Date: December 6, 2024
Location: Room 1223,College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment
Time: 13:00 – 15:30
Title: Integrated Photonics for Sensing, Interconnects and Computing with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Applications
On December 6, 2024, Dr. Ray Chen from Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Texas, Austin delivered a seminar titled “Addressing climate resilience through AI-improved hydroclimate observations, predictions, and impact assessment”. The event was attended by faculty and students from the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, College of Science and Mathematics, and College of Engineering.
Dr. Chen, a distinguished researcher with over 150 research grants and contracts, leads a group at UT Austin that published more than 1,000 publications. Dr. Chen discussed the advancement of photonic devices, particularly in the context of near- and mid-IR wavelengths, which have opened new possibilities in spectroscopy, biosensing, and Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). His presentation highlighted the Mid-IR Lidar Chip centered at 4.6 microns and explored the role of silicon photonics in both digital and analog computing. These innovations promise low latency, high bandwidth, and multi-wavelength capabilities that could revolutionize AI and machine learning applications, particularly in the climate and environmental sectors.
The seminar spanned 1.5 hours and was marked by vibrant discussions, driven by numerous questions from faculty and students. Following the seminar, Dr. Chen engaged in an in-depth meeting with early-career faculty and postdocs at the International Center for Climate and Global Change Research (CFWE 3230), offering valuable insights and suggestions for their research trajectories.
We are grateful to Dr. Chen for his engaging and informative presentation. His work offers promising avenues for collaboration in greenhouse gas monitoring, deep learning, and related fields. We look forward to continued discussions and collaborative efforts to address climate resilience and environmental challenges.