News & Events

Department Events & Announcements

Events

• Feb

  19

  Theory Seminar - Katina Russell "Efficient Construction of Directed Hopsets and Parallel Approximate Shortest Paths"

  Department of Computer Science

  2:00 PM

  EVENT DETAILS

  Abstract
  

  The approximate single-source shortest-path problem is as follows: given a graph with non-negative edge weights and a designated source vertex s, return estimates of the distances from s to each other vertex such that the estimate falls between the true distance and (1 + ε) times the distance. Our result is the first nearly work-efficient parallel algorithm with sublinear span (also called depth) for the approximate shortest-path problem on directed graphs. Specifically, for constant ε and polynomially-bounded edge weights, our algorithm has work O ̃(m) and span n1/2+o(1). Several algorithms were previously known for the case of undirected graphs, but none of the techniques seem to translate to the directed setting. The main technical contribution is the first nearly linear-work algorithm for constructing hopsets on directed graphs. A (β,ε)-hopset is a set of weighted edges (sometimes called shortcuts) which, when added to the graph, admit β-hop paths with weight no more than (1+ε) times the true shortest-path distances. There is a simple sequential algorithm that takes as input a directed graph and produces a linear-cardinality hopset with β = O( n), but its running time is quite high—specifically O ̃(m√n). Our algorithm is the first more efficient algorithm that produces a directed hopset with similar characteristics. Specifically, our sequential algorithm runs in O ̃(m) time and constructs a hopset with O ̃(n) edges and β = n1/2+o(1). A parallel version of the algorithm has work O ̃(m) and span n1/2+o(1).

  Biography

  Katina Russell is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Computer Science at Georgetown University. She is advised by professor Jeremy T. Fineman. Before Georgetown, Katina received her masters degree in computer science from Tufts University, and her bachelors degree in math from Boston College. Her current research focuses on graph algorithms, parallel algorithms, and data structures.

  more less

  TIME Friday, February 19, 2021 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Pamela Villalovoz    pmv@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR Department of Computer Science

• May

  29

  Bagel Thursday

  Department of Computer Science (CS)

  9:00 AM 3514, Mudd Hall ( formerly Seeley G. Mudd Library)

  EVENT DETAILS

  TBA

  more less

  TIME Thursday, May 29, 2025 at 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

  LOCATION 3514, Mudd Hall ( formerly Seeley G. Mudd Library)    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Wynante R Charles    wynante.charles@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR Department of Computer Science (CS)

• May

  29

  Computer Science End of Year Awards

  Department of Computer Science (CS)

  2:30 PM Cohen Commons, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  Dear CS Community,
  You're warmly invited to the Computer Science Award Celebration on Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Cohen Commons! Join us as we recognize the outstanding achievements and contributions of our CS community this year.

  Event Details:
  📅 Date: Thursday, May 29, 2025
  🕓 Time: 2:30-4PM
  📍 Location: Cohen Commons (Technological Institute)

  Light refreshments and cookies will be served, and all members of the CS department are welcome!

  Please RSVP by May 23rd so we can plan accordingly: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/2ba023053257473387bc29200e2587e7

  Register Now

  more less

  TIME Thursday, May 29, 2025 at 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM

  LOCATION Cohen Commons, Technological Institute    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Wynante R Charles    wynante.charles@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR Department of Computer Science (CS)

• Jun

  4

  CS Seminar: Reusing Deep Learning Models: Challenges and Directions in Software Engineering: An Update (George K. Thiruvathukal)

  Department of Computer Science (CS)

  12:00 PM

  EVENT DETAILS

  Wednesday / CS Seminar
  June 4th / 12:00 PM
  Hybrid / Mudd 3514

  Speaker: George K. Thiruvathukal

  Talk Title: Reusing Deep Learning Models: Challenges and Directions in Software Engineering: An Update

  Abstract: Deep neural networks (DNNs) achieve state-of-the-art performance in many areas, including computer vision, system configuration, and question-answering. However, DNNs are expensive to develop, both in intellectual effort (e.g., devising new architectures) and computational costs (e.g., training). Re-using DNNs is a promising direction to amortize costs within a company and across the computing industry. As with any new technology, however, there are many challenges in re-using DNNs. These challenges include both missing technical capabilities and missing engineering practices. We discusschallenges in current approaches to DNN re-use. We summarize studies of re-use failures across the spectrum of re-use techniques, including conceptual (e.g., re-using based on a research paper), adaptation (e.g., re-using by building on an existing implementation), and deployment (e.g., direct re-use on a new device). We outline possible advances that would improve each kind of re-use.

  In this update of my invited presentation at IEEE Services 2023 at the John Vincent Atanasoff Sypmposium on Modern Computing, I will include information about our work in progress on the use of Deep Learning and Pre-Trained Models (PTMs) in science and engineering applications and our efforts to conduct automated longitudinal analysis of same.

  Biography: https://gkt.sh/about/

  more less

  TIME Wednesday, June 4, 2025 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Wynante R Charles    wynante.charles@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR Department of Computer Science (CS)

• Jun

  5

  Final Project Demos- Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing Class

  Department of Computer Science (CS)

  9:30 AM

  EVENT DETAILS

  Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing has been working on some awesome projects this quarter, ranging from sensing plants to UV glasses that help you understand your screen time. We would love to invite everyone in the CS department to our poster and demo presentations.

  Where: Mudd 3rd floor Lobby (right in front of the elevator)
  When: June 5th, 9:30-10:50 am
  
  Here are the mid-term evaluation videos
  Harmful Wavelength Detection Glasses
  (really funny and fun to watch) Battery-Free Photosynthesis Sensors for Scalable, Real Time Plant Metabolism Sensing
  Biodegradable repackaging of Chips
  Brace yourself : Smart Knee Health Monitoring System
  From Textile to Motion: Electrohydraulic Actuators with Knitted Electrodes for Everyday Applications
  Adaptive Lighting Growth Environment for Plants

  more less

  TIME Thursday, June 5, 2025 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Wynante R Charles    wynante.charles@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR Department of Computer Science (CS)

• Jun

  15

  2024-2025 Commencement Ceremony

  University Academic Calendar

  All Day

  EVENT DETAILSmore info

  2024-2025 Commencement Ceremony

  more less

  TIME Sunday, June 15, 2025

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

• Jun

  16

  Northwestern Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Degree Recognition Ceremony

  McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  9:00 AM 2705 Ashland Ave

  EVENT DETAILS

  McCormick School of Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Degree Recognition Ceremony. The most up to date information can be found on our graduation webpage.

  more less

  TIME Monday, June 16, 2025 at 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

  LOCATION 2705 Ashland Ave   

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Northwestern Engineering Events    northwestern-engineering-events@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

• Jun

  16

  Northwestern Engineering Undergraduate Convocation

  McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  2:00 PM 2705 Ashland Ave

  EVENT DETAILSmore info

  McCormick School of Engineering Undergraduate Convocation. The most up to date information can be found on our graduation webpage.

  more less

  TIME Monday, June 16, 2025 at 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

  LOCATION 2705 Ashland Ave   

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Northwestern Engineering Events    northwestern-engineering-events@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science