including empty container repositioning problems, vehicle scheduling problems, and simulation-based truck routing problems. As a daily commuter living in Los Angeles, I understand how important it is to alleviate traffic congestion: improving traffic conditions saves time, and “time is life”.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

I love music. If I am not going to be an engineer, I would like to be a street artist (a saxophone performer or vocalist).

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The most important reason for me to stay at USC is my advisor. I met Prof. Maged Dessouky in one of my master classes. I feel so lucky to be his advisee because he is an amazing and caring mentor who provides insightful research suggestions and solid support to students. The second reason is my wife. She just graduated from a doctoral program at Annenberg Communication School, who also loves USC and encouraged me to apply. Thirdly, I completed my master program at USC too, and I have always been fascinated by the quality of education and diverse culture.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

The first place I would like to recommend is the Hahn Plaza on Campus. Especially, during the football week versus UCLA, you can feel the school spirit and pride.

The second place would be Doheny Memorial Library. The first time I went into the library, I was so moved by the weight of knowledge.

The third place would be Staple Center. As a basketball lover, Staple Center is the holy land. There is also a statue of Kobe Bryant. Mamba mentality will always inspire me to keep improving.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I have had so many great times at USC. If I had to choose my favorite, I cherish all the time that I have spent with my wife at USC. In the past four years, we have studied at almost every library, walked on every campus path, and enjoyed the food in every dining place.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I once lost 70 lbs in three months before I came to USC. But after one year of quarantine, I have gained all the weights back.

What are your plans after graduation?

My plan is to get a job in one of the leading tech companies. I might start my own business after accumulating enough working experience.

Hometown (city, country):

Yuyao, China.

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Maged Dessouky.

Nathan Decker
PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

I've received a lot of great advice over the years, (including from my faculty advisor here at USC), but my favorite advice comes from my grandfather, who passed away last year at the age of 100. He would often remind me to cultivate a heart of gratitude by not taking for granted the small things that God blesses us with each day.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My friends and I formed a band to compete in our high school talent show, and won! (I played the harmonica. Yikes...)

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

During the height of the pandemic, I decided to splurge - and prioritize self-care - by getting a set of adjustable-weight dumbbells, since I couldn't go to the gym. It took 3 months for them to arrive, but when they finally did, it upped my home-workout game immensely! I'm also way less likely to skip a workout, since there's no excuse now.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research focuses on the application of artificial intelligence to 3D printing. I try to make printers smarter by enabling them to learn from their past mistakes and leverage diverse sources of sensor data, resulting in parts that are more accurate. This is important for applications where the part must be functional, which are increasing in frequency as 3D printing becomes more utilized. I love my research, since it forces me to work across a number of fields and learn a little bit about everything to solve problems.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Before I realized that I have a passion for engineering, I was a Philosophy major for a year during my undergraduate studies, and really enjoyed the experience. Had I not come to that realization, I might have tried to pursue a career as a Philosophy professor.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

My love for USC began from a young age! Sadly, from 1995 (the year I was born) to 2015, Los Angeles lacked an NFL team, meaning that if you wanted to cheer for a football team, USC and UCLA were the only game in town. Thankfully, my dad chose correctly, and decided that our family would root for USC. He took me to watch open football practices on campus growing up, where you could meet players and coaches, as well as a good number of games in the Coliseum. When it came time to decide where I would go to grad school, I could say that it was USC's outstanding reputation, the fantastic resources that my department offers, the amazing Trojan family, or the great fit with my advisor and lab that sealed the deal, but deep down, I think it was the memories with my father that convinced me I couldn't be anywhere else.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

#1 Get a breakfast burrito at Phanny's in Redondo Beach and take it to the ocean, just a quick 5 minute walk away.

#2 Visit the Irwindale Speedway for their 'Night of Destruction', a full fledged demolition derby! Trust me on this - it's so much fun.

#3 Have a picnic at the Getty to take in some beautiful views and incredible art.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

During my first year at USC, a group of PhD students from my department decided to celebrate the last final of the semester (which finished at 9 PM) with a late night hot pot / fondue get-together on campus. The flavors were incredible, and we each got to share a bit of our cultures with the food that we contributed and passed around over newspaper laid out on the breakroom table.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I don't want to brag too much, but as a PhD student, I've been able to get plenty of sleep.

What are your plans after graduation?

In my career, I hope to continue working on challenging problems and learning from brilliant people, wherever that may be.

Hometown (city, country):

La Mirada, CA

Personal Website (if any):

www.nathanidecker.com

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Qiang Huang

Anthony Nguyen
PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

You can't optimize life. Don't be afraid to pivot and embrace opportunities that present themselves.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Completing my Eagle Scout when I was growing up. This accomplishment helped shape my mindset and gave me the courage and confidence to be ambitious with my goals.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I recently purchased my first set of golf clubs and a new pair of rock climbing shoes. I love spending my free time participating in sports activities.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

My research is focused on decision making in healthcare settings. This includes clinical, operational, and policy level decisions. Most of my recent work has been on building infectious disease models for HIV and COVID-19 that incorporate human behavior to help local policymakers make more informed decisions for LA County. What excites me most about this research is the cross disciplinary and collaborative nature of the work as well as the fact that it is directly applicable to the local community.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

If I was not an engineer, I would likely be a physician specialized in either surgery or emergency medicine. I have always been interested in improving patient care and patient quality of life. Engineering allows me to do this at a systemic level. Being a physician enables attaining this goal at a patient level.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

My main reasons for selecting USC were: (1) I had an instant connection with my faculty advisors (2) Being located in Southern California, I knew I would enjoy the environment and lifestyle beyond time spent doing research, and (3) Knowing that USC excels in a wide range of fields, I knew I would be able to engage in interesting cross-disciplinary research.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

(1) Korea Town, Little Tokyo, and other food hubs in LA, (2) San Diego (3) San Francisco.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Department happy hours! It's always great enjoying a drink with your professors, admin, and classmates.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I try to balance my time between research and playing sports. Even after starting my PhD, I have taken time almost every week to surf, climb, train for races, and now to play golf! A great week is a week when I can manage to do all of these activities.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to go into management consulting with a focus on health related sectors.

Hometown (city, country):

Yorba Linda, California.

Personal Website (if any):

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonycnguyen/

Faculty Advisor:

Co-advised by:

Professor Sze Chuan Suen (ISE)
Professor Shinyi Wu (Social Work)

Caroline Johnston
PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

A manager at one of my previous internships once told me “Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.” Sometimes you have to be your own advocate to achieve your goals.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

It sounds corny, but I’ve made quite a few friendships that I am proud of and grateful to have as part of my support system. This system has been vital during my journey to earn a PhD.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Over the course of the pandemic, I built a few LEGO sets, which is something that I’ve really enjoyed since childhood. I splurged and bought the LEGO replica typewriter. It can’t actually type, but it’s still pretty awesome!

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

At a high level, my research involves combining the concepts of robust optimization and social choice theory to create a framework that integrates fair, diverse, equitable, and/or inclusive practices into group-decision making processes. Policies that are socially sensitive (e.g. setting bail, approving loans, etc.), how can we ensure that the ultimate policy that is implemented is not simply the policy that is favored by those with the “loudest” voices in the room? Are there certain voices in the room that should carry more “weight” than others? I am creating a framework that explores different techniques in aggregating group preferences, focusing on such issues.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I was really inspired by the work coming out of USC’s Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society and its interdisciplinary focus with faculty and students from both engineering and social work. I always knew that I wanted to use my technical skills to promote social good, so I felt the center would be a good fit for me to explore this further.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

1. Walk/bike/skate along “The Strand” at Manhattan Beach and look at all the fancy beach houses!
2. Go to a Dodgers game!
3. Grab some friends, firewood, and s’mores materials and head to Dockweiler Beach for a beachside campfire!

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I don’t have any sort of specific memory, but I’ve met some great people at USC that I cherish.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I play the drums!

What are your plans after graduation?

I want to work in industry. Though I’m not sure of the specifics, working somewhere in the public policy sector seems the most interesting and rewarding to me at this point in time.

Hometown (city, country):

Wilmington, MA, USA

Personal Website (if any):

www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-johnston39

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Phebe Vayanos

Mahammad Valiyev
PhD in Petroleum Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

It is hard to pick the single best one. Probably, the following one: whatever the situationis, maintain your confidence and values.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Ability to walk away from lucrative and lower-risk industry jobs that I have been offered,to pursue a much riskier plan that involved extensive self-study and studying for a not-so-desired MSc degree with the aim to eventually get admitted into a top PhD program in the US and making this plan actually, work.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

Probably, the fitness tracker watch. By the way, with the availability of so many great products and very fast deliveries, it is really hard to resist impulse buying in the US.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it

I currently work on two projects: the first one is about the development of new model calibration workflows using deep learning and the second one is on developing predictive models for hydraulic fracturing operations using again machine/deep learning models. I would say there are several aspects to my research projects that make them exciting. Model calibration research is exciting because it is a general problem, that spans many fields, not just being limited to petroleum engineering, whereas hydraulic fracturing project is cool because it is one of the most widely used methods for optimizing oil and gas development in the North America. Therefore, they are both high-impact and relatively easier to justify research projects which do matter, and these features make them very exciting. Also, the fact that we address those problems with modern deep/machine learning algorithms makes them even more fun to work on, since I enjoy statistics/probability, coding, and being on the cutting edge.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

If exclude engineering and computer science, I’d again go for highly quantitative majors such as applied math or economics.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

My research advisor, reputation of university and program, the location and weather.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

Since I have arrived in the US just 2 months ago, I have not been able to go outside of LA, therefore I would stick to LA for my recommendations. The first thing I did just after settling down after my arrival to LA, was to go Hollywood walk of fame. Maybe I am somewhat biased, but I think it is a landmark, cultural icon, thus a top attraction in LA. Then, probably, it would be nice to visit Universal studios and one of the many cool beaches. Generally, LA and California have something to offer for everyone!

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Considering that I am just in my 2nd semester, I think most of the memories to be cherished are still waiting for me!

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

Maybe the fact that I am not a fan of dogs. It is not like I do not like them, I am just indifferent.

What are your plans after graduation?

To work in industry as a Research/Applied Scientist.

Hometown (city, country)

Baku, Azerbaijan

Personal Website (if any)

No, but I can share my linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahammadvaliyev1/ and
facebook profiles https://www.facebook.com/mahammad.valiyev1/

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Behnam Jafarpour

Ulugbek Djuraev
PhD in Petroleum Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

I think the best piece of advice I've received was to listen to my body. For instance, to take some time off from work, from studies, and the internet to let your body recover and re-energize.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I think that would be learning about myself and learning about self-awareness. This is definitely my greatest accomplishment in recent years.

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I believe it is my Samsung tablet. At first, I thought it was totally unnecessary because I try to keep my electronic devices to a minimum. But it's been of great help to me in this online study/work from home period.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I'm currently working on inverse problems pertinent to improving geologic realism of subsurface reservoirs given limited surface data. The exciting part is how a multidisciplinary approach, combining engineering and science, enables us to reach and extract subsurface resources safely and efficiently.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?

Most probably, I could have chosen a profession in finance.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

Main factor was the research scope of the lab, specifically focusing on inverse and optimization problems in subsurface.

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

The first place to visit in Los Angeles is to explore areas around USC on foot. In my opinion, learning about the surrounding area would help to get the most of USC experience. The second place is to go to a live show, any show that takes place every day in the city. And thirdly, I would recommend exploring California - it is such a beautiful state.

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

The Trojan spirit!

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

The range of musical genres I listen to - from Heavy Metal to Classical music and more!

What are your plans after graduation?

I hope to pursue a career in Reservoir Engineering.

Hometown (city, country):

I come from Qarshi, one of the large cities in the South of Uzbekistan.

Faculty Advisor:

Professor Dr. Behnam Jafarpour.

Student and Alumni Profiles

Aerospace Engineering

Kyle Russell

Orazio Pinti

Astronautical Engineering

Jeffrey Asher

Parisa Pouya

Shatad Purohit

Biomedical Engineering

Qianhui Wu

Trevor Hudson

James Yoo

Sue Wang

Anshu Goyal

Ali Marjaninejad

Octavio Marin Pardo

Wen Shi

Pu Wang

Catherine Yunis

Jeffrey Santoso

Joseph Liu

Jia Hao

Zhouxiao Lu

Jonathan Wang

Chemical Engineering

Abdullah Aljasmi

Jose Cobena-Reyes

Kylie Trettner

Civil Engineering

Ghena Alhanaee

Agnimitra Dasgupta

Preetham Manjunatha

Mert Oytun

Ruying Liu

Audie Lee

Computer Science

Sara Babakniya

Chelsea Luo

Wei-Cheng Wu

Basileal Imana

Rey Pocius

Sepanta Zeighami

Fiona Guo

Neal Lawton

Bowen Song

Jacqueline Brixey

Jingbo Wang

Sarath Shekkizhar

Nathaniel Sands

Mingxuan Yue

Kushal Chawla

Kegan Strawn

Aniruddh Puranic

Avijit Thawani

Shariq Iqbal

Aleksei Petrenko

Mianlun Zheng

Mozhdeh Gheini

Bryon Tjanaka

Timothy Greer

Ninareh Mehrabi

Johnny Wei

Rey Pocius

Hsien-Te Kao

Nathan Dennler

Adriana Sejfia

Abdul Qadeer

Computer Engineering

Abdulla Alshabanah

Kartik Lakhotia

Electrical Engineering

Jinze Du

Milad Pooladsanj

Tianchen Yuan

Dake Chen

Thomas Choi

Digbalay Bose

Seyedeh Hanieh Hashemi

Sasindu Kangara Mudiyanselage