IEEE Galveston Bay Section

PRESENTATION: This talk will introduce the Internet of Musical Things, an emerging area in music technology research that extends the Internet of Things paradigm to the musical domain. Several examples of connected and intelligent devices for musicians and audiences will be discussed, along with networking technologies that support musical interactions. The talk will then explore the intersection of the Internet of Musical Things with extended reality technologies, leading to the nascent paradigm of the Musical Metaverse. Various enabling technologies for immersive and collaborative musical experiences will be presented, which target both audiences and musicians. Finally, the talk will conclude with a critical discussion on the technological and non-technological challenges facing the Musical Metaverse, which are currently being addressed by the MUSMET project, funded by the European Innovation Council (https://musmet.eu/). Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/501449

Network intrusion detection has long been divided between two perspectives: flow-level analysis, which efficiently identifies traffic trends, and packet-level inspection, which captures the detailed characteristics of payloads. While each approach offers value, their separation creates blind spots and limits effectiveness. This talk explores a new direction that fuses flow- and packet-level modalities into a unified graph-based framework, allowing both high-level patterns and fine-grained content to be analyzed together. By leveraging heterogeneous Graph Neural Networks, the system captures the complex interactions between flows and packets, resulting in more accurate and resilient detection. Beyond performance, equal emphasis is placed on interoperability and decision support: integrated Large Language Models generate clear, contextual explanations and actionable insights, bridging the gap between technical outputs and human decision-making. The outcome is a more comprehensive, interpretable, and user-friendly intrusion detection paradigm, designed not only to recognize diverse threats but also to support effective responses in real time. Speaker(s): Yasir Ali Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/501807

Sarah Beckman, Chief Strategy Officer at Ulteig, will share her personal and professional journey from engineer to C-suite executive. With over two decades of experience, Sarah has navigated a dynamic career marked by strategic pivots, bold leadership, and a deep commitment to innovation in the power industry. Drawing from her concept of “valuability”—a framework for creating and measuring client value—Sarah will share how organizations can drive meaningful impact across the entire project lifecycle. The presentation will delve into: ~ Her path from technical engineering roles to executive leadership, including the pivotal decisions and challenges that shaped her trajectory. ~ The evolving demands on the power grid and how her strategic vision is helping Ulteig and its clients adapt to a rapidly changing energy landscape. ~ Her development of “valuability” as a framework for delivering measurable impact across the project life cycle. ~ The importance of mentorship, inclusion, and resilience – especially for women in STEM where they have traditionally been an untapped talent source. [] Speaker(s): Ms. Beckman, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/500486