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Stephen Pizer: Tutorial on methods and software for shape modeling
Methods for Statistical Analysis of Object Shape, Abstract: It is preferable that all attendees bring their laptop with them to the presentation and have pre-loaded it with the software at salt.slice.org. They should choose the software version for their own laptop’s operating system: linux, or mac, or windows. The objectives of the day is for research groups to understand the methods of statistics of shape embodied in the SALT software, to see how these methods are called up within SALT, to demo the particular SALT program for fitting an evolutionary s-rep to an object’s boundary mesh, for each research group, an individual workshop to discuss of how evolutionary s-reps could usefully be involved that group’s research projects. The first three objectives will be achieved in a 9-10:15am talk on Friday. The workshops will follow, with each research group, ideally with both faculty, postdocs, and grad students, participating in the workshop scheduled for them. Typical workshop lengths vary between 1 hour and 2…
Campus Locations: Warnock Engineering Building - John and Marva (WEB). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Friday, January 23, 2026, 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM.
Tanner Humanities talk from One-U RAI faculty fellow C. Thi Nguyen
One-U Responsible Artificial Intelligence Initiative (one-U RAI) faculty fellow C. Thi Nguyen analyzes the effects of games and scoring systems on human values and behavior. In his new book published by Penguin, The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else’s Game, Nguyen shows how different forms of games and play—from video games and sports to cooking or gardening—can enhance human development and meaning. He contrasts this potential with the growing role of metrics and rankings in workplaces, schools, governments, and everyday decision-making. These systems, he argues, can make us outsource our values and interests to external authorities. In developing ideas like value capture and the gamification of modern life, he invites audiences to consider when scores and metrics can be rewarding, or alienating.
Nguyen is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Utah. He is the author of Games: Agency as Art, published by Oxford University Press, and an editor at Aesthetics for Birds.
Read more and…
Campus Locations: Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA). Ticket URL: https://tanner.utah.edu/center-events/c-thi-nguyen-the-score/. Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Presidents' Day
University Observed Holidays
Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Monday, February 16, 2026.