IEEE Region 5

Voiceband modems convert a stream of digital symbols into audible signals and transmit them over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The first voiceband modem was developed in 1958 and operated at 110 bits/s. Being subject to international standards developed by the International Union of Telecommunications, Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T), a body of the United Nations, these modems consistently increased their transmission speeds within the next several decades. Every step in the standards process involved a major development in signal processing and communications, such as various forms of adaptive equalization, echo cancellation, and trellis coded modulation. These contributions approximately doubled the transmission speed of every step of the standardization process, starting with 300 b/s in 1962 until about 28.8-33.6 kb/s in 1996. Modem designers invoked Shannon's capacity formula and, considering quantization noise occurring at the Analog-to-Digital conversion process in the PSTN Central Office as additive white Gaussian noise, decided that the channel capacity for such modems is about 36 kb/s. Yet, towards the end of 1990s, modems that operated at transmission speeds close to 56 kb/s, known generally as 56K modems appeared. This talk will first give a brief history of voiceband modems, and it will describe how it was possible to beat the Shannon capacity formula with the 56K modems. The underlying modeling process and the related mathematics will be described. A history of the development of the 56K modems will be presented and, looking back several decades, the technological, as well as the economic and social impact of these modems, will be discussed. Speaker(s): Ender Ayanoglu, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/466459

IEEE Central Texas Section Monthly ExCom Meeting Agenda: Officer Reports Committee Reports Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/469216

2025 Spring IEEE OKC Webinar Series IEEE OKC invites you to join the event below, organized by Oklahoma International Publishing, as part of its 2025 Spring OkIP Conferences on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. This virtual event is free of charge to IEEE Oklahoma City members. Please register ahead of time to receive the proper instructions for remote participation: >> Speaker: Dr. Maiga Chang Full Professor Associate Dean, Research & Innovation Faculty of Science and Technology Athabasca University, Canada >> Talk: Building Chatbot for Learning and Training >>> Abstract: Online learning and teaching do not mean that putting course materials online and asking students to learn by themselves. It is important to provide students supports when they encounter questions about course content or materials. When students ask their question on a discussion forum in an online learning environment, sometimes there may have no one available at that time to help them due to time differences or study behaviors and needs – for instances some students may have family/children/baby and day job and they might not be able to do their study until late night or weekends. This leads to an obvious conclusion that if a system was in place to provide an automated summary, this could facilitate learning. Having an easily accessible system, which can quickly provide responses, allows students to get information that may have otherwise been difficult to find. In this talk, I will explain how chatbots can be developed and discuss three potential chatbot in education applications: (1) the Ask4Summary Moodle plugin (https://ask4summary.vipresearch.ca/#download) acts like an online tutor can automatically answers a student’s question with a summary assembled via matching and retrieving from the stored information; (2) a block-based, visual editing environment to alleviate the burden of knowledge imposed on users wishing to implement chatbots in their use of training and/or as an automated first-level of support; and (3) guardians living in MEGA World (https://megaworld.game-server.ca/), who provide individual students a way to get their questions explained and the information asked. >>> About the speaker: Dr. Maiga Chang is Associate Dean, Research & Innovation, and Full Professor at Faculty of Science and Technology, Athabasca University, Canada. He is also Honorary Chair Professor at Multidisciplinary Academic Research Center, National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan. Dr. Chang is IEEE Senior Member and has been appointed as an IEEE Computer Society Distinguished Visitor for 2023 to 2025. He is also received Distinguished Researcher Award from Asia Pacific Society on Computers in Education (APSCE) in 2022. Dr. Chang is now Vice President (2022~) of International Association of Smart Learning Environments (IASLE) and editors-in-chief (2019~) of Journal of Educational Technology & Society (Open Access SSCI in Quartile Q1 with rank 22/756 in Education & Educational Research category by Journal Impact Factor 4.595), editor-in-chief (2014~) of International Journal of Distance Education Technologies (Open Access ESCI in Quartile Q1 with rank 64/756 in Education & Educational Research category by Journal Impact Factor 3.3, SCOPUS, EI), and editor-in-chief (2020~) of Bulletin of Technical Committee on Learning Technology (Open Access ESCI). He is also an Executive Committee member of Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education (2017~2028, APSCE) and Global Chinese Society for Computing in Education (2016~2025, GCSCE), and Chair (2021~) of Educational Activities Committee, IEEE Northern Canada Section. Dr. Chang is helping as a Steering Committee member (2020~) for International Conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS). Dr. Chang has given more than 160 talks and lectures in different events; He also has (co-)authored more than 260 book chapters, journal and international conference papers. He is an IEEE member since 1996 and also a member of ACM (2001-2017), AAAI (since 2001-2017), INNS (2004-2018), and Phi Tau Phi Scholastic Honor Society. His current research mainly focus on artificial intelligence; natural language processing; learning behaviour analysis; learning analytics and academic analytics; game-based learning, training and assessment; intelligent agent technology; educational data mining; computational intelligence; health informatics and healthcare technology, etc. Co-sponsored by: Pierre Tiako Agenda: 08:55am - 09:00am Virtual Meeting Speaker Introduction 09:00am - 09:45am Virtual Meeting Keynote 09:45pm - 10:00am Virtual Meeting Q &A Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/442785

2025 Spring IEEE OKC Webinar Series IEEE OKC invites you to join the event below, organized by Oklahoma International Publishing, as part of its 2025 Spring OkIP Conferences on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. This virtual event is free of charge to IEEE Oklahoma City members. Please register ahead of time to receive the proper instructions for remote participation: >> Speaker: Prof. Aziz Fellah, Northwest Missouri State University >> Talk: Leveraging AI to Enhance Human-Driven Software Development: A Comparative Study Across Diverse Applications >>> Abstract: This study explores how Generative AI, including AI-Powered tools like ChatGPT, can enhance the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). In a software engineering course, students worked in teams on 12 use case studies spanning web development, mobile apps, and game development. These use case studies covered domains such as education, sports, healthcare, and entertainment. Teams adopted dual roles as stakeholders and developers. Each team first defined a use case study and outlined project requirements. Use case studies were then randomly assigned, and teams worked as developers, specifying requirements and architectural designs. Scrum-style meetings facilitated collaboration. The paper compared developer-created and AI-generated user stories, functional and non-functional requirements, and architectural designs, including UML diagrams. Results showed ChatGPT excelled in structured web and app development domains but struggled significantly in game development and faced considerable difficulty in generating UML diagrams across all applications. This research highlights the strengths and limitations of Generative AI in enhancing software development processes. Co-sponsored by: Pierre Tiako Agenda: 10:00am - 10:18am Virtual Meeting 10:18am- 10:20am Virtual Meeting Q &A Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/479223

2025 Spring IEEE OKC Webinar Series IEEE OKC invites you to join the event below, organized by Oklahoma International Publishing, as part of its 2025 Spring OkIP Conferences on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. This virtual event is free of charge to IEEE Oklahoma City members. Please register ahead of time to receive the proper instructions for remote participation: >> Speaker: Dr. Wulfran Fendzi Mbasso, CITRD Lab of Oklahoma City >> Talk: Management Practices for Transitioning to a Circular Economy: Challenges and Opportunities >>> Abstract: Sustainable resource use and biodiversity preservation are critical. While sustainable business models have become deeply ingrained, obstacles remain to transitioning to a circular economy (CE). This paper investigates the complexities of modern environments as resources, exploring sustainable business models by connecting technologies and their semiotic contexts. We analyze the challenges businesses face in shifting to CE, focusing on management practices, technological barriers, and stakeholder collaboration. We propose a framework for stakeholder collaboration and practical managerial actions to facilitate CE adoption, thereby enhancing sustainable economic transformation. Co-sponsored by: Pierre Tiako Agenda: 11:40am - 11:58am Virtual Meeting 11:58am- 12:00pm Virtual Meeting Q &A Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/479226

2025 Spring IEEE OKC Webinar Series IEEE OKC invites you to join the event below, organized by Oklahoma International Publishing, as part of its 2025 Spring OkIP Conferences on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. This virtual event is free of charge to IEEE Oklahoma City members. Please register ahead of time to receive the proper instructions for remote participation: >> Speaker(s): Raphael Kpoghomou, University of Toulouse Valerie Nassiet, University of Toulouse Bernard Kamsu-Foguem, Tarbes Technological University >> Talk: AI Application Potential and Prospects in Materials Science: a Focus on Polymers >>> Abstract: The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into materials science is profoundly transforming polymer discovery, manufacturing and quality control. This study explores the potential of AI-based approaches in three key areas: (1) prediction of polymer properties using advanced models such as PolymerGNN and PolyBERT, (2) optimization of industrial processes via reinforcement learning to improve energy efficiency and material quality, and (3) automatic defect detection using computer vision models such as YOLOv8 and Faster R-CNN. Experimental results show significant improvements in terms of prediction accuracy, energy consumption reduction (10-25%) and defect identification efficiency. Despite these advances, challenges remain, notably data quality, model interpretability and integration into industrial processes. This study highlights the transformative impact of AI on polymer science, and provides an analysis of the performance of applied models. Co-sponsored by: Pierre Tiako Agenda: 12:00pm - 12:18pm Virtual Meeting 12:18pm- 12:20pm Virtual Meeting Q &A Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/479230

2025 Spring IEEE OKC Webinar Series IEEE OKC invites you to join the event below, organized by Oklahoma International Publishing, as part of its 2025 Spring OkIP Conferences on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. This virtual event is free of charge to IEEE Oklahoma City members. Please register ahead of time to receive the proper instructions for remote participation: >> Speaker(s): Shahmir Qureshi, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology Jawaid Daudpoto, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology >> Talk: Real-Time Crack Detection and Segmentation in Metallic Surfaces Using YOLO v11-Seg Model Integrated with HMI for Industrial Applications >>> Abstract: Cracks in metallic surfaces fail industrial systems, compromising systems' safety and productivity. It is therefore imperative to detect such cracks in their initial stage, so preventive measures can be taken to avoid downtime and associated risks. In this paper, we report the novel adaptation and application of the YOLO v11-seg model for precise crack segmentation in metallic surfaces. The specialized configuration optimizes both detection accuracy and inference speed, making it suitable for industrial applications. The deep learning model is integrated into a Human-Machine Interface (HMI) using the Open Neural Network Exchange (ONNX) format, to enable seamless real-time visualization and interaction. This enhances usability for industrial operators, bridging the gap between advanced AI models and practical deployment. We report a fully functional and versatile inspection tool by combining the deep learning model with hardware and real-time video processing via Python. A custom dataset comprising 1,111 training and 246 test images was curated, annotated with segmentation masks, and augmented using the Albumentations library to improve generalization. The model showed detection and segmentation precisions of 96% and 94%, respectively. Co-sponsored by: Pierre Tiako Agenda: 12:20pm - 12:38pm Virtual Meeting 12:38pm- 12:40pm Virtual Meeting Q &A Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/479231

2025 Spring IEEE OKC Webinar Series IEEE OKC invites you to join the event below, organized by Oklahoma International Publishing, as part of its 2025 Spring OkIP Conferences on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. This virtual event is free of charge to IEEE Oklahoma City members. Please register ahead of time to receive the proper instructions for remote participation: >> Speaker(s): Wulfran Fendzi Mbasso, CITRD Lab of Oklahoma City >> Talk: Revolutionizing Renewable Energy: Advanced Synthetic Climatic Models for Enhanced Energy Predictability and Optimization >>> Abstract: The efficacy of renewable energy systems rests heavily on solar irradiance and temperature. In reality, however, these data tend to be under or unavailable in certain areas, making accurate design, modeling, and analysis of renewable energy systems unfathomably problematic. This paper discusses the creation and evaluation of novel synthetic climatic models aimed at providing region-specific realistic climatic data. These models utilize highly advanced statistical and machine learning algorithms combined with solar irradiance and temperature models to capture and integrate solar irradiance and temperature data with relative high temporal and spatial resolution. Models’ extensive validation against real climatic datasets considerably increased their reliability and robustness under various conditions including extreme and less plausible scenarios. These results highlight the ability of the models to close the gap posed by the utter absence of reliable, region accurate data in supplementing renewable energies. Such findings are greatly beneficial for improving energy yield forecast, system design, and performance monitoring and evaluation for areas with scarce data resources. Co-sponsored by: Pierre Tiako Agenda: 01:20pm - 01:38pm Virtual Meeting 01:38pm- 01:40pm Virtual Meeting Q &A Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/479232

2025 Spring IEEE OKC Webinar Series IEEE OKC invites you to join the event below, organized by Oklahoma International Publishing, as part of its 2025 Spring OkIP Conferences on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. This virtual event is free of charge to IEEE Oklahoma City members. Please register ahead of time to receive the proper instructions for remote participation: >> Speaker(s): Aziz Fellah, Northwest Missouri State University >> Talk: Integrating AI into Scrum: Enhancing and Refining Agile Software Development Practices >>> Abstract: The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into software development methodologies has sparked significant interest nowadays, driving innovation and transforming agile practices by refining existing frameworks to boost efficiency, productivity, and decision-making. This paper aims to enhance the Scrum process by leveraging AI tools to streamline tasks such as sprint planning, feature prioritization, backlog refinement, Scrum Master duties, and progress tracking. AI can assist Scrum teams by improving predictive analytics, simplifying decision-making, and automating processes, while also fostering better team collaboration and supporting diverse experiences and skill levels. The paper outlines a conceptual framework for integrating AI-powered tools into Scrum, drawing on real-world use case studies of its application in software development teams. Additionally, it examines the challenges and opportunities of adopting AI in agile practices, highlighting its potential to enhance efficiency and adaptability in software development workflows. Co-sponsored by: Pierre Tiako Agenda: 01:40pm - 01:58pm Virtual Meeting 01:58pm- 02:00pm Virtual Meeting Q &A Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/479233

Monthly Lone Star Section Executive Committee Meeting Agenda: Room: CR 1.102, Bldg: 168, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, Texas, United States, 78238, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/455831

Monthly planning meeting for the LSS RAS Chapter. This will be an in-person meeting at Tycoon Flats. Lunch will be provided by the RAS chapter. Tycoon Flats, 2926 N. St. Mary's St., San Antonio , Texas, United States, 78212

Shaping the Future at Texas State and Beyond – A Roundtable with Leaders from R5 Curious about launching new IEEE societies and affinity groups at the student branch or local section levels? These leaders have done it time and time again—and they’re ready to help you do the same! Join IEEE Region 5 leaders from the Ozark and Fort Worth Sections—winners of the 2024 Best Medium and Small Sections—alongside you, a big part of the 2024 Best Large Section, Region 5! We’re bringing together the top players in the region for a two-way discussion where your ideas and insights help shape the future of IEEE at Texas State and beyond. Featured IEEE Leaders: - Matt Francis: IEEE R5 Director, Featured Speaker at the Texas A&M Semiconductor Summit - Art Depoian: IEEE R5 Secretary - Ben Hand: IEEE R5 Student Representative, Texas Undergraduate Research Day Rep: UNT - Silvino Bastos: IEEE UNT Advisor - Matt Rao: Fort Worth YP Chair, 2024 R5 Outstanding Student Gain early access to insights from Matt Francis and discuss the latest in the semiconductor industry. Explore how ONE IEEE is breaking down barriers and opening doors for students, and discover what comes next after student membership—from Young Professionals (YP) to leadership roles that drive innovation. This event unites former award-winning and current HKN officers, entrepreneurs, researchers, and standards experts across AI, Power, Semiconductors, and more. We want to hear your take—on your ambitions, challenges, and vision for the future. Your voice matters. Your future in IEEE starts here. Be part of the conversation. Room: INGR 2-104, Ingram School of Engineering, 327 W Woods Street, San Marcos, Texas, United States, 78666

Will do later Room: 1.202, Bldg: Applied Engineering Technology, 1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, Texas, United States, 78249

THURSDAY 03 APR, 2025 05:30 PM EST // HYBRID EVENT ON-SITE VENUE Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL), 201-117, 11091 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723 Visitor’s Information VIRTUAL LINK RECEIVED AFTER REGISTRATION Invited Talk 1 – Georgia Tech’s Revolutionary Online Program and the future of online learning in higher education Speaker – Prof. Zvi Galil Georgia Tech, Fellow of ACM, American Academy of Arts and Science and Member National Academy of Engineering Invited Talk 2 – 5G open-source stacks as tools for learning, innovating, and commercializing Speaker – Tracy van Brakle, Senior Consultant with WINLAB, Rutgers University (formerly Expert Member of Technical Staff with AT&T) Co-sponsored by: ACM Baltimore Chapter Speaker(s): Zvi Galil, Tracy Van Brakle Agenda: Register to receive the meeting link Bldg: B201-117, Johns Hopkins University (JHU/APL), 11091 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, New York, United States, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/477223

The IEEE TAMUSA chapter is pleased to present an exclusive engineering mixer focused on the bioeffects of lasers. This event will feature a presentation by Guest Speaker GARRETT D. POLHAMUS, PHD, PE, COL (RET) a leading expert in the field. Attendees will gain insights into: - The fundamental principles of laser-tissue interaction - Applications of lasers in medicine -Potential risks and safety considerations associated with laser exposure - Current research and future directions in laser technology This is a valuable opportunity to network with fellow engineers, researchers, and industry professionals while expanding your knowledge of this rapidly evolving field. Refreshments will be provided. Room: 242, Bldg: STEM, One University Way, San Antonio, Texas, United States, 78224

Bowling Social today and speaking of how we are going to wrap up the year. - Elections coming up - Last Robotics / OPS Meeting - Training new officers Co-sponsored by: Franceli Gonzalez 1304 Texas Hwy 123 , San Marcos, Texas, United States, 78666

Abstract: This presentation will introduce state-of-the-art techniques for minimizing lung damage and reducing pulmonary toxicity in patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT) for non-small cell lung cancer. RT, which involves targeting the cancerous tumor with x-rays, is a common treatment for lung cancer. However, RT not only eliminates cancer cells but also harms the surrounding healthy lung tissues. This presentation will explore how we can lessen radiation damage by optimizing traditional radiation therapy plans. This involves reducing the dose to high-functioning lung tissue while ensuring the tumor receives the necessary therapeutic dose. The talk will also cover methods for measuring lung ventilation when it is out of phase and how to correct motion artifacts in 4DCT to enhance the effectiveness of LIART. In addition to in person at Rice Biosciences Research Collaborative room 875, the talk will be on Zoom at 2pm CDT at: (https://www.google.com/url?q=https://riceuniversity.zoom.us/j/92601324773?pwd%3DEQ0nHu9VFnTaOk4pMRaVCbh73dBwSx.1&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw10bWJ8TOLhovuHjNSNoClb) Meeting ID: 926 0132 4773 Passcode: 746971 Co-sponsored by: Rice University ECE Department Seminar Speaker(s): Gary Christensen Agenda: Presentation at 2 to 3:00pm CDT Room: Room 875, Bldg: Biosciences Research Collaborative (BRC), Rice University, 6500 Main Street, Houston, Texas, United States, 77030

Getting Kids Excited about STEM Education! Fresh Start, is a one day STEM based event that was designed to ignite curiosity and passion for STEM subjects, for grades 3-12 to have hands-on engagement. Students will discover, experiment, and collaborate in a series of dynamic science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workshops, fostering an interactive and creative environment that encourages students to delve into the realms of exploration. ​ Fresh Start brings together a diverse group of professionals, educators, and mentors who are dedicated to inspiring the next generation of STEM enthusiasts. Through thought-provoking workshops and activities, Fresh Start aims to break down barriers and demystify complex concepts, making STEM subjects not only accessible but also exciting. The (https://www.linkedin.com/company/isigma-group/) team will be facilitating the Who Moved My Cheese? for Kids program teaching the students about "change" strategies. Speaker(s): Christopher Sanderson, SMIEEE, Room: Melcher Hall, Bldg: University of Houston, 4750 Calhoun Rd, , Houston, Texas, United States, 77004

Bobcat Build is about helping and volunteering in our local community to families and older people. Participants undertake a variety of service projects throughout the area. Co-sponsored by: Franceli Gonzalez Agenda: 8:00 AM - Arrive and get assigned as section 8:30 - 11:45 - Participate and help in assigned area 12:00 PM - Be released San Marcos, Texas, United States, 78666

WELCOME IEEE EDUCATION WEEK- FIRST of the two events Saturday, April 5th, 2025, 11:00 AM US-Central TOPIC: " Emerging Technology: Cyber/ AI" PRESENTATION: Progression in the engineering profession is the key to achieving successful and resilient economies worldwide. However, emerging technologies are driving interdisciplinary studies in new engineering fields, such as Peace Engineering, Wind Engineering, AI, ML, Data Science, etc. This abstract presents the challenges of Cybersecurity and AI/ML and their implication in safeguarding the engineering profession Speaker(s): PETER, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/477222