Speaker: Stuart Greenfield of The University of Texas, Austin

Date / Time: 27 Jun 2024, 06:00 PM to 07:31 PM

Location: Hybrid meeting. Virtual attendance via Zoom. Face-to-face attendance at Room 8 of the Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Rd., Austin, Texas

Abstract: Before looking into the Forecasters’ projection into 2024-2025, Mr. Greenfield will review the Post WWII period when US was the dominant economic power in the world. In 2023, US has four percent of the world population while accounting for 23 percent of the world’s Real Gross Domestic Product (RGDP). While we continue to be the world’s dominant country since the turn of the century, our economic growth rate has declined. Stuart will delineate the factors that are affecting the rate of change, and what we need to do to reverse the trend and keep up with the rest of the world or adjust to the new world of many developing country with much higher growth rate.         

Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/event/register/422403

Recorded video:

Virtual Meeting

Speaker: Professor Daniele Fontanelli, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento – Italy

Bio: Daniele Fontanelli (M’10, SM’19) received M.S. degree in Information Engineering in 2001, and a Ph.D. degree in Automation, Robotics, and Bioengineering in 2006, both from the University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.  He was a Visiting Scientist with the Vision Lab of the University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, US, from 2006 to 2007.  From 2007 to 2008, he has been an Associate Researcher with the Interdepartmental Research Center “E. Piaggio”, University of Pisa.  From 2008 to 2013 he was an Associate Researcher at the  Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science and from 2014 the Department of Industrial Engineering, both at the University of Trento, Trento, Italy, where he is now a Full Professor in the field of Measurement and Robotics.  He has authored and co-authored more than 200 scientific papers in peer-reviewed top journals and conference proceedings.  He is a member of the TC17 – Measurement in Robotics. He is currently a Senior Area Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement and an Associate Editor for the IET Science, Measurement & Technology Journal and the IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. He has also served as an Associate Editor-in-Chief for the IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement and as a technical program committee of numerous conferences in the area of measurements and robotics. He is the co-founder of Polytec Intralogistics Srl (aka Dolomiti Robotics – https://dolomitirobotics.it/). He is the PI of the EU project MAGICIAN – iMmersive leArninG for ImperfeCtion detectIon and repAir through human-robot interactioN – and he was the co-founder and the PI of the EIT-Digital international Master on Autonomous Systems from 2017 to 2023. His research interests include distributed and real-time estimation and control, localiazale.fontanelli@unitn.it

Abstract: Autonomous systems are nowadays having an undisputed pervasiveness in the modern society. Autonomous driving cars as well as applications of service robots (e.g. cleaning robots, companion robots, intelligent healthcare solutions, tour guided systems) are becoming more and more popular and a general acceptance is now developing around such systems in modern societies. Nonetheless, one of the major problems in building such applications relies on the capability of autonomous systems to understand their surroundings and then plan proper counteractions. The most popular solutions, which are gaining more and more attention, rely on artificial intelligence and deep learning as a means to perceive the structured and complex natural environment.  Nonetheless, besides the importance of such complex tools, the classical concepts of metrology, such as standard uncertainty, accuracy and precision, are still unavoidable for a clear and effective understanding of modern autonomous systems applications.

At the end of this webinar, the attendee will be able to answer such questions as: what are the tools and the methods of major relevance for autonomous systems applications? How do concepts such as uncertainty map in the autonomous systems realm?

Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/event/register/411367

Time/Date: Jun 27, 2024, 6-7:30 PM

Location: Hybrid Meeting – Zoom and in-person at the Asian American Resource Center: 8401 Cameron Road, Austin, TX

Speaker: Dr. Stuart Greenfield

Bio: Mr. Stuart Greenfield joined the State of Texas Comptroller Office in February 1977 and worked for three Texas Comptrollers of Public Accounts and other Texas state agencies.  Since retiring from the State in 2000, Stuart has taught economics at Austin Community College and the University of Maryland Global College.   He has also worked on various projects including preparing testimony on the dismal investment performance of ERS investments, analysis of the public sector pay in Texas relative to other states and researching the aging of the public sector workforce and its implications, and analyzing the fiscal condition of Texas.

He was born in Brooklyn NY and grew up in New Jersey. He went to University of Dayton and obtained a BS degree in Economics, then came to UT Austin to get his Ph.D. in Economics in 1975.

Abstract: Before looking into the Forecasters’ projection into 2024-2025, Mr. Greenfield will review the Post WWII period when US was the dominant economic power in the world. In 2023, US has four percent of the world population while accounting for 23 percent of the world’s Real Gross Domestic Product (RGDP). While we continue to be the world’s dominant country since the turn of the century, our economic growth rate has declined. Stuart will delineate the factors that are affecting the rate of change, and what we need to do to reverse the trend and keep up with the rest of the world or adjust to the new world of many developing country with much higher growth rate.

Speaker: Dr. Raymond L. Orbach

Date/Time: May 16, 2024 6-7:30 PM

Meeting format: Hybrid – Zoom and Face-to-face, Asian American Resource Center:  8401 Cameron Road, Austin, TX 

Speaker Bio: Dr. Raymond L. Orbach was Director of the Office of Science at the U.S. Department of Energy from March 14, 2002 until mid-2009,, and was sworn in as the Department of Energy’s first Under Secretary for Science in June 2006. As the Department’s Chief Scientist, he was adviser to Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman for science policy and programs, including basic and applied research ranging from nuclear energy to environmental clean-up of Cold War legacy sites to defense programs. He was responsible for planning, coordinating and overseeing the Energy Department’s research and development programs, its 17 national laboratories and its science and engineering education activities.  He began his academic career as a postdoctoral fellow at Oxford University and became an assistant professor of applied physics at Harvard University. He joined the faculty of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as an associate professor, and became a full professor in 1966.  His research in theoretical and experimental physics has resulted in the publication of more than 240 scientific articles, and he is a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  From 1982 to 1992, he served as Provost of the College of Letters and Science at UCLA, and from 1992 to 2002 as Chancellor of the University of California, Riverside.  He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the California Institute of Technology in 1956, and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1960.

Abstract: Energy is the core of civilization.  The search for a clean, sustainable, unlimited source of energy has led to the development of fusion technology, an attempt to create on earth the conditions that power our sun.  A power plant capable of producing more output than input power is ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), and is under construction in Cadarache, France.  This talk will trace the beginnings, from concept to realization, of this first large scale truly international research project.  The ITER agreement will also serve as a template for the creation of other large scale international scientific research projects.

Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/418991

Video of meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_AxrNHF3mY

Slides from the meeting:

Event co-hosted with the Denver IEEE LMAG Chapter

Title: FROM CONSTRAINTS TO CAPABILITIES: ACHIEVING OPTIMAL COMPUTE SCHEDULES IN HETEROGENEOUS CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS

Speaker: Dr. Mehmet Belviranli

Dr. Mehmet Belviranli is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Department at the Colorado School of Mines. Since transitioning from his role as a Staff Computer Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Fall 2019, Mehmet’s research is driven by a passion for enhancing performance and efficiency within diversely heterogeneous embedded systems. He specializes in developing runtimes, scheduling algorithms, analytical models, extended memory spaces, programming abstractions, and providing OS & architecture-level support to improve the efficiency of heterogeneous computing. His contributions to the field are recognized through his publications in respected HPC and architecture conferences, including MICRO, PPoPP, SC, ICS, DAC, PACT, and DATE. 

Time & Date: 1 May 2024 7PM to 8:30PM Central Time

Virtual meeting

Abstract: Cyber-physical systems (CPS), such as robots and self-driving cars, demand rigorous scheduling to prevent failure, where every millisecond of processing time can be critical. These systems often rely on heterogeneous computing environments, which include CPUs, GPUs, and specialized accelerators, to meet their computational needs efficiently. However, leveraging these diverse processing units to fulfill strict physical constraints remains a significant challenge, as existing scheduling solutions often fall short of addressing the complexities involved in a comprehensive manner.

This talk by Dr. Mehmet E. Belviranli delves into the intricate world of creating efficient compute schedules for CPS that not only cater to their diverse computational hardware but also adhere to real-world constraints critical for system safety. We begin by examining the role of neural network (NN) inference in CPS, exploring strategies to balance energy consumption, latency and throughput by distributing the layers of NN across different accelerators. We then introduce a novel, end-to-end framework that integrates physical constraints, heterogeneous computational resources, and latency considerations into a cohesive mixed-integer linear problem, demonstrating through case studies how this approach yields optimal scheduling solutions under varied conditions.

Through this exploration, we aim to shed light on the untapped potential of heterogeneous computing in enhancing the reliability and performance of CPS. We will also outline future directions in developing a more robust ecosystem for these complex computing environments, highlighting our contribution to this evolving field.

Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/event/register/417666

Date and Time: 24 Apr 2024, 04:01 PM to 05:30 PM

HYBRID MEETING: Face-to-face and via Zoom

Location: Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Rd., Austin, Texas

Title: Repeat Offender T CrB – An Astronomy Topic

Abstract: The binary star system T Coronae Borealis (T CrB) is a recurrent nova binary system about 3000 light years away in the CrB constellation. Invisible to the unaided eye normally at magnitude ~10, it is expected to brighten to naked eye visibility m=~2 this year (2024). This only happens every 80 years or so and will be avidly watched by professional and amateur astronomers alike.

Speaker: Clyde Springen of Charles Schwab Inc.

Material from meeting:

Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/event/register/415026

Date/Time: 21 Mar 2024, 06:00 PM to 07:30 PM Central Time

Location: Virtual meeting via Zoom. Zoom ID: 604 353 3501 Passcode will be provided to registrants later.

Title: Estate Planning, Trust and Will

Speaker: Mike Karstens of Charles Schwab Inc.

Speaker Bio: Mr. Mike Karstens joined Charles Schwab in 2020 as a Financial Consultant.  He offers consultations and analysis on topics such as trust and estate planning, risk management and insurance, transfer tax, and postmortem considerations. In addition, he can consult on topics such as charitable gift planning, business formation and succession, and asset protection. It’s a modern approach to wealth management—so you can take ownership of your financial future.

Mike as a Lead Financial Planner, USAA Wealth Management, 2006-2020. Mike is a retired Naval Officer, Navy Pilot, United States Navy, 1975-1995.

Abstract: Springtime is a good time to plan or review our financial future.  We have invited Mr. Mike Karstens of Charles Schwab, Inc. to give a talk on Estate Planning, Trust and he will answer any question you may have in financial services.

Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/408968

Agenda: Enjoy a meal on us. Talk about “old times” and make new friends among your Life Member colleagues in the Central Texas Section

Date: November 16th, 2023

Time: 11:15am – 1:30pm

Location: 6500 West Bee Cave Road, Austin, Texas, United States, 78742

Date & Time: 18 Jan 2024, 06:00 PM to 07:30 PM

Location: Virtual Meeting via Zoom

Speaker: Jim George

Topic: Contact Sport – A Book about one World HAM Operator Competition Event

Abstract: Starting in 1996, a competition event was held once every four years in the Amateur Radio Operator Community. It started in San Francisco, CA, then Slovenia, Finland, Brazil, Rusia and back to US. The goal is for the two-person team to make as many contacts (voice or morse code) as they can within 24 hours window with other ham radio operators around the world. It sounds crazy but it is quite an experience for both the participating teams as well as hundreds of thousands of regular “hams” sitting at their home stations and calling in. The author will give details of the dramatic events, chosen technics and characters of number of competing team from different countries. He will paint the picture of this unique experience from both the perspectives of competitors, the referee, and the folks at home.

Biography: After 38 years in the Semiconductor industry Jim retired in 2002 from Motorola Semiconductor Sector as a Corporate Vice President in Austin, Texas. This allowed Jim more time to pursue reading and try writing after joining a book club. He published his first novel “Reunion” in 2012 which may turn into a movie later.

Jim was offered an opportunity to cover an international Olympic-style competition in New England in the summer of 2014, the WRTC, World Radio-Sport Team Championship, a widely followed competition of 59 teams from 40 countries. A contract for a second book, describing the WRTC, was secured, and the book was published in 2016 in Hard Cover and eBook. The title of the book is “Contact Sport”. Both books can be found in the Amazon.com and selected bookstores in Austin.

Jim graduated from Virginia Tech for his BS EE and Arizona State University for his MS EE.

Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/394463