Caitlin Dawson
Caitlin Dawson writes for the Information Sciences Institute.
Stories by Caitlin Dawson:
USC’s Petros Ioannou, Gérard Medioni and J. Joshua Yang elected as National Academy of Inventors fellows
The trio joins a distinguished class of 169 new inductees whose innovations have tangibly impacted society.
In a warmer world, half of all species are on the move — but where are they going?
A new computer modeling tool provides a more accurate analysis of species’ movement amid climate change. What it’s finding is bleaker than experts expected.
In memoriam: Barry Boehm, 87, ‘living legend’ in systems and software engineering
A computer science pioneer with a career that spanned six decades, the USC Viterbi Professor Emeritus defined an era in software development.
How natural language processing tools can help Indigenous asylum seekers
USC computer science student Katy Felkner is developing natural language processing tools to tackle the translator shortage at the border.
USC researchers simulate how COVID-19 transmits in a classroom
The study shows that, amid the highly transmissible Delta variant, at least 93% of students should be vaccinated, with everyone wearing masks indoors, to prevent an uptick in cases.
Researchers develop highly accurate modeling tool to predict COVID-19 risk
USC researchers are advocating for a new approach that combines anonymized cellphone location data with mobility patterns, broad indicators of how people move from place to place.
A new way to store sustainable energy: ‘information batteries’
What if surplus renewable energy could be stored as computation instead? That’s the thinking behind “information batteries,” a new system proposed by USC’s Barath Raghavan and a colleague.
How ‘deepfaking the mind’ could help people with disabilities
USC Viterbi researchers are using the same technology that creates deepfake videos and photorealistic human faces to improve brain-computer interfaces.
How AI could help screen for autism in children
A computer adaptive test, powered by machine learning, helps clinical practitioners decide what questions to ask next in real-time based on caregivers’ previous responses.
USC doctoral candidate uses AI to preserve the Choctaw language
Every two weeks, a language dies. Lina Brixey, a member of the Choctaw Nation and a USC Viterbi doctoral candidate, is determined hers will not be next.
Bringing reinforcement learning to a dynamic world: USC computer scientists win best paper award
The paper outlines a simple approach that solves a complex problem in reinforcement learning (RL): applying RL algorithms to non-stationary environments.
Is your mobile provider tracking your location? This new technology could stop it
For the first time, USC researchers have found a way to protect phone users’ privacy without compromising connectivity.
USC collaborates in $20 million effort to push new frontiers in AI and optimization
The NSF Artificial Intelligence Institute for Advances in Optimization will fuse AI and mathematics to tackle tough challenges, such as food security, supply chain operations and hardware design.
Enabling the ‘imagination’ of artificial intelligence
A team of USC researchers is helping AI envision the unseen, a technique that could lead to new medicines and increased autonomous vehicle safety.
Need help building Ikea furniture? This robot can lend a hand
The USC Viterbi robotic system “watches” people and figures out what they’ll need next, insights that could also be used to help people with disabilities through robot-assisted eating or meal prep.
Master’s student uses health data science to help save lives
Lisa Meng is using AI and machine learning to try to improve efficiency and accuracy in diagnosing patients.
Computer science senior creates tech to help students with visual impairments learn to code
Samuel Alex Atcheson’s research explores the connection between touch and learning to improve educational experiences.
Trojans celebrate groundbreaking of computer science building, USC’s first LEED Platinum-certified facility
Construction has begun on a significant step forward for USC: a new home for computer science, focused on improving and benefiting society.
To Mars and beyond: USC student’s role in NASA interplanetary mission
Devin Martin, an undergraduate student in computer science, dreamed about working for NASA since he was a child. Last summer, that dream came true.
Wearable fitness trackers can help doctors treat cancer patients
Tracking the physical activity levels of people receiving chemotherapy can improve their care and even predict emergency room visits, according to USC research.
3 USC computer science faculty members elected 2020 ACM Fellows
The Association for Computing Machinery honors Sven Koenig, Maja Mataric and Mike Zyda for work that underpins contemporary computing.
Robots may someday learn how to drive by watching us behind the wheel
USC researchers have developed a method that could allow robots to learn new tasks, like setting a table or driving a car, from observing a small number of demonstrations.
Could your tech devices have emotional intelligence, too?
New computer science alumna Shreya Gupta hopes to bring humanity to deep learning by developing empathetic robots that can attune to your emotions.
Student develops AI tools to tackle hate speech and hate crimes
As AI makes its way into more areas of our lives, rooting out implicit bias is more crucial than ever, says computer science student Aida Mostafazadeh Davani.