Our [Colloquium](https://sciences.ucf.edu/math/colloquium/) series offers a diverse platform for research scholars, faculty, students, and industry experts to share and exchange ideas, fostering discussion and networking across mathematics, statistics, and data science.Our own Professor [Christian Kummerle](https://sciences.ucf.edu/math/person/christian-kummerle/) will speak at this week's colloquium on "Iterative Quadratic Reweighting for Low-Rank Neural Network Training & Minimum-Cost Flow Problems."Abstract: Parameter-efficient training, based on low-rank optimization, has become a highly successful tool for fine-tuning large deep learning models. However, these methods fail at low-rank pretraining tasks, where maintaining both the low-rank structure and the training loss remains challenging.In this talk, we present recent work on the Quadratic Reweighted Rank Regularizer (Q3R), which leads to a novel low-rank inducing training strategy inspired by the iteratively reweighted least squares (IRLS) framework. The strategy includes an adaptation of the state-of-the-art AdamW optimizer [Loshchilov, Hutter 2018] to Q3R. Unlike other low-rank training techniques, Q3R is able to train weight matrices with prescribed, low target ranks of models that achieve comparable predictive performance as dense models, with small computational overhead, while remaining fully compatible with existing architectures.In the second part of the talk, we present ongoing work on a novel continuous solver for non-convex minimum cost network problems such as the fixed-charge network flow problem. Such problems arise in multipart pathfinding problems in the Lightning Network, the leading layer-two scaling technology for the Bitcoin protocol. This talk is based on joint work with Ipsita Ghosh, Sindura Saraswathi, Ethan Nguyen and Andrew Chen.Speaker Bio: Dr. Christian Kummerle joined UCF's School of Data, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (SDMSS) as an assistant professor in 2025 and is affiliated with the UCF Institute of Artificial Intelligence. His research interests are in the mathematical foundations of machine learning and the development and analysis of efficient algorithms for large-scale data analysis. His research leverages continuous optimization to address computational and statistical challenges arising from data models involving graph, sparsity and low-rank structures, leading to scalable algorithms with provable guarantees. Dr. Kummerle was a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University from 2020 to 2022, an assistant professor of computer science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte between 2022 and 2025, and received a doctoral degree in mathematics from Technical University of Munich. His research has been published at premier venues in machine learning (JMLR, ICML, NeurIPS) and in mathematics.

The Campus Activities Board presents: Drip or Treat! Slime it, spray it or paint it. Your creativity is about to get spooky! Pick your potion:* Make oozing ghost slime * Customize trucker hats with spray paint * Paint on tote bags that scream with style

Compete for $15,000 in cash prizes by pitching bold ideas that create real-world impact.This interactive workshop will guide you through everything you need to know to compete in the UCF Innovation Tournament.Competition Tracks:* Art and Entertainment * Social and Health * Retail Products and Services * Advanced TechnologyRegistration Link: https://ucf.startuptree.co/discover/events?s=s

Step up to the mic and share your voice! Whether you're into poetry, spoken word, karaoke, storytelling, or just want to vibe with the unexpected, this open mic is your stage. Come to express, connect, or simply enjoy the creativity of others in a welcoming atmosphere. No experience needed - just bring your energy and curiosity.

This group meets every Monday excluding campus closures/holidays.Meeting is OPEN to all UCF students, faculty, staff, and community members.Self Management And Recovery Training (SMART Recovery) is an evidenced-informed recovery method grounded in Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), that supports people with substance dependencies or problem behaviors to:1. Build and maintain motivation 2. Cope with urges and cravings 3. Manage thoughts, feelings and behaviors 4. Live a balanced lifeSMART Recovery focuses on the addictive behaviors, not the substance - meaning they are suitable for any problematic or addictive behavior - including but not limited to alcohol, drugs, gambling, tobacco, as well as eating disorders.For more information about this meeting format visit . For more UCF Recovery resources, visit [our website](https://studenthealth.ucf.edu/recovery/).

No appointment needed -- just come to the Kenneth G. Dixon Career Development Center:* Tuesdays: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. * Wednesdays: 12-2 p.m.Check in on the first floor and you'll be directed to visit with a Career Peer Advisor for assistance with your resume, cover letter or Handshake profile. Or let us know if you have any quick career questions.