Systems Science Seminar
Systems Science Seminars are held every Friday* from 12 noon (sharp) to 1 pm in Harder House Room 104.(*in the PSU academic calendar)
If you are not able to attend a seminar in person, you can participate remotely during the seminar; you can also access the presentation and slides after the seminar has occurred. Links for the presentation and slides are embedded within the schedule below. Individual seminar announcements are listed after the schedule in reverse chronological order.
FALL 2009 SCHEDULE
- 10/09/09 - Mark Bedau, Professor of Philosophy and Humanties, Reed College: "Beyond Biobricks: synthesizing synergistic biochemical systems from the bottom-up" [Announcement] [Presentation Recording] [PowerPoint Slides]
- 10/16/09 - Tad Shannon, Assistant Professor of Theatre-Dance, Western Oregon University: "Linguistic adaptive critics and human in the loop dynamic programming" [Announcement] [Presentation Recording]
- 10/23/09 - Richard Beyler, Associate Professor, PSU Dept. of History: "Doing the history of science and the suspension of belief" [Announcement] [Presentation Recording] [PowerPoint Slides]
- 10/30/09 - Heejun Chang, Associate Professor, PSU Dept. of Geography: "Water as a complex system: understanding the dynamics in a changing environment" [Announcement] [Presentation Recording] [PowerPoint Slides]
- 11/06/09 - Discussion: "Generalists, specialists, and the best experts: Where do systems thinkers fit in?"
[Announcement] [Presentation Recording] [PowerPoint Slides] - 11/13/09 - Radu Popa, Associate Professor, PSU Dept. of Biology: "The complexity-independence of the origin of life" [Announcement] [Presentation Recording] [PowerPoint Slides]
- 11/20/09 - Marek Perkowski, Professor, PSU Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering: "Towards robot theatre" [Announcement] [Presentation Recording] [PowerPoint Slides]
- 11/27/09 - THANKSGIVING VACATION
- 12/04/09 - William "Ike" Eisenhauer, Adjunct Assistant Professor, PSU Systems Engineering / Engineering and Technology Management: "Addressing ambiguity effects of predicting non-linear continuous valued functions with reconstructability analysis from large categorically valued input data sets" [Click Here to Participate Remotely]
WINTER 2010 SCHEDULE
(partial, subject to change)
- 01/08/10 - Grant Kirby, IT Program Director, Oregon Institute of Technology; student, PSU Systems Science Ph.D. Program: human aspects of IT networks / cloud computing
- 01/15/10 - Tamara Hayes, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University: algorithms for processing health monitor and assessment data
- 01/22/10 - TBA
- 01/29/10 - TBA
- 02/05/10 - TBA
- 02/12/10 - TBA
- 02/19/10 - Miguel Andres Figliozzi, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering: algorithms and logistics for vehicle routing
- 02/26/10 - Dan Hammerstrom, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering: "The DARPA SyNAPSE Program"
- 03/05/10 - TBA
- 03/12/10 - TBA
SPRING 2010 SCHEDULE
(partial, subject to change)
- 04/02/10 - Martin Zwick, Professor, PSU Systems Science Ph.D. Program: "Holism and Human History"
- 04/09/10 - Diana Fisher, Teacher, Wilson High School (Portland): systems dynamics for K-12 education
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(past and future, reverse chronological order)
FALL 2009
LOCATION: Harder House, Room 104
TIME: 12 noon - 1 pm
PRESENTER: Marek Perkowski
TITLE: "Towards robot theatre"
ABSTRACT: The talk will present the idea of futuristic robot theatre and work done towards it at the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at PSU. After a short history of robot theatre from antiquity until 2008 we will present recent work on robot theatre in the world and at PSU, including two plays: ancient Korean folk tale "Hahoe Pylyshin" and "What's that? A Schroedinger Cat" or a debate between Einstein and Schroedinger Cat about quantum mechanics - an educational theatre. Several models of robot theatre will be discussed: animatronic theatre, interactive theatre and improvisational theatre. We will present the concept of generalized motions and universal event editor to edit robot motions, behaviors, lightings and automated events, as well as partial theories used to design such software tools, including regular expressions and spectral filtering theories. Next the concept of future interactive robot theatre will be presented, together with its underlying theories of pattern recognition and emotional robotics. Human-robot interaction based on recognition of human emotions and generating emotional robot behaviors as well as the method of constructive induction will be briefly discussed. Some ideas for future robot theatres will conclude the presentation. Our goals are to both create a model innovative robot theatre and a theory of robot theatre that would be similar to the theory of film or theory of interactive computer games. We believe that robot theatre will become a new art form and we are interested what are the basic questions related to the art of performing robots. We hope to have an interesting feedback to our ideas from the System Science oriented researchers.
BIO: Marek Perkowski obtained his M.S. degree in Electronics and Ph.D. Degree in automatic control from Institute of Automatic Control, Department of Electronics, Technical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. He studied also pure mathematics at University of Warsaw. In years 1981-1983 he was a Visiting Assistant Professor at University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and since 1983 he works for Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Portland State University where he is a full professor and director of Intelligent Robotics Laboratory. He worked for Cypress Semiconductor (co-author of WARP, the first FPGA compiler of VHDL), Intel Supercomputer, Sharp Microelectronics, GTE and other companies in areas of computer architecture, CAD tools for logic synthesis and image processing. Dr. Perkowski invented Kronecker Decision Diagrams and lattices and contributed to logic synthesis software that is used in US industry. In 1994 he worked for Machine Learning group in Wright Laboratories of U.S. Air Force applying logic decomposition as a machine learning approach to pattern recognition and continued this work on several grants. He is an author of more than 300 papers in CAD, logic synthesis, multiple-valued logic, machine learning, robotics and quantum computing. He had visiting professor and visiting scientist positions in the Netherlands, France, Japan and Korea. In years 2002-2004 he was professor in KAIST – Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology where he participated in research on humanoid robotics and quantum computing. He chaired the IEEE Technical Committee on Multiple-Valued Logic in years 2003-2005 and is currently chair of IEEE Computational Intelligence Society Task Force on Quantum Computing. His main current interests are in quantum circuits and algorithms, humanoid bipeds, emotional quantum robots, robotics for teenagers and Grover algorithm. He collaborates with many groups worldwide.
LOCATION: Harder House, Room 104
TIME: 12 noon - 1 pm
PRESENTER: Radu Popa
TITLE: "The complexity-independence of the origin of life"
ABSTRACT: It is often stated that the macroevolution of life is driven toward increased Complexity, and indeed, biosystems situated at higher evolutionary level show higher levels of Complexity. Yet, evidence also shows that some dynamic systems evolve toward lower entropy states, and not by increasing Complexity, but by increasing Organization. Organization is a parameter with two almost orthogonal components: Order and Complexity. Hence, it is possible for a dynamic system to experience changes in Organization in ways that do not elicit changes in Complexity. Whether Order or Complexity controls changes in Organization is dictated by the capacity of a system to store Meaningful information, and by the costs and payoffs of changes in Order or Complexity. This presentation analyzes transitions in the evolution of prebiotic systems (microevolution events) that are Complexity-independent. It is concluded that the actual driver of evolution is not the need for more Complexity, but the need to maximize the efficiency of energy dissipation.
BIO: Radu Popa has been an Associate Professor in the Biology Department at Portland State University since 2005. His research interests include microbial ecology and the origin and evolution of prebiotic systems (the origin of homochirality).
LOCATION: Harder House, Room 104
TIME: 12 noon - 1 pm
FACILITATOR: Joshua Hughes
TOPIC: "Generalists, specialists, and the best experts: Where do systems thinkers fit in?"
"GENERALIST / SPECIALIST: A generalist is someone who has studied a little bit of everything, and in the end knows nothing well in particular. By contrast, a specialist is someone who has studied a single subject, and as a consequence does not even know his own subject, because every item of knowledge is related to other components of the whole system. The good scholar or scientist--like the good chef, manager, clinician, or orchestra conductor--is an expert in one field or craft, and knowledgeable in many. Like a mouse, he can explore the details of a terrain; and, like an owl, he can also soar to get a good view of the landscape--mice and all. He is capable of learning new subjects as needed, as well as placing every particular subject in a wide context and a long-term perspective. He is thus open to multiple inputs and capable of multiple outputs. In sum, the best expert is the specialist turned generalist. This holds in all fields of thought and action, particularly in philosophy." -- Mario Bunge, Philosophical Dictionary
Bunge's definitions of the generalist, the specialist, and the "best expert" are thought-provoking (and may provoke other responses as well). Are systems practitioners, analysts, and theorists generalists, specialists, or the best experts? Because systems science concerns itself with general theories (e.g. graph theory, information theory, control theory, game theory, etc.) that can be applied to a wide range of problems, it appears to be a generalist field; but systems science has its own contributors, jargon, and history and is not widely studied (at least in the U.S.), and so appears to be a specialist field as well. And yet many of the early contributors to the systems project such as von Bertalanffy, Boulding, Wiener, and Ashby did indeed fit Bunge's definition of the best expert, as all were specialists turned generalists. Since systems science is mostly taught at the graduate level, perhaps Bunge's position is an implicit assumption in the systems field.
You may not agree with all of Bunge's assertions (or the conjecture above), but it is clear the views of the mice and the owls are needed for most (if not all) problems. Is the systems view that of the owls or that of mice in owl clothing? The answer may be fuzzy and a good starting point for our discussion. Perhaps a more interesting question is this: How we can use systems thinking to improve our problem solving abilities? A quick look at the jobs graduates of the PSU Systems Science Graduate Program have gone on to (http://www.pdx.edu/sysc/resources-jobs) makes it clear that systems principles are applicable in all kinds of fields. It is also clear that systems science can be useful for framing and solving global problems related to economics, energy, climate, and politics. So whether generalist or specialist--or whether one can meet the criteria Bunge requires of a "best" expert--what roles can a systems thinker fill?
Here are a few questions to get the discussion going:
- Are you interested in being a general problem solver, or do you have a specific (i.e. specialized) problem you'd like to solve using systems thinking?
- Can you describe an instance when your knowledge of systems science gave you an insight you would not otherwise have had?
- What roles can systems theorists, analysts, and practitioners play in national and global debates?
- Do (or will) the public, politicians, and other experts accept systems thinkers as experts?
- Can (or do) systems practitioners and theorists act as liasons between specialists or between specialists and the public?
- Can you think of a field or a problem that is not being considered from a systems perspective but should be?
- (Extra credit) Can you think any field in which systems science would not be useful?
This discussion can also be an opportunity for new students to ask questions about the systems field and discuss what they hope to gain with systems science knowledge, and for other students, graduates, and faculty to share their insights and experiences about the systems field and what they have gained from their systems science knowledge.
BIO: Joshua Hughes is a second year, core-option PhD student and graduate assistant in the PSU Systems Science Graduate Program. He is beginning research with George Lendaris on contextual learning and experience-based identification and control; he is also collaborating with Martin Zwick on a few papers that show how systems theories might provide insights into some contemporary problems. He is interested in information theory, cybernetics, reconstructability analysis, neural networks, fuzzy logic, catastrophe theory, game theory, and many other things.
LOCATION: Harder House, Room 104
TIME: 12 noon - 1 pm
PRESENTER: Heejun Chang
TITLE: "Water as a complex system: understanding the dynamics in a changing environment"
ABSTRACT: The water resources system is constantly evolving over space and time at a range of scales. Human-induced climate change and land development are probably two major driving forces of water resource system changes. However, the impacts of such changes are region specific, which depend on watershed characteristics such as topography and geology. Numerical simulation models are useful tools for understanding the system dynamics by allowing the multiple interactions of system components. I will introduce case studies of the Pacific Northwest that examine how changing climate and population growth affect regional water resources at multiple spatial and temporal scales and explain the major determinants of such changes in the system. A combination of a GIS-based hydrologic model and a hydroeconomic model is used for integrated environmental change impact assessment.
BIO: Heejun Chang is an Associate Professor of Geography at Portland State University, in Portland, Oregon, USA where he teaches courses in physical geography, hydrology, climate and water resources, global water issues and sustainability, GIS for water resources, and spatial quantitative analysis. His research areas include impacts of climate variability and change on regional water resources, land cover change and water quality, use of geospatial technology for hydrology and water resources, and urban flooding in Monsoon Asia. Professor Chang’s work has been funded by the Sustainable Water Resources Program at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of Korea (Technology for Climate Impact Assessment), the US National Science Foundation (Urban Water Quality), NOAA (climate change and urban water demand), NRCS (spatial database development), and the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation (Sustainable Water Resources Management, Hydrologic Ecosystem Services Dynamics, Coupled Carbon and Water Cycle in Urban Areas). His recent publications appear in such interdisciplinary, international journals as Climatic Change, Climate Research, Hydrological Processes, International Journal of Climatology, Journal of Environmental Management, River Research and Applications, Science of the Total Environment, and Water Research. Chang is currently a representative for the Willamette River Basin in UNESCO’s HELP (Hydrology, Environment, Land and Policy) program. He holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the Pennsylvania State University. For more information about Chang’s research, please visit http://www.web.pdx.edu/~changh/research.html.
LOCATION: Harder House, Room 104
TIME: 12 noon - 1 pm
PRESENTER: Richard Beyler
TITLE: "Doing the history of science and the suspension of belief"
ABSTRACT: Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1817) described the "suspension of disbelief" as a sort of bargain between the author and the audience necessary to creative literature. Conversely, one might describe the "suspension of belief" as a necessary element of doing the history of science. In modern civilization, science counts as the social institution which delineates the boundaries of knowledge per se, as opposed to belief, opinion, etc. We might describe this as the cultural myth of science--not in the sense of judging its truth or falsehood, but rather in the sense of its being foundational and largely unquestioned in modern society. Yet a historical account of how science developed requires that we suspend our current state of knowledge as a relevant factor, unless we are prepared to claim, teleologically, that this current state of knowledge played a causative role in past developments. Two aspects of the cultural myth of science have seemed to me particularly persistent and needing of suspension in order to create a cogent historical account: 1) an almost overwhelming tendency to interpret historical significance (exclusively) from the perspective of the known "winners"; 2) Uncritical belief in pure science or "knowledge for its own sake" which casts any kind of economic, political, or other "external" involvement as necessarily deterimental to the scientific enterprise.
BIO: Richard Beyler received his Ph.D. in history of science from Harvard University in 1994. After post-doctoral fellowships in Berlin and in Washington, he came to Portland State University in 1996, where he is associate professor of history. His teaching fields are history of science, European intellectual history, and German history. His current research follows two main tracks: biophysics in the 1920s and 1930s, and the political realignment of German scientific institutions before and after World War II.
LOCATION: Harder House, Room 104
TIME: 12 noon - 1 pm
PRESENTER: Tad Shannon
TITLE: "Linguistic Adaptive Critics and Human in the Loop Dynamic Programming"
ABSTRACT: Adaptive critic methods for approximate dynamic programming are a subset of reinforcement learning techniques developed over the past several decades. Actor-critic methods segment control system design problems so that assemblages of computational devices can efficiently find near optimal control policies for complex systems. While much effort has been devoted to designing autonomous adaptive critics, relatively little work has been done on human interaction with actor-critic systems. This talk will provide a taxonomy for adaptive critic systems, review developments in the use of linguistic reinforcement signals in such systems, and suggest a variety of options for human interaction with actor-critics.
BIO: Tad Shannon is an Assistant Professor of Theatre-Dance at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon. He has been the resident designer with Portland’s Do Jump Movement Theatre since 1992, designing the lighting and rigging for national tours in 2000, 2001, and 2007. He received a Theatre LA Ovation award for best lighting design for Do Jump’s Openings and Doors in 2002. His design work has been seen with many regional dance and theatre companies in Portland and San Francisco. He received his Ph.D. in Systems Science from Portland State University in 2007.
LOCATION: Harder House, Room 104
TIME: 12 noon - 1 pm
PRESENTER: Mark Bedau
TITLE: "Beyond Biobricks: synthesizing synergistic biochemical systems from the bottom-up"
ABSTRACT: Engineers who attempt to discover and optimize the behavior of complex biochemical systems face a dauntingly difficult task. This is especially true if the systems are governed by multiple qualitative and quantitative variables that have non-linear response functions and that interact synergistically. The synthetic biology community has responded to this difficulty by promoting the use of "standard biological parts" called "BioBricks", which are supposed to make biology into traditional engineering and enable engineers to "program living organisms in the same way a computer scientists can program a computer". But the BioBricks research program faces daunting hurdles, because the nonlinearity and synergy found throughout biochemical systems generates lots of unpredictable emergent properties. This talk describes an alternative vision of how to engineer complex biochemical systems, according to which we would refashion engineering to fit biology (rather than the other way around). The resulting method (termed "Predictive Design Technology" of PDT) is a robot- and computer-driven automatic and autonomous implementation of traditional Edisonian science. The PDT method is described and illustrated in application to a number of practical biochemical design tasks, including (2) optimizing combination drug therapies, (2) optimizing cargo capacity of liposomes that self-assemble from complex amphiphile mixtures, (3) optimizing the liposomal formulation of insoluble drugs, and (4) optimizing in vitro protein expression.
BIO: Mark A. Bedau is Professor of Philosophy and Humanities at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, Co-Founder of the European Center for Living Technology (ECLT), Partner in the EU-funded Programmable Artificial Cell Evolution (PACE) program, Co-organizer of the Eleventh International Conference on the Simulation and Synthesis of Living Systems (Artificial Life XI), and Visiting Professor, Ph.D. Program in Life Sciences: Foundations and Ethics, European School of Molecular Medicine. He is the coeditor of Emergence: Contemporary Readings in Science and Philosophy and Protocells: Bridging Nonliving and Living Matter, both published by the MIT Press in 2008.
SPRING 2009
Date: June 5, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenter: Rich Jolly
Title: The Role of Feedback in the Assimilation of Information in Markets: Applications to Prediction Markets
Abstract: “If only HP knew what HP knows, we would be three times more productive” - Lew Platt, while CEO of Hewlett-Packard
Leveraging the combined knowledge of an organization is an ongoing challenge and has given rise to the field of knowledge management. Yet, despite spending enormous sums of organizational resources (time and money) on IT (Information Technology) systems, executives recognize there is much more knowledge to harness – as expressed by Lew Platt’s comment above. Prediction markets are emerging as one tool to help extract, and make operational, that extra knowledge. Yet, prediction markets, like other markets, are susceptible to pathologies which compromise their accuracy (e.g. bubbles and crashes). This makes their use problematic for organizations.
The goal of this research is to study aspects of the feedback relationships in markets. A simplified form of a commonly used organizational prediction market will be studied. Some preliminary results of system simulations will be discussed in the seminar.
Bio: Rich Jolly is a PhD candidate in Systems Science and Business Administration at PSU. His interest is in the application of systems science tools and methodologies to business problems--in particular the flow of information in organizations. Rich currently works full time at Intel doing strategic marketing for server products.
File attached or Link to Recording?
Coming Soon
Date: May 29, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenter: Chad Wiener
Title: R.G. Collingwood on Object and Method in History
Abstract: Historical knowledge seems problematic in several ways. First, the knowledge would be of particular events at a specific time and place. The standard scientific method of finding classes and constructing hypotheses to predict phenomena will not work for historical knowledge. Second, although historical knowledge is empirical, it is not clear that it can be confirmed or falsified by experiment. I will show how Collingwood argues historical knowledge is possible and defend his thesis that all history is the history of thought. His argument is based on the claim that the object of history is human actions, and human actions contain as one of its constituent elements thought. I will explain what a human action is for Collingwood and how we can have knowledge of such actions in the past.
Bio: Chad Wiener received his Masters in Social Science from the University of Chicago and his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Georgia. He is currently working on scientific inquiry in Plato and Aristotle. He specifically works on Aristotle's biology and its connection to Aristotle's metaphysics and logic. He also dabbles in and intends to publish on methodology in history, especially on the thought of R.G. Collingwood.
File attached or Link to Recording?
Coming Soon
Date: May 22, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-12:50
Presenter: Bobby Cochran
Title: WHO´S MAKING DECISIONS IN MARKETS FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES?: Using Network Science to Reveal New Patterns
Abstract: Market-based approaches to meeting environmental goals present an exciting governance mechanism with a potential to bridge these divides between urban and rural communities, technocratic and deliberative forms of governance, and the equity issues of who is best able to produce environmental benefits. Using social network analysis, this research provides empirical support that the power of environmental markets as a bridge stems not from their conception as places of economic exchange, but as forums for new social exchanges as diverse stakeholders negotiate new institutional designs.
Bio: Bobby Cochran is an Adjunct Professor in the Dept of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State and the Environmental Marketplace Analyst at Clean Water Services in Washington County. He has his PhD in Urban Studies and Masters in Conflict Resolution and Public Policy.
File attached or Link to Recording?
Coming Soon
Date: May 15, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenter: Joshua Hughes
Title: Is the panarchy adaptive cycle a special case of the cusp catastrophe?
Abstract: Comparison of the panarchy adaptive cycle, a general model for human and natural systems, with the cusp catastrophe of catastrophe theory suggests that the adaptive cycle can be considered a special case of the cusp catastrophe. Both the adaptive cycle and the cusp catastrophe have been used to model various ecological, economic, and social systems in which slow, small, continuous changes in one or two control variables produce a fast, large, discontinuous change in system behavior. Use of the panarchy adaptive cycle, the more recent of the two, has so far been limited to that of metaphor, but the adaptive cycle still provides rich explanatory power and philosophical insight for many living systems. The cusp catastrophe, while often used as a metaphor, has been derived from topology and so is capable of being used much more rigorously. By using the constrained control variables from the adaptive cycle as parameters in the behavior equation for the cusp catastrophe, a cycle very similar to the adaptive cycle is constructed. Where the constructed cycle differs from the adaptive cycle is where the adaptive cycle is least well-defined, and several ways for eliminating this discrepancy are discussed. Considering the panarchy adaptive cycle to be a special case of the cusp catastrophe may provide direction for more rigorous and more general applications of the adaptive cycle, thereby extending its usefulness in guiding sustainability efforts, the primary purpose for which it was created.
Bio: Joshua Hughes is a first year, core-option PhD student in the PSU Systems Science Graduate Program. He is interested in information theory, cybernetics, reconstructability analysis, neural networks, fuzzy logic, catastrophe theory, game theory, and many other things.
File attached or Link to Recording?
http://psuniv.na3.acrobat.com/p24958174/
Date: May 8, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenters: Rajesh Venkatachalapathy and Robin Fenske
Title: A Discussion about Science and Advocacy
Abstract: As scientists we strive for objectivity and developing unbiased knowledge in our research, but as human beings we often feel compelled to try to influence the systems we study...which can introduce bias. How do we/should we strike the proper balance between scientific objectivity and advocacy--trying to make the world a better place? Scientific ideas can be shared, but at what point do they become biased and inaccurate? Come and discuss 1) your own challenges with sharing your ideas while minimizing unnecessary bias, and 2) thoughts on how much advocacy of scientific ideas is too much or not enough (i.e. should scientists be advocates? At what point do we dilute, mystify, or popularize science too much? Perhaps there should be an interplay between objectivity (science) and functionality (advocacy), but the two ideas should remain separate).
Bio(s): Rajesh is currently a Systems Science student and is working with Martin Zwick on comparing RA with other Machine Learning Models. Robin is a second year PhD student in the Systems Science Graduate Program. She is a Core Student. She is interested in applying Systems Science to Sustainability in Food Systems, and Human Decision Making.
File attached or Link to Recording?
http://psuniv.na3.acrobat.com/p13716382/
Date: May 1, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenter: Jess Laventall
Title: It's the System: Crack Dealing and Systems Dynamics
Abstract: Crack dealing gangs may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about systems dynamics. Yet, that is exactly what is described in Levitt and Dubner’s best-selling book, Freakonomics. These two economists devote a chapter to explaining why drug dealers still live with their mothers. Based on the study they reference, original research conducted by their colleague Sudhir Venkatesh, who actually infiltrated a notorious drug gang to collect data over a four year period, we find some revealing facts that inform and make apparent the behaviors of a dynamic system a drug gang operated under given the conditions described.
This presentation provides an overview of a systems dynamics approach to how a crack dealing drug gang operated in an inner-city environment. A model was constructed to explore the interaction effects of gang violence, finances and member recruitment. The volatility of the situation these gangs faced in their environment offers and excellent observable system.
Bio: Jess Laventall is a graduate certificate student in the Systems Science Department at Portland State University. He is co-founder of American Choice Modeling, an advanced market modeling and simulation firm. His background includes a wide variety of quantitative approaches to marketing and marketing research.
File attached or Link to Recording?
http://psuniv.na3.acrobat.com/p80733809/
Date: April 24, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-12:50
Presenter: Lonneke Eeuwes
Title: Bioelectric fields in aquatic organisms: a hidden information source?
Abstract: All aquatic organisms are surrounded by a weak bioelectric field that consists of a direct current (DC) and an alternating current component (AC). The AC component is caused by (ventilatory) movements, whereas the DC component results from biochemical processes such as osmoregulation. A variety of factors modulate osmoregulation, which in turn causes the bioelectric fields to be dynamic in both strength and shape. Since bioelectric fields of electroreceptive fish exceed their behavioral detection tresholds, it is implied that information herein could be used by conspecifics.
Bio: My research interest is focused on how sensory information is processed by the neural system, especially in a complex (sensory) environment. I received a M.Sc. in Neurobiology/Zoology from Utrecht University (The Netherlands), where I did my PhD research as well. At the moment, I work as a postdoctoral research fellow at WSU on encoding of complex sounds in the mammalian auditory system.
File attached or Link to Recording?
http://psuniv.na3.acrobat.com/p71075510/
Date: April 17, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenter: Olgay Cangur
Title: Modeling Subprime Mortgage Delinquency, Termination and Loss
Abstract: The mortgage industry is facing a very challenging environment. Declining house prices have surfaced the importance of delinquency, loan default and loss predictions. Simple models of prepayment behavior are no longer applicable. Investors, originators, servicers and regulators are in need of accurate predictions for their portfolio of interest. My research focused on two topics relevant to modeling residential mortgages.
The first topic provided a framework for modeling delinquencies, prepayments, defaults and losses that represents an enhancement over previous studies. A total of nine loan payment statuses were used (current, thirty days late, sixty days late, ninety days late, early foreclosure, late foreclosure, real estate owned, paid in full, and terminated with loss). This framework was compared to the previous framework discussed in the literature that used seven statuses.
The second topic applied reconstructability analysis (RA) to residential mortgage data in order to find new and interesting models. Many statistical methods are unable to reflect non-linearities and significant high-level interactions. RA is capable of doing both. The study explored the performance of RA versus logistic regression (LR). It also explored the hypothesis that inclusion of RA suggested interaction effects improves the accuracy of the LR. All three methods were compared.
The first topic's result made two unique and important contributions to the mortgage management literature. First, it determined that nine-state framework yields more accurate results compared to the seven-state framework. It also introduced a new state 'terminated with loss' that enabled the framework to predict losses. The second topic's results confirmed that RA was helpful in detecting and suggesting interactions effects that can be utilized in the logistic regression models within the payment model framework. However, the research could not conclude that RA yields better results than LR as a standalone prediction methodology, due to computational constraints and methodological limitations.
Bio: Olgay is currently working as a research analyst for Wilshire Credit Corporation in Beaverton, Oregon. He is developing a mortgage payment model for predicting future mortgage loan behavior that is similar in some ways to the models described above. The Wilshire model is used for risk assessment and pricing of mortgage loans. He is also pursuing his PhD in the Systems Science Graduate Program at Portland State University. His dissertation topic is described above. His research interests include data mining, optimization, and dynamic modeling.
File attached or Link to Recording?
http://psuniv.na3.acrobat.com/p50687609/
Date: April 10, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenter(s): Ralf Juengling
Title: Reconstructing Piecewise Polynomial Functions with Leclerc's Algorithm
Abstract: In signal reconstruction one attempts to recover a "true signal" from noisy data. Ingredients for a successful approach include models of the true signal, sensors, and noise processes at differentstages of data acquisition. Reconstruction of smoothsignals is typically done by convolution. Reconstructionof signals with discontinuities can, in general, not bedone so cheaply.
Algorithms for reconstruction of different classes ofpiecewise smooth signals have been proposed. In 1989 Leclerc, motivated by work in image analysis, published an algorithm for reconstructing two-dimensional,piecewise polynomial signals from noisy data. Leclerc's algorithm features remarkable adaptivity: in addition torecovering regions over which the true signal is smooth, it reconstructs a signal with variable polynomial orderand variable noise parameters, each chosen on a per-regionbasis. While the algorithm is very powerful, it is alsocomputationally very expensive and, it seems, has not been adopted by other researchers since its invention.
In the first part of my talk I derive Leclerc's algorithm, which is cast in the form of an unconstrained optimization problem with a discontinuous objective function. A continuation method is devised to enable numerical optimization algorithms for this problem. In the second part I discuss my efforts to find an optimization method that would turn Leclerc's algorithm into practical tool for reconstruction.
Bio: Ralf Juengling is Portland State graduate student in the Computer Science department since 2004. Ralf's research interests are in machine learning and computer vision.
File attached or Link to Recording?
http://psuniv.na3.acrobat.com/p50467851/
Date: April 3, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenter: Bill Bloom
Title: Theory grounded in data
Abstract: Much research in Systems Science is quantitative in nature, relying upon applications of advanced mathematics, including statistics, calculus and similar disciplines. But the discipline is also amenable to qualitative research methodologies. One such methodology is grounded theory, which emphasizes the generation of "theory grounded in the data" using qualitative rather than quantitative techniques. Bill Bloom will lead a discussion on the application of grounded theory methodology within the business arena, using as an example his dissertation study of why some domestic manufacturers adapt successfully to the threats of global competition while others do not.
Bio: Bill Bloom has been in the SySc Ph.D. program since 2004, pursuing the business option. He practiced law in the Portland area for 20+ years before obtaining his MBA from PSU in 2001, and has been teaching business courses in Portland and overseas for the past several years. He is interested in the systemic aspects of globalization, in particular the dynamics of offshoring manufacturing jobs overseas in pursuit of low wages.
File attached or Link to Recording?
http://psuniv.na3.acrobat.com/p58536053/
WINTER 2009
Date: March 13, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenter: Robin Fenske
Title: What is your favorite tangible/physical metaphor related to Systems Science?
Abstract: Hoil and I were talking about metaphors related to different fields of study, and how these metaphors can be used to popularize or synthesize or iconify ideas in these fields of study. For example, the ideas/images of Bull and Bear markets are iconic to economics.
There are different levels of metaphors, more abstract and more concrete. For example, the image of the Supply and Demand curves are sometimes used as a metaphor or icon in economics, but it is more abstract (when not implemented) than the Bull and Bear ideas So maybe Systems Science also has some helpful and fun metaphors.
Try to limit yourself to a more concrete metaphor, and not a meta-metaphor, meaning, try to think of a metaphor that can be represented by a real world thing (like a butterfly effect) not a more abstract metaphor (e.g. not Zwick's Function and Structure).
More examples:
We'd like to talk about things like:
Butterfly effect
Maxwell's Demon
Slime mold
Cornucopia
We wouldn't like to talk about things like:
Emergence
Wholism and Holism
A Level and B Level
Hierarchy
Please bring your ideas to seminar and we'll compare and discuss.
Bio(s): Robin Fenske is a full time second year PhD student in the Systems Science Graduate Program at PSU. She is a Core Student. She is interested in applying Systems Science to Sustainability in Food Systems, and Human Decision Making. She is planning on taking Comprehensives in Spring 2010.
She is a research assistant for the Winter 2008 through Winter 2009 quarters with Dr. Wayne Wakeland and Dr. Mellie Pullman on a "Food Delivery Carbon Foodprint" inter-departmental research grant. This research is on sustainable food purchasing within institutions, exploring institutional buyers’ demographics, values, motivations, and decision-making in the supply chain. She is also developing her own research. She is interested in understanding consumer behavior, intention, and assumptions, and how this understanding can help promote sustainable food systems and lessen rampant consumerism. She is also very interested in applying Qualitative research methods to her research topic. She holds a Bachelor of Science from The Evergreen State College in Washington, and has professional experience as an energy economics research analyst.
File attached or Link to Recording?
http://psuniv.na3.acrobat.com/p55669871/
Date: March 6, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenter: Ed Ramsden
Title: Mechanics and Implementation of a Systems Dynamics Simulation Engine
Abstract: System dynamics models can be developed using either general-purpose programming languages such as 'C++', or specialized modeling tools such as Vensim, Stella, or Powersim. The discussion this week will be on the
development of a simple system dynamics modeling tool, and will encompass the topics of data structures and algorithms used 'under the hood' in this type of software.
Bio: None
File attached or Link to Recording?
http://psuniv.na3.acrobat.com/p20739208/
Date: February 27, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenter: Rajesh Venkatachalapathy
Title: In silico Experiments and Simulation
Abstract: In silico experiments have become common place practice in all areas of science as an accepted way of discovering knowledge. However there is no rigorous foundation on which the methods and practice stand. Our discussion this week will be on gathering opinion on what is the right and the wrong way to do simulation and possibly seek patterns of implicit definitions that people use in their respective fields.
Bio: None
File attached or Link to Recording?
http://psuniv.na3.acrobat.com/p47116900/
Date: February 20, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenter: James Kar
Title: Reconstructability analysis (RA) as an alternative modeling technique for time-series prediction
Abstract: RA is based in information-theory and uses the principle of maximum (Shannon) entropy to fit models. Specifically, we explore RA models for predicting stock market returns (S&P500). Using thirteen (13) macroeconomic and financial variables, we find that according to the BIC model selection criterion the best model uses only one predictor. For the sample sub-period from January 3, 2003 to October 15, 2008, the best model uses DAX as the predictor. However, for the sample sub-period from January 3, 2002 to October 15, 2008, and for the entire sample period from January 3, 2001 to October 15, 2008, the best model uses FTSE instead. This signals possible changes in the underlying (data) structure of the stock market over time. The surprising result is that, according to BIC, no model is predictive beyond 1-day ahead forecasting.
Bio: James is a practicing certified financial planner (CFP) focusing on global investment and stocks and options trading. He had taught a variety of finance courses at Portland State University, such as Investment, and Equity Valuation. He has an undergraduate degree in business (finance) and a master's degree in taxation. Currently, James is working on his PhD in Systems Science/Finance where he specializes in financial market forecasting.
File attached or Link to Recording?
http://psuniv.na3.acrobat.com/p23363363/
Date: February 13, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenter: Martin Zwick
Title: Reconstructability Analysis in Biomedical Research
Abstract: This talk will briefly explain reconstructability analysis (RA), a graphical modeling methodology developed in the systems community from the early work of Ashby. RA is based in information theory and graph theory and both overlaps and augments more widely known machine learning and statistical methods such as log-linear models and Bayesian networks. The talk will report on the use of RA in a recent bioinformatics study of human gene (SNP)- disease (diabetes) association and epistasis, and will mention some other biomedical applications.
Bio: Martin Zwick is a core faculty member in Systems Science.
File attached or Link to Recording?
http://psuniv.na3.acrobat.com/p11503839/
Date: February 6, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenter: Rod Walker
Title: Management Training Simulations Using System Dynamics Models
Abstract: In the first edition of The Fifth Discipline, written over 18 years ago, Peter Senge made a strong case for "microworlds" business simulations which allow managers to "learn by doing". Despite his endorsement and their intuitive appeal, successful simulations of this type are still relatively rare. In the last 5 years, we have successfully implemented 4 large online training simulations, all built around iThink/Stella models of relevant parts of the client?s business. Two of these simulations were created for executive training at Fortune 500 firms. We have seen strong acceptance for these simulations, and the internal system dynamics models provide a way to generate the rich, realistic experiences that are critical for this type of learning. This presentation will discuss some of these simulations, their general structure, key implementation considerations, and important characteristics.
Bio: Rod Walker is a current student in Systems Science, and is a management consultant with a concentration in business dynamics. He holds BSEE and MBA degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. After 25 years as an engineer, manager, and executive at Texas Instruments and Compaq Computer, Mr. Walker left Compaq in 1998 to begin consulting. As a VP at Compaq, he participated in several corporate-wide projects utilizing systems modeling experts with McKinsey & Company. The breakthrough nature of those projects prompted the inclusion of business simulation modeling as part of his emerging consulting practice.
File attached or Link to Recording?
http://psuniv.na3.acrobat.com/p40325441/
Date: January 30, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenter(s): Christof Teuscher, Portland State University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
http://www.teuscher.ch/christof
Title: Computers: Quo Vadis?
Abstract: Since the beginning of modern computer science some sixty years ago, we are building computers in more or less the same way. Silicon electronics serves as a physical substrate, the von Neumann architecture provides a computer design model, while the abstract Turing machine concept supports the theoretical foundations. However, the landscape of computing machines and computing paradigms is changing. The reasons are diverse and I will start this talk by highlighting the major trends and challenges. I will outline my visionary and long-term research efforts to address the grand challenge of building, organizing, and programming future computing machines. I will delineate potential solutions on how these challenges might be addressed. Self-assembled nano-scale electronics, cellular automata (CAs), and random boolean networks (RBNs) will serve as a simple showcase. Last, I will discuss the need for novel paradigms and unconventional solutions to address complexity issues, to obtain self-adaptation, self-(re)configuration, self-repair, and to build more adaptive, cognitive, and robust machines.
Bio: Christof Teuscher holds an assistant professor position in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Portland State University and an Adjunct Assistant Professor appointment in Computer Science at the University of New Mexico (UNM). He obtained his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degree in computer science from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) in 2000 and 2004 respectively. In 2004 he became a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), in 2005 a distinguished Director's Postdoctoral Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and in 2007 a Technical Staff Member. His main research interests include emerging computing architectures and paradigms, biologically-inspired computing, complex & adaptive systems, and cognitive science. Teuscher has received several prestigious awards and fellowships. For more information visit: http://www.teuscher.ch/christof
File attached or Link to Recording?
http://psuniv.na3.acrobat.com/p40269281/
Date: January 23, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenter: Dr. Christopher Joel Dubay
Title: Systems Biology for Health & Disease
Abstract: None
Bio: Dr. Dubay's primary research interest is in complex genetic diseases (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, etc.) and the dissection of their genetic basis in model systems and eventually humans.
I have concentrated on the use of bioinformatic tools to aid in the scaling up of experiments and analyses required to address the isolation of multiple genetic loci present in complex traits. I currently direct the Oregon National Primate Research Center Colony Demographics & Informatics unit, which provides bioinformatic tools and genetics resources to support colony management and our research on a wide variety disease models for translational research.
I hold joint appointments in the departments of Medical Molecular Genetics and Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology in the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, where I support research and training in bioinformatics and related subjects. I am interested in developing and evaluating systems for clinical and research genetic analysis laboratories, such as laboratory information systems, and translating our new biological knowledge into clinical interventions. I am a founder of Genetic Information Management Systems, and an information management consultant for Proteogenix Inc, as well as a board member of the personal genomics firm Iverson Genetics.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date: January 16, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenters: Wayne Wakeland and Hoil Kang
Title: Web-based Remote Access Curriculum Delivery
Abstract: A discussion and demonstration of synchronous web-based remote access course delivery technology, including thoughts about why this technology will become increasingly important in the future.
Bio: Wayne is a core Systems Science faculty member with a wide variety of research interests, including topics related to computer simulation and sustainability.
File attached or Link to Recording?
http://psuniv.na3.acrobat.com/p40983065/
Date: January 9, 2009
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-1 pm
Presenter: None
Title: Discussion on Systems Science for Undergraduates at PSU
Abstract: None
Bio: None
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
FALL 2008
Date: December 5, 2008
Location: Harder House, Room 104
Time: 12-12:50
Presenter: Robin Fenske
Title: Systems Science Community
Abstract: The general topic is: How communication platforms help us strengthen our Systems Science community AND How to communicate with non Systems Scientists about this crazy grad program you're involved in.
It's hard to communicate within our own Systems Science community about what we are all working on, and to express in a cohesive way the multitude of ideas from all the classes we've taken. And it's even harder to talk to our relatives and friends about what we are interested in. As espoused generalists, why is this so hard to do? What communication platforms might help us strengthen our own Systems Science community? Let's talk about it!
Bio: Robin Fenske is a 2nd year PhD Student, interested in understanding consumer behavior (and the level of conscious decision-making), intention, and assumptions, and how this understanding can help promote sustainable food systems and lessen rampant consumerism.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
November 21, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-12:50
Presenter(s):
Louis Macovsky, DVM, MS
Title:
From Computer Model to Laboratory Model: Action at a Distance in Metapopulation Theory
Abstract:
Built upon metapopulation theory, a toxicant-dosed model was created to explore the range of possible dynamics of populations in sites contaminated by chemical toxins. A laboratory model using the beetle Tribolium castaneum was then created to partially test simulation results. Both the computer and the laboratory models support the “action at a distance” hypothesis, which states that mortality in one subpopulation has ecologically significant effects on nondosed subpopulations. Principle conclusions from these studies include: 1) If populations are connected by migration, uncontaminated sites cannot be reference sites. 2) The arrangement of patches is critical to overall impact of a toxicant. 3) If sufficient cleanup is not possible, it may be necessary to isolate the contaminated patch allowing formerly connected patches to regain more typical population dynamics.
Bio(s):
Louis Macovsky is a veterinarian (UGA, 76) with a wide range of practice experience (household pets, farm, and wildlife). With a lifelong interest in ecology, he returned to school and in 1999 received a MS (Environmental Science) at Huxley College of the Environment, WWU. It was during the latter that Louis was introduced to computer modeling. Since that time his primary interest has been exploring biological systems using computer modeling and simulation, particularly with the System Dynamics methodology. It is his intention to apply this approach of understanding and education to bring together stakeholders of current biological and ecological problems.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
November 14, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Ed Ramsden
Title:
High Performace Discrete-System Simulation using Specialized Hardware
Abstract:
Common discrete-event (DE) simulation algorithms are both compute-intensive, and can be difficult to effectively partition for parallel execution on multiprocessors or other parallel computer architectures. By modeling the discrete-event system as a series of discrete-time state machines, it is possible to map certain types of DE models onto special-purpose electronic hardware - in effect a discrete analog computer. This computataional approach offers the potential for order-of-magnitude performance improvements over execution on general-purpose computer architectures.
Bio(s):
Ed Ramsden is currently an MS candidate in the Systems Science core program at PSU. Previously, he worked in the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing industries in a variety of technical and marketing positions, and holds a BSEE from Boston University
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
November 7, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Rod Walker
Title:
An Agent-Based Simulation of Stock Market Behavior
Abstract:
How much do investors really understand about how stock markets work? Even professional investment advisers over the last 20 years have generally recommended "buy and hold" strategies, implicitly admitting that they do not understand the markets very well themselves. Other investors believe they can do better using certain signals that tell them when to enter or exit the market. Traders buy and sell many times a day. To what extent do all of these different strategies actually affect the market itself? For example, if enough people follow a "buy and hold" strategy even Ponzi schemes will work -- until the scheme runs out of enough new investors. Stock markets are complex systems that are difficult to understand. Earnings seem to be important, but in the days of the dot-com boom, profits were almost seen as a bad thing. News events seem to be important, but stocks frequently rise on bad news and fall on good news. Investor sentiment seems to be important, yet markets are described as "climbing a wall of worry", with prices improving the most during times when most people think they won't. Given the complexity of the system, an agent-based simulation model has been created as a tool for exploring market behavior. This initial model will be presented for discussion. Rod Walker is a management consultant with a concentration in business dynamics. He holds BSEE and MBA degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. After 25 years as an engineer, manager, and executive at Texas Instruments and Compaq Computer, Mr. Walker left Compaq in 1998 to begin consulting. As a VP at Compaq, he participated in several important projects utilizing systems modeling experts with McKinsey & Company. The breakthrough nature of those projects prompted the inclusion of business simulation modeling as part of his emerging consulting practice
Bio(s):
Rod Walker is a current student in Systems Science, and is a management consultant with a concentration in business dynamics. He holds BSEE and MBA degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. After 25 years as an engineer, manager, and executive at Texas Instruments and Compaq Computer, Mr. Walker left Compaq in 1998 to begin consulting. As a VP at Compaq, he participated in several corporate-wide projects utilizing systems modeling experts with McKinsey & Company. The breakthrough nature of those projects prompted the inclusion of business simulation modeling as part of his emerging consulting practice.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
October 31, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Jeff Fletcher
Title:
A Simple and General Explanation for the Evolution of Altruism
Abstract:
This talk presents a simple framework that highlights the most fundamental requirement for the evolution of altruism: assortment between individuals carrying the cooperative genotype and the helping behaviors of others with which these individuals interact. The framework decomposes fitness effects on individuals into those due to self and those due to the individual's ‘interaction environment’. For altruism to evolve, interaction environments experienced by altruists must be more generous than interaction environments experienced by non-altruists. This framework underlies, and is more general than, traditional explanations for the evolution of altruism (e.g. kin selection, multilevel selection, and reciprocal altruism). While kinship (genetic similarity) among those interacting is one way favorable interaction environments may be created, kinship is not a requirement for the evolution of altruism (as has been recently argued). In fact, even suicidal aid can theoretically evolve without help ever being exchanged among genetically similar individuals. This simple framework also helps clarify a common confusion made in the literature between alternative fitness accounting methods (which may equally apply to the same biological circumstances) and unique causal mechanisms for creating the assortment necessary for altruism to be favored by natural selection.
Bio(s):
Jeff Fletcher's research focuses on understanding the relationship among different theories on the evolution of altruism. He is also interested in developing ways to create more cooperative learning environments in the classroom and introducing undergraduate students to System Science ideas. He has a BS in Biology, an MS in Computer Science, and a Ph.D. in Systems Science. Jeff recently completed an NSF International Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of British Columbia where he did research in the Department of Zoology and taught in the Integrated Science Program. He currently has a joint appointment in the University Studies Program and the Systems Science Graduate Program here at Portland State University.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
October 24, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Tim Kochanski
Title:
A deeper understanding of iteration in simulations
Abstract:
I present an iterative model, programmed in Mathematica, which solves time paths for repeated Cournot games allowing us to see how output, price, profits, and market share in the 2-firm case change over time when one firm experiences per turn marginal cost reductions. By adjusting the marginal cost reduction rate for one firm and iterating, students can explore the various solutions and gain a better understanding of how the variables in the model diverge over time and the properties of that divergence. More generally, students gain experience designing models and programming in Mathematica and furthermore develop a deeper understanding of iteration in simulations.
Bio(s):
Formal Education and Project Background
Ph.D. Program Systems Science - Economics, Portland State University
M.S. Economics, U. of Oregon
B.A. Economics U. of Kansas
My primary academic interests include the history and practice of computational economics. The following presentation is based on a computational microeconomic project that I developed as an assignment in an undergraduate mathematics course. The theoretical model is common in undergraduate Industrial Organization texts today. While teaching at the University of Alaska Southeast I incorporated the project into the microeconomics course I was teaching and wrote up a paper. I modeled the paper after one that I had read in CHEER (Computers in Higher Education Economics Review). I presented the paper at a regional economics teaching conference, made a few changes, and submitted it to CHEER where it was recently published.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
October 17, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Dan Coates
Title:
What do we really understand about natural vision?
Controversy, consensus, and future directions in visual cognition, as informed by computational neuroscience.
Abstract:
The visual cortex is one of the most widely studied parts of the brain, and some believe it may be the key to cracking the so-called 'neural code.' Yet even after more than 50 years of intense scrutiny many mysteries remain. This talk offers an overview of the wide spectrum of fact and opinion in neural sensory processing.
Implementation of neural models, including recent computational studies, could provide insight into how we perceive and may help us understand the nature of cognition itself. Here particular attention will be paid to theories containing holistic notions, such as the Gestalt school of thought. It will be argued that only dynamic structured representations with intrinsic systematicity can accurately simulate neural function.
Bio(s):
Dan Coates is a Master's student in Computer Science at Portland State. He was recently an intern at Los Alamos Laboratory working with the PetaVision team building high-performance cortically-inspired models for visual object recognition. He is currently studying Gestalt perception in Melanie Mitchell's group, as well as working with Dan Hammerstrom on neurally-inspired hardware platforms.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
October 10, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Rajesh Venkatachalapathy
Title:
RA and other Graphical Models
Abstract:
Graphical Models are one of the most used cook-book recipes in Machine Learning applications involving categorical data. After an introduction to Machine Learning and its connection with other fields (past,present,future),this talk will survey the connections between Reconstructibility Analysis and the more well known Graphical Models.
Bio(s):
Rajesh is currently a Systems Science student and is working with Martin Zwick on comparing RA with other Machine Learning Models.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
June 6, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Scott Schecklman
Title:
Terahertz Rough Surface Scattering
Abstract:
"Terahertz research is one of the most intriguing and challenging fields to emerge in the 21st century. In less than a decade, this previously hidden section of the electromagnetic spectrum has caught the imagination of scientists around the world." ~ Gwo-Ching Wang, Physics Chair, RPI
Recent advances in laser technology have made it possible for scientists and engineers to access the far infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Within this so-called "THz gap" most non-polar packaging materials become transparent, while many other materials of interest have molecular resonances which can be used for spectroscopic detection and identification. This technology is proving to be useful in security screening and medical scanning for remote detection of drugs, explosives and even skin cancer.
However, at THz frequencies the penetration depth in hydrated materials, such as the human body, is quite limited. This restricts the usefulness of THz imaging to surface scans in a reflection arrangement. Furthermore, due to the very short wavelengths (hundreds of microns) many materials of interest appear to have random rough surfaces in this regime. Thus scattering of THz waves from rough surfaces threatens to corrupt THz spectroscopy and imaging measurements.
The Northwest Electromagnetic and Acoustics Research (NEAR) Lab at PSU is developing analytic and numeric algorithms to model electromagnetic wave scattering from random rough surfaces such as sandpaper. These models may one day be used to account for the scattering effect and recover the THz signature for material identification.
Bio(s):
Scott Shecklman received a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Michigan Technological University in 1995. He worked for over 10 years as a radio frequency engineer designing and optimizing antenna systems and wireless telecommunications networks for Sprint, Qwest and US Cellular. Scott returned to school full time in 2007 and is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering at Portland State University. He works as a research assistant for Professor Lisa Zurk in the Northwest Electromagnetic and Acoustics Research (NEAR) Lab and hopes to graduate in the fall of 2008.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
May 30, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Tim Kochanski
Title:
An Agent Based Cournot Simulation with Innovation – Identifying the Determinants of Market Concentration
Abstract:
This paper uses an agent based Cournot simulation to study the effects of innovation on market concentration, as measured by a Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), under various market conditions. The model accommodates the following components: multiple firms with heterogeneous marginal costs, market entry and exit, barriers to entry, low or high cost industries, changing demand, varying levels of marginal cost reducing returns-to-innovation, varying costs associated with innovation, cost penalties for new entrants, increased returns to innovation from past experience innovating, and varying propensities to innovate within the market. The components mentioned above are commonly sited as determinants of market concentration.
To study the effects that each parameter has on market concentration a sensitivity analysis similar to that developed by previous research is employed (Brenner, Thomas 2001). Parameter ranges are specified based on economic theory and logical reasoning given the numeric values assigned to the intercept and slope of the demand function. All parameters are varied simultaneously except one which is varied systematically. At each setting of the systematically varied parameter a number of HHI means are collected in a sample. The systematically varied parameter is adjusted incrementally so that samples for a number of settings are generated.
The mean value of the HHI means is then collected for each sample. Via regression analysis, a line of best fit is used to estimate the effect of the systematically varied parameter on market concentration measured as the firm-adjusted HHI. A t-test is then performed to determine if the variation in HHI caused by each systematically varied parameter, given random variation in the other parameters, is statistically significant. The findings, which are consistent with economic theory, suggest that innovation in high cost industries leads to greater market concentration than does innovation in low cost industries, innovation under increasing demand leads to lower market concentration than does innovation under decreasing demand, and innovation under high barriers to entry lead to increased market concentration.
Bio(s):
Tim Kochanski was raised in a small college town in Kansas. After many trials, tribulations, and near-death experiences, he graduated from the University of Kansas with a B.A. in economics and made his way to Oregon arriving around the turn of the new millennium. He received his M.S. in economics from the University of Oregon in 2001 and started thinking about systems science as a possible doctoral program based on a buddy's recommendation. He worked many odd jobs through 2005 and audited many math classes at the U of O. In 2005 he took a part-time visiting professor position in Alaska and returned to Portland the following year to begin his Ph.D. in Systems Science - Economics.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
May 23, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Katie McDonald, Dora Raymaker, Christina Nicolaidis
Title:
Participatory Action Research Strategies with Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Advancing Scientifically Sound, Socially Relevant, Ethical Research
Abstract:
To address negative attitudes towards individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), promote self-determination, and increase positive development, scientists have been called to embrace new research strategies. Participatory action research (PAR), which brings researchers and individuals with IDD into partnership, encourages science that recognizes the contribution of individuals with IDDs, focuses on issues of importance to individuals with IDDs, and better positions those individuals to improve their lives. Here, we discuss how principles of PAR foster scientifically sound, socially relevant, ethical research aimed at promoting positive social change. We will provide examples from an autistic-academic researcher partnership, the Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE). We will also relate PAR and AASPIRE with concepts from Senge's _The Fifth Discipline_, the value of multiple perspectives, and ecological models of research.
Bio(s):
None
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
May 16, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Dr. Martin Zwick
Title:
Systems Metaphysics: A Bridge from Science to Religion
Abstract:
"Systems theory" is familiar to many as the scientific enterprise that includes the study of chaos, networks, and complex adaptive systems. It is less widely appreciated that the systems research program offers a world view that transcends the individual scientific disciplines. We do not live, as some argue, in a post-metaphysical age, but rather at a time when a new metaphysics is being constructed. This metaphysics is scientific and derives from graph theory, information theory, non-linear dynamics, decision theory, game theory, generalized evolution, and other transdisciplinary theories. These 'systems' theories focus on form and process, independent of materiality; they are thus relevant to both the natural and social sciences and even to the humanities and the arts. Concerned more with the complex than the very small or very large, they constitute a metaphysics that is centered in biology, and thus near rather than far from the human scale.
Systems metaphysics forges a unity of science based on what is general instead of what is fundamental; it is thus genuinely about everything. It counters the nihilism of narrow interpretations of science by affirming the link between fact and value and the reality of purpose and freedom in the natural world. It offers scientific knowledge that is individually useful as a source of insight, not merely societally useful as a source of technology. With the new world view that it brings, systems metaphysics contributes to the recovery of cultural coherence. It builds a philosophical bridge between science and religion that is informed by our understanding of living systems. It suggests a secular theodicy in which imperfection is lawful yet perfecting is always possible, and uses this perspective to analyze religions as systems. It provides scientific insights into traditional religious concepts, including those ideas that guide spiritual practice.
Full paper at: http://www.metanexus.net/magazine/tabid/68/id/10051/Default.aspx
Related papers at: http://www.pdx.edu/sysc/research_systemsphilosophy.html
Bio(s):
Martin Zwick was awarded his Ph.D. in Biophysics at MIT in 1968, and joined the Biophysics Department faculty of the University of Chicago in 1969. Initially working in crystallography and macromolecular structure, his interests shifted to systems theory and methodology, the field now known as the study of chaos, complexity, and complex adaptive systems. Since 1976 he has been teaching and doing research in the Systems Science PhD Program at Portland State University; during the years 1984-1989 he was director of the program.
His main research areas are information theoretic modeling, machine learning, theoretical biology, game theory, and systems theory and philosophy. Scientifically, his focus is on applying systems theory and methodology to the natural and social sciences, most recently to biomedical data analysis, the evolution of cooperation, and sustainability. Philosophically, his focus is on how systems ideas relate to classical and contemporary philosophy, how they offer a bridge between science and religion, and how they can help us understand and address societal problems.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
May 2, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Dr. George G. Lendaris
Title:
Some Ideas on How to Achieve Human-Like Experience-Based Control via Computational Agents – and Lots of Unanswered Questions
Abstract:
Distinguishing features of human-like control vis-à-vis current technological control include the abilities to make use of experience while selecting control policies for distinct situations, and to do so faster and faster as more experience is gained. The latter is in stark contrast to current technological implementations that slow down as more knowledge is stored. How do we humans do it? The notions of context and context discernment are posited to be important stepping stones to understanding and implementing these human abilities.
Whereas methods known as Adaptive Control and Learning Control focus on modifying the design of a controller as changes in context occur, experience-based control (EB) entails selecting a controller design from a collection of designs previously developed for similar contexts. Developing the EB approach entails a shift of the technologist's focus "up a level", away from designing individual (optimal) controllers to that of developing on-line algorithms that efficiently and effectively select designs from a repository of existing controller solutions, previously populated via "experience".
A notion to be described is that of Higher Level Learning Algorithm. This is a new application of Reinforcement Learning -- Approximate Dynamic Programming (ADP) variety -- with its focus shifted to the posited higher level. Some promising examples will be described.
Bio(s):
George G. Lendaris is Professor of Systems Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering at Portland State University.
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None
Date:
April 25, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Dr. Radu Popa
Title:
Fundamental asymmetries and the origin of homochiral order
Abstract:
Attached
Bio(s):
Dr. Popa is an associate professor of microbiology at Portland State University. His research projects include Microbial Ecology, Geomicrobiology, and Astrobiology. He previously worked as a research assistant professor at USC, and a post doctoral fellow at the Jet Propulstion Laboratory at Caltech. He is the author of the book, "Between Necessity and Probability: Searching for the Definition and Origin of Life."
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.pdf
Date:
April 18, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Edward Ramsden
Title:
Simulation with Distributed Variables
Abstract:
Physical systems with spatially distributed variables are widespread in scientific and engineering models. Examples of such systems include electro-magnetic fields and mechanical vibrations. Modeling and simulating these systems requires techniques that are significantly different from than those used for either traditional systems dynamics or discrete event systems. This seminar will describe some of the techniques for formulating models of these types of systems and simulating them.
Bio(s):
Ed is currently working toward an MS in Systems Science. Before that, he spent twenty years working in the field of electronic engineering.
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None
Date:
April 11, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Dr. Steve Bleiler
Title:
An Introduction to the Quantum Theory of Games
Abstract:
Computers and networks that exploit the bizarre properties of quantum mechanics will have capabilities far exceeding those of the conventional computing environment. The encryption of data, the searching databases, and even the play of simple games such as on-line poker will undergo profound changes when implemented in the quantum environment.
This is because players who communicate their strategic choices via quantum channels can, in effect, put their strategic choices in superposition, and thus have access to a vastly larger selection of strategic choices than that available to players communicating via classical channels.
For some simple games, it is enough that one player have access to these quantum strategies when the other does not to ensure the first player's certain victory. Yet for most two-player games, mere access to quantum strategies is merely an expensive way to implement what game theorists call mixed strategies. Strategic choices in a mixed strategy are determined randomly with specific probabilities by the individual players. Accessing the larger collection of quantum strategies in this instance requires the utilization of yet another strange phenomenon of the quantum world, that of entanglement. In the entangled version of a given game new "solutions" to the game present themselves that perform better than the "solutions" available to players of the classical version.
The talk will begin with a brief review of the relevant axioms of quantum mechanics. After a short discussion of what is meant by a "quantization" of a game, we will consider some simple examples, D. Meyers original "penny flip" game and a specific entangled protocol, originally developed by Eisert, Wilkens and Lowenstein, for quantizing simple games via mediated quantum communication. If time allows, by appealing to a quaternionic representation of the EWL protocol developed by S. Landsburg, we'll illustrate the final sentence of the previous paragraph for a simplified form of poker, where "quantum" bluffing is always more profitable than bluffing "classically", and even is profitable when classical bluffing is not!
Bio(s):
As for me: I received my Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Oregon in 1981, have held positions at the Universities of Texas, Utah, British Columbia, and Melbourne (Australia) in addition to my Professorship at PSU where I have been since September of 1988. I am the author of nearly 30 scientific articles and books (some of which have been translated into Russian), have a knot named after me, and am an accomplished juggler, poker player, x-country skier, and mountaineer. In 2003 I was the Mathematical Association of America's Distinguished Teacher for the Pacific Northwest and I hold a John Elliot Allan Award for Distinguished Teaching here at PSU. Classically trained as a topologist, I have published papers in topology, geometry, combinatorics, group theory, chaos, fractals , and solotons, and now game theory. In my spare time, I competed in the Championship event of the WSOP in 2003 and 2007 (finishing 297th out of 839 in 2003 and 2145th out of 8757 in 2007) playing my way in through the satellite system in 2003 and on-line in 2007.
My lectures on the game theory of poker at places such as the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, the University of Illinois-Chicago, the University of Washington, and Oregon State University, have played to sold out crowds. I teach a course here at PSU on the mathematics of poker (next offered this coming summer) and the notes for which are scheduled to be published in book form in the Springer-Verlag Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics Series.
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None
Date:
April 4, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Joe Fusion
Title:
Python for the Systems Scientist
Abstract:
In this seminar, I will present an overview of the Python programming language. Python is a high-level, general-purpose language, available on many platforms. It features a large standard library of useful extensions, and the ability to connect to many other languages and protocols. These characteristics, and many others, make Python a highly useful tool for a wide variety of research tasks. My goal will be to familiarize you with these characteristics, rather than to teach programming. I'll show some examples, including how Python is used with Dr. Zwick's Occam software, and perhaps some other data processing and presentation techniques.
Bio(s):
Joe Fusion is a Ph.D. student in the core Systems Science program. His research interests include artificial life, theoretical biology, systems modeling, and philosophy.
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None
Date:
March 14, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
John Anasis
Bonneville Power Administration
Title:
Power System Congestion Management:
The Balance Between Reliability, Equity, and Economics
Abstract:
Load growth, the addition of new generation, and the lack of new transmission infrastructure over the past 10-20 years have placed an ever increasing strain on the electric power grid. Grid operators are finding that flows on the system are approaching or exceeding reliability limits more frequently. This loading of the power system up to or past its reliability limits is known as “congestion”. Grid operators have several competing criteria they must balance in order to manage congestion. They must take actions that preserve the reliability of the power system; however, they must do so in a manner that does not unfairly discriminate between participants in the power market. Their actions must also not result in large financial costs to all users of the grid.
Bio(s):
John Anasis received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Physics from the University of Portland in 1985 and a Masters in Public Administration from Portland State University in 1989. He is currently a student in the Systems Science Ph.D. program at Portland State. John joined the Bonneville Power Administration in 1985 as an electrical engineer in the Remedial Action Scheme design section of BPA's Control Engineering Branch. He has since held several positions with BPA's System Operations and Transmission Marketing groups where he has performed a wide range of duties, including power system analysis, development of operating instructions, determination of available transmission capacity for sale, tariff and business practice development, and the review of power industry restructuring issues. He is currently with BPA's Technical Operations Branch where his primary duties are the determination of safe operating limits for the BPA transmission grid.
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None
Date:
March 7, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Sharon Glaeser & Andrew Toland
Title:
Neural Networks and Call Recognition in Elephants
Abstract:
Relatively little is known about the vocal repertoire of Asian elephants. A categorization of basic call types and modifications of these call types by quantitative acoustic parameters is needed to examine acoustic variability within and among call types, to examine individuality, to determine meaning of calls via playback, and to develop rigorous call recognition algorithms for acoustic monitoring and census of wild populations. By studying communication of known individuals in the more controlled setting offered by captivity, more rigorous analyses can be done with regards to individuality, social context, variability, reproductive state, and perceived emotional state. This project aims to 1) categorize sounds by acoustic parameters, 2) define an acoustic repertoire of captive Asian elephants, 3) examine functional relevance of acoustic variability in a captive environment, 4) investigate individuality, 5) examine the function of low-frequency communication in captivity to determine potential impact of low-frequency anthropogenic noise, and 6) develop call recognition and potentially individual recognition algorithms for the Asian elephant acoustic repertoire. Through collaboration with Andrew Toland in Systems Science, neural networks are being used for call recognition by classifying elephant vocalizations from within a time series containing other acoustic events and background noises. Starting from a spectrographic representation of the vocalizations, a reduced representation is obtained using an autoassociative network. Following this, a recurrent neural network is trained to recognize the dynamic patterns associated with specific vocalization types. Early results indicate that the suggested architecture succeeds in classifying approximately 90% of the samples in the test set.
Bio(s):
Sharon Glaeser is a masters student in the Department of Biology at Portland State University. For her masters research she is studying acoustic communication in the Oregon Zoo's Asian elephants. In short, she aims to define an acoustic repertoire for Asian elephants, to investigate variability and individuality, to develop a call recognition algorithm through collaboration with Andrew Toland in Systems Science, and to provide a basis for comparisons between captive and wild Asian elephants and between Asian and African elephants. Her major advisor at PSU is Dr. Randy Zelick.
Andrew Toland is a graduate student in Systems Science, and is interested in neural networks.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
February 29, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Dan Hammerstrom
ECE Department, PSU
Title:
The Cortical Algorithm As A Bayesian Network - Some Speculation
Abstract:
The semiconductor industry has been following Moore's law for over 40 years, enabling a revolution in computing that has had huge societal and industrial impact. The industry is now designing and manufacturing transistors that are in the 45 nanometer range, in chips that have over 1 billion transistors.
However, in spite of all this processing speed and cheap computing power, we still have not solved the hardest problems in computing, making computers more intelligent.
Motivated by the fact that biological systems have successfully dealt with similar issues, a number of researchers are beginning to look at biological models, primarily those from computational and systems neuroscience, and cognitive science, for inspiration for new chip architectures that are a better match to the molecular scale electronics.
A number of neuroscientists are focused, in particular, on cerebral cortex. Nature has, so it appears, produced a general purpose computational device in cortex that is a fundamental component of higher level intelligence. Although we are a long ways from understanding the details of how cortex works, some of the basic computations are beginning to take shape.
Preliminary speculation of the cortical algorithm assumes a modular structure, where each module is implemented by a simple associative network that does a kind of Bayesian inference. The modules are then organized in a 2D layout with sparse inter-module interconnect.
In this presentation I introduce the Bayesian Memory, which is loosely based on ideas and principles from the current, limited, understanding of cerebral cortex. We believe that the Bayesian Memory is a rough first step in creating a generalized building block for Intelligent systems and which has a clean mapping to hybrid CMOS / nano-electronic implementations.
Bio(s):
Dan Hammerstrom is Professor and Associate Dean for Research in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Portland State University.
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None
Date:
February 15, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Marek Perkowski
Title:
Engineering Introduction to Quantum Computing
Abstract:
The overview talk will present research on Quantum Computing performed by the group of Dr. Perkowski in Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. It will include the presentation of basic quantum computing concepts, gates and circuits. The second part will present our research in synthesis of binary and multiple-valued quantum circuits, testing quantum circuits, quantum algorithms and specifically the Grover-based solving of combinatorial problems, especially from electronics CAD. Grover algorithm gives quadratic speedup on every NP problem provided that we can design a quantum oracle for it.
Bio(s):
Dr. Perkowski is Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Portland State University. He is a member of the Portland Quantum Logic Group and the Portland Logic and Optimization Group. He is also the Director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at PSU. His interests include many aspects of machine learning, programming, and teaching. He teaches courses in Quantum Computing, Intelligent Robotics, Advanced Logic Synthesis, Robot Vision and Perception, among others.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
February 8, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Andrew Toland
Title:
Discussion of Mathematica
Abstract:
The seminar for Friday, Feb. 8 will be canceled due to an unfortunate scheduling misshap.
However, for those who are interested, Andrew Toland will continue his discussion of Mathematica by presenting several examples from class projects. The presentation will be ad-hoc, so there is not an abstract. The examples will come from numerical math and engineering courses mainly.
Bio(s):
None
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
February 1, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Jeff Fletcher
Title:
Evolution of Altruism Theory: Different Accounting Methods or Different Causal Explanations?
Abstract:
For several decades the mechanisms by which altruistic and cooperative behaviors evolve have been vigorously debated. The main theories are kin selection (or inclusive fitness) theory, reciprocal altruism theory (including variations based on reputation, sanctions, and spatial structure), and multilevel (or group selection) theory. This debate has recently intensified in the literature with publications emphasizing the role of group selection in the evolution of eusociality and several articles in the last year that claim kin selection (genetic similarity between altruists and recipients) is the only mechanism that can account for biological altruism. My work has focused on unifying different theories of how altruism evolves and my talk will consider this recent controversy and its history from this perspective, including how these theories vary in their definitions of altruism and differences in the way they keep track of fitness consequences.
Bio(s):
Jeff Fletcher has a BS in Biology, an MS in Computer Science, and designed medical records software for 7 years. He completed his Ph.D. in Systems Science from Portland State University in 2004. He recently completed an NSF International Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of British Columbia, Department of Zoology, where he also taught in the Integrated Science Program. His research has focused on understanding the relationship among different theories on the evolution of altruism. Currently Jeff teaches for the University Studies and System Science Ph.D. Programs here at Portland State.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
January 25, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Robin Fenske
Title:
An Prisoner's Dilemma Solution in Agent Based Simulation
Abstract:
This model explores the problem of the Prisoner's Dilemma using Agent Based Simulation without the traditional solution of iterations with the same partner (Axelrod 1984).
Agent-based models differ from most computer models in that the computation is decentralized, not centralized. Each individual agent can have variables associated with it, instead of having variables representing the aggregate properties of the system. These variables can change as the agents move and interact with their environment. Agents can be identical or they can be of different 'breeds.' One can specify behaviors and decision-making rules for a each breed of agent and control each breed separately. The aggregate behavior "emerges" from the interaction of the agents and the environment. (From the class description). ABS is offered as SySc 525/625.
In an attempt to make the standard Prisoner's Dilemma model closer to real world community interactions, noniterative interactions were used, and methods of increasing cooperation in this setting were developed. Non-traditional solutions to the Prisoner's Dilemma have presented before, such as voluntary re-partnering (Joyce, Kennison, Densmore, Guerin, Barr, Charles, and Thompson, 2006) and (Boone & Macy, 1999), interpersonal commitment (Back & Flache, 2006), and reliance on personal experience (Fort, 2003). The model presented here is unique from the articles mentioned above. * *The agents in this model do not have an assigned multi-round pattern of behavior, nor do they have any memory of their own experience or knowledge of other agent's experiences.
Bio(s):
Robin Fenske is a full time first year PhD student in the Systems Science Graduate Program. She is interested in applying Systems Science concepts to Sustainability, Local Economies, and Human Decision Making. She holds a Bachelor of Science from The Evergreen State College. She is also working with Dr. Wayne Wakeland on a "Food Delivery Carbon Foodprint" inter-departmental research grant.
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None
Date:
January 18, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Andrew Toland
Title:
An Introduction to Mathematica
Abstract:
This week we'll take an introductory look at Mathematica, another commercially available math package. For students, I think it's well worth the price and the time to learn it. If I had to choose one piece of software to take with me to a desert island, this might be it (and I might need some time alone on a desert island to fully learn it). I hope to show the basics of interacting with the "front end" and enough syntax to feel comfortable getting started. We'll look at version 6, the latest version. It looks like it has some really nice new features for direct interactivity and visualization. Also, there has been a major revision in the help browser that should make the process of learning the software more accessible.
Bio(s):
Andrew Toland is a graduate student in the Systems Science department. He's had opportunities to use Mathematica in school and on the job (in the rare instances when he's actually had a job).
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None
Date:
January 11, 2008
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Lars Holmstrom
Title:
Demystifying the Matlab Computing Environment
Abstract:
Matlab is a software computing environment that is becoming more and more popular across a number of disciplines, including finance, biology, statistics, and, yes, Systems Science. While it may appear at first to be a high powered graphic calculator, its extensibility and toolbox expansions allow it to be much more. Unfortunately, this "everything" tool seems prohibitively complicated to many who may find it very valuable. In this seminar, I will be giving a tutorial on how to get your feet wet in the world of Matlab. All are welcome, but my target audience is people who have never heard of Matlab, have been curious about it, or are just getting started on this exciting path. I won't be focusing on individual toolboxes or techniques, but will rather make use of the time to demystify the startup phase and to provide people with the tools and direction for learning more on their own.
Bio(s):
Lars Holmstrom is a PhD student in the Systems Science Program at Portland State University. He often ponders what his life as a mathematical modeler would be like without Matlab and doesn't like where his mind wanders.
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None
Date:
November 30, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
1-2 pm
Presenter(s):
Olgay Cangur
Title:
Modeling Subprime Delinquency, Termination and Loss
Abstract:
The proposed research focuses on several topics relevant to modeling residential mortgages while each topic is described separately, they will, in fact, be done in parallel and each influence the other. The first topic provides a framework for modeling prepayments and defaults that represents an enhancement over previous studies. A total of nine loan payment statuses will be used (current, thirty days late, sixty days late, ninety days late, early foreclosure, late foreclosure, real estate owned, paid off, and terminated with loss). This framework will be compared to the previous framework discussed in the literature that uses seven statuses.
The second topic will investigate the effect of a servicer's loan workout and their loss mitigation efforts on the finalized loan loss. Effect of the key variables related to loan workout and loss mitigation efforts will be tested for significance. A stand-alone loss model will be built to predict expected losses for a horizon of 6, 12, and 18 months incorporating these findings. The result will be compared to the existing loss models found in the literature.
The third topic will apply reconstructability analysis (RA) to modeling residential mortgage data in order to find new and interesting models. Many statistical methods are unable to reflect non-linearities and significant high-level interactions. RA is capable of doing both. The new modeling framework and the loss model, mentioned as the first and second topics respectively, will utilize the findings of the RA research. In order to prove the effectiveness of RA, results will be tested with actual data and compared with similar statistical models.
Bio(s):
Olgay has been a Systems Science student since 2002. He is currently working on his dissertation. He is also a full time employee of Merrill Lynch. His areas of interest are forecasting mortgage delinquencies.
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None
Date:
November 16, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Dr. Niles Lehman
Title:
Self-replication and autocatalysis: How can chemicals come alive?
Abstract:
We are investigating the chemical origins of life on the Earth. According to practical definitions of "life" a collection of chemicals can only be alive if they can self-replicate, and this requires a chemical property known as autocatalysis. We have engineered a system of RNA molecules that we believe has this property, in that a collection of short oligomeric RNAs can spontaneously self-assemble into a self-replicating catalytic RNA. In this talk I will discuss the chemical nature of life itself and how our system may shed some insight into the abiotic-biotic transition on the Earth 4 billion years ago.
Bio(s):
Dr. Lehman is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Portland State University. He received his Ph.D. in Biology at UCLA, and his M.A. in Comparative Biochemistry at UC Berkeley. His research projects include quantitative studies of in vitro evolution of catalytic RNA, and computer parameterization, information-theoretical analysis, and modeling of the origins of life and of RNA evolution in vitro. He is an associate editor of the Journal of Molecular Evolution, an editorial board member of Astrobiology, and a faculty member of the Center for Life in Extreme Environments.
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None
Date:
November 9, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Cecily Froemke
Title:
National Material Capabilities Prediction of Conflict: A Non-Linear Approach Using Reconstructability Analysis.
Abstract:
This paper applies reconstructability analysis (RA), an approach developed in the systems science community and a tool of discrete multivariate modeling, to a selection of variables contained in data sets from the Correlates of War Project. The goal of this paper is to contribute the methods of reconstructability analysis to the field of international conflict. Specifically, I will look at the following questions: To what extent does a nation's material capabilities affect whether or not the nation becomes engaged in an international conflict? Additionally, how well do these material capabilities do in predicting the outcomes of international conflict?
Bio(s):
I am currently a graduate student in the Systems Science program and studying for comprehensive exams in the spring. I have an interest in all the elements and relations of Systems Science but am especially interested in information theory, from multiple perspectives at multiple scales. Discrete Multivariate Modeling is one of my more technical forays in this arena.
As for that thing I do from 8-5: I work as an Application Specialist with a local software company that participates in outcomes data management for cardiovascular, thoracic, transplant, orthopedic and vascular surgery.
I truly enjoy dialogue with folks from all walks of life, inside and outside of academia. Unfortunately, work has kept me from the wonderful happenings at Harder House lately, but I am looking forward to talking with you all on Friday!
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
November 2, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Michael S. Johnson
Title:
Report back from M2007 Data Mining Conference
Abstract:
The annual MYYYY data mining conference brings together academic researchers, practitioners from a range of industries, and hardware/software vendors for presentations and discussions about data mining methods and applications. The conference is held in Las Vegas, home to some of the world's most experienced and sophisticated data mining practitioners (employed, for the most part, by the gaming industry). I'll provide an overview of this year's conference and will seed the discussion with some observations based on the presentations I attended.
Bio(s):
Michael S. Johnson (SYSC Ph.D. 2005) is the Director of the Utility for Care Data Analysis (UCDA), an analytical department within the Program Office of the Kaiser Permanente health care organization (KP). The UCDA was created in 2005 to improve the quality of care and service for KP's 8.7 million members by applying advanced analytical methods to the data accumulating in KP's electronic medical record system.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
October 26, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
1-2 pm
Presenter(s):
Scott Mist
Title:
Can questionnaires be used to predict Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis?
Abstract:
Astonishingly, most Traditional Chinese Medicine (CM) research in the West proceeds without CM diagnoses, which raises serious questions. One way to improve the feasibility of incorporating CM diagnosis would be to prescreen participants using questionnaires. Consequently, Mr. Mist used baseline questionnaires to predict CM diagnosis in 195 participants of a temporomandibular joint disorder study.
Two methods, logistic regression (LR) and reconstructability analysis (RA), were used in conjunction to test Hypothesis 1. Models were created that predicted CM diagnosis from pre-treatment questionnaires. LR models were prepared to predict the diagnosis for each subject using direct effects only. Then variable-based and state-based RA techniques were used to select potentially important interaction terms. These terms were then introduced into the original LR model and assessed for clinical relevance, model simplification, and improved diagnosis prediction. Scott will present the methods and results of these efforts.
Bio(s):
Scott Mist is an acupuncturist and a Traditional Chinese Medicine researcher for the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. Mr. Mist has worked on research funded by the National Institutes of Health for the last 8 years and is currently the project director for a multisite trial with the University of Arizona. Scott completed a post-graduate research fellowship through the NIH, was granted a NIH Loan Repayment Grant, and is currently completing his PhD in the Systems Science program.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
October 19, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
1-2 pm
Presenter(s):
Wayne Wakeland
Title:
Effectiveness of a Web-based Training on the Carbon Content of Food
Abstract:
A project is underway to determine the degree to which people's knowledge and attitudes about how their food choices impact the environment can be influenced by participation in a short interactive web-based training. The training utilizes a tool called CarbonScope that was developed recently by Kumar Venkat. The training itself and the pre-test post-test questionnaires were developed by Lindsay Sears, a graduate student in Psychology. The seminar will give some background and then discuss the tool, the training, and the assessment aspects of the study.
Bio(s):
Wayne is a core Systems Science faculty member with a wide variety of research interests, including topics related to computer simulation and sustainability.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
October 12, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
1-2 pm
Presenter(s):
Joe Fusion
Title:
Environmental Sensitivity and the Evolution of Altruism
Abstract:
We have seen several models of the evolution of altruism involving the Prisoner's Dilemma. This variation takes into account the affects of environmental stresses on the benefits of altruism. I used an agent-based/cellular model, and explored conditions such as hostile vs. friendly environments, and periodic bottlenecks. My current results will be presented, followed by a discussion of future directions.
Bio(s):
Joe Fusion is Ph.D. student in the Systems Science program at PSU. His research interests include artificial life, evolution, and modeling systems. His other interests include everything else.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
October 5, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
1-2 pm
Presenter(s):
Lars Holmstrom
Title:
Assessing Wind Farm Avian Collision Risk: A Model Based Approach
Abstract:
Wind power is increasingly becoming recognized as a clean and viable renewable energy resource. Despite the fact that conversion to wind power can significantly offset greenhouse gas production on a global scale, there are still numerous environmental impacts to be considered. One of the primary impacts being researched is the effect of wind farms on bird and bat populations, both due to habitat disruption and direct collisions with the wind turbines themselves. This presentation will discuss a model based approach for estimating the mortality risk to birds and bats as a result of these collisions before the construction of a proposed wind farm is even begun. This information is a key step in assessing the environmental impact of these large scale installations and can influence whether construction is ever initiated.
Bio(s):
Lars Holmstrom is a PhD student in the System Science Department at Portland State University. While focusing on statistical, state based modeling and estimation techniques for his dissertation, this presentation reports the results of a summer project performed for a private environmental survey company.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
September 28, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
1-2 pm
Presenter(s):
None
Title:
Meet-n-Greet
Abstract:
For the first Friday of each term, the Seminar is usually a meet-and-greet type of get-together. For this Friday's Seminar, we will have a welcoming party for all Systems Science students. Refreshments will be served.
Bio(s):
None
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
June 1, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
None
Title:
System Science Round Table Discussion
Abstract:
This week, we will have our year-end round table discussion with students and faculty to address all things that are Systems Science (well, all things we have time for). This includes questions/gripes/compliments/discussions about courses, departmental direction, web presence, student lounge, etc. This is a great opportunity to touch base with each other and to share ideas. Hope to see you there!
Bio(s):
None
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
May 25, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Casey Quinlan
Title:
Cardiac protective signaling mechanisms and pathways to mitochondria
Abstract:
Cardioprotection is an endogenous phenomenon whereby the heart protects itself from a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. Cardioprotective drugs mimic this process by triggering cellular signaling events that target the mitochondria. The mechanistic delivery of the signal to mitochondria is an area of some debate. I will present data to support the hypothesis that administration of cardioprotective drugs induces assembly of a plasma membrane signaling platform. Subsequently, this platform interacts with mitochondria and opens the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+ channel.
Bio(s):
Casey Quinlan is a fourth year Ph.D. student in the biology department at Portland State University. Her work focuses on mitochondrial physiology and intracellular signaling pathways. She received her undergraduate degree in botany and did a brief foray studying ornithology before she realized that the only hope for civilization lay in mitochondrial bioenergetics. She has since worked tirelessly, with minimal compensation, to bring mitochondria to the people. She also enjoys spaghetti and the song "Dancing Queen" by the Swedish recording artists ABBA.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
May 18, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Byrne Lovell
Title:
Reflections on Systems Science and my career as an analyst at the Bonneville Power Administration.
Abstract:
I'm not in academia - I don't do research, and don't have a research specialty to talk about. I work in a fairly large, technically oriented bureaucracy on a variety of analytical tasks that generally can be described as quantitative decision support. I have had a successful career, and am now one of BPA's most senior technical experts. I will talk about how some of the themes from my first years in the Systems Science Ph.D. program relate to my success as an analyst here.
Bio(s):
BA, Math, Pomona College, 1974
MS, Counseling, Oregon, 1980
Ph.D., Systems Science (Uncertainty), PSU, 1995
I started working at BPA in the summer after my first year in the Systems Science Ph.D. Program. I did programming and modeling for the first few years, working with Monte Carlo production cost models and wrote a small, fast model that estimated the market value of BPA's surplus hydro energy. I spent several years in the Office of Finance, and then moved to BPA's Strategic Planning group for five years. I am now in the Chief Risk Officer's group. My particular field of expertise is the financial uncertainty BPA faces due to the highly variable annual supply of water, and various risk mitigation methods we can use in our rates to ensure that we can safely tolerate a very dry year when our power sales revenues are much lower than average.
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None
Date:
May 11, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Shari Matzner
Title:
Model-Based Information Extraction from Synthetic Aperture Radar Data
Abstract:
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is a remote sensing technology that is capable of imaging large areas at high resolution, and can operate at any time, day or night, and in cloudy conditions unlike optical and infrared sensors. SAR has been used primarily for remote monitoring of the natural environment, where the general or average characteristics of an area are of interest. Examples include land use and land cover studies, monitoring tree density in forested areas and estimating soil moisture content.
Conventional processing of the recorded SAR signal produces a two-dimensional image that is an estimate of the surface reflectivity. However, the nature of a SAR reflectivity image is very different from what we are used to seeing with our own optical sensors, our eyes. This makes extracting information about individual structures in the scene challenging. To extract this type of information requires a better understanding of the complicated electromagnetic scattering produced by structures and the impact of the synthetic image processing on these signatures.
This presentation will discuss how a physics-based model of a building can be used in conjunction with a model of the SAR sensor to formulate a building signature, which can then be used in the SAR signal processing to extract information about buildings present in the scene.
Bio(s):
Ms. Matzner is a Systems Science Ph.D. student currently working in the Northwest Electromagnetic and Acoustic Research (NEAR) Lab here at PSU.
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None
Date:
April 20, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Josef Lotz
Title:
The development of a remote sensor system for monitoring coral reef morphology and fish abundance
Abstract:
Current methods of coral reef morphology and fish abundance estimation are mature and well known among Fishery Sciences/Engineering researchers. They give highly precise estimations but are dependent on complex technology. Equipment costs have made basic estimation unobtainable to countries and researchers with small budgets. A Matlab toolbox, named EchoMap, is being developed at the NW Electromagnetic and Acoustics Research Lab (PSU) that produces morphology and abundance estimations using a low cost, single-beam echosounder by applying principles of acoustics and signal processing.
Bio(s):
Josef Lotz is a Master's of Science student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at PSU. He received his B.S. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Portland State University in 2005. He was a member of the NW Computational Intelligence Laboratory in 2005-2006 and is currently a member of the NW Electromagnetic and Acoustics Laboratory.
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None
Date:
April 13, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
James McNames
Title:
Tracking Physiologic Rhythms
Abstract:
Physiologic signals are monitored in many medical applications for a variety of purposes such as diagnosis, prognosis, and locating pathologic tissue. Many of these signals contain rhythms and oscillations due to natural mechanisms, such as the respiratory and cardiac cycles, and pathologic mechanisms such as tremor in Parkinson's disease. Oscillations also occur in natural vocalizations such as speech, animal calls, and echo location. A wide variety of methods have been employed to study these signals ranging from techniques based on chaos theory, time series analysis, hidden Markov models, and detection theory. Members of the Biomedical Signal Processing Laboratory at Portland State University have recently started investigating a new approach based on nonlinear state space models and sequential Monte Carlo methods. During this talk Dr. McNames will define the problem, show several examples of signals from many different domains, summarize the applications, and show preliminary results of our new approach to this problem.
Bio(s):
James McNames received a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, in 1992. He received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University, Stanford, CA, in 1995 and 1999, respectively.
He has been with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Portland State University, Portland, OR since 1999, where he is currently an Associate Professor. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers. His primary research interest is statistical signal processing with applications to biomedical engineering.
He founded the Biomedical Signal Processing (BSP) Laboratory (bsp.pdx.edu) in fall 2000. The mission of the BSP Laboratory is to advance the art and science of extracting clinically significant information from physiologic signals. Members of the BSP Laboratory primarily focus on clinical projects in which the extracted information can help physicians or medical devices make better critical decisions and improve patient outcome.
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None
Date:
March 16, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Martin Jetton
Title:
Agent Based Simulation of Sales Floor Activity and Store Sales
Abstract:
In previous modeling of individual sales performance I have found that 'good' sales people can be identified during hiring using a personality trait assessment test. These better sales people perform around 3% better ($/hour) than individuals scoring lower on the personality assessment test percentile score. Using agent based simulation I model two kinds of sales people; those who score well (call them Green sales people) on a sales performance personality assessment and those who did not (call them not-Green sales people). The purpose of this study is to show that store sales variability (the probability that someone will buy at the given store and the amount they will purchase) masks the underlying value of these 'green' sales people if the sales people to customer ratio is low. I show the impact of percentages of green individuals in the store and total store sales relative to customer flow.
One of the reasons I'm using agent based simulation to address this sales person model is the fact that the complexity of human interactions can be tested without impacting the real world. There are a lot of fluffy thoughts around scheduling and testing the parameters of this situation will create a good learning environment to build upon. Human resource management is full of touchy feely individuals and situations that cannot be easily tested in the real world. ABS will allow me to set up a world that could be used to test or baseline rules of interaction on the sales floor relative to customer and sales person characteristics.
In attempting to tackle the chaotic nature of the sales floor in a retail environment, I've explored queuing based models using service models for a structured mathematical approach. I found integrating in other non-queuing rules difficult, if not impossible. I've encountered difficulties in the description and education of clients in the use of modeling environments such as systems dynamics and discrete event simulations, while I find the visual nature of ABS through NetLogo to be perfect to talk to and involve non-technical people in the analytical effort.
Bio(s):
Martin is a Practice Manager, Modeling and Analytics, Talent Management Division, Kronos Inc in Beaverton Oregon. He is enrolled in the Core PhD Systems Science program in his second year of class work. He has a Masters of Science in Operations Research / Applied Statistics, Oregon State University, 1989 and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Sciences from OSU, 1985.
Martin has around 17 years of experience ranging from Marketing Research, Product Marketing/Sales Performance analysis, Expert System development, Supply Chain Logistics and Human Capital management analytics.
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None
Date:
March 9, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Dan Iancu
Title:
Non-linear interaction between neurons underlie sensory processing in electric fish
Abstract:
The mormyrid electric fish displays extremely fine temporal resolution as measured in behavioral studies. The first stage of sensory processing, the sensory afferents, also display very precise temporal responses to electrical stimulation. The afferents are connected through gap junctions to the granular cells, which in addition receive a corollary discharge signal at the time of the electric pulse. The granular cells have a relatively long time constant, seemingly at odds with their presumed role as coincidence detectors. We use experimental data to build a compartmental model that investigates the mechanism by which the relative timing of the two inputs to the granular cells determines the effect of the afferent spike through the electrical synapse.
Bio(s):
Ovidiu Dan Iancu is currently a graduate student in the Biomedical Engineering PhD program (Oregon Health Sciences University) in Portland, Oregon. He completed his MS degree in Mathematics at Oregon State University (1999). For the last three years he has worked in the Roberts lab, where he studies the biophysical substrates of adaptive sensory processing. The model systems investigated in the Roberts lab include electrosensory fish and the neuronal substrates of song processing in zebra finches.
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None
Date:
March 2, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Andrew Toland
Title:
Temporal pattern classification using a biologically inspired coupled oscillator system
Abstract:
Drawing inspiration from one of nature's great pattern classifiers, the olfactory system, I demonstrate that a randomly instantiated coupled oscillator system can be used to improve the classification of time-series signals. The time series used to illustrate the principal are taken from sampled quadruped robot joint positions as the robot walks over surfaces of different characterists using a variety of gaits.
Bio(s):
Andrew Toland is a graduate student in the Systems Science Ph.D. Program. He has a background in physics and biology, and has done some work in image and signal processing. He is currently associated with the NW Computational Intelligence Laboratory, where he is exploring ideas such as the one described in the abstract.
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None
Date:
February 23, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
J. Alan Yeakley
Environmental Science
Portland State University
Title:
Nutrient Cycling in Forested Watershed Systems: Responses to Disturbance
Abstract:
I will discuss watershed ecosystem analysis with respect to both hydrologic and elemental (i.e. nutrient) system dynamics, with a particular focus on responses of nutrient fluxes to disturbance.
While much research has been done over the past 50 years on watershed ecosystems from a whole systems analysis standpoint, much less is known about internal mechanisms that control whole watershed systems responses. I will review a case study in a mountain watershed, where we investigated effects of removing near-stream understory vegetation and of natural blowdown of canopy trees on nutrient export to streams at the sub-watershed scale. The results from this study suggested that understory vegetation plays a relatively minor role in controlling nutrient export to headwater streams. Our results further suggested that nutrient uptake by canopy trees is a key control on nitrogen export in upland riparian zones, and disruption of the root-soil connection in canopy trees via uprooting can promote significant nutrient loss from the watershed ecosystem.
Bio(s):
J. Alan Yeakley is an Associate Professor of Environmental Science at Portland State University, in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Yeakley's research interests span ecosystem ecology and watershed hydrology, with a focus on riparian processes and urban ecology. He holds a BS in mathematics from Texas A&M-Commerce, an MS in environmental science from UT-Dallas and a Ph.D. in environmental science from the University of Virginia, where he was a presidential fellow. Alan has published articles in a variety of ecological science journals such as BioScience, Ecosystems, Ecology, Biogeochemistry and Landscape Ecology. He helped found the environmental science (ESR) undergraduate and masters programs at PSU, the Urban Ecosystem Research Consortium (UERC) of Portland/Vancouver, and is a member of the editorial board of ?coscience, an international journal of ecology. During this coming spring term, Alan will teach courses in Environmental Sustainability in Rosario, Argentina. For more information, please see http://web.pdx.edu/~yeakleya/alan.htm.
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None
Date:
February 16, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Radu Popa
Title:
Xenobiology - The other side of life
Abstract:
"Xenobiology - Scientific discipline aiming to decipher life, its origin and evolution apart from its physical makeup"
Many dynamic systems including fire, fluid vortices, periodic reactions, chemical automata, crystals while growing, computer games, economy, society, GAIA and the Internet have features resembling life. Common sense tells us these are not alive. Yet, in the absence of a material-independent and quantifiable description of life we cannot tell how close these systems are to become alive. If we expect life to exist on other celestial bodies or to be simulated by computer modeling and algorithmic chemistry, we have to acknowledge that the concept of life is independent of the particular materials living entities are made of. In Xenobiology the essence of life is independent of things such as proteins, DNA, carbon or even water; this discipline considers that Earth's prebiotic chemistry was just one of the many possible frameworks on which life could have originated. The truly universal features of life relate to: energy
flow, self-control, departure from thermodynamic equilibrium, handedness, complexity, manipulating information and adaptive evolution. The ultimate goal of Xenobiology is to identify conditions allowing life to self-originate without design. This presentation reviews challenges and approaches when connecting energy flow with changes in complexity and the origin of genetic information. This approach requires connecting disequilibrium thermodynamics with changes in order and complexity, exploring strategies used by complex dynamic systems to evade deterministic chaos and identifying physical drivers of the evolution of dynamic systems. In the near future such knowledge will help model the link between energy dissipation and
changes in the organization of dynamic systems, and help explain general trends such as: the origin of life, macroevolution and the evolution of ecosystems toward climax.
Bio(s):
EDUCATION
California Institute of Technology and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, CA) (Post Doc., 2002)
University of Cincinnatti, (OH) Environmental Microbiology (Ph.D., 2000)
The American University (Washington, DC) Evolutionary Biology (M.S., 1996)
University of Bucharest (Romania) Biology (B.A., 1983)
APPOINTMENTS
08/2005 => Present Tenure tracking, Associate Professor, Portland State University (Portland, OR).
2002-2005 Research Assistant Professor, University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
1990-1994 Microbiologist, "E. Racovitza" Institute of Biospeleology (Bucharest, Romania).
1986-1990 Biologist, Central Institute of Biology (Bucharest, Romania)
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2006 Fisk M.R., R. Popa, O.U. Mason, M.C. Storrie-Lombardi, and E.P. Vincenzi, Iron-magnesium silicate bioweathering on Earth (and Mars?), Astrobiology, 6:48-68.
2006 Capone D., R. Popa, B. Flood and K.H. Nealson, Follow the nitrogen, Science, 312:708-709.
2005 Abboud R., R. Popa, V. Souza-Egipsy, C.S. Giometti, S. Tollaksen, J.J. Mosher, R.H. Findlay and K.H. Nealson, Low temperature growth of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 71:811-816.
2005 Nealson K.H. and R. Popa, Introduction and Overview: What do we know for sure? 1-24, Chapt. 1, In: Quantitative Approaches Towards Biogeochemistry: Processes, Scaling, and Interfaces, (L?ttge A. and R. Rye (eds.), American Journal of Science, Yale University, New Haven.
2005 Nealson K.H. and R. Popa, Metabolic diversity in the microbial world: relevance to exobiology, In: Gadd G.M., K.T. Temple and H.M. Lapin-Scott (eds.), 65th Symposium of the Society for General Microbiology, Micro-organisms and Earth Systems, Advances in Geomicrobiology, 151-171, Cambridge University Press.
2004 Popa R. and B.K. Kinkle, Controlled Mineralization of Pyrite by Thiomonas thermosulfatus str.51, Geomicrobiol. J., 21:193-206.
2004 Popa R., A. Badescu and B.K. Kinkle, Pyrite framboids as biomarkers for iron-sulfur systems, Geomicrobiol. J., 21:1-14.
2003 Fisk M.R., M.C. Storrie-Lombardi, S. Douglas, G.D. McDonald, R. Popa and A.I. Tsapin, Evidence of Biological Activity in Hawaiian Subsurface Basalts, Geochem. Geophys. Geosys, 4:1525-2027.
2002 Cox L., R. Popa, K.H. Nealson, and D. Bazylinsky, 2002, Organization of P-, S- and Fe-inclusions in a freshwater Magnetococcus, Geomicrobiol. J., 19:387-406.
2000 Popa R. and B.K. Kinkle, Discrimination among iron sulfide species formed in microbial cultures, J. Microbiol. Meth., 42:167 174.
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None
Date:
February 9, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Lars Holmstrom
Title:
Receptive Field Models of Auditory Neurons
Abstract:
The modern quest to understand the physiology of sound processing and speech perception is often traced back to the work of Hermann von Helmholtz in the mid 19th century. While much has been learned since then, far more questions have been generated than have been answered. While Helmholtz was primarily focused on the mechanics of the ear, the modern auditory physiologist is often focused on the neural mechanisms at play. This is a daunting task considering the numerous auditory nuclei (functional collections of neurons) which are connected by a web of both ascending (toward the audio cortex) and descending (towards the ear) neural pathways. While it is generally understood that a systemic approach is required to fully understand this complex system of interactions, the state of the art is still primarily focused on making sense of how individual neurons respond to auditory stimulus. This talk will focus on some of the common techniques used for modeling the response characteristics of individual auditory neurons. It will focus primarily on Spectro-Temporal Receptive Field (STRF) models with special attention to the effects of experimental design on the fitting of the model. Examples will be provided of using these models in the context of researching the role played by neurons in the inferior colliculus (IC) of the mustached bat in the perception of social vocalizations.
Bio(s):
Lars Holmstrom is a PhD student in the Systems Science Department at Portland State University. Primary academic interests involve the use of statistical signal processing methodologies in the analysis of neural signals. His "other life" as a musician has led him in the direction of applying these tools to further our understanding of neural signal processing in the auditory system.
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None
Date:
February 2, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Elizabeth Turgeon
Title:
Optimality vs. Resilience in an Agent-Based Evolutionary System
Abstract:
In evolutionary systems, there is a trade-off between optimality and resilience. Optimally-adapted populations show little variation in their descendants, thus making their descendants better able to compete in current conditions, while resilient populations preserve variation, trading this-moment competitiveness for the potential to withstand future, unknown threats. From observation of evolutionary systems, however, there appears to be a distinct advantage to optimality over resilience. Elizabeth Turgeon will be presenting an agent-based simulation that explores the trade-off between optimality and resilience in one evolutionary system.
Bio(s):
Elizabeth Turgeon is an engineering master's student, and has spent the past six years as a safety engineer, trying to prevent injuries, fires, and other unintended effects of manufacturing processes.
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None
Date:
January 26, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Rich Jolly
Title:
Simulation of Information Sharing in Organizations
Abstract:
Game theory and agent based simulation have been used to study information sharing in organizations. In particular, the central tendency of organizational members to either freely share information, or keep it to themselves for their own personal gain, was studied in detail. First, the fundamental interactions are understood using a game theoretic perspective. Then, a simulation was conducted with the tool Netlogo where agents were assigned the fundamental property of either being a hoarder of information (unwilling to share) or a sharer of information. The effect of sharing on the organization was studied and it was found, as expected, that sharing greatly increases the overall information within the organization. The unexpected result is that agents who share tend to acquire more information than agents that hoard. This result is due to the synergy that develops between groups of agents who are sharing with each other building up the information levels greatly. It is also seen that the density of the agents is a critical parameter. As the density increases the probability increases that an agent is located near someone who has a large amount of information to share. The simulation results counsels organizations to use techniques to foster information sharing and discourage hoarding. This study has shown agent based simulation and a careful simulation methodology to be powerful tools in the study of organizational phenomena.
Bio(s):
Rich Jolly is a PhD candidate with the Systems Science and School of Business option. Rich's research interests are focused around using the systems perspective to improve the effectiveness of information technology in organizations and business. Rich also works at Intel Corporation in planning and market research for the server products group.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
January 19, 2007
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
5-7 pm
Presenter(s):
Dr. Ftitjof Capra
Center for Ecoliteracy, Berkeley
Title:
The contemporary importance of systems ideas
Abstract:
He will talk briefly about the contemporary importance of systems ideas and we will have an informal, open-ended discussion with him.
Bio(s):
Dr. Fritjof Capra, Center for Ecoliteracy, Berkeley,is well known systems theorist, ecological activist, author, and filmaker.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
December 1, 2006
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Lars Holmstrom
Title:
Two Birds With One Stone: Funding Your Dissertation
Abstract:
For many PhD students, two large hurdles include completion of a dissertation proposal and staying funded throughout the process of completing the dissertation. One angle for funding this process is dissertation grants, which are available from a number of institutions covering a range of research topics. There is substantial overlap between these grant proposals and the dissertation proposal. For seminar this week, we will continue the focus of last week's talk on grant writing with a description of the components that go into a dissertation proposal and a dissertation grant proposal. The goal is to encourage students pursuing a PhD to maximize the effort that goes into a dissertation proposal by using much of the content to apply for dissertation funding.
Bio(s):
Lars Holmstrom, aspiring Systems Science PhD student
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
November 17, 2006
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Wayne Wakeland
Title:
Introduction to Writing Grant Proposals
Abstract:
Writing a successful grant proposal depends on telling a compelling story. For major funding sources such as NIH and NSF, most of the review panel members will read carefully only the abstract, which is less than a page long. The rest of the proposal will be reviewed in detail by 2 or 3 members of the panel. Of course, the entire proposal must be clearly written and responsive to the RFP in order to garner the enthusiastic support of the assigned readers, but without a great abstract, the proposal has no chance of being funded. This seminar presentation will provide the highlights from a grant-writing workshop that Wayne attended recently.
Bio(s):
Wayne is a core Systems Science faculty member with a wide variety of research interests, including topics related to computer simulation and sustainability.
File attached or Link to Recording?
.ppt
Date:
October 27, 2006
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Rich Jolly, Chris Bartio, Kelly Waugh, and David Angel
Title:
System Science Program Strategic Analysis
Abstract:
This past summer, as part of the SYSC 610: Organizational Theory and Dynamics class, our group conducted a study of the current challenges and opportunities facing the Systems Science program. The goal of this project was to assist the Systems Science program in the development of a strategic plan.
The data collection for this project consisted of primarily 12 interviews. These interviews included current and former students, faculty from within the program and associated departments and members of the program management chain (provost and vice-provost). The interviews were designed to uncover the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the Systems Science program. The data collected from interviews was supplemented by 10 years of enrollment data as well as a report generated by Michael Dejardin about other Systems Science related programs around the country.
Bio(s):
Rich Jolly is a PhD candidate in Systems Science and the School of Business. His research focus is on the use of systems science techniques to solve some of the tough business organizational problems such as effective sharing of information and knowledge. Rich works as a strategic marketing manager at Intel.
Chris Bartlo has been a student of the Systems Science program for the past two years. He has worked in the NWCIL and is currently an educator at OMSI. His interest is in using systems ideas and techniques to enhance and develop interactive learning experiences.
Kelly Waugh is a second year PhD student in the Systems Science PhD core program. His research interests are in the application of Systems Science methods to Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness. Kelly works as a Quality Program Manager at Sun Microsystems.
David Angel is a Graduate of the ETM Masters program at PSU. He is currently employed as a Systems Administrator at Siltronic Corporation and has recently taken a few Systems Science classes for personal development.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
October 20, 2006
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Professor Bruce Lusignan
Title:
International Space Projects
Abstract:
At the end of the Cold War, U.S. and Russian engineers planned to convert cold-war budgets to planetary exploration. The Stanford-Russian Mars study showed it could be done at a fraction of the cost of a US-only project; but cooperation faded away. The "Stanford on the Moon" project proposes cooperation to put an International Lunar Observatory on the Moon by 2015. Stanford has already launched student-made small satellites to earth orbit on a Russian SS-18 rocket, and plans a future launch to orbit the Moon. Cooperation for a manned mission in the future would include the Europe, Russia and China as well as the United States. The Stanford-Russian study and the proposed Lunar projects will be described.
Bio(s):
Professor Lusignan has taught Space-Systems Engineering at Stanford for 30 years. He headed the Stanford-Russian study. This year he's at PSU on sabbatical and will be permanently at PSU in January.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
October 13, 2006
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Rich Jolly, Chris Bartio, Kelly Waugh, and David Angel
Title:
System Science Program Strategic Analysis
Abstract:
This past summer, as part of the SYSC 610: Organizational Theory and Dynamics class, our group conducted a study of the current challenges and opportunities facing the Systems Science program. The goal of this project was to assist the Systems Science program in the development of a strategic plan.
The data collection for this project consisted of primarily 12 interviews. These interviews included current and former students, faculty from within the program and associated departments and members of the program management chain (provost and vice-provost). The interviews were designed to uncover the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the Systems Science program. The data collected from interviews was supplemented by 10 years of enrollment data as well as a report generated by Michael Dejardin about other Systems Science related programs around the country.
Bio(s):
Rich Jolly is a PhD candidate in Systems Science and the School of Business. His research focus is on the use of systems science techniques to solve some of the tough business organizational problems such as effective sharing of information and knowledge. Rich works as a strategic marketing manager at Intel.
Chris Bartlo has been a student of the Systems Science program for the past two years. He has worked in the NWCIL and is currently an educator at OMSI. His interest is in using systems ideas and techniques to enhance and develop interactive learning experiences.
Kelly Waugh is a second year PhD student in the Systems Science PhD core program. His research interests are in the application of Systems Science methods to Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness. Kelly works as a Quality Program Manager at Sun Microsystems.
David Angel is a Graduate of the ETM Masters program at PSU. He is currently employed as a Systems Administrator at Siltronic Corporation and has recently taken a few Systems Science classes for personal development.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
October 6, 2006
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Christine V. Portfors, PhD
School of Biological Sciences
Washington State University
Title:
Neural responses to complex sounds in the auditory midbrain
Abstract:
A fundamental function of the auditory system in humans is to process speech. Both speech sounds and vocalizations of other animals are complex in that they are comprised of many frequency elements that vary over time. When these sounds are first encoded by the cochlea in the inner ear, they are broken down into their individual frequency elements and single neurons respond to individual frequency elements. However, to enable perception of the whole sound, neurons in the auditory system likely recombine the individual frequency elements in the appropriate temporal order. In other words, individual neurons integrate multiple frequency elements over time. The first site in the ascending auditory system where individual neurons integrate across frequency elements in complex sounds is the inferior colliculus (IC). In this talk, I will discuss how individual neurons in the IC of bats and mice respond to pure tones, combinations of tones and natural vocalizations. I will focus on neurons that display nonlinear interactions to the combination of two sounds with energy in different frequency bands and show how these types of neurons may be involved in encoding natural vocalizations.
Focus of my laboratory -
My long term research goals are to understand how complex sounds are processed by the auditory system and to determine how age-related hearing loss impacts this processing. To achieve these goals, I utilize a systems-level neuroethological approach that makes use of my broad academic training from behavior to neurophysiology and neuroanatomy. I use natural vocalizations to probe the neural mechanisms underlying encoding of species-specific vocalizations in the auditory brainstem, midbrain and cortex of awake animals. I employ both mustached bats and mice as model systems because of their rich repertoires of complex species-specific vocalizations and my ability to record from individual neurons under awake conditions in these animals. I enhance my research program through collaborations with computational neuroscientists and neuroanatomists.
Bio(s):
None
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
May 26, 2006
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
Sean Larsen
Title:
Proofs and Refutations in the Undergraduate Mathematics Classroom
Abstract:
In his 1976 book, Proofs and refutations, Imre Lakatos makes the observation that mathematical concepts often develop in the service of answering a mathematical question. For example, Lakatos describes how the concept of uniform convergence was generated through the analysis of proofs of the naive conjecture that the limit of a series of continuous functions is continuous. Lakatos contends that this happened through a process he calls "proofs and refutations". This process begins with a naive conjecture and a proof of the conjecture. The proof is then analyzed to find hidden lemmas, which may be incorporated into the hypotheses of the theorem (and may necessitate the defining of new concepts). The purpose of this talk is to share two classroom episodes in which undergraduate mathematics students were engaged in a similar process. One episode is drawn from an introductory group theory course and the other from a college geometry course. The analysis of these episodes will illustrate Lakatos' ideas and the potential of these ideas to inform instructional design
Bio(s):
Sean Larsen received his PhD in mathematics from Arizona State University in 2004. This is his second year teaching at PSU. His current research focuses on the teaching and learning of advanced undergraduate mathematics and on the mathematical preparation of teachers.
File attached or Link to Recording?
None
Date:
March 10, 2006
Location:
Harder House, Room 104
Time:
12-1 pm
Presenter(s):
David Ostberg
Title:
A Comparative Analysis of Artificial Neural Networks, Classification Trees, and Multivariate Linear Regression for Predicting Retail Employee Tenure and Turnover
Abstract:
Two methodological studies were carried out to empirically demonstrate the value of applying neural network modeling for predicting three selected employee job performance criteria; namely, employee tenure, eligibility for rehire, and voluntary/involuntary termination classification.
Overall, the findings suggest that neural modeling techniques offer a viable alternative to traditional predictive approaches, and further, may lend insight into potential relationships among variables that may be overlooked when using conventional analyses. These studies also suggest that the different modeling techniques may vary in usefulness for different prediction contexts, in particular, where there are significant "cost" differences between false positive or false negative predictions.
Bio(s):
David Ostberg joined Unicru in January 2001 and is responsible for assessment design, advanced data analytics, technical writing, selection science consulting, and client-specific validation of the Unicru personnel selection assessment products. While at Unicru, David has facilitated development and deployment of a range of assessment tools in a variety of industries including casual dining, hospitality, grocery, and retail.
David received a Ph.D. in Systems Science: Psychology from Portland State University, and has a BS degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1994. David is a member of and reviewer for the Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology and the American Psychological Associations, and has presented research papers in several peer-reviewed academic conferences.
Prior to joining Unicru, David worked as a consulting job analyst and has conducted job analyses on over 200 job positions for various organizations in the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, he has developed numerous personnel selection and performance management systems and has taught undergraduate courses in industrial/organizational psychology, human motivation, and research design at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon.
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