USC’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI) marked a proud milestone this spring as more than 20 graduate research assistants completed their master’s and doctorate degrees through the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. These students, supervised by ISI faculty, played vital roles in projects ranging from quantum systems and edge computing to large language models and cybersecurity.

On May 15, the ISI community gathered at the Marina del Rey office to celebrate the Class of 2025 with cake, cookies, and congratulations from colleagues and advisors. The event recognized not only their academic achievements but also the collaborative spirit they brought to the institute.

Looking back at their time at ISI, graduates reflected on the work they did and what the experience meant to them. Haley Weinstein, who earned her Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering, described ISI as “an incredibly unique place where you can see your technology go from theory to reality over the course of a Ph.D. program.” Elan Markowitz noted that “expertise isn’t built in isolation, but through a dynamic, challenging, and sometimes messy process of collaboration.”

Faculty advisors highlighted the depth and range of student contributions. Jay Pujara described Dong-Ho Lee’s dissertation “an expansive study of contextual information during inference, training, and self-guided improvement.” Kristina Lerman credited Zihao He’s work with advancing understanding of bias in large language models. Stephen Crago pointed to Haonan Wang’s research on the optimization of distributed inference algorithms as a key step toward enabling AI on networked edge devices.

Other graduates emphasized the culture of shared discovery. Hsien-te Kao reflected that “research ideas aren’t just created; they’re forged through discussion, shaped by curiosity, and strengthened in the pursuit of understanding.” Qishen (Sam) Liang spoke of “navigating unseen pathways of our digital world” alongside brilliant and generous colleagues. Whether designing new systems or exploring how we interact with intelligent technologies, the Class of 2025 leaves behind a legacy of curiosity, rigor, and connection, one that will continue to shape ISI in the years ahead.

Published on May 16th, 2025

Last updated on May 16th, 2025