May 22, 2017
CIS Ph.D. students in the front row of the commencement ceremony (photo: CIS student D. Holman).
At commencement ceremony this year, three CIS Ph.D. candidates walked across the stage to celebrate their time at UC Merced, and recognize their imminent completion of the degree. Jeff Rodny (advisor: D. Noelle) and David Vinson and Maryam Tabatabaeian (advisor: R. Dale) were hooded by their advisors.
Rodny is a neural network researcher who studies reinforcement, neural information transfer, and learning. Vinson’s dissertation research is on using natural data sources to connect communication with social systems. Tabatabaeian’s research is on tracking the emergence of the predictive mind using action dynamics. The students are completing and defending their dissertations this summer.
