IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin April 2018, Volume 67 No. 4 Page 1 of 16
Pittsburgh Section
Bulletin April 2018 Volume 67, No. 4
Included in this issue:
Notes From the Chair .............................................................................................................................. 2
How (Not) to Get Fired in 3 (Not so) Easy Steps! ........................................................................... 3
Cloud Radio Access Networks for 5G Communications ................................................................... 3
Synthesizing NBA defenses with deep imitation learning .............................................................. 4
IEEE N3XT Frontier Summit – April 18, 2018 .................................................................................. 5
IEEE Consultant’s Workshop ................................................................................................................ 6
A Wellness-Centric Healthcare System With Interoperable Public Health ............................. 7
"Social Implications of Technology" - Repercussions in the Global Village ................................ 8
"Transforming Healthcare Through Interoperability” .................................................................... 9
Computer Society Social and Membership Elevation Meeting ..................................................... 10
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Annual History and Awards Dinner ..................................................... 11
Impact of Geomagnetic Disturbances (GMDs) on the Bulk Power System ............................... 12
Looking Ahead: Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2018 - Call for Judges .. 13
2018 PES Chapter Outstanding Engineer Award Announcement ................................................ 13
Editor: Philip Cox, [email protected]; Contributors: George Crawford, Tom Dionise, Steve Dobos, Joe
Kalasky, Drew Lowery, Steve Mozelewski, Nicholas O’Donoughue, Sid Pant, Sarika Solanki, Ralph
Sprang, and Dan Wilson
All announcements for publication in a particular month’s bulletin are due to the Editor by the 20th of the
previous month. The accuracy of the published material is not guaranteed. If there is any error, please bring it to
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin April 2018, Volume 67 No. 4 Page 2 of 16
the Editor’s attention. The Section’s web site, http://sites.ieee.org/pittsburgh, has recent issues of the bulletin
and lots of other useful information.
Notes From the Chair We have a very busy April coming up in Pittsburgh this
year. The 2018 IEEE Region 2 Student Activities
Conference (SAC) will be held from April 6th to 7th in
Pittsburgh for the first time in more than 20 years. The
student members in the Pittsburgh Section have been
working especially hard to obtain funding and organize
the conference, and we are excited for it to be a success.
Additionally, the IEEE N3XT® Flagship Event will be
also be taking place in Pittsburgh on April 18th, and
will provide a great opportunity to network and interact
with other entrepreneurs in frontier tech and
engineering-driven startup community.
Also, the IEEE Pittsburgh Section Consultants'
Network is hosting a workshop on April 21st for
present and future consultants, to help build networking
skills for consulting success and provide an opportunity
to learn from successful entrepreneurs and consultants.
Read more in the Bulletin about these conferences and
other exciting events that our technical chapters have
planned for this month. As always, a big thank-you to
all of our volunteers who make it all possible.
Daniel Wilson
2018 IEEE Pittsburgh Section Chair
Section
Chair - Dan Wilson, [email protected]
Vice Chair -- Navid Binesh, [email protected]
Treasurer – Ted Zyra, [email protected] Asst. Treasurer – Evan Watson, [email protected]
Secretary - Haifeng Wang, [email protected]
Immediate Past Chair – Dr. Drew Lowery, [email protected]
Special Events Chair – Dr. Kal Sen, [email protected]
Webmaster – Gerry Kumnik, [email protected]
UpperMon Subsection
Chair: Dr. Gianfranco Doretto, [email protected]
Chapters
Communications Society – Chair: Dr. Balaji Palanisamy, [email protected]; Sec: Phil Cox, [email protected]
Computer Society – Chair: Dr. Ralph Sprang, [email protected]
Electronics Packaging/Electron Devices Societies – Chair: John Mazurowski - [email protected]
Engineering In Medicine & Biology Society Chair: Steve Mozelewski, [email protected]
Electromagnetic Compatibility Society - Chair: Michael J. Oliver, [email protected] (814) 763-3211 Magnetics Society – Chair: Vincent Sokalsky, [email protected]
Nanotechnology Society: Guangyong Li - [email protected]
Power Electronics Society – Chair Sid Pant - [email protected]
Power & Energy & Industry Applications Societies Chair: Steve Dobos, [email protected]; Vice-Chair: Julie Clark; Treas.: Dave Vaglia, [email protected]
Robotics Society – Chair: Joseph Giampapa, [email protected]
Signal Processing Society – Chair: Nicholas.O’Donoughue [email protected]
Society on Social Implications of Technology Chair: Dr. Kal Sen, [email protected]; Vice Chair: Joe Kalasky, P.E., [email protected] 724-244-1609
Council of Electronic Design Automation Chair: Baris Taskin, [email protected]
Affinity Groups
Young Professionals (formerly GOLD) – Chair: Matthew Rehder [email protected]
Women In Engineering – Chair: Mey Sen, [email protected]
Committees
Consultant network: George Crawford - [email protected]
Professional/Career Activities (PACE) Chair: Joe Cioletti, P.E. [email protected]
Student Activities – Dr. Irvin Jones, [email protected]; student reps: Chair:, Zoe Toigo, [email protected]; Vice-chair: Will Howard, [email protected];
Membership Development – Steve Mozelewski, [email protected]
Publicity – Chair: Thomas Dionise, P.E. [email protected] (724) 779-5864
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin April 2018, Volume 67 No. 4 Page 3 of 16
How (Not) to Get Fired in 3 (Not so) Easy Steps!
Speaker: Steve Gross
Date: Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Time: 6:30 PM for dinner, talk at 7 PM
Location: Franklin Park/Wexford Eat'n Park, 2650 Brandt School Road, Wexford, PA 15090
RSVP: Register at: Event Registration Form : vTools Events
Sponsor: Computer Society
Abstract: If you have ever received a negative performance
review, you know it can be very challenging. Faced with the
existential risk of losing your job, life gets very stressful. Know
this: you are not alone. And: you can surmount this challenge. Join
Steve Gross for a discussion on how he handled this situation in his
own career, and how he ultimately learned to embrace critical
feedback, get better at his job, and (spoiler alert!) eventually get
promoted.
Bio: Steve Gross; Professional skills: ~17 years as a code monkey
(Case Western School of Medicine, St Jude Medical, Google);
Amateur skills: pianist, urban planning, home chef, Francophone,
parent
Cloud Radio Access Networks for 5G Communications
Speaker: Matt Valenti
Date: Monday, April 16, 2018
Time: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Place: G39 Engineering Sciences Building (ESB)
West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Abstract: To deal with the impending mobile data onslaught, future (5G) wireless networks will rely on
the dense deployment of small cells, the opening of previously unavailable bands at millimeter wave,
and the development of improved intercell interference coordination. The use of traditional, self-
contained base stations for such environments is an expensive proposition. A viable alternative is to
replace expensive stations with simple remote radio heads and perform all of the baseband processing in
a centralized computing cloud. The benefit is a more efficient and elastic use of computing assets, the
exploitation of global channel state information, and opportunities for improved intercell coordination.
This presentation reviews the concept of a centralized radio access network (C-RAN), with an emphasis
on the interplay between computational efficiency and data throughput. The concept of "computational
outage" is introduced and applied to the analysis of C-RAN networks. The framework is applied to
single-cell and multi-cell scenarios using parameters drawn from the LTE standard. It is found that in
computationally limited networks, the effective throughput can be improved by using a computationally
aware policy for selecting the modulation and coding scheme, which sacrifices spectral efficiency in
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin April 2018, Volume 67 No. 4 Page 4 of 16
order to reduce the computational outage probability. When signals of multiple base stations are
processed centrally, a computational diversity benefit emerges, and the benefit grows with increasing
user density.
Biography: Matthew Valenti is a Professor in the Lane Department of Computer
Science and Electrical Engineering at West Virginia University and site director
for the Center for Identification Technology Research (CITeR), an NSF
Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC). His research is in
the area of wireless communications, including cellular networks, military
communication systems, sensor networks, and coded modulation for satellite
communications. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and his
research is funded by NSF, DoD, and industry. He is active in the organization
of major IEEE Communication Society (ComSoc) conferences, including
serving as the Technical Program Chair for MILCOM 2017 and as chair of the technical steering
committee for IEEE GLOBECOM and ICC. He has served as Editor for several IEEE publications and
as the Chair of ComSoc's Communication Theory Technical Committee. At WVU, he serves as the
Chair of the Faculty Senate and as a faculty representative to the WVU Board of Governors. He
teaches several upper-division and graduate courses on wireless networks, communication theory, and
coding theory, is recipient of several teaching, research, and advising awards by his College, and is a
recipient of the 2013 WVU Foundation Outstanding Teaching Award, the highest teaching award at
WVU. He is registered as a Professional Engineer in the state of West Virginia and is a Fellow of the
IEEE.
Synthesizing NBA defenses with deep imitation learning
Presenter: Dr. Andrew Hartnett
Date: Wednesday, April 18, 2018 Time: 6:30-8:00pm
Location: Benedum Hall Room 102, University of Pittsburgh
Sponsors: IEEE Pittsburgh Joint Chapter of the Signal Processing and Control Systems Societies
Abstract: Encoding and/or constructing generative models of collective behavior is a complex task due
to the dynamic nature of the couplings between agents. The natural state space of endogenous factors,
such as group topology, and exogenous factors, such as the presence and position of other objects,
agents, and signals, is far too high dimensional to be experimentally probed within a laboratory
setting. New techniques in reinforcement and imitation learning, however, provide an avenue for
progress using large quantities of trajectories from observational video data.
In this talk, we will examine these challenges within the context of professional basketball. The goal is
to construct unsupervised models which are capable of synthesizing realistic, responsive NBA team
defensive behaviors. We will present compelling progress towards this goal and discuss the key
technical insights that have made this possible. Specifically, we will focus on issues of data routing,
feature selection, network architecture, and multi-model training.
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin April 2018, Volume 67 No. 4 Page 5 of 16
Bio: Andrew Hartnett is a physicist, ecologist, and educator. His research interests center on extending
principles from information theory and machine learning to problems in collective behavior. He received
his Ph.D. in 2017 from Princeton University where he studied the mechanisms of coordinated movement
and consensus decision-making in animal groups. As a postdoc at Disney Research, Andrew focused on
understanding collective behavior in team sports: developing deep recurrent models for encoding and
predicting player trajectories in basketball. Currently, he is working on understanding and modeling the
complex interactions encountered by autonomous vehicles as an engineer at Argo AI.
This event is open to the public, please register at: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/170061. For
questions, contact Nicholas O’Donoughue ([email protected]).
IEEE N3XT Frontier Summit – April 18, 2018
Getting Beyond #MeToo: A Discussion on Culture, Diversity, Inclusion & Successful Scaling within
the Startup Environment
K E Y N O T E S P E A K E R S
KELLY HOEY
Serial Entrepreneur, Investor & Author | Build Your Dream Network
JUDITH M. WILL IAMS
Founder | Magic Deer Consulting & former Global Head of Diversity | Dropbox
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin April 2018, Volume 67 No. 4 Page 6 of 16
5:00pm Registration & Welcome
5:30pm – 7:00pm Keynotes & Fireside Chat
7:00pm – 8:30pm AlphaLab Gear Hardware Cup International Finals
8:30pm IEEE Entrepreneurship & AlphaLab Gear host #PartyLikeAnEngineer and IEEE Young Professional Meetup &Kickoff of the IEEE Entrepreneurs Network – Pittsburgh Section!
https://entrepreneurship.ieee.org/ieee-n3xt-frontiers/
Registration is free, and filling up fast. Sign up here for awesome evening packed with events, keynotes,
and networking!
IEEE Consultant’s Workshop
Are you thinking about becoming a consultant or are you already a consultant in your own business?
This workshop is just what you need to start or expand your business.
The purpose of the workshop is “to facilitate the formation of more consulting businesses by showing
our members the How-To part of becoming a consultant and running their own business where they are
their own boss”.
Date: April 21, 2018
Site: Sewickley United Methodist Church
Broad and Thorne Streets
Sewickley, PA 15143
Time: Registration at 8:30AM, Workshop from 9:00 to 2:30.
There will be a charge to cover the cost of providing breaks and lunch for those persons attending the
entire event.
Pre-register at https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/m/158496. More information and a syllabus can be found
at this location.
Questions: Contact George Crawford – [email protected] about the Consultant’s Workshop.
This event is jointly sponsored by the Pittsburgh Section Consultants Network and the Pittsburgh
Section Employment Network and is open to all engineers.
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin April 2018, Volume 67 No. 4 Page 7 of 16
A Wellness-Centric Healthcare System With Interoperable Public
Health: The Multidimensional Global Threats, Interdependences of
the Critical Infrastructures, and Geomedicine
Speaker: Luis Kun
Date: Monday, April 23, 2018
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Place: 120 Advanced Engineering Research Building
(AERB)
West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Abstract: A combination of factors affects Society today, in ways unimaginable, to many, a few years
ago, in the ways we: work, study, teach, read and write, have fun, find out the news, buy, sell and
generally in the way we communicate and even the total way we live. Globalization, and the constant
use of technologies in academia, industry and government has created a new generation of socio-
economic dilemmas that are associated not only to biomedical and clinical engineering and electro-
medicine but to many other disciplines. Professionally, new requirements have and will open new
opportunities to those that have knowledge in a spectrum of areas that include biosensors, geographical
information systems, nanotechnology, intelligent agents, and many other areas. Medicine and Public
Health experts will have to incorporate in their teams, individuals that would be able to develop and
maintain new technologies, within their respective fields. In many cases, solutions used in other fields,
were used to resolve problems in this one. This in turn provides solutions much are more cost-effective
solutions. NOTE: This talk covers a wide range of topics that could be of interest to heterogeneous
audiences that include not only computer experts, but biomedical, systems and communication
engineers, technologists, physicians, nurses, epidemiologists and surveillance personnel associated with
public health and epidemics, agencies and departments in charge of protecting our food, our drinking
water, our environment, our borders, etc.
Biography: Dr. Kun graduated from the Merchant Marine Academy in Uruguay and holds a BSEE;
MSEE and Ph.D. degree in BME all from UCLA. A (Lifetime) Fellow of the IEEE, the American
Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and the International Academy of Medical and
Biological Engineering. He is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of National Security Affairs (CHDS)
and was Professor of Homeland Security at the National Defense University (2003-2015). He is Editor
in Chief of Springer's Journal of Health and Technology. He spent 14 years at IBM; was Director of
Medical Systems Technology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. As Senior IT Advisor to AHCPR he
formulated the IT vision and was the lead staff for High Performance Computers and Communications
program and Telehealth. In July 1997, as invited speaker to the White House, he was largely responsible
for the first Telemedicine Homecare Legislation signed by President Clinton, August 1997. Represented
the DHHS Secretary at a Forum of Health Care Ministers on Telecommunications and the Health Care
Industry in Mexico. While a Distinguished Fellow at the CDC, as Acting Chief IT Officer for the
National Immunization Program he formulated their IT vision on 10/2000. Kun received many awards
including: AIMBE's first-ever Fellow Advocate Award in 2009; IEEE-USA Citation of Honor Award,
"For exemplary contributions in the inception and implementation of a health care IT vision in the US."
2011 Golden Core Award by the IEEE CS. Named: "Profesor Honoris Causa" Favaloro University,
(Argentina); "Distinguished Visitor" by City of Puebla, Mexico (9/4/2013). He is/was in the IEEE
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin April 2018, Volume 67 No. 4 Page 8 of 16
Distinguished Visitor Program for the CS, Distinguished Lecturer for the Engineering in Medicine and
Biology Society (EMBS) and the DL SSIT Chair. (2014) Honorary Professor of the Electrical
Engineering Dept. at the School of Engineering of the University (UDELAR) in Montevideo, Uruguay.
He received the Medal of Merit on October 20, 2016 in Mexico by the National Unit of Engineering
Associations and named Visiting Professor by the National Technological University of Buenos Aires,
Argentina, October 2017.
"Social Implications of Technology" - Repercussions from Science
Technology and the Climate Changes in the Global Village
Speaker: Luis Kun, PhD, SSIT Distinguished Lecturer
Date: April 23, 2018
Time: Refreshments - 6:30 PM; Presentation - 7:00 PM
Place: Westinghouse Energy Center, 4350 Northern Pike, Monroeville, PA 15146
RSVP: Required at https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/170526 by April 20, 2018. If you are an
IEEE member, you must enter your membership number. If you would like to receive PDH, please bring
a copy of this announcement for verification of your attendance and your membership identification
card. A non-Member who would like to receive PDH is required to pay $10 to “IEEE Pittsburgh
Section.”
Organizer: Women In Engineering (WIE) and Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT)
Abstract: We live in a planet where two different realities occur. In one, the world is driven by the
Internet, cell phones, computers, high definition TV, a global economy, medications a la carte for
depression, cholesterol or hypertension. The other reality however, shows us a world where 2 out of 3
persons don’t have access to clean water, 70 % of the world population lives with less than 10 dollars a
day, and where 21.000 children die every day before reaching the age of 5 (29 K in 2005). In this other
reality thousands die daily from, tuberculosis, AIDS, Malaria and many other communicable diseases.
The majority of these deaths due to lack of clean drinking water, food and medications / vaccines are
preventable. In the mid `90s, a discussion ensued regarding, a potential digital divide caused by great
social inequalities that could take place by having (or not) access to the Internet and other
communication technologies. Dr. Kun will discuss different aspects of these two realities including:
global population growth, urbanization and the threats from increases in population density,
interdependencies of this growth, sustainability of the world (water, food and energy), the global
economy, and the increases in natural and man-made disasters, many of which are a direct consequence
of climate change. Dr. Kun will propose, a change in attitude and the need to apply new formulas to
address these challenges. In his opinion, the future conflicts and wars will be driven by water, food,
energy and medications, and particularly the need for education.
Speaker: See Dr. Kun’s biography on page 7.
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin April 2018, Volume 67 No. 4 Page 9 of 16
DIRECTIONS TO WESTINGHOUSE ENERGY CENTER
From Pittsburgh take Interstate 376 East (Parkway East). Take Exit 84A to Monroeville. Cross Business
Rt 22 at the traffic light and proceed on Rt 48 South (Moss Side Blvd) approx ½ mile (two traffic lights).
The 2nd
traffic light is at a 4-way intersection with a Marathon station on the right and a Sunoco station
on the left. Turn left onto Northern Pike. Proceed approx 0.2 miles and turn right at the 1st traffic light
onto Westinghouse Dr. Travel 0.7 miles to the 3 flags where the building’s main entrance is located.
Parking in the evening will be plentiful. Use the main entrance and check with the security guards
inside. You will be directed to the proper room for your meeting.
From the PA Turnpike, take Exit 57 (Monroeville). After the toll plaza, get in the left lane to get on
Business Rt 22 West. At the first light, turn left onto Rt 48 South (Moss Side Blvd) and follow the above
directions.
"Transforming Healthcare Through Interoperability”
Speaker: Luis Kun, PhD, SSIT Distinguished Lecturer
Date: Tuesday April 24, 2018
Time: Light Dinner - 6:30 PM; Presentation - 7:00 PM to 8:30PM
Place: Location: Westinghouse Headquarters 1000 Westinghouse Drive Cranberry Township,
Pennsylvania United States 16066
Registration: Required at https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/170548 by April 22, 2018. If you are an
IEEE member, you must enter your membership number. If you would like to receive PDH, please bring
a copy of this announcement for verification of your attendance and your membership identification
card. A non-Member who would like to receive PDH is required to pay $10 to “IEEE Pittsburgh
Section.”
Sponsored By: Electromagnetic Compatibility Society (EMC), and the Power and Energy & Industry
Applications Societies (PES/IAS).
Abstract: For over 40 years researchers have written about applying computer technologies to improve
daily medical care, and in the past decade, the goal of using genomic data to truly personalize care has
been woven into those concepts. Since 2004, the US has focused on creating a complete personal health
record for each citizen by 2015, and great strides have been made in developing the technical standards
to allow near-real-time health data acquisition either directly from medical devices, health practitioners,
caregivers, and/or patients themselves. In this period government and private agencies have also been
separately collecting and organizing vast quantities of scientific data regarding agriculture, society, and
many other facets of science the environment we live in. It has become clear that many illnesses and
injuries are directly caused or are significantly influenced by the environment. Further, as human
lifetimes are extended around the globe; environmental factors simply have more years' damage to
human health and wellness. The cost of treating illnesses and injuries in the US is rapidly approaching
20% GDP, and other countries are experiencing significant medical cost increases as well. These
increases have far outstripped other industries and are made worse by the growing percentages of elder
citizens. Older populations also shift the cost and burden of healthcare onto a decreasing percentage of
young and health workers, too. Not only are the costs unsustainable, but the escalation of human
suffering for old and young alike is unacceptable and unnecessary. Ultimately, scientists, engineers, and
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin April 2018, Volume 67 No. 4 Page 10 of 16
information specialists will have to work to "engineer health and wellness INTO each person's life" as
consistently and as effectively as possible, because that is simply more efficient, effective, affordable,
and ethical than treating the symptoms of illnesses and injuries. Health and wellness is not a "one size
fits all" process, however. Our genetic makeup and our lifelong history of nutrition, exercise, education,
illnesses and injuries all interact with the environment in very complex ways. Over many centuries of
evolution, humans have adapted to widely different chemical, climactic, nutritional, and other
challenges. The ideal sustenance for health and wellness of each person and community can be
considerably different through seasonal, regional, social, and other changes. Matching health and
wellness solutions to each person's current and projected needs will require integrating vast amounts of
sometimes dissimilar information, careful and thoughtful analysis of these data warehouses, and skillful
interpretation and application of that data to meet each person's actual needs.
Speaker: See Dr. Kun’s biography on page 7.
DIRECTIONS TO WESTINGHOUSE HQ, CRANBERRY
Directions from the South: Take 79 North to the route 228 east exit. Stay in right lane and drive by
Marriott Hotel (on right). Turn right into Cranberry Woods facility and stay in left lane. Make first left
into Westinghouse Headquarters and drive straight through roundabout. Please park in the visitors
parking places that are located on either side of the entry road.
Directions from the East: Take the PA Turnpike (I-76) West following signs for Ohio / I-76 W. Take
Exit 28 and follow I-79 N toward Erie. Stay in the entrance lane (right lane) and immediately take Exit
78, PA-228 Cranberry/Mars. Turn right onto PA-228 E toward Mars. Turn right onto Cranberry Woods
Drive. Take immediate left at Westinghouse sign and drive straight through roundabout. Please park in
the visitors parking places that are located on either side of the entry road.
Computer Society Social and Membership Elevation Meeting
Date: Thursday April 26, 2018
Time: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Place: Any Given Sundae, 2612 Brandt School Rd, Wexford, PA 15090
Organizer: Computer Society
RSVP: RSVP at https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/170474 and we will buy your ice cream. IEEE
members must enter their membership number.
Join the Computer Society for a social time, networking, discussion of upcoming meetings, and to learn
how to progress to a higher membership grade.
Computer Society will buy ice cream for Computer Society members who RSVP.
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin April 2018, Volume 67 No. 4 Page 11 of 16
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Annual History and Awards Dinner
Date: Friday, May 4, 2018
Time: 5:30 PM: Arrival
6:00 PM: Dinner and Awards Presentations
7:00 PM: Keynote speech
Speaker: Mark Barlow
Place: The University Club, Gold room, University of Pittsburgh
123 University Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15260.
Phone: 412-648-8213
Cost: $30 per member; $50 member plus guest (Cash Bar is available)
Organizer: IEEE Pittsburgh Section.
RSVP: Required by April 20, 2018. Seating is limited to 40 people. Register at:
https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/170229. Please pay by credit card online, or send your check, payable
to “IEEE Pittsburgh Section,” to Philip Cox, 343 Partridge Run Rd., Gibsonia, PA 15044. Please
provide the name of your guest, if any. For any question, please write to Phil at [email protected].
Title: Exploring the Life and Achievements of Nikola Tesla
Join us in appreciating the life and achievements of electrical engineer Nikola Tesla. We will reflect on
Tesla’s past, recognize his contributions to the present, and consider his warnings about the future. The
presentation will touch on aspects of Tesla’s life, the impact of AC power, and the Tesla Coil!
Bio: Mark Barlow has 6.5 years experience in the energy
industry working on solar photovoltaic grid tied and battery
storage power systems. His years of experience include
employment within the energy sector, as well as work
completed in his own company DC to Power, LLC.
Mark established his company in 2011 with the ambition of
making sustainable energy more cost effective. Additionally, he
has 3.5 years of reliability engineering experience from the
semiconductor industry related to the development of MEMS
sensors. Mark has been a member of the IEEE for 15 years and
a Tesla Coil Builder for last 20 years.
Mr. Barlow received his Masters of Science in Engineering
from Youngstown State University where he completed his
thesis on the topic of fabricating Schottky Diodes on Silicon
Carbide.
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin April 2018, Volume 67 No. 4 Page 12 of 16
Impact of Geomagnetic Disturbances (GMDs) on the Bulk Power
System
Speaker: Tapan Manna
Title: Associate Technical Consultant, Burns & McDonnell, Kansas City
Date: Monday, May 7, 2018
Time: Refreshments - 6:30 PM; Presentation - 7:00 PM
Place: Westinghouse Energy Center, 4350 Northern Pike, Monroeville, PA 15146
See directions on page 9.
RSVP: Required at https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/170488 by May 5, 2018. If you are an IEEE
member, you must enter your membership number. If you would like to receive PDH, please bring a
copy of this announcement for verification of your attendance and your membership identification card.
A non-Member who would like to receive PDH is required to pay $10 to “IEEE Pittsburgh Section.”
Organizer: Power Electronics Society (PELS)
Abstract: This presentation describes GMD (Geomagnetic Disturbance) and its impacts on the bulk
power system. It also discusses a high-level overview of solar storm phenomena including historical
solar events, FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) Order on ‘Benchmark GMD Event’ and
strategic plans for GIC (geomagnetically induced current) monitoring and mitigation against GMD
event.
Speaker: Dr. Tapan Manna is currently an Associate Technical Consultant
working at Burns & McDonnell, Kansas City. He has been actively involved
with relay coordination and HVDC and FACTS projects. He has over 25 years
of experience in the power industry and academia. His technical specialties and
interests include power systems and power systems protection, grounding,
lightning, HVDC and FACTS, and HV/EHV power apparatus. Tapan obtained
his PhD from Tennessee Tech University. Prior to migrating to the United
States, he served as a Lecturer for two years at the College of Engineering &
Management, Kolaghat, India. He had over 10 years of utility-experience with
Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation Limited and West Bengal Power
Development Corporation Limited in India. Tapan’s utility background comprises start-up testing and
commissioning of substation and generating station, and power generation plants operation. Prior to
joining Burns & McDonnell, he worked for URS (currently AECOM), Black & Veatch, and Tennessee
Tech University. Dr. Manna is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas, a registered
Chartered Engineer in the Institution of Engineers (India), and a PES Distinguished Lecturer. He is also
a Senior IEEE member and a member of CIGRE, Sigma Xi, and Institution of Engineers (India). He is a
member and contributor of several IEEE-PES and CIGRE working groups.
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin April 2018, Volume 67 No. 4 Page 13 of 16
Looking Ahead: Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
2018 - Call for Judges
Volunteers are needed to represent the IEEE Pittsburgh Section at the 2018 Intel International Science
and Engineering Fair (ISEF). The 2018 Intel ISEF event will be held at the David L. Lawrence
Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA, May 13-18, 2018. IEEE members from Pittsburgh are needed to
judge for the IEEE President’s Scholarship of $10,000 plus new awards for 2nd
and 3rd
place. The
Special Award judging days begin on Tuesday, May 15 and a winner must be chosen by the end of the
day, Wednesday, May 16. The Awards Presentation will take place the evening of Thursday, May 17.
Volunteer judges are needed Tuesday, May 15 for pre-judging and for the whole day on Wednesday,
May 16 for judging. If you are unable to commit to both days, then it is possible to judge for a portion of
the time.
To volunteer to be an IEEE judge for ISEF, just email [email protected], and you will be given
information on registration and included in future mailings.
2018 PES Chapter Outstanding Engineer Award Announcement
Mey Ling Sen,
President, Sen Engineering Solutions
to receive the 2018 Pittsburgh PES Chapter’s
Outstanding Engineer Award
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin April 2018, Volume 67 No. 4 Page 14 of 16
Ms. Mey Ling Sen was selected this year to receive the 2018 Pittsburgh PES Chapter Outstanding
Engineer Award. Ms. Sen’s exemplary contributions to the IEEE Power & Energy Society along with
her many years of contributions to the Pittsburgh Section of IEEE will be recognized at the annual
History and Awards Dinner on May 4th where she will be our honored guest. All members are invited
to our Annual History and Awards Dinner. Make it a date. You will surely enjoy the evening.
Service to IEEE
Starting back in 2003, Ms. Sen became very active in the IEEE Pittsburgh Section. She is presently a
member of the IEEE:
Industry Applications Society,
Power and Energy Society
Power Electronics Society Women in Engineering Affiliation Group
There are too many good things to list here that have happened in our Pittsburgh Section IEEE due
directly to Mey’s leadership and volunteering of her time and effort. However, several things standout
that should not go unnoted.
Mey has held all officer positions in the PES/IAS Joint Chapter which includes Secretary, Treasurer,
Vice-Chair, Chair, Immediate Past Chair, and Awards Chair, While in those positions, the Joint Chapter
won the Best Large Chapter Award both in PES and IAS, , and several High Performance Chapter
awards
Ms. Sen has helped resurrect the Women in Engineering (WIE) affinity group as Co- Chair. Mey is now
Chair of our WIE group.
The Baseball Outings, History and Awards Dinners, and Summer/Fall Picnics for many years have come
to fruition through the hard work and persistence of Mey (and Kal).
The new to Pittsburgh Section Power Electronics Chapter has become a success and won the 2015 Best
Chapter Award with the support given by Mey as Vice-Chair.
For the Pittsburgh Section, Mey has served in the Treasurer’s position , keeping the books balanced, and
the funds flowing to our chapters.
In short, wherever and whenever support was needed, Mey was there to give it.
Description of technical contributions:
Currently Ms. Sen is the President of Sen Engineering Solutions (Monroeville, PA).
SEN Engineering Solutions has developed a novel concept for power system control. The idea is to rely
on traditional transformer-and-tap technology to regulate and minimize reactive power in transmission
lines, the current that is out of phase with voltage and contributes nothing to useful energy delivered.
The Sen Transformers are designed to accomplish better power flow control, much the same as more
sophisticated but much more expensive flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices.
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin April 2018, Volume 67 No. 4 Page 15 of 16
Mey Ling Sen has spent over 15 years in industry. She has worked as an Engineering Consultant at
Westinghouse and ABB. She is the co-inventor of the Sen Transformer—a SMART Power Flow
Controller that is based on functional requirements and the most cost-effective power flow control
solution. She is the coauthor of the book titled, Introduction to FACTS Controllers: Theory, Modeling,
and Applications, IEEE Press and John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2009, which is also published in Chinese and
English paperback editions in China and India, respectively.
Ms. Sen received BSEE and MEE degrees in electrical engineering, from Worcester Polytechnic
Institute and Rice University, respectively.
Patents and Patent Applications
Mey Ling Sen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent
applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States
Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Multi-line power flow transformer for compensating power flow among transmission lines
Patent number: 6841976
Versatile power flow transformers for compensating power flow in a transmission line Patent
numbers: 6420856, 6396248, 6384581 and 6335613
Ms. Sen, your fellow engineers and members of the IEEE Pittsburgh Section thank you for your
exemplary support and leadership in making the Pittsburgh Section what it is today, one of the best!
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin April 2018, Volume 67 No. 4 Page 16 of 16
2018 Calendar – Meetings of IEEE Pittsburgh Section Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July August Sept Oct Nov Dec
Executive
Committee
(AdCom)
18
Panera
Bread Robinson
15
Panera
Bread Wilkins
15
Panera Bread
Oakland, Forbes ave.
19
Panera Bread
Wexford
17
Panera Bread
Galleria
21
Panera
Bread Wilkins
19
Panera Bread
Wexford
16
Panera Bread
Wilkins
20
Panera
Bread Galleria
18
TBD
15
Panera Bread
Galleria
20
TBD
Section 24
Engineers
Week
29
Senior
Members
21
Consultants &
Employment Workshop
4
History
Dinner
Communic
ations
Computer 10 Job advice
26
Social meet
20 Ethernet
EMBS 22 Monitor
Brain
EMCS 24
Health Data
Power
Electronics
25
Ripple
Reduction
22
Voltage
Converters
7
GMDs
PES/IAS 24 Health Data
Magnetics
Robotics 30
Advocating Robotics
Sig.
Processing
18
Synthesizing
NBA defenses
CPMT/ED
Social Impl
Technology
23 Global
Village
Upper Mon 26 Data
Analytics
16 Cloud Radio
23
Health Care
Women in
Eng’ing
23 Global
Village
Young Pros 18
N3XT
PACE 4
Russ
Harrison
Student Act
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