Affiliation: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Seminar Title: Multiscale Molecular Electromagnetic Acoustic Imaging

Abstract:

The advancement of molecular and genomic biology has opened up a new route towards personized medicine from diagnoses to treatment. Electromagnetic (EM) acoustic imaging, using EM waves to induce ultrasound signals that form images, provides versatile possibilities to fulfill the needs of personized diagnostics. In this seminar, the speaker will review recent progress and challenges in the field. He will present their recent innovation in developing molecular imaging techniques using EMacoustic effects to image across various imaging scales from single cells to small animals. In particular, he will talk about their recent results on first-of-its-kind in-vivo radio-frequency molecular cancer imaging, photoacoustic dynamic imaging, and signal cell photoacoustic molecular imaging.

Bio:

Yun-Sheng Chen is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He is affiliated with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Bioengineering, and Carle Illinois College of Medicine. Prior to this appointment, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford School of Medicine, Radiology Department working with Prof. Sanjiv Sam Gambhir. Dr. Chen received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Texas, Austin, advised by Professor Stanislav Emelianov. Dr. Chen leads a diverse research group at UIUC. His team focus on developing new multimodal imaging agents, techniques, and devices that reveal aggressive diseases with molecular precision. His work has been recognized with the Stanford Cancer Imaging Training Fellowship from NCI, the Madrid-MIT M+ Vision Fellowship, the Best Poster Award at Gordon Research Conference on Lasers in Medicine, and the Best Poster Award at World Molecular Imaging Congress. Dr. Chen is a coauthor of 30 peer-reviewed journal publications, 1 book chapter, and 3 issued patents, with a total citation of more than 1700 and an h-index of 21.

Website: http://photoacoustics.ece.illinois.edu/

Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2GwevxIAAAAJ&hl=en

Speaker: Professor Peter Kinget, Bernard J. Lechner Professor and Chair of Electrical Engineering Columbia University

Abstract: Analog, RF and power integrated circuits are the key connectors between the physical world and the digital or cyber world. In this talk I will give my perspective on broader research trends in analog integrated circuit design research and illustrate several of these trends with results from my research group. The analog circuit design discipline emerged in conjunction with electronics and as such has many decades of history. At the same time, electronics are constantly undergoing tremendous changes. In recent decades the key platform for integrated circuits has been CMOS. Under the impetus of “Moore’s Law,” CMOS transistors have scaled by orders of magnitude, which drove the necessity of a constant rejuvenation of analog design techniques. Innovations in analog design are an intricate interplay between novel devices, novel circuit paradigms and novel signal processing. Recently we have been experiencing a shift from traditional analog-to-digital conversion, to analog-to-information conversion (based on compressive sampling), and now to analog-to-feature conversion. This is an example of a top-down shift driven by changing application needs, in particular emerging machine-learning systems. Scaling transistors does not only allow for higher system integration, but also enables significant power reductions. Combining advanced transistors with novel circuit design paradigms encoding analog information in the time domain makes it now possible to design integrated circuits that require less than 1nanoW to operate. These innovations, in turn, create bottom-up opportunities for entirely new classes of systems, e.g., for the Internet of Things. 

Speaker Bio: Peter R. Kinget received an engineering degree in electrical and mechanical engineering and the Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.

He has worked in industrial research and development at Bell Laboratories, Broadcom, Celight and Multilink before joining the faculty of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, NY in 2002, where he currently is the Department Chair and Bernard J. Lechner Professor in Electrical Engineering. He is also a consulting expert on patent litigation and a technical consultant to industry. His research interests are in analog, RF and power integrated circuits and the applications they enable in communications, sensing, and power management.

Peter is widely published and received several awards. He is a Fellow of the IEEE. He is a “Distinguished Lecturer” for the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society (SSCS), and has been an Associate Editor of the IEEE Journal of Solid State Circuits (2003-2007) and the IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II (2008-2009). He has served on the program committees of many of the major solid-state circuits conferences and has been an elected member of the IEEE SSCS Adcom (2011-2013 & 2014-2016).

Company: Sharp Hue

Seminar Title: How to Become an Entrepreneur                  

Abstract of Talk: An entrepreneur by definition is a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so. In order to become an entrepreneur, you have to allow your passion to become your enterprise and live on your own terms. I will share my journey into entrepreneurship and give advice based on my experiences. The ups, the downs, but most importantly the lessons.

Biographical Sketch of the Speaker: Shan Pesaru, CmpE 05 (computer engineering), is a techie and lifelong entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience as a technology creator and supporter of the startup & entrepreneurial community.  Shan is the Founder & CEO of Sharp Hue: a web development and technology consulting firm with offices in Fayetteville, Arkansas and Atlanta, Georgia.

The Sharp Hue team serves around 160 clients with design, development, hosting, and consulting services while also building & supporting their entrepreneurial projects such as Register Wizard, Agent SITE, and Ride Track.

Since 2006 Sharp Hue has helped over 500 clients adopt technology and use design thinking to help businesses and their customers be more productive. Sharp Hue’s mission is to help clients Get Work Done and Go Home Happy!

Shan lives in Atlanta with his wife Nichole and daughter Neela. He is involved with his undergraduate alma mater, Georgia Tech, as a member of the Alumni Association Board of Trustees Executive Committee. Shan will serve as the Chair of the Alumni Association Board in academic year 2021-2022.

Company: Foley & Lardner LLP

Seminar Title: Entrepreneurship                  

Abstract of Talk: The talk will cover the basics of starting a technology-based company, including entity formation, financing and intellectual property issues.

Biographical Sketch of the Speaker: John Lanza is a partner with the Intellectual Property department of Foley & Lardner LLP. He excels at helping companies identify and maximize the corporate value of their intellectual property assets. He provides strategic advice to his clients regarding the acquisition, transfer and enforcement of intellectual property rights and counsels them regarding their business operations in the face of adverse intellectual property rights. He has counseled hundreds of start-ups and is an active angel investor looking for the next company that will change the world. He has also counseled dozens of more established companies in a wide variety of technology areas, including competition and computer-related technologies, software, Internet technologies, electronic commerce and business methods, computer security, cryptography, imaging systems, software entertainment technologies, semiconductors, electronic displays, electronic devices and printed circuit technology. Notable clients include Google Inc., Citrix Systems, Inc., Carbonite Inc., RSA Security Inc., Analog Devices, Inc. and Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. (the makers of Rock Band).

Mr. Lanza has been listed in Chambers USA as a leading attorney in the field of intellectual property every year since 2006 and has been selected for inclusion in the Massachusetts Super Lawyers® lists every year since 2005. In 2011, the Legal 500 recognized him for his patent prosecution work in utility and design patents, and in 2012 he was also recognized for his work in patent licensing. He was included in the 2012 edition of Best Lawyers in America® for information technology law and  was also recognized among IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners 2012 and 2013.

Company: Washington Education Zone, LLC

Seminar Title: An Alternative Path                  

Abstract of Talk: Demonstrating the adage that luck is when preparation meets opportunity, this is a career that began in engineering, migrated through education reform, real estate development, and teaching, to currently running a startup education incubator.

Biographical Sketch of the Speaker: Anthony Priest offers a unique perspective stemming from his diverse career in public education, education advocacy, real estate development, and technology. Currently the COO for the Washington Education Zone, Anthony is also an Adjunct Professor at The George Washington University teaching a course on Data Analytics in the CyberSecurity masters program. Prior to that he established the DC office for Genesis Works, a non-profit that trains high school students and secures IT internships for their senior year. As a Program Manager in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) division within Washington, D.C. Public Schools (DCPS), Anthony was the Regional Director for Project Lead The Way (PLTW), responsible for 14 schools, and recipient of a $2 million grant from Lockheed Martin to further his efforts. Anthony established the Computer Science program within DCPS, which, in 3 years he grew to 800 students at 10 schools in 5 different courses, one of which was CyberSecurity. Prior to being recruited to work in the CTE division, Anthony taught high school math and engineering for 3 years. Before transitioning to a career in the classroom, Anthony spent nine years as a commercial real estate developer, including managing the $150 million re-development of a downtown DC office building. Prior to that, he was the Director of High Performance Management at the National Center on Education and the Economy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing U.S. schools and their teachers with the tools and training they need to lead the world in education. He began his career at NCR, where he worked as a manufacturing engineer. Anthony graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelors of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, and a Masters of Science in Industrial Engineering. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the Harvard Business School and a Masters in Education from the University of Virginia. Anthony is extremely active in the community, having served on the Board of Trustees for Georgia Tech, President of the Georgia Tech DC Club, President and Chairman of the Harvard Business School Club of Washington, and is currently on the Board of the U.S. Chess Center. In addition, he has completed twelve marathons, multiple triathlons, and founded a non-profit organization, DC Robotics, whose aim is to further STEM education through support and establishment of robotics programs throughout Washington, DC

Title: Intelligence Community (IC) Cloud Architect

Company: The Aerospace Corporation

Seminar Title: Applying technology within the Intelligence Community                 

Abstract of Talk: Mr. Doshi will be talking about his work researching and applying cutting-edge technologies to unique national security space challenges. Past focus areas are wireless, cloud computing, and satellite command and control. Future research areas are software defined networking, security, big data, among others.         

Biographical Sketch of the Speaker: Mr. Prashant Doshi is an alumnus of Georgia Tech. He completed his BS in Computer Engineering in 2002 and MS in ECE with a CS minor in 2003. Mr. Doshi has spent the last 11 years working for the Aerospace Corporation supporting intelligence satellite programs within the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Mr. Doshi has presented his work in cloud and wireless computing at various forums.

Title: Senior Attorney

Company: King & Spalding LLP

Seminar Title: Intellectual Property: The Economic Engine of Knowledge                 

Abstract of Talk: Intellectual property is the backbone of the world economy. It plays a role in everyone’s life. It is particularly important for engineers, whether you are in research and development, an entrepreneur, a business manager, or any other technology career. We will discuss the various types of intellectual property (patents, trade secrets, copyrights, and trademarks) including what they protect and how they are acquired.            

Biographical Sketch of the Speaker: Laura Huffman is a proud graduate of Georgia Tech, holding the BEE and MSEE degrees. She began her career at Bell Laboratories in research and development in optical fiber and cable. She subsequently moved into business management for Lucent Technologies and OFS, with global responsibility for product management, product marketing, business development, intellectual property strategy and public policy. After that career, she obtained her JD degree from Emory University, where she participated in the joint Georgia Tech Emory TI:GER program. She retired from the Intellectual Property Group of King & Spalding LLP in April 2018 and returned on a part-time basis in December 2018. Her practice includes all aspects of intellectual property litigation and counseling with a primary emphasis on patent litigation.  She is currently a board member of the Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance (GIPA), with responsibility for the Georgia University Alliance. Ms. Huffman is married to David Huffman, BEE '80, and is the proud mother of Matt, who will “get out” in May 2019 with a BS NRE.

Title: Applications Engineering District Manager

Company:  Keysight Technologies, Inc.

Seminar Title: "Full Steam Ahead: Engineering Your Future"

Abstract of Talk:

This brief seminar will quickly guide the audience through one man's journey from student loans to a technical management position in one of the world's premier electrical and computer engineering companies.  Stops along the way will include thoughts about graduating in a down economy, what companies value in an engineer as an employee, the importance of relationships, and an overview of the role of Applications Engineers in the world of high-tech companies. 

Biographical Sketch of the Speaker:

Keefe is the Keysight EEsof EDA Applications Engineering District Manager for the Eastern half of North America.  He has worked for Keysight Technologies (formerly Agilent Technologies) for over 15 years, has worked in the RF/microwave community for more than 20 years, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.  Keefe resides in the suburbs of Atlanta with his wife and three children and is proud of his continued engagements and partnerships with Georgia Tech, including his role on our ECE Advisory Board.

Title: Sandia technology in support of Nuclear Nonproliferation and International Safeguards   

Speaker Bio: Rebecca D. Horton is a Senior Manager in the Advanced Science & Technology Program Management Center at Sandia National Laboratories.  She currently works at Georgia Institute of Technology as the on-campus partnerships manager to develop strategic research collaborations, enhance the talent pipeline for work in national security missions and to accelerate technology transfer.   She joined Sandia in 1984 and has worked in multiple safeguards and security programs for both domestic and international applications.  Her areas of research and program management experience include information systems analysis and cyber security technology R&D; security risk and vulnerability assessments methodologies; physical security technologies RDT&E such as microsensor-based contraband detection and advanced access control/ image assessment techniques; and automated containment and surveillance for international nuclear materials and facility protection important to Non-Proliferation & Arms Control and International Safeguards.  Rebecca earned an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University focused in Image and Statistical Signal Processing and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from New Mexico State University.

Title: Career directions in ECE   

Abstract: It’s an amazing time to be an ECE major. The need for ECE skills has expanded into places where it never existed before, like the auto industry. The need for data analytics permeates nearly every industry, new and traditional. But there are a lot of ways to make a contribution in your career, and though you shouldn’t at all feel obligated to define your career now, the purpose of this talk is to try and make sure you’ve heard of them. I’ll give you a brief overview of my career and research meandering but only brief, and the rest is to talk about where ECEs can and do go.

Speaker Bio: Morris Cohen received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 2003 and 2010, respectively, and served as a research scientist until August 2013. From September 2012 until August 2013, Dr. Cohen was appointed as AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the National Science Foundation.

In Fall 2013, he joined the faculty in the School of ECE. He is a winner of the NSF CAREER Award in 2017, the ONR Young Investigator Award in 2015, and was chosen for the Santimay Basu Prize in 2014, an award given once per 3 years to an under-35 scientist by the International Union of Radio Science (URSI).

Dr. Cohen is interested in the natural electricity of the Earth, including lightning, the electrically charged upper atmosphere, and the radiation-filled space environment. He uses radio waves at low frequencies measured all around the world to understand them, and develops resulting practical applications. His group also works on novel techniques to generate low frequency waves with nonconventional electrically-short antennas. He is an author of more than 60 journal publications. He employs a “flipped classroom” model in some of his courses to make the experience more active and engaging.

He enjoys hiking, cooking, traveling, and building pizza ovens.

Research interests: 

• Radio wave emissions from lightning
• Advanced signal processing of low frequency radio data
• Global lightning geolocation, mapping, and characterization
• Low frequency radio waves in the upper atmosphere and in space
• Low frequency radio instrumentation
• `Space weather’ forecasting

Title: Change = Opportunity: Building a fulfilling career    

Abstract: Paul will share his experiences and advice for building a fulfilling career starting with landing his first real job through the graduate coop program at Georgia Tech, working as an analog designer, leading development teams, running a half billion dollar / year business, leading Kilby Labs up to his current position where he works from home as technologist for the Linear Power Business. Paul will reveal some of the lessons that he has learned the hard way as well as by observing others with the desire that some of these will benefit students who are embarking on the next step of their career.  

Speaker Bio: Paul Emerson is currently the technologist for the Voltage Reference and Supervisor product line which is part of the Analog Power Products division of Texas Instruments. Paul is also currently serving as TI’s Campus manager for Georgia Tech and an ECE advisory board member. Paul was the general manager of Kilby Labs Dallas and director of nanotechnology from 2012 to 2017. Paul’s career at TI started in 1996 and he has taken on a wide range of challenging roles from analog IC design engineer to business unit manager. Paul is the inventor / co-inventor of more than 10 US patents. He earned his Bachelors of EE in 1991 and MSEE in 1992 from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Outside of work, Paul is a busy parent of three who enjoys, scouting, various outdoor activities, and serves as board chair of a Christian camp and conference center in North Alabama.

Dr. Takayami will talk about microfluidics and international research collaboration. Ph.D. candidate Anna Liu will speak on "Ultrafast microfluidic cell compression for convective intracellular macromolecule delivery. Undergraduate researcher Jenni Li will speak on "Investigating health effects of aerosol particles on single-cells in a high-throughput air-liquid interface platform." 

To RSVP for this seminar, please visit https://forms.gle/Dy3ND2XpFRqL5DmbA. It may also be viewed on BlueJeans at https://bluejeans.com/947188326.

See the attached flyer for more details. 

Title: Engineering a Career: Finding a Straight Line on a Double Logarithmic Diagram  

Abstract: An engineering career presents enormous opportunities for those that choose to pursue this challenging, yet rewarding field. From cutting edge research, to advanced manufacturing and automation, to management and administration; the direction an engineering degree can take you is only limited by your motivation, passion, and determination. It’s impossible to predict what challenges the next, 5, 10, or 30 years in your professional career will bring. However, the fundamental knowledge, critical thinking & analytical skills, and personal relationships established during your time spent in higher education will serve you well (provided you utilize your time intelligently), regardless of your lifetime pursuits. This talk will cover one possible pathway from college to an early professional life along with major decision points, successes and failures, and lessons learned.

Speaker Bio:  Christopher R. Valenta received the BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and BS in Optical Engineering (OE) from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and the MSECE and PhD in ECE from the Georgia Institute of Technology. At Rose-Hulman, he worked with the Missouri University of Science & Technology as a researcher in their electromagnetic compatibility laboratory where he worked to increase signal integrity in motor controller systems. At Georgia Tech, he joined ‘The Propagation Group’ where he commercialized the first 5.8 GHz backscatter sensor system for use in high-voltage environments, developed numerous RFID-enabled sensors, and pioneered work in microwave-energy harvesting using power-optimized waveforms. In 2009, he was awarded an ATLANTIS Fellowship and participated in an 18-month research program with the Politecnico di Torino and the Technical University of Munich. Christopher has also spent time as a visiting scholar in the Sampei Laboratory at the University of Osaka. He is currently an associate division head and branch head at the Georgia Tech Research Institute Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory and instructor for courses in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Professional Education. His research interests include microwave-energy harvesting; backscatter radio communication; RFID; ultra-low power, passive sensors; lidar systems; electro-optical receivers, lidar signal processing, and software defined radio. He is a consultant to industry and a frequent reviewer of journals and conference proceedings. Dr. Valenta is also the winner of the 2015 IEEE Microwave Magazine Best Paper Award and a registered professional engineer in the state of Georgia.

Title: Overview of Center for Career Discovery & Development   

Abstract: This talk will review the current services provided by the Center for Career Discovery & Development, how students can take advantage of the resources that will help them in their career development process at Georgia Tech. In addition the session will include a discussion on new recruiting trends and Q & A on preparing for “recruiting season.” 

Speaker Bio: With more than 10 years of experience in the career services profession, Andrea Comsa is the Senior Director of Career Education at Georgia Tech, Center for Career Discovery & Development.  Andrea oversees the operations of the office and works with undergraduate, master and Ph.D. students to aid them in their job search process. In addition, she develops and manages regular and special events programming on career-related topics. She is the key liaison to the College of Engineering (Biomedical, Civil & Environmental). In her other roles, Andrea has served as the Co-Chair of the SHRM Atlanta- Central GEM Chapter (2009-2011) as well as Chair of the College-to-Career Fair consortium for the Georgia Association of Colleges and Employers (2009-2010). She has also served as a board member for the Georgia Tech Student in Free Enterprise group, a non-profit organization that educates students on concepts such as economics, entrepreneurship, and business ethics through educational outreach projects.

Abstract:

Colloidal Quantum Dots (CQDs) have been working their ways into the next-generation photonic devices. Highly efficient light emitters and absorbers made of CQDs can be demonstrated among various types of materials including CdSe/CdS/CdTe and perovskites. The wavelength tunability, according to their physical sizes, can be readily suitable for LED displays and solar spectrum management purposes. Meanwhile, the reliability of these nanocrystals remains one of the most important issues before their full-scale commercialization. In this talk, we will present our latest work on the improvement of the reliability of hybrid CQD photonic devices. A brief review on previous achievements will also be provided. The compact package and long lifetime features will be the key factors for future successful deployment of such materials and devices.

Speaker's Biography:

Dr. Chien-Chung Lin was born in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1970. He received his B.S.E.E. degree from National Taiwan University, Taipei, in 1993, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA, in 1997 and 2002, respectively. His thesis work focused on design, modeling, and fabrication of micromachined-tunable optoelectronic devices. He joined E2O Communications Inc., Calabasas, CA, USA, as a Senior Optoelectronic Engineer in 2002. His main research interests then were in optically and electrically pumped long-wavelength vertical cavity surface emitting lasers. In 2004, he joined Santur Corporation, Fremont, CA, where he initially worked as a member of technical staff and became a Manager of Laser Chip Engineering later. He had worked on monolithic multi-wavelength DFB Laser arrays for data and telecommunications, yield and reliability analysis of DFB Laser arrays, etc.  In2009, he joined the National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) in Tainan, Taiwan, where he currently holds the position of a full Professor.  His major research interests are in the design and fabrication of novel semiconductor optoelectronic devices, including LEDs, solar cells, and lasers.  Since 2016, he has been jointly appointed by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), where he participates in and leads several key projects in micro-LEDs, 3D ICs, and silicon photonics. Prof. Lin has published more than 200 journal and conference papers and is a senior member of the IEEE and the Optical Society of America.

(Pizzas will be served after the seminar presentation)

Speaker: Professor Mai-Khanh N. Nguyen, VLSI Design and Education Center (VDEC), The University of Tokyo, JAPAN

Abstract: Hardware Trojan or spyware circuits operating as hardware backdoors can be implemented and integrated into computer chips, smart-cards, and other crypto processors. Hardware Trojan circuits inside a chip is generally harmless in normal operation until they get triggered by a preset internal or external signal to steal data or override and even control the system. Detection of hardware Trojans is very difficult as they are normally in nano-scale sizes and integrated into ICs with high complexity system inside and a huge number of gates. Therefore, Trojan inspection through destructive reverse engineering may not ensure the absence of hardware Trojans. In this talk, I present a demonstration to non-invasively detect hardware Trojan, analyze and identify vulnerable portions of cryptographic chips based on magnetic sensing towards cybersecurity applications. 

Speaker Bio: Dr. Mai-Khanh is currently is an assistant professor at VLSI Design and Education Center (VDEC), the University of Tokyo, Japan. He received the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, The University of Tokyo, Japan in 2011. He was a lecturer of Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Technology, National University, Vietnam from 2006 to 2013. Dr. Mai-Khanh worked as a post-doctoral researcher in from 2011 to 2013 in VDEC. His research interests include integrated RF/mm-Wave circuits, and magnetic sensing. He is a recipient of Best Paper Awards of the Asian Symposium on Quality Electronic Design Symp. in 2010, the third rank of the 9th IEEE NEWCAS 2011, and of IEEE NEWCAS 2017. He servered as a TPC chair of Vietnam-Japan Science and Technology Symp. 2019, The First Int’l Workshop on Hardware Oriented Cybersecurity 2018, and Vietnam-­Japan Scientific Exchange Meeting 2017 and also a TPC member of Intl. Conf. on Integrated Circuits, Design, and Verification 2017.

Speaker: Professor Shaikh Fattah, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh (https://sites.google.com/site/drshaikhfattah/Home)

Time, Date, Venue: Klaus 1116 East Seminar Room, 11 am, Monday, August 5, 2019

Abstract: Extracting distinguishable features from a bio-signal to differentiate normal and diseased conditions is a very challenging task because of its complex time-varying nature. Learning through a large number of labeled data may not be possible in many cases, which limits the use of deep learning techniques. In conventional feature based approach, generally features represent an averaged characteristic missing the precise variational information. In this talk, the idea of extracting features at a finer resolution and modeling the extracted feature variation pattern will be demonstrated. This offers a low feature dimension with high temporal or spatial resolution. Recently published model based disease detection techniques will be presented considering 1D and 2D bio-signals. For example, brain signal modeling in spectro-temporal domain has been efficiently employed for detecting the disease sleep apnea or classifying mental tasks. Efficient feature extraction schemes that we have recently proposed for dealing with the disease detection problem will also be presented considering muscle signal, photoplethysmography (PPG) and wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE). Current research potential in online disease detection will also be presented considering semi-supervised approach.

Speaker Biography: Shaikh Fattah received Ph.D. in ECE from Concordia University, Canada. He was a visiting Postdoctoral Fellow and later visiting Research Associate in the Department of EE at Princeton University, USA. He received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from BUET, Bangladesh, where he is currently serving as a Professor in the Department of EEE and Director of Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering, BUET. He was the winner of Concordia University's the 2009 Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Prize in ENS and was selected as one of the Great Grads of Concordia University in 2008-2009. During his Ph.D. program, he has received numerous awards. He is a recipient of the Dr. Rashid Gold Medal (in M.Sc.), URSI Canadian Young Scientist Award 2007, and Bangladesh Academy of Science-TWAS Young Scientists Prize 2014.

Dr. Fattah has published more than 180 international journal and conference papers. His research interests include the areas of biomedical engineering, signal processing, biometric, multimedia communication, power and energy, robotics and artificial intelligence. His papers received Best Paper Awards in many conferences. He served as General Chair and Technical/Organizing Chair and delivered Keynote Talks in many international conferences. He was the Editor (2013-2014) and now Member of Editorial Board of Journal of EE, IEB. He is a TC member of Asia Pacific Signal and Information Processing Association. He is the Editorial Board Member of IEEE Access, Associate Editor of Circuits, Systems and Signal Processing (Springer), and Editor of IEEE Power and Energy Society Enews. Dr. Fattah was the Chair of IEEE Bangladesh Section during 2015-16 and now serving as N&A Chair (2017-19). He is the Chair of IEEE EMBS Bangladesh Chapter and Founder Chair of IEEE RAS Bangladesh Chapter and IEEE SSIT Bangladesh Chapter. He is the founder Vice-Chair of IEEE IAS Bangladesh Chapter and IEEE SPS Bangladesh Chapter.

Dr. Fattah is the recipient of most prestigious 2016 IEEE MGA Achievement Award, 2018 R10 Outstanding Volunteer Award, 2017 IEEE R10 Humanitarian Technology Activity (HTA) Outstanding Volunteer Award. He has been serving LRP Committee of IEEE PES and SDHT Committee of IEEE SSIT. He has been serving different committees of IEEE R10. He is the Education Chair of IEEE Humanitarian Activity Committee (HAC). He is the Senior Member of IEEE and Fellow of IEB. 

Speaker: Professor Debanjan Bhowmik, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

Time, date, venue: Klaus 1116 East Seminar Room, 11 am, Monday, July 15, 2019

Abstract: Neural Network algorithms, used extensively for classification, recognition and prediction tasks, can be executed at a higher speed and with lower energy consumption if they are implemented on specialized analog crossbar architecture which provides the advantages of parallel computation and memory- embedded computing. In this talk, I shall discuss my ongoing research on analog hardware neural network, using both spintronic devices [1,2] and conventional silicon transistors as synapses [3]. While spintronic synapses can result in extremely low energy [1,2,4,5] consuming neural networks for both on-chip and off-chip learning, conventional transistor based synapses offer the advantage of fabricating  analog neural networks much more easily and are mainly meant for on-chip learning [3]. I shall discuss implementation of both non-spiking algorithms, which are widely used by the machine learning community, and spiking algorithms, which are based on biological data about neurons and synapses in the brain, in our proposed hardware systems. In addition, I shall also discuss some Quantum Neural Network algorithms that our group is working on to carry out the same kind of data classification with lower number of weight parameters and hence lesser hardware.

1. D. Bhowmik et al. "On-chip learning for domain wall synapse based Fully Connected Neural Network", Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials 489, 165434 (2019)

2. U. Saxena et al.  "Low-Energy Implementation of Feed-Forward Neural Network With Back-Propagation Algorithm Using a Spin-Orbit Torque Driven Skyrmionic Device", IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, 44 (11), 2018. 

3. U. Saxena et al.  "On chip learning in a conventional silicon MOSFET based Analog Hardware Neural Network", to be presented at International Conference on Neuromorphic Systems (ICONS), Knoxville TN, 2019 (archive version of the full paper: N. Dey et al. arxiv:1907.00625)

4. D. Bhowmik et al. , "Deterministic Domain Wall Motion Orthogonal To Current Flow Due To Spin Orbit Torque", Scientific Reports 5, 11823 (2015)

5. D. Bhowmik et al. "Spin Hall effect clocking of nanomagnetic logic without a magnetic field", Nature Nanotechnology, 9, 59-63 (2014)

Bio: Debanjan Bhowmik is currently an Assistant Professor in Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. He obtained B.Tech. degree in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur in 2010 and PhD degree from University of California Berkeley in 2015. His doctoral thesis was in the field of nano-magnetism and spintronics. 

“Exploring the wavelength limits of AlGaN-based deep UV LEDs”

Date and time: Friday, June 14 from 2-3 pm

Location: Van Leer Building, Room C240

Abstract:

Applications such as gas sensing (NO: λ = 226 nm, NH3: λ = 217 nm) would benefit from the development of light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the deep ultraviolet (UV) spectral region below 230 nm. However, the fabrication of such short wavelength LEDs is very demanding as a strong decrease in emission power and external quantum efficiency (EQE) is observed with decreasing emission wavelength. This behavior is typically ascribed to a decrease in radiative recombination efficiency (RRE), a decrease in carrier injection efficiency (CIE), as well as a decrease in light extraction efficiency (LEE). Additionally, the wall plug efficiency is further hampered due to high operation voltages of such devices. 

In this talk, we will discuss systematic variations of the heterostructure design in order to achieve short emission wavelength LEDs. Multiple quantum well (MQW) active regions as well as full LED heterostructures have been grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy on (0001) oriented ELO AlN/sapphire. The LEDs were fabricated using Pd-based p-contacts and V/Al-based n-contacts. In order to maximize the spectral power needed for applications, a high aluminum mole fraction x > 0.9 is needed within the AlxGa1-xN:Si current spreading layer to avoid partial absorption of the MQW emission. However, when increasing the aluminum mole fraction, the sheet resistivity and the voltage drop at the n-electrodes increase drastically around x = 0.8. This induces a conductivity-transparency dilemma which will be analyzed. 

Additionally, the influence of the emission wavelength on the electro-optical properties of LEDs emitting between 263 nm and 217 nm has been investigated on fully transparent AlxGa1-xN:Si current spreading layers in order to determine the main contributions causing the observed reduction in EQE. For ray-tracing simulations of the LEE we determined the in-plane degree of polarization of the emitted light (P = (ITE - ITM)/(ITE + ITM)) by polarization resolved photoluminescence and electroluminescence measurements. A reduction from P = +0.9 for emission at 263 nm to P = -0.8 for emission at 220 nm was observed. This is in good agreement with k ∙ p calculations and results in a reduced LEE from 4% to 1.5% in the same wavelength range. Additionally, the RRE was estimated by temperature dependent photoluminescence measurements revealing a reduction from ~16% for emission above 248 nm to ~0.5% for emission below 223 nm. By measuring the LED emission power, a reduction from 0.56 mW to 0.15 μW was observed for emission at 263 nm and 217 nm, respectively. This enables the quantification of the main contributions to the reduced EQE with decreasing emission wavelength as shown in Fig. 1.

Biosketch

Frank Mehnke received the Diploma degree in physics in 2011 and his doctorate in natural sciences in 2017, both from the Technische Universität Berlin, Germany. In 2014, he visited Linköping University, Sweden, for a short-term research stay investigating the electronic properties of the silicon donor in high aluminum mole fraction AlGaN. Until May 2019, he worked as postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Solid State Physics, Technische Universität Berlin. His research interests include the growth and electro-optical and structural characterization of wide-bandgap III-nitride semiconductors. In particular, he focused on the development of extremely short emission wavelength ultraviolet light emitting diodes. 

Abstract: The rapid development of smart technology in the cloud and edge computing systems has paved the way for us to embrace the technology movement of smart homes, autonomous driving, and service robots. To enable the wide adoption of these “smart” applications, reliability is one of fundamental goals of computing system and architecture design. In this talk, I will present our recent exploration of safe and reliable system and architecture design for smart applications. On the cloud server side, I will present an architecture design of enabling undo+redo logging in nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM) to support the reliability of server applications. On the edge side, I will discuss safety-aware computing system and architecture design strategies for autonomous vehicles, based on our field study of running real industrial Level-4 autonomous driving fleets. Finally, I will describe a Linux-container-based resource management framework design, which significantly eases the system resource management and reliability support across the cloud and edge sides, such as autonomous vehicles and service robots.

Bio: Jishen Zhao is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at University of California, San Diego. Her research spans and stretches the boundary between computer architecture and system software, with a particular emphasis on memory and storage systems, domain-specific acceleration, and system reliability. Her research is driven by both emerging technologies (e.g., nonvolatile memories, 3D-stacked memory) and modern applications (e.g., smart home and autonomous robotic systems, deep learning, and big-data analytics). Before joining UCSD, she was an Assistant Professor at UC Santa Cruz, and a research scientist at HP Labs before joining UCSC. She is a recipient of NSF CAREER award and a MICRO best paper honorable mention award.

GT Hosts: Tushar Krishna (tushar@ece.gatech.edu) and Hyesoon Kim (hyesoon@cc.gatech.edu)

Seminar Topic:  The GT Alumni Association – What it is and what it can do for you.

Abstract of Talk: Some of the many and various functions of the GT Alumni Association will be presented.

Biographical Sketches of the Speakers:
Len Contardo joined the Alumni Association in 1996 as an assistant director of alumni career services, providing support services to alumni making career transitions. As VP, he oversees a staff of 10 focused on alumni and student outreach. This includes volunteer management, international, travel program and other events and programs to serve over 160,000 Tech graduates worldwide. He is active on campus with Omicron Delta Kappa leadership fraternity, HR Professional Development Circles and the Catholic Center.

Contardo has an undergraduate degree in Business majoring in Human Resources Management and a Masters of Arts in Organization Management. He has completed additional graduate work in Educational Administration.

Seminar Topic: An Overview of Operational Challenges and Related Applications of Convex Optimization Techniques for Future Electric Power Grids

Abstract of Talk: The National Academy of Engineering has classified widespread electrification as one of the greatest engineering accomplishments of the 20th century. The ubiquity of electricity access in much of the world masks the challenges facing electric power systems in the 21st century; reliability and economic efficiency improvements are needed for future electric power systems. This presentation first overviews some of the major challenges facing operators of electric power systems and then discusses recent research that uses convex optimization techniques to address these challenges. In particular, this research relaxes non-convex models of power system networks to more tractable convex formulations that can be embedded within a variety of optimization and control problems. Selected applications include algorithms which globally solve power system optimization problems, certify infeasibility, assure robustness of operating points with respect to certain fluctuations in the power injections, and compute visualizations of the feasible spaces for power system optimization problems.

Biographical Sketches of the Speakers: Daniel Molzahn joined the faculty of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech in Spring 2019. Prior to this position, Dr. Molzahn was a computational engineer at Argonne National Laboratory in the Center for Energy, Environmental, and Economic Systems Analysis (CEEESA), where he currently holds an affiliate position. He was a Dow Postdoctoral Fellow in Sustainability in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at the University of Michigan. He received the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering and the Master’s of Public Affairs degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. His research interests are in the development of optimization and control techniques for electric power systems.

Seminar Topic:  Power Up with Luaya

Abstract of Talk:
Power Up with Luaya will provide an inside look at a career path in engineering and sales in the power management business. The presentation will include background information of the speaker and an overview of two organizations, Arseal Technologies and Eaton Corporation, and positions held over twelve years in this industry.

Biographical Sketches of the Speakers:
Mr. Halig received his Bachelors of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering Technology from Southern Polytechnic State University in 2007. He started his professional career at Arseal Technologies in Alpharetta, GA. As a Design Engineer at Arseal, he supported power distribution and automation system solutions for petro-chemical facilities. Design responsibilities included preparing electrical construction drawing packages, programming and commissioning PLCs and HMIs and performing power systems analysis studies.

In July 2010, Mr. Halig joined Eaton’s Power Systems Engineering Team in Smyrna, GA. From 2010 through 2015, Mr. Halig performed various power systems analysis studies including short circuit, coordination, arc flash, load flow, harmonics, and switching transient studies. In addition, Mr. Halig continued to support design and power quality field projects. During his time as a PSE, Mr. Halig completed his MBA at Georgia State University in 2013 and became a PSE Team Leader for the NW Zone in 2014. He also obtained his Georgia Professional Engineering License in 2014.

In August 2015, Mr. Halig transitioned to the Service Sales Specialist for the Atlanta Territory. As a S3, he supported life extension and modernization solutions for power distribution equipment and remained in this role for two years. In October of 2017, Mr. Halig transitioned to the Applications Engineer role in the Atlanta Territory. As an AE, he supports the local Eaton sales team, end users and consultant firms with technical product and service questions, product specifications, and applications to optimize power system safety, reliability, and efficiency. Mr. Halig plans to continue his role as an Applications Engineer and lifelong learner of the power management industry.

Seminar Topic:  WDM Optical Networks:  Big Pipes for Big Data

Abstract of Talk:  ADVA and others in the WDM optical networking industry are pushing the technology envelope to enable higher bandwidth, longer reaching, and lower latency network traffic. During our discussion we will share an overview of the rapidly evolving technology landscape of the sometimes overlooked thoroughfares at the heart of the internet and cloud computing, as well as providing a view of the market drivers and architectural trends that are driving and shaping bandwidth demands. Please join us for an informative presentation and Q&A. 

Biographical Sketches of the Speakers:

Ryan Schmidt is Vice President of the Optical Networking R&D group at ADVA Optical Networking. Ryan has spent the last 19 years in optical networking R&D and currently runs an organization spanning the US and EU which is responsible for $350M in annual revenue. Ryan has a BS in computer science and business administration from Northwest Nazarene University, and worked previously in aerospace for Boeing as well as other internet-related ventures.

Andy Adams is currently Senior Director of R&D running the organization responsible for the delivery of high-speed transponders and muxponders, the on-/off- ramps of WDM optical networks. Andy is a Georgia Tech alum, graduating with MSECE and MBA in 2000 and 2010, respectively.  Prior to coming to Georgia Tech, he graduated with BSEE from Tennessee Tech University. In addition to his work in telecommunications, Andy has worked in the biotech, and energy management industries.

Seminar Topic:  From Engineer to Entrepreneur

Abstract of Talk:  How does an engineer go about starting a company? What should you do before you graduate to prepare for life as an entrepreneur? Do you need a Business degree along with your ECE degree? Where can you go in the Tech community to get advice or help with developing a business plan? Jim Stratigos will recount his experience as an entrepreneur and founder of four start-ups since he graduated from Tech. He will provide humorous and frightening examples of the things entrepreneurs go through to help you decide if the world of a start-up is right for you.

Biographical Sketches of the Speakers: Jim Stratigos, is founder and CEO of Cognosos Inc., and president of Broadband Strategies. He is an active angel investor, mentor and advisor to a variety of early-stage technology companies. He brings more
than 35 years of experience as a successful technology entrepreneur and industry leader. At Broadband Strategies, Jim has advised private companies and venture capital firms in the telecom, wireless, semiconductor and energy industries.

Jim’s career includes CEO, executive management, marketing, and engineering positions in semiconductor, wireless and satellite technology companies, including Cognosos, Sytheros Communications, Jacket Micro Devices, Echostar, Media4 AT&T, Tridom, Scientific-Atlanta and Motorola. He has been a founder or CEO of five technology companies and was directly involved in raising more than $75 million in venture capital.

Jim is active in the Atlanta high tech community and is a founding member of Atlanta Technology Angels, an Atlanta-based, early stage investment group. He also serves on the advisory boards of several portfolio companies and is past chairman of Georgia Advanced Technology Ventures.

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Jim earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1974, and a master's degree in electrical engineering, also from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1980. Jim is a member of the IEEE, the Georgia Tech College of Engineering Advisory Board and a member of the Georgia Tech Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni.

Seminar Topic:  Intellectual Property: The Economic Engine of Knowledge

Abstract of Talk:  Intellectual property is the backbone of the world economy. It plays a role in everyone’s life. It is particularly important for engineers, whether you are in research and development, an entrepreneur, a business manager, or any other technology career. We will discuss the various types of intellectual property (patents, trade secrets, copyrights, and trademarks) including what they protect and how they are acquired.

Biographical Sketches of the Speakers: Laura Huffman is a proud graduate of Georgia Tech, holding the BEE and MSEE degrees. She began her career at Bell Laboratories in research and development in optical fiber and cable. She subsequently moved into business management for Lucent Technologies and OFS, with global responsibility for product management, product marketing, business development, intellectual property strategy and public policy. After that career, she obtained her JD degree from Emory University, where she participated in the joint Georgia Tech Emory TI:GER program. She retired from the Intellectual Property Group of King & Spalding LLP in April 2018 and returned on a part-time basis in December 2018. Her practice includes all aspects of intellectual property litigation and counseling with a primary emphasis on patent litigation. She is currently a board member of the Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance (GIPA), with responsibility for the Georgia University Alliance. Ms. Huffman is married to David Huffman, BEE '80, and is the proud mother of Matt, who will “get out” in May 2019 with a BS NRE.

Seminar Topic:  Diverse Opportunities at Google

Abstract of Talk:
While Google is often on campus speaking to software engineering opportunities, we understand that many students may not be interested in pursuing a career that involves coding as a primary task. And that's okay! This presentation will cover some (not all) of our other non-SWE opportunities that we have for university graduates with non-CS backgrounds. We will additionally be able to offer insights as to how to best stay informed of these roles and for the most effective approach in preparing to apply for any role.

Biographical Sketches of the Speakers:
Naomi Robert is a Senior Software Engineer at Google based in Seattle and a Georgia Tech Alum! Mike Bufano has been a University Programs Specialist sitting Google's NYC office for over 5 years. In his core role, Mike works with a number of universities (including Georgia Tech) to best inform students of and prepare them for technical opportunities. In his free time, Mike works to lead the LGBTQ+ group in NYC (the "Gayglers"), has worked to develop gender allyship training materials for Googlers globally, and 4 of the last 5 years has been awarded honors at the annual Googleween celebration in New York.

Speaker’s Title: Senior Research Engineer, Senior Research Engineer

Seminar Topic:  Engineering a Career: Finding a Straight Line on a Double Logarithmic Diagram

Abstract of Talk:
An engineering career presents enormous opportunities for those that choose to pursue this challenging, yet rewarding field. From cutting edge research, to advanced manufacturing and automation, to management and administration; the direction an engineering degree can take you is only limited by your motivation, passion, and determination. It’s impossible to predict what challenges the next, 5, 10, or 30 years in your professional career will bring. However, the fundamental knowledge, critical thinking & analytical skills, and personal relationships established during your time spent in higher education will serve you well (provided you utilize your time intelligently), regardless of your lifetime pursuits. This talk will cover one possible pathway from college to an early professional life along with major decision points, successes and failures, and lessons learned.

Biographical Sketch of the Speaker:
Christopher R. Valenta received the BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and BS in Optical Engineering (OE) from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and the MSECE and PhD in ECE from the Georgia Institute of Technology. At Rose-Hulman, he worked with the Missouri University of Science & Technology as a researcher in their electromagnetic compatibility laboratory where he worked to increase signal integrity in motor controller systems. At Georgia Tech, he joined ‘The Propagation Group’ where he commercialized the first 5.8 GHz backscatter sensor system for use in high-voltage environments, developed numerous RFID-enabled sensors, and pioneered work in microwave-energy harvesting using power-optimized waveforms. In 2009, he was awarded an ATLANTIS Fellowship and participated in an 18-month research program with the Politecnico di Torino and the Technical University of Munich. Christopher has also spent time as a visiting scholar in the Sampei Laboratory at the University of Osaka. He is currently a branch head at the Georgia Tech Research Institute Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory and instructor for courses in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Professional Education. His research interests include microwave-energy harvesting; backscatter radio communication; RFID; ultra-low power, passive sensors; lidar systems; electro-optical receivers, lidar signal processing, and software defined radio. He is a consultant to industry and a frequent reviewer of journals and conference proceedings. Dr. Valenta is also the winner of the 2015 IEEE Microwave Magazine Best Paper Award and a registered professional engineer in the state of Georgia.
He has had a 35+ year career in the arena of new product development. With a background in digital/ analog and embedded design, David has worked at 4 different companies in various capacities over his career. Starting out, David worked as a hardware designer/programmer on marine navigational equipment. He was also involved with new product development for the military in Dallas,Texas and Atlanta, Georgia.

Speaker’s Title: Retired Engineer from The Coca-Cola Company  

Seminar Topic:  New Product Innovation: The development process

Abstract of Talk:
Why do successful companies like 3M, Corning Glass, Exxon Chemical and Coca-Cola continue to churn out successful, innovative products? This talk will compare these successful companies with the average company, and highlight one cornerstone of their success -- the product development process. David will talk about a model development process that the best companies are using in order to have quicker, more successful new product launches. He will blend in his talk helpful lessons he learned during his 35 year technical career.

Biographical Sketch of the Speaker:

David Newman is a retired engineer from The Coca-Cola Company, where he held a number of positions including Freestyle Dispenser Software and Electronics Lead Engineer,  Director of  Program Management and Risk Management and Best Practice Lead. 

He has had a 35+ year career in the arena of new product development. With a background in digital/ analog and embedded design, David has worked at 4 different companies in various capacities over his career. Starting out, David worked as a hardware designer/programmer on marine navigational equipment. He was also involved with new product development for the military in Dallas,Texas and Atlanta, Georgia.

While at Coca-Cola for 22 years, he has worked as a project manager/technical lead on several new products in the area of vending and fountain dispensing equipment.  He was also actively involved with Project Freestyle from inception to launch.

David obtained a BSEE from the University of Rhode Island and an MSEE from Georgia Tech.

David holds 30 patents in the area of fountain dispensing equipment. He lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

Speaker’s Title: Lead Analyst, Optical Hardware  

Seminar Topic:  Beyond Engineering: Marketing, Sales, & Management with an Engineering

Abstract of Talk:  Your career as an engineer can take you to some unexpected places, many of them outside of what is considered “pure engineering”. Using an autobiographical and anecdotal format, Dr. Wilkinson will walk through career branches and options from
small startups to large conglomerates, from low-level employee to the leader of a pivotal group, from a job in a lab to a job with a million frequent flier miles, and from a job that’s pure engineering to a career beyond engineering.

Biographical Sketch of the Speaker: Dr. Scott Wilkinson has worked directly in the telecommunications industry for over 20 years, during which he accumulated extensive experience in multiple technologies at multiple companies, both large and small. In his current position as Lead Analyst at Cignal AI, he conducts quantitative and qualitative research on the optical hardware market with a focus on carriers and equipment manufacturers. The job is more interesting than it sounds.

A noted speaker at telecom conferences and events, Dr. Wilkinson is also a frequent contributor to trade publications and the author of the book “Telecommedy”, based loosely on his talks in these seminars. Dr. Wilkinson earned a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Scott enjoys participating in community theatre and performs regularly in his hometown near Atlanta.

Speaker’s Title: Senior Director of Career Education  

Address: Georgia Institute of Technology, Center for Career Discovery and Development, Student Success Center

Seminar Topic: Overview of Center for Career Discovery & Development

Abstract of Talk:     
This talk will review the current services provided by the Center for Career Discovery & Development, how students can take advantage of the resources that will help them in their career development process at Georgia Tech. In addition the session will include a discussion on new recruiting trends and Q & A on preparing for “recruiting season.”  

Biographical Sketch of the Speaker: With more than 10 years of experience in the career services profession, Andrea Comsa is the Senior Director of Career Education at Georgia Tech, Center for Career Discovery & Development.  Andrea oversees the operations of the office and works with undergraduate, master and Ph.D. students to aid them in their job search process. In addition, she develops and manages regular and special events programming on career-related topics. She is the key liaison to the College of Engineering (Biomedical, Civil & Environmental). In her other roles, Andrea has served as the Co-Chair of the SHRM Atlanta- Central GEM Chapter (2009-2011) as well as Chair of the College-to-Career Fair consortium for the Georgia Association of Colleges and Employers (2009-2010). She has also served as a board member for the Georgia Tech Student in Free Enterprise group, a non-profit organization that educates students on concepts such as economics, entrepreneurship, and business ethics through educational outreach projects.

Title: Dynamic connectivity in rest fMRI: Approaches, examples and extensions to multimodal data fusion

Abstract: Approaches for estimating time-varying connectivity from fMRI data have grown in popularity in recent years, however there are still some outstanding questions about the estimation approaches and underlying cause of these changes. In this talk I will review approaches for estimating dynamic connectivity from resting fMRI including an evaluation of the various assumptions that are being made. I will discuss several strategies including the use of windowed correlation, time-frequency approaches, and newer window-less approaches. Results from a large replication study will be presented. Results from several large patient studies will also be discussed. And finally, I will discuss extensions of dynamic connectivity to link to multimodal imaging and genetic data.

Speaker Bio: Dr. Calhoun is the founding director of the tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS; http://www.trendscenter.org), a joint effort between Georgia State, Georgia Tech, and Emory University, which is focused on improving our understanding of the human brain using advanced analytic approaches with an emphasis on translational research such as the development of predictive biomarkers for mental and neurological disorders. The use of big data approaches and neuroinformatics tools to capture, manage, analyze, and share data is also a major emphasis. Previously, Dr. Calhoun worked as a research engineer in the psychiatric neuroimaging laboratory at Johns Hopkins, served as the director of medical image analysis at the Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, and as an associate professor at Yale University. Most recently, he was a Distinguished Professor at the University of New Mexico and the President of the Mind Research Network. Dr. Calhoun received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Kansas, master’s degrees in biomedical engineering and information systems from Johns Hopkins University in 1993 and 1996, and the Ph.D. degree in EE from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in 2002. 

Speaker: Mr. C. Meade Sutterfield

Title: The story of how low frequency radio signals connect space, underground, and everything in between.

Abstract: For decades, radio enthusiasts have tuned to their receivers to low frequencies, 500 Hz – 500 kHz. Since these frequencies are guided around the globe by reflections from the ground and ionosphere, observers can listen to lightning from thousands of miles away, or to naturally-generated signals in the Earth’s surrounding space environment. As such, low frequency waves are used for remote sensing of a host of geophysical phenomena. On the application side, low frequency waves are used for global navigation, to image inside metal boxes, to communicate underwater and across oceans, to improve meteorological forecasting, and to secure the power grid, among others. Advanced study in this field requires a unique combination of RF electromagnetic and plasma physics, signal processing, and RF engineering. In this talk, we will detail some of the uses of low frequency radio signals, with a special emphasis on a revolution currently taking place in the field involving advanced data analytics and machine learning approaches.

Speaker Bio: Morris Cohen received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 2003 and 2010, respectively, and served as a research scientist until August 2013. From September 2012 until August 2013, Dr. Cohen was appointed as AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the National Science Foundation. In Fall 2013, he joined the faculty in the School of ECE. He is a winner of the NSF CAREER Award in 2017, the ONR Young Investigator Award in 2015, and was chosen for the Santimay Basu Prize in 2014, an award given once per 3 years to an under-35 scientist by the International Union of Radio Science (URSI). He is an author of more than 60 journal publications and 150 conference presentations. He has traveled to all 7 continents and enjoys cooking, especially middle eastern food. 

Speaker: Mary Lynn Smith, Staff Antenna Engineer/Project  Engineer -  ViaSat Incorporated

On Wednesday afternoon, April 10, 2019 from 3-5 pm at the Klaus Building Atrium, the School of ECE will honor those people who have shown exceptional dedication to their professions and studies, ECE, Georgia Tech, and the community as a whole. The program will consist of the awards presentation, with a reception to follow after the ceremony.