BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//ms.divisions.caltech.edu//Events//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Caltech events: https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ical X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Los_Angeles LAST-MODIFIED:20230407T050750Z TZURL:https://www.tzurl.org/zoneinfo-outlook/America/Los_Angeles X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZNAME:PDT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 DTSTART:19700308T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=2SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZNAME:PST TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 DTSTART:19701101T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=11;BYDAY=1SU END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:International Student Orientation: iBegin@Caltech DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250918T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250920T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:International Student Orientation: iBegin@Caltech@Thu Sep 18 08:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/international-student-orientation-ibegin caltech-1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Caltech Postdoc Launch Seminar DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250919T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250919T130000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Caltech Postdoc Launch Seminar@Fri Sep 19 12:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.c altech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:We have another Caltech Postdocs Launch \;seminar \;th is Friday\, September 19th!We'll have wonderful talks from Dr. Peter Serle s (EAS) and Dr. Tridip Das (CCE)\, whose talk abstract and more details ca n be found on the attached flyer.As always - \;FREE Lunch \;and be verages will be there before the talks start. \;To make sure we can or der enough food\, please RSVP here beforehand: https://forms.gle/tTUPihCDK AQa17gh6.What – \;Caltech Postdocs LaunchWhen – \;Friday\, 19t h \;of September 2025\, 11:45 AMWhere – \;Chen 130Hope to see yo u there! LOCATION:Chen 130 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/caltech-postdoc-launch-seminar-8 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:New Student Check-In for Undergraduates DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250921T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250921T160000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:New Student Check-In for Undergraduates@Sun Sep 21 10:00:00 2025@ms.di visions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/new-student-check-in-for-undergraduates- 87966 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:New Student Orientation for Undergraduates DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250921T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250928T160000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:New Student Orientation for Undergraduates@Sun Sep 21 10:00:00 2025@ms .divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/new-student-check-in-for-undergraduates- 87967 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:New Student Check-in for Graduates DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250922T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250922T160000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:New Student Check-in for Graduates@Mon Sep 22 09:00:00 2025@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/new-student-check-in-for-graduates-87968 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:New Student Orientation for Graduates DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250922T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250926T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:New Student Orientation for Graduates@Mon Sep 22 12:00:00 2025@ms.divi sions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/new-student-orientation-for-graduates-87 969 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Undergraduate Academic Standards and Honors Committee Meeting DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250925T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250925T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Undergraduate Academic Standards and Honors Committee Meeting@Thu Sep 25 13:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/undergraduate-academic-standards-and-hon ors-committee-meeting-87972 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Beginning of Instruction of Fall Term DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250929T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250930T000000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Beginning of Instruction of Fall Term@Mon Sep 29 00:00:00 2025@ms.divi sions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/beginning-of-instruction-of-fall-term-1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Engineering Emergent Material Behaviors with Controlled Microstruc tures DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251002T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251002T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering@Thu Oct 2 11:00:00 2025@ms.divisions .caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Marcia A. Cooper\, Associate Professor\, J. Mike Walker '66 De partment of Mechanical Engineering\, Texas A&M University\nMechanical and Civil EngineeringTitle: "Engineering Emergent Material Behaviors with Cont rolled Microstructures"Abstract: The performance of advanced materials has traditionally been controlled by engineering ordered\, periodic microstru ctures\, but this approach can often be performance-limiting. Recent resea rch has shown that disordered microstructures can enhance material propert ies by leveraging inherent irregularities to tune macroscale responses. Th is talk will explore the emergent behaviors of both ordered and disordered systems through two case studies: the dynamic responses of multi-material additively manufactured kerf structures and the DC electrical conductivit ies of metal-ceramic powder mixtures. Additionally\, the challenges of cha racterizing irregular\, particle-based systems—where a disordered networ k of hard elements is cemented by soft bonds—will be contrasted with new opportunities for tailoring performance in shock environments. The discus sion will highlight how engineering irregularity can unlock novel material behaviors for a wide range of applications.Bio: Marcia Cooper is an Assoc iate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering department at Texas A&\;M University with a courtesy appointment in the Materials Science and Engine ering department. Her Dynamic Material Response Lab at the Texas A&\;M University Turbomachinery Laboratory center combines aspects of shock phys ics\, mechanics of materials\, material science\, thermal science\, and co mbustion to study the performance of materials in severe environments. Pri or to joining Texas A&\;M in fall 2021\, she was a Senior Scientist in the Component Science\, Engineering\, and Production Center at Sandia Nati onal Laboratories in Albuquerque\, New Mexico. She currently serves as Cha ir of the American Physical Society\, Compression of Condensed Matter Topi cal Group. She is an associate technical editor for Experimental Technique s and on the advisory board for Propellants\, Explosives\, and Pyrotechnic s. Marcia has a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Purdue University (199 9)\, and a M.S. (2000) and a Ph.D. (2004) in mechanical engineering from t he California Institute of Technology. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -89903 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:EAS Trailblazers Symposium DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251007T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251007T130000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:EAS Trailblazers Symposium@Tue Oct 7 12:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.calte ch.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Join us for the EAS Trailblazers Symposium! Seven trailblazing young researchers from universities around the country will be presenting on their recent research.Reception 11:30 amSymposium 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm We look forward to seeing you there! LOCATION:Annenberg 105 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/eas-trailblazers-symposium-2025 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:"Bridging Air and Sea: Physics-Inspired Models for Wind-Wave Inter actions" DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251008T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251008T110000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering: Trailblazer Seminar@Wed Oct 8 10:00 :00 2025@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Manuel Ayala\, Ph.D. Candidate\, Department of Mechanical Engi neering\, Johns Hopkins University\nMechanical and Civil EngineeringTitle: "Bridging Air and Sea: Physics-Inspired Models for Wind-Wave Interactions "Abstract: Accurately modeling the interaction between ocean waves and the atmosphere is vital for improving weather forecasts\, climate predictions \, and offshore wind energy design. However\, current methods are either c omputationally expensive or rely heavily on empirical tuning\, limiting th eir practicality and accuracy. In this talk\, I introduce two physics-insp ired models—MOSD and SWARL—that bridge this gap by capturing essential wave-atmosphere dynamics while remaining simple to implement and computat ionally efficient. The Moving Surface Drag (MOSD) model enables large-eddy simulations to account for wave-induced drag without resolving full wave fields\, reducing computational cost by orders of magnitude. The Surface W ave-Aerodynamic Roughness Length (SWARL) model estimates surface roughness directly from wave statistics\, outperforming traditional empirical model s. Together\, these models offer a robust\, low-cost alternative for study ing wind-wave interactions\, with applications ranging from offshore wind energy to atmospheric science.Bio: Manuel Ayala is a Ph.D. candidate in Me chanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Originally from Venezuel a\, he earned his B.S. from Universidad de Oriente\, where he continues to mentor undergraduates in computational fluid dynamics. He completed his M .S. in Aerospace Engineering at Old Dominion University\, where he occasio nally serves as adjunct faculty. His current research focuses on developin g physics-inspired models to enhance predictions of wind-wave interactions \, with applications in offshore wind energy and weather forecasting—wor k that has led to collaborations with the National Renewable Energy Labora tory. Committed to advancing equity in STEM\, Manuel mentors Latinx studen ts\, supports first-year Ph.D. scholars\, and serves on international wind energy and diversity committees. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-trailbl azer-seminar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Intelligent Decision-Making: Towards Higher Efficiency and Broader Applicability DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251008T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251008T130000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:EE: EAS Trailblazers Department Seminar@Wed Oct 8 12:00:00 2025@ms.di visions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Chengshuai Shi\, Electrical Engineering\, Princeton Language a nd Intelligence (PLI)\nAbstract:Machine learning-driven decision-making ag ents are drawing increased attention in recent years\, yet their deploymen t is limited by efficiency challenges in complex environments and restrict ed adaptability to emerging applications. In this talk\, I will present my recent research addressing these challenges across both online and offlin e settings. First\, I will show how online decision-making can improve lar ge language models (LLMs)—in particular\, enhancing their mathematical r easoning through an online KL-regularized reinforcement learning (RL) appr oach that is backed by theoretical guarantees and empirical evidence. Next \, I will introduce an offline decision-making framework that integrates h eterogeneous datasets via a novel offline RL algorithm designed to handle multiple uncertainties. I will demonstrate this algorithm's theoretical an d practical efficiency by applying it to wireless network optimization. Fi nally\, I will discuss future directions and interdisciplinary opportuniti es for advancing intelligent decision-making agents\, ultimately paving th e way for broader real-world impact.Biography:Chengshuai Shi is a postdoct oral fellow at Princeton Language and Intelligence (PLI). Before that\, he was a senior machine learning researcher at Bloomberg's Engineering-AI gr oup. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University o f Virginia in 2024\, following a B.E. from the University of Science and T echnology of China in 2019. His research focuses on developing intelligent decision-making agents\, with applications spanning wireless communicatio ns\, recommender systems\, and large language models. Chengshuai has publi shed in premier venues such as NeurIPS\, ICML\, ICLR\, AAAI\, IEEE Transac tions on Signal Processing\, and IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communicati ons. He has received several awards for his research excellence\, includin g the ECE Department Louis T Rader Graduate Research Award in 2023\, and t he prestigious Bloomberg Data Science Ph.D. Fellowship in 2021. LOCATION:Moore B270 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ee-eas-trailblazers-department-seminar-1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Understanding Thermo-Chemo-Mechanical Failure in Hypersonic Flight through Large-Scale Simulation DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251008T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251008T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Aerospace Department - EAS Trailblazers Seminar@Wed Oct 8 16:00:00 20 25@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Daniel Pickard\, Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies\, Mass achusetts Institute of Technology\, Cambridge\, MA. Department of Aeronau tics and Astronautics\, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.\nAbstractMa terials and structures subjected to the extreme conditions of hypersonic f light undergo complex thermochemical degradation and fracture. Understandi ng and predicting these effects is critical for low-cost\, sustainable spa ce access and various scientific\, industrial and national security object ives. We elucidate the fundamental mechanisms governing both ceramic and a blative thermal protection systems using a theoretical formulation and lar ge-scale simulation framework for fracturing solids with complex post-frac ture thermochemical response. First\, a computational model of recently ob served thermal shock and pore pressure failures is used to explore key fai lure modes and potential damage mitigation strategies. Then\, a rigorous c onstitutive theory is shown to capture molecular diffusion through passive ly oxidizing ultra-high temperature ceramics. Three-dimensional coating si mulations expose the channeling mechanisms and a transition from decussati ng to circumferential cracking that explains the rich variety of surface c racks found in experiments. We corroborate the distinct fracture morpholog y regimes using a simple structural theory and conclude with exciting aven ues for future research.BiographyDaniel Pickard is a postdoctoral research er in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received undergraduate\, masters and doctoral degrees in the same department in 2020\, 2022\, and 2025. His research is concerned with highfidelity simulation of multiphysics phenomena in solid materials. With his collaborators\, he is developing numerical methods to advance our understanding of the physical effects of highenthalpy hyperson ic flows on reentry vehicle thermal protection systems. Dr. Pickard enjoys teaching computational mechanics and learning about new developments in r elated areas. LOCATION:Guggenheim 133 (Lees-Kubota Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/aerospace-department-eas-trailblazers-se minar-1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Seeing and Shaping Quantum Matter at the Atomic Scale DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251008T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251008T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:APhMS: EAS Trailblazers Department Seminar@Wed Oct 8 16:00:00 2025@ms .divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Jane Park\, PhD candidate\, Materials Science and Engineering\ , MIT\nAbstract:In quantum materials\, even a single atom can reshape the local physical landscape\, making atomic-level design and observation not just beneficial\, but essential. Understanding and controlling material pr operties at this scale is crucial for advancing physics governed by size- and structure-dependent electronic\, magnetic\, and optical behaviors. In this talk\, I explore how physical properties in low-dimensional systems c an be directly visualized\, manipulated\, and designed using scanning tran smission electron microscopy (STEM). In AgCrP₂S₆\, I demonstrate elect ron-beam-induced tuning of 1D magnetic chains embedded in a 2D vdW matrix. In CrSBr\, electron-solid interaction induces structural transformations that depend on crystallographic orientation\, highlighting the role of dir ectional atomic migration. I then show how time-resolved STEM can extract kinetic parameters underlying such transformations. Extending this approac h to 2D/3D heterostructures\, I discuss how STEM visualizes atomically wea k interfaces and reveals structure–function relationships relevant to de vice performance. Together\, these examples lay the groundwork for designi ng quantum material behavior at the atomic scale.More about the Speaker:Ja ne Park is a Ph.D. candidate in Materials Science and Engineering at MIT\, advised by Prof. Frances Ross. She received her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on atomic-scale engineering of 2D van der Waals (vdW) qua ntum materials and 2D/3D heterostructures using in-situ scanning transmiss ion electron microscopy. She develops methods to sculpt atomic lattices an d control spin textures through electron beam–solid interactions\, offer ing new routes to manipulate quantum behavior. Her work has earned awards from the International Microscopy Congress\, Materials Research Society\, and Microscopy Society of America\, including Best Oral and Poster Present ation awards. She is also a recipient of the MathWorks Engineering Fellows hip. Beyond research\, she held leadership roles as copresident of MIT Wo men in Materials Science and as a member of the Graduate Materials Council outreach committee. LOCATION:Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/aphms-eas-trailblazers-department-semina r END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Research Seminar Characterization and Inverse Design of Stochastic Mechanical Metamaterials Using Neural Operators DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251008T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251008T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:CMS Trailblazer Symposium - Qianying Cao@Wed Oct 8 16:00:00 2025@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Qianying Cao\, Postdoctoral Research Associate\, Applied Mathe matics\, Brown University\nEngineering design lies at the core of innovati on across critical sectors. However\, traditional design pipelines struggl e with speed\, scalability\, and reliance on expert intuition. Machine lea rning is emerging as a transformative tool for the design of mechanical me tamaterials\, offering properties that far surpass those achievable throug h lab-based trial-and-error methods. Here\, we introduce an end-to-end sci entific ML framework\, leveraging deep neural operators\, to directly lear n the relationship between the complete microstructure and mechanical resp onse from sparse but high-quality in situ experimental data. The approach facilitates the efficient inverse design of structures tailored to specifi c nonlinear mechanical behaviors. Results obtained from stochastic spinoda l microstructures\, printed using two-photon lithography\, reveal that the prediction accuracy for mechanical responses is very high. Our work marks a significant advancement in the field of materials-by-design\, potential ly heralding a new era in the discovery and development of next- generatio n metamaterials with unparalleled mechanical characteristics derived direc tly from experimental insights. LOCATION:Annenberg 105 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/cms-trailblazer-symposium-qianying-cao-1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Sensitivity of the ocean circulation to the rate of atmospheric CO 2 increase DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251008T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251008T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:ESE Trailblazer Symposium@Wed Oct 8 16:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.caltec h.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Camille Hankel\, Postdoctoral Fellow\, University of Washingto n\nClimate policies are often designed to limit greenhouse gas concentrati ons or globally averaged surface warming to a certain threshold (e.g.\, 1. 5°C). However\, what the global climate looks like at such a target may d epend not only on the level of global warming\, but also on how quickly gr eenhouse gases were increased to achieve that level. This raises the quest ion: for a fixed amount of greenhouse gas increase\, how does the global c limate system respond to different rates of increase? In this talk\, I wil l address this question in the case of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)\, an important large-scale ocean circulation that is p rojected to weaken under anthropogenic climate change. Using a series of f ully-coupled global climate model simulations\, I show that meltwater from Arctic sea ice strongly modulates the AMOC's response to different atmosp heric CO2 rates of change by acting as both a forcing and a feedback on th e circulation's weakening. These processes cause the AMOC to weaken more u nder faster rates of CO2 increase\, leading to a variety of downstream imp acts that merit policy attention and further study. LOCATION:South Mudd 365 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/environmental-science-and-engineering-se minar-518 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Systems Immunoengineering of Living Therapeutics for Solid Tumors: From Biomanufacturing to Tumor Microenvironment Adaptation DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251008T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251008T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:MedE : EAS Trailblazers Department Seminar@Wed Oct 8 16:00:00 2025@ms .divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Yapeng Su\, Ph.D.\, Chemical Engineering\, California Institut e of Technology\nAbstract:Engineering immune cell into living drug has bro ught cures to many previously untreatable blood cancers. Yet\, their succe ss against solid tumors remains limited— hindered by suboptimal manufact uring and suppression within the tumor microenvironment (TME)\, both of wh ich demand systems-level solutions. In this talk\, I will first address a key manufacturing challenge: the trade-off between T cell quality and quan tity. Using genome-scale metabolic modeling\, we identified mannose metabo lism as a critical control point\, enabling enhanced T cell quality withou t sacrificing quantity. Next\, I will focus on the TME which are hostile m aking even highest qualitied T cells fail. A systems approach uncovered a multifunctional regulator that overcomes multiple dysfunction pathways to sustain T cell activity in TME. Finally\, I will present an integration ap proach of clinical trials and preclinical models using single-cell &\; spatial multi-omics with in vivo CRISPR screens\, revealing a combinatoria l engineering strategy that improves efficacy. These underscore my vision to systematically engineer immune cells into transformative therapies for solid tumors—and potentially many other diseases.More about the Speaker: Dr. Yapeng Su received his Ph.D. with highest honor from Division of Chemi stry and Chemical Engineering in Caltech\, co-advised by James Heath and N obel Laureate David Baltimore where he used systems biology and single-cel l tools to study cancer drug resistance. As a postdoc with Leroy Hood\, Dr . Su led COVID-19 systems immunology efforts\, collaborating with top immu nologists Mark Davis\, Lewis Lanier\, Jeff Bluestone. Now a Damon Runyon a nd K99 Fellow at Fred Hutch\, co-mentored by Philip Greenberg and Raphael Gottardo\, he integrates computation and experiments to improve adoptive T cell therapy for solid tumors. Dr. Su has published 34 papers (11 first-a uthor\, including Cell\, Nature Biotech and Cancer Cell)\, with coverage i n NYT\, WSJ\, TIME\, Nat Geo\, and more. He has delivered 23 invited talks \, earned 32 honors (e.g.\, STAT Wunderkind\, SITC-Sparkathon Emerging Lea der)\, secured >\;$2M in funding\, and mentored 12 trainees now perusing further education at top programs like UCSF\, UC Berkeley\, Cambridge\, a nd Yale. LOCATION:Moore B270 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mede-eas-trailblazers-department-seminar -1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:"The "Underestimated" Unseen in Digital Image Correlation: Digital Twin in Material Identification\, Full-Field Model Validation and Fractur e Mechanics" DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251009T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251009T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Oct 9 11:00:00 2025@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Pascal Lava\, Managing Director\, MatchID\nMechanical and Civi l Engineering Seminar SeriesTitle: The "Underestimated" Unseen in Digital Image Correlation: Digital Twin in Material Identification\, Full-Field Mo del Validation and Fracture MechanicsAbstract: Digital Image Correlation ( DIC) is gradually becoming a standard tool in experimental mechanics\, for both industry and academia. Despite the fact that the measurement system is often sold with the argument of being easy in use and setup\, a poor un derstanding of issues arising in the whole measurement chain (imaging\, no ise\, correlation algorithm\, smoothing\, …) can result in poor or misin terpreted results. In this presentation\, a digital twin methodology will be presented that relies on the use of synthetic speckle image deformation to generate ground-truth strain images [1]\, enabling to properly evaluat e the spatial resolution and inherent systematic and random errors of DIC. Next\, this strategy will be invoked to elaborate on the concept of mate rial testing 2.0 [2] and geometry optimization\, applied to composites\, e lastomers and sheet metal. In a second part\, the difficult question of ho w to validate FEA simulations via full-field DIC data is addressed. The un derpinning novelty is the fact that it takes into account the filtering ef fects of DIC\, which according to the authors\, is a compulsory step to ob tain robust validation [3]. Finally\, the digital twin concept will be app lied to uncertainty quantification of DIC on fracture properties\, such as crack-tip position\, crack growth\, stress intensity factors and energy r elease rate using J-Integrals. Bio: In June 2002 Pascal Lava obtained a ma ster degree in mathematics at Ghent University\, followed by a PhD in nucl ear physics at Ghent University in 2006. From January 2008 till April 2014 \, he worked as a professor at the MTM department at Leuven University. He is a co-founder of the spin-off company MatchID\, developing optical meas urement solutions or Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to assess materials a nd structures. Currently\, he is Managing Director and CTO within MatchID with a specific focus on the integration of DIC with design and developmen t: from the calibration of material models towards the validation of FEA s imulations. His personal drive is to improve the general knowledge about D IC and its error sources\, increasing the technique's range of credibility and applicability in a plethora of verticals. Pascal is the author of mor e than 50 peer-reviewed journal papers\, a fellow and board member of the International DIC Society and received the SEM A. J. Durelli Award for out standing contributions to DIC. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -89901 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AI Bootcamp XII - Intro to ML DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251013T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251013T163000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:AI Bootcamp XII - Intro to ML@Mon Oct 13 10:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.ca ltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:We're excited to announce that the twelfth AI bootcamp is sche duled for Oct 13 to Oct 17 2025 in Resnick 120. This session is designed f or researchers who want to grasp fundamental ML concepts and explore the p otential of integrating ML into their research. \;What to Expect:Daily Structure: Each day will feature one to two lectures\, complemented by tw o or more practical\, hands-on sessions.Topics Covered: AI fundamentals\, including regression\, classification\, clustering\, embeddings\, Industri al ML\, \; and neural networks. \; We will also cover how to use m ore recent advances in ML\, such as LLMs in your research. \;Objective : Our goal is to equip you with the necessary skills to incorporate ML too ls into your research and to aid your ability to explore more advanced ML techniques independently.Joining the Bootcamp:Availability: Limited to 20& nbsp\;participants.Registration: Sign up using this link and complete the pre-screening Python Programming Quiz before 12 AM Pacific Time on Oct 7th . Please note that your enrollment won't be complete until you have taken the quiz and have received a confirmation email from the bootcamp organize rs. \;(Optional but highly recommended) email us about yourself and yo ur research and let us know how you think that this bootcamp can help you with your researchPrerequisites - To maximize your learning experience\, f amiliarity with the following is required:Linear Algebra: Vectors\, matric es\, vector spaces\, matrix operations (The Matrix Cookbook)\, eigenvalues and eigenvectors\, norms and distance metrics\, linear transformation and basis. \; Covered in Ma1b\, ACM104. We cover some basic linear algebr a on the first day of the bootcamp to make sure everyone is on the same pa ge before diving into machine learning concepts.Multivariable Calculus: Pa rtial derivatives\, integration\, limits\, and continuity. Covered in Ma1a cProbability Theory: Random variables\, statistical measures\, probability distributions\, and bayesian inference. Covered in courses such as Ma3\, ACM116\, ACM157\, ACM 158Python Programming: Basic syntax and libraries. C overed in CS1. \; We will cover NumPy and other important libraries du ring the first day. \;Contact: \;Bootcamp Director Reza SadriAdmin istrative assistant: Caroline MurphyDeadline for Registration: Oct 7\, 202 5Computing Resources: Hands-on sessions will primarily utilize Google Cola b. Should there be a need for more computational resources than the free t ier of Colab provides\, participants can opt for Colab Pro. We are in talk s with Google to provide us with free Colab Pro credits for the bootcamp. If Google doesn't provide free access to Colab Pro\, we will offer reimbur sements for a certain number of credits. LOCATION:Resnick Sustainability Center 120 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ai-bootcamp-xii-ml-intro END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AI Bootcamp XII - Intro to ML DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251014T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251014T163000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:AI Bootcamp XII - Intro to ML@Tue Oct 14 10:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.ca ltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:We're excited to announce that the twelfth AI bootcamp is sche duled for Oct 13 to Oct 17 2025 in Resnick 120. This session is designed f or researchers who want to grasp fundamental ML concepts and explore the p otential of integrating ML into their research. \;What to Expect:Daily Structure: Each day will feature one to two lectures\, complemented by tw o or more practical\, hands-on sessions.Topics Covered: AI fundamentals\, including regression\, classification\, clustering\, embeddings\, Industri al ML\, \; and neural networks. \; We will also cover how to use m ore recent advances in ML\, such as LLMs in your research. \;Objective : Our goal is to equip you with the necessary skills to incorporate ML too ls into your research and to aid your ability to explore more advanced ML techniques independently.Joining the Bootcamp:Availability: Limited to 20& nbsp\;participants.Registration: Sign up using this link and complete the pre-screening Python Programming Quiz before 12 AM Pacific Time on Oct 7th . Please note that your enrollment won't be complete until you have taken the quiz and have received a confirmation email from the bootcamp organize rs. \;(Optional but highly recommended) email us about yourself and yo ur research and let us know how you think that this bootcamp can help you with your researchPrerequisites - To maximize your learning experience\, f amiliarity with the following is required:Linear Algebra: Vectors\, matric es\, vector spaces\, matrix operations (The Matrix Cookbook)\, eigenvalues and eigenvectors\, norms and distance metrics\, linear transformation and basis. \; Covered in Ma1b\, ACM104. We cover some basic linear algebr a on the first day of the bootcamp to make sure everyone is on the same pa ge before diving into machine learning concepts.Multivariable Calculus: Pa rtial derivatives\, integration\, limits\, and continuity. Covered in Ma1a cProbability Theory: Random variables\, statistical measures\, probability distributions\, and bayesian inference. Covered in courses such as Ma3\, ACM116\, ACM157\, ACM 158Python Programming: Basic syntax and libraries. C overed in CS1. \; We will cover NumPy and other important libraries du ring the first day. \;Contact: \;Bootcamp Director Reza SadriAdmin istrative assistant: Caroline MurphyDeadline for Registration: Oct 7\, 202 5Computing Resources: Hands-on sessions will primarily utilize Google Cola b. Should there be a need for more computational resources than the free t ier of Colab provides\, participants can opt for Colab Pro. We are in talk s with Google to provide us with free Colab Pro credits for the bootcamp. If Google doesn't provide free access to Colab Pro\, we will offer reimbur sements for a certain number of credits. LOCATION:Resnick Sustainability Center 120 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ai-bootcamp-xii-intro-to-ml END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AI Bootcamp XII - Intro to ML DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251015T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251015T163000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:AI Bootcamp XII - Intro to ML@Wed Oct 15 10:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.ca ltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:We're excited to announce that the twelfth AI bootcamp is sche duled for Oct 13 to Oct 17 2025 in Resnick 120. This session is designed f or researchers who want to grasp fundamental ML concepts and explore the p otential of integrating ML into their research. \;What to Expect:Daily Structure: Each day will feature one to two lectures\, complemented by tw o or more practical\, hands-on sessions.Topics Covered: AI fundamentals\, including regression\, classification\, clustering\, embeddings\, Industri al ML\, \; and neural networks. \; We will also cover how to use m ore recent advances in ML\, such as LLMs in your research. \;Objective : Our goal is to equip you with the necessary skills to incorporate ML too ls into your research and to aid your ability to explore more advanced ML techniques independently.Joining the Bootcamp:Availability: Limited to 20& nbsp\;participants.Registration: Sign up using this link and complete the pre-screening Python Programming Quiz before 12 AM Pacific Time on Oct 7th . Please note that your enrollment won't be complete until you have taken the quiz and have received a confirmation email from the bootcamp organize rs. \;(Optional but highly recommended) email us about yourself and yo ur research and let us know how you think that this bootcamp can help you with your researchPrerequisites - To maximize your learning experience\, f amiliarity with the following is required:Linear Algebra: Vectors\, matric es\, vector spaces\, matrix operations (The Matrix Cookbook)\, eigenvalues and eigenvectors\, norms and distance metrics\, linear transformation and basis. \; Covered in Ma1b\, ACM104. We cover some basic linear algebr a on the first day of the bootcamp to make sure everyone is on the same pa ge before diving into machine learning concepts.Multivariable Calculus: Pa rtial derivatives\, integration\, limits\, and continuity. Covered in Ma1a cProbability Theory: Random variables\, statistical measures\, probability distributions\, and bayesian inference. Covered in courses such as Ma3\, ACM116\, ACM157\, ACM 158Python Programming: Basic syntax and libraries. C overed in CS1. \; We will cover NumPy and other important libraries du ring the first day. \;Contact: \;Bootcamp Director Reza SadriAdmin istrative assistant: Caroline MurphyDeadline for Registration: Oct 7\, 202 5Computing Resources: Hands-on sessions will primarily utilize Google Cola b. Should there be a need for more computational resources than the free t ier of Colab provides\, participants can opt for Colab Pro. We are in talk s with Google to provide us with free Colab Pro credits for the bootcamp. If Google doesn't provide free access to Colab Pro\, we will offer reimbur sements for a certain number of credits. LOCATION:Resnick Sustainability Center 120 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ai-bootcamp-xii-intro-to-ml-1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:What happened here?: Reconstructing stress history in ceramics wit h complex deformation pathways DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251015T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251015T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Oct 15 16:00:00 2025@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Corinne Packard\, Professor\, Chemical Engineering & Materials Science\, University of Southern California\n***Refreshments at 3:45pm in Noyes lobbyAbstract:Not all mechanical deformation events can be observed in situ\, so discerning the conditions at the time of an event after the fact requires a type of forensic science. Failure analysis from unexpected component breakage is a common example in engineering applications\, but its principles are also relevant to understanding prehistoric geologic eve nts that shaped our planet. In this talk\, I will discuss how we are uncov ering the fascinating deformation behavior of rare earth orthophosphates\, a class of ceramics garnering current interest in both aerospace applicat ions and geochronology. We have explored behaviors including twinning and pressure-induced phase transformation using nanoindentation\, dynamic mech anical analysis\, and diamond anvil cells with a variety of structural pro be modalities. We find that these materials exhibit an anomalous decouplin g of stiffness from damping behavior due to reversible twinning. In high-p ressure experiments\, superimposed shear stress dramatically reduces the o nset pressure of the phase transformation by facilitating the distortion o f the polyhedral molecular units. Novel use of direct excitation photolumi nescence spectroscopy both detects the xenotime-monazite phase transition\ , while also showing more subtle spectra changes diagnostic of previous st ress history. Greater understanding of mechanical deformation\, including its dependence on stress state and its reversibility is getting us closer to answering "What happened here?" more definitively in situations that ar e fundamentally unobservable.More about the Speaker:Dr. Corinne Packard re cently joined the University of Southern California as a Professor in the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering &\; Materials Science. F rom 2010-2024\, Packard progressed through the professorial ranks in the G eorge Ansel Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the C olorado School of Mines while simultaneously jointly appointed at the Nati onal Renewable Energy Laboratory. Prior to appointment at Mines\, Packard earned her Ph.D. in Materials Science &\; Engineering from MIT. Packard researches fundamental and applied mechanics of materials\, with a focus on ceramics for solar energy\, electronics\, and aerospace. Her research h as elucidated principles and mechanisms of deformation behavior in brittle materials at the micro- and nanoscales under complex stress states. Speci fic examples include determining the role of chemistry in controlling the deformation behavior in rare-earth orthophosphate ceramics\; engineering f racture in photovoltaic semiconductors to enable dramatic cost reduction t hrough wafer reuse\; and high-throughput materials discovery and optimizat ion to design for durable thin film coatings. She has an impactful researc h portfolio with more than 60 archival publications and 4 issued patents\, and has been recognized with notable awards including the Acta Materialia Silver Award\, AIME Robert Lansing Hardy Award\, a National Science Found ation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award\, and the Colorado S chool of Mines Faculty Excellence Award. LOCATION:Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/materials-science-research-lecture-89703 3444425588333785624988500453332345665013266603356322149 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AI Bootcamp XII - Intro to ML DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251016T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251016T163000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:AI Bootcamp XII - Intro to ML@Thu Oct 16 10:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.ca ltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:We're excited to announce that the twelfth AI bootcamp is sche duled for Oct 13 to Oct 17 2025 in Resnick 120. This session is designed f or researchers who want to grasp fundamental ML concepts and explore the p otential of integrating ML into their research. \;What to Expect:Daily Structure: Each day will feature one to two lectures\, complemented by tw o or more practical\, hands-on sessions.Topics Covered: AI fundamentals\, including regression\, classification\, clustering\, embeddings\, Industri al ML\, \; and neural networks. \; We will also cover how to use m ore recent advances in ML\, such as LLMs in your research. \;Objective : Our goal is to equip you with the necessary skills to incorporate ML too ls into your research and to aid your ability to explore more advanced ML techniques independently.Joining the Bootcamp:Availability: Limited to 20& nbsp\;participants.Registration: Sign up using this link and complete the pre-screening Python Programming Quiz before 12 AM Pacific Time on Oct 7th . Please note that your enrollment won't be complete until you have taken the quiz and have received a confirmation email from the bootcamp organize rs. \;(Optional but highly recommended) email us about yourself and yo ur research and let us know how you think that this bootcamp can help you with your researchPrerequisites - To maximize your learning experience\, f amiliarity with the following is required:Linear Algebra: Vectors\, matric es\, vector spaces\, matrix operations (The Matrix Cookbook)\, eigenvalues and eigenvectors\, norms and distance metrics\, linear transformation and basis. \; Covered in Ma1b\, ACM104. We cover some basic linear algebr a on the first day of the bootcamp to make sure everyone is on the same pa ge before diving into machine learning concepts.Multivariable Calculus: Pa rtial derivatives\, integration\, limits\, and continuity. Covered in Ma1a cProbability Theory: Random variables\, statistical measures\, probability distributions\, and bayesian inference. Covered in courses such as Ma3\, ACM116\, ACM157\, ACM 158Python Programming: Basic syntax and libraries. C overed in CS1. \; We will cover NumPy and other important libraries du ring the first day. \;Contact: \;Bootcamp Director Reza SadriAdmin istrative assistant: Caroline MurphyDeadline for Registration: Oct 7\, 202 5Computing Resources: Hands-on sessions will primarily utilize Google Cola b. Should there be a need for more computational resources than the free t ier of Colab provides\, participants can opt for Colab Pro. We are in talk s with Google to provide us with free Colab Pro credits for the bootcamp. If Google doesn't provide free access to Colab Pro\, we will offer reimbur sements for a certain number of credits. LOCATION:Resnick Sustainability Center 120 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ai-bootcamp-xii-intro-to-ml-2 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:"Compression-Driven Gas-Liquid Displacement" DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251016T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251016T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Oct 16 11:00:00 2025@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Chris MacMinn\, Professor\, Department of Engineering Science\ , University of Oxford\nMechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar SeriesTit le: "Compression-Driven Gas-Liquid Displacement"Abstract: The gas-driven d isplacement of a viscous liquid from a confined geometry is a classical cl ass of problems in interfacial fluid dynamics. This process also features in a variety of practical applications\, including the operation of a fuel cell\, the subsurface storage of carbon dioxide or hydrogen\, and even th e squeezing of ketchup out of a bottle. In all of these scenarios\, the co mpression of the gas provides the driving force and the viscosity of the l iquid provides the resistance. However\, both the amount of compression an d the amount of resistance are typically coupled to the amount of liquid t hat has been displaced. Here\, we show that the tight coupling of these ba sic mechanical ingredients leads to surprising behavior\, even in the simp lest of settings. We study the impact of gas compression on gas-liquid dis placement in capillary tubes and Hele-Shaw cells using laboratory experime nts\, minimal mathematical models\, linear stability analysis\, and fully nonlinear numerical simulations. We show that a steady rate of squeezing c an generate a strongly unsteady flow and we identify a new dimensionless p arameter\, the compressibility number\, that controls the evolution of the flow. We show that increasing the compressibility number can trigger a su dden flow transition in a capillary tube and can systematically delay the onset -- and decrease the ultimate severity -- of viscous fingering in a H ele-Shaw cell.Bio: Chris is a Professor of Engineering Science at the Univ ersity of Oxford. He is an engineer and applied scientist with an interest in physical mathematics\, fluid and solid mechanics\, and interfacial phe nomena. His research group -- the Poromechanics Lab -- is an interdiscipli nary team of engineers\, physicists\, mathematicians\, and geoscientists w ho use modelling\, simulation\, and multi-scale experiments to study flow\ , transport\, and deformation in porous media and other multiphase systems . Their work has applications in subsurface science and engineering\, soft materials\, and biology and medicine. Prior to joining Oxford in 2013\, C hris earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and was then a Post doctoral Fellow at Yale University. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -89902 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Last Day for Adding Courses and Removing Conditions and Incomplete s DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251017T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251017T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Last Day for Adding Courses and Removing Conditions and Incompletes@Fr i Oct 17 08:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/last-day-for-adding-courses-and-removing -conditions-and-incompletes-87948 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AI Bootcamp XII - Intro to ML DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251017T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251017T163000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:AI Bootcamp XII - Intro to ML@Fri Oct 17 10:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.ca ltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:We're excited to announce that the twelfth AI bootcamp is sche duled for Oct 13 to Oct 17 2025 in Resnick 120. This session is designed f or researchers who want to grasp fundamental ML concepts and explore the p otential of integrating ML into their research. \;What to Expect:Daily Structure: Each day will feature one to two lectures\, complemented by tw o or more practical\, hands-on sessions.Topics Covered: AI fundamentals\, including regression\, classification\, clustering\, embeddings\, Industri al ML\, \; and neural networks. \; We will also cover how to use m ore recent advances in ML\, such as LLMs in your research. \;Objective : Our goal is to equip you with the necessary skills to incorporate ML too ls into your research and to aid your ability to explore more advanced ML techniques independently.Joining the Bootcamp:Availability: Limited to 20& nbsp\;participants.Registration: Sign up using this link and complete the pre-screening Python Programming Quiz before 12 AM Pacific Time on Oct 7th . Please note that your enrollment won't be complete until you have taken the quiz and have received a confirmation email from the bootcamp organize rs. \;(Optional but highly recommended) email us about yourself and yo ur research and let us know how you think that this bootcamp can help you with your researchPrerequisites - To maximize your learning experience\, f amiliarity with the following is required:Linear Algebra: Vectors\, matric es\, vector spaces\, matrix operations (The Matrix Cookbook)\, eigenvalues and eigenvectors\, norms and distance metrics\, linear transformation and basis. \; Covered in Ma1b\, ACM104. We cover some basic linear algebr a on the first day of the bootcamp to make sure everyone is on the same pa ge before diving into machine learning concepts.Multivariable Calculus: Pa rtial derivatives\, integration\, limits\, and continuity. Covered in Ma1a cProbability Theory: Random variables\, statistical measures\, probability distributions\, and bayesian inference. Covered in courses such as Ma3\, ACM116\, ACM157\, ACM 158Python Programming: Basic syntax and libraries. C overed in CS1. \; We will cover NumPy and other important libraries du ring the first day. \;Contact: \;Bootcamp Director Reza SadriAdmin istrative assistant: Caroline MurphyDeadline for Registration: Oct 7\, 202 5Computing Resources: Hands-on sessions will primarily utilize Google Cola b. Should there be a need for more computational resources than the free t ier of Colab provides\, participants can opt for Colab Pro. We are in talk s with Google to provide us with free Colab Pro credits for the bootcamp. If Google doesn't provide free access to Colab Pro\, we will offer reimbur sements for a certain number of credits. LOCATION:Resnick Sustainability Center 120 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ai-bootcamp-xii-intro-to-ml-3 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Caltech Postdoc Launch Seminar DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251017T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251017T130000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Caltech Postdoc Launch Seminar@Fri Oct 17 12:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.c altech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Lunch will be served at 11:45AMEngineering stable and tough co lloidal systemsFlorence MüllerRheology modifiers such as colloidal additi ves are widely used to improve stability and toughness but often add cost and complexity. Beyond raising viscosity\, they influence viscoelastic and thixotropic behavior by forming percolated microstructures. Anisotropic o r rough particles like fumed silica\, sepiolite\, and bentonite are especi ally effective\, though they act through distinct mechanisms—anisotropy versus interparticle friction.This work systematically probes how particle aspect ratio and surface roughness shape colloidal gel networks. A librar y of model particles with controlled morphology and chemistry was synthesi zed\, enabling thermoreversible gelation and isolating shear history effec ts. Linking particle-level degrees of freedom to bulk rheology across Maso n numbers\, we show how anisotropy and topography distinctly tune gel stre ngth\, flow\, and resilience. These results call for extended descriptors beyond conventional dimensionless numbers and offer design guidelines for next-generation colloidal suspensions.The 3Cs of the Cell: Centrioles\, Ce ntrosomes\, and CiliaPallavi PandaInside every cell\, tiny\, beautifully o rganized structures – centrioles - lead a double life as centrosomes and cilia. Together\, these microscopic organelles help cells divide\, build internal scaffolds\, and sense their environment. Despite their size\, def ects in these structures can lead to developmental disorders\, infertility \, brain malformations and are often found in many types of cancers.In thi s talk\, I'll explore what these structures are\, how they relate to each other\, and why they matter. I'll share insights from my work showing that cells can build centrioles in unexpected ways\, sometimes breaking the ru les of perfect symmetry yet still getting the job done. It's a story of ho w even at the smallest scales\, life combines precision with creativity. LOCATION:Broad 100 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/caltech-postdoc-launch-seminar-9 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Watson Lecture - Molecules\, Mysteries\, and the Matter of Existen ce\, with Nick Hutzler DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251022T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251022T203000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Watson Lecture - Molecules\, Mysteries\, and the Matter of Existence\, with Nick Hutzler@Wed Oct 22 19:30:00 2025@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Nick Hutzler\, assistant professor of physics\nAdvance registr ation for this event has closed. Guests who have not pre-registered are in vited to join our standby line. We recommend you arrive no later than 6:50 p.m. for standby. If you registered\, please bring your ticket (paper or electronic).A recording of the event will be made available on our YouTube channel. Join our mailing list to receive the latest on public events at Caltech. Thank you for your interest!About the TalkEverything that we unde rstand about the material universe is built from matter––particles that make up everything from atoms to galaxies. However\, we do not know where this matter came from. The big bang should have created equal am ounts of matter and antimatter\, but we don't find antimatter anywhe re apart from laboratories designed to create and study it.  While the d etails of the process that generated the known universe remain a mystery \, it should leave tiny\, residual signatures on regular matter that we ca n study in the laboratory.  Nick Hutzler (BS '07)\, assistant professor of physics\, will discuss how molecules can be used to search for these si gnatures by combining ideas from nuclear physics\, quantum science\, and p hysical chemistry.Evening Schedule6 p.m. — Activities and music. Food\, drinks\, and books available for purchase.7 p.m. — Doors open.7:30 p.m. — Talk and Q&\;A.8:30 p.m. — Post-talk concessions and conversation .The live event is in-person and a recording will be made available on our Youtube channel.About the SeriesFor more than 100 years\, the Watson Lect ures have brought the wonder of Caltech research and discovery to the publ ic.Free and open to the public\, the Watson Lecture Series offers a unique and accessible opportunity to learn more about cutting-edge science direc tly from Caltech's premier researchers. Come early to mingle with your nei ghbors over food\, drink and music\, as well as interactive displays relat ed to the evening's topic. Then head inside to hear a stimulating talk and stay to ask your burning questions.Many past Watson Lectures are availabl e on Caltech's YouTube channel. LOCATION:Beckman Auditorium URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/watson-lecture-nick-hutzler END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Midterm Examination Period DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251029T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251104T235900 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Midterm Examination Period@Wed Oct 29 08:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.calte ch.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/midterm-examination-period-87949 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:EE Alumni and Entrepreneurship Seminar Series DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251029T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251029T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:EE Alumni and Entrepreneurship Seminar Series@Wed Oct 29 16:00:00 2025 @ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Dan Pipe-Mazo\, Head of Engineering\, Lumafield\nDan graduated Caltech with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 2014. He quickly found h is passion in working at startups\, joining Kuna (YC W'14) as an early&nbs p\;employee and helping the company build the country's first outdoor\, ML -powered security cameras. He moved back to Los Angeles in 2017 and joined Elementary as CTO while it was being incubated at Idealab\, focusing init ially on low-cost collaborative robotic arms and eventually pivoting to ML -powered quality control cameras for manufacturing. Excited by the opportu nity to push the boundaries of quality control and product development\, D an joined Lumafield's executive team in 2022 and now manages the engineeri ng divisions building affordable and accessible CT scanners for the world' s leading product companies. LOCATION:Moore B270 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ee-alumni-and-entrepreneurship-seminar-s eries-1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Life in a tight spot: watching bacterial life in complex spaces DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251029T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251029T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Oct 29 16:00:00 2025@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Sujit Datta\, Professor\, Chemical Engineering\, Bioengineerin g\, and Biophysics\, Caltech\n***Refreshments at 3:45pm in Noyes lobbyAbst ract:Bacteria in nature inhabit complex environments like mucus\, biofilm matrices\, and soils. However\, lab studies typically focus on cells in si mple liquid media or at flat interfaces. How do the material properties of these complex environments shape bacterial behavior? In this talk\, I wil l describe my group's work addressing this question using tools from soft matter\, 3D imaging\, and biophysical modeling. We have developed the abil ity to (i) directly visualize bacteria from the scale of a single cell to that of an entire multi-cellular collective\, (ii) 3D-print precisely stru ctured collectives\, and (iii) model their large-scale motion and growth i n complex environments akin to natural soils and sediments. I will describ e how\, using this approach\, we have discovered several ways in which mat erial interactions fundamentally alter bacterial motility and growth—wit h implications for microbial ecology\, engineered living materials\, and o ther active matter systems.More about the Speaker:Sujit Datta is a Profess or of Chemical Engineering\, Bioengineering\, and Biophysics at Caltech\, where his group integrates experiment\, theory\, and computation to study transport processes of complex fluids\, gels\, and microbes in complex env ironments. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Reviews of Modern Physics. Prior to moving to Caltech in 2024\, Sujit was Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies of Chemical &\; Biological Engineering at Princeton University. Sujit's scholarship has been recognized by awards from a rang e of different communities\, including three awards from the APS (Early Ca reer Award in Biological Physics\, Andreas Acrivos Award in Fluid Dynamics \, and Apker Award)\, the Allan P. Colburn and 35 Under 35 Awards of the A IChE\, Pew Biomedical Scholar Award\, Arthur Metzner Award of the Society of Rheology\, Unilever Award of the ACS\, Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award\, NSF CAREER Award\, and Soft Matter Lectureship of the Royal Societ y of Chemistry. Sujit received his undergraduate degrees in Physics and Ma thematics at the University of Pennsylvania\, his PhD in Physics from Harv ard\, and postdoctoral training at Caltech. LOCATION:Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/materials-science-research-lecture-89703 34444255828333785624988500453332345665013266603356322150 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:"Multimaterial Additive Manufacturing for Shape-Morphing Structure s and 4D Printing" DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251030T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251030T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Oct 30 11:00:00 2025@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Jerry Qi\, Woodruff Endowed Professor\, George W. Woodruff Sch ool of Mechanical Engineering\, Georgia Institute of Technology\nMechanica l and Civil Engineering Seminar SeriesTitle: "Multimaterial Additive Manuf acturing for Shape-Morphing Structures and 4D Printing"Abstract: 3D printi ng (additive manufacturing\, AM)\, where materials are deposited in a laye r-by-layer manner to form a 3D solid\, has seen significant advances in re cent decades. 3D printing has the advantage in creating a part with comple x geometry from a digit file\, making them an idea candidate for making ar chitected materials. Multimaterial 3D printing is an emerging field in rec ent years in additive manufacturing. It offers the advantage of placement of materials with different properties in the 3D space with high resolutio n\, or controllable heterogeneity. In this talk\, we present our recent pr ogress in developing multimaterial additive manufacturing methods. In the first approach\, we present a new development where we integrate two AM me thods\, direct-ink-write (DIW) and digital light processing (DLP)\, into o ne system. In this system\, the DLP can be used to print complex bulk part s while DIW can be used to print functional inks\, such as conductive inks and liquid crystal elastomers. In the second approach\, we recently devel oped a grayscale DLP (g-DLP) 3D printing method where we can print a part with gradient material properties. We further investigate how to use machi ne learn to help the inverse design of 4D printing of shape-morphing struc tures with multimaterial additive manufacturing.Bio: Dr. H. Jerry Qi is th e Woodruff Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engine ering at Georgia Institute of Technology and is the site director of NSF I UCRC on Science of Heterogeneous Additive Printing of 3D Materials (SHAP3D ). He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Tsinghua Univer sity and a ScD degree from MIT. After one-year postdoc at MIT\, he joined the University of Colorado Boulder in 2004 and moved to Georgia Tech in 20 14. Prof. Qi's research is in the broad field of nonlinear mechanics of po lymeric materials and focuses on developing fundamental understandings of multi-field properties of soft active materials through experimentation an d constitutive modeling\, then applying these understandings to applicatio n designs. He and his collaborators have been working on a range of soft a ctive materials\, including shape memory polymers\, light-activated polyme rs\, and covalent adaptable network polymers\, for their interesting behav iors such as shape memory\, light actuation\, healing\, reprocessing\, and recycling. In recent years\, he has been working on integrating active ma terials with 3D printing. He and his collaborators pioneered the 4D printi ng concept. He is a recipient of NSF CAREER award (2007)\, Sigma Xi Best F aculty Paper Award (2018)\, Gerhard Kanig Lecture by the Berlin-Brandenbur g Association for Polymer Research (2019)\, the James R. Rice Medal from S ociety of Engineering Science (2023)\, the T. H. H. Pian Award from Intern ational Conference on Computational &\; Experimental Engineering and Sc iences (2024)\, and the ASME Warner T. Koiter Medal (2024). He was listed as one of the highly cited researchers by Clarivate in 2024 and 2025. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -89904 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Discovering Compounds and Designing Materials DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251105T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251105T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Nov 5 16:00:00 2025@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Ram Seshadri\, Professor\, Materials Department\, Department o f Chemistry and Biochemistry\, UC Santa Barbara\n***Refreshments at 3:45pm in Noyes lobbyAbstract:In the literature\, extended crystalline compounds are sometimes inaccurately labeled materials\, but materials are usually compounds that display some useful functionality. Moreover\, real material s\, when employed in real-world applications\, are rarely pure compounds. It is also of historical interest to note that the synthesis of chemical c ompounds often predates the discovery of the key functionality that would allow the compound to be declared a material\, sometimes by decades. It is more often the case therefore\, that compounds that have been previously synthesized are screened for their function. I will discuss approaches to the synthesis of new compounds (using examples of halide perovskites and d ouble perovskites)\, and how computational tools aid in screening these co mpounds for useful functionality (using magnetocalorics and low-k dielectr ics as examples). It turns out to be rarely the case that functional mater ials are made by design\, but we will discuss some recent examples where t he gap between compound discovery and functionality discovery have narrowe d. More about the Speaker:Ram Seshadri received his PhD in Solid State Che mistry in 1995 from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)\, Bangalore\, w orking with Professor C. N. R. Rao FRS. After some years as a postdoctoral fellow in France and Germany\, he returned to IISc as an Assistant Profes sor in 1999. He moved to the Materials Department in the College of Engine ering at UC Santa Barbara in 2002. In 2020\, he was promoted to the rank o f Distinguished Professor in the Materials Department and the Department o f Chemistry and Biochemistry. He is also the Fred and Linda R. Wudl Profes sor of Materials Science\, and the Director of the Materials Research Labo ratory: A National Science Foundation Materials Research Science and Engin eering Center. He recently took on the role of Associate Dean for Research in the College of Engineering. His work –– embodied in nearly 450 jou rnal publications –– broadly addresses the topic of structure–compos ition–property relations in functional\, crystalline inorganic and hybri d materials. Ram is the Editor of Annual Reviews of Materials Research and is a Lead Editor of Physical Review Materials. LOCATION:Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/materials-science-research-lecture-89703 34444255828333785624988500453332345665013266603356322151 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Science Journeys Saturday - Flight School for Robots DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251108T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251108T123000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Science Journeys Saturday - Flight School for Robots@Sat Nov 8 11:30: 00 2025@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Advance registration for this event has closed. Guests who hav e not pre-registered are invited to join the preshow and our standby line for the presentation. We recommend you arrive no later than 10:50 a.m. for standby. If you registered\, please bring your ticket (paper or electroni c)\, which will be accessible in the event reminder emails.A recording of the event will be made available on our YouTube channel. Join our mailing list to receive the latest on public events at Caltech. Thank you for your interest!About this EventYou're invited to Science Journeys Saturday\, a community event featuring science and engineering fun and learning for all ages.Following a hands-on pre-show with snacks for purchase and activitie s\, Caltech graduate student Alejandro Stefan-Zavala will take the stage t o share his aeronautics research—complete with drones—and how he is in spired to tinker\, create\, and discover new knowledge every day. Learn mo re about Alejandro and his talk.PreshowThe Science Journey Saturday presho w will have food and drink available for purchase from the Sus Arepas food truck and the Hustle 'N' Dough donut truck. Explore the science of roboti cs and other STEM topics with Caltech students. Undergraduate and graduate students from the Parsec Rocketry club\, the Chemistry club\, Astro Outre ach\, and other campus and community groups will provide interactive demon strations at the preshow.Schedule10 a.m.: Check-in opens. Interactive pres how begins. Food and drinks available for purchase.11 a.m.: Doors open11:3 0 a.m.–12:30 p.m.: Talk and Q&\;AAbout the SeriesEveryone's journey t o becoming a scientist is unique. In Science Journeys\, Caltech graduate s tudents and postdoctoral scholars explore a range of scientific topics tha t will spark students' curiosity and provide educators and parents with su pplemental resources to continue exploration in the classroom.This program is open to all ages.Programs are free through the generosity of the Frien ds of Beckman Auditorium. LOCATION:Beckman Auditorium URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/science-journeys-saturday-flight-school- for-robots END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Due Date for Midterm Grades DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251110T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251110T090100 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Due Date for Midterm Grades@Mon Nov 10 09:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.calt ech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/due-date-for-midterm-deficiency-notices- 87951 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Extreme environment materials testing: thermochemical life predict ion and improved material design DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251112T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251112T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Nov 12 16:00:00 2025@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Elizabeth Opila\, Department Chair\, Rolls Royce Commonwealth Professor of Engineering\, Materials Science and Engineering\, University of Virginia\n***Refreshments at 3:45pm in Noyes lobbyAbstract:Structural m aterials are key for applications in extreme environments of propulsion an d hypersonic leading edge systems. Materials development can be limited by lack of lab scale test capability that achieve relevant environments by e conomical "bench-top" means. In this presentation capabilities for studyin g materials thermochemical stability in propulsion and hypersonic environm ents are described. First\, a steam jet furnace capable of temperatures\, steam partial pressures\, and gas velocities relevant for hot sections of aeroturbine engines is described. Results for steam-induced material volat ilization from binary oxides and complex oxides are presented demonstratin g both improved engineering life prediction and fundamental science gains. Next a microplasma resistive heating system with temperatures and dissoci ated oxygen contents relevant for hypersonic reentry environments is descr ibed. Oxidation results for selected transition metals and carbides in the se extreme environments will be presented. Mechanistic understanding devel oped in both environments enables improved life prediction. More about the Speaker:Elizabeth Opila is Chair and Professor of Materials Science and E ngineering\, the Rolls-Royce Commonwealth Professor of Engineering at the University of Virginia with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Me chanical and Aerospace Engineering. She is also the Director of the Rolls- Royce University Technology Center for Advanced Materials Systems at the U niversity of Virginia. Prior to 2010\, she held the position of Materials Research Engineer at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland\, OH for 19 years where she worked primarily on ceramics for applications in turbin e engines\, rocket engines\, hot structures for thermal protections system s\, and other power and propulsion applications. Her current research focu s includes understanding thermodynamic and kinetic mechanisms for material degradation in extreme environments\, development of life prediction meth odology based on understanding of fundamental high temperature chemical re action mechanisms\, and materials development for protection of materials from extreme environments. She studies thermochemical stability of ceramic matrix composites\, refractory metals and alloys\, ultra-high temperature ceramics\, and environmental and thermal barrier coatings using a variety of specialized experimental approaches\, materials characterization\, and computational methods. Prof. Opila received her BS in Ceramic Engineering from the University of Illinois\, her MS in Materials Science from the Un iversity of California Berkeley\, and her PhD in Materials Science from th e Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is Fellow of the American Cer amic Society and the Electrochemical Society and recipient of the 2021 Ame rican Ceramic Society's Arthur L. Friedberg Award. She has approximately 1 50 publications\, is editor of 10 proceedings volumes\, and coinventor on seven patents. LOCATION:Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/materials-science-research-lecture-89703 34444255828333785624988500453332345665013266603356322152 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:"Chaos in "Confinement: Using Polymers to Mix Fluids and Speed Up Chemical Reactions in Porous Media" DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251113T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251113T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Nov 13 11:00:00 2025@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Sujit Datta\, Professor\, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering\, Caltech\nMechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar SeriesTit le: "Chaos in Confinement: Using Polymers to Mix Fluids and Speed Up Chemi cal Reactions in Porous Media" Abstract: Many energy\, environmental\, i ndustrial\, and microfluidic processes rely on the viscous flow of polymer solutions through porous media. These fluids are typically shear-thinning \; however\, these solutions can unexpectedly flow thicken when forced thr ough confined\, tortuous spaces such as in porous media. The reason why ha s been a puzzle for over half a century. In this talk\, I will describe ho w by directly visualizing the flow in a transparent 3D porous medium\, we have found that this anomalous flow thickening reflects the onset of an el astic instability in which the fluid exhibits chaotic velocity fluctuation s reminiscent of inertial turbulence\, despite the vanishingly small Reyno lds number. In addition to characterizing this fascinating flow state\, we have found that this phenomenon can be harnessed for improving mixing&nbs p\;and the efficiency of flow-mediated chemical reactions \;— with i mplications for a broad range of processes that are typically limited by p oor mixing. Bio: Sujit Datta is a Professor of Chemical Engineering\, Bio engineering\, and Biophysics at Caltech\, where his group integrates exper iment\, theory\, and computation to study transport processes \;of com plex fluids\, gels\, and microbes in complex environments. He is also Edit or-in-Chief of Reviews of Modern Physics. Prior to moving to Caltech in 20 24\, Sujit was Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies of Che mical &\; Biological Engineering at Princeton University. Sujit's schol arship has been recognized by awards from a range of different communities \, including three awards from the APS (Early Career Award in Biological P hysics\, Andreas Acrivos Award in Fluid Dynamics\, and Apker Award)\, the Allan P. Colburn and 35 Under 35 Awards of the AIChE\, \;Pew Biomedica l Scholar Award\, Arthur Metzner Award of the Society of Rheology\, Unilev er Award of the ACS\, Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award\, NSF CAREER A ward\, and Soft Matter Lectureship of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Suji t received his undergraduate degrees in Physics and Mathematics at the Uni versity of Pennsylvania\, his PhD in Physics from Harvard\, and postdoctor al training at Caltech. \; LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -89905 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:David Baltimore Memorial DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251115T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251115T153000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:David Baltimore Memorial@Sat Nov 15 14:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.caltech .edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:David Baltimore Memorial LOCATION:Beckman Auditorium URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/david-baltimore-memorial-1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Last Day for Dropping Courses\, Exercising Pass/Fail Option\, and Changing Sections DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251119T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251119T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Last Day for Dropping Courses\, Exercising Pass/Fail Option\, and Chan ging Sections@Wed Nov 19 08:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/last-day-for-dropping-courses-exercising -passfail-option-and-changing-sections-21 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Failure Modes in Oxide Solid State Electrolytes: Direct Observatio ns of the Stress Accompanying Dendrite Growth DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251119T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251119T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Nov 19 16:00:00 2025@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:W. Craig Carter\, Professor\, Materials Science and Engineerin g\, Massachusetts Institute of Technology\n***Refreshments at 3:45pm in No yes lobbyAbstract:Although solid-state batteries with metal anodes promise to enable safer\, higher energy density batteries\, metal protrusions (de ndrites) short-circuit the cell when charging faster than a critical curre nt density. Dendrite growth is accompanied by stress and we have previousl y shown that applied stresses affect a dendrite's growth. We used operando birefringence microscopy to directly observe dendrite-induced stresses. T he stress intensity is determined by fitting the experimentally measured s tress distribution to that expected around an internally loaded crack. The se operando experiments\, combined with cryogenic scanning transmission el ectron microscopy (STEM) characterization of the dendrite tip\, allow sepa rate study of electrochemical and mechanical phenomena underlying dendrite growth in ceramic electrolytes. All experiments were conducted on the mos t electrochemically stable Li-ion conducting solid electrolyte (tantalum-d oped lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide).This work is in collaboration with Cole Fincher\, Yet-Ming Chiang\, Brian SheldonMore about the Speaker:W. C raig Carter is the Toyota Professor of Materials Science at MIT. His resea rch interests are theory and modelling of materials. He has worked on many subfields of materials science including microstructural evolution\, inte rface thermodynamics\, electro-chemo-mechanics\, and reliability. He is in terested in innovations in teaching materials science. LOCATION:Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/materials-science-research-lecture-89703 344442558283337856249882500453332345665013266603356322153 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Watson Lecture - Thirteen Years in the Dust: How a Robot Showed th at Mars Was Once Habitable\, with Ashwin Vasavada DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251119T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251119T203000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Watson Lecture - Thirteen Years in the Dust: How a Robot Showed that M ars Was Once Habitable\, with Ashwin Vasavada@Wed Nov 19 19:30:00 2025@ms. divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Ashwin Vasavada\, project scientist\, Mars Science Laboratory\ , JPL\nAdvance registration for this event has closed. Guests who have not pre-registered are invited to attend the preshow festivities and join our standby line. We recommend you arrive no later than 6:50 p.m. for standby . If you registered\, please bring your ticket (paper or electronic).A rec ording of the event will be made available on our YouTube channel. Join ou r mailing list to receive the latest on public events at Caltech. Thank yo u for your interest!About the TalkWas life ever possible on Mars? The Curi osity rover\, equipped with the most sophisticated scientific payload ever sent to the Red Planet\, reached Mars in 2012 to find out. Join Ashwi n Vasavada (PhD '98)\, project scientist for the Mars Science Laboratory\, which delivered Curiosity safely to the surface\, as he recounts the rove r's journey up the slopes of a Martian mountain whose rocky layers hold a record of the ancient past. He'll also share a behind-the-scenes look at t he triumphs and challenges that are a part of the mission's legacy. The Cu riosity rover is operated from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)\, which is managed by Caltech for NASA.Evening Schedule6 p.m. — Activities and music. Food\, drinks\, and books available for purchase.7 p.m. — Doors o pen.7:30 p.m. — Talk and Q&\;A.8:30 p.m. — Post-talk concessions an d conversation.The live event is in-person and a recording will be made av ailable on our Youtube channel.About the SeriesFor more than 100 years\, t he Watson Lectures have brought the wonder of Caltech research and discove ry to the public.Free and open to the public\, the Watson Lecture Series o ffers a unique and accessible opportunity to learn more about cutting-edge science directly from Caltech's premier researchers. Come early to mingle with your neighbors over food\, drink and music\, as well as interactive displays related to the evening's topic. Then head inside to hear a stimul ating talk and stay to ask your burning questions.Many past Watson Lecture s are available on Caltech's YouTube channel. LOCATION:Beckman Auditorium URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/watson-lecture-ashwin-vasavada END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Registration for Winter Term DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251120T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251205T235900 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Registration for Winter Term@Thu Nov 20 08:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.cal tech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/registration-for-winter-term-87920 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Last Day for Admission to Candidacy for the Degrees of Master of S cience and Engineer DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251121T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251121T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Last Day for Admission to Candidacy for the Degrees of Master of Scien ce and Engineer@Fri Nov 21 08:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/last-day-for-admission-to-candidacy-for- the-degrees-of-master-of-science-and-engineer-87946 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:"Multiscale Models for Sea Ice" DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251204T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251204T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Dec 4 11:00:00 2025@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Kenneth Golden\, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics\, Depa rtment of Mathematics\, University of Utah\nMechanical and Civil Engineeri ng Seminar SeriesTitle: "Multiscale Models for Sea Ice"Abstract: Polar sea ice is a multiscale composite material with complex structure on length s cales ranging over many orders of magnitude. A principal challenge in sea ice modeling and computation is how to use microstructural information to find effective or homogenized behavior relevant to large-scale mechanical\ , thermodynamic\, and ecological models. From tiny brine inclusions to ice pack dynamics on oceanic scales\, and from microbes to polar bears\, we'l l tour recent advances in modeling sea ice\, its ecosystems\, and related composite media. We'll encounter fractal geometry\, percolation\, random m atrix theory\, Anderson localization\, mushy layers\, anomalous diffusion\ , and even twisted bilayer graphene.Bio: Ken Golden's main research intere sts are in mathematics of sea ice\, composite materials\, polar ecology\, statistical physics\, and remote sensing. He's been on nineteen polar expe ditions to obtain data that inform sea ice models\, and given over 500 inv ited lectures on six continents\, including four presentations to the U.S. Congress. Golden has won awards for teaching\, mentoring\, and science co mmunication. His research has been covered by media around the world\, inc luding profiles in Science\, Scientific American\, Physics Today\, and the BBC. He is an Inaugural Fellow of the American Mathematical Society\, a F ellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics\, cited for "e xtraordinary interdisciplinary work on the mathematics of sea ice\," a Fel low of the Electromagnetics Academy\, and a Fellow of the Explorers Club\, whose members have included Neil Armstrong and Jane Goodall. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -89906 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Last Day of Classes for Fall Term DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251205T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251206T000000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Last Day of Classes for Fall Term@Fri Dec 5 00:00:00 2025@ms.division s.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:This is the last day of classes for fall term and the last day to register for winter term without a $50 late fee URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/last-day-of-classes-for-fall-term-87921 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Study Period DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251206T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251209T235900 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Study Period@Sat Dec 6 08:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/study-period-87939 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AI Bootcamp XIII - Math for AI DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251208T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251208T160000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:AI Bootcamp XIII - Math for AI@Mon Dec 8 10:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.c altech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:We're excited to announce that AI bootcamp XIII is scheduled f or Dec 8 to Dec 11 in Resnick 120. This bootcamp is designed to provide th e mathematical background (Linear Algebra and Probability Theory) \; f or \; researchers who want to grasp fundamental ML concepts and explor e the potential of integrating ML into their research.Linear Algebra and P robability Theory are prerequisites for understanding how ML works and uti lizing ML more effectively. We are glad that we can offer this short cours e now. \;What to Expect:Daily Structure: Each day will feature one to two lectures\, complemented by two or more practical\, hands-on sessions.T opics Covered: Linear Algebra basics\, projections\, vector calculus\, opt imization\, probability theory\, Bayesian statistics\, density estimation.  \;Objective: Our goal is to equip you with the necessary background a nd skills to be prepared for taking other AI bootcamp courses that delve i nto ML foundations to allow you incorporate ML tools into your research an d to aid your ability to explore more advanced ML techniques independently Joining the Bootcamp:Availability: Limited to 30 \; participants.Regis tration: Sign up using this link before 12 AM Pacific Time on Dec 6th . Th is course doesn't have any math prerequisites except familiarity with mult ivariable calculus.Prerequisites:To maximize your learning experience\, fa miliarity with the following is required:Multivariable Calculus: Partial d erivatives\, integration\, limits\, and continuity. Covered in Ma1acPython Programming: Basic syntax and libraries. Covered in CS1. \; We will c over NumPy and other important libraries during the first day. \;Certi ficates:For those who complete all the hands-on notebooks successfully\, a certificate will be issued. \;Contact: \;Bootcamp Director Reza S adriAdministrative assistant: Caroline MurphyComputing Resources: Hands-on sessions will primarily utilize Google Colab. Should there be a need for more computational resources than the free tier of Colab provides\, partic ipants can opt for Colab Pro. We will offer reimbursements for a certain n umber of credits. LOCATION:Resnick Sustainability Center 120 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ai-bootcamp-xiii-math-for-ai END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AI Bootcamp XIII - Math for AI DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251209T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251209T160000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:AI Bootcamp XIII - Math for AI@Tue Dec 9 10:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.c altech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:We're excited to announce that AI bootcamp XIII is scheduled f or Dec 8 to Dec 11 in Resnick 120. This bootcamp is designed to provide th e mathematical background (Linear Algebra and Probability Theory) \; f or \; researchers who want to grasp fundamental ML concepts and explor e the potential of integrating ML into their research.Linear Algebra and P robability Theory are prerequisites for understanding how ML works and uti lizing ML more effectively. We are glad that we can offer this short cours e now. \;What to Expect:Daily Structure: Each day will feature one to two lectures\, complemented by two or more practical\, hands-on sessions.T opics Covered: Linear Algebra basics\, projections\, vector calculus\, opt imization\, probability theory\, Bayesian statistics\, density estimation.  \;Objective: Our goal is to equip you with the necessary background a nd skills to be prepared for taking other AI bootcamp courses that delve i nto ML foundations to allow you incorporate ML tools into your research an d to aid your ability to explore more advanced ML techniques independently Joining the Bootcamp:Availability: Limited to 30 \; participants.Regis tration: Sign up using this link before 12 AM Pacific Time on Dec 6th . Th is course doesn't have any math prerequisites except familiarity with mult ivariable calculus.Prerequisites:To maximize your learning experience\, fa miliarity with the following is required:Multivariable Calculus: Partial d erivatives\, integration\, limits\, and continuity. Covered in Ma1acPython Programming: Basic syntax and libraries. Covered in CS1. \; We will c over NumPy and other important libraries during the first day. \;Certi ficates:For those who complete all the hands-on notebooks successfully\, a certificate will be issued. \;Contact: \;Bootcamp Director Reza S adriAdministrative assistant: Caroline MurphyComputing Resources: Hands-on sessions will primarily utilize Google Colab. Should there be a need for more computational resources than the free tier of Colab provides\, partic ipants can opt for Colab Pro. We will offer reimbursements for a certain n umber of credits. LOCATION:Resnick Sustainability Center 120 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ai-bootcamp-xiii-math-for-ai-1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Final Examinations for Fall Term DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251210T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251212T235900 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Final Examinations for Fall Term@Wed Dec 10 08:00:00 2025@ms.divisions .caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/final-examinations-for-fall-term-2 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AI Bootcamp XIII - Math for AI DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251210T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251210T160000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:AI Bootcamp XIII - Math for AI@Wed Dec 10 10:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.c altech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:We're excited to announce that AI bootcamp XIII is scheduled f or Dec 8 to Dec 11 in Resnick 120. This bootcamp is designed to provide th e mathematical background (Linear Algebra and Probability Theory) \; f or \; researchers who want to grasp fundamental ML concepts and explor e the potential of integrating ML into their research.Linear Algebra and P robability Theory are prerequisites for understanding how ML works and uti lizing ML more effectively. We are glad that we can offer this short cours e now. \;What to Expect:Daily Structure: Each day will feature one to two lectures\, complemented by two or more practical\, hands-on sessions.T opics Covered: Linear Algebra basics\, projections\, vector calculus\, opt imization\, probability theory\, Bayesian statistics\, density estimation.  \;Objective: Our goal is to equip you with the necessary background a nd skills to be prepared for taking other AI bootcamp courses that delve i nto ML foundations to allow you incorporate ML tools into your research an d to aid your ability to explore more advanced ML techniques independently Joining the Bootcamp:Availability: Limited to 30 \; participants.Regis tration: Sign up using this link before 12 AM Pacific Time on Dec 6th . Th is course doesn't have any math prerequisites except familiarity with mult ivariable calculus.Prerequisites:To maximize your learning experience\, fa miliarity with the following is required:Multivariable Calculus: Partial d erivatives\, integration\, limits\, and continuity. Covered in Ma1acPython Programming: Basic syntax and libraries. Covered in CS1. \; We will c over NumPy and other important libraries during the first day. \;Certi ficates:For those who complete all the hands-on notebooks successfully\, a certificate will be issued. \;Contact: \;Bootcamp Director Reza S adriAdministrative assistant: Caroline MurphyComputing Resources: Hands-on sessions will primarily utilize Google Colab. Should there be a need for more computational resources than the free tier of Colab provides\, partic ipants can opt for Colab Pro. We will offer reimbursements for a certain n umber of credits. LOCATION:Resnick Sustainability Center 120 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ai-bootcamp-xiii-math-for-ai-2 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AI Bootcamp XIII - Math for AI DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251211T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251211T160000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:AI Bootcamp XIII - Math for AI@Thu Dec 11 10:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.c altech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:We're excited to announce that AI bootcamp XIII is scheduled f or Dec 8 to Dec 11 in Resnick 120. This bootcamp is designed to provide th e mathematical background (Linear Algebra and Probability Theory) \; f or \; researchers who want to grasp fundamental ML concepts and explor e the potential of integrating ML into their research.Linear Algebra and P robability Theory are prerequisites for understanding how ML works and uti lizing ML more effectively. We are glad that we can offer this short cours e now. \;What to Expect:Daily Structure: Each day will feature one to two lectures\, complemented by two or more practical\, hands-on sessions.T opics Covered: Linear Algebra basics\, projections\, vector calculus\, opt imization\, probability theory\, Bayesian statistics\, density estimation.  \;Objective: Our goal is to equip you with the necessary background a nd skills to be prepared for taking other AI bootcamp courses that delve i nto ML foundations to allow you incorporate ML tools into your research an d to aid your ability to explore more advanced ML techniques independently Joining the Bootcamp:Availability: Limited to 30 \; participants.Regis tration: Sign up using this link before 12 AM Pacific Time on Dec 6th . Th is course doesn't have any math prerequisites except familiarity with mult ivariable calculus.Prerequisites:To maximize your learning experience\, fa miliarity with the following is required:Multivariable Calculus: Partial d erivatives\, integration\, limits\, and continuity. Covered in Ma1acPython Programming: Basic syntax and libraries. Covered in CS1. \; We will c over NumPy and other important libraries during the first day. \;Certi ficates:For those who complete all the hands-on notebooks successfully\, a certificate will be issued. \;Contact: \;Bootcamp Director Reza S adriAdministrative assistant: Caroline MurphyComputing Resources: Hands-on sessions will primarily utilize Google Colab. Should there be a need for more computational resources than the free tier of Colab provides\, partic ipants can opt for Colab Pro. We will offer reimbursements for a certain n umber of credits. LOCATION:Resnick Sustainability Center 120 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ai-bootcamp-xiii-math-for-ai-3 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:End of Fall Term DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251212T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251213T000000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:End of Fall Term@Fri Dec 12 00:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/end-of-fall-term-87924 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Winter Recess DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251213T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260104T235900 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Winter Recess@Sat Dec 13 08:00:00 2025@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/winter-recess-87925 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Due Date for Instructors' Final Grade Reports DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251217T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251217T090100 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Due Date for Instructors' Final Grade Reports@Wed Dec 17 09:00:00 2025 @ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/due-date-for-instructors-final-grade-rep orts-87943 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Beginning of Instruction of Winter Term DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260105T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260106T000000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Beginning of Instruction of Winter Term@Mon Jan 5 00:00:00 2026@ms.di visions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/beginning-of-instruction-of-winter-term- 87929 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Undergraduate Academic Standards and Honors Committee Meeting DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260106T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260106T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Undergraduate Academic Standards and Honors Committee Meeting@Tue Jan 6 09:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/undergraduate-academic-standards-and-hon ors-committee-meeting-87965 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Physics and Applications of Andreev Spins DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260107T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260107T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Jan 7 16:00:00 2026@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Valla Fatemi\, Assistant Professor\, Applied and Engineering P hysics\, Cornell\n***Refreshments at 3:45pm in Noyes lobbyAbstract:Superco nducting qubits and semiconducting qubits are two leading solid-state plat forms for quantum computation\, each coming with distinct strengths and ch allenges. Hybrid structures made of both semiconductors and superconductor s aim to combine the best features of both platforms. One such hybrid stru cture is the Andreev spin qubit\, which hosts a microscopic\, fermionic sp in degree of freedom inside a Josephson weak link. The key feature is the spin-dependent supercurrent – this physics enables long-range\, quantum coherent interactions between spins despite their microscopic sizes. In th is talk\, I will first introduce Andreev spin qubits and what makes them u nique. I will then describe our experiments to better understand coherence of Andreev spins hosted in InAs nanowires. Finally\, I will outline the u nique quantum hardware opportunities that Andreev spins offer\, as well as the key experimental challenges. More about the Speaker:Valla Fatemi rec eived his PhD in Physics in the group of Pablo Jarillo-Herrero at the Mass achusetts Institute of Technology in 2018. There he worked on electronic a nd quantum transport in topological insulator materials\, including discov ery of superconductor and topological insulator states in monolayer tungst en ditelluride. He also contributed to the project that discovered superco nductivity and correlated insulator states in magic angle twisted bilayer graphene. He then joined the group of Michel Devoret at Yale University as the post-doctoral associate on the teams researching the physics of Andre ev bound states in superconductor-semiconductor quantum devices\, helping to demonstrate the first Andreev spin qubit. In 2022 he joined the faculty of the School of Applied and Engineering Physics at Cornell University\, where he is building a lab researching the basic and applied physics of qu antum materials\, quantum control\, superconducting quantum circuits\, and their intersections. LOCATION:Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/materials-science-research-lecture-89703 3444425582283337856249882500453332345665013266603356322154 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Characterizing and Utilizing Terrain Responses for Robot-aided Ear th and Planetary Explorations DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260108T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260108T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Jan 8 11:00:00 2026@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Feifei Qian\, Assistant Professor\, Department of Electrical a nd Computer Engineering\, University of Southern California\nMechanical an d Civil Engineering Seminar SeriesTitle: " Characterizing and Utilizing Te rrain Responses for Robot-aided Earth and Planetary Explorations "Abstract : Robot-aided exploration is central to advancing Earth and planetary sci ence\, yet many high-value scientific targets\, such as Martian dunes\, lu nar craters\, muddy forests\, and snowy mountains\, remain difficult to ac cess. These environments are characterized by loose\, deformable substrate s whose mechanical behavior is governed by complex granular rearrangement\ , porosity\, cohesion\, and particle–fluid or particle–ice interaction s. Such processes control whether a substrate behaves in a solid-like or f luidized manner\, directly challenging robotic mobility\, sensing\, and sa mpling.To address these challenges\, my group integrates granular physics\ , locomotion science\, and proprioceptive sensing\, to develop new strateg ies for robotic characterization of deformable terrains on Earth and other planetary bodies. Our work focuses on linking substrate force responses a nd yield behaviors to robot locomotion and sensing outcomes.In this talk\, I will begin with force responses in dry\, homogeneous granular media\, s howing how the relationship between applied stress and yield stress govern s solid-like versus fluid-like behavior and\, in turn\, robot mobility. Le veraging the high force transparency of direct-drive actuators\, we demons trate that legged robots can use their limbs as proprioceptive sensors\, i nferring terramechanical properties opportunistically from every step. I w ill then extend this discussion to cohesive substrates\, including wet san d and mud\, where attractive interparticle forces and pore-fluid effects i ntroduce new locomotion failure modes and necessitate different locomotion strategies. Finally\, I will discuss our ongoing efforts to understand ic e-cemented regolith\, highlighting newly observed force responses\, locomo tion failure modes\, and their underlying physical mechanisms. I will conc lude with a broader vision of how systematic characterization and utilizat ion of terrain responses can enable enhanced robotic mobility and new scie ntific discovery across Earth and planetary environments.Bio: Feifei Qian is an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Unive rsity of Southern California. Qian received her PhD in Electrical Engineer ing and M.S. in Physics from Georgia Institute of Technology. Prior to her appointment at USC\, she worked in the GRASP lab at University of Pennsyl vania as a postdoctoral fellow. Her research interests include bio-inspire d robotics\, legged locomotion\, terrain mechanics\, proprioceptive sensin g and human-robot teaming\, with applications to robot-aided earth and pla netary explorations. Qian's research has been recognized with NSF CAREER a ward\, Charles Lee Powell Foundation Faculty Research Award\, Best student paper award from the Robotics Science and Systems (RSS) conference\, and has been featured by media outlets including BBC News\, CBS News\, Reuters \, NPR Weekend Edition\, IEEE Spectrum\, Wired\, and R&\;D Magazine. Sh e currently serves as an Associate Editor for IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L). She has also served as an Associate Editor for the 2023 I EEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)\, the Organ izing Committee for the 2025 Robotics Science and Systems (RSS) conference \, and the Program Committees for the 25th International Conference on Cli mbing and Walking Robots (CLAWAR)\, the 2021 Robotics Science and Systems (RSS) Inclusion Program\, and the 2019 Robotics Science and Systems (RSS) Pioneer Program. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -89909 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:2D Hole Gas at GaN/AlN interface – an Unprecedented Platform to Probe the Valence Band of GaN DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260114T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260114T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Jan 14 16:00:00 2026@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Huili Grace Xing\, William L. Quackenbush Professor of Electri cal and Computer Engineering\, Materials Science and Engineering\, Cornell \n***Refreshments at 3:45pm in Noyes lobbyAbstract:The advent of p-type Ga N has changed the world forever – a legacy that Nagoya is proud of. To date most of the p-type GaN has been achieved by impurity doping\, i.e. re placing Ga with Mg in the GaN semiconductor crystal. A few years back Chau dhuri et al [Science 2019] demonstrated that it is possible to form a 2D h ole gas at the GaN/AlN interface\, which arises from the discontinuity of polarization at this heterointerface. This 2D hole gas is free from dopant scattering and freeze-out\, just like its counterpart – the 2DEG at an AlGaN/GaN interface. As a result\, it provides an unprecedented platform f or us to probe the valence band of GaN. I will present our most recent dis coveries of Shubnikov-de Haas oscillation and cyclotron resonance of heavy holes and light holes\, all thanks to these unique 2D hole gases.More abo ut the Speaker:Huili Grace Xing is currently the William L. Quackenbush Pr ofessor of Electrical and Computer Engineering\, Materials Science and Eng ineering at Cornell University\, the Director of SUPREME - a SRC JUMP2.0 r esearch center\, and having served as the Associate Dean for Research & \; Graduate Studies of the College of Engineering in 2020-2022.She is a re cipient of the AFOSR Young Investigator Award\, NSF CAREER Award\, ISCS Yo ung Scientist Award\, and the Intel Outstanding Researcher Award\, the SIA /SRC University Researcher Award\, the Cornell Engineering Research Excell ence Award and Michael Tien'72 Teaching Award. She is a fellow of APS\, I EEE &\; AAAS. LOCATION:Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/materials-science-research-lecture-89703 34444265582283337856249882500453332345665013266603356322155 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Efficient Planning and Learning for Contact-rich Manipulation via Structured Exploration DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260115T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260115T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Jan 15 11:00:00 2026@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Pang Tao\, Senior Research Scientist\, RAI Institute\nMechanic al and Civil Engineering Seminar SeriesTitle: "Efficient Planning and Lear ning for Contact-rich Manipulation via Structured Exploration"Abstract:The success of Reinforcement Learning (RL) in dexterous\, contact-rich manipu lation has left much to be understood from a model-based perspective\, whe re key challenges include (i) locally\, the hybrid\, non-smooth contact dy namics renders planning and control methods for smooth dynamical systems i neffective\, and (ii) globally\, the non-convex cost landscape requires no n-trivial global exploration strategy. This talk first demystifies RL's su ccess\, attributing it to the implicit randomized smoothing provided by it s stochastic nature. I will then present how smoothing\, the primary insig ht from RL\, can be incorporated into classical planning and control algor ithms to efficiently and explicitly address the local and global challenge s introduced by contact dynamics. Finally\, I will demonstrate how the eff iciency gained from model-based insights can empower prevailing robot lear ning paradigms\, serving as a powerful data generation engine for Behavior Cloning (BC) and RL\, especially on robot embodiments for which teleopera tion-based data collection is challenging.Bio: Tao Pang received his PhD f rom the Massachusetts Institute of Technology\, where his work on global p lanning for contact-rich manipulation earned an Honorable Mention for the IEEE T-RO King-Sun Fu Memorial Best Paper Award. His research interests li e at the intersection of robotics\, optimization and machine learning\, wi th a focus on building robots with human-level dexterity. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -89912 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Artificial oxide quantum heterostructures and twisted membranes DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260121T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260121T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Jan 21 16:00:00 2026@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Honyung Lee\, PhD\, Corporate Fellow and Senior Advisor\, Mate rials Science and Technology Division\, Oak Ridge National Laboratory\n*** Refreshments at 3:45pm in Noyes lobbyAbstract:Transition metal oxides are known to possess the full spectrum of fascinating properties\, including m agnetism\, superconductivity\, ferroelectricity\, ionic conductivity\, and more. This breadth of remarkable properties is the consequence of strong coupling among charge\, spin\, orbital\, and lattice degrees of freedom. S purred by recent advances in the epitaxial synthesis of artificial materia ls at the atomic scale\, the physics of oxide heterostructures containing atomically well-defined layers of such correlated electron materials with abrupt interfaces is a rapidly growing area. We have established a growth technique to control complex oxides at the level of unit cell thickness by pulsed laser deposition. The atomic-scale growth control enables to assem ble materials from atoms to functional systems in a programmable manner\, yielding many intriguing physical properties that cannot be found in bulk counterparts. In this talk\, examples of functional interfaces and artific ial heterostructures composed of various transition metal oxides will be p resented\, highlighting the importance of precision synthesis for interfac ing\, straining\, and stacking. The main topics will include the precision synthesis and strain engineering of artificial oxide heterostructures and freestanding membranes and symmetry breaking for novel topological phases on correlated oxides.More about the Speaker:Honyung Lee is currently a Co rporate Fellow and Senior Advisor in the Materials Science and Technology Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). He served as Program Dir ector for DOE-BES Materials Sciences and Engineering Program at ORNL\, Int erim Division Director for the Materials Science and Technology Division\, and group leader for the Quantum Heterostructures group. He joined ORNL i n 2002\, following his postdoctoral appointment at the Max Planck Institut e of Microstructure Physics\, Germany. He got his PhD in Physics from Kore a University in Seoul\, Korea. His research interests involve the epitaxia l synthesis of oxide-based quantum and energy materials by pulsed laser ep itaxy and the physics of correlated oxide heterostructures. Dr. Lee was a winner of the 2006 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engi neers from the White House and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)\, American Physical Society (APS)\, Mat erials Research Society (MRS)\, and Korean Academy of Science and Technolo gy. LOCATION:Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/materials-science-research-lecture-89703 34444265582283337856249882500453332345665013266603356322156 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Watson Lecture - Lead Contamination: An Old Foe Rises from the Ash es of the Eaton Fire\, with Francois Tissot DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260121T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260121T203000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Watson Lecture - Lead Contamination: An Old Foe Rises from the Ashes o f the Eaton Fire\, with Francois Tissot@Wed Jan 21 19:30:00 2026@ms.divisi ons.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Francois Tissot\, professor of geochemistry\; Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator\nAdvance registration for this event has closed. Guests who have not pre-registered are invited to join our standby line. We recommend you arrive no later than 6:50 p.m. for standby. If you registered\, please bring your ticket (paper or electronic).A recording o f the event will be made available on our YouTube channel. Join our mailin g list to receive the latest on public events at Caltech. Thank you for yo ur interest!About the TalkWatch the previewIn 1965\, Caltech geochemist Cl air Patterson published what was\, at the time\, a highly controversial fi nding: that leaded gasoline and other products like canned food solder\, p aints\, and insecticide were exposing Americans to dangerously high levels of lead. His work helped galvanize the environmental movement\, ultimatel y leading to the Clean Air Act of 1970. Fifty years later\, Caltech resear chers\, led by Francois Tissot\, professor of geochemistry and Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator\, were once again at the center of investigations on environmental lead contamination when the Eaton fire de vastated communities surrounding Caltech. A year on from the LA fires of 2 025\, Tissot will discuss Patterson's legacy and its connections to hi s own research group's efforts to study the presence of lead and other tox ic metals in the aftermath of the fires. He will also share the impact of his findings to date—and how they can help communities prepare as fires at the wildland-urban interface grow increasingly common.Evening Schedule6 p.m. — Activities and music. Food\, drinks\, and books available for pu rchase.7 p.m. — Doors open.7:30 p.m. — Talk and Q&\;A.8:30 p.m. — Post-talk concessions and conversation.The live event is in-person and a recording will be made available on our Youtube channel.About the SeriesFo r more than 100 years\, the Watson Lectures have brought the wonder of Cal tech research and discovery to the public.Free and open to the public\, th e Watson Lecture Series offers a unique and accessible opportunity to lear n more about cutting-edge science directly from Caltech's premier research ers. Come early to mingle with your neighbors over food\, drink and music\ , as well as interactive displays related to the evening's topic. Then hea d inside to hear a stimulating talk and stay to ask your burning questions .Many past Watson Lectures are available on Caltech's YouTube channel. LOCATION:Beckman Auditorium URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/watson-lecture-francois-tissot END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Nonholonomic Stabilization and Pursuit-Evasion: Not-so-hard After All DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260122T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260122T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Jan 22 11:00:00 2026@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Miroslav Krstić\, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Resear ch\, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering\, University of Ca lifornia\, San Diego\nMechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar SeriesTitle : "Nonholonomic Stabilization and Pursuit-Evasion: Not-so-hard After All"A bstract: In the polar coordinates\, the unicycle/Dubins vehicle passes Bro ckett's condition. Hence\, stabilization - even global - by static feedbac k is achievable. I present feedback designs for several categories of prob lems. For steering-controlled\, constant-velocity unicycles\, finite-time stable parking is achieved. Shifting the attention from static targets and ground vehicles to moving-target interception\, a kinematically inferior evader is captured\, in spite of the evader's arbitrarily vigorous maneuve ring. In the language of control\, ISS with an asymptotic gain = 0 is achi eved in pursuit-evasion games. The new ideas are (a) treating the distance -to-target as time in the feedback design and (b) converting the vehicle's inability to slow down from a challenge into an asset. For parking and sp acecraft docking\, with direction-reversible velocity control on top of st eering\, global STRICT CLFs are sought - a problem open for 42 years - and found using integrator forwarding and backstepping. Thanks to the DRIFTLE SS nature of the unicycle\, the strict CLFs then yield (1) optimality with out solving HJB PDEs and (2) infinite gain margins. Bio: Miroslav Krstic i s Distinguished Professor\; founding director of UC San Diego's Center for Control Systems and Dynamics (CCSD) and the US Navy-funded Naval Innovati on\, Science\, and Engineering Center (NISEC)\; and Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Research. He has received the IEEE Brockett Control Systems (Field) Award\, Bellman Award\, Bode Lecture Prize\, SIAM Reid Prize\, AS ME Oldenburger Medal\, ASME Nyquist Lecture Prize and Paynter Award\, Raga zzini Education Award\, and several IFAC awards (Chestnut Textbook Prize\, Nonlinear Control Systems Award\, Ruth Curtain Distributed Parameter Syst ems Award\, Adaptive and Learning Systems Award\, Time-Delay Lifetime Achi evement Award). Krstic is Fellow of IEEE\, AIAA\, IFAC\, ASME\, SIAM\, AAA S\, IET\, and Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Krstic has coauthored nineteen books on adaptive/nonlinear control\, extremum seeking\, and PDE control. His industrial transitions have been in chip photolithography and advanced arresting gear on carriers. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -89915 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Last Day for Adding Courses and Removing Conditions and Incomplete s DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260123T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260123T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Last Day for Adding Courses and Removing Conditions and Incompletes@Fr i Jan 23 08:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/last-day-for-adding-courses-and-removing -conditions-and-incompletes-87949 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Seeing and Shaping Quantum Matter at the Atomic Scale DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260128T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260128T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Jan 28 11:00:00 2026@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Jane Park\, PhD Candidate\, Materials Science and Engineering\ , Massachusetts Institute of Technology\n***Refreshments at 10:45am in Noy es lobbyAbstract:In quantum materials\, even a single atom can reshape the local physical landscape\, making atomic-level design and observation not just beneficial\, but essential. Understanding and controlling material p roperties at this scale is crucial for advancing physics governed by size- and structure-dependent electronic\, magnetic\, and optical behaviors.In this talk\, I will discuss how scanning transmission electron microscopy ( STEM) can be used not only as a high-resolution probe\, but as an active p latform for exploring and controlling low-dimensional quantum materials. I will first present examples from highly anisotropic van der Waals (vdW) m agnets\, where electron-matter interactions enable modification of magneti c and structural order. In the quasi-1D magnet AgCrP2S6\, I show how elect ron beam reshapes embedded spin chains within a 2D lattice. In CrSBr\, I d emonstrate orientation-dependent structural transformations driven by dire ctional atomic motion\, and introduce time-resolved STEM measurements that quantify the kinetics of these processes.I then extend this approach to 2 D/3D heterostructures\, where interface structure governs charge accumulat ion and polarization dynamics relevant to energy and device performance. I n parallel\, I show how in a 2D vdW magnet\, magnetic order reshapes elect ronic bands\, producing giant magnetoresistance. By directly correlating l ocal atomic structure with magnetic\, electronic\, and interfacial functio nality\, these studies establish general design principles for controlling quasiparticles-mediated energy flow\, symmetry-breaking phenomena\, and e lectronic response at the atomic scale. Together\, these examples illustra te how atomic-resolution microscopy can serve as a unifying framework for understanding and engineering complex material behavior.More about the Spe aker:Eugene (Jane) Park is a Ph.D. candidate in Materials Science and Engi neering at MIT\, advised by Prof. Frances Ross. She received her B.S. in M aterials Science and Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana -Champaign. Her research focuses on atomic-scale engineering of 2D van der Waals quantum materials and 2D/3D heterostructures using in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy. She developes methods to sculpt atomic lattices and control spin textures through electron beam–solid interacti ons\, offering new routes to manipulate quantum behavior. Her work has bee n recognized by the Materials Research Society Graduate Student Gold Award \, Caltech Trailblazer Award\, Microscopy and Microanalysis Student Schola r Award\, and International Microscopy Congress Best Oral Presentation Awa rd. She is also a recipient of the MathWorks Engineering Fellowship and ha s held leadership role as co-president of MIT Women in Materials Science. LOCATION:Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/materials-science-research-lecture-89703 344442655822832337856249882500453332345665013266603356322157 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Homogenizing Origami and Kirigami Metamaterials DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260129T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260129T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Jan 29 11:00:00 2026@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Paul Plucinsky\, Assistant Professor of Aerospace and Mechanic al Engineering\, Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering\, Univ ersity of Southern California\nMechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar Se riesTitle: "Homogenizing Origami and Kirigami Metamaterials"Abstract: Shap e-morphing finds widespread utility\, from the deployment of small stents and large solar sails to actuation and propulsion in soft robots. Kirigami and origami metamaterials\, formed by repeating patterns of slits\, creas es and panels\, are a versatile platform for shape-morphing\, inspiring th e design of many morphing structures and devices. However\, it remains a c hallenge to predict the response of these and other metamaterial systems t o a broad range of loads and stimuli\, especially under large deformations .This talk describes general theoretical principles for homogenizing origa mi and kirigami metamaterials. Our broad goal is to derive\, from first pr inciples\, an effective mechanical theory for their bulk deformations\, va lid in the limit of a large number of building blocks. The first part disc usses kirigami\; the second discusses origami. We present the foundational ingredients of the theory\, along with numerical and experimental demonst rations of its predictive power.Bio: Paul Plucinsky is an Assistant Profes sor in the USC Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. His res earch interests lie at the interface of solid mechanics\, materials scienc e and mathematic\, where he applies a theory-guided approach to range of t opics including the design and modeling of origami and kirigami metamateri als. Prior to joining USC in 2020\, Paul was a Postdoctoral Scholar in Aer ospace Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Minnesota. He receiv ed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Caltech in 2017\, and a B.S. in Civil Engineering and M.S. in Structural engineering at the University of Michigan in 2011. He received the NSF CAREER Award in 2023. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -89916 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:"Variational phase-field modeling of fracture: toward second-gener ation models" DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260203T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260203T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:James K. Knowles Lectures and Caltech Solid Mechanics Symposium@Tue Fe b 3 09:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Laura De Lorenzis\, Professor of Computational Mechanics\, ETH Zürich\nJames K. Knowles LectureTitle: "Variational phase-field modeling of fracture: toward second-generation models"Abstract:Variational phase-f ield models of brittle fracture are powerful tools for studying Griffith-t ype crack propagation in complex scenarios. However\, as approximations of Griffith's theory—which does not incorporate a strength criterion—the se models lack flexibility in prescribing material-specific strength surfa ces. Consequently\, they struggle to accurately capture crack nucleation u nder multiaxial stress conditions. For this reason\, many recently propose d models have given up the elegance and the theoretical and practical adva ntages of the variational setting to achieve greater flexibility in reprod ucing experimental observations.In this presentation\, we explore recent s trategies developed in the group of the speaker to endow variational phase -field models with sufficient flexibility to overcome current limitations\ , potentially paving the way for a second generation of variational phase- field fracture models. For fracture under multiaxial stress states\, we fi rst illustrate the pros and cons of models based on the notion of energy d ecomposition and propose a new model of this type that controls the compet ition between nucleation under compressive and tensile stresses. Then\, we illustrate a novel phase-field model of cohesive fracture that allows for an arbitrarily shaped convex strength surface\, thereby reconciling fract ure nucleation and propagation within a unified framework. Finally\, we il lustrate further recent results on phase-field modeling of cohesive fractu re in anisotropic materials and under dynamic conditions.Bio:Laura De Lore nzis received her Engineering degree and her PhD from the University of he r hometown Lecce\, in southern Italy\, where she began her academic career . In 2013 she moved to the TU Braunschweig\, Germany\, as Professor and Di rector of the Institute of Applied Mechanics. Since 2020 she is Professor of Computational Mechanics at ETH Zürich. She was visiting scholar in sev eral institutions\, including Chalmers University of Technology\, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University\, MIT (with a Fulbright Fellowship)\, the Uni versity of Hannover (with an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship)\, the Univ ersity of Texas at Austin and the University of Cape Town. She is the reci pient of several prizes\, including the RILEM L'Hermite Medal 2011\, the A IMETA Junior Prize 2011\, the IIFC Young Investigator Award 2012\, the Eur omech Solid Mechanics Fellowship 2022\, the IACM Fellowship 2024\, two bes t paper awards and two student teaching prizes. In 2011 she was awarded a European Research Council Starting Researcher Grant. She has delivered ove r 30 plenary lectures at international conferences and authored or co-auth ored more than 160 papers on international journals on different topics of computational and applied mechanics. Since 2023 she is Editor of Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -89914 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Midterm Examination Period DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260204T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260210T235900 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Midterm Examination Period@Wed Feb 4 08:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.calte ch.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/midterm-examination-period-87950 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Electron Spin\, Chiral Symmetry Breaking\, and Life's Homochiralit y DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260204T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260204T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Feb 4 16:00:00 2026@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Furkan Ozturk\, Assistant Professor\, Geobiology and Geochemis try\, Caltech\n***Refreshments at 3:45pm in Noyes lobbyAbstract:Electron s pin couples strongly to molecular chirality through the recently discovere d phenomenon of chiral-induced spin selectivity. As such\, spin-polarized magnetic surfaces can function as robust chiral reagents and facilitate as ymmetric processes. I will discuss recent experiments that exploit the str ong coupling between electron spin\, molecular chirality\, and chiral phon ons\, as well as explain their relation to life's homochirality—one of t he grandest challenges in origin-of-life research since Pasteur's discover y of molecular chirality more than 175 years ago.More about the Speaker:Fu rkan Ozturk is an Assistant Professor and a William H. Hurt Scholar at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech)\, where he leads the Ozturk Lab. His research explores the origins of life and the physics of living s ystems\, with a particular focus on molecular chirality\, spin physics\, a nd prebiotic chemistry. He received his BSc. in Physics from Bilkent Unive rsity in 2018 and his Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard University in 2024. Be fore joining Caltech in 2025\, he held independent postdoctoral fellowship s at Harvard College Observatory and King's College\, Cambridge. LOCATION:Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/materials-science-research-lecture-89703 3441442655822832337856249882500453332345665013266603356322159 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Negotiating Thermodynamics: Designing Periodic and Aperiodic Oxide s on Demand DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260211T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260211T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Feb 11 11:00:00 2026@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Bharat Jalan\, Professor\, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science\, University of Minnesota\n***Refreshments at 10:45am in Noyes lob byAbstract:Thermodynamics is often treated as the final authority in mater ials synthesis\, defining which crystal structures and bonding configurati ons are accessible. In this talk\, I will show how synthesis can instead b ecome a process of negotiation – one that allows us to intentionally des ign both periodic and aperiodic lattices on demand. By exploiting the chem istry of source materials\, my group has developed novel approaches to syn thesize epitaxial oxide films\, their membranes\, and bicrystals with tail ored bonding geometries\, dislocation networks\, and emergent electronic b ehavior that are difficult – or impossible – to access in substrate-cl amped systems.We combine advanced structural and spectroscopic characteriz ation\, including electron microscopy\, scattering\, and local probe measu rements\, to directly resolve atomic structure\, interfacial order\, and d efect configurations across length scales. Finally\, I will discuss how th is work establishes a novel synthesis paradigm in which 3D architecture\, spanning atomic to mesoscale lengths\, becomes a central design variable – allowing materials structure and properties to be programmed well beyo nd equilibrium limits.More about the Speaker:Professor Bharat Jalan\, Shel l Chair and professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materi als Science at the University of Minnesota. Prof. Jalan is a expert in mat erials science\, renowned for pioneering work in oxide thin films\, membra nes\, and bicrystals. He has developed novel synthesis approaches enabling atomic-level growth of complex materials. Prof. Jalan also holds graduate faculty appointment in the Department of Physics\, and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota. He als o serves as a Deputy Editor of AAAS journal Science Advances.He has receiv ed numerous prestigious awards\, including the Young Investigator MBE Awar d (2016)\, Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Awar d (2016)\, Royal Society of Chemistry Emerging Young Investigator (2017)\, American Association for Crystal Growth Young Author Award (2017)\, AVS P aul Holloway Young Investigator Award (2017)\, Presidential Early Career A ward for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)\, AVS Peter Mark Memorial Award (2021)\, and recognition by the National Academy of Engineering as a high ly accomplished early-career engineer (2022). He has also been honored wit h the international Schieber Prize (awarded to one worldwide every three y ears) by the International Organization of Crystal Growth (2023)\, AVS Fel low (2024)\, the VAIBHAV Fellowship by the Government of India (2024)\, an d recently\, as the JMR Distinguished Invited Speaker by the Materials Res earch Society at their 2024 spring meeting. Most recently\, Jalan was pre sented with the University of Minnesota George W. Taylor Award for Disting uished Research. Jalan has (co)-authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publi cations and given more than 100 invited talks and colloquiums.Jalan receiv ed a BS dual degree in MSE from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madra s inIndia (2006) and a PhD degree in Materials Science from the University of California\, Santa Barbara (2011). From 2011-2016\, he was an assistan t professor at the University of Minnesota\, Twin Cities and was promoted to the associate professor in 2017\, and to the rank of full professor in 2022. LOCATION:Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/materials-science-research-lecture-89703 344442655822832337856249882500453332345665013266603356322158 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:What a Digital Twin Can Learn from Data\, Thermodynamics\, and Act ion Principles for Damage Assessment in Complex Materials DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260212T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260212T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Feb 12 11:00:00 2026@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Jiun-Shyan (JS) Chen\, William Prager Chair Professor\, Depart ment of Structural Engineering\, University of California\, San Diego\nTit le: "What a Digital Twin Can Learn from Data\, Thermodynamics\, and Action Principles for Damage Assessment in Complex Materials"Abstract:This talk explores the interplay between data\, thermodynamics\, and action principl es in the development of thermodynamics‑aware digital twins for damage a ssessment in complex materials microstructures. Data is leveraged in two k ey ways: image data is used to represent as-built material microstructures \, while measurable material state data supports data-driven computation. The link between microstructure\, material state\, and structural damage r esponse is grounded in thermodynamic principles and the principle of least action. The Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm is employed for automa tic microstructure segmentation\, enabling direct model discretization fro m image pixels without the need for body-fitted mesh generation. Inelastic material behavior is modeled in a purely data-driven manner\, bypassing t raditional constitutive models that often lack generalizability across loa ding conditions. To capture localized damage and microstructural features with coarse discretization\, we introduce neural network (NN) enrichment o f the RKPM framework. The NN approximation is formulated through energy mi nimization\, with optimal parameters encoding the location\, orientation\, and transition behavior of damage zones. Regularization ensures discretiz ation-independent solutions\, and convergence properties are analytically derived and numerically verified. For transient dynamics\, the NN-enriched formulation is based on action minimization and symplectic integration\, yielding solutions consistent with classical field theory. The effectivene ss of this digital twin framework is demonstrated in modeling damage evolu tion in composite materials and structures\, and comparison with experimen tal results validated the accuracy and reliability of the proposed computa tional framework.Bio: J. S. Chen is the William Prager Chair Professor and Distinguished Professor of Structural Engineering Department\, Mechanical &\; Aerospace Engineering Department\, and the Founding Director of Ce nter for Extreme Events Research at University of California San Diego (UC SD). Before joining UCSD in 2013\, he was the Chancellor's Professor of UC LA Civil &\; Environmental Engineering Department\, Mechanical &\; A erospace Engineering Department\, and Mathematics Department\, where he se rved as the Department Chair of Civil &\; Environmental Engineering dur ing 2007-2012. J. S. Chen's research is in computational mechanics\, meshf ree methods\, multiscale materials modeling\, machine-learning-enhanced co mputational mechanics\, and physics-informed data-driven computing. He is the Past President of US Association for Computational Mechanics (USACM) a nd the Past President of ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI). He ha s received numerous awards\, including the John von Neumann Medal from the US Association for Computational Mechanics (USACM)\, the Belytschko Medal from USACM\, the Raymond D. Mindlin Medal from ASCE EMI\, the Computation al Mechanics Award from the International Association for Computational Me chanics (IACM)\, the Grand Prize from Japan Society for Computational Engi neering and Science (JSCES)\, the Ted Belytschko Applied Mechanics Award f rom ASME Applied Mechanics Division\, the Computational Mechanics Award fr om Japan Association for Computational Mechanics (JACM)\, the ICACM Award from International Chinese Association for Computational Mechanics (ICACM) \, among others. He is the Fellow of USACM\, IACM\, ASME\, EMI\, SES\, ICA CM\, and ICCEES. He received PhD in Theoretical &\; Applied Mechanics f rom Northwestern University. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/james-k-knowles-lectures-and-caltech-sol id-mechanics-symposium END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Due Date for Midterm Grades DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260217T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260217T090100 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Due Date for Midterm Grades@Tue Feb 17 09:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.calt ech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/due-date-for-midterm-deficiency-notices- 87952 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The materials physics of complex oxide interfaces DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260218T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260218T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Quantum Matter/Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Feb 18 16:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Charles Ahn\, Professor\, Physics and Mechanical Engineering a nd Materials Science\, Yale University\n***Refreshments at 3:45pm in 108 E ast BridgeAbstract:Complex oxide materials exhibit a broad diversity of be havior encompassing a range of functional properties\, such as magnetism\, ferroelectricity\, multiferroicity\, and superconductivity. As diverse a s this behavior is\, an even richer spectrum of possibilities becomes avai lable if one starts to combine different oxides together with atomic-scale precision to create new artificially structured\, heterogeneous systems. In these nanostructured materials\, the atomic-scale interface of these s ystems can play a decisive role in determining the observed behavior\, wit h new physical properties emerging. In this talk\, we describe the contro l of strongly correlated behavior\, such as magnetism\, the metal-insulato r transition\, and superconductivity\, and we discuss the interplay betwee n new interfacial structural motifs and functional behavior.More about the Speaker:Charles Ahn is the John C. Malone Professor of Applied Physics an d Professor of Physics and Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Yale University. He received his B.A. degree in Chemistry and Physics fr om Harvard University and his M.A. and Ph.D degrees in Applied Physics fro m Stanford University. He did postdoctoral work at the University of Gene va before moving to Yale. His research group focuses on the synthesis and physical properties of epitaxial complex oxide and chalcogenide heterostr uctures\, specializing in thin film growth using molecular beam epitaxy an d characterization using synchrotron scattering\, scanning probe microscop y\, and low temperature transport measurements. LOCATION:East Bridge 201 (Richard P. Feynman Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/quantum-mattermaterials-science-research -lecture END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:"The Inherent Resilience of Large Cities to Natural Hazards: Recor ds\, Evidence and Predictions" DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260219T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260219T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Feb 19 11:00:00 2026@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Nicos Makris\, Professor of Structures and Mechanics\, Addy Fa mily Centennial Professor in Civil Engineering\, Civil and Environmental E ngineering\, Southern Methodist University\nMechanical and Civil Engineeri ng Seminar SeriesTitle: "The Inherent Resilience of Large Cities to Natura l Hazards: Records\, Evidence and Predictions"Abstract:In view that cities will continue to house the majority of the world's population at an incre asing rate in association with the face of climate change\, in this semina r we quantify urban resilience to natural hazards by examining the respons e history of the mean-square displacement of the citizens of large cities prior and upon natural hazards strike. The recorded mean-square displaceme nts of large numbers of cell-phone users from the cities of Houston\, Miam i and Jacksonville when struck by hurricanes Harvey 2017\, Irma 2017 and D orian 2019 together with the recorded mean-square displacements of the cit izens of Dallas and Houston from traffic-flow data when experienced the 20 21 North American winter storm\, revert immediately to their pre-event ste ady-state response\, suggesting that large cities when struck by natural h azards are inherently and invariably resilient within the context of "engi neering resilience". During the talk we explain how the mean-square displa cement from a random (stochastic) process is intimately related to determi nistic\, emergent time-response functions. This overarching relation which emerges from the theory of Brownian motion in association with the record ed data presented in this study also leads to a mechanical model for citie s\, recently developed by the speaker\, which is rooted in Langevin dynami cs. Our mechanical model predicts precisely what the recorded data uncover —that following a natural hazard\, large American cities revert immediat ely to their initial steady-state regime and resume their normal\, pre-eve nt activities.Bio: Professor Nicos Makris\, an internationally recognized expert in structural-earthquake engineering and structural mechanics-dynam ics\, is the Addy Family Centennial Professor in Civil Engineering at Sout hern Methodist University\, Dallas\, Texas. Makris received his Ph.D (1992 ) and Master of Science (1990) from the State University of New York at Bu ffalo\, USA\; while he holds a Diploma in Civil Engineering from the Natio nal Technical University\, Athens\, Greece (1988). He has previously serve d on the faculty of the University of Notre Dame\, Indiana (1992-1996)\; t he University of California\, Berkeley (1996-2005)\; the University of Pat ras\, Greece (2003-2014) and the University of Central Florida (2014-2018) . He has published more than 140 papers in archival journals\, while he ha s supervised 16 Ph.D thesis and more than 40 MSc and 5th year Diploma thes is. He has served as the Editor of the Journal Earthquakes and Structures\ ; the Associate Editor for the Journal of Engineering Mechanics\, ASCE\, a nd the Chair of the Dynamics Committee on the same Journal. He is a member of Academia Europaea "The Academy of Europe"\, a foreign member of the Se rbian Academy of Sciences and Arts\, a Fellow of the American Society of C ivil Engineers (ASCE) and a distinguished Visiting Fellow of the Royal Aca demy of Engineering\, UK\; while\, he has been honored with several intern ational prizes and awards including the George W. Housner Structural Contr ol &\; Monitoring Medal and the J. James R. Croes Medal (two times) bot h from ASCE\, the Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize from AS CE\, the T. K. Hsieh Award from the Institution of Civil Engineers\, U.K.\ , the Shah Family Innovation Prize from the Earthquake Engineering Researc h Institute (EERI)\, USA and the CAREER Award from the National Science Fo undation\, USA. During the years 2003-2009\, Professor Makris has served as the Director of Reconstruction of the Temple of Zeus in Ancient Nemea\, Greece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsxPSeWS52Q LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -89913 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Ultra-low noise Phase-locked Loop Technique DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260220T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260220T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:EE Devices Seminar@Fri Feb 20 16:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Taekwang Jang\, Associate Professor\, Dept. of Information Tec hnology and Electrical Engineering\, ETH Zürich\nThe generation of high-p urity clock sources is becoming more crucial in today's communication syst ems. With the advent of advanced communication systems such as 5G wireless radios and ultra high-speed wireline transceivers\, the required clock ji tter is now below 50 fs. While recent PLLs have achieved such a jitter spe cification with a power consumption of just a few mW\, they are typically tested with ultra-low noise XOs consuming 100s to 1000s mW\, overlooking h olistic optimization. This talk discusses two PLL topologies that actively optimize the noise and power of the entire frequency generation and synth esis chain. LOCATION:Moore B280 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ultra-low-noise-phase-locked-loop-techni que-1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Last Day for Dropping Courses\, Exercising Pass/Fail Option\, and Changing Sections DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260225T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260225T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Last Day for Dropping Courses\, Exercising Pass/Fail Option\, and Chan ging Sections@Wed Feb 25 08:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/last-day-for-dropping-courses-exercising -passfail-option-and-changing-sections-22 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Watson Lecture: Chasing Sustainable Battery Chemistries for the Fu ture with Kimberly See DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260225T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260225T203000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Watson Lecture: Chasing Sustainable Battery Chemistries for the Future with Kimberly See@Wed Feb 25 19:30:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Kimberly See\, professor of chemistry\nAdvance registration fo r this event has closed. Guests who have not pre-registered are invited t o join our standby line. We recommend you arrive no later than 6:50 p.m. for standby. If you registered\, please bring your ticket (paper or elect ronic).A recording of the event will be made available on our YouTube chan nel. Join our mailing list to receive the latest on public events at Calte ch. Thank you for your interest!About the TalkFrom toys to cell phones to electric cars\, batteries power modern life. They also play a potentially pivotal role in building a sustainable energy infrastructure. Next-generat ion batteries could help store power from intermittent renewable sources\, such as wind and solar\, and enable expanded adoption of battery-powered electric vehicles. Such advances are critical to reducing dependence on fo ssil fuels\, a priority that has grown more urgent in recent years given t he massive power needs of AI servers.However\, today's state-of-the-art ba ttery technology\, the lithium-ion battery\, comes with some significant c hallenges. Lithium-ion batteries rely on scarce and expensive minerals\, w hich limits their use and raises concerns about affordability and environm ental impact. In this talk\, Kimberly See\, professor of chemistry\, will explore her lab's efforts to develop energy-storage chemistries that move beyond lithium-ion\, using more abundant and less-expensive materials\, wh ile still achieving the high-energy densities that have made today's batte ries so transformative.Evening Schedule6 p.m. — Activities and music. Fo od\, drinks\, and books available for purchase.7 p.m. — Doors open.7:30 p.m. — Talk and Q&\;A.8:30 p.m. — Post-talk concessions and convers ation.The live event is in-person and a recording will be made available o n our Youtube channel.About the SeriesFor more than 100 years\, the Watson Lectures have brought the wonder of Caltech research and discovery to the public.Free and open to the public\, the Watson Lecture Series offers a u nique and accessible opportunity to learn more about cutting-edge science directly from Caltech's premier researchers. Come early to mingle with you r neighbors over food\, drink and music\, as well as interactive displays related to the evening's topic. Then head inside to hear a stimulating tal k and stay to ask your burning questions.Many past Watson Lectures are ava ilable on Caltech's YouTube channel. LOCATION:Beckman Auditorium URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/watson-lecture-kimberly-see END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Registration for Spring Term DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260226T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260311T235900 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Registration for Spring Term@Thu Feb 26 08:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.cal tech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/registration-for-spring-term-87935 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:How to Improve the Performance of an Airtanker Drop DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260226T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260226T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Theodore Y. Wu and Chin-Hua Wu Lecture@Thu Feb 26 16:00:00 2026@ms.div isions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Dominique Legendre\, Professor\, Fluid Mechanics\, Toulouse IN P\, National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse\nTitle: "How to Improve the Performance of an Airtanker Drop"Abstract: Airtanker firefighting is a fa scinating tool used to fight wildland fires. Airtankers are\, however\, de veloped based on empirical methods\, and their performance is only discove red after drop tests made above a grid of cups distributed on a flat field with no vegetation (the cup &\; grid method)\, developed during the 19 90s. Dropping a liquid from an aircraft seems easy to achieve because the released liquid directly falls to the ground due to gravity. However\, the fluid dynamics processes that govern this practice are characterized by r ich and varied physical phenomena\, and controlling the resulting fluid di stribution of the drop pattern raises many scientific issues.The liquid co lumn penetration in the air\, its large-scale fragmentation\, and an inten se surface atomization give shape to the rainfall produced by the airtanke r and the final product deposition onto the canopy. The respective roles o f these mechanisms are described and analyzed here in order to determine t he parameters of importance for improving airtanker drop performance for m ore efficient firefighting.Bio: Prof. Dominique Legendre graduated with a PhD in Fluid Mechanics from Toulouse INP\, France\, in 1996. He has been a Professor of Fluid Mechanics at Toulouse INP since 2007\, and he is Deput y Director of IMFT (Institut de Mécanique des Fluides de Toulouse)\, one of the leading fluid mechanics institutes in Europe. He has been Chairman of the Governing Board of the International Conference on Multiphase Flows (ICMF) from 2022 to 2025.His main line of research is multiphase flows\, in particular bubble and drop dynamics\, including heat and mass transfer\ , icing\, and wetting phenomena. Over the last decade\, he has developed a n original research program on airtanker firefighting efficiency with a st rong connection to the aerial firefighting industry. In particular\, he ha s developed the NaSCa code to model ground deposits of liquid dropped by a ny aerial system. In 2019\, a patent was granted for a new delivery system \, KIOS\, in collaboration with Kepplair Evolution\, and he is now an expe rt for the KE72 project to transform an ATR72 into an airtanker. He has le d several international publications on the subject\, in particular a cont ribution to the Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics in 2024. In 2023\, in Was hington\, DC\, he delivered an invited keynote lecture on the fluid mechan ics of airtanker firefighting at one of the most prestigious international fluid mechanics conferences (the Annual Meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics of the American Physical Society). For all his contributions\, he received the "Transfert Technologique" Award of Toulouse University in 20 22. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -285 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AI Bootcamp XIV - Foundational Models DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260302T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260302T160000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:AI Bootcamp XIV - Foundational Models@Mon Mar 2 10:00:00 2026@ms.divi sions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:AI bootcamp XIV is scheduled for March 2nd to March 6th\,  \; 2026 in Resnick 120 . This one week course will help graduate students and researchers gain an understanding of foundational models\, including: large language models (LLMs)\, generative models\, retrieval augmented gen eration (RAGs)\, and reasoning using machine learning.What to Expect:Daily Structure: Each day will feature one to two lectures\, complemented by tw o or more practical\, hands-on sessions. We will also have short talks eit her by participants or other people describing their experience with found ational modelsTopics Covered: large language models (LLMs)\, generative mo dels\, retrieval augmented generation (RAGs)\, and reasoning using machine learning. \;Objective: The goal is to equip participants with the kno wledge to start applying these concepts in their research or to continue e xploring them through regular classes or self-study.Certificates:  \;P articipants who complete all hands-on assignments will receive a certifica te. To be eligible\, participants must attend all hands-on sessions and ac tively work on the assignments during class. If an assignment is not compl eted during the session\, it may be submitted afterward\; however\, attend ance and in-class participation are required.Prerequisites: To get the mos t out of this bootcamp\, familiarity with the following topics is required :Machine Learning Basics: Linear regression and classification\, neural ne tworks\, ability to build and use models\, and familiarity with frameworks like PyTorch or TensorFlow.Linear Algebra: Vectors\, matrices\, vector sp aces\, matrix operations\, eigenvalues and eigenvectors\, norms and distan ce metrics\, linear transformations\, and basis. (Covered in courses like Ma1b\, ACM104)Multivariable Calculus: Partial derivatives\, integration\, limits\, and continuity. (Covered in courses like Ma1ac)Probability Theory : Random variables\, statistical measures\, probability distributions\, an d Bayesian inference. (Covered in courses such as Ma3\, ACM116\, ACM157\, ACM158)Python Programming: including NumPy\, Pandas\, and one of the main ML frameworks such as PyTorch. Certificates:How to Join the Bootcamp:Avail ability: Limited to 20 participants.Registration: Sign up using this link and complete the pre-screening Quiz by Feb 25th\, 2026. Please note that y our enrollment will not be finalized until you have taken the quiz and rec eived a confirmation email from the bootcamp organizers. Note: since the n ew quiz covers more topics that our previous quizzes\, please make sure to take the quiz even if you have taken AI Bootcamp quizzes before. \;Op tional (but highly recommended): Email a short description of your backgro und and research interests\, and explain how you expect this bootcamp to s upport your work. If qualified applications exceed capacity\, priority wil l be given to applicants who submit this statement.Contact: \;Bootcamp Director Reza SadriAdministrative assistant: Caroline MurphyTAs: Sabrina Wahler\, Jinyan Zhao\, Volkan Gurses\, Manal Sultan\, Vishal Yalla\, Adity a PillaiComputing Resources: Hands-on sessions will primarily utilize Goog le Colab. Participants who need to use larger Colab instances for the hand s on sessions will be reimbursed for up to 20 dollars. LOCATION:Resnick Sustainability Center 120 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ai-bootcamp-xiv--foundational-models END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AI Bootcamp XIV - Foundational Models DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260303T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260303T160000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:AI Bootcamp XIV - Foundational Models@Tue Mar 3 10:00:00 2026@ms.divi sions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:AI bootcamp XIV is scheduled for March 2nd to March 6th\,  \; 2026 in Resnick 120 . This one week course will help graduate students and researchers gain an understanding of foundational models\, including: large language models (LLMs)\, generative models\, retrieval augmented gen eration (RAGs)\, and reasoning using machine learning.What to Expect:Daily Structure: Each day will feature one to two lectures\, complemented by tw o or more practical\, hands-on sessions. We will also have short talks eit her by participants or other people describing their experience with found ational modelsTopics Covered: large language models (LLMs)\, generative mo dels\, retrieval augmented generation (RAGs)\, and reasoning using machine learning. \;Objective: The goal is to equip participants with the kno wledge to start applying these concepts in their research or to continue e xploring them through regular classes or self-study.Certificates:  \;P articipants who complete all hands-on assignments will receive a certifica te. To be eligible\, participants must attend all hands-on sessions and ac tively work on the assignments during class. If an assignment is not compl eted during the session\, it may be submitted afterward\; however\, attend ance and in-class participation are required.Prerequisites: To get the mos t out of this bootcamp\, familiarity with the following topics is required :Machine Learning Basics: Linear regression and classification\, neural ne tworks\, ability to build and use models\, and familiarity with frameworks like PyTorch or TensorFlow.Linear Algebra: Vectors\, matrices\, vector sp aces\, matrix operations\, eigenvalues and eigenvectors\, norms and distan ce metrics\, linear transformations\, and basis. (Covered in courses like Ma1b\, ACM104)Multivariable Calculus: Partial derivatives\, integration\, limits\, and continuity. (Covered in courses like Ma1ac)Probability Theory : Random variables\, statistical measures\, probability distributions\, an d Bayesian inference. (Covered in courses such as Ma3\, ACM116\, ACM157\, ACM158)Python Programming: including NumPy\, Pandas\, and one of the main ML frameworks such as PyTorch. Certificates:How to Join the Bootcamp:Avail ability: Limited to 20 participants.Registration: Sign up using this link and complete the pre-screening Quiz by Feb 25th\, 2026. Please note that y our enrollment will not be finalized until you have taken the quiz and rec eived a confirmation email from the bootcamp organizers. Note: since the n ew quiz covers more topics that our previous quizzes\, please make sure to take the quiz even if you have taken AI Bootcamp quizzes before. \;Op tional (but highly recommended): Email a short description of your backgro und and research interests\, and explain how you expect this bootcamp to s upport your work. If qualified applications exceed capacity\, priority wil l be given to applicants who submit this statement.Contact: \;Bootcamp Director Reza SadriAdministrative assistant: Caroline MurphyTAs: Sabrina Wahler\, Jinyan Zhao\, Volkan Gurses\, Manal Sultan\, Vishal Yalla\, Adity a PillaiComputing Resources: Hands-on sessions will primarily utilize Goog le Colab. Participants who need to use larger Colab instances for the hand s on sessions will be reimbursed for up to 20 dollars. LOCATION:Resnick Sustainability Center 120 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ai-bootcamp-xiv-foundational-models END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Scalable Arrays From Millimeter-Wave Sensing to Microwave Wireless Power Transfer DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260303T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260303T150000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:PhD Thesis Defense@Tue Mar 3 14:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Alex Ayling\, Graduate student\, Electrical Engineering\, Cali fornia Institute of Technology\nWireless power transfer at a distance\, lo ng relegated to the realm of science fiction\, has seen a resurgence in re cent years. Chief among its promises is Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP)\, a n ambitious project to deploy kilometer scale photovoltaic arrays in space and beam its power down to Earth using a complementary microwave phased a rray. The building blocks of the array are phased array tiles\, which can be instantiated to produce larger apertures. The tile must be simultaneous ly lightweight and flexible for deployment in space\, low-cost\, high-perf ormance\, and scalable. This defense presents the design and testing of ne xt-generation\, fully flexible 8x8 element phased array tile. The tile is driven by a custom 22-nm CMOS FDSOI RFIC that achieves record efficiency a nd performance. These results represent not only a step forward toward pra ctical microwave wireless power transfer but offer new directions in commu nications and sensing driven by flexible arrays. LOCATION:Chen 130 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/phd-thesis-defense-281 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AI Bootcamp XIV - Foundational Models DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260304T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260304T160000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:AI Bootcamp XIV - Foundational Models@Wed Mar 4 10:00:00 2026@ms.divi sions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:AI bootcamp XIV is scheduled for March 2nd to March 6th\,  \; 2026 in Resnick 120 . This one week course will help graduate students and researchers gain an understanding of foundational models\, including: large language models (LLMs)\, generative models\, retrieval augmented gen eration (RAGs)\, and reasoning using machine learning.What to Expect:Daily Structure: Each day will feature one to two lectures\, complemented by tw o or more practical\, hands-on sessions. We will also have short talks eit her by participants or other people describing their experience with found ational modelsTopics Covered: large language models (LLMs)\, generative mo dels\, retrieval augmented generation (RAGs)\, and reasoning using machine learning. \;Objective: The goal is to equip participants with the kno wledge to start applying these concepts in their research or to continue e xploring them through regular classes or self-study.Certificates:  \;P articipants who complete all hands-on assignments will receive a certifica te. To be eligible\, participants must attend all hands-on sessions and ac tively work on the assignments during class. If an assignment is not compl eted during the session\, it may be submitted afterward\; however\, attend ance and in-class participation are required.Prerequisites: To get the mos t out of this bootcamp\, familiarity with the following topics is required :Machine Learning Basics: Linear regression and classification\, neural ne tworks\, ability to build and use models\, and familiarity with frameworks like PyTorch or TensorFlow.Linear Algebra: Vectors\, matrices\, vector sp aces\, matrix operations\, eigenvalues and eigenvectors\, norms and distan ce metrics\, linear transformations\, and basis. (Covered in courses like Ma1b\, ACM104)Multivariable Calculus: Partial derivatives\, integration\, limits\, and continuity. (Covered in courses like Ma1ac)Probability Theory : Random variables\, statistical measures\, probability distributions\, an d Bayesian inference. (Covered in courses such as Ma3\, ACM116\, ACM157\, ACM158)Python Programming: including NumPy\, Pandas\, and one of the main ML frameworks such as PyTorch. Certificates:How to Join the Bootcamp:Avail ability: Limited to 20 participants.Registration: Sign up using this link and complete the pre-screening Quiz by Feb 25th\, 2026. Please note that y our enrollment will not be finalized until you have taken the quiz and rec eived a confirmation email from the bootcamp organizers. Note: since the n ew quiz covers more topics that our previous quizzes\, please make sure to take the quiz even if you have taken AI Bootcamp quizzes before. \;Op tional (but highly recommended): Email a short description of your backgro und and research interests\, and explain how you expect this bootcamp to s upport your work. If qualified applications exceed capacity\, priority wil l be given to applicants who submit this statement.Contact: \;Bootcamp Director Reza SadriAdministrative assistant: Caroline MurphyTAs: Sabrina Wahler\, Jinyan Zhao\, Volkan Gurses\, Manal Sultan\, Vishal Yalla\, Adity a PillaiComputing Resources: Hands-on sessions will primarily utilize Goog le Colab. Participants who need to use larger Colab instances for the hand s on sessions will be reimbursed for up to 20 dollars. LOCATION:Resnick Sustainability Center 120 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ai-bootcamp-xiv-foundational-models-w END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Nonlocal photogalvanic spectroscopy as a probe of complex matter: topological light meets topological materials DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260304T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260304T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Quantum Matter/Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Mar 4 16:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Ritesh Agarwal\, Professor\, Materials Science and Engineering \, University of Pennsylvania\n***Refreshments at 3:45pm in 108 East Bridg eAbstract:Symmetry broken materials trigger new responses that can elucida te their novel properties that can also be useful for many applications. W e will discuss new types of optical wavevector engineered nonlocal photoga lvanic techniques that we are developing by shaping optical beams with con trol over their intensity and phase profiles to study symmetry broken quan tum topological materials. These techniques utilize nonlocal light-matter interactions that go beyond the electric-dipole approximation and are sens itive probes of materials' symmetry\, quantum geometry and topology\, espe cially for systems with large electronic coherence lengths.We will first d iscuss our early efforts to explore the properties of MoxW1-xTe2\, which a re type-II Weyl semimetals\, by using optical beams with spatially inhomog eneous intensity profiles. We will describe how spatially inhomogeneous op tical excitation coupled with unique symmetry\, band structure and inversi on\, large Berry curvature and topology of Weyl semimetals produces a stro ng photogalvanic response from which microscopic insights can be obtained. We will then discuss the orbital photogalvanic effect (OPGE) driven by th e helical phase gradient of optical beam\, that is characterized by a curr ent winding around the optical beam axis with a magnitude proportional to its quantized OAM mode number. OPGE accesses different properties of the m aterial via a more complex carrier excitation mechanism and symmetry chara cteristics. We will finally discuss a new type of a nonlinear opto-twistro nic Hall effect in supertwisted WS2 moire system formed by a screw-disloca tion-driven mechanism. The optical Hall current reflects the structural ha ndedness of the supertwisted system originating from the system's noncommu tative geometry\, along with and an unusual photon-momentum dependence of the optical response from the moire potential. Our response function theor y can explain the origin of the photon momentum dependent nonlinear photoc urrents\, revealing new observables of the system going beyond Berry curva ture and other conventional band geometrical quantities. These studies sea mlessly connect 2D and 3D twistronics and provides a bridge connecting the electrons and photons by overcoming their significant length scale differ ences in conventional systems\, which can be important in realizing extrem e large optical nonlinearities in materials for many applications. The tal k will conclude by demonstrating our recent efforts to create an integrate d on-chip photonics platform that utilize the complex vectorial states of light enabled by symmetry broken materials.More about the Speaker:Ritesh A garwal is a Srinivasa Ramanujan Distinguished Scholar &\; Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of P ennsylvania. He obtained his BS/MS from IIT Kanpur\, MS from Chicago\, PhD from UC Berkeley followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard. His re search interests include investigating structural\, optical\, and electron ic properties of low-dimensional systems and the development of new probes to study complex phases of matter. Recently\, his group has focused on st udying the role of quantum geometry and topology in electronic and optical systems and to engineer light-matter interactions to fabricate on-chip ch iral photonic devices. Ritesh is the recipient of the NSF CAREER award\, N IH Director's New Innovator Award and the SPIE Nanoengineering Pioneer Awa rd. In 2022 he received the George H. Heilmeier Award for Excellence in Fa culty Research at Penn Engineering. He is an elected fellow of the Optical Society of America (now Optica) and the American Physical Society. LOCATION:East Bridge 201 (Richard P. Feynman Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/materials-science-research-lecture-89703 23441442655822832337856249882500453332345665013266603356322160 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AI Bootcamp XIV - Foundational Models DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260305T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260305T160000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:AI Bootcamp XIV - Foundational Models@Thu Mar 5 10:00:00 2026@ms.divi sions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:AI bootcamp XIV is scheduled for March 2nd to March 6th\,  \; 2026 in Resnick 120 . This one week course will help graduate students and researchers gain an understanding of foundational models\, including: large language models (LLMs)\, generative models\, retrieval augmented gen eration (RAGs)\, and reasoning using machine learning.What to Expect:Daily Structure: Each day will feature one to two lectures\, complemented by tw o or more practical\, hands-on sessions. We will also have short talks eit her by participants or other people describing their experience with found ational modelsTopics Covered: large language models (LLMs)\, generative mo dels\, retrieval augmented generation (RAGs)\, and reasoning using machine learning. \;Objective: The goal is to equip participants with the kno wledge to start applying these concepts in their research or to continue e xploring them through regular classes or self-study.Certificates:  \;P articipants who complete all hands-on assignments will receive a certifica te. To be eligible\, participants must attend all hands-on sessions and ac tively work on the assignments during class. If an assignment is not compl eted during the session\, it may be submitted afterward\; however\, attend ance and in-class participation are required.Prerequisites: To get the mos t out of this bootcamp\, familiarity with the following topics is required :Machine Learning Basics: Linear regression and classification\, neural ne tworks\, ability to build and use models\, and familiarity with frameworks like PyTorch or TensorFlow.Linear Algebra: Vectors\, matrices\, vector sp aces\, matrix operations\, eigenvalues and eigenvectors\, norms and distan ce metrics\, linear transformations\, and basis. (Covered in courses like Ma1b\, ACM104)Multivariable Calculus: Partial derivatives\, integration\, limits\, and continuity. (Covered in courses like Ma1ac)Probability Theory : Random variables\, statistical measures\, probability distributions\, an d Bayesian inference. (Covered in courses such as Ma3\, ACM116\, ACM157\, ACM158)Python Programming: including NumPy\, Pandas\, and one of the main ML frameworks such as PyTorch. Certificates:How to Join the Bootcamp:Avail ability: Limited to 20 participants.Registration: Sign up using this link and complete the pre-screening Quiz by Feb 25th\, 2026. Please note that y our enrollment will not be finalized until you have taken the quiz and rec eived a confirmation email from the bootcamp organizers. Note: since the n ew quiz covers more topics that our previous quizzes\, please make sure to take the quiz even if you have taken AI Bootcamp quizzes before. \;Op tional (but highly recommended): Email a short description of your backgro und and research interests\, and explain how you expect this bootcamp to s upport your work. If qualified applications exceed capacity\, priority wil l be given to applicants who submit this statement.Contact: \;Bootcamp Director Reza SadriAdministrative assistant: Caroline MurphyTAs: Sabrina Wahler\, Jinyan Zhao\, Volkan Gurses\, Manal Sultan\, Vishal Yalla\, Adity a PillaiComputing Resources: Hands-on sessions will primarily utilize Goog le Colab. Participants who need to use larger Colab instances for the hand s on sessions will be reimbursed for up to 20 dollars. LOCATION:Resnick Sustainability Center 120 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ai-bootcamp-xiv-foundational-models-t END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Intelligent Learning Strategies for Thermal Science in the AI Era DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260305T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260305T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Mar 5 11:00:00 2026@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Yoonjin Won\, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineerin g\, UCI Samueli School of Engineering\, University of California\, Irvine\ n\nTitle: "Intelligent Learning Strategies for Thermal Science in the AI E ra"Abstract: Multiphase phenomena are observed in our everyday life in na ture and many industrial applications\, ranging from dew condensation on i nsects\, water harvesting\, electronics cooling\, climatology prediction\, hydrogen generations\, and manufacturing. While the fundamentals of multi phase processes have been studied for over a century\, key scientific ques tions remain regarding the fundamental mechanisms governing complex phenom ena. The intricate interplay between the evolution of phase boundaries and mass transport results in nonlinear behavior\, where subtle changes in on e parameter can have profound and unexpected effects on others. The multim odal\, multidimensional\, and transient nature of these processes presents challenges for investigation and comprehension. Additionally\, interpreti ng experimental data and predicting multiphase phenomena remain significan t challenges. To address these challenges\, our research group seeks to in tegrate cutting-edge computer vision and machine learning strategies. In t his talk\, Dr. Yoonjin Won introduces a paradigm shift: AI-enabled Thermal Science. By integrating high-speed computer vision with "physics-informed " machine learning\, Dr. Won's research group transforms raw visual data o f bubble and droplet dynamics into actionable physical insights. She will discuss the development of the vision framework\, which autonomously extra cts high-fidelity physical descriptors at extreme spatio-temporal resoluti ons. Dr. Won will demonstrate how these intelligent learning strategies al low us to move beyond traditional observation\, enabling the inverse desig n of predicting complex heat transfer behaviors. This intersection of data science and thermal physics provides a roadmap for the future of sustaina ble energy systems and advanced electronic cooling. Bio: Yoonjin Won is cu rrently a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Univers ity of California\, Irvine\, with courtesy appointments in Electrical Engi neering and Computer Science\, and Materials Science Engineering. Dr. Won' s research focuses on multiphase thermal science\, integrating AI for scie nce and experiment\, scientific machine learning\, and materials design. S he is a leader of the DoD funded multi-university research initiative (MUR I)\, ML4HEAT. She is a recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER Award\, the ASME Electronic &\; Photonic Packaging Division Early Care er Award\, the ASME Electronic &\; Photonic Packaging Division Women En gineer Award\, the ASME ICNMM Outstanding Leadership Award\, the Emerging Innovation/Early Career Innovator from UCI Beall Innovation Center\, Facul ty Excellence in Research Awards (Mid-Career) from UCI\, and numerous best paper and poster awards. Yoonjin Won received her B.S. degree in Mechanic al and Aerospace Engineering from Seoul National University\, and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. For more information on Dr. Won's qualifications and research group\, please visit won.eng.uci.edu. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -281 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AI Bootcamp XIV - Foundational Models DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260306T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260306T160000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:AI Bootcamp XIV - Foundational Models@Fri Mar 6 10:00:00 2026@ms.divi sions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:AI bootcamp XIV is scheduled for March 2nd to March 6th\,  \; 2026 in Resnick 120 . This one week course will help graduate students and researchers gain an understanding of foundational models\, including: large language models (LLMs)\, generative models\, retrieval augmented gen eration (RAGs)\, and reasoning using machine learning.What to Expect:Daily Structure: Each day will feature one to two lectures\, complemented by tw o or more practical\, hands-on sessions. We will also have short talks eit her by participants or other people describing their experience with found ational modelsTopics Covered: large language models (LLMs)\, generative mo dels\, retrieval augmented generation (RAGs)\, and reasoning using machine learning. \;Objective: The goal is to equip participants with the kno wledge to start applying these concepts in their research or to continue e xploring them through regular classes or self-study.Certificates:  \;P articipants who complete all hands-on assignments will receive a certifica te. To be eligible\, participants must attend all hands-on sessions and ac tively work on the assignments during class. If an assignment is not compl eted during the session\, it may be submitted afterward\; however\, attend ance and in-class participation are required.Prerequisites: To get the mos t out of this bootcamp\, familiarity with the following topics is required :Machine Learning Basics: Linear regression and classification\, neural ne tworks\, ability to build and use models\, and familiarity with frameworks like PyTorch or TensorFlow.Linear Algebra: Vectors\, matrices\, vector sp aces\, matrix operations\, eigenvalues and eigenvectors\, norms and distan ce metrics\, linear transformations\, and basis. (Covered in courses like Ma1b\, ACM104)Multivariable Calculus: Partial derivatives\, integration\, limits\, and continuity. (Covered in courses like Ma1ac)Probability Theory : Random variables\, statistical measures\, probability distributions\, an d Bayesian inference. (Covered in courses such as Ma3\, ACM116\, ACM157\, ACM158)Python Programming: including NumPy\, Pandas\, and one of the main ML frameworks such as PyTorch. Certificates:How to Join the Bootcamp:Avail ability: Limited to 20 participants.Registration: Sign up using this link and complete the pre-screening Quiz by Feb 25th\, 2026. Please note that y our enrollment will not be finalized until you have taken the quiz and rec eived a confirmation email from the bootcamp organizers. Note: since the n ew quiz covers more topics that our previous quizzes\, please make sure to take the quiz even if you have taken AI Bootcamp quizzes before. \;Op tional (but highly recommended): Email a short description of your backgro und and research interests\, and explain how you expect this bootcamp to s upport your work. If qualified applications exceed capacity\, priority wil l be given to applicants who submit this statement.Contact: \;Bootcamp Director Reza SadriAdministrative assistant: Caroline MurphyTAs: Sabrina Wahler\, Jinyan Zhao\, Volkan Gurses\, Manal Sultan\, Vishal Yalla\, Adity a PillaiComputing Resources: Hands-on sessions will primarily utilize Goog le Colab. Participants who need to use larger Colab instances for the hand s on sessions will be reimbursed for up to 20 dollars. LOCATION:Resnick Sustainability Center 120 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/ai-bootcamp-xiv-foundational-models-f END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Last Day of Classes for Winter Term DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260311T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260312T000000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Last Day of Classes for Winter Term@Wed Mar 11 00:00:00 2026@ms.divisi ons.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:This is the last day of classes for winter term and the last d ay to register for spring term without a $50 late fee URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/last-day-of-classes-for-winter-term-8793 6 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Powered by symmetry. Protected by topology. A journey through the special mechanics of kagome metamaterials. DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260311T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260311T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Mar 11 16:00:00 2026@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Stefano Gonella\, Professor\, Civil\, Environmental and Geo- E ngineering\, University of Minnesota\n***Refreshments at 3:45pm in Noyes l obbyAbstract:Elastic metamaterials are structural materials that owe their unique wave manipulation capabilities to their complex internal architect ure. Topological metamaterials are a special subclass of metamaterials who se behavior is controlled by the topology of their phonon bands. In this t alk\, I will explore some exceptional regimes exhibited by lattice metamat erials that can be traced to their symmetries and to the topological chara cter of their phonon spectra. I will illustrate the problem through the le ns of the kagome lattice family\, whose geometry endows them with unique\, often non-intuitive mechanical and acoustic properties. The discussion wi ll encompass statics\, dynamics\, and some special static phenomena to und erstand which – paradoxically – one must look at the problem through t he lens of wave mechanics. I will first invoke the notion of lattice duali ty. Applied to kagome lattices\, duality offers a way to map a 2D periodic lattice with local elasticity to a 1D aperiodic chain endowed with long-r ange interactions. With the aid of a prototype\, I will show that the emer gent behavior of this chain features a series of non-intuitive deformation patterns\, including the activation of non-local floppy twist sequences c haracterized by sharp sensitivity to the direction of loading. I will then shift the attention to structural kagome metamaterials. Through a deep di ve into symmetry and group theory considerations\, I will show the emergen ce of so-called fragile topological bands. Fragile topology is a weaker fo rm of topology\, elusive to detect in elastic systems\, which manifests in the appearance of isolated pass bands with special morphological characte ristics. I will demonstrate this phenomenon through carefully designed las er vibrometer tests carried out on physical prototypes. I will conclude by framing a pathway for the automatic design of elastic metamaterials with desired topological characteristics prescribed on demand.More about the Sp eaker:Stefano Gonella is the James L. Record Professor in the Department o f Civil\, Environmental and Geo- Engineering at the University of Minnesot a. He received Ph.D. and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech i n 2007 and 2005\, respectively\, following a Laurea\, also in Aerospace en gineering\, from Politecnico di Torino in 2003. Before joining the Univers ity of Minnesota\, he was a post-doctoral associate at Northwestern Univer sity. During the 2023-2024 academic year\, he was the William R. Kenan Vis iting Professor for Distinguished Teaching at Princeton University. He is an elected Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Other distinctions include the NSF CAREER award in 2015 and several teachi ng awards at the University of Minnesota. His research interests revolve a round the modeling\, simulation and experimental characterization of dynam ical phenomena in architected materials\, phononic crystals and metamateri als. His latest efforts have been directed towards understanding the role of topological states of matter in the design of mechanical metamaterials. LOCATION:Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/materials-science-research-lecture-89703 34414422655822832337856249882500453332345665013266603356322161 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Study Period DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260312T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260315T235900 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Study Period@Thu Mar 12 08:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/study-period-87940 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Talking To Cells Using Mechanically Unusual Proteins And Ultrasoun d DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260312T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260312T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140434Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Mar 12 11:00:00 2026@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Mikhail G. Shapiro\, Max Delbrück Professor of Chemical Engin eering and Medical Engineering\; Investigator\, Howard Hughes Medical Inst itute\, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering\, California Inst itute of Technology\nTitle: " Talking To Cells Using Mechanically Unusual Proteins And Ultrasound "Abstract: Studying biological function in intact organisms and developing targeted cellular therapies requires methods to i mage and control the function of specific cells deep inside the body. Fluo rescent proteins and optogenetics serve this purpose in small\, translucen t specimens\, but are limited by the poor penetration of light into deeper tissues. In contrast\, most non-invasive techniques such as ultrasound an d magnetic resonance imaging – while based on energy forms that penetrat e tissue – are not effectively coupled to cellular function. Our work at tempts to bridge this gap by engineering biomolecules with the appropriate physical properties to interact with sound waves and magnetic fields. In this talk\, I will describe our recent work on biomolecular reporters and actuators for ultrasound. The reporters are based on gas vesicles – a un ique class of air-filled protein nanostructures derived from buoyant photo synthetic microbes. These proteins scatter sound waves\, enabling their de tection with ultrasound. I will describe our progress in understanding the biomechanial and acoustic properties of these biomolecules\, introducing them genetically into various cell types of interest for in vivo imaging\, and turning them into dynamic sensors of intracellular molecular signals. In addition to their applications in imaging\, gas vesicles can be used t o control cellular location and function by serving as receivers of acoust ic radiation force or seeding localized bubble cavitation. Additional cont rol is provided by thermal bioswitches – biomolecules that provide switc h-like control of gene expression in response to small changes in temperat ure. I will describe how these functionalities allow the development of re mote-controlled cell therapies and diagnostics. Bio: Mikhail Shapiro is th e Max Delbrück Professor of Chemical Engineering and Medical Engineering\ , an HHMI Investigator\, and Director of the Center for Molecular and Cell ular Medicine at Caltech. The Shapiro laboratory develops biomolecular tec hnologies allowing cells to be imaged and controlled inside the body using noninvasive methods such as ultrasound. These technologies enable the stu dy of biological function in vivo and the development of cell-based and ge ne-based diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Mikhail received his PhD in Bi ological Engineering from MIT and his BSc in Neuroscience from Brown. He c onducted post-doctoral research at the University of Chicago and the Unive rsity of California\, Berkeley\, where he was a Miller Fellow. Mikhail's a wards include the NIH Pioneer Award\, the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promis e\, the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award\, the Carl Hellmuth Hertz Ul trasonics Award and the Fulbright-Tocqueville Distinguished Chair. Mikhail is an inducted Fellow of the World Molecular Imaging Society. Alongside a cademic research\, Mikhail has been involved as a founder and adviser to s everal biotechnology and medical device startups. More information about t he Shapiro Lab can be found online at shapirolab.caltech.edu. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -282 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:End of Winter Term DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260318T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260319T000000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:End of Winter Term@Wed Mar 18 00:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/end-of-winter-term-87939 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Spring Recess DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260319T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260329T235900 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Spring Recess@Thu Mar 19 08:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/spring-recess-87940 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Due Date for Instructors' Final Grade Reports DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260323T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260323T090100 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Due Date for Instructors' Final Grade Reports@Mon Mar 23 09:00:00 2026 @ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/due-date-for-instructors-final-grade-rep orts-87944 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:POSTPONED: Watson Lecture - Katie Bouman: Illuminating the Hidden Universe with Physics and AI DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260325T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260325T203000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:POSTPONED: Watson Lecture - Katie Bouman: Illuminating the Hidden Univ erse with Physics and AI@Wed Mar 25 19:30:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Katie Bouman\, associate professor of computing and mathematic al sciences\, electrical engineering and astronomy\; Rosenberg Scholar\; H eritage Medical Research Institute Investigator\nUPDATE: Due to unforeseen maintenance at Beckman Auditorium\, this Watson Lecture will be reschedul ed for a future season. All registrations for this event will be cancelled . We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.Abo ut the TalkSome of the most iconic images in modern science were never cap tured by a camera in the traditional sense. Instead\, they were inferred f rom indirect and incomplete measurements\, using a careful combination of physics\, prior knowledge\, and computation. In this talk\, Katie Bouman\, professor of computing and mathematical sciences\, electrical engineering and astronomy\; Rosenberg Scholar\; and Heritage Medical Research Institu te Investigator\; will explore how physics and artificial intelligence (AI ) are working together to illuminate parts of the universe that are diffic ult—or even fundamentally impossible—to observe directly. It begins wi th the story of black hole imaging\, where theory long predicted what we s hould see\, and where confidence came not from a single image\, but from t he consistency of features across many reconstructions of the same data. T his kind of inference is not unique to extreme astrophysics\, but it also underlies how researchers form images in familiar technologies they rely o n every day. In this talk\, Bouman will demonstrate how simple assumptions can take us far\, but she will also explain where these assumptions begin to limit what we can learn\, and how modern AI methods provide new ways t o explore richer possibilities while still respecting physical laws. More broadly\, this talk explores a shift in scientific imaging: As we push the boundaries of observation\, images are increasingly constructed rather th an simply captured\, and understanding how they are made is essential to i nterpreting what they show.Evening Schedule6 p.m. — Activities and music . Food\, drinks\, and books available for purchase.7 p.m. — Doors open.7 :30 p.m. — Talk and Q&\;A.8:30 p.m. — Post-talk concessions and con versation.The live event is in-person and a recording will be made availab le on our Youtube channel.About the SeriesFor more than 100 years\, the Wa tson Lectures have brought the wonder of Caltech research and discovery to the public.Free and open to the public\, the Watson Lecture Series offers a unique and accessible opportunity to learn more about cutting-edge scie nce directly from Caltech's premier researchers. Come early to mingle with your neighbors over food\, drink and music\, as well as interactive displ ays related to the evening's topic. Then head inside to hear a stimulating talk and stay to ask your burning questions.Many past Watson Lectures are available on Caltech's YouTube channel. LOCATION:Beckman Auditorium URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/watson-lecture-katie-bouman END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Beginning of Instruction of Spring Term DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260330T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260331T000000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Beginning of Instruction of Spring Term@Mon Mar 30 00:00:00 2026@ms.di visions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/beginning-of-instruction-of-spring-term- 2 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Undergraduate Academic Standards and Honors Committee Meeting DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260331T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260331T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Undergraduate Academic Standards and Honors Committee Meeting@Tue Mar 31 09:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/undergraduate-academic-standards-and-hon ors-committee-meeting-87966 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Science Journey - Smarter AI for a More Sustainable World: Buildin g an AI Model You Can Trust DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260331T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260331T110000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Science Journey - Smarter AI for a More Sustainable World: Building an AI Model You Can Trust@Tue Mar 31 10:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:UPDATE: Due to an unexpected venue change\, we regret that we are no longer able to open this event to the general public. A recording o f the talk will be posted to Caltech's YouTube channel.We apologize for an y inconvenience this has caused.Educators and parents:Learn how computer s cientists are building artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help solve su stainability challenges in this presentation by Caltech graduate student C hristopher Yeh.About the SeriesEveryone's journey to becoming a scientist is unique. In Science Journeys\, Caltech graduate students and postdoctora l scholars explore a range of scientific topics that will spark students' curiosity and provide educators with supplemental resources to continue ex ploration in the classroom.This program is designed for middle and high sc hool students.Programs are free through the generosity of the Friends of B eckman Auditorium. URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/science-journey-smarter-ai-for-a-more-su stainable-world END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Building a new era of atom-by-atom materials characterization with electron ptychography DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260401T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260401T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Apr 1 11:00:00 2026@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Pinshane Y. Huang\, Professor\, Materials Science and Engineer ing\, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign\n***Refreshments at 10:45 am in Noyes lobbyAbstract:Electron microscopy and atomic-scale materials c haracterization are undergoing a revolution fueled by the new capabilities of electron ptychography\, which is setting records for spatial resolutio n down to 20 picometers. In this talk\, I will discuss how my group is dev eloping atomically precise methods to characterize materials using electro n ptychography\, and the new science we are accessing using these new capa bilities. These projects span from using ptychography to visualize thermal vibrations atom-by-atom to recovering 3D atomic coordinates of 2D moiré materials from a single projection. In addition\, we are making cutting-ed ge techniques of advanced electron microscopy more accessible by using pty chography to achieve 0.44 angstrom spatial resolution in a conventional sc anning transmission electron microscope\, nearly quadrupling its intrinsic optical resolution. We demonstrate that expensive aberration correctors a re no longer required to achieve atom-by-atom imaging\, a significant step towards democratizing access to high-end electron microscopy.More about t he Speaker:Pinshane Y. Huang is a Professor and Racheff Faculty Scholar in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Associate Directo r of the Materials Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois\, Urb ana-Champaign. Pinshane holds a Ph.D. in Applied and Engineering Physics f rom Cornell University\, and B.A in Physics from Carleton College. Her res earch is focused on transmission electron microscopy and ptychography of t wo-dimensional and nanoelectronic materials. She has been recognized for b oth her research (PECASE\, Packard Fellowship\, Sloan Fellowship\, Air For ce Young Investigator Award\, NSF CAREER award\, 3M Young Faculty Award\, Albert Crewe Award from the Microscopy Society of America) and teaching (C ampus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching\, Rose Award for Teac hing Excellence\, Illinois Student Government Teaching Excellence Award). LOCATION:Noyes 153 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/materials-science-research-lecture-89703 3424442655822832337856249882500453332345665013266603356322160 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Data-Driven Modeling of Turbulent Flows: Nonlinear Modal Dynamics and Transient Forecasting DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260402T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260402T154900 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Apr 2 11:00:00 2026@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Oliver Schmidt\, Associate Professor\, Mechanical and Aerospac e Engineering\, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering\, Unive rsity of California\, San Diego\nTitle: "Data-Driven Modeling of Turbulent Flows: Nonlinear Modal Dynamics and Transient Forecasting"Abstract: Turbu lent flows pose two closely related challenges for data-driven modeling: p redicting high-dimensional transient evolution and extracting the nonlinea r interactions that mediate energy transfer across scales. This talk prese nts two recent methods that address these problems from complementary pers pectives. First\, I will present triadic orthogonal decomposition\, a new framework for revealing nonlinear flow physics through coherent structures that optimally capture spectral momentum transfer. TOD identifies coupled modal interactions\, quantifies their energy exchange\, and localizes the regions where nonlinear transfer occurs. Second\, I will introduce space –time projection\, a forecasting framework based on extended space–tim e POD modes that provides an interpretable and competitive approach for pr edicting time-resolved flow data. The method naturally combines dimensiona lity reduction and time-delay embedding\, requires minimal tuning\, and ha s been shown to perform strongly on both transient and statistically stati onary high-dimensional datasets. Applications to canonical and engineering turbulent flows\, using both numerical and experimental data\, illustrate how these methods address two key aspects in the data-driven forecasting and analysis of turbulent flows.Bio: Oliver Schmidt is an Associate Profes sor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Unive rsity of California San Diego. He earned his Ph.D. in Aeronautical Enginee ring from the University of Stuttgart in 2014 and subsequently held a post doctoral position in Mechanical and Civil Engineering at the California In stitute of Technology before joining UC San Diego. Schmidt's research focu ses on the simulation and data-driven modeling of complex turbulent flows\ , with an emphasis on both method development and real-world applications. His group develops advanced tools for reduced-complexity modeling\, inclu ding modal decomposition techniques\, mesh-free numerical methods\, and st ochastic modeling approaches. These methods are applied across a range of engineering and natural systems\, including aeroacoustics\, aero-optics\, noise control\, thermal management\, and design optimization. He is best k nown for his contributions to modal decomposition of turbulent flows\, wid ely disseminated through review articles and open-source software that has been downloaded thousands of times and adopted by researchers worldwide. His work is currently supported by the NSF\, ONR\, AFOSR\, and DOE. Schmid t is a recipient of the NSF CAREER award and was recently named one of ASM E's Rising Stars of Mechanical Engineering. He currently serves as co-chai r of the AIAA Reduced-Complexity Modeling Discussion Group\, leading a com munity challenge for data-driven model reduction in turbulent flows that p rovides benchmark datasets with baselines from both machine learning and c lassical model-order reduction methods. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -286 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Atomic-Scale Imaging of Interfacial Structure\, Charge\, and Phono n Dynamics DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260408T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260408T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Apr 8 16:00:00 2026@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Xiaoqing Pan\, Professor\, Department of Materials Science and Engineering\, Department of Physics and Astronomy\, UC Irvine\n***Refresh ments at 3:45pm in Noyes lobbyAbstract:How do atomic-scale structure\, cha rge\, and lattice dynamics collectively govern energy transport and functi onality in materials\, particularly at interfaces only a few atomic layers thick? A complete description of materials structure requires not only at omic arrangements\, but also polarization\, charge distribution\, lattice dynamics\, and interfacial configurations\, each resolved at the relevant length scales. Resolving how these coupled degrees of freedom emerge and i nteract—especially at interfaces—remains a central challenge in modern materials science and applied physics. In this talk\, I will present rece nt advances in aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microsc opy (STEM) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) that enable direct \, quantitative measurements of structure\, electrostatics\, and dynamics with atomic resolution. These methods provide access to local electric fie lds\, charge distributions\, and polarization textures\, and enable direct observation of domain-wall dynamics in ferroic materials. I will further introduce spatially and momentum-resolved vibrational EELS as a platform f or probing phonon excitations with simultaneous real-space and momentum-sp ace resolution. This approach reveals the evolution of phonon modes at def ects and heterogeneities\, their spatial localization\, and their role in heat transport\, particularly near interfaces. By integrating these capabi lities\, we establish a unified experimental framework for quantifying cou pled structure–charge–dynamics relationships across length scales. Mor e broadly\, these advances move materials characterization beyond static s tructural descriptions toward a quantitative\, multidimensional framework that directly links structure\, charge\, and lattice dynamics to function. More about the Speaker: Xiaoqing Pan is the Henry Samueli Endowed Chair in Engineering at the University of California\, Irvine\, with joint appoint ments in Materials Science and Engineering and Physics and Astronomy. He i s the founding director of the UC Irvine Materials Research Institute and the Center for Complex and Active Materials\, an NSF Materials Research Sc ience and Engineering Center (MRSEC). Pan is internationally recognized fo r pioneering advances in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and spectr oscopy that enable quantitative\, atomic-scale imaging of structure\, char ge\, and lattice dynamics in materials. His work has established new exper imental methodologies for directly probing fundamental physical quantities \, including electric fields\, charge density\, and phonon excitations\, w ith unprecedented spatial resolution. His research has led to major advanc es in understanding interfacial phenomena\, ferroic materials\, quantum ma terials\, and complex alloys. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award an d the National Science Foundation of China Outstanding Young Investigator Award\, and a Fellow of the American Physical Society\, Materials Research Society\, Microscopy Society of America\, and American Ceramic Society. H e has authored over 500 peer-reviewed publications in leading scientific j ournals. LOCATION:Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/materials-science-research-lecture-89703 34242442655822832337856249882500453332345665013266603356322161 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Dedication Ceremony for the Lynn Booth and Kent Kresa Department o f Aerospace DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260408T161500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260408T173000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Dedication Ceremony for the Lynn Booth and Kent Kresa Department of Ae rospace@Wed Apr 8 16:15:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Join us as we celebrate the dedication of the Lynn Booth and K ent Kresa Department of Aerospace. The event\, which will feature light re freshments\, is open to students\, staff\, and faculty. Register here.The ceremony will be held outside the north entrance of Guggenheim Laboratory (standing room only). LOCATION:Olive Walk URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/dedication-ceremony-for-the-lynn-booth-a nd-kent-kresa-department-of-aerospace END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Safety Filters for Autonomous Systems: When They Misbehave and How to Fix Them DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260409T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260409T160100 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Apr 9 11:00:00 2026@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Pol Mestres\, Postdoctoral Scholar\, Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering\, California Institute of Technology\nTitle: Safety Filters for Autonomous Systems: When They Misbehave and How to Fix ThemAbs tract: Control Barrier Function (CBF)-based safety filters have become ubi quitous in modern safety-critical control\, and are being deployed across an expanding range of autonomous systems\, ranging from humanoid robots\, self-driving vehicles\, and aerospace systems. Their appeal is clear: give n any nominal controller\, possibly precomputed to optimize some performan ce metric\, a safety filter provides a principled\, minimally invasive cor rection that provably keeps the system within a desired safe set. Their si mplicity\, generality\, and modularity has driven their rapid and widespre ad adoption. Despite this widespread use\, in this talk we argue that thei r dynamical behavior is still far from being well-understood. We provide a variety of examples showing how closed-loop dynamics induced by CBF-based safety filters are far richer (and possibly far more dangerous) than thei r design intent suggests. Those include examples with unbounded trajectori es\, limit cycles\, and undesired equilibria that can even be locally stab le. These pathologies are not edge cases: we show that they arise for broa d classes of nominal controllers and safe set geometries\, including conve x ones. Fortunately\, for an important class of systems and safe sets (pri marily linear dynamics paired with affine or quadratic CBFs) we identify c oncrete design principles that provably preclude these undesirable behavio rs. We hope these results serve as a foundation for extending such guarant ees to more general classes of systems\, with the ultimate goal of providi ng safety filters with more rigorous stability and performance guarantees. Bio: Pol Mestres received the bachelor's degree in mathematics and the bac helor's degree in engineering physics from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya\, Barcelona\, Spain\, in 2020\, and the master's and Ph.D. degr ees in mechanical engineering in 2021 and 2025 respectively from the Unive rsity of California\, San Diego\, La Jolla\, CA\, USA. He is currently a p ostdoctoral scholar at the California Institute of Technology. His researc h interests include safety-critical control\, motion planning\, and reinfo rcement learning. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -287 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Autonomous Experiments and Accessible Automation for Soft Matter R esearch DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260415T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260415T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Materials Science Research Lecture@Wed Apr 15 16:00:00 2026@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Lilo Pozzo\, Professor\, Chemical Engineering\, University of Washington\n***Refreshments at 3:45pm in Noyes lobbyAbstract:Autonomous de cision-making ‘agents'\, when paired with accessible laboratory automati on\, promise to greatly accelerate materials optimization and scientific d iscovery. For example\, such frameworks can be used to efficiently map a p hase-diagram with intelligent sampling along phase boundaries\, or in ‘r etrosynthesis' problems where a material with a target structure is desire d but a synthetic route is not yet known. These approaches are especially promising in soft matter systems\, including block copolymer self-assembly \, nanoparticle synthesis\, and controlled colloidal assembly. In these sy stems\, design parameters (e.g. chemical composition\, MW\, topology\, pro cessing) are vast\, history-dependent metastable and ‘out-of-equilibrium ' structures are common\, and functional properties are intimately tied to molecular design features and processing conditions. In addition\, for AI algorithms to operate efficiently in these spaces\, they must be ‘encod ed' with domain expertise specific to the problems being tackled. This tal k will cover recent advances in ‘community-driven' open hardware and sof tware tools for accelerated materials research in polymeric and soft-matte r systems including dispersions and colloids. Finally\, it will outline re maining challenges in practical implementations and identify future opport unities for research. More about the Speaker:Prof. Pozzo graduated from C MU's Chemical Engineering PhD program in 2006 after completing thesis rese arch with Prof. Lynn Walker using neutron scattering and rheology to disco ver new pathways for controlled assembly of colloids using block-copolymer micelle crystals. Her current research interests are still in the broad area of colloids\, polymers and soft-matter systems. The group focuses on controlling and manipulating materials structure over broad length-scales\ , for applications in health\, alternative energy and separations. Her gro up also continues to develop and use new advanced measurement techniques i nvolving neutron and x-ray scattering. Prof. Pozzo obtained her B.S. from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. She also worked in the NIST Ce nter for Neutron Research as a post-doctoral fellow and is currently the B oeing-Roundhill Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Was hington where she has served since 2007. In addition to her research activ ities\, she is dedicated to improving engineering education with course de velopment in areas of entrepreneurship and service-oriented global engagem ent. You can find out more about her research by exploring the group's web site and her Google Scholar bibliography. LOCATION:Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall) URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/materials-science-research-lecture-89703 3433242442655822832337856249882500453332345665013266603356322162 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Recent Progress on Liquid Jet Atomization DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260416T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260416T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Apr 16 11:00:00 2026@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Stéphane Zaleski\, Professor of Fluid Mechanics\, Institut Je an Le Rond d'Alembert\, Sorbonne Université\nTitle: "Recent Progress on L iquid Jet Atomization"Abstract: Atomization is one of the CFD fields with the most striking progress. It has natural\, industrial and fundamental in terest. In natural sciences\, spray formation on wave crests\, molten rock breakup in asteroid impacts and lava breakup in volcanic eruptions are al l examples of atomization. In engineering\, combustion of liquid fuels is the most studied application\, although other have emerged such as molten metal atomization for the fabrication of powders used in additive manufact uring\, or milk atomization for the production of dried milk powder. On th e fundamental side\, atomization is a nonlinear multiscale physical phenom enon with strong analogy with single phase turbulent flow. The fundamental problem of turbulence is to find a statistical probability distribution f unction for turbulent fields\, The spectral energy density is known with s ome degree of confidence to follow the Kolmogorov -5/3 law. What would be the equivalent of such a statistical theory in atomization? Instead of the power spectrum\, one may wish to predict the droplet sizes. The PDF is th en the equivalent of the spectrum. In the talk\, I shall discuss how numer ical simulations of atomization\, following the VOF method\, allow to make advances on this problem.Bio: Stéphane Zaleski is Professor of Mechanics at Sorbonne Université and member of the "Institut Jean Le Rond d'Alembe rt". He spent his early years at the Physics Laboratory of Ecole Normale S upérieure in Paris where he obtained his PhD under the supervision of Yve s Pomeau. After three years at the Applied Math group of MIT he joined the Mechanics group at Sorbonne Université. He investigates numerical method s for multiphase flows with applications to atomization\, cavitation\, por ous media flow\, nucleate boiling\, hydrometallurgy\, moving contact lines and droplet impact. Methods include the Volume of Fluid method\, the Edge -Based Interface Tracking method and the Diffuse Interface method. He has written several computer codes for the simulation of multiphase flow inclu ding PARIS Simulator and is involved in the development of the Basilisk pl atform. He is Associate Editor of J. Comput. Phys. and of Computers and Fl uids. He has led the ERC-Advanced project TRUFLOW on mass transfer at larg e Schmidt numbers and is a member of Institut Universitaire de France.Awar ds and Honors: 2024: Medal of the Section of Mechanics and Informatics of the Paris Academy of Sciences LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -288 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Last Day for Adding Courses and Removing Conditions and Incomplete s DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260417T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260417T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Last Day for Adding Courses and Removing Conditions and Incompletes@Fr i Apr 17 08:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/last-day-for-adding-courses-and-removing -conditions-and-incompletes-87950 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Elasto-Plastic Stochasticity: The Role of Atomic Level Fluctuation s on Mesoscale Deformation Properties in Complex Alloys DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260423T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260423T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Apr 23 11:00:00 2026@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Jaime Marian\, Professor\, Department of Materials Science and Engineering\, University of California\, Los Angeles\nTitle: "Elasto-Plas tic Stochasticity: The Role of Atomic Level Fluctuations on Mesoscale Defo rmation Properties in Complex Alloys"Abstract: Materials deformation is ul timate controlled by physical processes at the atomic scale. In many cases \, these processes are controlled by fluctuations characterized by highly stochastic behavior. While we have learned to subsume this stochasticity i nto continuum laws that describe average behavior\, as science and technol ogy pushes down the boundaries of what is observable in terms of time and length scales\, the mean field approach becomes to be questionable. Specif ically\, important phenomena in metals deformation such as creep\, dynamic strain aging\, solute hardening\, and deformation processes in chemically complex alloys cannot be properly studied without capturing atomic-level fluctuations and their effect on meso/macroscopic behavior. In this presen tation\, I will discuss the development of models that take into account t hermal and compositional fluctuations explicitly and how their results can be extended into larger length and longer time scales. Results for refrac tory transition metals\, ferritic materials\, and high-entropy alloys will be shown.Bio: Professor Jaime Marian has a joint appointment in the Mater ials Science and Engineering and Mechanical and Aerospace Depts. at UCLA s ince 2014. Prior to that\, he was a staff scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory\, where he worked on the development of physics models for materials under extreme conditions. He holds an industrial engineerin g degree from the Polytechnic University of Madrid\, and a PhD in computat ional materials and mechanics. He did postdoctoral work at Caltech and was visiting professor at the IMDEA Materials Institute in Madrid. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -289 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Midterm Examination Period DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260429T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260505T235900 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Midterm Examination Period@Wed Apr 29 08:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.calte ch.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/midterm-examination-period-87951 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:POSTPONED: Watson Lecture - Sarkis Mazmanian DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260429T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260429T203000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:POSTPONED: Watson Lecture - Sarkis Mazmanian@Wed Apr 29 19:30:00 2026@ ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Sarkis Mazmanian\, Luis B. and Nelly Soux professor of microbi ology\; Merkin Institute Professor\nUPDATE: Due to unforeseen maintenance at Beckman Auditorium\, this Watson Lecture will be rescheduled for a futu re season. All registrations for this event will be cancelled. We apologiz e for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.About the TalkSt ay tuned! More information about this Watson Lecture is coming soon.Learn about the gut microbiome-brain connection in neurodegenerative disease wit h Sarkis Mazmanian\, Luis B. and Nelly Soux professor of microbiology\; Me rkin Institute Professor.Evening Schedule6 p.m. — Activities and music. Food\, drinks\, and books available for purchase.7 p.m. — Doors open.7:3 0 p.m. — Talk and Q&\;A.8:30 p.m. — Post-talk concessions and conve rsation.The live event is in-person and a recording will be made available on our Youtube channel.About the SeriesFor more than 100 years\, the Wats on Lectures have brought the wonder of Caltech research and discovery to t he public.Free and open to the public\, the Watson Lecture Series offers a unique and accessible opportunity to learn more about cutting-edge scienc e directly from Caltech's premier researchers. Come early to mingle with y our neighbors over food\, drink and music\, as well as interactive display s related to the evening's topic. Then head inside to hear a stimulating t alk and stay to ask your burning questions.Many past Watson Lectures are a vailable on Caltech's YouTube channel. LOCATION:Beckman Auditorium URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/watson-lecture-sarkis-mazmanian END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Robots That Learn To Model The World By Playing DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260430T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260430T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu Apr 30 11:00:00 2026@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Anirudha Majumdar\, Associate Professor\, Mechanical and Aeros pace Engineering (MAE) department\, Princeton University\nTitle: "Robots T hat Learn To Model The World By Playing"Abstract: Predictive models of the world are fundamental to robotics — from planning\, to evaluation\, to reinforcement learning. However\, despite decades of investment in physics -based simulation\, we do not have models that can endow robots with gener al manipulation capabilities. In this talk\, I will discuss the potential of action-conditioned video generation models to serve as general-purpose world models for robotics. Their ability to generate photorealistic observ ations\, to simulate complex physical interactions with non-rigid objects\ , and to be improved with data make them an attractive alternative to trad itional physics-based models. But\, how should we learn such world models? I will argue that autonomous play may hold the key. Just as self-guided p lay is critical for children to explore and learn the dynamics of the worl d\, autonomous robot play provides a scalable pathway for capturing the co mplex\, long-tailed physical interactions essential for manipulation. I wi ll show how world models learned through play demonstrate significant impr ovements in accuracy compared to models trained on data from human tele-op eration. I will also show how the resulting world models can be used (i) a s "simulators" for evaluating the reliability and safety of robot policies \, and (ii) for training policies via reinforcement learning in the world model. I will end by discussing recent work on world models that know when they don't know through rigorous uncertainty quantification.Bio: Anirudha Majumdar is an Associate Professor at Princeton University in the Mechani cal and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) department\, and founding co-Director of the Princeton Robotics Initiative. He also holds a 20% research scienti st position at Google DeepMind in the Robotics Safety &\; Alignment tea m. Majumdar received a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Scienc e from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2016\, and a B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvani a in 2011. Subsequently\, he was a postdoctoral scholar at \;Stanford& nbsp\;University from 2016 to 2017 at the Autonomous Systems Lab in the Ae ronautics and Astronautics department.Majumdar is a recipient of the Sloan Fellowship\, ONR Young Investigator Program (YIP) award\, NSF CAREER awar d\, Google Faculty Research Award (twice)\, Amazon Research Award (twice)\ , Young Faculty Researcher Award from the Toyota Research Institute\, Best Student Paper Award (as advisor) at the Conference on Robot Learning (CoR L)\, Paper of the Year Award from the International Journal of Robotics Re search (IJRR)\, Best Conference Paper Award at the International Conferenc e on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)\, Alfred Rheinstein Faculty Award (Pri nceton)\, and the Excellence in Teaching Award (Princeton SEAS). \; LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -290 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:No Small Measure: Using Nanostructure to Create Materials with Sup erior Toughness DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260507T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260507T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu May 7 11:00:00 2026@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Lucas Meza\, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering\, D epartment of Mechanical Engineering\, University of Washington\nTitle: "No Small Measure: Using Nanostructure to Create Materials with Superior Toug hness"Abstract: Nanomaterials leverage size-dependent effects to achieve e xtraordinary mechanical properties\, including high strength\, flaw resist ance and enhanced ductility. Natural systems like shell and bone have intr icate nanoscale architectures that effectively dissipate energy and impede cracks\, and while the effect of architecture has long been explored\, th e role of size on toughness is not well understood. This talk examines how different ordered and stochastic nanoarchitected materials can be used to enhance toughness\, and how fracture size-effects can alter the emergent ductility of materials at small length scales. Topics include: 1) polymeri c nano-Bouligand architectures with twisted nanofibers that dissipate ener gy through nanoscale-enhanced ductility\, 2) nanocellular polymeric foams that defy traditional toughness scaling laws\, 3) shell-inspired spinodal architectures with structural gradients that slow crack growth\, 4) layere d architectures that exploit size-enhanced ductility for exceptional tough ness\, and 5) interpenetrating lattices that have toughness 6x higher than their bulk constituents. This work reframes ductility and toughness as ar chitecture- and size-dependent properties\, revealing how nanoengineering can break classic trade-offs between strength\, density\, and toughness.Bi o: Lucas Meza is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the U niversity of Washington. His research investigates new ways of engineering material properties at the micro- and nanoscale. He did his postdoc at th e University of Cambridge\, where he studied the micromechanical behavior of 3D woven fiber composites. He obtained his PhD in 2016 in mechanical en gineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for his wo rk on ultralight\, hierarchical metamaterials composed of nanoscale cerami cs. His work is supported in large part by the National Science Foundation . LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -283 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Due Date for Midterm Grades DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260511T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260511T090100 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Due Date for Midterm Grades@Mon May 11 09:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.calt ech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/due-date-for-midterm-deficiency-notices- 87953 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Imaging Soil Plus Something Else: Ice Lenses And Plant Roots DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260514T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260514T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu May 14 11:00:00 2026@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Cino Viggiani\, Professor\, Laboratoire 3SR\, Université Gren oble Alpes\nTitle: "Imaging Soil Plus Something Else: Ice Lenses And Plant Roots"Abstract: In this talk\, I will present results from two studies th at use time-series X-ray tomography to observe processes unfolding inside soil. The first examines the progressive formation of ice lenses in clay d uring freezing. The second follows the growth of a plant root as it naviga tes through sand. In both cases\, the technique allows us to look inside t he material as the processes evolve\, capturing their dynamics in four dim ensions. Combined with targeted image analysis\, these observations provid e both qualitative insight and quantitative measurements\, offering a deep er understanding of how soil deforms and interacts with water/ice and livi ng roots over time.Bio: Gioacchino (Cino) Viggiani was born in Napoli\, It aly\, and earned his MSc in Civil Engineering from Università di Napoli F ederico II. He received his PhD from Sapienza Università di Roma and his H.D.R. from Université Joseph Fourier. He has been Professor at Universit é Grenoble Alpes since 2004\, conducting research at Laboratoire 3SR on t he mechanics of geomaterials.After postdoctoral work in the USA and France \, he pioneered experimental and imaging techniques linking microscale pro cesses to macroscopic geomaterial behavior. He has published extensively\, supervised many graduate researchers\, and co-founded the journals Acta G eotechnica and Open Geomechanics. He founded and directs the international master's program "Geomechanics\, Civil Engineering and Risks" at UGA. He has held major leadership roles\, including serving as head of 3SR and pre sident of ALERT-Geomaterials. LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -284 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Last Day for Scheduling Examinations for the Degress of Doctor of Philosophy and Engineer DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260515T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260515T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Last Day for Scheduling Examinations for the Degress of Doctor of Phil osophy and Engineer@Fri May 15 08:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/last-day-for-scheduling-examinations-for -the-degress-of-doctor-of-philosophy-and-engineer-2 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Last Day for Seniors to Remove Conditions and Incompletes DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260515T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260515T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Last Day for Seniors to Remove Conditions and Incompletes@Fri May 15 0 8:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/last-day-for-seniors-to-remove-condition s-and-incompletes-87948 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Last Day for Dropping Courses\, Exercising Pass/Fail Option\, and Changing Sections DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260520T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260520T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Last Day for Dropping Courses\, Exercising Pass/Fail Option\, and Chan ging Sections@Wed May 20 08:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/last-day-for-dropping-courses-exercising -passfail-option-and-changing-sections-23 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:POSTPONED: Watson Lecture - Kirby Nielsen DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260520T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260520T203000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:POSTPONED: Watson Lecture - Kirby Nielsen@Wed May 20 19:30:00 2026@ms. divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Kirby Nielsen\, professor of economics\; William H. Hurt Schol ar\nUPDATE: Due to unforeseen maintenance at Beckman Auditorium\, this Wat son Lecture will be rescheduled for a future season. All registrations for this event will be cancelled. We apologize for the inconvenience and appr eciate your understanding.About the TalkStay tuned! More information about this Watson Lecture is coming soon.Learn about how people make decisions —and mistakes—in an uncertain world with Kirby Nielsen\, professor of economics\; William H. Hurt Scholar.Evening Schedule6 p.m. — Activities and music. Food\, drinks\, and books available for purchase.7 p.m. — Doo rs open.7:30 p.m. — Talk and Q&\;A.8:30 p.m. — Post-talk concession s and conversation.The live event is in-person and a recording will be mad e available on our Youtube channel.About the SeriesFor more than 100 years \, the Watson Lectures have brought the wonder of Caltech research and dis covery to the public.Free and open to the public\, the Watson Lecture Seri es offers a unique and accessible opportunity to learn more about cutting- edge science directly from Caltech's premier researchers. Come early to mi ngle with your neighbors over food\, drink and music\, as well as interact ive displays related to the evening's topic. Then head inside to hear a st imulating talk and stay to ask your burning questions.Many past Watson Lec tures are available on Caltech's YouTube channel. LOCATION:Beckman Auditorium URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/watson-lecture-kirby-nielsen END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Registration for Fall Term and Registration for Summer Graduate Re search DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260521T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260605T235900 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Registration for Fall Term and Registration for Summer Graduate Resear ch@Thu May 21 08:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/registration-for-fall-term-and-registrat ion-for-summer-graduate-research-87951 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:X-ray Based Full Field Stress-Strain Measurements in Metals DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260521T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260521T122400 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar@Thu May 21 11:00:00 2026@ms.d ivisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Angkur Shaikeea\, Assistant Professor of Aerospace\; Bren Scho lar\, The Lynn Booth & Kent Kresa Department of Aerospace\, California Ins titute of Technology\nTitle: "X-ray Based Full Field Stress-Strain Measure ments in Metals"Abstract: We are developing an X-ray instrument to measur e spatially resolved elastic strain fields in metals. Because stress is co njugate to elastic strain\, these measurements enable reconstruction of fu ll-field stress distributions. When combined with digital image correlatio n (DIC)\, the method captures full-field stress–strain behavior and prov ides much needed data for data-driven discovery in metals. It enables prob ing of local stress–strain responses in heterogeneous materials\, includ ing additively manufactured metals\, and supports investigation of crack-t ip stress fields and the micromechanics of metamaterials. The capability a dvances understanding of microscopic behavior under mechinical loading and supports the design of next-generation materials.Bio: LOCATION:Gates-Thomas 135 URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/mechanical-and-civil-engineering-seminar -291 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Last Day of Classes for Seniors and Graduate Students DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260529T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260530T000000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Last Day of Classes for Seniors and Graduate Students@Fri May 29 00:00 :00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/last-day-of-classes-for-seniors-and-grad uate-students-87952 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Last Day for Presenting Theses for the Degrees of Doctor of Philos ophy and Engineer DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260529T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260529T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Last Day for Presenting Theses for the Degrees of Doctor of Philosophy and Engineer@Fri May 29 08:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/last-day-for-presenting-theses-for-the-d egrees-of-doctor-of-philosophy-and-engineer-87953 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Study Period for Seniors and Graduate Students DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260530T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260602T235900 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Study Period for Seniors and Graduate Students@Sat May 30 08:00:00 202 6@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/study-period-for-seniors-and-graduate-st udents-87954 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Final Examinations for Seniors and Graduate Students for Spring Te rm DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260603T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260605T235900 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Final Examinations for Seniors and Graduate Students for Spring Term@W ed Jun 3 08:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/final-examinations-for-seniors-and-gradu ate-students-for-spring-term-87955 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Last Day of Classes for Undergraduates DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260605T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260606T000000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Last Day of Classes for Undergraduates@Fri Jun 5 00:00:00 2026@ms.div isions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:This is the last day of classes for undergraduates for spring term and the last day to register for fall term without a $50 late fee URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/last-day-of-classes-for-undergraduates-8 7956 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Study Period for Undergraduates DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260606T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260609T235900 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Study Period for Undergraduates@Sat Jun 6 08:00:00 2026@ms.divisions. caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/study-period-for-undergraduates-87957 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Due Date for Instructors' Final Grade Reports for Seniors and Grad uate Students DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260608T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260608T090100 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Due Date for Instructors' Final Grade Reports for Seniors and Graduate Students@Mon Jun 8 09:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/due-date-for-instructors-final-grade-rep orts-for-seniors-and-graduate-students-87958 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Final Examinations for Undergraduates for Spring Term DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260610T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260612T235900 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Final Examinations for Undergraduates for Spring Term@Wed Jun 10 08:00 :00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/final-examinations-for-undergraduates-fo r-spring-term-2 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Commencement DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260612T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260612T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Commencement@Fri Jun 12 10:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION:Caltech's 132nd Commencement exercises will take place on Frid ay\, June 12\, 2026\, at 10 a.m. on Beckman Mall.Kip Thorne (BS '62)—the oretical astrophysicist\, distinguished alumnus\, and Nobel laureate—wil l deliver the 2026 Commencement address.No tickets are required for our Co mmencement ceremony and guest seating is on a first-come\, first-served ba sis. Please note that\, due to space constraints\, in the general guest se ating area on Beckman Mall there are approximately four guest seats availa ble per graduating student. Guests are asked to be mindful of this limitat ion and courteous to other guests. Saving seats is not permitted. For over flow guests without a seat on Beckman Mall or for those who prefer an air- conditioned option\, multiple indoor livestream viewing locations will be available on campus.As the event approaches\, graduating students and thei r guests can refer to the Caltech Commencement website for timely news and information\, including the graduating student checklist\, news and annou ncements\, the 2026 events and activities schedule\, the visiting guest gu ide\, FAQ\, and more.Students eligible to participate in the 2026 Commence ment event will begin receiving regular email updates in January 2026 from commencement@caltech.edu. Others who wish to receive regular email update s about Caltech's 2026 Commencement event\, may sign up to receive Commenc ement emails. URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/commencement-87960 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Summer Term begins DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260615T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260616T000000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Summer Term begins@Mon Jun 15 00:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/summer-term-begins-87964 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Due Date for Instructors' Final Grade Reports for Undergraduates DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260617T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260617T090100 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Due Date for Instructors' Final Grade Reports for Undergraduates@Wed J un 17 09:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/due-date-for-instructors-final-grade-rep orts-for-undergraduates-87963 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Undergraduate Academic Standards and Honors Committee Meeting DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260624T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260624T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Undergraduate Academic Standards and Honors Committee Meeting@Wed Jun 24 09:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/undergraduate-academic-standards-and-hon ors-committee-meeting-87967 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:End of summer term DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260901T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260902T000000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:End of summer term@Tue Sep 1 00:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/end-of-summer-term-87965 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:International Student Orientation: iBegin@Caltech DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260917T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260919T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:International Student Orientation: iBegin@Caltech@Thu Sep 17 08:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/international-student-orientation-ibegin caltech-2 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:New Student Check-In for Undergraduates DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260920T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260920T160000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:New Student Check-In for Undergraduates@Sun Sep 20 10:00:00 2026@ms.di visions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/new-student-check-in-for-undergraduates- 87968 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:New Student Orientation for Undergraduates DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260920T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260927T160000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:New Student Orientation for Undergraduates@Sun Sep 20 10:00:00 2026@ms .divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/new-student-orientation-for-undergraduat es-1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:New Student Check-in for Graduates DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260921T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260921T160000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:New Student Check-in for Graduates@Mon Sep 21 09:00:00 2026@ms.divisio ns.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/new-student-check-in-for-graduates-87969 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:New Student Orientation for Graduates DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260921T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260925T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:New Student Orientation for Graduates@Mon Sep 21 12:00:00 2026@ms.divi sions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/new-student-orientation-for-graduates-87 970 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Undergraduate Academic Standards and Honors Committee Meeting DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260924T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260924T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Undergraduate Academic Standards and Honors Committee Meeting@Thu Sep 24 13:00:00 2026@ms.divisions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/undergraduate-academic-standards-and-hon ors-committee-meeting-87973 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Beginning of Instruction of Fall Term DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260928T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260929T000000 DTSTAMP:20260405T140435Z UID:Beginning of Instruction of Fall Term@Mon Sep 28 00:00:00 2026@ms.divi sions.caltech.edu CATEGORIES: DESCRIPTION: URL:https://ms.caltech.edu/events/beginning-of-instruction-of-fall-term-2 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR