{"692961":{"#nid":"692961","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Renzhi Sun    ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Physics Thesis Proposal\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERenzhi Sun \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdvisor:\u0026nbsp; Dr. Chunhui Du, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDefect Spin Quantum Sensing of Magnetic Dynamics in Low-Dimensional Materials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMonday, October 12, 2026\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E11:00 a.m. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowey W401\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee Members:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Michael Chapman, School of\u0026nbsp;Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr.\u0026nbsp;Zhigang Jiang, School of\u0026nbsp;Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Hailong Wang, School of\u0026nbsp;Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDefect Spin Quantum Sensing of Magnetic Dynamics in Low-Dimensional Materials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Defect Spin Quantum Sensing of Magnetic Dynamics in Low-Dimensional Materials"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-10-01 15:34:30","changed_gmt":"2026-10-01 15:35:01","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-12T11:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-12T13:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-12T13:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-12 15:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-12 17:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-12 17:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Howey W401","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692960":{"#nid":"692960","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Sana Aminnaji","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EQuantitative Biosciences Thesis Proposal\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESana Aminnaji\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProspective coding of task state in cerebellar Purkinje cell complex spikes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWednesday, October 7, 2026, at 9:00 am\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Person Location: Cherry Emerson 204\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgatech.zoom.us%2Fj%2F2672519137%3Fpwd%3DZG0zM2dNbmdFWmNoUjlOeVdhcEVvZz09\u0026amp;data=05%7C02%7Cannouncements%40grad.gatech.edu%7C464516ed67614816eb6c08df1fc52d85%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C1%7C0%7C639264603932119299%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=TwHro7wsSoGNqSijekiCCfFteTnMb2LBV1BTkGWReLo%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022\u003EMeeting Link\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOpen to the Community\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdvisor:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Farzaneh Najafi (School of Biological Sciences)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommittee Members:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Timothy C. Cope (School of Biological Sciences)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Audrey Sederberg (School of Psychology, School of Physics)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Hannah Choi (School of Mathematics)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Dobromir Rahnev (School of Psychology)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbstract:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cerebellum is the brain\u0027s canonical learning machine. In the classical account, climbing fibers from the inferior olive deliver an error signal to Purkinje cells, evoking complex spikes that trigger plasticity and correct the next movement. This account is retrospective: the complex spike reports what has already gone wrong. My thesis asks whether these same signals also look forward \u2014 whether, before an expected event, Purkinje cell activity reflects what the animal expects and how confidently it expects it. I test this using two-photon calcium imaging of Purkinje cell dendrites in behaving mice, across two paradigms that share animals and imaging field while manipulating certainty by design.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst, I characterize how mice solve a timing task and how complex spikes relate to their internal estimate of its rule. Head-fixed mice produce a two-push joystick sequence whose required interval alternates unpredictably between short and long blocks, so the animal must infer which rule is in force. Mice adapt at trial, block and session timescales, and state-space modeling shows they switch among a small number of timing strategies rather than drifting continuously. In the same animals, complex spike responses separate into groups with distinct sensory, movement and reward profiles that reproduce the known microzonal organization of climbing fiber input. In the quiet interval between trials \u2014 containing no stimulus, no required movement and no reward \u2014 activity in the movement- and reward-related groups is lower before trials that will be rewarded than before trials that will not, in every animal and every task variant, and above a directly measured slow-drift baseline.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESecond, I ask whether this signature survives without movement or reward. The same mice passively viewed or heard a four-element stimulus sequence under fixed inter-stimulus intervals, where the timing of the next stimulus is certain, and jittered intervals, where it is not. Preliminary results indicate that activity preceding a stimulus is suppressed under certainty, in the same class of response group, with nothing to move toward and nothing to earn. I will extend this to the full dataset and test whether the depth of suppression scales with how predictable the upcoming stimulus is.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThird, I will test whether this activity is used rather than merely present. Using optogenetic inactivation of cerebellar output restricted to the interval before a trial, with interleaved within-session controls, I will ask whether the behavioral adjustment that normally follows depends on it, and whether that dependence is specific to the anticipatory window.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, these aims ask whether the climbing fiber sits not at the end of a learning loop reporting error, but at its beginning, expressing expectation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProspective coding of task state in cerebellar Purkinje cell complex spikes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Prospective coding of task state in cerebellar Purkinje cell complex spikes"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-10-01 15:32:10","changed_gmt":"2026-10-01 15:32:47","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-07T09:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-07T11:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-07T11:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-07 13:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-07 15:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-07 15:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Cherry Emerson 204","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692942":{"#nid":"692942","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Defense by Sara Sloman","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDoctor of Philosophy in\u0026nbsp;Physics\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Physics\u0026nbsp;Thesis\u0026nbsp;Dissertation\u0026nbsp;Defense\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESara Sloman\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr.\u0026nbsp;Chandra Raman, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology (Advisor)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstanding and Controlling Nonlinear Dynamics in Magneto-Optical Traps\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDate: Wednesday, October 7, 2026\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETime: \u0026nbsp;9:00 a.m.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELocation:\u0026nbsp;Howey W401\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVirtual:\u0026nbsp; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/233914907052583?p=aGoTcFfvh6PPGVoUl1\u0022 title=\u0022Meeting join\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/233914907052583?p=aGoTcFfvh6PPGVoUl1\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeeting ID: 233 914 907 052 583 \/ Passcode: wW26HL3u\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThesis Committee:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Colin Parker, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Zeb Rocklin, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Carlos Sa De Melo, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Bryan Gard, Georgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMagneto-optical traps (MOTs) are overdamped systems, yet they can be prone to nonlinear dynamics and instabilities under realistic lab conditions. With the increasing importance of cold trapped atoms in atomic physics, it has become vital that we develop an understanding of these behaviors, which limit size and overall quality of the MOT. This dissertation investigates the nonlinear dynamics in a sodium-23 MOT through experimental methods. By varying the location of the trap center, stable and unstable states are reached, revealing a controllable method for tuning between these states. High-speed imaging is used classify these states, and bistable states are resolved among these dynamics at the threshold of instability. To further explore the nonlinear nature of MOTs, an analogy is drawn between the trapped atoms and low Reynolds number fluids, where inertia is negligible. A key feature of low Reynolds number systems is kinematic reversibility, the total reversal of the trajectory of a particle with the reciprocal application of an external force. This dissertation presents the first demonstration of kinematic reversibility in a cold atom fluid, which is achieved using controlled magnetic field ramps. The conditions under which reversibility breaks down are investigated and hypothesized to be due to a fluid-jamming behavior. By controllably tuning the trapping geometry due to beam misalignments, we determine a way to induce the breakdown of reversibility, providing further insight into the mechanisms behind this.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding and Controlling Nonlinear Dynamics in Magneto-Optical Traps\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Understanding and Controlling Nonlinear Dynamics in Magneto-Optical Traps"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-09-30 16:34:21","changed_gmt":"2026-09-30 16:34:21","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-07T09:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-07T11:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-07T11:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-07 13:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-07 15:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-07 15:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Howey W401","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"100811","name":"Phd Defense"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692908":{"#nid":"692908","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Isabella Stepanek","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIsabella Stepanek\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAdvisor: Prof. Eric Vogel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ewill propose a doctoral thesis entitled\u003C\/em\u003E,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELow temperature synthesis of MAX-phase Ti2AlC coatings and their performance as hydrogen isotope permeation barriers for fusion technologies\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOn\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMonday, October 12 at 12 p.m.\u003Cbr\u003EPettit\u0026nbsp;Microelectronics Building\u0026nbsp;Room 102A\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Eand\/or\u0026nbsp;virtually via\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/263376518936170?p=j6inS9c8ubYnh2WXhX\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/263376518936170?p=j6inS9c8ubYnh2WXhX\u0022\u003EMS Teams\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERealizing practical fusion energy requires materials that can withstand simultaneous neutron irradiation, thermal cycling, and corrosive molten salts without degrading. Conventional barriers such as Al2O3\u0026nbsp;achieve high reduction factors in laboratory conditions but degrade irreversibly under neutron irradiation and thermal cycling. This work exploits the unique defect tolerance and self-healing behavior of the nanolaminated MAX-phases, specifically Ti2AlC, to address the hydrogen isotope permeation control problem in fusion blanket design.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EAim 1 establishes a simplified bilayer synthesis approach combining an aluminum precursor layer with a TiAlC layer, enabling Ti2AlC formation at 650 \u00b0C through controlled Al diffusion, reducing the temperature requirements of conventional synthesis while eliminating the per-layer calibration challenges of prior methods.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EAim 2 adapts this route to Grade 91 steel, a fusion-relevant structural substrate, and provides the first quantified permeation reduction factors for Ti2AlC-containing coatings through gas-driven deuterium permeation experiments, demonstrating one order of magnitude reduction in hydrogen isotope flux.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EAim 3 evaluates barrier durability by measuring coating performance and structure before and after heavy-ion irradiation and molten salt exposure, establishing whether the predicted radiation tolerance and corrosion stability of MAX-phases hold in thin-film form under fusion-relevant conditions.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ETogether, these efforts validate a pathway for engineering MAX-phase permeation barriers on structural materials within realistic fusion reactor thermal budgets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022efaeac4330e42fe5f128d6cdaa1378e84\u0022\u003EProf. Eric Vogel \u2014 School of Materials Science and Engineering (advisor)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e56e3ad2c48be91a583f33ba3b14d066f\u0022\u003EDr. Dale Hitchcock \u2014\u0026nbsp;Savannah River National Laboratory\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e4bc2403475805069113705ba881052e5\u0022\u003EProf. Preet Singh \u2014 School of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e057b96186fed0e4e083185f1873bc31e\u0022\u003EProf. Mark Losego \u2014 School of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e0e3c262c8c323c4e6cb7e1fb53bbd01c\u0022\u003EProf. Chaitanya Deo \u2014\u0026nbsp;School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELow temperature synthesis of MAX-phase Ti2AlC coatings and their performance as hydrogen isotope permeation barriers for fusion technologies\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Low temperature synthesis of MAX-phase Ti2AlC coatings and their performance as hydrogen isotope permeation barriers for fusion technologies"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-09-29 15:56:15","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 15:56:47","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-12T12:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-12T14:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-12T14:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-12 16:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-12 18:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-12 18:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Pettit Microelectronics Building Room 102A and\/or virtually via MS Teams  ","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692878":{"#nid":"692878","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Defense by Abdelrahman Sharafeldin","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETitle: Biologically Inspired Learning for Perception, Exploration, and Decision-Making Under Uncertainty\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDate: October 7, 2026\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETime: 1-3 PM ET\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELocation\u003C\/strong\u003E: Price Gilbert 4222\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZoom link:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgatech.zoom.us%2Fj%2F98261111313%3Fpwd%3DxtWSnKAbZJ0ya4ui86blMrJ76ZOqfM.1\u0026amp;data=05%7C02%7Cannouncements%40grad.gatech.edu%7C13b4105586ad4fd99f5a08df1e24f761%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C1%7C0%7C639262816245690777%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=TdE6DytEBz%2BzK%2FSHe3Se4pTEpA6JJiHnIWYDwwH8qP8%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/j\/98261111313?pwd=xtWSnKAbZJ0ya4ui86blMrJ76ZOqfM.1\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZoom passcode\u003C\/strong\u003E: 599523\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbdelrahman Sharafeldin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMachine Learning PhD Student\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E1 Dr. Hannah Choi (Advisor), School of Mathematics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E2 Dr. Nabil Imam, School of Computational Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E3 Dr. Anqi Wu, School of Computational Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E4 Dr. Simon Sponberg, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E5 Dr. Chethan Pandarinath, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIntelligent behavior requires organisms to learn useful representations of the world, seek informative observations, and act effectively despite uncertainty and limited resources. This thesis investigates how predictive generative perception, information-seeking action, and reward-guided learning support these abilities under biological constraints such as embodiment, energy efficiency, and neural architecture. In the first part of this thesis, we develop an active-sensing framework that uses expected reductions in the uncertainty of a generative model to guide exploration, learning environmental structure and visual representations that improve data efficiency in subsequent tasks. In the second part, we extend this framework to multiple sensory modalities and show that the learned visual and mechanosensory \u003Cem\u003Einformation landscapes\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;account for features of hawkmoth flower probing and tracking. We also develop a mode-switching control algorithm that uses perceptual uncertainty to coordinate exploration and reward seeking and improves learning and generalization in simulated nectar search. In the third part, we ask how these computational objectives for perception and action can be instantiated in cortical circuits and develop a cell-type-specific model that combines predictive coding, reinforcement learning, and activity costs under biological connectivity constraints. Trained on a naturalistic change-detection task, this model reproduces several experimentally observed responses to novelty across different cell types without fitting neural response data. These complementary studies connect how information is acquired, represented, and used, offering insights into biological computation and principles for designing artificial agents that learn through interaction.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBiologically Inspired Learning for Perception, Exploration, and Decision-Making Under Uncertainty\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Biologically Inspired Learning for Perception, Exploration, and Decision-Making Under Uncertainty"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-09-29 13:58:33","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 13:59:03","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-07T13:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-07T15:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-07T15:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-07 17:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-07 19:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-07 19:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Price Gilbert 4222","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"100811","name":"Phd Defense"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692868":{"#nid":"692868","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Isabella Stepanek","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIsabella Stepanek\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAdvisor: Prof. Eric Vogel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ewill propose a doctoral thesis entitled\u003C\/em\u003E,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELow temperature synthesis of MAX-phase Ti2AlC coatings and their performance as hydrogen isotope permeation barriers for fusion technologies\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOn\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMonday, October 12 at 12 p.m.\u003Cbr\u003EPettit\u0026nbsp;Microelectronics Building\u0026nbsp;Room 102A\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Eand\/or\u0026nbsp;virtually via\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/263376518936170?p=j6inS9c8ubYnh2WXhX\u0022\u003EMS Teams\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERealizing practical fusion energy requires materials that can withstand simultaneous neutron irradiation, thermal cycling, and corrosive molten salts without degrading. Conventional barriers such as Al2O3\u0026nbsp;achieve high reduction factors in laboratory conditions but degrade irreversibly under neutron irradiation and thermal cycling. This work exploits the unique defect tolerance and self-healing behavior of the nanolaminated MAX-phases, specifically Ti2AlC, to address the hydrogen isotope permeation control problem in fusion blanket design.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EAim 1 establishes a simplified bilayer synthesis approach combining an aluminum precursor layer with a TiAlC layer, enabling Ti2AlC formation at 650 \u00b0C through controlled Al diffusion, reducing the temperature requirements of conventional synthesis while eliminating the per-layer calibration challenges of prior methods.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EAim 2 adapts this route to Grade 91 steel, a fusion-relevant structural substrate, and provides the first quantified permeation reduction factors for Ti2AlC-containing coatings through gas-driven deuterium permeation experiments, demonstrating one order of magnitude reduction in hydrogen isotope flux.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EAim 3 evaluates barrier durability by measuring coating performance and structure before and after heavy-ion irradiation and molten salt exposure, establishing whether the predicted radiation tolerance and corrosion stability of MAX-phases hold in thin-film form under fusion-relevant conditions.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ETogether, these efforts validate a pathway for engineering MAX-phase permeation barriers on structural materials within realistic fusion reactor thermal budgets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e2d31d247d2c2a73decc975bfe8c41eae\u0022\u003EProf. Eric Vogel \u2013 School of Materials Science and Engineering (advisor)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e4b40413c6c678787b51c5461a3c16c79\u0022\u003EDr. Dale Hitchcock \u2013 Savannah River National Laboratory\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e31ce42a9d552901a2d494c19c5295504\u0022\u003EProf. Mark Losego \u2013 School of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e459549b4aa57d8c2ea91090d6bcb9a82\u0022\u003EProf. Caitanya Deo \u2013 School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELow temperature synthesis of MAX-phase Ti2AlC coatings and their performance as hydrogen isotope permeation barriers for fusion technologies\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Low temperature synthesis of MAX-phase Ti2AlC coatings and their performance as hydrogen isotope permeation barriers for fusion technologies"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-09-28 17:58:44","changed_gmt":"2026-09-28 17:59:15","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-12T12:00:53-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-12T14:00:53-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-12T14:00:53-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-12 16:00:53","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-12 18:00:53","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-12 18:00:53","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Pettit Microelectronics Building Room 102A and\/or virtually via MS Teams","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692867":{"#nid":"692867","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Fan Fan","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFan Fan\u003Cbr\u003EBME PhD Proposal Presentation\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDate: 2026-10-13\u003Cbr\u003ETime: 9:30AM \uff5e 11:00AM\u003Cbr\u003ELocation \/ Meeting Link: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/emory.zoom.us\/j\/8579990455\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/emory.zoom.us\/j\/8579990455\u003C\/a\u003E In person: HSRBII N657\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommittee Members:\u003Cbr\u003EJanowczyk, Andrew, PhD (Advisor); Madabhushi, Anant, PhD(Co-advisor); Sinha, Saurabh, PhD; Farris III, Alton B, MD; Viswanath, Satish Easwar, PhD; Barisoni, Laura,MD\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETitle: Clinical and Biological Relevance of the Tubulointerstitium in Glomerular Diseases Through Multiscale Computational Pathology\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAbstract:\u003Cbr\u003EProteinuric glomerular diseases, including minimal change disease (MCD) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), remain major causes of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure. Although diagnosis has focused on glomerular pathology, increasing evidence demonstrates that the tubulointerstitium is a critical determinant of disease progression and therapeutic response. However, current evaluation of the tubulointerstitium relies largely on semiquantitative visual assessment of a limited number of histologic features, which fails to capture the full spectrum of structural and spatial information encoded within kidney tissue7. Because periodic acid\u2013Schiff (PAS)-stained kidney biopsies are routinely acquired as part of standard clinical care, they provide a widely available and cost-effective substrate for computational pathology, making this approach readily translatable across diverse clinical settings. Advances in computational pathology and spatial molecular profiling provide an opportunity to quantitatively characterize tubulointerstitial remodeling and relate tissue morphology to underlying biology and clinical outcomes. The overall objective of this project is to establish a multiscale computational pathology framework that links quantitative histologic morphology with molecular cell states and patient outcomes across MCD and FSGS. We hypothesize that computationally derived tubular pathomic features, when organized into biologically interpretable signatures and spatial niche representations, reveal patient-specific tubulointerstitial morphotypes that reflect disease mechanisms, reflect disease mechanisms, predict clinical progression, and define biologically interpretable disease states. To test this hypothesis, Aim 1 will develop and validate clinically relevant tubular pathomic features that comprehensively quantify structural alterations of renal tubules from whole-slide images (WSI). Aim 2 will integrate these features into biologically explainable tubular pathomic signatures and trajectories and validate their molecular states using bulk transcriptomics, single-nucleus RNA sequencing, and spatial transcriptomics. Aim 3 will integrate tubular signatures with neighboring interstitial components through spatial niche analysis to define tubulointerstitial morphotypes and evaluate their ability to predict disease progression and proteinuria remission across independent glomerular disease cohorts. Successful completion of this project will establish a biologically interpretable, multiscale framework for computational characterization of the tubulointerstitium that systematically links tissue morphology with molecular mechanisms and clinical outcomes. Beyond generating novel digital biomarkers for risk stratification, this work will also deliver standardized quantitative pathology workflows for quality control, as well as interactive visualization tools for large-scale exploration and interpretation of kidney pathomic data. Collectively, these advances will facilitate objective, reproducible, and scalable assessment of routine kidney biopsy specimens and accelerate the translation of morphology-guided precision medicine for glomerular diseases.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EClinical and Biological Relevance of the Tubulointerstitium in Glomerular Diseases Through Multiscale Computational Pathology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Clinical and Biological Relevance of the Tubulointerstitium in Glomerular Diseases Through Multiscale Computational Pathology"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-09-28 17:54:57","changed_gmt":"2026-09-28 17:55:28","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-13T09:30:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-13T11:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-13T11:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-13 13:30:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-13 15:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-13 15:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"HSRBII N657","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692863":{"#nid":"692863","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Aniruddha Datta    ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Physics Thesis Proposal\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAniruddha Datta \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdvisor:\u0026nbsp; Dr. Shiladitya Banerjee, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdaptive Navigation in Noisy Environments\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFriday, October 2, 2026\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E10:00 a.m. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowey W401\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee Members:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Howard Kim, School of\u0026nbsp;Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr.\u0026nbsp;Itamar Kolvin, School of\u0026nbsp;Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Peter Yunker, School of\u0026nbsp;Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdaptive Navigation in Noisy Environments\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Adaptive Navigation in Noisy Environments"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-09-28 15:40:10","changed_gmt":"2026-09-28 15:40:49","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-02T10:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-02T12:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-02T12:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-02 14:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-02 16:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-02 16:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Howey W401","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692855":{"#nid":"692855","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Logan Feld","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudent Name: Logan Feld\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdvisor: Dr. Koki Ho\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMilestone: PhD Thesis Proposal\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDegree Program: Aerospace Engineering\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETitle: Autonomous Landing and Proximity Operation Technology for Poorly-Characterized Small Bodies\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAbstract: Small bodies such as asteroids and comets are increasingly central to scientific discovery and commercial development, offering opportunities for exploring planetary defense strategies, insights into the formation of the early solar system, and access to extraterrestrial resources via asteroid mining. Yet their weak, irregular gravity fields, uncertain surface properties, and poorly characterized dynamical environments make autonomous landing and proximity operations uniquely challenging. This thesis advances autonomous small\u2011body mission capability through three main contributions. First, a time\u2011of\u2011flight\u2013free model predictive control (MPC) framework is developed that enables safe, precision landing on irregular asteroid surfaces, thereby improving robustness to environmental uncertainty. This work additionally explores several varying cost function formulations within the MPC to demonstrate applicability to varying mission landing scenarios. Second, this thesis introduces a remotely guided three\u2011spacecraft mothership\u2013daughtership formation MPC architecture designed for tomographic characterization of asteroid (99942) Apophis with mothership-based measurements to inform daughtership thrust commands in order to maintain antipodal orbital states amidst gravitational and thruster uncertainties. Lastly, this thesis formulates a multi\u2011lander, multi\u2011landing\u2011site MPC sample\u2011collection strategy that coordinates distributed landers to acquire surface samples from spatially diverse regions of an asteroid, increasing scientific return and supporting future resource\u2011utilization missions amidst similar dynamic and thrust uncertainties. Together, the contributions in this thesis proposal expand the capabilities of autonomous guidance, navigation, and control systems with its novel MPC algorithm and cost function formulations to improve the robustness, resilience, and scientific capability of spacecraft operating in the vicinity of poorly-characterized small bodies.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDate and time: 2026-10-23, 9am-11am ET\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ELocation: CODA C0915 Atlantic\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommittee:\u003Cbr\u003EDr. Koki Ho (advisor), School of Aerospace Engineering\u003Cbr\u003EDr. Brian Gunter, School of Aerospace Engineering\u003Cbr\u003EDr. John Christian, School of Aerospace Engineering\u003Cbr\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAutonomous Landing and Proximity Operation Technology for Poorly-Characterized Small Bodies\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Autonomous Landing and Proximity Operation Technology for Poorly-Characterized Small Bodies"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-09-28 15:07:19","changed_gmt":"2026-09-28 15:07:57","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-23T03:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-23T11:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-23T11:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-23 07:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-23 15:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-23 15:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"CODA C0915 Atlantic","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692836":{"#nid":"692836","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Defense by Alina Gorbunova ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETitle\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;Machine Learning Methods for Quality Monitoring in Manufacturing Applications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDate\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;Monday, October 19th, 2026\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETime\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;2:00 pm \u2013 3:30 pm ET\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELocation\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;George Tower 1740\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMicrosoft Teams meeting\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/235126064810853?p=X0W0PNo3pdabWh1VnI\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/235126064810853?p=X0W0PNo3pdabWh1VnI\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeeting ID: 235 126 064 810 853\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPasscode: H3rd2n9D\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Kamran Paynabar (co-Advisor), H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEngineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Jianjun Shi (co-Advisor), H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Jing Li, H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Xiaochen Xian, H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Mostafa Gahrooei, Industrial \u0026amp; Systems Engineering at the University of Florida\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2002\u2002\u2002\u2002Modern manufacturing systems are increasingly driven by complex, high-dimensional, and heterogeneous data collected from distributed production lines and advanced sensing technologies. These data-rich environments present new challenges for process modeling and monitoring, particularly in short-run and customized production settings where limited samples and variability across sites make traditional approaches ineffective. To address these challenges, this thesis develops a series of statistical and machine learning frameworks for high-dimensional process modeling and monitoring under practical constraints such as data heterogeneity, nonlinearity, and privacy preservation. Together these methodologies aim to advance the state of quality monitoring in modern manufacturing environments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2002\u2002\u2002\u2002In chapter 2, a federated linear mixed-effects model is proposed to learn process parameters for short-run production settings. Short-run productions are common in manufacturing systems which require customization and flexibility under limited demand and resources. However, traditional statistical process control charts cannot handle such scenarios, since they either ask for data transformation or have strict assumptions which misalign with real-world applications. To address these limitations, we propose a federated framework to estimate process parameters across multiple manufacturing sites and create process monitoring baseline models for each line. Specifically, the restricted maximum likelihood method is used to estimate multivariate linear mixed model through a federated Expectation-Maximation (EM) algorithm. The fixed effect of the model captures the commonality amongst different manufacturing sites, while the random effect captures any heterogeneity between the sites. By using a federated setting to estimate the parameters, local data is kept at each of the manufacturing sites, allowing for increased data privacy and reducing the amount of bandwidth resources needed to transmit information between the local and global servers. Finally, we validate the model by using simulations and a case study using semi-generated paper mill manufacturing data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2002\u2002\u2002\u2002Chapter 3 proposes two methods to detect changes in high-dimensional model relationships, also called profiles. Advancements in sensor and data collecting technology have resulted in data sets that are both high dimensional and heterogeneous, with forms such as scalars, waveform signals, images, videos, and 3D point clouds. These advancements have created the need to construct and monitor statistical models that are able to model the relationship between heterogeneous and high dimensional inputs and a high dimensional output. This chapter (1) discusses how to model the relationship between such inputs and output using Multiple Tensor-on-Tensor Regression (MTOT) and (2) presents different approaches for how to monitor this model relationship to detect potential changes over time. Monitoring the model relationship can be done either by monitoring the core tensor of the MTOT model and the residuals of new data samples. Both approaches retain the tensor structure of the profile \u2013 something that is lost if dimension reduction is done directly on the inputs and output data. This methodology is validated through several numerical studies including monitoring overlay error from semiconductor wafer shape data.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2002\u2002\u2002\u2002Finally, Chapter 4 proposes a robust nonlinear tensor on tensor regression model. To do this, a neural network is constructed that can capture the nonlinear relation between tensor inputs and a tensor output where the data is assumed to contain noise. The neural network architecture is an autoencoder with an encoder and decoder that uses tensor train layers (TT-layers) with rectified linear unit (ReLU) activations. The TT-layers enable large-scale tensor mapping with a reduced number of parameters while still preserving the tensor structure, while the ReLU activations capture the nonlinearity of the relationship between the network input and output tensors. Three different loss functions, Huber Loss, Log-Cosh Loss, and MSE Trimmed Loss, are evaluated through a series of numerical studies to explore performance across different noise data scenarios.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMachine Learning Methods for Quality Monitoring in Manufacturing Applications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Machine Learning Methods for Quality Monitoring in Manufacturing Applications"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-09-25 18:24:13","changed_gmt":"2026-09-25 18:24:46","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-19T14:00:25-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-19T15:30:25-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-19T15:30:25-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-19 18:00:25","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-19 19:30:25","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-19 19:30:25","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"George Tower 1740","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"100811","name":"Phd Defense"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692835":{"#nid":"692835","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Zhigen Zhao","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETitle:\u003C\/strong\u003E Toward Generalizable, Scalable, and Experience-Driven Robot Autonomy: From TAMP to Embodied Agents\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDate:\u003C\/strong\u003E Tuesday, October 6th, 2026\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETime:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;3:00 PM - 4:30 PM EDT\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELocation:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;MRDC 3515\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZoom:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgatech.zoom.us%2Fj%2F96846452330%3Fpwd%3DoGfmTGbPoLo2zyp5ulwGl9PjECLl0Y.1\u0026amp;data=05%7C02%7Cannouncements%40grad.gatech.edu%7Ca720930b73ed45d292d608df1b1034ec%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C1%7C0%7C639259428559105626%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=dhDBqHY5PPbXxORqNQ3jBD5jXY%2FMqwZKSPVAxTk%2Fobw%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ehttps:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/j\/96846452330?pwd=oGfmTGbPoLo2zyp5ulwGl9PjECLl0Y.1\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZhigen Zhao\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. Student\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute for Robotics \u0026amp; Intelligent Machines\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee members\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Ye Zhao (advisor): Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Jiachen Li: School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Shreyas Kousik: Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Sonia Chernova: School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Shiqi Zhang: School of Computing, Binghamton University, State University of New York\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERobots deployed in unstructured, human-centric environments must carry out long-horizon tasks that couple discrete decisions with contact-rich continuous motion. Task and Motion Planning (TAMP) addresses this by decomposing the problem into a discrete task plan and a continuous motion plan, but classical TAMP requires re-engineering for each new task or environment, scales poorly with problem size and horizon, and accumulates no experience across deployments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis proposal builds toward generalizable, scalable, and experience-driven robot autonomy by progressively replacing the hand-engineered layers of classical TAMP with learning-based counterparts. First, we formulate TAMP as a single bilevel optimization that couples symbolic search with dynamics-consistent motion and remains scalable by exploiting task structure. Second, we move this optimization offline and learn fast, robust motion policies by imitation, supported by cross-platform teleoperation and egocentric data infrastructure and by a discrete action representation that makes multi-task policies steerable at inference time. Finally, we propose an embodied agent system and an agent memory evaluation benchmark in which an LLM\/VLM orchestrates VLA skills and a self-evolving multimodal memory accumulates verified experience across deployments, enabling the robot to continually self-improve from its own experience without retraining.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EToward Generalizable, Scalable, and Experience-Driven Robot Autonomy: From TAMP to Embodied Agents\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Toward Generalizable, Scalable, and Experience-Driven Robot Autonomy: From TAMP to Embodied Agents"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-09-25 18:22:27","changed_gmt":"2026-09-25 18:22:58","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-06T15:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-06T16:30:15-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-06T16:30:15-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-06 19:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-06 20:30:15","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-06 20:30:15","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"MRDC 3515","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692824":{"#nid":"692824","#data":{"type":"event","title":"Ph.D. Dissertation Defense - Jeremiah Lightner","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETitle\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E:\u0026nbsp; Lightning-Based Passive Radar\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr.\u0026nbsp;Morris Cohen, ECE, Chair, Advisor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr.\u0026nbsp;Gregory Durgin, ECE\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr.\u0026nbsp;Aaron Lanterman, ECE\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr.\u0026nbsp;Andrew Peterson, ECE`\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr.\u0026nbsp;Joel Johnson, OSU\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAlthough lightning is a well-studied phenomenon, only recently have lightning tracking systems, like the the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) and the Lightning Mapping Array (LMA), given us precise timing and position of lightning strokes. Lightning produces high power, broadband, impulsive emissions originating from locations unsuitable for conventional Transmitter(s) (Tx) deployments. Leveraging these emissions as a Tx, we can form a passive RAdio frequency Detection And Ranging (Radar) system to monitor maritime traffic. This work evaluates the feasibility of such a system through real and simulated experiments. These experiments showed when, where, and how such a system would work. Were such a system built, it would significantly reduce the hardware needed to monitor maritime traffic, limit spectrum pollution, and increase the surveillance area for a very small cost.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Lightning-Based Passive Radar "}],"uid":"28475","created_gmt":"2026-09-25 10:12:13","changed_gmt":"2026-09-25 10:12:37","author":"Daniela Staiculescu","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-02T11:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-02T13:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-02T13:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-02 15:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-02 17:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-02 17:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Room W218, Van Leer","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"434381","name":"ECE Ph.D. Dissertation Defenses"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"100811","name":"Phd Defense"},{"id":"1808","name":"graduate students"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692809":{"#nid":"692809","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Defense by Charles Michael Haynes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECharles Michael Haynes\u003Cbr\u003E(Advisor: Prof. Simon) \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003Ewill defend a doctoral thesis entitled,\u003Cbr\u003EEmission of Energetic Neutral Atoms from Magnetosphere-Atmosphere Interactions at Jupiter\u0027s Icy Galilean Satellites\u003Cbr\u003EOn\u003Cbr\u003EFriday, November 06 at 3:00 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EFord ES\u0026amp;T Room L1205\u003Cbr\u003E311 Ferst Dr NW, Atlanta, GA 30332\u003Cbr\u003EAbstract\u003Cbr\u003EJupiter\u0027s icy Galilean satellites--Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto--represent critical targets for space exploration. These moons are constantly exposed to the (sub)corotating plasma occupying the Jovian magnetosphere as it overtakes their orbital motion. Jupiter\u0027s dipolar and spin axes are offset by 9.6\u00ba so the ambient plasma properties and magnetic fields at the moons oscillate with the Jovian synodic period (\u224811 hr). The time-variable magnetic field drives an observable inductive response in the putative saline subsurface ocean inside each moon. Ganymede also boasts a permanent, dynamo-driven dipole field that locally dominates Jupiter\u0027s field, constructing a mini-magnetosphere. These objects\u0027 tenuous atmospheres and internal fields interact with Jupiter\u0027s magnetosphere, generating perturbations in the electromagnetic fields and plasma flow. Atmospheric inhomogeneities and induction signatures affect the morphology of these perturbations, providing a glimpse into moon properties. However, three-dimensional characterization of the moon-plasma interaction regions requires information assembled from many spacecraft flybys under similar ambient conditions. Fortunately, there exists another avenue to characterize plasma interactions using the energetic ion population of Jupiter\u0027s magnetosphere. Charge exchange between such ions and atmospheric neutrals generates energetic neutral atoms (ENAs), which travel away along straight lines due to their high inertia. The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission will arrive at Jupiter in 2031 and capture ENA images of the icy Galilean satellites using a detector analogous to a camera for ENAs. Since the energetic ions are guided into the moons\u0027 atmospheres by the locally deformed electromagnetic fields, ENA emissions are encoded with information on the structure of the fields as well as the atmospheres and ambient energetic ion populations. Hence, ENA images are two-dimensional \u201csnapshots\u201d of a moon\u0027s interaction region that complement magnetometer and plasma data collected in situ. However, this information is intertwined within the images in a complex way. Therefore, we develop a theoretical framework to facilitate the planning and analysis of upcoming ENA observations by JUICE. We present a suite of models that determines the ENA emissions for a given set of ambient magnetospheric parameters and configurations of each moon\u0027s atmosphere. First, we calculate global maps of the ENA flux through a sphere encapsulating the atmosphere. Next, we emulate the detector aboard JUICE to produce synthetic ENA images for a variety of vantages. We demonstrate that ENA emissions at Europa and Callisto are observable in a band oriented perpendicular to the ambient field direction, while the closed dipolar field lines at Ganymede reduce the ENA emissions emanating from this moon\u0027s equatorial regions. Analysis of hundreds of synthetic ENA images indicates that, for certain detector vantages, each moon\u0027s plasma interaction leaves unique signatures in the emissions. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ECommittee\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Prof. \u0026nbsp;Sven Simon \u2013 School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and School of Physics (advisor) \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Dr. Lucas Liuzzo \u2013 Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Prof. Samer Naif \u2013 School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Prof. A. Nepomuk Otte \u2013 School of Physics\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Prof. James Wray \u2013 School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEmission of Energetic Neutral Atoms from Magnetosphere-Atmosphere Interactions at Jupiter\u0027s Icy Galilean Satellites\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Emission of Energetic Neutral Atoms from Magnetosphere-Atmosphere Interactions at Jupiter\u0027s Icy Galilean Satellites"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-09-24 16:27:12","changed_gmt":"2026-09-24 22:08:15","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-11-06T15:00:00-05:00","event_time_end":"2026-11-06T17:00:00-05:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-11-06T17:00:00-05:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-11-06 20:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-11-06 22:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-11-06 22:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Ford ES\u0026T Room L1205","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"100811","name":"Phd Defense"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692730":{"#nid":"692730","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Defense by Senlei Li ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDoctor of Philosophy in\u0026nbsp;Physics\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Physics\u0026nbsp;Thesis\u0026nbsp;Dissertation\u0026nbsp;Defense\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESenlei Li\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Chunhui Rita Du, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology (Advisor)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMultimodal Scanning-Probe Quantum Sensing of Quantum Materials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDate: Friday, October 2, 2026\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETime:\u0026nbsp;10:00 a.m.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELocation:\u0026nbsp;Howey N210\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThesis Committee:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Zhigang Jiang, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr\u003EDr. Itamar Kimchi, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr\u003EDr. Hailong Wang, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr\u003EDr. Bolei Deng, Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis dissertation develops scanning nitrogen-vacancy (NV) quantum sensing as a local probe of magnetic and superconducting quantum materials. Scanning NV microscopy is used to image magnetic domains and switching in Mn\u2083Sn, resolve stacking-dependent magnetic phases in twisted CrI\u2083, and probe coherent microwave fields, magnetic noise, and vortices in a superconducting Nb resonator. The technique is further applied to twisted Bi\u2082Sr\u2082CaCu\u2082O\u2088+x, where local magnetic and noise measurements reveal boundary- and field-dependent responses associated with unconventional superconductivity. Together, these studies demonstrate scanning NV microscopy as a versatile multimodal platform for connecting nanoscale electromagnetic signals with microscopic phenomena in quantum materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMultimodal Scanning-Probe Quantum Sensing of Quantum Materials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Multimodal Scanning-Probe Quantum Sensing of Quantum Materials"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-09-21 16:35:22","changed_gmt":"2026-09-21 16:35:55","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-02T10:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-02T12:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-02T12:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-02 14:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-02 16:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-02 16:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Howey N210","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"100811","name":"Phd Defense"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692726":{"#nid":"692726","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Keyi Wang","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArea: Finance\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommittee Members: Dr. Sudheer Chava (Chair), Dr. Manasa Gopal, Dr. Wendi Du (University of South Carolina)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETitle: Essays on FinTech, AI and Innovation in Finance\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDissertation Overview:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EEssay 1: How Do Banks Attract Deposits From Households?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHouseholds allocate their savings between bank deposits and capital markets, yet deposit competition is typically studied only across banks. Using household portfolio data, we show that banks compete not only with other banks for deposits but also with households\u2019 outside investment opportunities. The same bank pays higher deposit rates in markets where households hold more equity and experiences larger deposit outflows following monetary tightening. We instrument household equity holdings using local exposure to zero-commission trading. Our results show that greater household sensitivity to relative returns increases deposit rates, while a stronger response of outside returns to monetary policy generates larger deposit outflows after tightening. A 37-basis-point increase in the outside return reduces deposits by 1.75 percent and bank franchise value by 3.7 percent, weakening banks\u2019 incentives to limit risk.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEssay 2: Paying for Prompting: How Generative AI Subscriptions Shape Household Finance and Labor Decisions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing transaction-level consumer data, we study who subscribes to generative AI and how household financial and labor-market outcomes evolve around adoption. We identify paid subscriptions to major generative AI services directly from household transactions and document substantial heterogeneity in adoption across consumers. We find that AI subscription is followed by increases in salary, income, and spending. These gains are accompanied by greater employer mobility: subscribers become less likely to receive pay from their previous employers and more likely to receive pay from new employers, with the largest income gains concentrated among workers who switch employers. We further examine whether generative AI expands workers\u2019 opportunity sets by facilitating transitions across more distant employers. Overall, our findings provide new evidence on how the diffusion of generative AI is associated with household financial outcomes and labor-market reallocation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEssay 3: Fintech Securitization: Lending Incentives and Consumer Outcomes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe study how access to securitization funding affects fintech lending and consumer outcomes. We exploit the 2020 Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF), which lowered securitization funding costs for eligible asset classes, and compare fintech lenders with differential exposure to the program. Following the shock, lending recovers more strongly among fintech lenders with prior access to eligible securitization markets. We then use consumer credit bureau data to examine the financial outcomes of borrowers receiving credit from exposed lenders. Among fintech lenders, borrowers subsequently experience greater delinquency and charge-offs, with similar patterns within credit cards. We further examine whether these outcomes reflect expanded credit access to predictably riskier borrowers or weaker screening incentives associated with transferring credit risk. Overall, our analysis sheds light on how securitization affects fintech credit supply, lending incentives, and borrower outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEssays on FinTech, AI and Innovation in Finance\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Essays on FinTech, AI and Innovation in Finance"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-09-21 14:32:26","changed_gmt":"2026-09-21 14:33:13","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-02T12:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-02T13:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-02T13:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-02 16:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-02 17:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-02 17:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Room 314, Scheller College of Business","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692725":{"#nid":"692725","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Sunhyuk Lee","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArea: Finance\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommittee Members: Dr. Sudheer Chava (Chair), Dr. Suzanne Lee, Dr. Manasa Gopal, Dr. Nikhil Paradkar\u0026nbsp;(University of Georgia)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETitle: Essays on Financial Intermediaries and Household Finance: Auto Lending and Credit Unions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDissertation Overview:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEssay 1: A Different Kind of Drive? Indirect Lending and the Transformation of Consumer Credit Markets\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAuto repossessions in the United States have surged to levels last seen in the Great Recession. While standard explanations emphasize borrower credit risk, this paper highlights the role of the origination channel. We exploit the adoption of indirect (dealer-originated) lending programs across credit unions as an empirical setting to identify how distancing lenders from borrowers alters ex-post default resolution. Combining monthly credit bureau data with NCUA Call Reports from 2005 to 2024, we use the staggered adoption of indirect lending to trace how it changes lender behavior. At the lender level, indirect lending adoption significantly increases institution size and auto loan volume, while reducing liquidity and net worth ratios, reflecting a shift toward a more aggressive, growth-oriented financial model. From loan-level data, we show that this growth does not stem from an observably riskier borrower pool. Instead, the indirect channel fundamentally alters institutional forbearance. Conditional on 60 days past due, loans originated post-adoption are 2.6 percentage points (20%) more likely to result in repossession compared to pre-adoption cohorts within the same institution. This \u0027transactional penalty\u0027 is concentrated among lower-income and subprime borrowers yet weakens with the length and breadth of the borrower\u2019s prior relationship with the credit union. The results suggest that rising repossessions reflect not only who borrows but how far lenders stand from the borrowers they serve.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEssay 2: Funding Constraints and the Deposits Channel of Monetary Policy: Evidence from Credit Unions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe standard deposits channel of monetary policy predicts that banks widen deposit spreads when policy rates rise and permit deposit outflows, as wholesale funding partly replaces them. While recent work attributes variation in this channel to clientele sensitivity and financial technology (money market funds, online banks, and digital platforms), we show that an intermediary\u0027s own funding constraints also shape it. Credit unions combine a branch-based deposit franchise with no access to external equity and limited access to wholesale funding, making them a natural laboratory for funding constraints that bind, to varying degrees, across all depository institutions. Despite their sleepy, branch-based retail clientele, credit unions pass through substantially more than banks on time deposits (share certificates). Members partially rotated into certificates rather than leaving, and total deposits continued to grow through the 2022\u20132023 tightening cycle while commercial banks lost $1 trillion. The higher marginal cost of deposits passes through to the asset side: credit union auto loan rates rise 17\u201323 basis points more than bank rates per 100 basis points of tightening. Within credit unions, deposit passthrough is stronger where alternative funding access is tightest, consistent with funding constraints as the mechanism.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEssay 3: Who Holds the Key? Lender Heterogeneity in Auto Loan Repossession\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAuto repossession is the most common collateral seizure in U.S. household finance, exceeding 3 million a year, more than eviction filings, consumer bankruptcies, or mortgage foreclosures, yet the lender\u0027s decision to seize remains essentially undocumented. I study how that decision varies with who holds the loan, using a monthly, lender-identified credit bureau panel from 2010 to 2025 that tracks auto loan payment history, the decision to repossess, and how each repossession is resolved. First, in reduced form, I show that lenders differ sharply in their willingness to seize conditional on the same distress: credit unions repossess at a much lower hazard than other lenders, while nonbank lenders seize fastest. Using state-level repossession statutes and staggered state COVID moratoria, I test whether lender types respond differently to the same restriction, both when a ban binds and when it lifts. Second, to recover the primitives governing lender type heterogeneity, I estimate a dynamic model of the repossession decision, separately by lender type, decomposing these differences into lender objectives, securitization and origination channels.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEssays on Financial Intermediaries and Household Finance: Auto Lending and Credit\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Essays on Financial Intermediaries and Household Finance: Auto Lending and Credit "}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-09-21 14:30:28","changed_gmt":"2026-09-21 14:31:03","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-02T13:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-02T14:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-02T14:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-02 17:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-02 18:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-02 18:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Room 314, Scheller College of Business","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692715":{"#nid":"692715","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by   Seonkyu Shin","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESeonkyu Shin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003E(Advisor: Prof. Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ewill propose a doctoral thesis entitled\u003C\/em\u003E,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAntiferroelectricity of the PbHfO3\u2013PbZrO3 Thin Films\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOn\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETuesday, October 13 at 2:00 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJ. Erskine Love Room 311\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Eor Virtually via\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/295365473978116?p=SwRtlUT2UyJhi0o0TC\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/295365473978116?p=SwRtlUT2UyJhi0o0TC\u0022\u003EMS TEAMS\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAntiferroelectrics are materials in which individual unit cells possess spontaneous polarization, but antiparallel alignment of dipoles in adjacent unit cells results in zero net polarization macroscopically Under a sufficiently high external electric field, the material undergoes a field-induced phase transition from the antipolar state to a polar state, where dipoles can be reoriented along crystallographically allowed direction(s) better aligned with the applied electric field. The antipolar state, however, can be restored upon electric field removal. The field-induced transitions (antipolar-to-polar at Ef and polar-to-antipolar at Ea) are accompanied by large nonlinear and hysteretic changes in dielectric, electro-optic, electrocaloric, and electromechanical responses. These characteristics make them attractive for various functional applications such as high-power (pulsed) capacitors, optical attenuators, phase shifters, solid-state refrigerants, and high force-high displacement actuators.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 1951, PbZrO3 was the first material to be reported to exhibit antiferroelectricity, and has since been used extensively as the end member of Pb(Zr1-xTix)O3 (PZT) ceramics. PbZrO3 has thus been the archetypal antiferroelectric and a platform for evaluating antiferroelectric phenomena. However, the antiferroelectric nature of PbZrO3 has been the subject of recent literature debate. Anisotropic weak ferroelectricity and modulated (rather than simple antiparallel) Pb displacement observed in multiple experimental studies have raised the possibility that PbZrO3 may be \u003Cem\u003Eferrielectric\u003C\/em\u003E rather than truly antiferroelectric.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPbHfO3 is another antiferroelectric perovskite oxide. Because PbHfO3 is isostructural with PbZrO3, the possibility that PbHfO3 may also be ferrielectric remains an open question. However, despite the first report of antiferroelectricity in PbHfO3 in 1953, systematic studies of polar response in this material remained relatively limited until the early 2000s. The relatively high Ef of bulk ceramic and single-crystal PbHfO3\u0026nbsp;compared to their PbZrO3 counterparts complicates experimental access to its field-induced phase transition, as dielectric breakdown could occur before complete switching is achieved. Moreover, Pb(HfxTi1-x)O3 did not exhibit the exceptional ferroelectric properties observed in the PZT system. However, since the mid-2000s, advances in processing techniques have enabled the fabrication of high-quality thin films, leading to renewed interest in PbHfO3\u0026nbsp;in thin film form. This study aims to characterize the antiferroelectricity of PbHfO3 thin films and investigate phase stability and field-induced phase transitions in PbHfO3-PbZrO3 thin films.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first phase of this study will center on the chemical solution processing and functional characterization of PbHfO3 thin films, pursuing processing-structure-property correlations. PbHfO3 thin films with different preferred orientations are obtained; 84% 021O-oriented and 86% 001O-oriented PbHfO3 thin films are used to investigate the antiferroelectricity of PbHfO3 thin films. (The \u201dO\u201d subscript underlines the use of the orthorhombic unit cell reference for the crystallographic directions) Functional properties of PbHfO3 are analyzed to compare anisotropic phase stability and field-induced phase transition behavior. To further understand the phase stability and field-induced transition behavior of PbHfO3 thin films, we examine the kinetic stability through frequency dependent measurements. The relative stability of the antipolar and polar phases and the stability of the reversible field-induced phase transition will be evaluated through temperature dependent measurements and fatigue testing, respectively.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding upon the understanding of antiferroelectricity in PbHfO3 thin films, we will extend this study to PbHfO3\/PbZrO3 multi-layered thin films to elucidate the influence of B-site cation distribution on antiferroelectric behavior. The phase stability of the two materials is expected to be modified starting from the interfaces. Additionally, electric field redistribution, lattice mismatch-induced strain, and defect densities may vary depending on the distribution of B-site cations, thereby influencing phase stability and field-induced phase transitions. This study will progress to PbHfO3\u2013PbZrO3 solid-solution thin films to determine the relative stability of antipolar and polar phases and the nature of the field-induced phase transitions within a homogeneous system. Comparison with heterogeneous multi-layered thin films will clarify whether the trends in phase stability and field-induced phase transitions associated with B-site cation distribution persist in the homogeneous solid- solution limit. Ultimately, we aim to establish a composition- and electric field-dependent phase diagram of the PbHfO3-PbZrO3 solid-solution system in thin film form.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u2002\u2002\u2002\u2002\u2022 Prof. Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb \u2013 George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering (Advisor)\u003Cbr\u003E\u2002\u2002\u2002\u2002\u2022 Prof. Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena \u2013 School of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2002\u2002\u2002\u2002\u2022 Prof. Rosario Gerhardt \u2013 School of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2002\u2002\u2002\u2002\u2022 Prof. Eric Vogel \u2013 School of Materials Science and Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2002\u2002\u2002\u2002\u2022 Prof. Asif Khan \u2013 School of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAntiferroelectricity of the PbHfO3\u2013PbZrO3 Thin Films\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Antiferroelectricity of the PbHfO3\u2013PbZrO3 Thin Films"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-09-18 15:57:39","changed_gmt":"2026-09-18 16:04:19","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-13T14:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-13T16:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-13T16:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-13 18:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-13 20:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-13 20:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"J. Erskine Love Room 311 or Virtually via MS TEAMS ","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692400":{"#nid":"692400","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Defense by Kai Xue","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EName:\u0026nbsp;Kai Xue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Psychological and Brain Sciences \u2013 Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Meeting\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDate: Tue, Nov 10th, 2026\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETime\u003C\/strong\u003E: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM EST\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELocation\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgatech.zoom.us%2Fmy%2Fkaixue\u0026amp;data=05%7C02%7Cannouncements%40grad.gatech.edu%7Cdae4346e5cb443cc2d8508df0db2b0bd%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C1%7C0%7C639244733467475940%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=J8ClO%2BWinSOlSNoB%2FKx6R%2FjeM%2Bg5yyyXCoOhmylbZqg%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022 title=\u0022Original URL: https:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/my\/kaixue. Click or tap if you trust this link.\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/my\/kaixue\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDissertation Committee Chair\/Advisor:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDobromir Rahnev, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDissertation Committee Members:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETansu Celikel, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESashank Varma, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMengyao Li, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMegan Peters, Ph.D. (University College London)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETitle: The Computation\u0026nbsp;of Confidence in Perceptual Decision-Making\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EThis dissertation investigates the computational mechanisms underlying confidence in perceptual decision-making through three\u0026nbsp;related\u0026nbsp;studies. Study 1 uses transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to\u0026nbsp;establish\u0026nbsp;when confidence is computed, revealing that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) contributes to confidence during a broad temporal window overlapping with decision-making. Study 2 tests competing computational theories\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;Bayesian Confidence Hypothesis (BCH) versus Confidence in Raw Evidence Space (CRES)\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;in two-choice tasks, finding consistent support for evidence-based rather than probability-based confidence computation. Study 3 extends this investigation to multi-alternative decisions using a novel dot numerosity paradigm,\u0026nbsp;demonstrating\u0026nbsp;that confidence tracks the difference between the two highest evidence values rather than choice probability. Together, these studies advance a mechanistic framework in which confidence\u0026nbsp;emerges\u0026nbsp;in parallel with decisions and\u0026nbsp;operates\u0026nbsp;on sensory evidence rather than probability estimates.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Computation of Confidence in Perceptual Decision-Making\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Computation of Confidence in Perceptual Decision-Making "}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-09-08 15:26:09","changed_gmt":"2026-09-08 15:26:48","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-11-10T10:00:00-05:00","event_time_end":"2026-11-10T23:00:00-05:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-11-10T23:00:00-05:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-11-10 15:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-11-11 04:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-11-11 04:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"ZOOM","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"100811","name":"Phd Defense"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}