IEEE (PI)² Austin – (PES, PELS, IES, IAS, and PSES)

Register Here!   Topic: Modern Technology & the Cyber Security Threat Landscape Discussing the evolution of technology and why it has opened the floodgates for cyber crime. We will go through the changes in technology that are at the root of the problems that we currently face. Understand where and when we need to consider the threats and how that may change the methods of design and production of all the modern technologies that we all interact with everyday. Why the traditional methods of securing technology failed us and what we can do moving forward to secure legacy and future tech alike. Speaker: Christopher Barrett Christopher Barrett is a Central Texas based Cyber Security Expert with nearly 3 decades of experience in Technology. Avid Tech evangelist, with deep understanding of the cyber security threat landscape. I live on the edge of the hill country on a little bee farm. Keeping bees and coppersmith or other metalworking sculpture are my passions. I am also involved in a number of charities in Texas and beyond.  

  Topic: Applications of Specialized Databases in Electric Power Systems Abstract: This talk will focus on different databases used for modern Artificial Intelligence solutions in Electric Power Systems. We will investigate various database structures, some being derivatives of the relational (SQL) database, and some examples of noSQL databases for processing of very large datasets. We will discuss the reasons for a variety of database designs and strategies used to improve querying performance. Every database example will be paired with an example of a real-life application of machine learning to an electric power system problem. Presenter: Tanya Dokic, Ph.D Biography: Tatjana (Tanya) Dokic graduated from Texas A&M University with Ph.D in Electrical Power Systems, and has a B.Sc and M.Sc from University of Novi Sad in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Currently, as a Senior Data Scientist – GIS Specialist, she is helping Exelon Corporation develop cutting edge applications that use Artificial Intelligence to improve Reliability and Asset Management of Electric Transmission and Distribution. She has over 10 years of experience in Advanced Data Analytics for Electrical Power Systems with primary focus on Big Data and Machine Learning. She is an author of 1 patent, 3 book chapters, 6 journal papers, and over 20 conference papers.

  Register here! Topic: Utilizing Cable Bus in High Current Applications This presentation will cover the main points of using cable bus in high current applications. A review of different wiring methods and how they compare. An understanding of what cable bus is, and how it is defined by codes and industry standards. A review of independent testing by UL and CSA. A discussion of balancing, heat rise and the effects of short circuit on the system. Applications for common use. Biography: Robert Sorbet has been in the electrical industry for over 40 years.  He started working electrical construction 1980’s.  In 1988 he started work with Brown & Root in the Petro/Chem industry.  Working in various capacities in the field (domestic and international) and the engineering office in Houston.  In 2004, he switched to the distributor/manufacture side of the electrical industry with a posting to Dubai for WESCO.  He is currently the owner a manufacture rep firm.  Robert received an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Electrical Construction and an Associate of Business Studies Degree in Business Administration from Delgado Community College in New Orleans.

  Register Here! Distinguished Speaker: Leslie Martinich Biography: Leslie Martinich, a computer scientist who began her career writing compilers, operating systems, and advanced communication software, led her team to deliver the first commercially available ground-breaking Remote Procedure Call (RPC) technology. In the middle of her career, she made a pivotal realization: project failures weren't due to technical hurdles, but rather rooted in managerial and leadership challenges. Determined to rectify this deficiency, she built leadership training programs which she has presented across 6 continents (sorry, Antarctica!), focused on innovation and preparing effective leaders. Her enthusiasm lies in instilling engaged leadership skills that resonate with the aspirations of today's young tech professionals and entrepreneurs. Her training programs benefit not only from her background as a computer scientist but also from her use of real scenarios to engage her audience. Leslie is more than just a leader in tech; she's a catalyst for change. From sparking innovation to nurturing teamwork, Leslie's mission is to empower organizations to go beyond delivering products. Her guiding principle? Engaged leaders empower teams, reduce turnover, and drive towards excellence in quality. Join her to inspire and help leaders to become the influential change-makers of tomorrow. Topic: Ethics for Engineers & Other Professionals In today’s competitive world, delivering safe, high-quality products and services is a priority for all of us. However, engineers and other professionals often face pressure to bypass safety and quality standards, typically for financial gains—whether to cut costs or accelerate delivery times. The truth is, that cutting corners is not a sustainable practice. Sustainable business practices require adherence to ethical guidelines, robust risk management, and effective communication. Join us for an engaging hour-long workshop where we’ll demystify ethical guidelines, starting with a humorous 7-minute journey through the history of ethical thinking. You’ll learn to apply these guidelines through practical, relevant scenarios and gain essential skills in risk evaluation and communication. Let’s build a foundation for sustainable success by embracing ethics in engineering! I Embrace Ethics in Engineering—That’s what IEEE stands for. Right? Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahLoTLn2aYU

Speaker: Erhan Cokal, P.E. Biography: Erhan started his electrical industry career in 2000 as an R&D engineer with responsibility for an international MVA product family. During that time, he had the opportunity to lead multicultural and cross functional teams while gaining a strong understanding of core technologies. Next, he worked as power systems engineer focusing on arc flash safety. After years of working on the engineering side of our industry, he moved to business operations where he held various roles including business development, product management, innovation marketing, product launch and sales. This diverse experience gives him the tools required to solve the needs of our clients through the application of core technologies with value engineering options. Erhan has been with Eaton for more than three years. During that time, he has worked with several of our largest industrial and water/wastewater customers and a largest industrial project in Austin.  Erhan is a member of the IEEE and a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Texas. He has a published paper related to his thesis study of computer vision-based AI systems, and an OSHA article on arc flash safety. Topic: Technological Advances in Electrical Distribution Considering Safety, Space & Digitization Safety solutions with digital developments and data analytics for proactive maintenance will be reviewed. The new technologies which protect the people and provide the service continuity for critical power facilities to be discussed. The space is a new scarce commodity and optimization of electrical rooms with smaller foot print to be introduced.

See agenda below. Agenda: Agenda: - Begin our meeting around 6 PM - Review of minutes from last meeting - Haley - Budget Report - Melvin - Budget Update - Events - Evan - Tech Meetings - Workshop Update - Holiday Party - CTX news - Andrew, Martha - Newsletter/Social Media Update/Website - Martha and Tanya - IAS Workshop - Texas A&M TPEC Request - Elections Discussion - Next ChapComm meeting - November 14th - Open Discussion – Everyone - Adjourn by 7 pm (I hope) - Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/437658

Register here! Topic: Disastrous Substation Engineering Projects - Lessons Learned The beauty is in the details, especially in relay and control design, where even the smallest mistake can lead to disastrous results. In this discussion, we’ll look at some real-world incidents that could have been averted through a better-quality control process, underscoring the importance of self-checks, following procedures, and cultivating a strong thought process to achieve high-quality designs and implementations. As advancements in technology and process automation diminish the hands-on involvement of engineers, we’ll also confront the unique challenges awaiting the next generation—challenges of design and the seamless transfer of knowledge. Presenter: Feisal Buitrago Sandoval Biography: Feisal has a Bachelor and a Master of Science in electrical engineering and is registered as a Professional Engineer in Texas. He started working in the power industry in 2008 as a Relay & Control Engineer, designing substation projects in Colombia, where he is from, and gaining strong technical skills. During this time, he had the chance to work on projects for clients across the globe: United Arab Emirates, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America, Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Guatemala, Peru, and Panama; building his understanding of the requirements and challenges that each region faces. He has utilized both IEEE and IEC standards, helping him gain tools to approach design from different perspectives. After years of design experience, Feisal moved to the field to work as a Commissioning Engineer where he led the testing and commissioning of major apparatus and relay testing projects, providing him a broader understanding of the power system. Feisal currently works as an Engineering Manager, supporting transmission projects for the Texas region.

Register here!   Monday, November 4th 8:15AM to 5PM and Tuesday, November 5th 8:15AM to 5PM Burns & McDonnell, Bridgepoint Building 4, 6200 Bridge Point Pkwy #400, Austin, TX 78730 All attendees must register prior to the registration deadline of Friday, October 25th. Early registration and discounted pricing ends on October 1st.  Registration must be done on vTools. Registrations at the door will not be accepted. All cancellation and refund requests must be submitted to [email protected] prior to October 11, 2024. There will be a 20% processing fee charged for all refunds. Abstract: This workshop will provide an introduction to transmission level generator interconnection covering the interconnection process and studies needed for interconnection. The workshop is oriented towards those looking for an introduction to generator interconnection and will introduce the necessary studies and software used in generation interconnection. This workshop is ideal if you are looking for training or continuing education in the power systems field. The course will be taught by three great presenters: Julia Matevosyan - Chief Engineer at ESIG, Jenifer Fernandes - Manager of Resource Integration at ERCOT, and Ash Chakravarthy - Project Manager at 1898 & Co. Workshop Overview This will be a two day workshop. Attendees of the workshop will receive a PDH certificate for 12 hours upon completion of the workshop to show their attendance and provide hours for continuing educations towards PE licensure. The workshop fee includes breakfast tacos, break refreshments, and lunch. Pricing   Early Registration Fee (through 10/1/24) Late Registration Fee (after 10/1/24) IEEE Members $400 $500 Non-IEEE Members $500 $600 IEEE Student and Life Members $150 $200 Miscellaneous Information Attendees are advised to bring a laptop or notebook. Power and wifi will be available. The workshop will be hosted by Burns & McDonnell. Speakers Julia Matevosyan of ESIG Biography: Julia is ESIG’s Chief Engineer and has more than 20 years of experience in the power industry. Prior to joining ESIG, Matevosyan was the Lead Planning Engineer of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). In her time with ERCOT, she worked on adequacy of system inertial response, system flexibility, frequency control and performance issues related to high penetration levels of inverter-based generation and ancillary services market design. Julia received her BSc from Riga Technical University in Latvia, and her MSc and PhD from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden. Ash Chakravarthy of 1898 & Co. Biography: Ash Chakravarthy is a Project Manager at 1898 & Co., a part of Burns & McDonnell, supporting electric utilities and developers with power system studies, including transmission planning, generation and load interconnection, design and long-term operations planning. Ash is a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas and specializes in different power system analyses including steady state, short circuit, dynamic stability studies, etc. She is proficient in various planning software including PSSE and TARA, as well as programming languages. Prior to joining 1898 & Co., Ash's previous experience was at Entergy Services, Inc., where she actively engaged in near-term operations planning and outage coordination, conducted system modeling, and drove process development and improvements. Jenifer Fernandes of ERCOT   Biography: Jenifer Fernandes is the Manager of Resource Integration at ERCOT. Agenda Monday Morning - Overview of Generator Interconnection Monday Afternoon - Studies for Generator Interconnection with a focus on ERCOT Interconnection Studies Tuesday Morning - Training and Demonstrations of Interconnections studies Tuesday Afternoon - Challenges with Generator Interconnection and Emerging Issues Day 1 8:00 – 8:15 AM Center opens - Vendors and sponsors set up displays 8:15 – 9:00 AM Registration and Breakfast 9:00 – 9:15 AM Opening and Speaker Introduction 9:15 – 10:30 AM Part 1 – Overview of Generator Interconnection 10:30 – 11:00 AM Morning Break 11:00 - 12:30 PM Part 1 - Continued 12:30 – 1:30 PM Lunch and visit Sponsor's displays. 1:30 – 3:00 PM Part 2 – Studies for Generator Interconnection 3:00 – 3:30 PM Afternoon Break 3:30 - 4:45 PM Part 2 - Continued 4:45 – 5 PM Wrap-up and Q&A Day 2 8:00 – 8:15 AM Center opens - Vendors and sponsors set up displays 8:15 – 9:00 AM Registration and Breakfast 9:00 – 9:15 AM Opening and Speaker Introduction 9:15 – 10:30 AM Part 3 – Software training and demo 10:30 – 11:00 AM Morning Break 11:00 - 12:30 PM Part 3 – Continued 12:30 – 1:30 PM Lunch and visit Sponsor's displays. 1:30 – 3:00 PM Part 4 – Challenges with Generator Interconnection and Emerging Issues 3:00 – 3:30 PM Afternoon Break 3:30 - 4:45 PM Part 4 - Continued 4:45 – 5 PM Wrap-up and Q&A 5:00 – 5:15 PM Dismantle Workshop setup