They came from all around the U.S. and as far away as Beijing and Macedonia. March 7th, 2025 marked ISI Ph.D. Day: the annual visit of doctoral candidates to the stunning Marina del Rey campus of USC Viterbi’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI), offering a chance to learn about research, connect with advisors, and feel out a potential future at ISI.

The Los Angeles sunshine shone through the eleventh floor windows as Yolanda Gil, principal scientist and senior director for strategic initiatives in artificial intelligence and data science at ISI, welcomed over 30 prospective students. “This reminds me of my first day coming to ISI,” Gil said. "I had such a fun time that I’ve stayed here for the past 32 years. I hope you all will consider joining us."

Gil and fellow faculty member John Heidemann started the day with overviews of the incredible research that goes on at ISI—everything from computer vision and social network analysis to automative data privacy and tracking internet outages during conflicts.

“The presentations this morning showcased the in-depth work that ISI does,” Cassie Jeng, a research assistant at the University of Utah, said. “It was fascinating to see the fundamental research that originated here, how it's evolved over time, and its real-world applications. It made me think: wow, they really cover everything here!”

By mid-morning, students embarked on a tour of ISI's unique research infrastructure, crowding into elevators to head down to SPHERE, the cybersecurity testbed designed for developing countermeasures to cyberattacks. This was followed by a tour of the USC Quantum Computing Center (QCC), where visitors marveled at the D-WAVE Advantage™ quantum computing system humming quietly in its specialized cooling enclosure.

The hands-on experience left many students visibly energized. “I was really impressed to see ISI’s test bed for cybersecurity operations, as well as some of its more exploratory capabilities looking towards the future, like quantum computing and mechanics,” Danny Roytburg, a senior at Emory University who focuses on social network analysis, said. “It was surprising to see that USC has such a deep investment in this kind of research.” 

The tour concluded with what ISI Principal Scientist Jonathan May playfully dubbed "Project Seal"—a brief excursion across the street to the marina's edge, where students were treated to both ocean views and glimpses of California sea lions basking in the sun.

Next, lunch featured pizza and poster presentations from current ISI Ph.D. students, whose work on topics ranging from Venmo security to natural language processing once again spoke to the depth of interdisciplinary research at ISI. 

As ISI Ph.D. Day drew to a close, prospective students had a lot to consider. Per usual, vistas of the Pacific proved as compelling as the research itself for many attendees. Before heading off, Jialang Zhang, a third-year undergraduate who traveled from Beijing to explore USC’s embodied AI program, reflected, “The USC campus is beautiful, and I think ISI is even more so. The sea views, the panoramic view of the whole city—it’s amazing. Breathtaking even.”