Abstract: Sampling is a fundamental algorithmic task with many connections to optimization. In this talk, we survey a recent algorithm for sampling known as the Proximal Sampler, which can be seen as a proximal discretization of the continuous-time Langevin dynamics, and achieves the current state-of-the-art iteration complexity for sampling in discrete time. We survey the mixing […]
Abstract: Large Language Models (LLMs) and Vision Language Models (VLMs) have achieved remarkable performance across a wide range of tasks. However, their growing deployment has exposed fundamental limitations in faithfulness, safety, and transparency. In this talk, I will present a unified perspective on addressing these challenges through principled model interventions and interpretable decision-making frameworks. I first […]
🚨Join us for the matchmaking between startups and experts Simbiosyx Showcase Event, where innovation meets expertise. Startups will take the stage to present bold ideas and real-world challenges—seeking expert collaborators to help them grow. We’re thrilled to announce the launch of Simbiosyx—Aquillius’ new AI-powered platform designed to connect startups with the expert to support them […]
“We turned tribal knowledge into a repeatable, auditable playbook — think blue‑team discipline with rogue‑hacker swagger. What we did: Recon: Interviewed engineers, architects, analysts, and leaders to expose undocumented ops and inconsistent controls. Exploit the gaps: Mapped policies, SOPs, and GRC to reveal missing/ineffective controls and untracked risks. Score & Prioritize: Work with second line of defense to […]
We are organizing part2 of the IEEE San Diego Electronics Packaging Society (EPS) chapter meeting. Agenda: The following topics would be discussed as follow up from the first meeting in February 2026. List of IEEE EPS technical and non-technical events Collaboration with IMAPS Additional officers beyond the 4 assigned, especially webmaster Budget feedback from SD […]
Ophir Klein, MD, PhD, will be at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine* on Thursday, Feb. 26 in Duane Roth Auditorium from 9:30–10:30 a.m. PT to speak on Design Principles of Development and Renewal Across the Oral–Gut Axis. Join us on the terrace for refreshments before the event. *Parking will be enforced Learning Objectives At the conclusion of the activity, the participants […]
RSVP Here Please join us on Wednesday, 25 Feb 2026 for a semi-remote presentation on Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management (C-SCRM). This presentation will be made by Mr. Steve Granata of The MITRE Corporation and will cover how foreign adversaries exploit attack vectors into our systems by targeting ‘soft’ targets — our suppliers. This evening’s presentation will be […]
Abstract: This talk will show you what neuromorphic computing can do when an academic lab accidentally pulls $2-million of GPU-hours. We will showcase a series of frontier reasoning LLMs developed out of an academic lab, from data curation and pre-training to post-training and alignment. These models surpass leading LLMs from Meta, Google, and other heavily-resourced labs […]
Join us on Friday 2/20/2026 (9:30-11:00 am PST) for our February “Tea Chat”, to meet with Teri Nagel and learn about her HealthTech supply chain & operations consulting firm Nagel Strategies. Teri Nagel, is a consultant and facilitator combining communications, procurement, and government affairs expertise to help leaders in MedTech and Pharma make the most […]
Maarten de Hoop, Rice University Abstract: We present a kinetic theory perspective of foundation models for physics. We begin with providing a mathematical framework for analyzing transformers. To uniformly address their expressivity, we consider the case that the mappings are conditioned on a context represented by a probability distribution of tokens. That is, transformers become mappings […]
Abstract: Direct policy search has achieved great empirical success in reinforcement learning. Many recent studies have revisited its theoretical foundation for continuous control, which reveals elegant nonconvex geometry in various benchmark problems. In this talk, we introduce an Extended Convex Lifting (ECL) framework, which reveals hidden convexity in classical optimal and robust control problems from a […]
Abstract: This talk explores the interplay between model-based guarantees and learning-based flexibility in the control of dynamical systems. I begin with safety-critical control using control barrier functions (CBFs), highlighting that while CBFs enforce state constraints, they may induce unstable internal dynamics. I introduce conditions under which CBF-based safety filters ensure boundedness of the full system state. […]
Hands-on Machine Learning Sequences and NLP with RNNs and Attention We are continuing our machine learning book club series for the book Hands-On Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn, Keras, and TensorFlow by Aurelien Geron. This session will combine concepts from chapters 15 and 16 to discuss the deep learning building blocks for natural language processing (NLP) and other […]
Join us on Friday 1/16/2026 (9:30-11:00 am PST) for our kick-off “Tea Chat” of 2026, to hear the journey of Julia Schnider, her insights into Quality and Sterility Assurance, and what it takes to build inspection-ready systems that truly work. Julia Schnider, is Founder & Principal Consultant of QMSphere, a specialized consulting firm supporting Life […]
Abstract: To achieve the greatest possible speed, practitioners regularly implement randomized algorithms for low-rank approximation and least-squares regression with structured dimension reduction maps. This talk outlines a new perspective on structured dimension reduction, based on the injectivity properties of the dimension reduction map. This approach provides sharper bounds for sparse dimension reduction maps, and it leads […]
Join us on Friday 12/19 (9:30-11:00 am PST) for our last event of the monthly series in 2025! - It honors innovations of life sciences and health technologies, with our participants having the opportunities to enjoy networking with some of the best inventors, entrepreneurs, and experts available in Southern California. Please be sure to save […]
Mark your calendars for the next Sanford Stem Cell Institute Seminar Series speaker! Mariella FIlbin, MD, PhD, will be here Thursday, December 11, in Duane Roth Auditorium from 9:30-10:30am to speak on Form Follows Function: Cellular and Developmental Architecture of Pediatric Brain Tumors. Morning refreshments for onsite attendees.
Abstract: Reinforcement Learning (RL) has become a powerful post-training method for eliciting advanced behaviors in large language models (LLMs). This talk presents recent results showing how RL can incentivize the emergence of LLM capabilities across three domains: (1) multi-player deduction game, Werewolf, where RL-trained LLM agents develop strategic behaviors and outperform strong human players; (2) agentic […]
Abstract: I will motivate and provide an overview of recent efforts in my research group on the design and analysis of stochastic-gradient-based algorithms for solving constrained optimization problems. I will focus in particular on our motivation for informed supervised learning, where constraints in the training problem can be used to impose prior knowledge on the properties […]
Abstract: At the heart of deep learning’s transformative impact lies the concept of scale–encompassing both data and computational resources, as well as their interaction with neural network architectures. Scale, however, presents critical challenges, such as increased instability during training and prohibitively expensive model-specific tuning. Given the substantial resources required to train such models, formulating high-confidence scaling […]
Abstract: When transitioning from the academic world to the professional world of engineering, one of the most common pitfalls is failing to understand the difference between a compelling prototype and a successful product. This talk will focus on that distinction. We will discuss the differences between them, and the work required to evolve a good prototype […]
Abstract: Many fundamental machine perception and state estimation tasks require the solution of a high-dimensional nonconvex estimation problem; this class includes (for example) the fundamental problems of simultaneous localization and mapping (in robotics), 3D reconstruction (in computer vision), and sensor network localization (in distributed sensing). Such problems are known to be computationally hard in general, with […]
Hands-on Machine Learning Training Deep Neural Networks We are launching a new introduction to machine learning book club series! We will use the book Hands-On Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn, Keras, and TensorFlow by Aurelien Geron. For learners willing to read and engage with the material each week, you will walk away knowing all of the basics of […]
Abstract: Over the past few years, the capabilities of generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems have advanced rapidly. Along with the benefits of AI, there is also a risk of harm. In order to benefit from AI while mitigating the risks, we need a grounded theoretical framework. The current AI safety theory, which predates generative AI, is […]
It’s one thing to know a lot of people. It’s another to know when, why, and how to connect them. After Jonah Peake 🐺 tagged me in his recent post about San Diego’s community connectors, we started talking about how we can help more people become great connectors - not just a few of us […]
Back by popular demand! UC San Diego’s engaging and informative Privacy 101 Seminar is back in person! Please join Chief Privacy Officer Pegah Parsi for a HYBRID session on privacy. In this lively and interactive session, we’ll cover: Why privacy matters to our personhood, rights, and society, How today’s data practices and the landscape of privacy laws […]
💵The Wealth Game Series Part VII Join us on a topic "Investing with Power, Purpose, and a Plan" 🔥Only 2 percent of venture capital goes to women-led businesses. That number doesn’t reflect talent. It reflects access. This session is a rallying point for women ready to step into their role as investors, leaders, and wealth creators. […]
Abstract: Given the massive scale of modern ML models, we now only get a single shot to train them effectively. This restricts our ability to test multiple architectures and hyper-parameter configurations. Instead, we need to understand how these models scale, allowing us to experiment with smaller problems and then apply those insights to larger-scale models. In […]
Join us on Monday, October 20, for our How to do Business with the Port Workshop, where you’ll attend a panel with Port staff, meet our project managers who buy products and facilitate agreements for professional services, and learn how to become a registered vendor with the Port. All trades and industries are welcome.
✨Startups thrive when the right ideas meet the right expertise at the right time. This session introduces a new way to make that happen. Powered by Simbiosyx, an AI-driven platform from Aquillius, this event creates seamless, targeted matches between startup companies and expert advisors in real time. 📜Participants will experience how AI can go beyond networking by intelligently aligning needs with […]
