Vibrations

The Newsletter for the EAS Community

Message from the Chair

EAS Community,

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Reza Sadri to EAS and Caltech! Reza is our inaugural AI Bootcamp Director, and he will be collaborating with faculty and their research group, including students, postdocs, and staff to develop year-round bootcamps. What is an AI bootcamp? These are non-academic courses on artificial intelligence and machine learning that are open to all graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and staff. Reza’s office is in 151 Jorgensen, and he can be reached at rsadri@caltech.edu. Please find a moment to introduce yourself – in person or via email – and let him know of your interest in AI bootcamps as a participant, or just to ask him any questions about the AI Bootcamp program.

A bit about Reza: he founded and led Machine Learning Infrastructure at Instacart. Prior to Instacart, he was the co-founder and CEO of Levyx, a company building low latency data solutions for large scale ML applications, and before that held leadership positions at STEC (a Nasdaq-listed company and pioneer of enterprise SSDs later acquired by WDC); 3plus1 (later called iCelero); Clenova; Procom Technology (a Nasdaq listed company acquired by Sun Microsystems); and Candelis, a provider of application-specific storage solutions for medical imaging. Reza has a PhD in Computer Science from UCLA.

I also want to congratulate Andrei Faraon (BS '04), the William L. Valentine Professor of Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering, who has been named a 2023 Experimental Physics Investigator by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Congratulations are also in order for Wei Gao, Assistant Professor of Medical Engineering; Investigator, Heritage Medical Research Institute; Ronald and JoAnne Willens Scholar, who is one of ten winners of the Falling Walls "Breakthroughs of the Year 2023."

Harry Atwater
Otis Booth Leadership Chair, Division of Engineering and Applied Science

Selected Upcoming Events

Wednesday, August 30, 2023, 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Applied Physics Seminar: "Atomic SET: a new technique for high-resolution potential imaging" - Dahlia Klein, Postdoctoral Scholar, Weizmann Institute
Location: Watson 104

Tuesday, September 5, 2023, 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
KNI Special Seminar: "Developing A Tandem Photoelectrochemical/Photothermal System for CO2 Reduction to Liquid Fuels" - Aisulu Aitbekova, KNI Prize Postdoctoral Scholar, Applied Physics & Materials Science
Location: Steele 125

Thursday, September 7, 2023, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Womxn in EAS Faculty Coffee Hour with Professor Anima Anandkumar (lunch and coffee will be provided)
Location: Watson Courtyard (RSVP using the link above)

Saturday, September 23, 2023, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Sci-fi to Sci-fact: Artificial Intelligence on the Big Screen (arrive early for festivities, food, and merchandise outside the auditorium)
Location: Beckman Auditorium

EAS Seminars & Events Calendar

Spotlight On Our People

Joy Shi

Undergraduate Student, Computer Science

Joy is a rising senior undergraduate majoring in computer science. As a student, she has pitched a quantum networking startup as an intern with the Caltech Office of Technology Transfer and Corporate Partnerships, researched cryptographic applications of the K-minimum values estimator in Switzerland, and delved into dark shower anomaly detection with the LHC CERN group. She has also served as a teaching assistant for two introductory undergraduate computer science courses. Outside of Caltech, Joy founded INTEGIRLS, a nonprofit organization hosting problem solving events that has amassed over twenty chapters, impacting thousands of participants and members. Many INTEGIRLS alumni have gone on to become part of the Caltech community or get involved in impactful scientific projects. Beyond her work, Joy’s hobbies include watching 8-hour long movies at the cinema, vending clothes at flea markets around LA, swimming long distances, and playing chess.

Minqiang Wang

Postdoc, Andrew and Peggy Cherng Department of Medical Engineering

Minqiang's research focuses on creating innovative bioelectronic wearable systems for fundamental and applied biomedical studies. As a key member of Professor Wei Gao's biosensor team, he is recognized as an expert in electrochemistry. Minqiang's primary focus lies in the development of cutting-edge wearable biosensors, which play a crucial role in shaping the future of personalized healthcare. Beyond his expertise in electrochemistry, Minqiang also demonstrates a keen interest in other fields such as nanotechnology, microfluidics, and electrocatalysis. Currently, his efforts are directed towards the development of wearable biosensors that facilitate personalized cancer drug treatments, aiming to revolutionize cancer care. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Minqiang was honored with the prestigious First-tier Baxter Young Investigator Award in 2022. Outside of his research pursuits, Minqiang enjoys a variety of hobbies, including cooking, cycling, traveling, and hiking.

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EAS News Highlights

In Other News

Calls for Nomination & Funding Opportunities

Caltech’s Office of Foundation Relations maintains an online database and email subscription service of primarily non-federal funding opportunities as a resource for the Caltech community. Opportunities include calls for proposals released by private foundations, public charities, associations, corporations, internal Caltech opportunities and federal limited opportunities.

Explore Funding Opportunities

Kavli Nanoscience Institute Nils Asplund FAST Prize

The $25,000 prize aims to encourage faculty, researchers, and staff to create new tools and techniques to advance nanoscience and nanotechnology research at Caltech. Lead principal investigators who are affiliated with one of Caltech's academic divisions and are able to conduct research on campus are eligible. Submission deadline: 5 pm PT on September 30, 2023. Learn more.

Resnick Sustainability Institute Explorer Grant

The Resnick Sustainability Institute is offering grants of up to $150,000 for projects that address significant challenges and opportunities associated with climate change and the stewardship of natural resources. The call is limited to lead PIs who have their primary affiliation with one of Caltech's academic divisions and the ability to conduct research on campus. Only one application per lead PI is allowed. Submission deadline: October 5, 2023 at 5:00 PM PDT. Learn more.

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