Time/Date: 17 Oct 2024, 6PM to 7:30PM

Location: Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Rd., Austin, Texas AND virtual via Zoom

Topic: Electrical Engineering contributions to the Allied War effort in WWII

Abstract: Engineers and scientists contributed to the Allied war effort in many ways. Their efforts resulted in everything from Colossus to LORAN, and from GEE to the Proximity fuze. The talk will overview as many of these contributions as time permits. 

Speaker: John Purvis

Bio: John earned a BSEE from the University of Houston and a MSEE from the University of Texas at Austin. He ha worked for TRW, Texas Instruments, National Instruments, IBM, and the State of Texas Comptroller’s office in engineering an marketing roles. He also was on the Computer Science Faculty at St. Edward’s University for several years. He joined IEEE as a student at U of H and has been a member for 56 years. He has served in many positions within the Section and the Region 5 Committee. Currently he is webmaster for the Central Texas Section Life Member Chapter, on The Institute Editorial Advisory Board, and is R5 Life Member Affinity Group Coordinator. Since retiring he has developed an interest in the history of the WWII period. He has been a docent at the Texas Military Forces Museum for over five years. 

Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/436369

Date/Time: 19 Sep 2024, 06:00 PM to 07:30 PM

Abstract: System and platform debug is extremely important to launch products quickly, to avoid undue delays in production, for faster customer product introduction, for in-field debug, etc. Traditional debug techniques using open-chassis are useful for system debug, but removing the chips from the platform takes an unacceptable amount of time in today’s competitive environment. The availability of USB Type-C connectors on most computer platforms opens up an entirely new platform debug method called closed-chassis debug.  This new type of debug eliminates the need to open up the platform.

Closed-Chassis Platform Debug using an available functional receptacle, such as USB Type-C, on a final form factor device is now highly important for Hardware, Software and Firmware debug. The wide acceptance of the Type-C receptacle by most OEMs/ODMs, makes this connector/receptacle the optimum interface for debug purposes. This presentation starts by introducing traditional debug techniques, then gives details on the history of USB and how USB evolved to the Type-C connector.  It then goes covers new system and platform debug techniques including open and closed-chassis debug using the ubiquitous USB Type-C connector.

Location: Asian American Resource Center, Room Number: 8 and Virtual

Video recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUFki8mAZFg

Date / Time: 15 Aug 2024, 06:00 PM to 07:31 PM

Speaker:  Mr. Tom Babb of SkiFi Inc.Texas, Austin.

Bio: Tom Babb is the Head of Marketing of SkyFi, and he is in Austin, Texas.  Prior to SkyFi, Tom was the Growth Marketing Manager and Community Success Marketing. Tom has a background in e-commerce and community management with a variety of skills from content creation to strategic partnerships.  He also was a Consultant with Adobe Inc. and Meta in Accessibility.  He graduated from Kansas University with BA in Journalism.   

Topic: Satellite Imaging Technology

Abstract: Tom will introduce SkyFi as a new Austin-based company to provide Earth observation technology to bring comprehensive geospatial data and analytics to suit businesses and individuals across the world.

Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/event/register/429166

Recording of meeting: https://youtu.be/Q72NdMuylf0

Speaker: David of EverSource Wealth Advisors & Matthew of Davidson Law Group

Topic: ESTATE PLANNING 101: PRESERVING & PROTECTING YOUR FAMILY & LEGACY

Bio: David formerly worked for SpaceX, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin as an engineer before he transitioned to the financial services industry.

After his father passed away, David helped his mom through some tough financial questions, and that gave him the spark to pursue a career in financial planning. David is passionate about serving others and lives by Zig Ziglar’s famous saying, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

He knows first-hand that true happiness is experienced when helping others.  David Sandhu is an investment advisor representative with EverSource Welath Advisors, a registered investment advisor.

Matthew of Davidson Law Group: Matthew Davidson was born in Austin, Texas. He spent his high school years on a family ranch in Dripping Springs, part of the beautiful Texas Hill Country.  He then attended and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in English and American Studies.
 
After working in the financial industry, Matthew attended Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he earned his Juris Doctorate. Following law school, he moved back to his home state and began practicing in Fort Worth. Soon after, Matthew and his brother, James, established the Davidson Law Group in Fort Worth with a concentration on estate planning, elder law, and probate.
 
Matthew’s welcoming personality and genuine passion for helping others is what led him to these practice areas, for which he has become renowned. With the goal of helping hardworking men and women protect what they have earned throughout their lifetimes, he creates meaningful, life-long relationships with his clients, and is always there when they need him.
 
Matthew has been recognized by Fort Worth Magazine and 360 West Magazine as a Top Attorney in multiple years and has been the recipient of several awards, including Best Attorneys in America 2015, the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel, and Super Lawyers Rising Stars.  Matthew has an AVVO rating of 10.0 and a 5-star AVVO Client Rating.
 
He is also a member of Wealth Counsel, ElderCounsel, and the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys, and currently serves on the Board of the Center for Transforming Lives Foundation.
 
Matthew enjoys time with his wife, Brianna, his children, Hayden, Clay, and Sylvia, and other family and friends. He is also an avid outdoorsman, sports fan, and music enthusiast.

Abstract: Now more than ever, it is vital to have a plan in place that will protect your assets, provide for your family, and spare them the burden of unnecessary expenses, taxes and delays.

Date / Time: 25 Jul 2024, 12:00 PM to 01:00 PM

Speaker: Kendra Cook of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Topic: Space Technology for Interplanetary Exploration

Bio: Kendra Cook is a Senior Systems Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) where she has worked for nearly 8 years. She is currently serving as the Lead Spacecraft Operations Systems Engineer for NASA’s flagship mission, Europa Clipper. Prior to joining JPL, Ms. Cook spent 15 years working for the U.S. Government on various satellite and technology development programs. Ms. Cook also served seven years as an Officer in the United States Air Force where she was an Aerospace Engineer specializing in UAVs and air-launched weapons systems. She has a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Boston University and M.S. degrees in both Astronautical Engineering and Computer Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), a Certified U.S. Export Compliance Officer (CUSECO), and is the Chair of the IEEE Aerospace Conference.

Abstract: Ms. Kendra Cook will be diving into the technology required for interplanetary space exploration through two case studies. She will discuss the technology currently being used on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover, and the in-situ and remote sensing technology being developed for the Europa Clipper Mission that will launch in October.

Date / Time: 18 Jul 2024, 06:00 PM to 07:35 PM

Location: Virtual only

Video: https://youtu.be/DZtWTUN2kRY

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