Event Begins: Thursday, November 14, 2024 3:00pm
Location: Industrial and Operations Engineering Building
Organized By: Industrial & Operations Engineering

About the speaker: Courtney Paquette is an assistant professor at McGill University and a CIFAR Canada AI chair, MILA. She was awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship in Computer Science in 2024. Paquette’s research broadly focuses on designing and analyzing algorithms for large-scale optimization problems, motivated by applications in data science. She is also interested in scaling limits of stochastic learning algorithms. She received her PhD from the mathematics department at the University of Washington (2017), held postdoctoral positions at Lehigh University (2017-2018) and the University of Waterloo (NSF postdoctoral fellowship, 2018-2019), and works 20% as a research scientist at Google DeepMind, Montreal.


Abstract: Given the massive scale of modern ML models, we now only get a single shot to train them effectively. This restricts our ability to test multiple architectures and hyper-parameter configurations. Instead, we need to understand how these models scale, allowing us to experiment with smaller problems and then apply those insights to larger-scale models. In this talk, I will present a framework for analyzing scaling laws in stochastic learning algorithms using a power-law random features model, leveraging high-dimensional probability and random matrix theory. I will then use this scaling law to address the compute-optimal question: How should we choose model size and hyper-parameters to achieve the best possible performance in the most compute-efficient manner?

Event Begins: Thursday, November 14, 2024 1:30pm
Location: North Campus Research Complex Building 32
Organized By: Chemical Engineering

Abstract:
The chemical and petrochemical industries consume nearly 30% of global energy use, nearly half of which is a result of chemical separations. A major opportunity exists in identifying more efficient, productive, and environmentally friendly processes that operate in a continuous fashion. One attractive possibility is membrane-based separations, but significant materials limitations exist in designing membranes that can selectively distinguish between molecules with sub-angstrom differences in size and nearly identical thermodynamic properties. To survey these challenges and describe emerging opportunities, a brief overview of the current state-of-the-art in membrane-based materials and applications will be presented. Next, several design strategies will be presented on how to leverage pore structure and pore functionality to control separation performance. A particular emphasis will be placed on new materials chemistries with a focus on testing materials under complex gas mixtures and for extended periods of time. Microporous materials, including polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), will be highlighted to demonstrate the many opportunities that exist for scientists and engineers to tackle global challenges in chemical separations today.

Speaker Bio:
Zachary P. Smith is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT. He has been recognized with several awards, including the DoE Early Career Award, NSF CAREER Award, ONR Young Investigator Award, AIChE 35 Under 35 Award, AIChE Kunesh Award for Separations, and the North American Membrane Society Young Membrane Scientist Award. He was also awarded the Frank E. Perkins Award for Excellence in Graduate Advising at MIT. Prof. Smith serves on the Board of Directors for the North American Membrane Society and is an Associate Editor for Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. He is a co-founder and Chief Scientist for Osmoses Inc., a startup company aiming to commercialize membrane technology.

Event Begins: Thursday, November 14, 2024 1:00pm
Location:
Organized By: University Career Center

????Discover Your Career Path with PMG ????Are you ready to launch your career in digital marketing? Join us at PMG for a virtual information session tailored for college students interested in our award-winning company culture and the career opportunities within our Graduate Leadership Program (GLP). Here’s what we’ll cover:????Award-Winning Culture: Discover what makes PMGone of AdAge's Best Places to Work for nine consecutive years. Learn about our core values and the initiatives that shape our unique culture.????Graduate Leadership Program Overview: Explore our 8-week onboarding process, designed across three dynamic tracks—Media Marketing, Data Analytics, and AI & Software Engineering. Understand how we equip new hires with the skills and support needed for a strong career start.????Inside the Hiring Process: Receive expert advice from our campus recruiting team on how to excel in our hiring process and stand out as a candidate.????Guest Speaker – Brent Aydon: Hear from Brent Aydon, a Client Strategy Lead who started his career in our Graduate Leadership Program. Brent will share a glimpse into the projects he has worked on and discuss his career growth and experiences with PMG.????Don’t miss out—RSVP today to secure your spot and move closer to making your professional aspirations a reality.

Event Begins: Thursday, November 14, 2024 12:00pm
Location:
Organized By: University Career Center

Join us for a quick informational sessional about our exciting Financial Advising Internship! Our recruitment team will provide an overview of the internship program and how the experience can help jump start your career in the financial services industry. Whether you are looking to gain hands on experience or develop your financial expertise, this internship offers valuable insight and mentorship. All majors are welcome. We look forward to hearing from you!  -Northwestern Mutual Metro Detroit

Event Begins: Thursday, November 14, 2024 11:30am
Location: Lorch Hall
Organized By: Department of Economics

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Event Begins: Thursday, November 14, 2024 11:00am
Location:
Organized By: University Career Center

Join us to get to know our team and program! Talk with the Residency Program Directors and residents. Sign-up here! Please RSVP by November 5th. We will email you a link to join the virtual open house when the date gets closer. https://monument.health/careers/residencies/rapid-city-hospital-pharmacy-residency/recruiting-events/  Monument Health Rapid City Hospital (RCH) in Rapid City, South Dakota is recruiting three PGY1 pharmacy residents for the 2025-2026 residencyyear. The mission of the Monument Health Rapid City Hospital pharmacy residency program is to develop capable, confident, and independent pharmacists through impactful learning experiences led by preceptors that challenge, inspire, and support residents. For our PGY1 program, we offer experiences in both acute and ambulatory settings. Required rotations include orientation, ambulatory care, critical care, infectious disease, internal medicine, and pediatrics/neonatology and longitudinal drug information, HIV clinic, management, project, and staffing. Electives are available for ambulatory care cardiology, antimicrobial stewardship, cardiology (inpatient), emergency medicine, evening ICU, family medicine ambulatory care, home infusion/home care, internal medicine II, medication safety, nephrology, oncology, psychiatry, specialty pharmacy, and surgical ICU/OR. A teaching certificate as well as leadership certificate are offered. Our site offers PGY2 residency programs specializing in critical care and oncology. Our residency program offers:  Flexible & tailored program for each resident Solid foundation of corerotations & a wide variety of elective rotations Excellent preceptors Elective teaching certificate  Elective leadership certificate Four weeks of project time Opportunities for publication Competitive salary Multiple presentation opportunities Weekly residency meetings Resident-led penicillin skin testing service Private office space for residents Resident staffing every third weekend in both decentralized and centralized locations Financial support to attend the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, Midwest Pharmacy Residents Conference in Omaha, and SDSHP Annual Meeting as well as SDSHP Resident Conference. PGY2 residency programs in critical care and oncology For more information, please see our website at http://monument.health/pharmacyresidency orcontact Katie Hayes at khayes@monument.health.

Event Begins: Thursday, November 14, 2024 10:00am
Location: Off Campus Location
Organized By: Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Mentor: Daniel Klionsky
Check the MCDB Weekly update for the password.

Following a successful pilot, a new two-year agreement was approved today between the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and the City of Chicago's Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS), which manages the city's overall homelessness outreach, to continue providing expanded outreach and support for riders who are unsheltered, as well as those grappling with mental health and substance abuse.

Updated dates for the west side of the CTA Track Structure approximately 85ft south of W. Grace Street Work Hours for lead abatement and painting.

(Sun, Nov 17 2024 5:00 AM to 1:00 PM) #44 buses will operate in both directions via Racine, 51st, Halsted, and 47th.

(Sun, Nov 17 2024 5:00 AM to 1:00 PM) #47 buses will operate in both directions via 47th, Halsted, 51st, Damen and 47th.

(Fri, Nov 15 2024 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM) #70 buses will operate in both directions via Division, Laramie, Augusta, Cicero and Division.

(Thu, Nov 14 2024 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM) #70 buses will operate in both directions via Division, Laramie, Augusta, Cicero and Division.

(Wed, Nov 13 2024 7:05 PM to TBD) 86 Narragansett/Ridgeland buses are rerouted via Narragansett, Diversey, Austin, Belmont and Narragansett due to street blockage near Narragansett/Wellington.

(Wed, Nov 13 2024 1:48 PM to Sat, Nov 16 2024 1:48 PM) 70 Division buses are temporarily rerouted via Division, Laramie, Augusta, Cicero and Division, due to street blockage near Division/Leclaire.

(Wed, Nov 13 2024 1:48 PM to Sat, Nov 16 2024 1:48 PM) 70 Division buses are temporarily rerouted via Division, Laramie, Augusta, Cicero and Division, due to street blockage near Division/Leclaire.

(Sun, Nov 17 2024 5:00 AM to 1:00 PM) #9 buses will operate in both directions via Ashland, 51st, Halsted, Pershing, and Ashland.

We visit an old episode where Christian interviews his best friend Taylor Allen, and Jayne is on the show for her second appearance. It's an oldy, but a goody! In this episode, the Spoutcast Crew interviews Taylor Allen about his podcast The Movie Argument. They also discuss their favorite comedies, and Jayne Fossett fills in to chat about Mike's sermon on God providing "just enough." Also Dave Johnson drops by to discuss some news with the team, and they talk Spoutcast T-Shirts. Please email thespoutpodcast@gmail.com or call/text 559.321.SPOUT [7768] with any stories of things you are learning from the The Well, or send in your 1&Y. This week's 1&Y is your most visited website besides Facebook. Like The Well - Spoutcast on Facebook, or find us on Twitter: @thespoutcast. Check back in with the Spoutcast each week for a new episode or search Spoutcast in iTunes to subscribe to this podcast. This week's music is from Hanson. Speaker: The Spoutcast Team

Red Butterfly Chiarograph on Paper by George Tsui is a(n) Limited Edition. The Edition is Limited to Edition of 28 pcs

The Lookout by Sally Caldwell Fisher is a(n) Limited Edition. The Edition is Limited to pcs

Mickey Puttin On The Ritz Metal Art by Disney Chilmark is a(n) Chilmark Studios. The Edition is Limited to Limited Edition of 200 pcs

Mickey and Minnie Head Out On The Highway by Disney Chilmark is a(n) Chilmark Studios. The Edition is Limited to Limited Edition of 950 pcs

Anduril Industries this week said its Lattice operating system was used to integrate multiple third-party sensors into a single dashboard during a recent exercise to provide a common operating picture […]

Rocket Lab [RKLB] announced its first launch deal for the upcoming medium-lift Neutron rocket —  a multi-launch agreement with an unnamed commercial satellite constellation operator.  Rocket Lab announced the deal […]

The acquisition establishes a direct corporate presence in Australia and a foundation for further expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, a press release from Fieldpiece said.

The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) has announced updates to the saveONenergy Retrofit Program that provide additional financial incentives for Ontario businesses to reduce energy used by lighting, HVAC systems, refrigeration systems, and building plug loads.

Aquatherm North America has announced B&B Trade Distribution Centre as its newest distribution partner. B&B services the HVACR and sheet metal trades across Ontario from locations in Toronto, Oakville, Hamilton, London, and Windsor.

Airtron Canada announced that it has been selected to perform HVAC and building automation systems (BAS) maintenance services for more than 600 Ontario government buildings. That translates into 21 million square feet of facilities in buildings such as office buildings, laboratories, and correctional facilities.

Panasonic Eco Solutions Canada Inc. announced that it has received a Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) Game Changer Award, the Energy Management Award, as part of the annual Game Changer Awards Gala.

Wyse Meter Solutions and Certified Building Systems (CBS) have announced a strategic partnership to give condominium owners more control over utility expenses. Wyse and CBS said they will integrate their capabilities in energy management, creating opportunities to reduce energy use by 25-to-40 percent.

TMI Climate Solutions, a manufacturer of advanced air handling, hydronic systems, and custom HVAC solutions, has announced a new subsidiary, TMI Climate Solutions Canada Inc. The company also announced completion of a new 200,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Pointe-Claire (Montreal), Quebec.

Panasonic Eco Solutions Canada Inc. announced it won the 2016 Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) Game Changer Award in the “Project Finance Category,” presented at the Game Changer Awards Gala. This is Panasonic’s second CanSIA Game Changer Award.

The 90-minute LeadSafe Video Solutions “RRP Lead Safe Practices” video and manual offer real-world examples of lead-safe practices to help embrace the new RRP rules

Fluke introduces the Fluke Ti9, a high-performance, affordable thermal imager that is ideal for troubleshooting electrical installations as well as electro-mechanical, process, and HVAC/R equipment.

The new ZipDoor kit is a great way to create a dust barrier when all you need to seal is the doorway.

11/18/2024 - 2:00 PM - Venue: Pueblo County Courthouse

FSX 2025 is designed as a platform for knowledge-sharing, professional growth, and collaboration among key stakeholders in the food industry.

There is just one to take note of, as highlighted in bold. But dollar domination is the name of the game now, so just be wary that the expiries aren't going to matter all too much.

The one highlighted is for EUR/USD at the 1.0550 level. However, it isn't one that holds any technical significance now that the pair has broken below the April low of 1.0601. The 1.0500 mark is next on the cards with the October 2023 lows beckoning below that closer to 1.0450.

The monthly chart for the pair highlights how we've been in a range between roughly 1.0500 to 1.1200 since the start of 2023. So, there is some key technical focus towards the downside support there and that's the more important level to pay attention to with the dollar continuing to push upwards.

For more information on how to use this data, you may refer to this post here.

• German DAX futures -0.1%
• UK FTSE futures -0.2%

This comes with S&P 500 futures also seen down by 0.2% currently. Wall Street had a mixed day but overall was little changed, as investors pumped the brakes on the post-election euphoria for the time being. In Europe, things are still muddy as the threat of Trump tariffs continue to cloud the bigger picture outlook for next year.

And that is thanks to Beijing disappointing markets once again with a failure to live up to stimulus announcements. It was the case right after the Golden Week holiday and it was the case again on Friday last week. With the drop today, the CSI 300 index closes down by 1.7% to post its lowest close this week.

It's been a rather back and forth last few days but the feeling is that there are hints of exhaustion when it comes to Chinese equities at the moment. That especially since Beijing has not followed up on the rallying momentum prior to the Golden Week holiday.

In the bigger picture, China is a very, very attractive opportunity as valuations are cheap and price levels are low at the moment. And that provides an alluring proposition for any investor, that is if you can ride this wave out. I'm definitely keeping an eye out but I'm not entirely convinced that this is where the turning point is, especially since local authorities have not delivered in recent weeks.

The technical breakout at the end of September is a good starting point but I fear that with a lack of convincing, China stocks might slip back into old habits and slide down again in the weeks ahead. The warning signs are definitely building to say the least: It's not a pretty picture in China

Why it's important?

The ranges of estimates are important in terms of market reaction because when the actual data deviates from the expectations, it creates a surprise effect. Another important input in market's reaction is the distribution of forecasts.

In fact, although we can have a range of estimates, most forecasts might be clustered on the upper bound of the range, so even if the data comes out inside the range of estimates but on the lower bound of the range, it can still create a surprise effect.

Distribution of forecasts for PPI

PPI Y/Y

• 2.4% (11%)
• 2.3% (68%) - consensus
• 2.2% (16%)
• 2.0% (5%)

PPI M/M

• 0.4% (2%)
• 0.3% (13%)
• 0.2% (74%) - consensus
• 0.1% (7%)
• 0.0% (2%)
• -0.1% (2%)

Core PPI Y/Y

• 3.1% (12%)
• 3.0% (47%) - consensus
• 2.9% (35%)
• 2.7% (6%)

Core PPI M/M

• 0.3% (57%) - consensus
• 0.2% (40%)
• 0.1% (3%)

Analysis

We can ignore the headline PPI as the market will focus on the Core figures. We can notice that the expectations are skewed to the downside, so a higher than expected reading would be taken as more hawkish and likely give the US Dollar another boost. Conversely, a soft print could trigger a pullback.

The US Dollar remains in an uptrend as the market continues to price out the rate cuts expected in 2025. Right now we have another 25 bps cut priced for December and just two 25 bps cuts priced in 2025 which is already much lower than the Fed's projection of four.

Therefore, there's still a couple of rate cuts to price out in 2025 if the data continues to run hot, but at that point we would need a real acceleration in inflation to have the market pricing in a rate hike. For now, the bar for rate hikes is really high as the maximum the Fed is willing to do is to pause the easing cycle.

• Fed will 'most likely' need more cuts but should 'proceed cautiously'
• If Fed cuts too far past neutral, inflation could re-acclerate
• Difficult to know how many Fed rate cuts may be needed, and how soon they need to happen
• Fed has made a great deal of progress in bringing inflation down
• Fed not quite back to price stability yet
• US economic activity is resilient
• Labor market cooling gradually but not weakening materially
• Sees upside risk to inflation, downside risk to employment, says financial conditions may pose biggest challenges for monetary policy
• If bond yields continue to rise, the Fed may need less-restrictive policy

Logan last spoke in late October and wasn't quite this hawkish. I think the Fed cuts in December but takes a pause after that and waits to see how things play out.

• Rate cuts to date are an acknowledgement of growing confidence that inflation is on the path to 2% goal
• Hope productivity growth can outrun the effects of slowing population growth
• Won't let enthusiasm over rising productivity get ahead of data or commitment to reaching Fed goals

There isn't much of a hint on anything here.

UBS remain upbeat on further Federal Reserve interest rate cuts to come. Analysts at the bank acknowledge heightened concerns about inflation in the market, and also trimmed market pricing for cuts ahead.

Ahead of Wednesday's CPI report (Forexlive Americas FX news wrap 13 Nov: US CPI comes out as expected. USD continues rise) UBS points:

• Economic data signals a stronger-than-expected economy. Concerns about inflation remain

• Market expectations lean towards a slower pace of Fed rate cuts

• Fed officials view the current rate as restrictive but are balancing employment and inflation goals. A major inflation surprise would be required to shift policy outlooks.

• The Fed is likely to continue rate cuts, with a potential 25 basis point cut in December and further easing expected in 2025.

And, the data result was not enough to dissuade analysts at UBS from expecting further cuts from the FOMC ahead, referring to the in line CPI print not changing the underlying fundamentals and economy narrative.

***

The latest from FedWatch shows a solid expectation for a 25bp cut on December 18:

People's Bank of China USD/CNY reference rate is due around 0115 GMT.

The People's Bank of China (PBOC), China's central bank, is responsible for setting the daily midpoint of the yuan (also known as renminbi or RMB). The PBOC follows a managed floating exchange rate system that allows the value of the yuan to fluctuate within a certain range, called a "band," around a central reference rate, or "midpoint." It's currently at +/- 2%.

How the process works:

• Daily midpoint setting: Each morning, the PBOC sets a midpoint for the yuan against a basket of currencies, primarily the US dollar. The central bank takes into account factors such as market supply and demand, economic indicators, and international currency market fluctuations. The midpoint serves as a reference point for that day's trading.
• The trading band: The PBOC allows the yuan to move within a specified range around the midpoint. The trading band is set at +/- 2%, meaning the yuan could appreciate or depreciate by a maximum of 2% from the midpoint during a single trading day. This range is subject to change by the PBOC based on economic conditions and policy objectives.
• Intervention: If the yuan's value approaches the limit of the trading band or experiences excessive volatility, the PBOC may intervene in the foreign exchange market by buying or selling the yuan to stabilize its value. This helps maintain a controlled and gradual adjustment of the currency's value.

Yesterday the People's Bank of China propped up the yuan at this setting:

• PBoC promised stronger damping to support CNY, and that's what are seeing

I suspect we'll see similar support for the yuan again today.

Non policy-related comments.

Commercial Changes / Commercial viability

CPAs from SC&H and Cherry Bekaert LLP Named Runners-Up

NEW YORK (Sept. 7, 2017) –  BDO executive Kelly Johnson, CPA, is the winner of CPA.com’s 2017 Innovative Practitioner Award, which recognizes innovation in process, services or technology implementation in public accounting firms.

Johnson, BDO’s national leader of business services and outsourcing, led the development of BDODrive, a cloud-based, integrated solution for financial management, accounting services and business intelligence. The platform provides real-time, streamlined accounting information via dashboards for clients, operational efficiencies and access to the Top 10 accounting firm’s specialized expertise for businesses. While CPA.com administers the voting process online, winners of the Innovative Practitioner Award are chosen by their peers.

“The tangible growth in client accounting services that’s been documented in research by the AICPA and CPA.com is due to the kind of fully realized offerings being developed by BDO and others,” said Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com. “Kelly is a deserving standard-bearer for our Innovative Practitioner Award, and I want to thank all our finalists in the competition who are helping drive innovation in the profession. It was a strong field this year.”

Johnson will be recognized as the award winner at the 2017 Digital CPA Conference, which she will be invited to attend as a guest. The event will be held Dec. 4-6, 2017, at the Marriott Marquis in San Francisco.

Among the finalist group, two other runners-up were recognized for their innovative work. They are:

First Runner Up

• Michael Lynch, CPA, principal of SC&H Group’s CFO Advisory Services practice, developed an outsourced accounting practice focused in part on emerging life science and software-as-a-service companies. He uses technology to automate workflow and transactional processing, and acts as a trusted advisor for management on business development, financial leadership and strategy.

Second Runner-Up

• Jonathan Kraftchick, CPA, managing director, Cherry Bekaert LLP, developed training programs to educate auditors on coming changes in artificial intelligence and machine learning and how these innovations might impact the profession. Within his firm, he is also involved with two beta projects with vendors to improve data analytics and machine learning in audit applications.

To read more about these practitioners, please visit the award page. More information about the Digital CPA Conference can be found at digitalcpa.com.

About CPA.com

CPA.com offers a growing list of products and services for practice management, client advisory services and professional development. The company has established itself as a thought leader on cloud technology and has been a driving force around the reemergence of virtual CFO/controller services by firms.

The RIVIO Clearinghouse, a joint venture between CPA.com and Confirmation.com, is an online financial document clearinghouse that enables private businesses to exchange key financial information with lenders and investors.

CPA.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of the American Institute of CPAs, the world’s largest member body representing the accounting profession. For more information, visit CPA.com.