Department of Computer Science
News

USC Viterbi 2020 NSF CAREER Award Winners

Apr 06, 2020

Awards span research from machine learning to wastewater reuse to fluid dynamics and to self-healing materials.

That Chatbot May Be Chatty, But Is It Engaging?

Apr 03, 2020

Researchers at the USC Information Sciences Institute Evaluate the Chatbots That, Increasingly, Answer the World’s Questions.

USC Researchers Analyze Coronavirus Misinformation on Twitter

Mar 31, 2020

By analyzing millions of tweets, USC computer science researchers are investigating how false information about the coronavirus spreads on social media.

USC Researchers Release Public Coronavirus Twitter Set for Academics

Mar 25, 2020

Dataset to track public sentiment and help researchers understand the social dimensions of the pandemic

5 Tips to Stay Cyber Secure When Working Remotely

Mar 24, 2020

Personal hygiene is important to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but don’t skimp on your cyber hygiene.

Researchers Develop Platform to Improve Weather Forecasting

Mar 23, 2020

Climate change is making it harder for weather scientists to make predictions. DyNamo helps forecast severe weather events in real-time.

USC Viterbi Listed Again Among the Nation’s Top 10 Engineering Graduate Programs

Mar 19, 2020

Annual rankings by U.S. News & World Report also keep USC Viterbi among the top five private engineering schools

USC at AAAI-20 Conference: Could AI Win a Nobel Prize?

Mar 10, 2020

USC Viterbi Professors Yolanda Gil, president of AAAI, and Fei Sha, AAAI-20 conference program co-chair, share their thoughts following this year’s event.

Jillian Khoo: A Coder for Social Change, Classical Violinist and USC’s First Neo Scholar

Mar 05, 2020

From classically trained concert violinist to all-star computer science student at USC, Jillian Khoo is determined to use her technical skills to code the change.

Socially Assistive Robot Helps Children with Autism Learn

Feb 26, 2020

USC researchers developed personalized learning robots for children with autism and studied whether the robots could autonomously gauge the child’s engagement in long-term, in-home therapeutic interventions.

He’s Worked His Entire Life To Support His Family; Now, He’s Pursuing A Dream Of His Own

Feb 25, 2020

Incoming freshman Dresden Kershaw reflects on the uphill journey that has brought him to USC Viterbi.

How To Reduce Bias in AI? Selective Amnesia.

Feb 24, 2020

AI Affects Your Credit Scores and Loans, But It’s Not Immune to Bias. USC Researchers Are Helping It Forget.

It’s Not Magic, It’s Science: Predicting the Future

Feb 21, 2020

USC Viterbi’s Information Sciences Institute pairs human “forecasters” with AI to develop better predictive technology

Could This Nearly Invincible Drone Be the Future of Disaster Relief?

Feb 17, 2020

A new artificially intelligent drone control system, designed by USC researchers, allows drones to withstand pushing, kicking and even colliding with objects.

Baby’s Kicks Provide Clues About Infant Development

Feb 07, 2020

Recent paper on using robots to detect early signs of autism or ADHD receives award in “Computer Science for Social Good” competition.

Zach Flores Wants to Bring Fun Back to Video Games

Feb 04, 2020

The USC Viterbi student is developing a 90’s nostalgia-inspired VR game that expands the horizons of what a modern video game can be.

A Star Is Born

Jan 29, 2020

Penelope Hocking, the Pac-12 Women’s Soccer Freshman of the Year in 2018 and a sophomore majoring in computer science, shines on the pitch and in the classroom.

All-Star Amazon Intern, Leader and STEM Advocate

Jan 27, 2020

Ava DeLaCruz is making waves as a former Amazon Future Engineer intern, current director of service for USC Women in Computing and incoming software engineering intern at Facebook. And she’s just getting started.

Sea-Level Rise Could Reshape the United States, Trigger Migration Inland

Jan 22, 2020

Climate change-driven sea-level rise could trigger mass migration of Americans to inland cities, finds new AI study

Pegasus Research Team Discovers Errors for a Win

Jan 15, 2020

Team recognized for “transformative contribution” to computing research with surprising discovery

USC Earth Scientists and AI Researchers Join Forces on New Semantic Web Technology

Jan 09, 2020

Researchers from ISI and USC Dornsife create novel platform to standardize paleoclimatology data

Dance, Moose, Dance! K-12 Students Learn Coding Basics Through Interactive “Dance Party”

Dec 17, 2019

USC Viterbi students and industry professionals teach programming at “Code Dojo” to celebrate 2019 Computer Science Education Week

University of Southern California at AAAI 2020

Dec 13, 2019

The annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) is one of the world’s leading conferences in the field of artificial intelligence.

Can artificial intelligence help prevent suicides?

Dec 12, 2019

New tool from the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society at USC aims to prevent suicide among youth

In A Season Of Giving, This Student Start-up Is Transforming The Way We Give

Dec 09, 2019

Duet is the world’s first student-built micro-philanthropy platform designed to connect donors with refugees and local stores in a more personalized and dignified way

University of Southern California at NeurIPS 2019

Dec 09, 2019

We are proud to present the following research projects at the 33rd Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS) in Vancouver, Canada, one of the most prominent gatherings in the field of artificial intelligence.

Ewa Deelman Named AAAS Fellow

Nov 26, 2019

ISI researcher recognized for distinguished contributions to the field of computer science

Air Pollution Monitoring To Track Impact On Newborn Brain Development

Nov 26, 2019

USC study will use wearable sensors to provide new insights into the effects of air pollution on the developing brain and ways to reduce harm.

Uncovering AI’s Biases

Nov 22, 2019

As artificial intelligence generates more of the words we read every day, a USC Viterbi research team seeks to better understand and one day help to eliminate bias against women and minorities.

Servant Leadership

Nov 11, 2019

U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and third-year Ph.D. student Ashok Deb is training to combat deep fakes and cyber threats while giving back to elementary school students

Honoring Her Spirit

Nov 07, 2019

A first-generation Nigerian-American immigrant, Ojuolape “Oju” Ajose overcame the loss of her mother and has honored her by excelling in academics and leadership

Showing Robots “Tough Love” Helps them Succeed, Finds New USC Study

Nov 06, 2019

Humans acting in an adversarial manner towards robotic systems can actually improve their robustness, says a team of USC computer scientists.

Why Music Makes Us Feel, According to AI

Oct 31, 2019

In a new paper, a team of USC computer scientists and psychologists teamed up to investigate how music affects how you act, feel and think

USC Viterbi Freshman Fights On In Journey Towards Self-Discovery

Oct 21, 2019

First-year student finds strength in community

Do We Trust Artificial Intelligence Agents to Mediate Conflict? Not Entirely

Oct 16, 2019

New study says we’ll listen to virtual agents except when goings get tough

USC Student Club Harnesses AI for Social Good

Oct 02, 2019

The rise and rise of CAIS++, the student branch of USC’s Center for AI in Society, where undergraduate students are using artificial intelligence to tackle projects with environmental and social impact.

Tackling Pressing Social Issues with AI: A Conversation with PhD candidate Aida Rahamattalabi

Oct 01, 2019

USC computer science PhD candidate Aida Rahamattalabi is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and social network-based interventions aimed at reducing suicidality among homeless youth, college students, and active duty military members.

USC Viterbi Receives Three-Year NSF Grant to Train Engineers for the Future of Manufacturing

Oct 01, 2019

USC Viterbi and the Center for Advanced Manufacturing will develop education platform to prepare U.S. workforce for challenges, opportunities in advanced manufacturing

Rising Star Honored for Early Achievements and Promise

Sep 30, 2019

Computer science PhD student Yixue Zhao will participate in the 2019 Rising Stars Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) Workshop at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

The next big effort in AI: keeping L.A.’s water flowing post-earthquake

Sep 26, 2019

Experts at the USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society are teaming with city officials to find technological solutions for aging, vulnerable pipelines.

Virtual Human Hand Simulation holds Promise for Prosthetics, Virtual Reality, Medical Education

Sep 23, 2019

Working with a clinical radiologist, USC computer scientists combined visual effects techniques and medical imaging to create precise model of the human hand in motion

Glimpsing into the Future of AI: A Conversation with Yolanda Gil

Sep 18, 2019

Yolanda Gil, president of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), discusses what it will take to move AI forward without moving safety backward.

Undergrad Course Teaching Students How to Use AI for Social Good

Sep 16, 2019

By studying artificial intelligence techniques in the context of applications with high environmental and social impact, USC undergraduates are learning to develop innovative solutions to pressing social issues.

Come Together

Sep 09, 2019

Atomus, a fledgling USC Viterbi startup, is developing technology that would make it easier for the Marines to 3-D print spare parts for ships, military vehicles and planes, benefitting the Corps, defense contractors and the nation.

The Three P’s: Programming, Python and Pac-Man

Aug 26, 2019

CS@SC teaches principles of programming and robotics alongside those of equality and inclusivity

AI Predicts Musical Genre by Identifying Surprising Patterns in Hit Songs

Aug 12, 2019

Record-breaking single “Old Town Road” is a little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n roll, according to an artificial intelligence (AI) tool developed by a USC computer science student

USC researchers receive $12.5M grant for craniofacial research data-sharing endeavor

Aug 05, 2019

The project, FaceBase III Data Management and Integration Hub, would put USC on the map as the data epicenter for the craniofacial research community.

VR Game Allows Parkinson’s Patients to Move and Feel in Virtual Worlds

Aug 01, 2019

USC engineers team with researchers and VR game designers to help Parkinson’s patients walk steadily with confidence

How can AI Revolutionize Transportation?

Jul 25, 2019

On June 19, 2019, more than 35 guests from USC and DiDi arrived at USC’s University Club to discuss the future of communication, transportation and artificial intelligence as part of the Industry Affiliates Program (IAP).

Tackling Lack of Diversity in Genetics Research

Jul 25, 2019

Researchers at the USC Viterbi Information Sciences Institute managed vast amounts of genetic data from multi-ethnic populations in a groundbreaking new study.

USC Viterbi Announces its 2019 NSF CAREER Award Winners

Jun 24, 2019

USC Viterbi Professors Pierluigi Nuzzo, Kelly Sanders and Mahdi Soltanolkotabi receive highly competitive National Science Foundation awards for their leadership and novel research.

“Deep Fakes”: Researchers Develop Forensic Techniques to Identify Tampered Videos

Jun 20, 2019

USC computer scientists find movement is key to spot manipulated content

Making Children’s Voices Heard in the Courtroom

Jun 17, 2019

USC computer science undergraduate student Zane Durante is using artificial intelligence to identify truthful language in child forensic interviews.

Battling Bias in AI

Jun 06, 2019

USC computer science PhD student tackles algorithmic fairness for social justice in machine learning.

Students Build App That Empowers Teachers in Remote Corners of the World

Jun 04, 2019

A U.S. State Department-funded project will allow Mobile Teacher to reach more educators without Internet

The End of an Era

Jun 03, 2019

A blended family of eight, six of whom attended USC, bids farewell to the school as the youngest graduates

Robotics and American Sign Language

May 29, 2019

USC Viterbi research team develops technology that may help deaf children better learn sign language

Death of the Middleman? USC Researchers Imagine a Cheaper, Fairer Marketplace For Digital Goods

May 17, 2019

Beyond improving e-commerce, USC Viterbi’s Bhaskar Krishnamachari sees a blockchain-driven future where cars, homes and appliances can buy and sell digital information.

Master’s Students Shine

May 11, 2019

At the 2019 USC Viterbi master’s commencement, graduates shared hugs, smiles and selfies.

Changing the Narrative

May 09, 2019

Avri Parker, president of the National Society of Black Engineers USC Chapter, lands dream job at Microsoft, sets sights on chief technology officer roles—and aims to start a school for black girls in technology.

Dreaming Big Pays Off

May 08, 2019

Computer science student turned entrepreneur Drake Rehfeld is flying high with five ventures under his belt before he’s even graduated—but it didn’t happen without hard work.

The Next Generation Meets the Bots

May 01, 2019

Local K-12 students learned about robotics and the value of STEM education at USC’s 2019 Robotics Open House

HackSC 2019: 36 Hours of Hackers, Yoga and, yes, Puppies

Apr 30, 2019

USC’s largest hackathon event fuses competition, inspiration and wellness

Want to Know the Secret of a Good Idea? It Could be Hidden in Language.

Apr 22, 2019

Xiang Ren, a USC Viterbi assistant professor of computer science, is using natural language processing to find patterns in massive amounts of text, which could unlock the secrets of innovation—and much more.

A Hackathon for Women by Women

Apr 19, 2019

USC students changing hacking culture from competitive to collaborative.

Excellence In Engineering

Apr 12, 2019

At the 41st Viterbi Awards, NAE President Dan Mote Jr., alumna and Northrop Grumman VP Linnie Haynesworth, and SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell were honored.

How to Make Self-Driving Cars Safer on Roads

Mar 28, 2019

USC computer science researchers develop a new way to test machine learning algorithms that control self-driving cars

Using Artificial Intelligence to Predict Violence in Movies

Mar 20, 2019

The film industry will soon be able to better predict MPAA ratings for movies, thanks to a new artificial intelligence tool.

A Robotic Leg, Born Without Prior Knowledge, Learns to Walk

Mar 11, 2019

New AI algorithms could allow robots to learn to move by themselves, imitating animals.

New Method Uses AI to Screen for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Feb 26, 2019

Scientists at USC, Queen’s University (Ontario) and Duke University have developed a new tool that can screen children for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) quickly and affordably

To Protect Earth’s Natural Resources, It Takes a Village

Feb 21, 2019

A recent community-building symposium, hosted by USC’s Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society (CAIS), explored how AI could revolutionize the field of conservation.

Saving Endangered Species, One Algorithm at a Time

Feb 11, 2019

Bistra Dilkina, USC Viterbi assistant professor in computer science, develops artificial intelligence tools to help protect endangered animals

Stop The Spoofing

Feb 01, 2019

USC ISI researcher Wael Abd-Almageed and an international research team are building enhanced biometric security technologies to thwart would-be malefactors.

USC Researchers Use AI to Detect Early Signs of Alzheimer’s

Jan 28, 2019

USC researchers found “hidden factors” in medical data that could improve Alzheimer’s disease prediction and lead to better outcomes.

USC Trojans Repeat as Region’s Top Team in “Coding Olympics”

Jan 11, 2019

The winners of the regional coding contest will compete against more than 100 teams at the world finals in Portugal this summer.

A Star Is Born…With C Programming And Robots.

Jan 09, 2019

With donor support, USC Viterbi’s Robotics and Coding Academy provides computer science education to local elementary schools

Four USC Viterbi Faculty Members Selected As IEEE Fellows

Jan 08, 2019

USC Viterbi Faculty members from Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering join the 2019 class of IEEE fellows.

Helping USC’s Homeless

Dec 18, 2018

USC Viterbi’s Sandeep Suresh helped build a website that provides invaluable information to USC’s hidden hungry and homeless population.

Computer Science Students Unleash Power of Social Web Data

Dec 13, 2018

As part of a new USC data science course, more than 100 master’s and PhD students unveiled their final research project posters to professors and industry members.

Ellis Meng and Mike Waterman Elected Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors

Dec 11, 2018

USC faculty members were two of 148 academic inventors selected this year

Fledgling Programmers Join Global Coding Celebration

Dec 10, 2018

USC Viterbi students joined forces with Google engineers to inspire the coders of the future.

Can taking breaks enhance test-taking performance?

Dec 10, 2018

Computer scientists find a connection between our test-taking abilities and resting

Han Wang Receives Coveted Army Research Office Young Investigator Award

Dec 04, 2018

The USC Viterbi assistant professor, who also just received the prestigious IEEE Nanotechnology Early Career Award, hopes to advance computer efficiency and proficiency.

USC Viterbi Student Named Amazon Alexa Graduate Fellow

Nov 29, 2018

Doctoral student I-Hung Hsu has won the prestigious fellowship for his research in advancing interactions between voice and technology

USC Viterbi’s “Adopt-a-School” Program Announces Partnerships with Code.org and Sesame Workshop

Nov 13, 2018

USC Viterbi VAST programs gain attention for community engagement in computer sciences, landing new partnerships from leading STEM organizations

Getting Connected with Big Tech

Oct 09, 2018

New program establishes partnership between the USC Computer Science Department and major technology companies

Can AI Reduce Race Bias in Homelessness?

Oct 01, 2018

New Algorithm Can Improve Outcomes in Assigning Housing to Homeless Youth and Change Housing Policy

USC students go into refugee camps in Greece to volunteer and research solutions to the global refugee crisis

Sep 26, 2018

New USC Viterbi course focused on engineering solutions for social good takes students from seven USC schools in a close encounter with problems inside refugee camps

Alexa To USC: “Congratulations! You Have Been Chosen.”

Aug 31, 2018

The prestigious Amazon Alexa Innovation Fellowship will allow the USC Viterbi School of Engineering to infuse voice technology into several of its innovation programs.

New Deep Learning AI Technology Can Help You Save Time on Your Commute

Aug 24, 2018

New AI forecasting technology might also aid fleets of autonomous cars navigate future traffic.

Predicting the next Taylor Swift—with algorithms?

Aug 10, 2018

Want to discover the next big thing in music? A new USC study used data mining to predict what artists will hit the big-time in the next year.

Mr. USC

Jul 18, 2018

How To Launch A Million Dollar Software Firm? A Family Helps. Specifically, the Trojan Variety.

Data-Crunching Class Looks to the Skies to Explore UFO Sightings

Jul 02, 2018

Computer science master’s students sifted through thousands of documented sightings of UFOs to tackle one of the greatest unsolved mysteries: Are we alone in the universe?

New Study Finds Taking Breaks Boosts Team Performance

Jun 27, 2018

USC computer scientists leverage artificial intelligence to analyze the performance of individuals in online team-based games, producing unique insights into the psychology of performance

USC Computer Science Professor Develops Haptic Armband to Mimic Human Touch

Jun 20, 2018

New wearable creates “haptic illusion” using tiny speakers to simulate gestures used in social touch

Hacking for Defense

May 24, 2018

In an exciting, experiential new class, the U.S. Department of Defense supplies national security problems, while students develop ideas for solutions.