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Statistics Colloquium: Ashwin Pananjady
11:30 am–12:30 pm Jones 303
Ashwin Pananjady, H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering/The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Title: Predicting the behavior of complex iterative algorithms with random data
Abstract: Iterative algorithms are the workhorses of modern statistical signal processing and machine learning. Algorithm design and analysis is largely based on variational properties of the optimization problem, and the classical focus has been on obtaining convergence guarantees over classes of problems that possess certain types of geometry. However, modern optimization problems in statistical settings are high-dimensional and involve random data, and algorithms often behave differently from what is suggested by classical theory. With the motivation of better understanding optimization in such settings, I will present a toolbox for deriving “state evolutions” for a wide variety of algorithms with random data. These are non-asymptotic, near-exact predictions of the statistical behavior of the algorithm, which apply even when the underlying optimization problem is nonconvex or the algorithm is randomly initialized. We will showcase these predictions on deterministic and stochastic variants of complex algorithms employed in some canonical statistical models.
Student Seminar: Wanyi Ling
2:00–2:30 pm Jones 111
Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at 2:00 PM, in Jones 111, 5747 S. Ellis Avenue
Master’s Thesis l Presentation
Wanyi Ling, Department of Statistics, The University of Chicago
“An empirical partially Bayes method for adjusting batch effects”
Student Seminar: Xinyi Wang
2:30–3:00 pm Jones 111
Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at 2:30 PM, in Jones 111, 5747 S. Ellis Avenue
Master’s Thesis l Presentation
Xinyi Wang, Department of Statistics, The University of Chicago
“Robust Empirical Bayesian Hierarchical Model for Covariate Adjustment in Stratified Randomized Experiments”
Student Seminar: Bryce Jiang
10:30–11:00 am Jones 303
Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 10:30 AM, in Jones 303, 5747 S. Ellis Avenue
Master’s Thesis l Presentation
Bryce Jiang, Department of Statistics, The University of Chicago
“Supermask-enhanced Foundation Model for Continual Time Series Forecasting”
Student Seminars: YoonHaeng Hur
10:00 am–12:00 pm Jones 304
Friday, April 18, 2025, at 10:00 AM, in Jones 304, 5747 S. Ellis Avenue
PhD Dissertation Defense Presentation
YoonHaeng Hur, Department of Statistics, The University of Chicago
“Infinite-Dimensional Inference and Learning via Optimal Transport”
Student Seminar: Zihao Wang
1:00–3:00 pm Jones 226
Friday, April 18, 2025, at 1:00 PM, in Jones 226, 5747 S. Ellis Avenue
PhD Dissertation Defense Presentation
Zihao Wang, Department of Statistics, The University of Chicago
“Understanding and Steering Large Generative Models: From Representation Geometry to Stress-Testing Generative Behavior”
Student Seminar: Oscar Liu
2:00–3:00 pm Ryerson 176
Friday, April 18, 2025, at 2:00 PM, in Ryerson 176, 1100 E 58th St.
Master’s Thesis l Presentation
Oscar Liu, Department of Statistics, The University of Chicago
“TBA”
Student Seminars: Wei Kuang
3:00–5:00 pm Cobb 203
Friday, April 18, 2025, at 3:00 PM, in Cobb 203, 5811 S. Ellis Avenue
PhD Dissertation Defense Presentation
Wei Kuang, Department of Statistics, The University of Chicago
“Estimation Using Second-Order Methods”
Student Seminar: Terry Yuan
2:00–2:30 pm Jones 303
Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 2:00 PM, in Jones 303, 5747 S. Ellis Avenue
Master’s Thesis l Presentation
Terry Yuan, Department of Statistics, The University of Chicago
“TBA”
Statistics Colloquium: Jiaying Gu
11:30 am–12:30 pm Jones 303
Jiaying Gu, Department of Economics, University of Toronto
“TBA”
Statistics Colloquium: Anne van Delft
11:30 am–12:30 pm Jones 303
Anne van Delft, Department of Statistics, Columbia University
“TBA”
Statistics Colloquium: Michael Hudgens
11:30 am–12:30 pm Jones 303
Michael Hudgens, Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
“Causal Inference in Infectious Disease Prevention Studies”
Student Seminar: Ruiting Liang
12:30–1:00 pm Jones 111
Thursday, May 29, 2025, at 12:30 PM, in Jones 111, 5747 S. Ellis Avenue
Master’s Thesis l Presentation
Ruiting Liang, Department of Statistics, The University of Chicago
“TBA”
Student Seminar: Melissa Adrian
10:00 am–12:00 pm Jones 304
Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 10:00 AM, in Jones 304, 5747 S. Ellis Avenue
PhD Dissertation Defense Presentation
Melissa Adrian, Department of Statistics, The University of Chicago
“TBA”
