DATA SCIENCEPhD Dissertation Proposal DefenseRuofan Hu Time: Sep 15, 2025, from 9:00- 10:00 amLocation: Gordon Library Conference Room 303PhD Committee:Prof. Elke A. Rundensteiner, Data Science, WPI. Advisor.Prof. Randy Paffenroth, Mathematical Sciences, WPI.Prof. Fabricio Murai, Data Science, WPI.Prof. Feifan Liu, Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School. External member. Title: Learning from Weak SupervisionAbstract: Deep learning models often rely on high-quality labeled data, yet such resources are scarce and costly in domains like public health and healthcare. This dissertation addresses the problem of learning from weak supervision, where labels are noisy, incomplete, or coarse. This dissertation focuses on two major regimes: noisy supervision, which involves developing strategies to learn effectively from mixed- and unknown-quality labels, and indirect supervision, which entails designing methods that leverage coarse-grained signals to guide fine-grained tasks, such as rationale extraction and clinical notes summarization. Across four tasks, novel approaches are proposed to reduce dependence on expert annotations, mitigate label noise and imbalance, and exploit existing high-level signals. This work contributes to the development of robust, scalable models that enhance clinical decision support and medical text understanding.

Seminar Series “Successes and Challenges in Using Mathematical Modeling to Bridge Scales in Muscle Contraction” Sam Walcott, PhD Mathematical Sciences Worcester Polytechnic Institute Monday, September 15, 2025 GP1002 12:00pm – 12:50pm Abstract: The contraction of muscle powers vital processes like locomotion, gastric motility, and blood circulation. The rational development of therapies for dysfunction in these processes, e.g. genetic heart disease, depends on connecting molecular-scale interactions to physiological function. Since the 1950s, the sliding filament and cross bridge theories seemed to relate molecular interactions to the contraction of muscle cells. But, despite the successes of these theories, aspects of muscle contraction, e.g. the history dependence of isometric force, have eluded a mechanistic description. I'll discuss our work using mathematical modeling to bridge the molecular to cellular and larger scales. In particular, I'll share three stories: first, how we used mathematical modeling to explain how a molecular change causes fruit flies to jump further. Second, how our model of calcium activation was used to understand the mechanism of a heart drug. And third, how our modeling suggests a molecular mechanism for muscle's history dependence, and how that ties into a newly-discovered mechanism of muscle activation. Biography: (last name pronounced like the words "wall" and "cot"). I received my undergraduate degree in Biology and my PhD in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, both from Cornell University. I did my first postdoc with David Warshaw at the University of Vermont, performing measurements in the laser trap to understand smooth muscle regulation. I did my second postdoc with Sean Sun at Johns Hopkins, developing mathematical models for cell mechanosensation. I then became an independent investigator at UC Davis in the Department of Mathematics. I am currently at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. My primary research interest is using mathematical modeling to tie together experimental measurements of biological systems at the molecular, cellular, and larger scales. For a zoom link please contact Kate Harrison at kharrison@wpi.edu

Ludwig Boltzmann was unsatisfied with fluid theory (Navier-Stokes Eq., etc.) as it lacked a microscopic theory that could explain the irreversibility at the core of thermodynamics. He committed himself to show how the disbelieved notion of atoms could unravel fluid dynamics into a stochastic particle theory. This talk is about my research program to similarly find a microscopic and ballistic theory of “particles” that generates quantum mechanics, while staying within the guard rails of Einstein’s notion of “realism”. We will visit several less traveled areas of quantum theory and mathematics while following a path to this goal and end with a demonstration of a computational demonstration.David Cyganski Professor Emeritus, Electrical and Computer Engineering, RBE - WPIAll Faculty and students are welcome and encouraged to join us! Physics Department Room 218

Life Sciences Seminar Series "Investigating the post-transcriptional role of regulatory small RNAs in mycobacterial stress responses" Opeyemi Isaac Ibitoye, BBT PhD Candidate, Advisor: Associate Professor Scarlet Shell"Identification of Functional Targets Reveals Novel GLD-2 Functions in the C. elegans Proximal Germline" Danni Li, BBT PhD Student, Advisor: Karl-Frédéric Vieux Tuesday September 16th 2025 @ 12:00 PM 60 Prescott St. Gateway Park 1st floor GP1002

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Department of Mathematical SciencesDiscrete Math SeminarTuesday, September 16th, 20254:00PM-4:50PMOlin Hall 126Speaker: Jane Coons, WPITitle: Quasi-Independence Models with Rational Maximum Likelihood Estimator Abstract: Let X and Y be random variables. Quasi-independence models are log-linear models that describe a situation in which some states of X and Y cannot occur together, but X and Y are otherwise independent. We characterize which quasi-independence models have rational maximum likelihood estimator, or MLE, based on combinatorial features of the bipartite graph associated to the model. In this case, we give an explicit formula for the maximum likelihood estimate. We also give a substantial introduction to algebraic statistics, which will be accessible to advanced undergraduate students.

Eat pizza, meet writing faculty, chat with other writing students, and learn about writing programs at WPI. We'll also be raffling away some WPI swag. Open to writing students and students who might be interested in pursuing writing at WPI as a major, minor, or HUA depth.Please RSVP through the registration link below if you plan on attending.

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Be well at home while celebrating Wellness Day on September 19th. Drop by the Center for Well-Being or the lobby of Gateway 1 (60 Prescott) starting on Wednesday, September 17th to pick up your Wellness @ Home Kit to help de-stress and relax. Kits will be available September 17-19 or until we run out. Get one before they are gone! Sponsored by the CWB.

Abstract: In recent years, there has been growing recognition that the physical bodies of animals play just as crucial a role in performing complex tasks as the control signals that drive them. In the field of robotics, this has given rise to the concept of “mechanical intelligence,” whereby desired behavior is embedded directly into robotic hardware rather than relying purely on active control. Though much work remains to match the level of performance found in nature, great progress has been made by both soft and rigid roboticists, alike. In this talk, Prof. Connor McCann will present his research at the intersection of these two fields, using a combination of experimental, theoretical, and numerical techniques to embed intelligent behavior into rigid robotic hands, soft wearable rehabilitative robots, and biomimetic soft-rigid structures inspired by stingray skeletons. As the director of the Principled Rigid-Soft Mechanisms (PRiSM) Lab at WPI, Prof. McCann’s ongoing research directions focus on the development of new paradigms to achieve mechanical intelligence through “hybrid-stiffness” mechanisms. By leveraging the benefits of both softness and rigidity, he aims to push the bounds of robotic hardware to enable complex and intelligent robotic behavior beyond what is currently possible.Bio: Connor McCann is an Assistant Professor in the Robotics Engineering department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. His research focuses on hybrid-stiffness mechanisms at the intersection of rigid and soft robotics. He is interested in the underlying mechanics that govern the non-trivial interactions between rigid and soft materials, and how these interactions can enable advanced, highly functional behavior in robots. His work combines first-principles physical modeling with application-driven design and prototyping, spanning multiple application areas including robotic grasping and manipulation, wearable robotics, and bioinspired robotics. Prior to joining WPI, he received his Ph.D. and M.S. from Harvard University and his B.S. from Yale University, all in mechanical engineering.

TITLE: Investigations of current-use flame retardants and plasticizers in atmospheric particulate matterAbstract: The World Health Organization (WHO) considers air pollution “one of the biggest environmental threats to human health". Since organic chemicals can efficiently sorb to particulate matter (PM), the health effects associated with these chemicals must also be considered a hazard. Organophosphate esters (OPEs), which are a “reemerging” pollutant with a wide-range of uses in consumer products, including as a flame retardant (FR) and plasticizer, are one such ���high production volume” chemical. Despite known and suspected health effects of OPEs, there is no international regulation in place for OPEs and studies of these chemicals in PM in the US are limited. Providence, RI is the third most populated city in New England while also being home to New England’s second largest deep-water port. It has been documented that urban centers are a significant source of OPEs and have been shown to be transported to coastal regions from other nearby cities. Filter-based samples of total suspended particulate (TSP) and PM2.5 have been collected in Providence, RI. Samples were extracted to determine the concentration of 33 OPEs (including 14 novel-OPEs) in an urban area as a function of size fraction, season, precipitation, and solar radiation. Comparison of partitioning between size fractions will allow for a better understanding of health-related exposures, since PM2.5 is the respirable fraction of PM. Preliminary data on OPEs in Pacific Northwest wildfires will also be presented.Biography: Adelaide E. Clark received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a concentration in education from Emory & Henry College before pursuing her PhD in analytical chemistry from Baylor University. Prior to coming to Providence College, she spent 6 years teaching at the Oregon Institute of Technology, the last year as a tenured faculty member. While at Oregon Tech, she worked with undergraduate researchers looking at the effects of wildfire smoke on hospitalization rates and the effects of wood stoves on air quality in the Klamath Basin. Since coming to PC, she's been conducting research looking at flame retardants and plasticizers at three sites in Rhode Island through FriAir Net, the Friar Air Monitoring Network at Providence College (established by her group in 2023), and in wildfire samples from the Pacific Northwest.

Looking for a way to make your day less stressful and more mindful...take some much-needed time for yourself and join us for Mindful Wednesdays! Drop-in meditation sessions are open to the entire WPI community, and no experience is necessary. A certified meditation teacher will offer guided meditations appropriate for both beginners as well as experienced meditators. People can join in person or via zoom.

Title:Fusion of Imaging and Robotics for Healthcare and Human-Machine Interface Abstract:Medical robotics has been widely applied in areas such as surgical assistance, enabling higher precision, reduced fatigue, and enhanced performance and tele-operation, allowing surgeons to perform procedures remotely without being physically present with the patient. A key enabler of medical robotics is imaging, which has rapidly evolved over the past two decades to support more minimally invasive, personalized, and low-risk diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. My research group focuses on the intersection of medical robotics, sensing, and imaging, with the aim of developing robotic-assisted imaging systems and image-guided robotic interventional platforms leveraging AI. In this talk, I will highlight two projects in our lab. First, I will discuss autonomous robotic imaging, which aims to reduce user dependency during image acquisition, resulting in higher-quality images and more comprehensive scanning. This includes our development of an autonomous ultrasound robot for diagnosing lung diseases. Second, I will introduce AI-powered biosignal-based human-machine interaction that harnesses signals from the human body to estimate hand movements and forces. This research is crucial for designing effective human-machine interaction systems, which can control robots, augmented/virtual/mixed reality interfaces, and digital media. Ultrasound data from the forearm provides valuable insights by visualizing a cross-section of the forearm, revealing the underlying causes of hand movements and interaction. These advancements in robotic imaging and human-machine interaction have the potential to significantly enhance both healthcare and our daily quality of life. Speaker:Haichong (Kai) Zhang, Ph.D.Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Robotics Engineering Program, WPIBio:Dr. Haichong (Kai) Zhang is an Associate Professor in Biomedical Engineering and Robotics Engineering with an appointment in Computer Science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). He is the founding director of the Medical Frontier Ultrasound Imaging and Robotic Instrumentation (Medical FUSION) Laboratory. His research interests include advanced medical imaging and robotic instrumentation with an emphasis on ultrasound and photoacoustics. Dr. Zhang received his B.S. and M.S. in Human Health Sciences from the Kyoto University, Japan, and subsequently earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Zhang is the recipient of the NIH Director’s Early Independence Award (DP5) in 2019 and the Early Investigator Research Award from the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program in 2018. He has served as a Program Committee Member for two tracks at the Image-Guided Procedures, Robotic Interventions, and Modeling and Ultrasonic Imaging and Tomography at the SPIE Medical Imaging Conference. He has been a member of the Young Professionals Committee of the IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Society (UFFC-S) since 2021.Host: Professor Ulkuhan Guler

These trainings are divided into a 101- and 201-level and will be offered on a termly basis in Stratton Hall 311. Both trainings will include creating an action plan and discovering new resources for continued learning. Please contact Lauren Feldman (they/she) at diversity@wpi.edu with any questions or accommodations requests. All are welcome to attend! 101: Learn about identities, pronouns, and how to advocate for your students and colleagues. A-Term: Wednesday, September 17, 2:00-3:30pm ET Zoom: Tuesday, October 14, 1:30-3:00pm ET B-Term: Tuesday, October 28, 11:00am-12:30pm ET 201: Learn about LGBTQIAP+ history, queer identity in other cultures, and queer liberation. Participants are encouraged to either attend the 101 training or have solid foundational knowledge before attending the 201 training. A-Term: Wednesday, September 24, 2:00-3:30pm ET B-Term: Wednesday, November 5, 1:30-3:00pm ET

Department of Mathematical SciencesQIT Thinking SeminarWednesday, September 17th, 20254:00PM-4:50PMStratton Hall 207Speaker: Harmony Zhan, WPITitle: An introduction to continuous-time quantum walksAbstract: A continuous-time quantum walk models the evolution of a quantum system under a time-independent Hamiltonian. We can represent such a system by a graph, where each vertex encodes a qubit, and each edge encodes the interaction between two qubits. This talk introduces continuous-time quantum walks whose Hamiltonians are determined by the adjacency matrices or the Laplacian matrices. We will survey some interesting behaviors of the walk and explain them using the spectral information of the graph.

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DIY Wednesdays are craft activities for you to de-stress and build social connections. This week, join us to make your own shrinky dink! Drop-by, relax, have fun, and create with your friends or make new friends.

Looking for a way to make your day less stressful and more mindful...take some much-needed time for yourself and join us for Mindful Thursdays! Drop-in meditation sessions are open to the entire WPI community, and no experience is necessary. A certified meditation teacher will offer guided meditations appropriate for both beginners as well as experienced meditators. People can join in person or via zoom. Mindful Thursdays: 2:15PM to 2:35PM Center for Well-Being, Daniels Hall 102E Zoom: https://wpi.zoom.us/j/186050714 Each Friday an email will be sent out to the group called Mindfulness Tools To-Go which will include information about meditations, poems shared during the week, and mindful resources. If you have questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact Robin Benoit, rbenoit@wpi.edu

Learn about the exciting HUA summer courses abroad in Argentina, England, Germany, Morocco, Japan, and Taiwan

Come join WPIWA for our weekly GBMs! Come to learn about interesting radio topics, upcoming events you can participate in, or how to get your radio license. Hope to see you there!

Help Save a Life! WPI Campus Girl Scouts and Massachusetts General Hospital are partnering to sponsor a Blood Drive on WPI campus. The drive will be on Wellness Day on September 19th from 9:30am-3pm on the Quad. Your donation will go to patients in need and knowledge of your blood type is not required. Please consider donating! Sponsored by Campus Girl Scouts.

 Sign up for a 15-minute Reiki session with certified Reiki master, Catherine Flayhan, as you experience healing in your whole-body by the gentle placement of the practitioner’s hands above or lightly on the receiver's body. Reiki is a healing practice that helps to bring your energetic body into alignment. Humans have two body forms. One is our physical body supported by our spine, bones, organs. We also have an energetic body with a central column that runs along our spine called a Sushumna. This is where the seven main Chakras live as well as the Nadis, which are channels that bring energy out to the rest of our body. Both can become out of alignment. When your energetic body is unaligned you visit a Reiki Practitioner.  Sponsored by the CWB.

Drop-in at the CWB to travel back in time to when you were a little kid and make your own pet rock! All materials provided. Sponsored by the CWB. 

Stop by the CWB during Wellness Day and play some games, do a puzzle, or get some coloring done all while enjoying some free snacks. Sponsored by the CWB.

Put your brain muscles to work as you decipher the clues and follow the trail around campus to find the hidden treasure! The first clue will be on the Wellness Day Webpage starting at 10am on 9/19. Solve the first clue and it will lead you to the location on campus with the second clue and so on until you’ve found the treasure. Sponsored by the CWB.  Start here: Wellness Days | Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Join us on the Quad for Boogie and Bounce—an afternoon of popcorn, ice cream, inflatable activities, and lawn games to relax, recharge, and celebrate Wellness Day with HREC! Sponsored by HREC.

Sign up for this fun workshop by WPI’s own Elizabeth Dufresne and learn to craft your own woven coaster (AKA Mug Rug)! All materials will be provided. Sponsored by the CWB. 

Please join the Chemical Engineering Department putting their theoretical skills in thermodynamics, heat transfer, mixing, and phase changes into practice making ice cream with the help of Liquid Nitrogen. Sponsored by Chemical Engineering.

Bring a book, take a book! Stop by the library on Wellness Day and participate in our quarterly book swap. All genres are welcome - the only rule is that it must be something you can read for fun! This is a drop-in event and registration is not required. Simply drop in, share your books, and walk away with something exciting to read. Sponsored by the Gordon Library.

Doughboyz will be serving sausage, egg, and cheese; egg and cheese; cheeseball; & plain doughballs at 12PM on Sept 19th Wellness Day. Stop in to get your free doughball before they run out! Sponsored by the CWB. 

Join ODIME on Fridays from 12:00-2:00pm ET in OASIS House for milk and freshly baked cookies! For more information or accommodations, please contact ODIME at diversity@wpi.edu. All are welcome!

Interested in trying meditation for the first time? Or perhaps you are an experienced meditator and want to build and strengthen your mindfulness practice in a supportive community?  Please join the CWB in this 30-minute, guided meditation session led by Robin Benoit from the Gordon Library. Sponsored by the CWB and Gordon Library. Zoom: https://wpi.zoom.us/j/186050714

Welcome behind the red velvet rope as Professor Michelle Borowski introduces you to the glitz & glam of artworks referencing the spectacular DISCO ERA--and that pioneering and legendary nightclub that was all the rage in the 1970s and early '80s. From West 54th Street in Midtown Manhattan, NYC, to a global phenomenon: even the visual arts could not escape that dazzling, faceted mirror ball!! Admission to the museum is free if you show your WPI ID.

Join us in this soothing session using healing instruments such as gongs, singing bowls, chimes, and more where participants are bathed in “sound waves” that bring healing to the body. Participants may experience relaxation, an increased sense of well-being, balanced energy, and deep awareness. Sponsored by the CWB. 

Join us for a fun afternoon of free s'mores and Spikeball, hosted by the Outing Club and Spikeball Club!

Join us between 2-4 PM in Fuller 311 for stickers, jigsaw puzzles, and quiet coloring, as well as the opportunity to meet and relax with our CS community. All are welcome! Sponsored by Computer Science.

Join us for yoga.  In yoga, movements flow between yoga poses as you link your breath to the movement of the body. Boost your mood, improve your sleep, and feel your stress roll away when you participate. Sponsored by the CWB.

Stop in for a few snuggles or sloppy doggie kisses to help melt away anxiety and stress. Our furry friends will be awaiting your presence!  Sponsored by the CWB and Gordon Library. 

Department of Mathematical SciencesGraduate Student SeminarFriday, September 19th, 20254:00PM-5:00PMStratton Hall 202Speaker: Derek Drumm, WPITitle: M/EEG Source Localization via Reciprocal Basis FunctionsAbstract: Magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) are methods of recording the magnetic and electric fields of the brain. These fields are generated by neurological sources according to stimuli felt throughout the body. Source localization is a brain imaging procedure which uses the recorded M/EEG signals to recover the region of the neurological source. This procedure encompasses two major processes: building a model of the neurological sources (the forward problem) and using this model in conjunction with the recorded signals to localize the site of the sources (the inverse problem). In this presentation, I will present a brief overview of the source localization procedure and showcase how it can be utilized using our in-house solver to localize sources from real-world data.

Join us for a casual karaoke session featuring Japanese pop (J-pop) and other music of your choice. We do non-Japanese music too, so don't feel forced in that sense. The event is open to everyone, whether you are familiar with Japanese music or just curious to try something new. Sing along to your favorite songs, discover new tracks, or just enjoy the performances. The event will take place in a medium-sized room with sound equipment provided. Sponsored by the Japan Association.

We keep the CC open until 2am the next morning and set out board games from our library for people to come by and play for free. Attendees can come in groups or just find people to play with at the event. Sponsored by Science Fiction Society.

Get your boogie on at the Silent Disco on the Quad! A silent disco is an event where you get headphones and can choose from 3 channels playing music. Jam out with great music and free ice cream! Sponsored by the CWB. 

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