Talk: Wikipedia from the World: Grounded Articles from Any Source, 11/24 4-5:15 pm EST Monday, Nov. 24, 2025 in ITE 229 & Online
Wikipedia from the World: Grounded Articles from Any Source
Alexander Martin, JHU
4-5:15pm EST Monday, Nov. 24 in ITE229 and online

Whether tracking emerging events, analyzing economic trends, or understanding public discourse, valuable information is scattered across modalities, from professionally produced news content and curated Wikipedia articles to firsthand footage of disasters livestreamed on social media. Building systems that can effectively retrieve, reason over, and synthesize these heterogeneous information sources is essential for knowledge-intensive applications.

This talk will focus on advancing both sides of the information-seeking pipeline: retrieving relevant multimodal evidence at scale, and synthesizing that evidence into coherent, Wikipedia-style explanations grounded in verifiable evidence. For retrieval, we will focus on recent progress in large-scale multimodal retrieval, including new dataset, efficient and scalable first-stage retrieves, and reasoning reranking. In Wikipedia-style article generation, we will cover benchmarking and evaluating multimodal article generation and a method for enabling the use of VLMs for high-level reasoning. Together, these components outline a path toward unified systems capable of transforming large collections of multimodal evidence into verifiable, human-readable articles.

Alexander Martin is a PhD candidate at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Language and Speech Processing (CLSP) and Human Language Technology Center of Excellence (HLTCOE). He is advised by Dr. Benjamin Van Durme. Alex’s research focuses on end-to-end multimodal information retrieval and reasoning. His work aims to produce Wikipedia-style articles, grounded in retrieved documents and videos, in response to information seeking queries. His research has been published in CVPR, ACL, NAACL, and EMNLP. Alex is a recipient of the NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship.

Hosted by Prof. Tejas Gokhale at UMBC ITE 229 and online.
]]> Wikipedia from the World: Grounded Articles from Any Source Alexander Martin, JHU 4-5:15pm EST Monday, Nov. 24 in ITE229 and online Whether tracking emerging events, analyzing economic... https://www.tejasgokhale.com/seminar.html https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/154576/guest@my.umbc.edu/44a9d69937b5e480a80dbfeebb8f361b/api/pixel genai information-retrieval llm multimodal nlp talk vlm wikipedia UMBC AI https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/umbc-ai https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/original.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/large.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/medium.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/small.png?1691095779 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxsmall.png?1691095779 UMBC https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/576/737bb9b992cfe9a9f955d8e5875b7ebd/xxlarge.jpg?1763330590 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/576/737bb9b992cfe9a9f955d8e5875b7ebd/xlarge.jpg?1763330590 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/576/737bb9b992cfe9a9f955d8e5875b7ebd/large.jpg?1763330590 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/576/737bb9b992cfe9a9f955d8e5875b7ebd/medium.jpg?1763330590 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/576/737bb9b992cfe9a9f955d8e5875b7ebd/small.jpg?1763330590 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/576/737bb9b992cfe9a9f955d8e5875b7ebd/xsmall.jpg?1763330590 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/576/737bb9b992cfe9a9f955d8e5875b7ebd/xxsmall.jpg?1763330590 multimodal information retrieval 0 0 true Mon, 17 Nov 2025 08:14:06 -0500 Talk: Dealing with unstructured data, APIs, and API calls to LLMs 11/7 Dr. Eric Stokan, 12-1:30pm Fri. Nov. 7, Public Policy 438
In this session Dr. Eric Stokan, director of UMBC's Center for Social Science Scholarship, will discuss ways to process and handle unstructured data such as text and images. The session will take place in person at UMBC in Public Policy 438 from 12-1:30pm on Friday, November 7.  

Topics he will cover include:
  • Using the R programming language to work with unstructured data like text and images
  • Using OpenAI (makers of ChatGPT) to analyze unstructured data through an API
  • Comparing LLMs to other AI techniques such as topic models and named entity recognition
  • Discussing more effective ways to prompt LLMs 

REGISTER

Lunch will be provided for registered attendees.

Hosted by the Center for Social Science Scholarship and cosponsored by the Division of Information Technology, the Center for Scalable Data and Computational Science, and CGC-SCIPE.
]]> In this session Dr. Eric Stokan, director of UMBC's Center for Social Science Scholarship, will discuss ways to process and handle unstructured data such as text and images. The session will take... https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe3Ak7LlIMsTLTxgyLBg62qtlbbPDQcC6vNFULCQiDZOEkEwQ/viewform https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/154278/guest@my.umbc.edu/002ae6914387fd7011836dcdf21faa68/api/pixel ai data llm r talk UMBC AI https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/umbc-ai https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/original.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/large.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/medium.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/small.png?1691095779 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxsmall.png?1691095779 UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/278/c38544e995b73abbbc4d01df79028911/xxlarge.jpg?1762438461 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/278/c38544e995b73abbbc4d01df79028911/xlarge.jpg?1762438461 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/278/c38544e995b73abbbc4d01df79028911/large.jpg?1762438461 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/278/c38544e995b73abbbc4d01df79028911/medium.jpg?1762438461 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/278/c38544e995b73abbbc4d01df79028911/small.jpg?1762438461 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/278/c38544e995b73abbbc4d01df79028911/xsmall.jpg?1762438461 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/278/c38544e995b73abbbc4d01df79028911/xxsmall.jpg?1762438461 talk by Dr. Eric Stokan 0 0 true Thu, 06 Nov 2025 09:42:12 -0500 Thu, 06 Nov 2025 10:16:58 -0500 The Privacy Paradox of GenAI: What It Knows, Why It Matters, and How We Fight Back Roberto Yus, 12-1pm Wed. Nov 5, 2025, online

The Privacy Paradox of GenAI: What It Knows, Why It Matters, and How We Fight Back

Roberto Yus, 12-1pm Wed. Nov 5, 2025, online

Generative AI (GenAI) systems like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are transforming how we work, communicate, and create, but they also pose serious privacy concerns. These systems often absorb sensitive inputs, operate atop opaque training data, and may retain more than users realize. The real paradox is this: while GenAI can compromise our privacy, it can also be harnessed to help protect it.

This talk explores both sides of that paradox. We begin by examining what these systems "know", from how everyday prompts may reveal personal or proprietary information to how models process, store, or share data. We then discuss why these risks matter, both for individuals and institutions navigating a rapidly shifting AI landscape. But this is not just a critique, it's a call to action. We'll share practical recommendations for using GenAI tools more safely and privately. Then, we'll turn to new research from the DAMS Lab that flips the script: using GenAI to interpret and explain complex corporate privacy policies, empowering users to make informed, privacy-conscious decisions. This talk is for anyone who wants to benefit from GenAI without surrendering control over their data, and who sees privacy not as a casualty of AI progress, but as a challenge AI itself can help us solve.

Roberto Yus is an Assistant Professor in UMBC's CSEE Department, where he leads the DAMS (DAta Management & Semantics) research group. His research interests concern Data Management, Knowledge Representation, the Internet of Things, and Privacy. Specifically semantic and privacy preserving data management in IoT environments.

Online

Recording
Slides
]]> The Privacy Paradox of GenAI: What It Knows, Why It Matters, and How We Fight Back Roberto Yus, 12-1pm Wed. Nov 5, 2025, online Generative AI (GenAI) systems like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/library/events/144148 https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/154122/guest@my.umbc.edu/bb6ddd57f9d37e3f59287988db61f93f/api/pixel ai dams-lab genai privacy talk umbc UMBC AI https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/umbc-ai https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/original.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/large.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/medium.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/small.png?1691095779 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxsmall.png?1691095779 UMBC AoK Library https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/122/20c7fd92430fce12b31c7e799a42e25d/xxlarge.jpg?1762030793 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/122/20c7fd92430fce12b31c7e799a42e25d/xlarge.jpg?1762030793 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/122/20c7fd92430fce12b31c7e799a42e25d/large.jpg?1762030793 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/122/20c7fd92430fce12b31c7e799a42e25d/medium.jpg?1762030793 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/122/20c7fd92430fce12b31c7e799a42e25d/small.jpg?1762030793 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/122/20c7fd92430fce12b31c7e799a42e25d/xsmall.jpg?1762030793 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/122/20c7fd92430fce12b31c7e799a42e25d/xxsmall.jpg?1762030793 flyer for ai talk by Roberto Yus, 11/5/2025 3 0 true Mon, 03 Nov 2025 08:41:30 -0500 Sat, 08 Nov 2025 11:48:57 -0500 AI in Practice: Preparing Students for Al-Driven Research Careers 12-1 EST, Nov 12, 2025, online, free, recording available

AI in Practice: Preparing Students for Al-Driven Research Careers

12-1pm EST Nov 12, 2025, online


Are your students ready for the research environments they'll enter after graduation? As artificial intelligence transforms scientific discovery and academic research, a critical gap has emerged between classroom AI education and the sophisticated ways researchers actually leverage these tools. Join this essential conversation with two leaders bridging this divide.

The presenters for this month's AI in Practice webinar will share proven strategies for building robust AI literacy in higher education classrooms and reveal how AI is revolutionizing materials science research. Whether you're a faculty member designing curriculum, an administrator planning institutional AI strategy, a researcher mentoring the next generation, or a student, this session will equip you with concrete strategies to better prepare for the AI-driven research landscape.

The AI in Practice webinar series is a collaboration between the University of Baltimore, JHU, and UMBC. Email caili@ubalt.edu with questions. Website

Register here


Seminar Recording


]]> AI in Practice: Preparing Students for Al-Driven Research Careers 12-1pm EST Nov 12, 2025, online Are your students ready for the research environments they'll enter after graduation? As... https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ctei.jhu.edu/events/ai-in-practice-a-webinar-speaker-series/&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw0_K5YPlU8g5EB8qjDnS9Pe https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/154093/guest@my.umbc.edu/d52f071cefaf82a033061ce0275acbc8/api/pixel ai career research seminar students talk UMBC AI https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/umbc-ai https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/original.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/large.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/medium.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/small.png?1691095779 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxsmall.png?1691095779 UMBC AI https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/093/8b4a78da62f04379c6f8759be62c764b/xxlarge.jpg?1761923630 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/093/8b4a78da62f04379c6f8759be62c764b/xlarge.jpg?1761923630 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/093/8b4a78da62f04379c6f8759be62c764b/large.jpg?1761923630 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/093/8b4a78da62f04379c6f8759be62c764b/medium.jpg?1761923630 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/093/8b4a78da62f04379c6f8759be62c764b/small.jpg?1761923630 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/093/8b4a78da62f04379c6f8759be62c764b/xsmall.jpg?1761923630 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/154/093/8b4a78da62f04379c6f8759be62c764b/xxsmall.jpg?1761923630 seminar iame for Preparing Students for Al-Driven Research Careers 0 0 true Fri, 31 Oct 2025 11:39:03 -0400 Wed, 19 Nov 2025 11:09:36 -0500 Mariann Hawken on Exploring Google Gemini: AI Tools for Research, Teaching & Learning, 9/1 12-1 pm EDT Wednesday, October 1, 2025, online
Join DoIT's Director of Instructional Technology, Dr. Mariann Hawken, for a talk on Google Gemini on Wednesday, October 1, from 12-1pm EDT, to discover how it can enhance your work and support your role in UMBC's evolving digital learning ecosystem.

Gemini is the generative AI chatbot that runs Google's family of multimodal AI models. It offers powerful capabilities for academic research, teaching, and learning. This session introduces Gemini's core features, including the Deep Research tool for generating source-based summaries and citations, and the Canvas tool for organizing ideas and collaborating visually. Google is currently offering students access to the Gemini 2.5 Pro plan free for one year, but you must register for the program by October 6, 2025.

The session will highlight how Gemini can support research discovery, instructional planning, and AI-enhanced learning activities. Participants will explore prompt strategies for academic use, learn about practical applications in the classroom or library, and consider ethical considerations when using AI in educational settings. Whether you're developing a research guide, planning a course, or helping students explore topics more deeply, Google Gemini offers a flexible and accessible entry point into generative AI. 

Dr. Hawken's talk is the first in the UMBC AOK library's 2025 AI Symposia series.  Get more information and register for this online event here. 

Recording of the event

]]> Join DoIT's Director of Instructional Technology, Dr. Mariann Hawken, for a talk on Google Gemini on Wednesday, October 1, from 12-1pm EDT, to discover how it can enhance your work and support... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/library/events/144136 https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/152962/guest@my.umbc.edu/13172c9303b7e8edf8476a1b443983ef/api/pixel ai canvas deep-research gemini google llm talk UMBC AI https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/umbc-ai https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/original.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/large.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/medium.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/small.png?1691095779 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxsmall.png?1691095779 UMBC AOK Library https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/152/962/889c52d459f3108ecb31eab5847724d1/xxlarge.jpg?1758988962 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/152/962/889c52d459f3108ecb31eab5847724d1/xlarge.jpg?1758988962 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/152/962/889c52d459f3108ecb31eab5847724d1/large.jpg?1758988962 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/152/962/889c52d459f3108ecb31eab5847724d1/medium.jpg?1758988962 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/152/962/889c52d459f3108ecb31eab5847724d1/small.jpg?1758988962 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/152/962/889c52d459f3108ecb31eab5847724d1/xsmall.jpg?1758988962 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/152/962/889c52d459f3108ecb31eab5847724d1/xxsmall.jpg?1758988962 Talk by Mariann Hawken on Exploring Google Gemini: 2 0 true Sat, 27 Sep 2025 12:30:07 -0400 Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:57:46 -0400 Grit-X talk: The Future is Here Already – AI Agents for Enterprise Productivity 4-6 pm Thursday, Oct. 6, UMBC Fine Arts Recital Hall UMBC will again host a GRIT-X talk and reception as part of its homecoming events from 4-6pm on Thursday, October 9, in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. The event features talks by nine invited speakers to convey compelling aspects of UMBC's impact in the areas of research and creative achievement. 

One of the speakers is CSEE alumna Gargi Banerjee Dasgupta, who received a PhD in computer science in 2003. She is currently the Director of Product Management and AI Leader at IBM, responsible for the technical strategy of AI assistants built on WatsonX. Previously, she served as the Chief AI Officer for IBM Automation.  Her talk is titled "The Future is Here Already – AI Agents for Enterprise Productivity." 

After the presentations, you can enjoy a post-event reception with the speakers, accompanied by delicious food and beverages. Registration is NOW OPEN. Tickets are free, but registration is strongly encouraged!
]]> UMBC will again host a GRIT-X talk and reception as part of its homecoming events from 4-6pm on Thursday, October 9, in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. The event features talks by nine invited... https://research.umbc.edu/grit-x/ https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/152852/guest@my.umbc.edu/48cedbb6e740b7f51c5030061ed14e40/api/pixel agents ai grit-x talk UMBC AI https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/umbc-ai https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/original.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/large.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/medium.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/small.png?1691095779 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxsmall.png?1691095779 UMBC https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/152/852/b22930c0777087585b57e2bd8b4cb612/xxlarge.jpg?1758724537 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/152/852/b22930c0777087585b57e2bd8b4cb612/xlarge.jpg?1758724537 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/152/852/b22930c0777087585b57e2bd8b4cb612/large.jpg?1758724537 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/152/852/b22930c0777087585b57e2bd8b4cb612/medium.jpg?1758724537 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/152/852/b22930c0777087585b57e2bd8b4cb612/small.jpg?1758724537 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/152/852/b22930c0777087585b57e2bd8b4cb612/xsmall.jpg?1758724537 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/152/852/b22930c0777087585b57e2bd8b4cb612/xxsmall.jpg?1758724537 headshot of Gargi Banerjee Dasgupta 0 0 true Wed, 24 Sep 2025 10:44:13 -0400 talk: AI Models with Simulation Based Inference for Brain Tumor Classification

AI Models with Simulation Based Inference for Pre- and Post-Surgery Brain Tumor Classification

Prof. Vidya Manian, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
UMBC ITE 325b, 1-2pm Mon. June 30

Biomedical images such as fMRI are used for training deep learning models to track tumor growth and identify lesions. However, the availability of these images is limited and we have to restore to data augmentation and image generation procedures. We are adopting score based and consistency diffusion models popular in computer vision for medical image generation. In this presentation, we will see these two methods applied to the generation of sparse jet images, focusing on high-fidelity synthesis for high energy physics applications. Using the JetNet dataset, the diffusion models are trained to learn the visual representation of jet kinematics. The results demonstrate that consistency models achieve significantly lower Fréchet inception distance measures compared to score-based models, indicating improved image quality and generation stability. Unlike methods based on latent distributions, this approach operates directly in image space. Furthermore, the efficacy of jet image generation is demonstrated using histograms of jet mass and other metrics to highlight the strengths of image-based jet generative modeling for training deep learning models. We also show how score based diffusion models can be used for calorimeter shower image generation that have particular symmetric structures similar to brain scan images.

VIdya Manian has a Ph.D. in Computing, Information Science, and Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez (UPRM), in 2004. She was a visiting scholar at West Virginia University, Morgantown, in 2005. Since 2006, she has been a faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Bioengineering at UPRM. Dr. Manian is the Director of the Artificial Intelligence Imaging Group (AIIG) at UPRM and an investigator with the MIT Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions (IAIFI). Her research interests include developing AI/ML methods for high-energy physics jet classification and anomaly detection, hyperspectral image analysis, and the analysis of neural signals from fMRI and EEG for neurodegenerative disease prediction and brain-computer interface applications. Dr. Manian was the recipient of the Distinguished Professor Award at UPRM in 2014, 2015, and 2020. With her students she has authored 35 peer-reviewed journal articles and over 50 conference papers.

]]> AI Models with Simulation Based Inference for Pre- and Post-Surgery Brain Tumor Classification Prof. Vidya Manian, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez UMBC ITE 325b, 1-2pm Mon. June 30... https://www.uprm.edu/aiig/ https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/150856/guest@my.umbc.edu/27ed25553082408ab284469b1f7a2d0b/api/pixel ai brain talk tumor UMBC AI https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/umbc-ai https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/original.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/large.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/medium.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/small.png?1691095779 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxsmall.png?1691095779 UMBC Vinjamuri Lab/Sensorimotor Control Laboratory https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/150/856/8392cce279a5dc585cdc185de11724cf/xxlarge.jpg?1751114603 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/150/856/8392cce279a5dc585cdc185de11724cf/xlarge.jpg?1751114603 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/150/856/8392cce279a5dc585cdc185de11724cf/large.jpg?1751114603 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/150/856/8392cce279a5dc585cdc185de11724cf/medium.jpg?1751114603 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/150/856/8392cce279a5dc585cdc185de11724cf/small.jpg?1751114603 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/150/856/8392cce279a5dc585cdc185de11724cf/xsmall.jpg?1751114603 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/150/856/8392cce279a5dc585cdc185de11724cf/xxsmall.jpg?1751114603 Headshot of Professor Vidya Manian, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez 0 0 true Sat, 28 Jun 2025 09:16:18 -0400 Talk: Generative AI & Higher Education: Practical Insights for Today & Tomorrow, 3/27 5-6:30pm Thursday, March 27, 2025, UMBC Library Gallery

Generative AI & Higher Education: Practical Insights for Today and Tomorrow

John G. Schumacher

Director, UMBC Public Health Research Center
Dept. of Sociology, Anthropology, & Public Health

5-6:30pm Thur., March 27, 2025, UMBC Library Gallery

Generative AI is fundamentally challenging higher education. The rapid evolution of tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude confronts us with urgent questions: How do we understand and use these tools?  How might we integrate these technologies effectively?  Where do we set the academic and ethical boundaries for their use?  This presentation explores the current generative AI landscape offering practical insights for educators and institutions. The goal is to outline a pragmatic, forward-looking approach to AI literacy that empowers both faculty and students.

Organized by the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health.  Cosponsored by the Center for Social Science Scholarship and the Dean’s Office of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. 

UMBC Center for AI ]]> Generative AI & Higher Education: Practical Insights for Today and Tomorrow John G. Schumacher Director, UMBC Public Health Research Center Dept. of Sociology, Anthropology, & Public... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/csss/events/140902 https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/147815/guest@my.umbc.edu/35da8c0e9c7d381efe3f4535ec227b6c/api/pixel ai education talk teaching UMBC AI https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/umbc-ai https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/original.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/large.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/medium.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/small.png?1691095779 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxsmall.png?1691095779 Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health 0 0 true Tue, 04 Mar 2025 09:40:34 -0500 Tue, 04 Mar 2025 11:45:18 -0500 Talk: Seeing Beneath the Surface: Vision-Enabled Robots for Long-term Ocean Monitoring 4:00–5:15pm ET Wed, Feb. 19, 2025, UMBC ITE 231 & online

Seeing Beneath the Surface: Vision-Enabled Robots for Long-term Ocean Monitoring


Xiaomin Lin, JHU

4–5:15pm ET Wed, Feb. 19, 2025, ITE 231, UMBC & online


Autonomous systems operating in complex and unstructured environments, especially underwater, require robust perception, adaptive navigation, and intelligent reasoning to function effectively. However, traditional AI models often struggle in these settings due to sensory limitations, dynamic obstacles, and computational constraints. This talk highlights these challenges and presents emerging technologies in subsea sensing and low-power autonomous operation. The first part of the talk explores multimodal sensing, demonstrating how optical, acoustic, and fused modalities enhance perception in low-visibility environments. The second part introduces active perception, where robots dynamically select the most informative viewpoints to optimize navigation and exploration. Finally, the third part discusses efficient reasoning, showcasing how compact language models enable real-time decision-making for autonomous exploration and task execution. By integrating these three pillars, this research advances the next generation of intelligent autonomous systems for underwater robotics, environmental monitoring, and beyond.

Dr. Xiaomin Lin is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Johns Hopkins University, working at the intersection of AI, robotics, and edge computing. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, where his dissertation focused on simulation-driven learning for autonomous underwater systems. His research spans perception-driven autonomy, multi-modal sensing, and efficient AI deployment on edge devices. His work has been recognized with the Best Paper Award at IROS 2024 (Autonomous Robotic Systems in Aquaculture) and the Best Poster Award at the Maryland Robotics Center Symposium. Dr. Lin's research has been funded by USDA, ONR, and AFRL, and he actively collaborates with academia and industry to push the boundaries of subsea autonomy.
UMBC Center for AI ]]> Seeing Beneath the Surface: Vision-Enabled Robots for Long-term Ocean Monitoring Xiaomin Lin, JHU 4–5:15pm ET Wed, Feb. 19, 2025, ITE 231, UMBC & online Autonomous systems operating... https://www.tejasgokhale.com/seminar.html https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/147361/guest@my.umbc.edu/0103990caf9e49b065d6af5a880dfbad/api/pixel active-perception ai computer-vision multimodal robot robotics talk vision UMBC AI https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/umbc-ai https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/original.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/large.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/medium.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/small.png?1691095779 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxsmall.png?1691095779 Advances in Perception, Prediction, and Reasoning Lab https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/147/361/e9801948a3571637871183d7091368ae/xxlarge.jpg?1739638480 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/147/361/e9801948a3571637871183d7091368ae/xlarge.jpg?1739638480 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/147/361/e9801948a3571637871183d7091368ae/large.jpg?1739638480 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/147/361/e9801948a3571637871183d7091368ae/medium.jpg?1739638480 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/147/361/e9801948a3571637871183d7091368ae/small.jpg?1739638480 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/147/361/e9801948a3571637871183d7091368ae/xsmall.jpg?1739638480 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/147/361/e9801948a3571637871183d7091368ae/xxsmall.jpg?1739638480 0 0 true Sat, 15 Feb 2025 12:03:24 -0500 Sat, 15 Feb 2025 12:51:40 -0500 Talk: From Social Media Mining to Generative AI: Asking and Solving Challenging Problems Huan Liu, ASU, 12-1pm ET Wed. Feb 5, ITE 459 & online

UMBC Distinguished Speaker

From Social Media Mining to Generative AI: Asking and Solving Challenging Problems

Huan Liu, Arizona State University

Wednesday, Feb. 5, 12-1pm EST, ITE 459, UMBC & online

In this talk, we will present emerging opportunities in AI and Big Data, through the lens of social media. Generative AI, in particular, Large Language Models (LLMs), has added new challenges. We use examples to illustrate (1) fundamental problems associated with multi-modal data like social media, challenging common practice and existential understanding in machine learning and data mining, (2) how we embrace the power of LLMs to solve perplexing problems, and (3) developing novel algorithms for responsible LLMs. Seeking interdisciplinary collaborations, we contemplate the promising future of data science and data mining in the rapid development of AI.

Dr. Huan Liu is a Regents Professor and Ira A. Fulton professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Arizona State University. He is the recipient of the ACM SIGKDD 2022 Innovation Award for his outstanding contributions to the foundation, principles, and applications of social media mining and feature selection for data Mining. He co-authored the textbook, Social Media Mining: An Introduction, by Cambridge University Press. He is Editor in Chief of ACM TIST, Founding Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Big Data, its Specialty Chief Editor of Data Mining and Management, and a founding organizer of the International Conference Series on Social Computing, Behavioral-Cultural Modeling, and Prediction. He is a Fellow of ACM, AAAI, AAAS, and IEEE.
UMBC Center for AI ]]> UMBC Distinguished Speaker From Social Media Mining to Generative AI: Asking and Solving Challenging Problems Huan Liu, Arizona State University Wednesday, Feb. 5, 12-1pm EST, ITE 459, UMBC... https://informationsystems.umbc.edu/home/calendar/events/ https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/146981/guest@my.umbc.edu/9ec839ddb357706b493328d2406bf9ac/api/pixel ai llm talk UMBC AI https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/umbc-ai https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/original.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/large.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/medium.png?1691095779 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/small.png?1691095779 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxsmall.png?1691095779 UMBC Department of Information Systems 0 0 true Mon, 03 Feb 2025 13:18:40 -0500 Mon, 03 Feb 2025 13:24:29 -0500