Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Talk: Towards Human-AI Symbiotic Spatial Perception
Speaker: Xia Su, Advisor: Jon E Froehlich, Supervisory Committee: JON E FROEHLICH (Chair), Jacob O. Wobbrock (GSR, Information School), Ranjay Krishna, Yang Zhang (UCLA), Abstract: Artificial intelligence has become an indispensable part of digital life. People routinely use AI to write, program, search, summarize, and make decisions. Yet this emerging human-AI symbiosis remains concentrated in the digital realm, where people work with language through digital devices. It is far less developed in the physical world, where people navigate and act under real stakes. People must still move through unfamiliar places, manipulate objects, assess risks, and make decisions using their own situated perception, time, and effort.
This limitation does not arise from a lack of AI research on the physical world. Over several decades, computer vision, robotics, augmented reality, and embodied AI have produced systems that recognize objects, reconstruct environments, navigate, plan motion, and increasingly predict how…
Monday, August 10, 2026, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM.
Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Talk: Protecting the Satellite Ecosystem
Speaker: Rachel McAmis, Advisor: Tadayoshi Kohno, Supervisory Committee: Tadayoshi Kohno (Chair), Jessica Beyer (GSR, JACKSON SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL STUDIES), David Kohlbrenner, Samuel Mergendahl (Lincoln Laboratory - MIT), Abstract: Satellites are becoming increasingly intertwined in our daily lives, whether we are aware of it or not. As the importance and prevalence of satellites continues to increase, so do the implications on the privacy, security, and safety of humans on Earth and in space. These risks are not limited to a particular type of satellite nor a particular adversary. They span the entire satellite ecosystem. For example, nation-state adversaries may seek to damage satellites launched by a competing country for financial gain, or to destroy a portion of satellite-facilitated critical infrastructure as part of cyber warfare. Or, even without a security compromise, individuals could purchase increasingly affordable commercial satellite images for interpersonal surveillance.
This dissertation…
Thursday, August 13, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Talk: Toward Generalist Ophthalmic Intelligence: From Scalable Multimodal Representation Learning to a Clinical World Model
Speaker: Zucks Liu, Advisors: Linda G Shapiro, Sheng Wang, Supervisory Committee: Linda G Shapiro (Chair), Sheng Wang (Chair), John C Kramlich (GSR, Mechanical Engineering), SIMON S DU, Jenq-Neng Hwang (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Abstract: The eye is among the very few organs that can be imaged non-invasively, in vivo, and
repeatedly. Through the retina, a single examination can capture many two- and
three-dimensional modalities that together reflect ocular, systemic, and neurological
health. The obstacle to using this window computationally is not a shortage of data but its
emph{heterogeneity}: retinal images arrive from different devices, sites, modalities,
dimensionalities, and time points, and models built for one configuration degrade on the
next. Prior work has largely responded by narrowing scope to one
modality, one task and one time point, which is precisely what a generalist clinical system
cannot do. This
dissertation argues that heterogeneity should instead be progressively…
Thursday, August 20, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Instruction Ends - Summer 2026 - Full and B-term
Dates of Instruction
Instruction ends.
Event interval: Single day event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Summer. Event Types: Academics.
Friday, August 21, 2026.
For more info visit www.washington.edu. Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Talk: Towards Generalized Biomolecular Design with Chaperone and RFdiffusion3
Speaker: Jasper Butcher, Advisor: David Baker, Supervisory Committee: David Baker (Chair, Biochemistry), Chirag Shah (GSR, THE INFORMATION SCHOOL), Mitali Bafna, Pang Wei Koh, Abstract TBA.
Friday, August 21, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Quarter Break - Autumn 2026
Dates of Instruction
Break between summer and autumn quarters.
Event interval: Ongoing event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Autumn. Event Types: Academics.
Saturday, August 22, 2026 – Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
For more info visit www.washington.edu. Labor Day
Holidays
No classes. Most University offices and buildings are closed. Check with specific offices to confirm.
Event interval: Single day event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Autumn. Event Types: Academics.
Monday, September 7, 2026.
For more info visit www.washington.edu. Virtual Ph.D. Information Session
The Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering Ph.D. Program at the University of Washington is a full-time, research-intensive doctoral program that prepares students to become leaders in academia, industry, and research. Ph.D. students work closely with world-renowned faculty on groundbreaking research across a wide range of computer science and computer engineering disciplines while receiving comprehensive financial support, including tuition, health insurance, and a competitive stipend throughout the program.
Our virtual information session is a convenient opportunity for prospective students to learn more about the Allen School Ph.D. Program and connect directly with a panel of current graduate students, and admissions staff. We will provide an overview of the program, research opportunities, funding, student life, and the admissions process, along with practical guidance for preparing a competitive application. Whether you are considering applying this year or planning for a future applicat…
Event interval: Single day event. Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/meeting/register/0PhxpWdjQSaz0S92rShaQg#/registration. Accessibility Contact: grad-admissions@cs.washington.edu. Event Types: Academics. Information Sessions. Target Audience: Applicants.
Monday, September 14, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Zoom.
For more info visit www.cs.washington.edu. Information Session: Professional Master's in Computer Science
Click here to register for the session!
The Allen School’s Professional Master’s Program (PMP) is a part-time program designed for software professionals in the Puget Sound region interested in acquiring critical skills to move into positions and projects of greater responsibility and impact. Courses meet one weekday evening per week and are taught in-person on the UW Seattle campus.
Online information sessions are a low-barrier opportunity for prospective students to learn more about the PMP and ask questions directly to program staff. We will share information about PMP courses and learning outcomes and an overview of the application process, including tips for preparing your materials. We hope you will join us!
Event interval: Single day event. Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/meeting/register/s-JzzqWOTAyCx4f1Huaepg. Accessibility Contact: masters@cs.washington.edu. Event Types: Academics. Information Sessions.
Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Zoom.
For more info visit www.cs.washington.edu. Instruction Begins - Autumn 2026
Dates of Instruction
Instruction begins.
Event interval: Single day event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Autumn. Event Types: Academics.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
For more info visit www.washington.edu. Information Session: Professional Master's in Computer Science
Click here to register for the session!
The Allen School’s Professional Master’s Program (PMP) is a part-time program designed for software professionals in the Puget Sound region interested in acquiring critical skills to move into positions and projects of greater responsibility and impact. Courses meet one weekday evening per week and are taught in-person on the UW Seattle campus.
Online information sessions are a low-barrier opportunity for prospective students to learn more about the PMP and ask questions directly to program staff. We will share information about PMP courses and learning outcomes and an overview of the application process, including tips for preparing your materials. We hope you will join us!
Event interval: Single day event. Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/meeting/register/s-JzzqWOTAyCx4f1Huaepg. Accessibility Contact: masters@cs.washington.edu. Event Types: Academics. Information Sessions.
Thursday, October 15, 2026, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
Zoom.
For more info visit www.cs.washington.edu. Information Session: Professional Master's in Computer Science
Click here to register for the session!
The Allen School’s Professional Master’s Program (PMP) is a part-time program designed for software professionals in the Puget Sound region interested in acquiring critical skills to move into positions and projects of greater responsibility and impact. Courses meet one weekday evening per week and are taught in-person on the UW Seattle campus.
Online information sessions are a low-barrier opportunity for prospective students to learn more about the PMP and ask questions directly to program staff. We will share information about PMP courses and learning outcomes and an overview of the application process, including tips for preparing your materials. We hope you will join us!
Event interval: Single day event. Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/meeting/register/s-JzzqWOTAyCx4f1Huaepg. Accessibility Contact: masters@cs.washington.edu. Event Types: Academics. Information Sessions.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Zoom.
For more info visit www.cs.washington.edu.