Pittsburgh Section Bulletin January 2016 Volume 65, No. 1 Included in this issue: Notes From the Chair... 2 Preparing the Workforce for the Future of Science and Engineering... 3 Advances in Switched-Mode Power Converters Enabled by Wide Bandgap Semiconductors 4 IEEE Pittsburgh Section Power Electronics Chapter Updates... 5 Engineer s Week 2016 Call for Volunteers... 6 Volunteer for the 2016 IndEEE 500 Robot Car Race... 6 Our 2016 Section Officers... 7 Welcome Our New Senior Members:... 7 Editor: Philip Cox, p.e.cox@ieee.org; Contributors: Tom Dionise, Jim Lagree, Kal Sen, and Matthew Valenti 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 the Editor s attention. The Section s web site, https://webinabox.vtools.ieee.org/wibp_home/index/r20037, has recent issues of the bulletin and lots of other useful information IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin January 2016 Volume 65 No. 1 Page 1 of 8
Notes From the Chair Hello Everyone, I m the new chair for the Pittsburgh Section in 2016 and want to thank Jim Beck for all of the hard work he has put into being the chair the last 2 years. I want to also thank all of the new people and the existing people who are helping to run our great section. The Pittsburgh Section IEEE is a strong and vibrant section that has a long history and involvement with technology. This year we plan on submitting an application for outstanding section. Pittsburgh is also a great place to hold a conference. These are just two that I know of, Computer Society Annual Symposium on VLSI (July) and the Non Volatile Memory Technology Symposium (Oct). These symposiums not only highlight our great city but the changing demographics of the technological work done here. I try to remind people where I work of the importance of IEEE membership. One of my old bosses always said that it was an important part of competition to be involved with the IEEE standards making bodies. There is a lot to get out of your IEEE membership and setting standards is one. Today there are new standards such as the Internet of Things (IoT) standards. The new IEEE motto is IEEE Advancing Technology for Humanity. We are The world s largest professional association for the advancement of technology. I hope you had or will have a happy holiday and I look forward to a great 2016! Best regards, Jim Lagree IEEE Pittsburgh Section Chair, 2016 Section Chair - Jim Lagree, JamesLLagree@Eaton.com Vice Chair -- Dr. Drew Lowery, drew.lowery@mail.wvu.edu Treasurer Dan Wilson, djwilson06@gmail.com Asst. Treasurer - Jiahui Zhang Secretary - Navid Binesh, navid.binesh@siemens.com Immediate Past Chair Dr. Jim Beck, jebeck@ieee.org Awards Chair Dr. Ralph Sprang, rsprang@ieee.org Webmaster Gerry Kumnik, g.kumnik@computer.org UpperMon Subsection Chair: Dr. Gianfranco Doretto, Gianfranco.Doretto@mail.wvu.edu Chapters Communications Society Chair: Dr. Balaji Palanisamy, bpalan@pitt.edu; Sec: Phil Cox, p.e.cox@ieee.org Computer Society Chair: Dr. Jim Beck, jebeck@ieee.org Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology/Electron Devices Societies Russell Dudek, russell.dudek.us@ieee.org; Treas.: Dr. Louis Hart Engineering In Medicine & Biology Society Chair: Dr. Wei Wang, wangwei3@pitt.edu Electromagnetic Compatibility Society Chair: Michael J. Oliver emi@majr.com (814) 763-3211 Power Electronics Society Chair: Dr. Brandon Grainger bmg10@pitt.edu Power & Energy & Industry Applications Societies Chair: Dave Vaglia, davevaglia@ieee.org; Past: Mey Sen, senml@ieee.org 412-373-0117 Magnetics Society Chair: Dr. Matt Moneck, mmoneck@andrew.cmu.edu Nanotechnology Society - Chair: Dr. MinheeYun yunmh@engr.pitt.edu Robotics Society Chair: Gene Kern, genekern@ieee.org Signal Processing Society Chair: Dr. Deniz Gencaga d.gencaga@ieee.org Society on Social Implications of Technology Chair: Joe Kalasky, P.E., j.kalasky@ieee.org 724-244-1609 Council of Electronic Design Automation Chair: Dr. Xin Li, xinli@cmu.edu Affinity Groups Young Professionals (formerly GOLD) Chair: Matthew Rehder mattrehder@gmail.com Women In Engineering Co Chairs: Paige Kassalen, Paige.kassalen.us@ieee.org and Mey Sen, senml@ieee.org Committees Professional/Career Activities (PACE) Chair: Joe Cioletti, P.E. jcioletti@ieee.org Student Activities Dr. Irvin Jones, irjones@ieee.org; student reps: Chair: Blaine Headley bmheadley@mix.wvu.edu, Vicechair: Brandon Contino brandon.contino@pitt.edu Membership Development Steve Mozelewski, Steve.Mozelewski@gmail.com Publicity Chair: Thomas Dionise, P.E. ThomasJDionise@eaton.com (724) 779-5864 IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin January 2016 Volume 65 No. 1 Page 2 of 8
Preparing the Workforce for the Future of Science and Engineering Speaker: Steven Gordon, Ph.D. Date: Monday, Jan. 25, 2016 Time: 5:00 PM 6:00 PM Place: G102 Engineering Science Building (ESB) West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV RSVP: Matthew Valenti, Valenti@ieee.org Organizer: Upper Mon Subsection Abstract Computer modeling has become the third path to discovery in science and engineering along with theory and experimentation. Preparing students for careers in these fields requires the integration of domain knowledge with aspects of mathematics and computer science critical to the application of computational science to advances in knowledge as well as the competiveness of the US in science, engineering, and business. The Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) project has created opportunities for students and faculty to initiate programs and acquire the necessary computational science expertise. The related XSEDE education and training programs as well as other opportunities for students will be addressed in this seminar. Speaker Bio Dr. Steven Gordon is the Senior Education Specialist at the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) and Professor Emeritus in City and Regional Planning at The Ohio State University. He has also served as the Interim Executive Director of OSC for three years and the Senior Director of Education and Client Services. Currently, Dr. Gordon is the lead for the education program of the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) program funded by the National Science Foundation and the manager of the Blue Waters Graduate Fellowship Program. He is also the chair of the SIGHPC Education Chapter of the ACM. IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin January 2016 Volume 65 No. 1 Page 3 of 8
Advances in Switched-Mode Power Converters Enabled by Wide Bandgap Semiconductors Speaker: Dr. Dragan Maksimovic IEEE PELS Distinguished Lecturer Professor, University of Colorado at Boulder Co-Director, Colorado Power Electronics Center Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 Time: Place: Refreshments - 6:30 PM; Presentation - 7:00 PM University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering Benedum Engineering Hall, Room 102 3700 O Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 RSVP: Required at https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/m/37378 by January 25, 2016. 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) Chapter Abstract: This seminar starts with an introduction to wide bandgap (SiC and GaN) semiconductor technologies, followed by a discussion on how improved device figure of merits in combination with soft switching techniques and advances in converter topologies and integration can lead to improvements in efficiency, power density and dynamic responses of switched-mode power converters. Examples presented include SiC-based ultra-high efficiency dc-dc converters for electric vehicle drivetrains, and VHF converters operating at 10-400 MHz switching frequency using monolithic GaN power stages with integrated gate drivers. Speaker: Dragan Maksimovic received B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Belgrade (Serbia, Yugoslavia), and his Ph.D. degree from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, in 1989. Since 1992, he has been with the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he is currently a Charles V. Schelke Endowed Professor and Director of the Colorado Power Electronics Center (CoPEC). He has co-authored over 250 papers and the 2nd edition of the textbook Fundamentals of Power Electronics. Prof. Maksimovic is a Fellow of the IEEE. His current research interests include power electronics for renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, high frequency power conversion using wide bandgap semiconductors, digital control of switched-mode power converters, as well as analog, digital and mixed-signal integrated circuits for power management applications. DIRECTIONS TO SWANSON SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING Official Address: 3700 O'Hara St, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin January 2016 Volume 65 No. 1 Page 4 of 8
Parking: Consider parking in either O Hara Parking garage (across the street from Benedum Hall) or Soldiers and Sailors parking garage. Street parking is also free after 6 pm if available. IEEE Pittsburgh Section Power Electronics Chapter Updates A seminar titled Practical Power Flow Controller Brings Benefits of Power Electronics to the Grid was held on Dec 3 at the Westinghouse Energy Center, Monroeville as a joint meeting with PES/IAS. There were 27 members and 6 guests in attendance. The Chapter has received a monetary award of $1500 from PELS for winning the Best Chapter Award. The Chapter also thanks the Section for its generous support of financial assistance to conduct its activities. The Chapter is going to start the New Year with a Power Electronics Society Distinguished Lecturer visit on January 27. The Chapter Officers line-up for 2016 is as follows: Chair: Brandon Grainger, Vice Chair: Mey Ling Sen, Secretary: Joseph Kozak and Treasurer: Kalyan Sen It was great serving the Power Electronics Society Chapter as its Founding Chair during the last two years. I request everyone to support the new leadership team to organize great events in the coming years. If you would like to be a speaker, recommend someone to be a speaker, or organize an event, please contact the Chapter Chair, Brandon Grainger at bmg10@pitt.edu. Respectfully submitted, Kal Sen Immediate Past Chair IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin January 2016 Volume 65 No. 1 Page 5 of 8
Engineer s Week 2016 Call for Volunteers Once again the IEEE will have a demonstration table for Engineer's Week 2016 at the Carnegie Science Center on Saturday, February 20. The event table is a fun and effective way for the IEEE to communicate to our youth that electrical engineering can be both enjoyable and challenging. Volunteers are needed to take a turn at the table for about 1 hour each. If you are interested, please reply with the time slot you would like by February 13. The 1-hour slots will begin with the first at 10 AM and the last at 4 PM. The volunteers get an E-Week T-shirt, free admission, free parking, and $2 off coupon for family members. See more details in the February IEEE Bulletin. To volunteer to help with the IEEE table for 2016 Engineer s Week, just email tom.dionise@ieee.org, and you will be given more details and included in future mailings. Volunteer for the 2016 IndEEE 500 Robot Car Race It s time once again to plan for the annual Robotic Car Race IndEEE 500cm at Carnegie Science Center on Sat. Feb. 20, 2016. The Pittsburgh section of IEEE sponsors this event as a part of the annual National Engineers Week celebration at Carnegie Science Center and has been doing this successfully for last 23 years. Each year, this event has attracted over 30 volunteers, about 10-12 teams, a few hundred visitors and a couple of media representatives. Additionally, Carnegie Science Center is packed with exhibits on this day and you can find more information at: http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/calendar/event-details/?eventid=2187 NXT kits by Lego Mindstorms will be provided to competing teams for building and programming the autonomous robotic cars. The NXT provides new capabilities and with that we will provide new challenges to the students. We are seeking your enthusiasm and creativity, to help 8th grade students in building and programming the Lego cars and racing them on the 500cm tracks. Working together with students, teachers and engineers from Pittsburgh is a wonderful opportunity for fun, networking, and giving back to the community. The program starts at noon and is over by 4:30 PM. Plan to arrive around 11:00 AM to get setup. Other minor perks include: free admission to Carnegie Science Center, t-shirt, food coupons, etc. IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin January 2016 Volume 65 No. 1 Page 6 of 8
On Saturday, January 23rd we will hold a workshop at 2 PM for volunteers on the NXT hardware and programming. The workshop is necessary to get familiar with the NXT kits as well as make plans for the event. Please let us know if you or anyone in your network would like to volunteer for the 2016 IndEEE 500 Robot Car Race. Also, please let us know if your local school would like to participate. To volunteer or register your local school, just email tom.dionise@ieee.org, and you will be given more details and included in future mailings. The 2016 section officer election results are: Our 2016 Section Officers Chair - Jim Lagree Vice Chair - Drew Lowery Treasurer - Dan Wilson Secretary - Navid Binesh Assistant Treasurer - Jiahui Zhang Welcome Our New Senior Members: Richard D'Ippolito Craig Lang Richard Fetsick Rita Singh IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin January 2016 Volume 65 No. 1 Page 7 of 8
Executive Committee 2015 Calendar Meetings of IEEE Pittsburgh Section Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July August Sept Oct Nov Dec 21 Panera Bread Wilkins 18 Section 20 Engineer s Week Communic ations Computer EMBS EMCS Power Electronics PES/IAS Magnetics Robotics Sig. Processing CPMT/ED 27 Power Converters Social Impl Technology Upper Mon 25 Preparing Workforce Women in Eng ing Life Mem. Young Pros PACE Student Act 17 21 19 16 21 18 15 20 17 15 IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin January 2016 Volume 65 No. 1 Page 8 of 8