IRCA Best Paper Awards
06-08-20
Two teams of Caltech researchers have won three International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) Best Paper Awards in multiple categories along with the overall best paper award. The ICRA is the largest and most prestigious robotics conference of the year. Awards are given on the basis of technical merit, originality, potential impact on the field, clarity of the written paper, and quality of the presentation. Maegan Tucker, Ellen Novoseller, Claudia Kann, Yanan Sui, Yisong Yue, Joel Burdick, and Aaron Ames, have won the ICRA Best Conference Paper Award and the ICRA Best Paper Award on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) for their paper entitled "Preference-Based Learning for Exoskeleton Gait Optimization." Amanda Bouman, Paul Nadan, Matthew Anderson, Daniel Pastor, Jacob Izraelevitz, Joel Burdick, and Brett Kennedy, have won the ICRA Best Paper Award on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for their paper entitled "Design and Autonomous Stabilization of a Ballistically Launched Multirotor." [Virtual Award Ceremony]
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EE
honors
MedE
MCE
CMS
Joel Burdick
IST
Yisong Yue
CNS
Aaron Ames
Maegan Tucker
Ellen Novoseller
Claudia Kann
Yanan Sui
Amanda Bouman
Paul Nadan
Matthew Anderson
Daniel Pastor
Jacob Izraelevitz
Brett Kennedy
Caleb Sander Receives 2020 Henry Ford II Scholar Award
06-04-20
Computer science student Caleb Sander, advised by Thomas Vidick, Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, is a recipient of the 2020 Henry Ford II Scholar Award. Caltech classes have introduced Caleb to surprising new interests, like the philosophical questions posed by physics and Omer Tamuz’s game theory class, which convinced him to also major in Economics. His favorite experiences at Caltech have been helping students learn by serving as a teaching assistant in five computer science courses. This summer he will work remotely as a software engineering intern at Facebook, and he will likely look for a job in the software industry. The Henry Ford II Scholar Award is funded under an endowment provided by the Ford Motor Company Fund. The award is made annually to engineering students with the best academic record at the end of the third year of undergraduate study.
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honors
CMS
Henry Ford II Scholar Award
IST
Thomas Vidick
Caleb Sander
Dessie DiMino and Niv Karthikeyan Receive James King Jr. Award
06-01-20
Computing and Mathematical Sciences students Dessie DiMino and Niv Karthikeyan are recipients of the 2020 James King Jr. Award. The award is given annual by the Caltech Center for Diversity to an individual who stands out as a strong supporter of diversity. One of Dessie's nominators stated, "More than anything, Dessie's always inspired me by her ability to spend one minute jumping into the battlefield and leading the charge and another minute reaching out to someone who's struggling and being a soft shoulder to lean on." A nomination for Niv stated, "It is hard for me to imagine a person more deserving of a Diversity Award than Niv," adding, "She is incredibly supportive and has been a wonderful resource for both people in her house and for undergraduates in general, helping people through crises and dealing with harassment or discrimination. Niv is an incredible ally and champion of equality on campus." [Past Winners]
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honors
CMS
diversity
Dessie DiMino
Niv Karthikeyan
James King Jr. Award
Professor Vahala Elected to the National Academy of Engineering
02-06-20
Kerry J. Vahala, Ted and Ginger Jenkins Professor of Information Science and Technology and Applied Physics; Executive Officer for Applied Physics and Materials Science, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Professor Vahala was elected for “research and application of nonlinear optical microresonators to the miniaturization of precision time and frequency systems." Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature," and to "the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education." [NAE release]
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APhMS
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National Academy of Engineering
Kerry Vahala
KNI
Professor Hou Featured in Quanta Magazine
01-14-20
The Quanta Magazine has featured Thomas Y. Hou, Charles Lee Powell Professor of Applied and Computational Mathematics, for his work in Euler singularity. Mathematicians and physicists have used Euler equations to model how fluids evolve over time. If you toss a rock into a still pond, how will the water be moving five seconds later? The Euler equations can tell you. Hou provided a numerical description of the initial state of a fluid and used a computer to apply the Euler equations to determine the fluid’s motion in the future. “From the top the fluid is spiraling down, and from the bottom it is swirling up in the opposite direction,” said Professor Hou. [Quanta article]
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research highlights
CMS
Thomas Hou
Making a Better Match
01-14-20
Adam Wierman, Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences; Director, Information Science and Technology, worked with a cross-disciplinary team to improve the Pasadena Unified School District's open-enrollment algorithm. Wierman knew from experience that the district's open-enrollment process was not optimal. "I couldn't help but notice that it wasn't particularly well designed," says Wierman. "There was a huge opportunity, I thought, to improve." With the team's new and improved algorithm, families are more likely to get their top match and are also more likely to keep their children in the school district rather than enrolling them in private or charter schools. [Caltech story]
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research highlights
CMS
Adam Wierman
IST
EAS Remembers Donald S. Cohen
01-13-20
Donald S. Cohen, Charles Lee Powell Professor of Applied Mathematics, Emeritus, passed away on January 9, 2020, at the age of 85. Cohen was one of the first faculty members recruited for Caltech's newly formed applied mathematics program in 1965. He was named associate professor of applied mathematics in 1967 and earned tenure in 1971. His research covered a variety of topics, including early work in the theory of reaction-diffusion equations. His later research in nonlinear differential equations, pattern formation, stability, and bifurcations had a significant impact on mathematical biology and chemical engineering. Cohen was a popular teacher who received awards for undergraduate teaching excellence in 1979, 1987, and 1998; in 2000, he was awarded the Richard P. Feynman Prize for Excellence in Teaching. [Caltech story]
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EAS history
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Donald Cohen