University of Southern California • Spring 2010 USC Viterbi //Engineer

The Viterbi Energy Tableau

usc president steven b. sample on engineering and leadership tackling heart attack plaque // vizio co-founder remembers his usc days I N Th IS SSUE face the challenge Viterbi School’s Distance Education Network USC Viterbi //Engineer The Power of EducationSPRING 2010 –

What happens Anywhere, Anytime face the when you get world-renowned policymakers, corporations challenge and engineering academics together in a room? Over 35 M.S. Degree Programs, Non-credit Courses & Certificate Programs

face the 4 11 20 34 challenge FEATURES DEPARTMENTS PEER REVIEW 22 < NEW SENSOR FOR < < 24 THE VITERBI ENERGY TABLEAU: 12 Board of Councilors HEART ATTACK PLAQUE: < An in-depth look at how the 13 From the Dean: Tzung Hsiai on identifying Viterbi School is tackling the Reflections Upon Time cardiac emergencies. world’s energy challenges. PARTICLES 23 < UNDERWATER ROBOTS: 33 < FROM THE CEO’S OFFICE: The game changes. 8 < GamePipe Lab Creation Hits Market Urbashi Mitra and the Navy study Talking Energy with SoCal Edison’s Technology 9 < TheAcademics Engineer, the Marketer networked,Students submersible vehicles. This is not your typical engineering conference. Alan Fohrer. and the Artist • Watch courses via live webcast 10 < IEEE• 168 Honors tenured Two Viterbi and Luminaries tenure-track • Flexibility for professional 34 < FIXING JOHNNY: ALUMNI NEWS or archive 11 < KIEULfaculty Founder members the Newest engineers to pursue career and Terry Sanger attacks cerebral palsy 36 < Promoting Viterbi School in China The National Academy of Engineering USC Trustee education simultaneously with the tools of engineering • Dedicated professors who are38 < An IT Pioneer on the 'Road Join us October 6-8, 2010 for the • Full interactivity for classes 12 < Algorithm Design Star Joins has identified 14 Grand Challenges where and medicine. to Wealth' viewed in real time Viterbileaders School in their fields • Network of more than 1,000 engineering can make the greatest impact to 2010 Grand ChallenGeS SUmmit 40 < VIZIO’s co-founder on his USC days 13 < USC Hosts 2010’s NAE Grand professional students • Interdisciplinary programs 41 < Calendar of Events society. Addressing these problems requires at USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering • Over 130 courses available online Challenges Summit SPEcIAl FEATURE 42 < A Naval Officer’s• M.S. Longstudents Distance receive identical innovation and cooperation from engineers in fall and spring semesters 14 < NSF Career Awards for Two Love Affair withcurriculum USC as on-campus students from all disciplines, as well as policy leaders, 4 < STEVEN B. SAMPLE: Assistant Professors 43 < In Memoriam economists and forward-thinking corporations. Who Should Attend? USC's President on Engineering 15 < A Presidential Award for a Viterbi and Leadership. Nanophotonics Expert These challenges include securing cyberspace, • Q&A Policymakers 16 < John Slaughter Joins Viterbi Faculty reverse-engineering the brain and making < Mark S. Humayun discusses his • Corporate leaders NewPho ProgramsTo ESSAy for 2010 17 < Remembering Dave Yen andWhat our44 students say: solar energy economical. • Engineers and Scientists John Cohoon quest to eradicate blindness. M.S. in Green Technologies “ My busy work schedule posed a huge obstacle for me < 18 < Faculty Accolades; A Technical For more on the 14 NAE Grand Challenges, • Innovators and Entrepreneurs 20 HOMECOMING 2009 See anyone you know? Here are Academy Award for Paul Debevecto attend classes in person. Fortunately, the online DEN visit www.EngineeringChallenges.org M.S. in Financial Engineering Learn more and register at pictures from The Viterbi School’s program at USC made it really easy for me to watch the www.NAEGrandChallengesSummit2010.org M.S. inbest-attended Health Systems picnic ever. Management Engineering classes during my free time at night and on the week- M.S. in Electrical Engineering (Electric Power) ends. DEN made it possible for me to achieve my goal.” ...and exciting new short courses in a variety of disciplines – Dennis Lee, Northrop Grumman Corporation

NAE GrANd ChALLENGES SUmmiT PArTNErS:

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Dean Olin Hall 500 Lenora Chu Eric Mankin Leslie DaCruz Leslie Volume 8, Issue 2 Volume Or email them to: SPRING 2010 USC Viterbi Engineer USC Viterbi Graphic Design Christopher Stoy Lime Twig Group Lime Twig Yannis C. Yortsos Yannis Managing Editor Art Direction and Art Direction External Relations Steve Cohn, Jon Vidar Executive Director of of Director Executive Contributing Editors Contributing Writers welcome. Please send them to: Photography/Graphics USC Viterbi Engineer is published USC Viterbi University of Southern California. [email protected]. Chief Executive Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Bob Calverley, Eric Mankin Bob Calverley, Los Angeles, California 90089-1451 Bob Calverley, Lenora Chu, Bob Calverley, Letters to the editor and comments are Letters to the editor and comments are the Viterbi School of Engineering at the twice a year for the alumni and friends of viterbi.usc.edu Marketing and Communications and Marketing , BSCE ’81, ’81, BSCE , , BSME ’60 Jay L. Kear Private Investor Ken R. Klein, BS BMEE ’82 WindSystems, Inc., USC Trustee River Marie L. Knowles, BSChE ’68, MSChE ’70, MBA ’74 ARCO Retired, David A. Lane, BSEE ’81 ONSET Ventures Alexis C. Livanos Grumman Corporation Northrop E. Mann Alfred Trustee Mann Foundation, USC Life Alfred S. Marshall, BS BUS ’46 Gordon Marshall Industries, USC Life Trustee Retired, Fariborz Maseeh Picoco, LLC Bryan B. Min, BSISE ’86 Epsilon Systems Solutions, Inc. John Mork, BSPE ’70 Energy Corporation of America, USC Trustee Donald L. Paul USC Energy Institute Allen E. Puckett Company, Hughes Aircraft Retired, USC Life Trustee Jr. Reynolds, Edward F. ’86 MBS ’84, MSCE The Reynolds Group George E. Scalise, BSEE ’88 Institute TIAA-Cref Shea, BS ENG ’49 John F. Shea Co., Inc. J.F. Darlene Solomon Agilent Technologies Patrick Soon-Shiong Abraxis BioScience, LLC D. Stephens, BS NSMA ’74 Richard The Boeing Company Mark A. Stevens, BSEE ’81, BA ECON ’81, MS CENG ’84 Sequoia Capital, USC Trustee , Ph.D. PHYS ’89 Parviz Tayebati Capital, LLC Camros J. Viterbi, Ph.D. EE ’62 Andrew LLC, USC Trustee Viterbi Group, M. Williams Warner North America Exploration Chevron Company and Production , BSPE ’83, MSPE ’90 J. Woodbury Jeff ExxonMobil Development Company CHAIRMAN Dwight J. Baum Private Investor Dean K. Allen, BSME ’57 Parsons Corporation Retired, M. Anderson, BSME ’54 Gordon Santa Fe International Corporation Retired, Sonny Astani, MSISE ’78 Astani Enterprises, Inc. Austin, Ph.D. ISE ’88 M. Wanda Corporation The Aerospace Ballhaus, Jr. William F. Corporation The Aerospace Retired, Ronald R. Barnes, BS ACCT ’76 Norris Foundation A. Bartz Carol Inc. Yahoo! E. Brandow, BSCE ’67 Gregg Brandow & Johnston, Inc. , BSISE ’59 Edgar Brower Pacific Scientific Retired, Simon (Xiaofan) Cao, MA PHYS ’85, MSEE ’87, Ph.D. PHYS ’90 Capitalist Venture Ho Cho, MBA ’79 Yang Airlines, USC Trustee Korean , MSME ’60, ENGME ’64 Chonette David W. Private Investor Leo Chu Hollywood Park Casino and Crystal Park Casino Hotel Malcolm R. Currie Company, Hughes Aircraft Retired, USC Life Trustee Kenneth C. Dahlberg, MSEE ’69 Science Applications International Corporation John Deininger J.D. Investments, Inc. Feng Deng, MS CENG ’93 Capital Northern Light Venture Albert Dorman, MSCE ’62 AECOM Daniel J. Epstein, BSISE ’62 ConAm Management Corporation, USC Trustee , BSCE ’73, MSCE ’76 Alan J. Fohrer Southern California Edison Hester Gill M.C. Gill, BSChE ’37 M.C. Gill Corporation, Retired, Honorary USC Trustee , BSEE ’76, MD ’80 Kenton Gregory St. Vincent Medical Center Providence Laser Medical Center Oregon Ming Hsieh, BSEE ’83, MSEE ’84 Cogent, Inc., USC Trustee Jen-Hsun Huang NVIDIA Corporation Karl A. Jacob III, BME ’91, BS CSCI ’00 Coveroo of Councilors Board < 2 SPRING 2010 viterbi.usc.edu special feature > 5

I’m an engineer by education, In fact, 30 or 40 years ago the and a leader by occupation. Both doors were closed to engineers who are problem-solving professions that wanted to be presidents of compre- have dissimilar roots. Engineering hensive universities. Today, among employs well-defined mathematical, the 62 members of the Association scientific and technological principles, of American Universities (which while leadership is remarkably fluid, comprises America’s leading research situational and contingent. Unlike universities), 10 are led by engineers the specificity of math and science, (including USC). leadership has no set rules. This What lessons can be learned in elusive quality of leadership makes it engineering that can contribute to a an art, not a science. Thus it is more person’s effectiveness as a leader? At like music, painting and poetry than the top of the list would be analytical it is like more routine endeavors. thinking and judgment—key attri- Nonetheless, aspiring leaders can be butes of the engineering profession. taught to develop their own potential These qualities can help leaders for leadership by studying what’s examine problems from various angles worked for others. and assess situations through both As part of my own study of qualitative and quantitative means. leadership, I have co-taught with The downside of engineering as management expert Warren Bennis preparation for leadership occurs when a course for juniors and seniors each engineers become so entrenched in a spring called “The Art and Adventure particular technology or methodology of Leadership.” Each year it has been that they stop exploring new ideas. Steven B. Sample the most sought-after upper-division They may then lapse into rigid think- course at USC, attracting over 300 ing that can stifle their own creativity Reflections from the USC President’s Office applicants for just 40 slots. and that of others. In addition, engi- Although most of the students in neers—whose work directly affects this leadership class aren’t engineer- people—sometimes gloss over the An electrical engineer, inventor and author, Steven B. Sample has been president of the University of ing majors, I often tell them how the importance of moral and ethical con- Southern California since March 1991. A tenured professor in the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, he study of engineering has made me a siderations in the design and creation is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. better leader. It’s a way to remind them of new products or processes. that leaders come from all types of His best-selling book, The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership, was named one of six “must-reads” for disciplines and backgrounds. In other leaders by Harvard Management Update of the Harvard Business School, and he co-teaches a popular words, the path to political leadership undergraduate course with management professor Warren Bennis titled “The Art and Adventure of is not necessarily through political science, nor is business school the only Leadership.” >> Widely considered one of America’s best university presidents, Dr. Sample has been route to becoming a corporate CEO. the driving force in solidifying USC’s status as a top research university. He will retire in August 2010. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois, and holds honorary degrees from eight universities and colleges. >> Here, President Sample offers his thoughts to young engineers on problem solving and leadership. >>

SPRING 2010 viterbi.usc.edu 6 < special feature special feature > 7

As an engineer, and technicians. Rather, the exquisite challenges are global in scope. They part of engineering involves deciding I’m especially pleased that top include sustainability, disease pre- to move ahead with a solution based “research universities such as USC are in vention, environmental quality, and on reasonable professional judgment fossil-fuel alternatives—all areas in and analysis, when you know that the the vanguard of pursuing solutions to which engineers can and do make solution is not as good as the one you societal problems. important contributions to improving might develop if you were to keep  people’s lives. working on the problem. In conclusion, the best advice In exploring possible solutions to a I can give to young people who are problem, engineers—just like leaders— studying engineering or leadership must be careful not to fall into the pro- RCA hated the transistor. So Texas ”However, engineers also have is to cultivate their natural creativity, verbial rut of rigid and narrow thinking. Instruments became the rising star of developed ways to make people safer, their intellectual independence and Often the most important inventions the transistor business. And although communication faster, infrastructures their moral integrity. These are the What I love most about engi- in a particular field are made by people an engineer at Texas Instruments later more reliable, and computer systems best tools for guarding against the rigid neering is that it cultivates skillful who are new to that field—people who invented the integrated circuit, most more secure. Engineers are at the thinking and moral ambivalence that judgment and analysis—key ingredi- are too naïve and ignorant to know of the engineers at TI had spent their forefront of developing new and better can drag down or prostitute new ideas. ents in effective problem solving. Real why something can’t be done. These whole lives with discrete transistors, robots, biomedical devices, nanotech- The goal of my work as an engineers make judgments based on neophytes, unburdened by hidebound and they found it difficult to love nologies and multimedia tools that engineer—and as a university faculty inadequate information and imper- traditions and internal naysaying, are integrated circuits. So another firm— enhance the health, education and member—has been to expand human fect designs. They operate under able to think more freely about seem- Intel—became dominant in that field. well-being of people around the world. potential. I encourage engineers who constraints such as time, cost, size, ingly intractable problems. They’re Although hidebound thinking As an engineer, I’m especially are inclined toward leadership to reliability, customer appeal and what willing to explore radically new ideas can be stultifying, moral laxity can be pleased that top research universi- exploit the fact that their talents and the competition is doing. Sometimes and approaches. downright dangerous. Leaders must ties such as USC are in the vanguard predilections as engineers will serve an engineer’s judgments are based as Unfortunately, some engineers feel develop a strong moral compass if they of pursuing solutions to societal them well as leaders. // much or more on gut feeling than on threatened by new inventions. When are to be good as well as effective lead- problems. Most of society’s major precise analysis. I was a practicing engineer, I quickly ers. Even the perception that a leader One does not need to be a found out that many of my colleagues, is dishonest, unfair, or unconcerned professional engineer to crank out after just a few years in practice at one about the rights of other people can closed-form analyses of problems that company and in one technology, become adversely affect the success of a com- lend themselves to precise solutions; psychologically and emotionally wedded pany or organization. such work can be done by computers to that technology. As engineers, many of us would Just consider this: When I was like to think that engineering is some- just starting out as an engineer, the how morally neutral. But engineering leading vacuum tube manufacturer is all about empowering people to was RCA. Then the transistor was manipulate and exploit the natural What I love most about invented. One would think that world for their own purposes. Thus, RCA, as the dominating force in engineering is inevitably involved in engineering is that it cultivates skillful judgment the development and manufactur- moral as well as technological issues. “and analysis—key ingredients in effective ing of electronic “switches, would Sometimes the outcomes of our have latched onto the transistor as a work as engineers are morally repug- problem solving.  new technology that could take their nant. For example, engineers are business to greater heights of success. frequently asked to develop better ” However, many of the engineers at methods for killing and maiming people.

SPRING 2010 viterbi.usc.edu Particles > 9 particles The Engineer, the Marketer and the Artist Bringing Real-World Product Development to the Classroom

At the beginning of the semester, Weber and his collaborat- Company Releases Video Game Created at USC ing professors—Therese Wilbur of the Marshall School and Reflection created at Viterbi School’s GamePipe Laboratory Tom Schorer of the Roski School—would divide students from each of the three disciplines into small teams. Each team would choose a brand such as Apple, Brookstone or Nike, and work An award-winning video game created by with that brand’s concept to develop a product pre-selected by a dozen USC students working on an inter- the professors. disciplinary project has gone commercial. In EE459’s first year, the students developed working Reflection was created at the USC prototypes of an alarm clock capable of a different setting for Viterbi School’s GamePipe Laboratory each day of the week—fitting for a student’s varying academic and released by Konani Digital Enter- schedule. The second year, the instructors chose an energy- tainment for the Nintendo DS handheld saving device for home entertainment centers. game console. That year, a real-world company was bringing a similar The game was finished in the product to market at a price point of $200, Weber says, which Final Game Projects yearlong course got the students excited about entrepreneurship possibilities co-taught by Scott Easley, associate for their product. director of the GamePipe Lab; Chris “They were laughing, saying they’d done the research and that Swain, associate professor in the USC the product would never sell for $200,” Weber says, adding that School of Cinematic Arts; and Mike student marketers found a $70 price sticker to be more realistic. Zyda, GamePipe’s director. Reflection Top: Interdisciplinary Team Belkin with the project board for their For the semester-long course, students were assigned dif- won the Independent Games Festival’s GamePipe students at work in the laboratory. energy-saving device; Bottom L: Viterbi students Joseph Benson, fering tasks: Engineers were responsible for the technological prestigious “Next Great Mobile Game” Urmila Mahadev, Roger Han; Bottom R: Viterbi students Pierre “Players control the agile Kirra as “The joy of a professor,” com- Johnson, Greg Lee, Eric Henderson aspects of the product, the marketers conducted focus groups award, at the group’s March conference she jumps, slides and flips. But to suc- mented Zyda, “is to see your students and market research, and the fine arts students built full-scale in San Francisco. A jury made the deci- Throw together an engineer, an artist and a marketer. cessfully complete the different game start out from nothing and then get to models of the final product, complete with logos and packaging. sion, which brought the team $2,000 Then ask them to develop the next hot commercial levels, players need to use both of the the point where they’re actually doing The teamwork is where the ingenuity emerged, Weber and the attention of the game industry. product—together. Nintendo systems together.” just phenomenally great work.” says, as cross-collaboration helps produce something a con- The game’s premise Give these students 15 weeks to do it, and tell them their The shattered reality has also split More than a dozen USC students sumer might “actually want to pay money for.” is explained this way class grade depends partly on what their peers say about them. Kirra into two entities, one good and were part of the Reflection team, including on its Web site (www. And require them to build a prototype by semester’s end. one evil. students majoring in computer science, reflectionds.com): There are definitely a few “personnel” challenges, says “Players are essentially forced to computer engineering, business, com- “The world splits Allan Weber, the Viterbi lecturer behind the ground breaking control both a normal character and an munications, creative writing, interactive have when a powerful mirror EE459 course, which has brought together students from Past students upside-down mirror image, simultane- media, video and cinematic arts. In addi- is fragmented and its three disciplines to develop products that incorporate told us that talking about the collaborative ously, with the same set of controls, all tion to the design, writing, programming shards dispersed. advanced processing technology. experience helped them at job interviews the while solving puzzles that involve and artwork, the game featured original Now to restore the Sometimes the dynamic personalities ended up running manipulating both characters,” says the music the students composed. “and people in industry say they want to hire // world, thief-for-hire the show. Other times, the engineering students had trouble Konami announcement describing the engineers who can work across disciplines. Kirra must navigate digesting the function of the marketing students, and vice game. “As the game alternates between through a shattered versa. And inevitably, someone always felt another student these two sub-mechanics, gamers will reality to find and wasn’t pulling his weight. have to learn to use both characters in As EE459 enters its third year in spring 2010, enroll- piece back together “I’d tell them to get used to the real world and working with order to prevail.” ment is looking strong, and the professors are leaning the broken shards of people they might not like,” Weber says. “And they did. The end ” towards an innovative water-conservation device as the the mirror. result has engineers working with people in other fields as equals. next product for development. This is a true interdisciplinary experience in product development.” Weber says the class prepares Viterbi graduates well for The class is built around the idea of collaboration, and the working world. “Past students have told us that talking brings together faculty and students from three USC schools— Visit our website for the latest Viterbi news: about the collaborative experience helped them at job inter- The Viterbi School (Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical views,” Weber says. Engineering), the Marshall School of Business (Marketing) viterbi.usc.edu “And people in the industry say they want to hire engi- and the Roski School of Fine Arts—for a lecture series and neers who can work across disciplines.” // laboratory time.

SPRING 2010 viterbi.usc.edu 10 < Particles Particles > 11

IEEE Honors Two USC Luminaries KIUEL Founder the Newest USC Trustee Andrew Viterbi will receive the Medal of Honor, Ken Klein: The “Cool”-est Addition to the Board while Barry Boehm earns the Simon Ramo Medal his passion for giving back, for making The Institute of Electrical and Barry Boehm is the 2010 IEEE Simon Ramo Medal sure that new generations of students at Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has winner. The IEEE established the medal in 1982 to recog- his alma mater will have opportunities bestowed its highest award, the Medal nize exceptional achievement in systems engineering and to make the most of their experience of Honor, on Andrew Viterbi, namesake of systems science. Boehm’s recognition is “for leadership in here. We look forward to benefiting the Viterbi School; and it has given and innovative solutions to the integration of systems from his expertise and insights.” the Simon Ramo Medal to another engineering and software engineering.” A global leader in device software Viterbi faculty member, Barry Boehm. Boehm, USC’s TRW Professor of Software Engineering, optimization, Wind River has more than Both will receive their medals in is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and 1,600 employees in 15 countries. The Andrew J. Viterbi Barry Boehm Montréal, Québec, on June 26 at the a fellow of the primary societies in computing, aerospace, company, which was founded in 1981 Annual IEEE Honors Ceremony. electronics and systems engineering. He has appointments and is headquartered in Alameda, Calif., “The award of the IEEE Medal of Honor to Andrew in the Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and was acquired by Intel Corp. in 2009. Viterbi is yet another affirmation of his unparalleled achieve- Systems Engineering and the Department of Computer Klein has more than two decades’ ments in communication theory, business and practice,” said Science, and founded USC’s Center for Systems and experience in the software industry. Dean Yannis C. Yortsos. “He has helped connect the world Software Engineering in 1993. Before taking the helm of Wind River, as never before and made better the life of humankind. We USC Provost and Executive Vice President C.L. Max he held a series of executive positions at cannot be more proud.” Nikias, formerly dean of the Viterbi School, won the Ramo Mercury Interactive Corp., a software Viterbi, who holds a Presidential Chair in Engineering Medal in 2008. company focused on business technol- at USC, received the National Medal of Science in 2007. He The medal is named in honor of Simon Ramo, one of ogy optimization. He previously held is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the the founders of TRW, Inc., now part of Northrop Grumman. a variety of engineering, marketing National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Ramo and his late wife, Virginia, were founding co-chairs and management posts at Interactive Arts and Sciences. He is a Marconi Fellow, and has received of the board of overseers of the Keck School of Medicine of Development Environments, Daisy several other top honors in communication technology, USC, as well as co-recipients of the 2002 USC Presidential Systems and Hughes Aircraft Co. including the IEEE Shannon Award and the Alexander Medallion. Ramo also holds a Presidential Chair at USC. Klein serves on the boards of Graham Bell Medal. In 2008, he was named a Millennium IEEE, with 370,000 members, is the world’s largest directors of AmberPoint Inc. and Technology Prize Laureate. professional technical association. // “ ‘KIUEL’ is pronounced ‘cool.’ ” encouragement to student engineers by BigFix Inc. He is also a member of the That was the tagline coined three establishing an institute that will enrich USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s years ago to promote the Viterbi School’s their lives outside of the classroom, and Board of Councilors. He has previously Klein Institute for Undergraduate hopefully make things easier for them.” served on the boards of Tumbleweed Viterbi School Celebrates 75th Birthday Engineering Life, or KIUEL. USC President Steven B. Sample Communications and Navis LLC. And now Ken Klein, the namesake sings Klein’s praises. “Ken Klein is an He lives with his wife, Natalie, and of Namesake Andrew Viterbi of that institute, has been elected to exemplary USC alumnus whose keen two sons in Atherton, Calif. // the USC Board of Trustees. Chairman Faculty, staff, students and the USC Trojan of the board, CEO and president Marching Band gathered in Tutor Hall on of Wind River Systems Inc., Klein February 25th, 2010 to celebrate the 75th birth- established KIUEL with an $8 million is an exemplary USC alumnus whose day of the Viterbi School’s namesake, Andrew gift in 2005, with the aim of enhancing Ken Klein Viterbi. USC Provost C. L. Max Nikias and Dean the undergraduate experience, outside keen business sense and thorough knowledge of the Yannis Yortsos were on hand for the unveiling the classroom, for engineering majors. entrepreneurial process, from inception to fruition, will of a bust of Andrew Viterbi. Its location on the KIUEL sponsors personal and profes- “make him a real asset to the board. ground floor ofT utor Hall is the most-traveled sional programs centered on leadership, corridor in the engineering school. Viterbi, who cross-disciplinary networking, global- received his PhD in electrical engineering from ization and community service. USC in 1962, is the co-founder of Qualcomm. “The engineering major is tough, business sense and thorough knowledge ” Viterbi and his wife Erna named the engineering any way you slice it,” says Klein, who of the entrepreneurial process, from school with a $52 million gift in 2004. // holds dual bachelor’s degrees in bio- inception to fruition, will make him a medical and electrical engineering from real asset to the board,” Sample said. Caption (L-R): Andrew Viterbi, Erna Viterbi, C. L. Max Nikias, Yannis Yortsos. USC. “I wanted to send a message of “Another valuable strength he brings is

SPRING 2010 viterbi.usc.edu 12 < Particles face the challenge

Operations Research Star Joins the Viterbi School dorit hochbaum awarded epstein family chair

A world-renowned feasibility of VLSI designs; on distribu- Hochbaum is the author of more scholar with wide- tion of databases on computer networks; than 130 research articles, with her ranging operations on clustering problems; and on image work cited more than 4,000 times by face the research interests is segmentation and pattern recognition other researchers. She has served as the inaugural recipient problems, among others. departmental editor of Optimization and challenge of the Epstein Family She contributed to the analysis of Modeling for the Management Science Chair in the Daniel J. heuristics and approximation algorithms department, and also held positions Epstein Department of in the worst case and on the average, and on the editorial board of Networks and Industrial and Systems to the complexity analysis of algorithms on the advisory board of Algorithms Engineering (ISE). in general, and nonlinear optimization and Operations Research. In the past, Dorit Simona algorithms in particular. The latter she has served on the editorial boards Hochbaum, who involve devising best algorithms possible of Operations Research and Operations face the has made major for some key problems, such as Markov Research Letters, and was the founder contributions to algorithm design and Random Fields, and allocation prob- and director of the UC Berkeley Supply challenge optimization, will join the Viterbi lems, and demonstrating that non-linear Chain Initiative, which seeks to focus School in fall 2010 from UC Berkeley’s optimization problems cannot be solved research activity and collaboration with Haas School of Business and Berkeley’s in strongly polynomial time. industry for faculty and students with USC to Host 2nd NAE Grand Challenges Summit College of Engineering’s Department Her recent work focuses on expertise in this area. Leading Experts to Discuss Society’s Pressing Challenges of Industrial Engineering and particularly efficient techniques for In 2004, Hochbaum received Operations Research. network flow-related problems and a Doctor Honoris Causa in sciences “It’s not often we get our first choice inverse problems, with applications from the University of Copenhagen Engineers are in a unique position to help solve the world’s “Our fundamental task must be to increase the number when trying to recruit the very best fac- varying from medical prognosis, error Denmark for her contributions to most pressing environmental, economic and societal problems. of U.S. citizens entering these fields,” says NAE President ulty members, but on this occasion the correction, financial risk assessment approximation algorithms. And in 2005, And as the first decade of the 21st century comes to a close, Charles Vest. “This requires two things: inspiration and Epstein ISE faculty got exactly what we and prediction, to group rankings and she was named a fellow of the Institute addressing these issues promptly has become a critical task. improved education.” wished for,” says the department’s chair, decision problems. for Operations Research and the “The modern engineer is an innovator, a leader and an Summit organizers also plan to advance the idea that James E. Moore. entrepreneur,” says Viterbi Dean Yannis C. Yortsos. to be most effective, engineers should also school them- Moore adds that Hochbaum’s Enter the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) selves in law, policy and business—the central concept of expertise is “a natural fit” for ISE and Grand Challenges Summit. In October 2010, the USC Engineering Plus. Viterbi School initiatives in health Hochbaum is particularly well Viterbi School of Engineering will host a conference to The 2010 summit will build on the momentum launched systems, as well as the university’s known for her work in optimization—working further the dialogue about how best to address today’s at the inaugural National Grand Challenges Summit in existing Department of Homeland to prove that a particular solution is not just pressing challenges, including global security, our quality of Durham, N.C., in 2009. For this two-day conference, the Security research agendas. In accepting “good, but as close as possible to being the best. life and a sustainable future. Duke University’s Pratt School Viterbi School also partnered with the engineering school the appointment, Hochbaum said, “I am of Engineering, Olin College of Engineering and the of Duke University and Olin College. thrilled about the prospect of becom- California Institute of Technology will co-host. Summit organizers hope to conclude the 2010 summit ing a chaired professor at the Daniel J. Hochbaum is particularly well Management Sciences (INFORMS). “We’re bringing together the great engineering minds by laying the groundwork for future collaborations between Epstein Department of Industrial and known for her work in optimization— Prior to joining UC Berkeley in 1981, and experts from academia, government and industry to leaders in science, business, law, social sciences and Systems Engineering.” working to prove that a particular Hochbaum held a faculty position” at help work out the solution to the National Academy of the humanities. // Hochbaum’s research ranges from solution is not just good, but as close as Carnegie Mellon University’s Graduate Engineering’s 14 Grand Challenges,” Yortsos says. supply-chain management to efficient possible to being the best. “I try to be School of Industrial Administration The 14 challenges are vast in scope; they encompass utilization of resources, computer algo- an optimizer in whatever I do,” she says (GSIA), now the Tepper School of goals as wide-ranging as preventing nuclear terror, advancing Planning for the National Grand Challenges Summit rithms and discrete optimization. She on her home page, including “baking Business. She earned a Ph.D. from healthcare informatics and providing all global citizens with at USC on October 6-8, 2010 is now underway. has worked on locations of plants and cakes optimally.” the Wharton School of Business at access to clean water. This urgent call to action was sounded For more information, visit bank accounts; on movement of robots; the University of Pennsylvania. // several years ago by the NAE, in partnership with the www.NAEGrandChallengesSummit2010.org on routing and distribution problems; on National Science Foundation. For more detail about the National Academy Students from universities across the nation will be of Engineering’s 14 Grand Challenges, visit invited to participate in the discussion. One of the NAE’s EngineeringChallenges.org. most critical goals is to enhance student interest in engineering and science.

SPRING 2010 viterbi.usc.edu 14 < Particles Particles > 15

Two Viterbi Faculty Receive NSF CAREER Awards Nanophotonics Expert Wins Multi-year grants will enable study of nano-twins, network economics Presidential Award Povinelli wins U.S. Government’s Top Honor for Young Scientists The National Science Foundation has of Grain Boundary Engineering at the Northwestern University and her B.S. awarded two Viterbi assistant profes- Nanoscale,” her research project aims in mechanical engineering from the sors with 2010 Faculty Early Career to further the field of materials devel- University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Michelle L. Povinelli has and Povinelli’s winning proposal was Development awards. opment by studying how to improve Jain, of the Ming Hsieh Department won the U.S. government’s entitled “Optical Forces in Integrated Andrea Hodge and Rahul Jain nanostructured materials in terms of of Electrical Engineering, received a highest honor for scientists Microphotonic Devices.” received these multi-year awards thermal stability and ductility. five-year, $425,000 grant to study the role and engineers beginning “The awards are clearly a proof of in recognition of their exemplary A native of Medellin, Colombia, economic incentives play in the efficient their independent careers. Povinelli’s excellent research ideas and research, leadership and education. Hodge also received a two-year, and reliable operation of the Internet and The assistant profes- direction as well as her excellent accom- Hodge, of the Department $175,000 BRIGE award in 2008 to Wireless infrastructure. sor in the Ming Hsieh plishments so far,” said Eun Sok Kim, Department of Electrical Professor and Chair of EE-Electrophysics. Andrea Hodge Rahul Jain of Aerospace and Mechanical study magnetron sputtering and the Entitled “Network Economics: Engineering, was awarded a five-year, processing of metallic thin films. Her Theory and Architectures for Engineering (EE) has won “The research funds will be instru- $500,000 grant to study the effect of general research focus is processing and Incentive-Engineered Networks,” his a Presidential Early Career mental for her to lay down a solid nano-twins on the grain structure, mechanical behavior at the nano- and project aims to develop a methodology Award for Scientists and Engineers. The foundation for her research programs, behavior and performance of materials. micro-scale of engineered materials. for systematic network architecture Presidential award begins in the summer which we believe will be very impact- Entitled “Exploring Nanoscale Hodge received her Ph.D. in design, taking user and network of 2010 and consists of a $200,000 grant per ful. We are proud of her, and have great Growth Twins for the Development materials science and engineering from provider incentives into account. The year for five years, for a total of $1 million. confidence in her.” end goal is benefiting existing wireless Povinelli will use the award to study Povinelli studies nanophotonics, or the networks and the Internet by improv- “Light Assisted Assembly and Reconfig­ interaction of light with nanostructured and ing their quality of service, increasing uration of Complex Optical Materials microstructured materials. The grants will their capacity and efficiency, and Using Microphotonic Templates,” the jumpstart her goal of building a focused Pinkston Tapped as Senior Associate Dean enhancing their reliability and com- proposal for which she was awarded a experimental effort on the fabrication and mercial viability. three-year $150,000 Army Research characterization of silicon microphotonic he will focus on faculty and student recruitment A native of Chandigarh, India, Jain Office Young Investigator Award last year. devices, including microscale waveguides also received a three-year, $431,000 Povinelli was recommended for the and photonic crystals. Viterbi Dean Yannis C. Yortsos Foundation (NSF). While in Washington, D.C., he man- network science and engineering grant Presidential Award by her Army Research Povinelli says her work involves the has appointed a faculty member aged an award portfolio of approximately $10 million to study how best to enable sharing of Office program manager through the close connection between science and from the Ming Hsieh Department for CISE’s Computer Systems Architecture program wireless spectrum, such as the “white Department of Defense; the White technology; advances in fabrication and of Electrical Engineering (EE) to the and $40 million for CISE’s flagship Expeditions in space” in TV broadcast bands among House’s National Science and Technology synthesis of nanostructured materials con- school’s leadership team. Computing program in its inaugural year. primary and secondary users. His Council makes the final selection. tinuously suggest new scientific questions Timothy Pinkston, who has While at NSF, he served on a number of task forces general research focus is on analysis of The Army grant will be rolled into the as well as new technological applications, more than 16 years of tenure, will and working groups, including CISE’s Strategic Planning communication networks and stochas- Presidential award. she says. serve as senior associate dean of Committee for Broadening Participation in Computing. tic models that arise therein. The Presidential award program was Graduate students are already on engineering. His primary focus will Since returning from NSF in late 2008, Pinkston has Jain received his Ph.D. in electrical commissioned by President Bill Clinton hand to carry out the work. Povinelli has be the enhancement of faculty been on sabbatical, completing “on-going projects engineering and computer sciences and to honor and support the extraordinary recruited four Ph.D. candidates since her and student recruitment, and and laying the groundwork for new research activi- an M.A. in statistics from UC Berkeley; achievements of young professionals at arrival in August 2008, two of whom have retention efforts across the school. ties in the increasingly important area of computer an M.S. in electrical and computer the outset of their research careers in already co-authored papers with her. “Timothy’s appointment systems interconnect architecture.” engineering from Rice University; and a science and technology. According to the Povinelli received a B.A. with reaffirms our commitment to Prior to his NSF appointment, Pinkston served on B.Tech in electrical engineering from the program statement, the award initiative honors in physics from the University of continuously building a strong and diverse body of USC’s Task Force on Graduate Education and chaired Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. // embodies the government’s prioritization Chicago, an M. Phil in physics from the outstanding faculty and students,” says Yortsos. the Dean’s Ad Hoc Committee to Promote Diversity in of maintaining the United States’ global University of Cambridge, and a Ph.D. in Pinkston aims to continue to improve the quality the Viterbi School’s Graduate Programs. He’s also been leadership position in science. physics from the Massachusetts Institute and diversity of our faculty and student body. By casting a past director of EE’s Computer Engineering Division The Presidential award comes only of Technology. She came to the Viterbi a wide net and taking proactive steps to compete at the and former chair of the Viterbi School’s Engineering months after Povinelli won a five- School from Stanford University, where highest levels, we will identify and attract top talent, Faculty Council. year $400,000 Faculty Early Career she performed post-doctoral work in both nationally and internationally,” says Pinkston. Pinkston has published more than 100 technical Development Award from the National the Gintzon Laboratory. She holds the Pinkston recently took a two-year leave from the articles and book chapters on topics related to com- Science Foundation. CAREER awards Women in Science and Engineering Viterbi School to serve as a program director in the puter systems architecture. Pinkston is an IEEE fellow are bestowed in recognition of exem- (WiSE) program Gabilan Assistant Directorate for Computer and Information Science and received his Ph.D. from Stanford. // plary research, leadership and education, Professorship. // and Engineering (CISE) at the National Science

16 < Particles Particles > 17

Loss of a ‘Gentleman and Scholar’: Professor Dave Yen John Brooks Slaughter Joins Viterbi Faculty Teh Fu “Dave” Yen, an each one of the students who went to his developed an inter-metallic filter to engineer-educator is former director of the national science foundation environmental chemist who surprise birthday party,” said Chia-Yu remove sulfur from low-grade oil. was a member of the faculty “Iris” Yang, a doctoral student in envi- Yen produced more than 500 papers John Brooks Slaughter has joined to higher education in 1982 as chancellor of the University at USC for more than 50 ronmental engineering. and was the author, co-author, editor USC as professor of Education and of Maryland and took the job of president of Occidental years, passed away peace- Raised in Kunming, the capital of or co-editor of 26 books. He was a Engineering. College in 1988. At both universities, Slaughter made major fully January 12 in a hospital Yunnan Province in China, Yen received founder of the geochemistry division of Slaughter has had a remark- advancements in the recruitment and retention of African- where he was being treated his B.S. in chemistry from Huachung the American Chemical Society and an ably distinguished career, which American students and faculty. He also taught courses in for a hip fracture and heart problems. (Central China) University, an M.S. editor, founding editor or editorial board began as an electrical engineer and diversity and leadership for one year as Irving R. Melbo He was 83 years old. in chemistry and chemical engineer- member of numerous technical journals. includes leading two universities Professor of Leadership Education at USC, before accepting Yen was a professor in the environ­ ing from West Virginia University, and “He was working on a book even and heading the National Science the position of president and CEO of the National Action mental engineering program in the his Ph.D. in organic chemistry and in the hospital,” said Jean-Pierre Bardet, Foundation (NSF) as its first Council for Minorities in Engineering. Sonny Astani Department of Civil and biochemistry from Virginia Polytechnic professor and chair of the Astani African-American director, among He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering Environmental Engineering and had Institute. After a brief period on the Department. “He was a gentleman and many other accomplishments. and the Hall of Fame of the American Society for served on the USC faculty since 1969. faculty at California State University, a scholar, much-loved by his students, Throughout his career, Slaughter Engineering Education. Slaughter is also a fellow of numer- “Dave Yen was a highly creative geo- Los Angeles, Yen joined the USC and well-known in several areas of has been both a pioneer and an ous organizations, including the American Academy of chemistry researcher who specialized in faculty in 1969 as an associate professor engineering and chemistry.” intrepid advocate for diversity—in Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the developing innovative green technologies,” of biochemistry and chemical and A fellow of the American Institute higher education and in the areas of Advancement of Science. He is the founding editor of the said Viterbi Dean Yannis C. Yortsos. “He environmental engineering. of Chemists and the Institute of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). international journal, Computers & Electrical Engineering. was beloved by his students and deeply He was well-known for his research Petroleum, he received the Distinguished In his new position, Slaughter will be looking at the intersec- Slaughter holds honorary degrees from more than respected by faculty colleagues. We will on the science and technology of Faculty Member Award from the USC tion between engineering and education, with a focus on what 25 institutions, and has received numerous awards, including all miss him greatly.” alternative processes to achieve the envi- Alumni Association in 1975, among has become his lifelong quest of increasing underrepresented the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Award in 1997; UCLA A few days before he died, Yen’s ronmentally benign use of fossil fuels. many other honors. minority participation in the STEM fields. Medal of Excellence in 1989; the first U.S. Black Engineer students visited him at the hospital to He pioneered an innovative process He lived in Altadena, Calif., and is “I was pleased to see strong interest in both the School of the Year award in 1987; and the NSF Distinguished celebrate his 83rd birthday. “He was using bacteria, fungi and other parasites survived by his wife, Shiao Ping. // of Education and the School of Engineering to combine Service Award in 1979. really happy, smiled a lot, talked to to clean up dangerous toxic waste and their interests and work together. That’s rare in higher Slaughter holds a Ph.D. in engineering science from education on most campuses. These two deans have a the University of California, San Diego (1971), an M.S. in common interest,” Slaughter said. “A truly effective STEM engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles effort requires participation by science faculty, engineering (1961), and a B.S. in computer sciences from Kansas State John Cohoon, Longtime USC PR Professional, Passes Away faculty and faculty in the school of education to truly have University (1956). // an impact.” John Cohoon, who worked (ISSM), including communications, create the Viterbi School’s first Web Dean Yannis C. Yortsos of the Viterbi School expressed for USC as a public relations publications, marketing, advertising, site. He was still updating it when he his delight in having Slaughter join his School. “The nation professional for 34 years, events, volunteer activities and fund- fell ill last November. urgently needs to increase the recruitment to engineering, I was pleased passed away January 9 in raising campaigns. “He was the best proofreader I and the retention, of students from all backgrounds. His to see strong interest in both the Pasadena. He was 66 and had In 1997 when ISSM was dissolved, ever met, and his loyalty to USC was impact in this effort will be immediate and significant, both “ been diagnosed with cancer Cohoon briefly served as the marketing extraordinary,” said Cohoon’s supervi- School of Education and the School at the Viterbi School and at the national level,” Yortsos said. the previous November. manager at the Aviation Safety Program sor, Leslie DaCruz, executive director Slaughter began his career in 1956 as an engineer at General of Engineering to combine their “John was an eloquent and masterful (now Aviation Safety and Security), of communications and marketing at Dynamics Convair. In 1960, he joined the United States Naval interests and work together. That’s speechwriter, who cared deeply about USC before joining the external relations the Viterbi School. “The courage and Electronics Laboratory Center in San Diego. After 15 years rare in higher education on most and the Viterbi School,” said Viterbi Dean department at the School of Engineering. determination with which he faced with the Navy, Slaughter embarked on a series of higher- and Yannis C. Yortsos. “He was our institutional He served as a speechwriter for deans health problems in recent years was campuses. These two deans have a higher-profile leadership roles, including assistant director of memory. Every public relations challenge C.L. Max Nikias (now USC Provost) and inspiring to all of us.” the Astronomical, Atmospheric, Earth and Ocean Sciences common interest. that we faced was one that he had already Yortsos. He also created brochures, wrote Cohoon also earned a B.A. degree Directorate of the NSF in Washington, D.C., and academic vice experienced. We will miss him greatly.” news releases, and edited and proofread in international business from Sophia president and provost of Washington State University. Cohoon began working for USC in most publications from external relations. University in Japan. From 1967 to 1972, he In 1980, Slaughter accepted the historic appointment as ” November 1975, the same year that he Although he suffered a serious stroke in was stationed in Japan, in an intelligence the first African-American to direct the NSF. He returned received his M.A. degree in journalism 2003, which left him permanently disabled, unit in the U.S. Army. from the university. For two decades, he continued to work for the Viterbi School Cohoon is survived by his brother, he managed a broad range of public on a part-time basis. Paul, of Brooklyn, N.Y. // relations activities at USC’s Institute Cohoon was proud of teaching for Safety and Systems Management himself HTML coding, so he could help

SPRING 2010 viterbi.usc.edu 18 < Particles Particles > 19

Faculty Accolades Mark Humayun Viterbi professorial awards and achievements Elected to the Institute of Medicine Shang-Hua Teng, the Seeley An ophthalmologist G. Mudd Professor of Computer with a Ph.D. in bio- Science and chair of the Department Julian Andrzej Cyrus Iraj Michael E. medical engineering, of Computer Science at the Viterbi Domaradzki Shahabi Ershaghi Kassner Mark Humayun has School, has been elected a fellow been elected to the of the Association of Computing Julian Andrzej Domaradzki, Terence Langdon, the William prestigious Institute Machinery, its most prestigious mem- professor in the Department of E. Leonhard Professor of Engineering Tzung "John" Theodore Bart Gerhard Shang-Hua P. Daniel of Medicine (IOM) for ber grade, recognizing the top Aerospace and Mechanical in the Department of Aerospace and Hsiai Berger Kosko Kramer Teng Dapkus his groundbreaking 1 percent of members. Teng also won Engineering, has been elected a fellow Mechanical Engineering and a profes- work to restore sight to the blind. the 2009 Delbert Ray Fulkerson Prize, of the American Physical Society (APS). sor of the Mork Family Department of Humayun holds joint appointments as The Viterbi School’s faculty continues to Theodore Berger, David Packard a high honor presented only once Chemical Engineering and Materials a professor of biomedical engineering in distinguish itself with more outstanding Professor of Engineering and professor every three years. Cyrus Shahabi, professor of Science, received the Lee Hsun Lecture the Viterbi School and a professor of oph- awards and honors. of biomedical engineering; and Bart computer science, has been named Award from the Chinese Academy of thalmology, cell and neurobiology at the Kosko and Gerhard Kramer, pro- The International Symposium on one of 84 new distinguished members Sciences Institute for Metals Research Keck School of Medicine of USC and the Tzung “John” Hsiai, associate fessors in the Ming Hsieh Department Compound Semiconductors will of the Association for Computing (IMR) in Shenyang, China. Doheny Eye Institute. He is the inaugural professor of biomedical engineer- of Electrical Engineering, have been present P. Daniel Dapkus, Machinery. holder of the Cornelius J. Pings Chair in ing and cardiovascular medicine, has elected fellows of the Institute of holder of the W. M. Keck Chair of Andrea Armani, assistant Biomedical Sciences. been elected to the American Society Electrical and Electronics Engineers Engineering at the Viterbi School, Iraj Ershaghi, Omar B. Milligan professor of the Mork Family “Mark Humayun’s work brilliantly for Clinical Investigation, one of the (IEEE), the organization’s highest level with the 2009 Welker Award at its Professor of Petroleum Engineering Department of Chemical Engin­ embodies the kind of research that nation’s oldest and most respected of membership and one of its most symposium in summer 2010. The in the Mork Family Department of eering and Materials Science, has technology and engineering enable,” medical honor societies. prestigious honors. The three additions award is given annually to a truly Chemical Engineering and Materials been appointed as the inaugural said Viterbi Dean Yannis C. Yortsos. raise the total number of faculty in the outstanding researcher in the field Science, has won unanimous elec- holder of the Fluor Early Career “The combination of health science and Viterbi School who are IEEE fellows to of compound semiconductors. tion to the board of directors of the Chair in Engineering. technology is promising unprecedented more than 40. Research Partnership to Secure Energy advances in health care, and Mark’s work for America. Hossein Hashemi and Bhaskar underscores this promise.” Krishnamachari were appointed as Humayun’s research projects focus Michael E. Kassner, a profes- inaugural Ming Hsieh Faculty Fellows on the treatment of the most debilitat- sor of aerospace and mechanical in Electrical Engineering. The appoint- ing and challenging eye diseases through Academy Award goes to Viterbi engineering, and chemical engineer- ment recognizes their exceptional advanced engineering. ing and materials science at the distinction and promise as associate Research Professor Paul Debevec He is the director of the National Viterbi School, was recently elected professors in electrical engineering. Science Foundation Biomimetic a fellow of the American Society A research professor in computer award along with three colleagues from LightStage LLC, MicroElectronic Systems Engineering of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Michael Arbib, the Fletcher Jones science whose work involves lighting Sony Pictures Imageworks and WETA Digital. “There just Research Center and of the Department Fellows comprise only 2 percent of Professor of Computer Science, has actors had the spotlight turned on aren’t that many computer scientists who get to bring an of Energy ArtificialR etina Project. ASME’s nearly 100,000 members received another Okawa Foundation him at the Academy of Motion Picture Academy Award back to the office.” Humayun is co-inventor of the retinal worldwide. Kassner is currently on award for his research on a “Computa- Arts and Sciences Awards this year. The Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards honor the prosthesis—an implantable artificial leave serving as director of research tional System for Generating Verbal Paul Debevec received an Academy men, women and companies whose discoveries and innova- retina that has restored partial sight to Presenter and actress Elizabeth at the Office of Naval Research. Descriptions of Visual Scenes, with Scientific andT echnical Award for the tions have contributed in significant, outstanding and lasting blind patients. Banks with Paul Debevec. Constraints from Neurolinguistics.” design and engineering of his Light ways to motion pictures, according to the Academy. Election to the IOM is considered Stage technologies, which have been used to create believable With the success of this year’s blockbuster Avatar, it is one of the highest honors in the fields digital faces for major films includingAvatar , The Curious Case hard to ignore the leading role that digital characters are of health and medicine and recognizes of Benjamin Button and Spider-Man™ 2. taking in films. individuals who have demonstrated out- The award recognizes more than 10 years of research, “The audience that saw Paul Debevec receive his award standing professional achievement and development and application of technologies designed to was remarkable: an amazing gathering of technical and commitment to service. help achieve the goal of photoreal digital actors who can artistic creativity, paying tribute to the best of their own,” “I am extremely honored,” Humayun appear in any lighting condition. said Viterbi Dean Yannis C. Yortsos, who attended the awards said. “I would like to thank my colleagues “It’s an incredible thrill to have the results of our work ceremony. “I’m enormously proud that one of the honorees is and my family for their support, and I Hossein Bhaskar Michael recognized in this way,” said Debevec, who accepted the in the faculty of the Viterbi School.”// Terence Andrea am looking forward to contributing as a Langdon Armani Hashemi Krishnamachari Arbib member to the Institute of Medicine.” //

SPRING 2010 viterbi.usc.edu 20 < Photo essay Photo Essay > 21 Homecoming 2009 Margaritas and Mingling for Viterbi School’s Best-attended Picnic To Date.

Nearly 500 Viterbi alumni and friends gathered on campus for the Viterbi School’s 2009 annual Homecoming

picnic. Attendees began lining up at 8:30 a.m. for admission, hours before USC faced Stanford at Los Angeles

Memorial Coliseum. Picnic food and drinks were plentiful: Margaritas, wine and beer, along with barbecue 4 chicken, egg and chorizo burritos, and fruit salads were on offer. A raffle brought in nearly $1,200 for Viterbi

student scholarships, and winners walked away with prizes ranging from school sweatshirts and notepads

to USC football highlights DVDs. Many generations of alums and future alums were on hand, including

grandparents, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Viterbi Dean Yannis C. Yortsos stopped in to greet alumni

and friends. “Homecoming is always my favorite time of year,” says Alumni Relations Coordinator Kathleen Concialdi.

“It brings everyone back to campus, to catch up with old friends and make new ones.” //

5 6

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PHOTO CAPTIONS: 1. Alumni and friends begin lining up at 8:30 am for admission | 2. Viterbi staff register and greet picnic attendees | 3. Viterbi Homecoming picnic tables set up outside Doheny Library | 4. Bill Krenz (BSChE ’50) | 5. Lawrence Tenn (MSME ’65) and Lydia Tenn | 6. Viterbi Biomedical Engineering Professor Ted Berger, Dean Yannis Yortsos, USC Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology Roberta Brinton | 7. Future Viterbi grads, perhaps? | 8. Lou Islander (BSME ’57, MSME ’62) | 9. Stephen Fryer (BSME ’60), Stephanie Fryer and Niles Pederson

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SPRING 2010 viterbi.usc.edu Peer Review > 23 Peer Review Autonomous, Submersible and Networked Navy Taps Viterbi Professor to Lead Underwater Research Effort New Sensor to Detect Heart Attack Plaque new technology could be integrated into existing imaging platform is much more challenging, due to bandwidth limitations. Using energy efficiently and selecting the best source of power for the autonomous vehicles are additional issues. Angiograms, the images made when catheters are “Where are you going to recharge your batteries when inserted through the groin and threaded into the arteries you’re 200 meters down in the ocean?” Mitra asks. feeding the heart, offer clinicians an inside view of the lumen Another challenge? “We can’t put sensors everywhere,” of these blood vessels and reveal plaque deposits. But they says Narayanan. “There’s also the question of how to cannot distinguish between the different kinds of plaque. process information while requiring the least amount “Distinguishing stable from unstable plaque remains of human intervention possible.” an unmet clinical challenge,” says Hsiai, who holds both Ideally, the networked vehicles’ exploration will M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. “Coronary artery disease is be guided by what they measure. Central to that task is rising worldwide because of changes in diet in developing programming them to make the right decisions about nations, and parallel increases in obesity and diabetes in Urbashi “Ubli” Mitra and Shrikanth Narayanan. what to do next, over long ranges, with almost no error. the West.” “What’s the proper algorithm, the best sequence of In his laboratory, he has developed a new MicroElectro- magine you let loose a dozen robots into the ocean. instructions?” asks Sukhatme. “These are some of the Mechanical System (MEMS) sensor that uses minute heat The launch is easy. What’s harder is figuring out issues we will be exploring.” perturbations as a proxy for blood flow and detects changes how best to program this “search party” to collect in bulk resistance for plaque characteristics. He has shown I data, communicate with each other underwater and send that the sensor can distinguish between stable and unstable information home to the mother ship. plaque in laboratory examinations of specimens of plaque- The Office of Naval Research has awarded a trio of clogged arteries extracted from rabbits fed a special diet to Viterbi faculty members a three-year grant to find an effec- produce plaque. The same sensor can also be configured to tive way to use such a network of autonomous vehicles in measure the forces on the artery walls produced by blood dynamic environments, using advanced sensing technology. flows, identifying spots where back currents could promote Urbashi Mitra, a professor of the Ming Hsieh plaque formation. Tzung “John” Hsiai in his laboratory at the Viterbi School. Department of Electrical Engineering and a world- Hsiai says that the next step in the project will be to renowned authority on wireless communications, is the lead embed the MEMS sensors into catheters and show that principal investigator. Her novel effort is the first to tackle eart attack is the leading cause of death in the they can accurately make the same distinctions, first in such a myriad of challenges in an underwater environment. United States, accounting for approximately animals and then in humans. “This project is a major undertaking,” says Mitra. “It one-fifth of total annual mortality, says Tzung Gaurav Sukhatme with a robot prototype. H requires an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to “John” Hsiai, a physician and associate professor in the develop a holistic solution to the problems of joint sensing, The team isn’t developing the actual autonomous Viterbi School. Hsiai is developing a new tool to help clini- classification, communication and control.” vehicles, at least not yet. Instead, it’s focusing on working cians distinguish cardiac emergencies requiring immediate Distinguishing stable Working on Mitra’s team are two professors with critical out the theory behind the networked systems. However, surgery from chronic problems that can be managed with from unstable plaque remains an unmet areas of expertise. Gaurav Sukhatme, a computer scientist Sukhatme’s lab has long specialized in autonomous seagoing drugs and a lifestyle change. “ who is a specialist in robotics and autonomous vehicles, has robots and may later test the team’s work. Most heart attacks occur when plaque—a dangerous clinical challenge. experience in underwater research; Shrikanth Narayanan, with Graduate students from Mitra and Sukhatme’s research fatty deposit that builds up on the interior surface, or lumen, appointments in electrical engineering, computer science, groups are currently collaborating to instrument Sukhatme’s of the blood vessels in the heart—dislodges and subse- ” linguistics and psychology, is an expert in sensing and robotic boats with Mitra’s underwater acoustic transducers, quently causes a blockage further downstream in the artery. Hsiai’s lab recently received support to pursue the classification systems, and will also incorporate his research so that the boats can “talk” underwater. This produces a decrease in blood supply that severely dam- research through American Recovery and Reinvestment on the underlying language structure of human speech. Potential applications encompass civilian, military and ages heart-muscle tissue. Act (ARRA) funds from the National Institutes of Health. The three are collaborating with researchers from MIT, industrial uses. Deploying a large number of networked, Hsiai explains that plaque comes in different forms: Hsiai directs the USC Cardiovascular Research Core in the Northeastern University and The Woods Hole Oceanographic autonomous vehicles can help identify underwater mines, Some plaques are metabolically stable and firmly fixed in Viterbi School Department of Biomedical Engineering. Institution. USC undergraduate and graduate students will collect data for environmental impact assessments, and the lumen. These can be treated with diet, exercise and Graduate students Fei Yu and Lisong Ai have co-authored also contribute. improve navigation systems for ships and submarines. medication. Other plaques are less viscous and pose a high presentations on the work. // There are a host of challenges central to communicating Ultimately, such systems may one day help chart the risk to break loose and cause heart attacks. These require in an underwater domain. Radio-based technologies, such deep, unknown depths of the ocean. immediate primary coronary intervention in the form of as those found in cell phones, are not effective. While sound “Right now, we have a better map of Mars than of angioplasty or heart bypass surgery. can be used to transmit signals underwater, sending video the ocean bottom,” says Sukhatme. //

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Our world today would be unimaginable without energy on demand—power at our fingertips to fuel everything from computers and appliances to motorcycles and The V terbi jetliners. Modern civilization depends on it, yet the 21st century presents a myriad of challenges concerning energy. Where will the power we need come from? How much will it cost? Will there be enough to sustain a rapidly expanding world? And can it be harnessed with the least amount of harm to the environment? Indeed, Energy energy issues have emerged as one of the key grand challenges facing our society. Policymakers and scientists alike consider meeting these challenges as nothing less than fundamental to a global economic recovery—the key to the sustainability question. Enter the engineering disciplines. They are fundamental to answering ablea these questions and providing solutions to a sustainable future. There’s nothing accidental about the connection between energy and engineering: Extracting useful amounts of energy requires vast technical and scientific know-how.

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the energy they use (and they use almost 20 percent of all the electricity produced in the United States). The now more widely used fluorescent bulbs are much more efficient, but also contain toxic mercury. LEDs can be twice as efficient as fluorescents, but cost 10 times as much at present. Dapkus and Thompson want to narrow or The Promise of Nano: eliminate this differential. The EFRC team Dapkus and Thompson have assem- Big Benefits in Tiny Packages bled brings a wide range of skills to the job, and include the following members: Imagine a world where solar rooftop panels that can easily power a home, and flat three-watt panels that can illuminate • John O’Brien of Ming Hsieh (EE) a room, are not a novelty. Rather, they’re affordable and • Steve Cronin and Chongwu Zhou, who have readily available at Home Depot or Wal-Mart. joint appointments in Mork (ChE/MS) and The science of nanotechnology is helping to make Ming Hsieh (EE) this vision a reality, and ongoing Viterbi School research • Jia Grace Lu, with joint appointments in the USC is paving the way. College Department of Physics and Astronomy Nanotechnology focuses on scientific process at the and Ming Hsieh (EE) level of atoms and molecules, and its application to energy • Priya Vashishta, Rajiv Kalia, and Aiichiro Nakano, issues has extraordinary potential. This year, the Viterbi with appointments in Physics and Astronomy, and in the School’s efforts in the nanotechnology field received a Viterbi School Department of Computer Science (CS) major boost with an award of a five-year, $12.5 million • Richard Brutchey, Barry Thompson and Steve Bradforth, Department of Energy (DOE) grant establishing an Energy all of the USC College Department of Chemistry Frontier Research Center (EFRC). P. Daniel Dapkus, of The concept of energy itself is simple. Energy is stored “Smart solutions in the information age demand the use of The EFRC efforts are not the only Viterbi pursuits of the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering within matter in multiple ways: through mechanical motion information-age tools. These tools are in our hands, and we innovative solar power technologies. Denis Phares and Hai (EE) and the Mork Family Department of Chemical (kinetic energy), relative altitude (gravitational potential need to use them.” Wang, of the Viterbi School’s Department of Aerospace and Engineering and Materials Science (ChE/MS), will direct energy), and its thermal, chemical and nuclear states (internal One of these tools—nanotechnology—enhances the Mechanical Engineering (AME), are working on developing the new EFRC, which has a dual focus: applying nanotech- energy). The variety of forms enables a broad portfolio traditional engineering and scientific fields of physics and a unitary panel that can be laid out in large thin films, able nology to address the challenges of solar energy conversion of energy options: wind and wave (kinetic), hydroelectric chemistry by enabling manipulation of substances at the to cover large areas quickly, efficiently and cheaply. and efficient illumination. (potential), fossil or bio fuels (internal), and nuclear (internal). atomic level to create new materials with new properties. In The fabrication method involves burning titanium “Light emission and light absorption are inverse What’s complex is the process of extracting or transform- nanotechnology lies the promise of ingenious new materials oxide—an inexpensive and nontoxic material used as a processes,” says Dapkus, “and many of the same materials ing the matter’s energy content. The engineered processes and devices to help harness emerging sources of energy, white paint pigment—and depositing the particles on a useful for solar cells are also potential light-emitters, which that enable this transformation and release energy that such as solar. specially prepared surface, where chemical reactions make can be useful in producing low-cost renewable energy, and we can subsequently harness are varied and multifaceted, Informatics, another tool, employs computing power to it into a solar-sensitive material. The results so far are conserving energy in lighting as well.” including combustion, nuclear reaction and photonic-elec- analyze patterns previously too complicated to understand. “highly promising,” says Wang, who directs the Viterbi An internationally recognized expert in the field, trical conversions. What also complicates the issue is that For example, informatics can monitor the second-by-second Combustion Kinetic Laboratory. Dapkus says the goal of his project is not journal papers or sources of energy that may be superior in terms of energy changes in a huge system, like a city’s power grid to optimize theories—but more efficient and affordable solar cells and content—such as the fossil fuels coal, oil and gas—contrib- efficiency and to provide instant feedback and control. light-emitting diodes (LEDs). ute to a carbon imbalance in the atmosphere if their carbon The stories in this article detail how researchers at the The best existing solar cells convert about 40 percent is not recaptured. Other byproducts, such as nuclear waste, Viterbi School are now attacking a whole range of energy of light energy that falls on them to electricity and are must be safeguarded for thousands of years. Inefficiencies and energy-environmental issues, aided by these technologies extremely expensive. “We’ve set as our goal solar cells that solar cells are another key concern involving the capture, conversion and supported by research funds from both private and public We’ve set as our goal are as efficient as 50 percent but are much cheaper,” says and utilization of energy; they alone account for as much as sources. They will show how research is boosting supply, that are as efficient as 50 percent but are much cheaper. Dapkus. “These would produce power as cost-effective 30 to 40 percent of the global energy flow. decreasing demand, addressing environmental burdens and “ as that now generated from burning coal. That’s a difficult These would produce power as cost-effective as that now The good news? Humankind possesses the tools to increasing livability. Indeed, stewardship and cultivation of challenge, but that’s our goal.” create the innovations that will solve these problems. “The our energy resources, with the protection of the planet as a generated from burning coal. That's a difficult challenge, “If it does not leave academe, we have not been a breathtaking advances in information technology in the paramount objective, will require nothing less than the most success,” adds Mark Thompson, (ChE/MS), who was also but that’s our goal. recent decade, and the continuous unlocking of mysteries creative scientific and technological breakthroughs. instrumental in bringing the DOE grant to USC. at the nano- and molecular scales, promise unprecedented The scientists’ goals for better LEDs are similarly P. Daniel Dapkus, director, energy frontier research center discoveries that will lead to a much-needed overhaul of ” ambitious. Standard incandescent bulbs waste most of the energy field,” says Viterbi Dean Yannis C. Yortsos.

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To model these phenomena, scientists like Wang Another thrust is Ronney’s work with Martin Gundersen and Fokion Egolfopoulos (also of AME) must make some (EE) on a new way to ignite fuels in engines using “pulsed simplifying assumptions, rather than just plugging in set power.” These are very short bursts of high-energy radio variables. Despite the obstacles, they recently recorded a waves; in experimental engines, pulsed power units replace big research win in combustion modeling: They showed a spark plugs or other traditional ignition devices. Gundersen The Smart Grid is a blending of IT infra- model of how jet fuel behaves when it is burned in turbines, has studied pulsed power for more than a decade, and his structure with the power infrastructure, while at CiSoft we like jet engines, opening a new area to computer modeling. latest research initiative involves working with Egolfopoulos“ Burning Brighter: Other challenges to combustion research remain. to reduce the emissions from marine diesel engines. combined IT with an oil and gas infrastructure. We are employing Engineering Flames Engineers have been working with diesel oil for many Gundersen will focus on developing lab-scale prototype digital feedback and control to the system, ultimately, to be able decades, says Egolfopoulos, and have discovered ways transient plasma ignition (TPI) equipment to achieve more What about the process of combustion itself? Can it to optimize its performance. However, new fuels now complete combustion, while Egolfopoulos will analyze and to manage a more efficient (and more secure) system. These be better managed or streamlined to conserve energy? coming into use—such as vegetable oil (biodiesel)—have compare the efficiency of and pollutants resulting from both On the surface, nothing seems more simple than a demonstrations are not really traditional academic research different properties and call for different optimization compression ignition and TPI. The work will be housed at flame; striking a match produces an effect that all under- paths. (Theodore Tsotsis (ChE/MS) is also involved in USC’s new TCC Institute for Emissions Reduction from programs, but demonstrations of new applications, complex stand. Yet in combustion, there’s much more than meets combustion research.) Marine Diesel Engines. the eye, a “much more” that a large group of Viterbi systems integration, and customer behavioral response. As a part of yet another EFRC—headquartered at the Ronney’s final area of research involves a type of researchers have long played a key role in researching. University of Delaware—Wang is exploring ways to make combustion that has nothing to do with flame. Working DONALD PAUL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE USC ENERGY INSTITUTE Indeed, the Viterbi School is examining every stage of the ” good-quality gasoline fuels from vegetable oil by catalysis. with geobiologist Ken Nealson of the College, Ronney combustion process, from burning fuels more efficiently to Emissions from combustion are another major concern. is studying how a bacterium Nealson discovered might better addressing the harmful byproducts of combustion, The burning of many liquid fuels produces soot, a byproduct become a new, more efficient basis for microbial fuel cells. The Viterbi School has been tapped to find out. The such as smoke, soot and greenhouse gases. that results partly from incomplete combustion and partly These bacteria “burn” metals, such as iron and manganese, USC campus will be outfitted as a laboratory of sorts—a This effort is fundamental to solving the energy prob- from unburnable components that come out in exhaust; Wang to produce energy; and microbial fuel cells could leverage microcosm of an entire city–for part of a $120 million Smart lem, because more than 80 percent of the world’s energy is carrying on major research initiatives in this area to study this metal consumption to generate electrical potential. Grid demonstration project conducted by the Los Angeles production and use is based on combustion. “Combustion ways to minimize soot, as well as its effects on climate change. Florian Mansfeld (AME) is also collaborating on this effort. Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and supported is ubiquitous in traditional energy conversion systems, such At the same time, Constantinos Sioutas, of the Sonny by the Department of Energy. as automotive engines, stationary and aircraft gas turbines, Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineer- “We will be using the entire USC campus as a living rocket and space propulsion, electrical power generation, ing (CEE), is leading the effort to measure the concentra- experiment—a test bed,” says Donald Paul, executive industrial furnaces, and home and institutional space heat- tion of soot in the air and determine the health conse- director of the university-wide initiative, USC Energy ing,” notes the AME Web page for combustion research. quences of living in areas where large numbers of trucks Institute, which will coordinate the effort. Paul, a Viterbi A Viterbi collaboration with another EFRC—headquar- pass in and out. Wildfires also produce soot, and Sioutas has research professor of engineering, is also the former chief tered at Princeton University—is studying the way fuels burn found that they produce levels that are much higher and technology officer of Chevron Corporation. in unprecedented detail, and will examine the combustion potentially more dangerous than previously thought. Using advanced information technology, the project process from “fundamentals to multiscale predictive models,” As engines burn most of the fuel consumed worldwide, will monitor energy consumption in campus residence halls, particularly for 21st century transportation fuels. the Viterbi School is looking at ways to make them more laboratories, office buildings, classrooms, gymnasiums, Because while flames are familiar, analysis of all the More Energy-Efficient efficient and less polluting. Paul Ronney (AME) has studied theaters, restaurants and other buildings. It will also test new factors that affect their properties is dauntingly difficult. combustion in all kinds of environments, including space. Buildings and Cities: cyber-security technologies and measure how plug-in electric Its investigator is required to bring together at least three (Ronney qualified to be an astronaut and sent several vehicles impact energy flow, among other initiatives. All the different physical realms—the flow behavior of gases, their USC as a Smart Grid Test Bed experimental kits on a shuttle launch to investigate zero- while, the campus project needs to demonstrate real-world chemical properties, and the effect of the radiant energy gravity combustion.) Part of the solution to the energy conundrum involves mak- complexity and be sufficient in size, so that it will scale well produced by the combustion on the process. Fifteen years ago, Ronney developed a new, more ing its use more efficient—using less energy to begin with. for commercial use, according to Paul. efficient thermal throttle for gasoline car engines. More A much-touted means to this end is the Smart Grid, which An added benefit to being selected as a test site is that recently, he has been working in three different directions deploys digital technology to help reduce cost, conserve as one of LADWP’s largest customers, USC will be able to regarding engines. One area is micro-engines, tiny devices energy and increase transparency in the energy system. “get out in front” of the smart grid implementation that’s in that burn fuel and can replace batteries in handheld and But many questions remain, such as whether consumers every energy consumer’s future, says Paul. Combustion is ubiquitous in smaller applications. This is significant, Ronney says, be- are able to take full advantage of a world where appliances Paul will bring the expertise gleaned from a five-year traditional energy conversion systems, such as automotive cause hydrocarbon fuels store 50 times as much energy “talk back,” and information about energy usage is king. collaboration between the Viterbi School and Chevron “ as the same weight of the best available batteries. “So we And more importantly, how best should such a world be research scientists, known as the Center for Interactive engines, stationary and aircraft gas turbines, rocket and space could potentially have laptops that last more than a week scaled up for deployment on a commercial level? Smart Oilfield Technologies (CiSoft). propulsion, electrical power generation, industrial furnaces, on battery power, or cell phones that last a month on one Indeed, CiSoft scientists have long studied how best charge,” says Ronney. to deploy the use of information technology to better and home and institutional space heating. solve a wide variety of oil and gas engineering and field ” management problems. SPRING 2010 viterbi .usc.edu 30 < FEATURES Features > 31

“The Smart Grid,” Paul says, “is a blending of IT Other Viterbi School specialists will be involved, as well as Composite Technology Corporation of Irvine, Calif., has At the time of CiSoft’s founding, Ershaghi, who holds infrastructure with the power infrastructure, while at CiSoft investigators from the College, the Keck School of Medicine, developed a composite cable consisting of a lightweight the Viterbi School’s Omar B. Milligan Chair, was already a we combined IT with an oil and gas infrastructure. We the Marshall School of Business, the School of Policy, core of carbon and glass fiber, surrounded by aluminum longtime specialist in using informatics to coax more petro- are employing digital feedback and control to the system, Planning, and Development, and the School of Architecture. wires. Such cables are lighter, easier to handle, and can leum out of the ground by combining detailed knowledge ultimately, to be able to manage a more efficient (and more Smart Grids are extremely complex systems, and carry up to twice the amount of energy in the same diam- of the underground gas and oil deposits with improving secure) system. These demonstrations are not really another step in the energy conservation crusade is how best eter cable. physical production tools, such as pressure maintenance traditional academic research programs, but demonstrations to work in elements of uncertainty and address difficult- Finally, as automotive transport counts among society’s and fluid displacement processes. of new applications, complex systems integration and to-predict risks of internal failure. That’s where Roger most energy-intensive uses, Viterbi researchers are helping CiSoft expanded Ershaghi’s vision with a unique customer behavioral response.” Ghanem (AME) steps in; his latest project aims to predict to find ways to move people and goods more efficiently. Part structure. Chevron engineers with real-world oil-extraction The Viterbi School will play a prominent role in yet grid behavior and manage risk at the point of intersection of this effort involves the METRANS project, created in problems reached out to the Viterbi faculty to find expertise another Smart Grid project, this one sponsored by Southern between networks, such as Smart Grids and social and 1998, in which the Viterbi School partners with the School of and create an exemplary model of interdisciplinary research. California Edison. The SoCal Edison effort will incorporate other infrastructure networks. Policy, Planning, and Development. Now, some 80 Viterbi professors, post-docs and graduate the work of Viterbi researchers, such as Clifford Neuman of And, of course, creating and controlling such networks— Petros Iaonnou (EE) serves as METRANS’ associate students are addressing or have addressed a huge range of the Information Sciences Institute (ISI). which are often spread out geographically—has long been a director of research, and a major focus of his work is traffic-flow oil and gas field management problems using advances in Neuman’s grid security research explores how best to Viterbi School strength. ISI’s role in developing the Internet modeling and developing concepts for an automated highway information technology. To call the effort interdisciplinary is keep computers and databases safe from malicious intrusion, is one example; ISI Fellow Carl Kesselman’s role in co- system, in which computer controls in vehicles might be able an understatement: Only a small number of these research- and is now expanding his research focus to include what he developing grid computing is another. to use existing highway space more efficiently. ers are from specialties dealing with petroleum engineering, calls “cyber-physical” systems. Such systems are vulnerable Other Viterbi scientists are looking at buildings, home This work is particularly important in Southern California, or even chemical engineering and materials science. Many not only to hacker electronic attacks, but also to electronic construction, road-building and other urban structures one of the most congested metropolitan areas in the country. more are from computer science, electrical engineering and jolts and shoves, planned physical destruction or alteration of and institutions, focusing on whether informatics can make systems engineering. components that could cause severe systemwide disruptions. them more energy-efficient. Massoud Pedram (CS) is The continuing flow of CiSoft papers—more than “An attacker does not need to break into the computer,” tackling computing and data storage centers—which 50 in just the last two years—attests to the range of Neuman noted in a recent paper, “to affect such a system, but consume a tremendous amount of energy for computation research. One example: Viktor Prasanna (EE), who will could cause a coordinated series of physical actions that are and cooling needs. play a leading role in the SmartGrid projects, collaborated sensed and make the system respond in an unexpected man- Pedram has published a series of papers on “Green on “Semantic Web Technologies for Smart Oil Field ner. How one protects such systems from this kind of attack Data Centers,” or data storage facilities that are efficient Applications,” “Workflow Instance Detection: Toward a requires an understanding of the system and its responses, not and minimize environmental impact. He has focused on Knowledge Capture Methodology for Smart Oilfields,” “A the typical computer security defense mechanisms.” finding ways to predict and distribute computing load in Framework for Design Space Exploration in Oilfield Asset For both Smart Grid projects, USC and the Viterbi ways that reduce energy cost and minimize the carbon foot- Development,” and several more papers in 2008 alone. School will collaborate with a number of partners, includ- print of information processing systems. He’s also worked Optimizing The Earth’s Another component of CiSoft research involves the work ing UCLA, Caltech/JPL and UC Irvine, to create prototype on minimizing the energy required to cool these giant data Energy Resources of John Heidemann and Wei Yu, both of ISI, who have been systems designed to reduce energy use and decrease the risk centers and power central servers. working in recent years to model a new way to keep track of of power outages from technical and malicious causes. Viktor And in the green building arena, Burcin Becerik- Finding energy sources, including fossil fuels, and improv- underwater oilfields, using low-power sensors. Such sensors Prasanna (EE, CS), Gordon Roesler (ISI) and Julie Albright Gerber (CEE) is focusing on streamlining management ing methods of tapping into them, have long been a Viterbi will take advantage of the excellent sound-carrying capabili- of the College Department of Sociology will play lead roles techniques in the construction process to maximize time, School strength, particularly in the area of petroleum ties of water to communicate with each other using sound, in the USC efforts. (Peter Will, of ISI, helped to form the save costs and reduce energy use. engineering. In recent years, the school has expanded on rather than radio. Resolving the communication issues of project before his retirement in December 2009.) In a current study, Becerik-Gerber is trying to measure this strength, adding new informatics techniques to both such sensors helps with the remote managing of deepwater how accurately the energy models used by her Building broaden and deepen its expertise. resources, especially under rough weather conditions. They Information Modeling (BIM) system reflect actual building The school has not only greatly improved oil-recovery can also aid environmental monitoring of underwater struc- performance. “We want to compare these technologies and technology, but also has expanded into newer areas, such as tures in oceans, lakes and rivers. to compare these technologies and strategies strategies with actual building performances and human gas and geothermal, explored how best to sequester carbon Applying signal processing techniques to underground We want comfort factors,” Becerik-Gerber says. “We hope to get dioxide produced by combustion, and even looked at har- mapping is another significant CiSoft effort in energy recov- with actual building performances and human comfort factors. insight into correlations between energy consumption and vesting electrical energy from the waves breaking along the ery. Antonio Ortega (EE) and Jerry Mendel (EE) published “ comfort, building design and comfort, and building design California coast. two papers proposing different ways to map underground We hope to get insight into correlations between energy consump- and energy consumption.” A leading example in this area, again, is CiSoft. Chevron fracture patterns in oil-bearing geological structures, using tion and comfort, building design and comfort, and building Other Viterbi research has wide-ranging energy came to USC for this partnership because of the strengths advanced signal processing techniques. Craig Knoblock and design and energy consumption. implications. Take transmission, for example. Deploying a of the school’s petroleum engineering program and informa- Cyrus Shahabi (both CS) are developing innovative subsur- different type of cable for transmission lines may become a tion technology prowess. The corporation was also attracted face mapping and data management algorithms. BURCIN BECERIk-gerber, usc viterbi school” critical conservation strategy; the power grid has tradition- to the pioneering research of that department’s director, Iraj ally been comprised of plain, insulated steel-supported Ershaghi (ChE/MS), its faculty, and the expertise of other aluminum wires. Steve Nutt (ChE/MS) of the M.C. Gill researchers in the areas of information technology and inte- Foundation Composites Center, in conjunction with the grated media systems.

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Energy and sustainability are the critical The most exciting news? New technologies may soon From the CEO’s Office: issues of our future, and indeed, we at Viterbi are attacking allow capture of yet-untapped potential sources of energy. “ The newest ISI project leader is Gordon Roesler, a former the problem on all possible fronts. Navy submarine officer who is creating a new Center for Talking Energy with Alan Fohrer dean yannis c. yortsos, usc viterbi school of engineering Energy Informatics and Systems at ISI, while leading the ” Smart Grid efforts. Additionally, Roesler has his eye on energy capture from This Trojan believes that puzzling out Originally, Fohrer planned to stay “no more than three Some of the innovations developed at CiSoft have waves, a technology which has the potential, “if applied to the solution to the world’s energy prob- years” when he started at Edison. He planned on a Ph.D. already found their path to prototyping. These include the the Pacific Coast alone, to provide the equivalent of five lems begins in Southern California. and an academic career. But Edison made it very hard to “Concurrent Water Collection” developed by Behrokh nuclear power plants’ worth of completely clean energy, at Southern California Edison chairman leave, providing tuition for his M.S., and also an M.B.A. Khoshnevis, of the Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial a far higher reliability level than wind and solar energy,” and CEO Alan Fohrer (BSCE ’73, MSCE from Cal State Los Angeles. After an executive training and Systems Engineering, for dewatering gas wells, and according to a Center announcement. Roesler’s earlier work ’76) hopes to advance the national energy program and a year in finance, he learned that he not only visualization schemes by Ulrich Neumann (CS) that help oil with waves included developing a new system for steering conversation by facilitating a collaboration enjoyed working on big projects, but also liked the “people” producers better understand underground structures. small boats that took wave forces into account to make them between academia and industry. aspect of management. “That led me on a different career Besides Chevron, The Energy Corporation of America more maneuverable. Alan Fohrer “It’s an exciting time to be an engi- path,” Fohrer says. also has stepped up to fund ongoing research at the Viterbi And the Center will have a much broader focus than neer,” says Fohrer during an in-depth conversation from Today, he enjoys donning a hard hat and heading out School. The Energy Corporation—which owns and oper- just ocean waves; besides the Smart Grid efforts, Venkata Edison’s corporate offices in Rosemead, Calif. “I think the of the executive suite to Edison plants. Precious free time ates more than 5,000 gas and oil wells in the United States Pingali of ISI is now developing a “carbon intelligence tool” energy industry is going to change more in the next 10 years is spent with his family or on the golf course with two of his (and whose chief executive, John Mork, is the namesake to help businesses get more detailed information about than it has in the last 30 or 40.” three sons. He also goes to Catalina Island for a week each of the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering their energy use. In 2009, Edison and USC sponsored two meetings summer to camp, hike and canoe with his youngest son’s and Materials Science)—is funding basic research led by Finally, substantial attention is being devoted to of the inaugural Southern California Smart Grid Research Eagle Scout troop. Kristian Jessen (ChE/MS) and his colleagues on optimizing another major energy technology—carbon sequestration, Symposium. Nearly 200 experts from industry and aca- Fohrer is a member of the Viterbi School’s Board of gas production from “tight” shale deposits. or the long-term storage of CO2 and other forms of carbon demia gathered to discuss how to meet challenges by using Councilors. Through the Edison Challenge, the company Jessen is concentrating on improving techniques to to lessen the impact of global warming. Fossil fuel combus- the smart grid concept, which aims to reduce dependence also sponsors science contests at high schools throughout extract gas from these shales, techniques which have vastly tion releases enormous quantities of carbon dioxide, to a on fossil fuels and increase efficiency. Southern California. boosted the estimated size of recoverable U.S. gas energy first approximation, of nearly four pounds of CO2 for every Edison has pushed ahead by distributing 5 million His Trojan roots run deep; Fohrer’s wife attended the reserves. Jessen’s mission is to push the edge further, pound of coal burned. smart meters to its customers that will “literally commu- USC Marshall School of Business, as did his two eldest carry out advanced work leading to improved imaging and Energy theorists have discussed a wide range of pos- nicate with their appliances,” says Fohrer. The goal? To sons. He jokes that he “lost” his daughter to Georgetown modeling of the gas resources, and increase the productivity sibilities, including injecting the CO2 produced by burning reduce peak power consumption by an estimated 1,000 University, but is working on imbuing his youngest son— and recovery from such reservoirs by better understanding coal back into the earth and locking it up. The Viterbi megawatts—about the output of one major power plant. currently in high school—with some Trojan pride. underground structures. School’s Don Zhang (CE, ChE/MS), who holds the Gordon Renewable energy credits and electric vehicles also “He seems to really like engineering, and USC would The use of these new subsurface imaging techniques S. Marshall Professorship in Engineering Technology, has figure prominently among Fohrer’s priorities, as does be at the top of his list, I’d hope,” says Fohrer. is not limited to fossil fuels like gas and oil, however. Fred been looking into the issue; indeed, known geological building a sufficient network of transmission lines to He’s happy that USC supplies Edison with some of Aminzadeh (ChE/MS), who teaches one of the Smart formations (underground saline aquifers) could potentially connect renewable power sources with customers—who the company’s most promising employees. Oilfield Technology courses and carries on research on soft store 150 years’ worth of CO2 emissions at the planet’s often live miles away. “Although we occasionally hire students from the computing, recently received $1.5 million in stimulus fund- current production level. But the practical problems are The father of four chuckles that he has “no idea” ‘other’ school,” he jokes, “it pains us to do so.” // ing from the Department of Energy to carry out 3-D imaging formidable. The capture must be tight: leakage of even 1 how he ascended to the helm of one of the country’s most and mapping of the Geysers Geothermal Field in Northern percent per year would be unacceptable, Zhang says. prominent utilities, but says USC helped pave the way. California. The work will be accomplished in collaboration Zhang’s research agenda got a big boost this year, Among the first in his family to go to college, Fohrer with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the with $2 million awarded to him and Jessen from Stanford grew up in the small town of Hobart, Ind., in the “shadow Geysers Power Company, LLC, a subsidiary of Calpine and University’s Global Climate and Energy Project, to work on of the Golden Dome” at the University of Notre Dame. the operator of existing geothermal power plants in the area. these issues with Peking University and China University “Notre Dame was originally my first choice,” he says, It’s an exciting time to be an engineer. Aminzadeh’s objective is to develop new methodologies of Geosciences at Wuhan. The effort will focus on applica- “but then USC gave me scholarships, and I decided I liked I think the energy industry is going to change more in the to characterize the northwestern part of the Geysers reser- tions in China, the world’s largest producer and consumer of being a Trojan.” “ voir; to gain better knowledge of its porosity, permeability, coal. Zhang will direct a group that includes 39 researchers Fohrer started in aerospace engineering, but gravitated next 10 years than it has in the last 30 or 40. fracture size, fracture spacing, reservoir discontinuities in the United States and China, including Jessen. toward the civil/structural classes. “I liked understanding  ALAN FOHRER, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON CHAIRMAN AND CEO (leaky barriers), and impermeable boundaries in order to This collaboration is important, as the world needs to come how bridges and planes worked, but I was never good at ” prolong the life of the field; and to explore more effective together to tackle the problem of carbon dioxide emissions and building things,” he jokes. “My wife likes to say that I’m heat recovery by water injection. global warming, says Yortsos. the least mechanical engineer she’s ever met.” “Energy and sustainability are the critical issues of our future,” says Yortsos, “and we are attacking the problem on all possible fronts.” //

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“Medicine is very observational and very statistical,” Sanger explains. “We’ve got this evidence base; we see that for Fixing Johnny people with these symptoms, 29 percent will get better if you give them this drug. It’s inductive, pattern-matching and often Terry Sanger has a vision to bring the tools of engineering, biology and medicine to bear on cerebral palsy very successful, but for some of these very complex conditions that are so multifactorial, it often breaks down.” The biological approach, which is distinct, is based on experiments and has a different set of limitations. It is hypothe- Here’s how physician and bearing two nickel-size metal disks. When the sensor detects sis-driven but tends to ignore the big picture. “You have a very engineer Terry Sanger— electrical activity, the disks vibrate. straightforward question: Does an alteration in this chemical provost associate professor in Sanger explains that some children have been unable to cause this outcome? But it’s not about trying to model the sys- the Department of Biomedical move muscles for so long, they can’t tell if they are sending a tem or about understanding how the system interacts,” he says. Engineering and an interna- nerve signal. The device gives such children instant feedback, Engineers strive to understand with mathematics and tionally known pediatrician so they can learn to use their muscles. modeling. An engineer creates a mathematical system that specializing in cerebral palsy, Much larger devices currently in use can detect the same duplicates the multiple factors in play, creating the normal recently recruited from Stanford signals on immobile patients during brief clinical examina- function of the organism and showing how and why changes University—likes to explain his tions. Sanger optimized his device to be comfortably worn in these factors produce the observed conditions. “For me to ideal for biomedical engineering for hours at a time, every day, and hopefully allow his young understand a disease as an engineer, I want to build a robot to a student: patients to get back in touch with their muscles. Results of the that mimics that disease,” Sanger says. “Your job is not to build a better wheelchair. Your job is to trials are not complete—but are promising, he says. The engineering approach crosses traditional medical fix Johnny.” Sanger remembers clearly when he realized the vision that boundaries. In one experiment, Sanger united three laborato- And treating cerebral palsy is a far greater challenge than guides his work in this new medical engineering field, one ries for more than a year to lead an intensive study of a single advancing wheelchair technology. In his office at Childrens that he and a growing number of like-minded scientists and child with cerebral palsy. “Three days to prepare for each visit, Hospital Los Angeles, Sanger is pondering his examination engineers are creating. three days to analyze the results. We were his after-school of a teenage girl—call her Jane—whose muscle function is a As an applied mathematics senior at Harvard University, activity,” he says. fraction of normal, and whose wheelchair must accommodate he took a course that looked at mathematical approaches to At the end of the year, the project produced detailed a deformation of her spine. She has normal intelligence, can biological modeling of retinal processing. “I was struck by how knowledge that not only helped to design specific interven- whisper a few words, but communicates primarily by pointing beautifully the explanations worked,” he says. “I just loved the tions for that child, but also led to the development of two with a head-mounted assembly to targets or computer images. link between the mathematical model and the biology.” new devices and a funded research project on new ways for Sanger marshals the available information, combining the similarly affected children to communicate with a computer. results of his examination with Jane’s medical records, which go “If you’re going to fix a car, you don’t look at a hundred back more than a decade. Her condition recently began to dete- broken cars and do statistical analyses of randomized controlled riorate, and his suspicion is that some metabolic processes may trials. The same is true for a child. If you’re going to fix him be compromised. He orders blood tests and imaging, and offers It’s profound, it pervades a or her, you need to figure out exactly what is wrong with that suggestions on how Jane can make herself more comfortable. lot of the thinking in the biomedical engineering  particular child,” Sanger says. Terry Sanger with the muscle biofeedback sensor he designed and built. And then it’s on to the next patient, a baby not yet a year old, “ Sanger’s vision led him to USC. “Here,” he says, “I am who has difficulty focusing on external objects. Sanger begins department, a lot of the thinking from Viterbi not alone.” Keck School of Medicine. There, Sanger’s message is now being glancing through a set of brain scans, completing the picture of as a whole. They have really put their money He sees USC as very serious about the combination of incorporated into an educational program for M.D. and Ph.D. an alert, concerned and formidably knowledgeable doctor. medicine, biology and engineering applications, and not just in graduate students. But Sanger is more than just a doctor. He is also an engineer, where their mouth is. the Viterbi School but in the Keck School of Medicine as well. Back at the hospital, Sanger looks at a tiny baby, the little boy looking at an extraordinarily complex set of interacting systems, “A lot of places will say, if you’re an oncologist, and you want whose brain images he has spent the last 20 minutes examining and he has a vision that he hopes will change the rules for the ” to work with a molecular biologist, that kind of makes sense. with minute care. He speaks to the mother, asks questions about palsied girl and the vision-challenged baby, and that will raise the His research focus soon shifted from vision to motor con- But if you’re a child neurologist, and you want to work with an her pregnancy and the baby’s longtime difficulties in breathing treatment of cerebral palsy—the name for a whole spectrum of trol. After earning both an M.D. from Harvard and a Ph.D. in engineer, that’s further out there. I think USC really believes and getting enough oxygen, smiles at the baby, and pulls a small conditions caused by brain injuries—to a higher level. electrical engineering from MIT, he plunged into a concerted those links are as important as traditional links. And I think this brass bell out of his pocket. He moves it to the left—the baby’s In his other office at the Viterbi Biomedical Engineering attack on cerebral palsy. Since 2001, he has been principal is because of the strength of the engineering program. head turns to follow it. He moves it to the right—the baby’s complex, Sanger ponders a device he invented and prototyped, investigator of a National Institutes of Health Taskforce on “It’s profound,” he continues. “It pervades a lot of the movement is not as fast. Sanger pauses and thinks, engineer and a two-part muscle biofeedback system currently being tested Childhood Motor Disorders, creating uniform definitions and thinking in the biomedical engineering department, a lot of doctor at work, trying to understand the system. on a group of children with cerebral palsy. One part, the size measures of what had been a helter-skelter cluster of disorders. the thinking from Viterbi as a whole. They have really put The technology to repair damaged children’s nervous of a small cell phone, is an electromyographic (EMG) sensor, But he continues attempting to apply engineering thinking their money where their mouth is.” systems is coming together in his Viterbi School laboratories. which measures electrical potential in muscles. A wire con- to understanding cerebral palsy. A prime example is the HST@USC, the Health Sciences & Sanger intends to help fix “Jane” and her brothers and sisters. nects the EMG to a black rectangle the size of a chess piece Technology collaboration between the Viterbi School and the And soon. //

SPRING 2010 viterbi.usc.edu Alumni News > 37 Alumni News Robyn Strumpf

Promoting The Viterbi School in China My Name: Robyn Strumpf, Systems Consultant, Viterbi Alumni Viterbi Dean Yortsos meets with Parents, Alumni, Literacy Warrior and Pizza Lover Relations Corporate and University Partners PROVENANCE: Los Angeles (native); Dodger Stadium; The Dodger Dog concessions line; Your membership in the Trojan Fanpages of Dodgers Russell Martin, Matt Kemp forged between Viterbi alumni from and Casey Blake Family does not end at graduation. around the world.” The Viterbi School’s Office of The gathering’s keynote speaker was Degree: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 2009; M.S. Engineering Alumni Relations is here to build Viterbi alumnus Wanjiun Liao (PhDEE, Management, 2010 ’97), who is a well-known and respected and sustain your connection to Job HUNT VICTORY: Snagging four full-time job offers, includ- professor at National Taiwan University. ing positions at Nestle USA and global technology consulting firm USC, to the Viterbi School and to She delivered a 20-minute address con- Capgemini U.S. your fellow Trojan Engineers— cerning the telecommunications industry a connection that is truly lifelong in Taiwan; her research specialty is Job she accepted: Systems integration analyst at Accenture protocol design for wireless, multimedia and worldwide. Childhood struggle: Learning to read and broadband access networks. You are part of a distinguished The traditions of Asian culture were What helped: Snuggling up with a cozy quilt, a book and a family group of more than 55,000 Viterbi on display throughout the trip: Ten-course member. Strumpf is now an avid reader banquet meals were a common event, and School alumni. We hope you take How she now spreads the wealth: Founded 501(c)(3) literacy cultural presentations such as martial arts advantage of the many opportuni- Dean Yortsos hosts a dinner function in Taipei attended by more than 80 Viterbi alums. organization Project Books and Blankies, which provides books to and dragon dance performances abounded. shelters, literacy programs, classrooms and underserved communities ties to build connections with this USC enrolls more students from abroad from throughout mainland China com- Many Viterbi ties with corporate and (www.booksandblankies.com) group through volunteering, guest than any other American university. plete with Chinese tea, refreshments, university partners in China were strength- lecturing, career mentoring and And a majority of those international interpreters and a presentation by the ened or, in some cases, inaugurated. Involving USC in the literacy quest: Struck up “Project supporting the school. Trojans graduate from the Viterbi dean on the state of the school. Many “We’re privileged and fortunate to Books and Blankies” partnerships with the Society of Women School of Engineering. parents traveled from all over China, be building a global engineering network Engineers, the Joint Educational Project and others Alumni also stay connected With that in mind, Viterbi Dean hundreds of miles away, to learn about with our friends, alumni, and Best USC memory: French pastries by morning, Thermodynamics and to the engineering community Yannis C. Yortsos embarked on a multi- their children’s experiences at USC. corporate and university partners Writing 340 by night at Viterbi’s Summer Study Abroad program in Paris through our online database, life- stop tour of China—home to many of “The parents told us that because of in Asia,” said Yortsos. “The time email forwarding, networking Viterbi’s international students—to our high academic quality and lifelong future is exciting.” // Why engineering? Lifelong fascination with dismantling broken strengthen those ties. alumni network, it’s prestigious for them to electronics, using power tools and attendance at annual events “In the past two years, we had a 156 be sending a son or daughter to study engi- Engineering hero: MacGyver such as Homecoming and the percent increase in the number of Chinese neering at USC,” said Katherine Aschieris, Viterbi Awards. students applying to graduate school at of the Viterbi School’s External Relations Favorite Viterbi professor: Professor Steve Nutt, for sparking her interest in materials science, and for providing hands-on Viterbi,” says Yortsos. “They’re an impor- office, who accompanied the dean on this A Gift that helps Me Engineering tant constituency for us.” visit. “It has been incredibly heart-warm- shape the future opportunities galore Stopping in Hong Kong, Shanghai ing to see how much it means for the entire Toughest USC class: Mechoptronics and Taipei, Yortsos visited with alumni, family to be connected with USC.” Make it Your Will. Stay Connected corporate partners, university researchers The Viterbi group then traveled to Define your legacy atU SC with a bequest Favorite movie: Major League and parents of current students. Taipei for a dinner attended by more than from your estate. We rely on your accurate mailing On the nightstand: Standing Next to History: An Agent’s Life Included in the trip’s itinerary was 80 Viterbi alumni, held in conjunction and email addresses to ensure you A Charitable Gift Annuity. Inside the Secret Service the opening of USC’s office in Shanghai, with USC’s Global Conference 2009. Contribute a gift to USC that also provides you receive our many publi­cations and China’s most populous city. “Everyone came ready to network, Bragging rights: Was named a USC Renaissance Scholar, which a guaranteed fixed income for life. invitations to special events. Please The day after the office’s opening and many business cards changed taps students who combine breadth and depth in their studies update your information online at festivities, the Viterbi School inaugu- hands,” said Meagan Bataran, with To explore these and other estate planning (Strumpf got her B.A. in political Science.) rated the Shanghai office with its first the Viterbi School’s Alumni Relations options, contact the Viterbi School's Office of http://viterbi.usc.edu/alumni or by Words to live by: “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others official event: a reception and meeting Office. “It was amazing to see the External Relations at 213.740.2502. cannot keep it from themselves.”—James Barrie contacting the VSoE Office of Alumni for parents of current Viterbi students beginnings of collaborations being Relations at 213.821.2424. Me...Engineered

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Roberto Medrano: Steering the IT Ship growing companies is the “quickest road to wealth” In Memoriam: Ruben Medrano Roberto Medrano (BSEE ’80) has been House Security Summit. Oh, and he also very good for IT, and IT has been very garnered an M.S. in electrical engineering On Feb. 17, Ruben Medrano (MSCS’83 & good to him. from MIT, and an M.B.A. from UCLA. BSEE’81) passed away. He was 50 years old. This Trojan-for-life has worked for Medrano’s been a lightning rod for (His brother, Roberto Medrano, is profiled on large and small companies, but mostly “The Most” lists, landing spots on “The the opposite page.) he’s worked for companies that got 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the A native of Sonora, Mexico, Ruben Medrano bigger—a lot bigger—while he was United States,” among others. He’s also a attended USC on a full scholarship and gradu- steering the ship. co-founder and former CEO of Hispanic- ated Magna Cum Laude (M.S.) and Summa “The quickest road to wealth is to Net, an organization that mentors budding Cum Laude (B.S.). Despite being paralyzed from go into a small company and grow it,” Hispanic technology entrepreneurs. the neck down in a bus accident at age 27, he says Medrano, who’s now executive vice “My interest is in technology entre- worked for Xerox for 30 years and led an active president of SOA Software, a rapidly preneurship. I’ve been in companies fulfilling life. growing provider of governance auto­ that were started by Israelis, Indians, “He couldn’t transport himself, but he attended more USC events than mation products. Canadians and Americans,” he says. anyone I knew,” said Roberto Medrano of his brother. “He couldn’t use his “When I came to SOA, it was very, “Every time someone creates an Apple, fingers but somehow he found a way to very small,” says Medrano, who has been a Google, a Yahoo or a Sun, it creates type emails with just one finger to all of us. a pioneer in the firewall, content security enormous wealth, and trains new people He couldn’t walk, but he left a trail behind and security policy sectors of the infor- who can create new companies.” him. And, he couldn’t feel anything with mation technology revolution. Medrano and his wife, Kathy, his hands, but he touched a lot of people.” “Now we have more than 120 live in Manhattan Beach with their Ruben Medrano was an avid Trojan Fortune 1000 clients. I like to concen- PoliVec, president of leading security attracted the attention of the late Eli four children. // fan at USC sporting events, especially trate on the use of a new technology to firm Finjan Software and vice president Sandler, who was chair of engineering at football and basketball games. He was start companies, and then grow them of firewall pioneer Milkyway Networks the junior college. With Sandler’s referral, also a passionate supporter of Proyecto with marketing.” (IPO 1996). Medrano also headed up Medrano got a full scholarship and trans- Pastoral, a non-profit community- Medrano’s resume as a high-tech Hewlett Packard’s strategic emerging ferred to USC as a junior. building organization in Boyle Heights, executive runs broad and deep. He’s business division, and made his mark at Medrano mixed time in the EE lab and active in the USC Mexican American Ruben and Roberto Medrano at a VITERBI CAREER Trojans game. been the CEO of security policy shop Sun Microsystems. “Sun was at a couple while attending football and basketball SERVICES Alumni Association (MAAA). hundred million in revenues when I games, and he also squeezed in music “Ruben had a sincere thirst for knowledge, a love for people and an unwaver- started, and two and a half billion when classes and a public administration If you’re interested in ing Trojan spirit that will leave a void not only at MAAA, but across the campus of I left,” says Medrano. course. “I lived in Marks Hall with other becoming involved in hiring USC,” said Domenika Lynch, MAAA’s executive director. None of this was as easy as Medrano students who weren’t engineers. In current Viterbi engineers, A funeral mass was held Feb. 20. In addition to his brother Roberto, he is sur- often makes it sound. Born in Mexico, general, they seemed to have more spare or would like to know where vived by another brother Raul Medrano (BABusAd’99), and his mother Ofelia. // he came to Los Angeles at age 19 to work time than me,” he laughs. to start for Alumni Career in the garment industry by day, as he Medrano marvels at the deep Services, please visit: learned English at night. relationships he formed at USC. “I met viterbi.usc.edu/students/ “I had a good education in Mexico— several interesting people who I still math all the way through calculus—but keep in contact with, like Mark Stevens undergrad/careers/alumni/. I didn’t have any money to go to college (Silicon Valley venture capitalist and Or visit the Career Viterbi Store there,” he says. USC Trustee),” says Medrano, who Within six months of arriving in L.A., served as president of the Society of Services Office: Visit the Viterbi Store. Show your he was enrolled at East Los Angeles Hispanic Professional Engineers while 3710 S. McClintock Avenue pride with custom-designed Viterbi College. His English still shaky, he had on campus. Ronald Tutor Hall (RTH) 218 gear and gift items. Shop at the difficulty explaining that he was well- Since USC, Medrano has partici- USC Bookstore on campus or online Los Angeles, CA 90089-2900 schooled in mathematics—so he had to pated in the National Cyber Security at the Viterbi Store, viterbi.usc. Phone (213) 740-9677 start over in pre-calculus. But the diligent Summit and the White House National edu/viterbistore to purchase your Fax (213) 740-9586 Viterbi items today! student took up to 12 units a semester, on Strategy to Secure Cyberspace. He top of working full-time, and eventually was part of President Clinton’s White [email protected]

Viterbi Dean Yannis C. Yortsos and USC Provost C.L. Max Nikias greet Ruben Medrano.

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of struggling businesses and clear his plate Viterbi Alum Makes America’s Top-selling HDTV to launch VIZIO. The company became suc- Calendar of Events VIZIO Co-Founder Says Success = Time, Money and People cessful almost immediately, with its aggressive pricing and value-driven business model. Today, VIZIO grabs the biggest slice of We look forward to seeing you at USC and William Wang (BSEE, the United States than any other consumer Eventually, Wang says he realized he America’s LCD HDTV pie, with a 20 percent ’86) freely admits he was electronics company. could build a better monitor than IBM’s Viterbi School events, where you’ll join market share. And the company has boasted anything but a stellar student The path to success wasn’t easy. standard. That led him to launching so growth rates that astound industry watchers. In fellow alumni and friends who share a at USC. Not because he Reflecting upon his journey from his office many consumer electronics startups, 2008, the company sold 3.5 million televisions. couldn’t do the work—he in Irvine, Calif., Wang calls himself an he’s “lost count.” Some were successful, passion for USC engineering. We have a fun This year, VIZIO will move 6 million units, simply had other priorities. “accidental businessman,” and jokes that some weren’t. and diverse schedule, so make plans now to primarily through Wal-Mart, Costco and Target. “I spent a lot of time in his struggles with computer theory and Surviving the crash of a Singapore “The economy’s actually helped us,” Wang join us at one or more of the following: the game room,” says Wang, transform functions compelled him down Airlines 747 jet in November 2000 changed says of the downturn and penny-pinching 45, referring to a video arcade USC housed the path to entrepreneurship. Upon gradu- his life—and set the stage for launching consumer habits. “People are staying home to on campus at the time. “Robotron. I could ating USC in 1986, while friends landed VIZIO two years later. Upon takeoff, the Viterbi Awards Trojan Parents’ Weekend watch TV.” put in a quarter and play almost five hours. prestigious computer engineering jobs or plane hit a construction site, broke in half Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, California Wang, who is VIZIO’s majority shareholder, I was always missing class.” headed on to master’s programs, Wang fig- and caught fire. Wang was trapped in the April 7, 2010 October 1-3, 2010 says his parents have always provided a safety But struggling through electrical ured “I’d better get a job,” he says. “That’s business class cabin for several minutes net of support—and sometimes capital—so he engineering courses didn’t stop him from how I got into the computer business.” without oxygen; a nearby exit door flew USC Alumni Awards NAE Grand could take risks. becoming America’s No. 1 success story in He secured a job as a call center sup- open at the right time. Wang walked away; Los Angeles, California Challenges Summit “Any startup is based on a good idea,” says high-definition televisions. port technician for a Chinese company that 83 others did not. April 24, 2010 Los Angeles, California Wang, who no longer works 16-hour days. “But VIZIO—the LCD HDTV shop Wang sold computer monitors. He toiled four “There’s an end to everything, so you October 6-8, 2010 success depends on three things: having the started in 2002, with funding from family, years there, soaking up everything he could learn to appreciate the process more,” he USC Commencement time, money and people. And, you put all that a few friends and a second mortgage on and taking graduate electrical engineering says of the life lessons learned. Los Angeles, California 2010 USC Alumni together, I guess you might call it luck.” his house—will surpass $2.4 billion in sales classes at night. Wang took the next two years to re- May 14, 2010 Association Bay Although Wang holds the title of CEO, he Area Weekender this year, shipping more flat-screen TVs in evaluate his priorities, sell off a string leaves “management to the professionals” and 2nd Annual Tommy Awards Northern California prefers tinkering with HDTV design elements. New York City Weekend of Wang says he had five VIZIO screens installed June 28, 2010 October 9, 2010 at his Newport Beach home, so he can watch Dean Meets Qualcomm Alums “three football games at once.” USC Fall Semester: USC Homecoming: Wang married a Trojan; his wife, Sakura, Classes Begin USC vs. Oregon WIRELESS GIANT EMPLOYS MANY VITERBI ALUMS has a master’s in music from USC. They met 12 August 23, 2010 Los Angeles, California years ago on a blind date orchestrated by one of October 30, 2010 Last fall, Viterbi Dean Yannis C. Yortsos traveled to San Diego Wang’s investment bankers, who also attended Ronald Tutor Campus to address about 75 enthusiastic Viterbi alumni at the head- USC. Their 11-year-old daughter, Celine, has a Center Grand Opening quarters of wireless technology giant Qualcomm. penchant for karaoke, which she practices on a Los Angeles, California August 26, 2010 Qualcomm and the Viterbi School—which was named by small CRT monitor in her bedroom. Qualcomm co-founder Andrew Viterbi and his wife, Erna— Wang says his four years at USC were the have a rich history and a continuing relationship. best of his life. “I miss school,” he says. “USC “Since 1997, Qualcomm engineers in the United States was a stepping stone to society for me.” // have been able to earn advanced degrees in engineering and obtain continuing engineering education from the VIZIO co-founder William Wang with members of USC’s Trojan Marching Band. Viterbi School online,” said Yortsos. “Qualcomm was the first technology company to offer our DEN (Distance Education Engineering indeed has become the discipline that “unlocks Network) program internationally.” the mysteries of other sciences, the humanities and even the referring to Qualcomm as a symbol of America’s tech- arts,” Yortsos continued, noting that new technologies were nological excellence, Yortsos said the partnership made a the key to restoring the global economy. good match for the Viterbi School. He pointed out that the He concluded by congratulating Qualcomm’s Viterbi alums, school now has four corporate-funded international research especially graduates of the popular systems architecting centers and partnership agreements with 16 universities program: “You’re in the vanguard of where engineering edu- in China, India, Korea, Mexico, the Czech Republic and the cation and industry are headed. We can all take pride that USC United Kingdom. and Qualcomm are out in front together.” “Our incoming graduate student class this year had some representing Qualcomm at the event was Samir Soliman 27 different languages represented,” he said. (MSEE ’80 & Ph.D. ’83). //

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Getting to Know Tommy Trojan In Memoriam This alum’s first visit to the USC campus for Homecoming comes 25 years after graduation enjoyed volunteering through Carl Dundas Boland (MSEE ’54), of Dolphus “Pete” Rector graduated from “I bought a GRE book, read it, took Rolling Hills Estates, Calif., passed away on the Rotary Club and tutoring children. He USC’s School of Engineering in 1984, it, and hit the magic number,” Rector says. June 27, 2009. Boland served in the Army is survived by Phyllis, his wife of 60 years; but he never set foot on campus until This launched Rector’s two-year and taught in Officer Candidate School at his children, Glen, Susan and Jim; and Homecoming last fall. journey to his master’s in systems Ft. Monmouth, N.J., during World War II. two grandchildren. “Tommy Trojan was a little smaller management. After long days in uni- Boland was a member of the Military Officers than I thought he’d be,” says Rector, 69, form, he’d join fellow classmates from Viterbi School’s Distance Education Network Association of America. He received a bach- of his very first visit to the University the Navy and a handful of civilians George Leonard Mullich (BSEE ’50) Park Campus. from the DOD for five-hour classes, two elor’s in engineering from Syracuse University died March 15, 2009, at the age of 85. He His long-distance love affair with nights a week. Photo in base newspaper congratulating the before coming to USC, and later worked is survived by his wife, Gloria; his children, first graduating class of USC’s program in The Power of Education – USC started nearly three decades ago, “The USC instructors were flown at Hughes Aircraft. He was a wonderful Blake Schwartzman, Scott Michaels, Glenn Yokosuka. USC associate professor Mary W. when he was with the U.S. Navy in over and stayed at military bases in Magula (2nd from right), and Rector (right). husband, provider and father, and is survived Schwartzman, David, John, Joe and Ellen Yokosuka, Japan. He’d worked his way Japan for the nine-week courses,” says by Dorothy, his wife of 64 years; his children, Chester; and six grandchildren. Anywhere, Anytime up the ranks to become an officer with a Rector. “I started the program with “I came into the Navy at the bottom of the Patricia Shoupe and Eric Boland; two grand- specialty in point-to-point communica- trepidation and anticipation. I busted enlisted ranks, and I left as a commissioned children; and three great-grandchildren. died tions, including satellite networks. He Nona and Pete Rector. my heinie, but I made it.” officer with a master’s from USC.” Richard Louis Nisbet (BSISE ’50) saw an announcement in the base news- Rector says he started life “very USC’s courses in human relations, Aug. 7, 2009, in Cheyenne, Wyo. He was 83. Over 35 M.S. Degree Programs, Non-credit Courses & Certificate Programspaper that USC would offer a master’s the Department of Defense (DOD) in poor,” and that he was the first in his While growing up, the Pomona, Calif., native organization theory, decision-making Gene David Cheak (BSCE ’51) passed degree in science and systems manage- Japan. The requirements? A bachelor’s family to receive a college degree, and systems integration gave him a new away at home in Nassau Bay, Texas, on worked in his father’s orange grove. He served ment to officers, enlisted members degree and passing the GRE with a which he earned from the University of “self-awareness,” and armed him with February 13, 2009. He was 83. The Sioux on the USS Lexington during World War II. of the Navy and civilians working for certain test score. La Verne while on the Navy’s payroll. more tools for the job. He jokes that the Falls, S.D., native served in the Navy during Following his service, he enrolled at USC corporate equipment inspectors he dealt and began a career as an engineer and with as a naval officer saw him as a “country World War II and received a Distinguished bumpkin” due to his North Carolina Flying Cross and two air medals. He was consultant. He retired as a systems analyst accent. “But my yeoman would tell them, an employee of Shell Oil for 38 years and with the Small Business Administration in ‘Mr. Rector has a master’s from USC.’ ” enjoyed 21 years of retirement. He considers the Cheyenne-Denver area. He is survived by These days, he’s a proud retiree after his greatest legacy instilling the importance his wife, Toma; his children, Matthew Nisbet, a 28-year naval career. He plays golf and of an education in his family and the young Allison Bryson, Meg Nisbet and Elizabeth spends free time with his second wife, McNichols; and seven grandchildren. Technology Academics Students Nona, with whom he reconnected at their people he encountered. He is survived by • Watch courses via live webcast • 168 tenured and tenure-track • Flexibility for professional 50th high school reunion. “My wife of Marilyn, his wife of 61 years; his children, or archive faculty members engineers to pursue career and 46 years had just passed, and so had Nona’s Alan, David, Suzanne Furrow and Claudia George Douglas Wimer (BSCE ’52) education simultaneously • Full interactivity for classes • Dedicated professors who are husband,” he says. “It was kind of like Henderson; nine grandchildren; and one passed away peacefully in Cedar City, Utah, viewed in real time leaders in their fields • Network of more than 1,000 another force brought us together.” great-granddaughter. on March 8, 2009, following a stroke. He was professional students Rector also teaches business courses at • Over 130 courses available online • Interdisciplinary programs 83. The college footballer was born in the • M.S. students receive identical Victor Valley College as an adjunct profes- in fall and spring semesters same room of the same house in Heber City, curriculum as on-campus students sor. He wears his ID badge on a USC neck David Emery MacLeod (BSME ’47) band, and says his students often ask him passed away at home on the Peninsula in Utah, that also welcomed his mother into the how they can also attend USC. Long Beach, Calif.—his favorite spot in the world. Wimer served in the U.S. Army for two New Programs for 2010 What our students say: “I tell them, make sure your grades world, according to his loved ones. The Los years and was stationed in Japan. Following M.S. in Green Technologies “ My busy work schedule posed a huge obstacle for me are up there!” he says. // Angeles native served in the U.S. Navy during USC, he enjoyed a 30-year career with North M.S. in Financial Engineering to attend classes in person. Fortunately, the online DEN program at USC made it really easy for me to watch the World War II and embarked on a career in American Rockwell. He is survived by his M.S. in Health Systems Management Engineering classes during my free time at night and on the week- engineering at Preco Inc. before becoming wife, Ilene; his children, Tracy Wimer and M.S. in Electrical Engineering (Electric Power) ends. DEN made it possible for me to achieve my goal.” head of Ameron’s engineering department. Shelley Dahlin; seven grandchildren; and four – Dennis Lee, Northrop Grumman Corporation ...and exciting new short courses in a variety of disciplines He directed subsidiaries of Ameron in the great-grandchildren. Netherlands, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. Following retirement, MacLeod viterbi.usc.edu/mapp q o &A Viterbi School’s Distance Education Network q&A with Mark S. humayun Mark Humayun holds the Cornelius J. Pings Chair in Biomedical Sciences. A practicing vitreoretinal surgeon at the Doheny Eye Institute, he is the director of the National Science Foundation Biomimetic MicroElectronic Systems Engineering Research Center (BMES ERC) and the Department of Energy's Artificial Retina Project. The Power of Education – How can engineering and medicine work together to make a difference in biomedicine? This is the question Mark S. Humayun, M.D., Ph.D., grapples with daily, as he works to develop biomedical innovations, such as a mini-eye pump that personalizes the delivery of medicine to the eye. A professor of biomedical engineering, ophthalmology, and cell and neurobiology, with academic appointments in both the Viterbi School and the Keck School of Medicine of USC, Humayun sat down with Viterbi staff this fall to discuss his work. Anywhere, Anytime

fundamental breakthrough. Thomas Edison might have Are you primarily a physician or tried a hundred filaments before his light bulb worked. an engineer? He was less interested in why it worked and more in the I’m both. As a physician, I want to, first and foremost, Over 35 M.S. Degree Programs, Non-credit Courses & Certificate Programs fact that it did work. This is not to say that you should help relieve the suffering of patients; and as an engineer, ignore the basic underlying science, but if I can help a I strive to solve health problems with cutting-edge patient without completely understanding why some- biomedical technologies. Most M.D./Ph.D.s used to be thing works, I’ll do it. 70 percent M.D. and 30 percent Ph.D. You could fund the research from clinical operations, but now clinical to study the retina? revenues are down. Now you have to compete for grants, What led you My grandmother went blind from diabetes. Also, I and engineering is so advanced that you can’t just dabble chose to work in this area because I believe I can make in it. You need to spend the time in the labs. a difference. Though the problems are complex, with enough research investment, my vision is that we could How does engineering differ come close to eradicating blindness. Other diseases are from medicine? important, but are more complex. For example, if you In medicine, you learn to understand patterns, put that same amount of money into cancer, you’d not while engineering tries to quantify problems. I had to be anywhere near to eradicating it. memorize anatomy in med school, and there are no equations, at least not yet, to tell me how the bones Technology Academics Students and the Viterbi school? fit together. Engineers can begin to understand Why USC We have this wonderful focus here that’s leading to • Watch courses via live webcast • 168 tenured and tenure-track • Flexibility for professional complex body parts, such as the retina, by more personalized, preventive and restorative medicine. treating it as a black box. By studying the or archive faculty members engineers to pursue career and My own area is bio-electronics, blending electronics with outputs to certain inputs, one can use equa- • Dedicated professors who are education simultaneously the eye. Working with my colleagues in the BMES ERC • Full interactivity for classes tions to understand a disease’s conditions leaders in their fields • Network of more than 1,000 such as Ellis Meng and Yuchong Tai of Caltech, we’ve viewed in real time and generate solutions. We used this black professional students made a mini-eye pump that absolutely personalizes the • Interdisciplinary programs box approach, along with others, to develop a • Over 130 courses available online delivery of medicine to your eye. This device could pre- • M.S. students receive identical retinal implant. in fall and spring semesters vent you from losing vision due to glaucoma, age-related curriculum as on-campus students macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. A startup How does science fit company is already commercializing this technology. This into this? sort of technology transfer from the ERC helps the local Science strives to understand economy and brings the technology closer to patients. New Programs for 2010 What our students say: nature. Niels Bohr had to I also very much enjoy my interactions with explore every theoretical M.S. in Green Technologies “ My busy work schedule posed a huge obstacle for me students. I can help mentor engineering and medical aspect of the hydrogen to attend classes in person. Fortunately, the online DEN students, as well as surgical residents and fellows. M.S. in Financial Engineering atom. Even with every- Through the BMES ERC K-12 program, I interact with program at USC made it really easy for me to watch the thing we know, the glass M.S. in Health Systems Management Engineering pre-college students, and it is extremely refreshing classes during my free time at night and on the week- of knowledge never and exciting to see the level of enthusiasm these young M.S. in Electrical Engineering (Electric Power) ends. DEN made it possible for me to achieve my goal.” seems to be more than students possess. // half-full. Sometimes ...and exciting new short courses in a variety of disciplines – Dennis Lee, Northrop Grumman Corporation you have to act on incomplete infor- mation to make a

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