Defense Notices

All students and faculty are welcome to attend the final defense of EECS graduate students completing their M.S. or Ph.D. degrees. Defense notices for M.S./Ph.D. presentations for this year and several previous years are listed below in reverse chronological order.

Students who are nearing the completion of their M.S./Ph.D. research should schedule their final defenses through the EECS graduate office at least THREE WEEKS PRIOR to their presentation date so that there is time to complete the degree requirements check, and post the presentation announcement online.

Upcoming Defense Notices

Vinay Kumar Reddy Budideti

NutriBot: An AI-Powered Personalized Nutrition Recommendation Chatbot Using Rasa

When & Where:


Eaton Hall, Room 2001B

Committee Members:

David Johnson, Chair
Victor Frost
Prasad Kulkarni


Abstract

In recent years, the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and healthcare has paved the way for intelligent dietary assistance. NutriBot is an AI-powered chatbot developed using the Rasa framework to deliver personalized nutrition recommendations based on user preferences, diet types, and nutritional goals. This full-stack system integrates Rasa NLU, a Flask backend, the Nutritionix API for real-time food data, and a React.js + Tailwind CSS frontend for seamless interaction. The system is containerized using Docker and deployable on cloud platforms like GCP.

The chatbot supports multi-turn conversations, slot-filling, and remembers user preferences such as dietary restrictions or nutrient focus (e.g., high protein). Evaluation of the system showed perfect intent and entity recognition accuracy, fast API response times, and user-friendly fallback handling. While NutriBot currently lacks persistent user profiles and multilingual support, it offers a highly accurate, scalable framework for future extensions such as fitness tracker integration, multilingual capabilities, and smart assistant deployment.

Past Defense Notices

Dates

GEOFFREY AKERS

An Approach to Ground Moving Target Indication Using Multiple Resolutions of Mutlilook Synthetic Aperture Radar

When & Where:


246 Nichols Hall

Committee Members:

Jim Stiles, Chair
Shannon Blunt
Dave Petr
Glenn Prescott
Tyrone Duncan*

Abstract

PETER ADANY

Optical Signal Processing for Coherent Spectroscopy and Lidar

When & Where:


246 Nichols Hall

Committee Members:

Ron Hui, Chair
Chris Allen
Shannon Blunt
David Petr
Carey Johnson*

Abstract

STEVEN HAENCHEN

Advanced Text Searching of all Electronic Information Related to Forensic Discovery

When & Where:


153 Regnier Hall

Committee Members:

Hossein Saiedian, Chair
Arvin Agah
Gunes Ercal-Ozkaya


Abstract

XIAOHONG WANG

G-hash: Towards Fast Kernel-based Similarity Search in Large Graph Databases

When & Where:


2140 Learned Hall

Committee Members:

Jun Huan, Chair
Yong Bai
Xue-Wen Chen
Jerzy Grzymala-Busse

Abstract

JORGE ORTIZ

Synthesis Techniques for Semi-Custom Dynamically Reconfigurable Superscalar Processors

When & Where:


246 Nichols

Committee Members:

Perry Alexander, Chair
David Andrews
Arvin Agah
Swapan Chakrabarti
Kirk McClure*

Abstract

CHRIS GIFFORD

Collective Machine Learning: Team Learning and Classification in Multi-Agent Systems

When & Where:


129 Nichols Hall

Committee Members:

Arvin Agah, Chair
Swapan Chakrabarti
Brian Potetz
Sarah Seguin
Leigh Stearns*

Abstract

MARYAM MAHANI

Dynamic Application-Independent Strategic Organization Formation and Re-Organization in Multi-Agent Systems

When & Where:


129 Nichols Hall

Committee Members:

Arvin Agah, Chair
Swapan Chakrabarti
Man Kong
Brian Potetz
Sara Campion*

Abstract

SAYAK BOSE

Joint Frequency, Timing and Phase Recovery of PAM Based CPM Receivers

When & Where:


246 Nichols

Committee Members:

Erik Perrins, Chair
Shannon Blunt
Sam Shanmugan


Abstract

JILU LI

Mapping of Ice Sheet Deep Layers and Fast Outlet Glaciers with Multi-Channel High-Sensitivity Radar

When & Where:


317 Nichols Hall

Committee Members:

Prasad Gogineni, Chair
Carl Leuschen
Fernando Rodriguez-Morales
Sarah Seguin
David Braaten*

Abstract

ALEXANDER SENF

A Machine Learning Approach to Analyze Cellular Pathways using Microarray Data of D. melanogaster with Profile Hidden Markov Models

When & Where:


246 Nichols Hall

Committee Members:

Xue-Wen Chen, Chair
Arvin Agah
Jun Huan
James Miller
Ilya Vakser*

Abstract