This Month’s Articles

Chair’s Column: Strengthening Relationships with Student Branches. Incoming IEEE-Chicago Chair Jim Phillips reflects on the progress made on the goals adopted from last year  with the addition of a few of his own. [more]

ITT Tech Students Debate Technology at IEEE Meeting. Sixteen students from the ITT Technical Institute in Mount Prospect, Ill., participated in a technical debate during an IEEE student chapter meeting. [more]

New System, Man & Cybernetics Society (SMC) Chicago Chapter Seeks Your Input. Started in March of this year, the SMC Chicago Chapter’s mission is to serve the interests of Chicago area members by promoting the theory, practice, and interdisciplinary aspects of systems science and engineering, human-machine systems, and automatic control systems  [more]

WIE Group Provides Mentor/Volunteer Opportunities. The IEEE Women in Engineering group is actively seeking volunteers to achieve the goals outlined in their 2010 Annual Plan. The group originated as a way to mentor women engineers by highlighting the expectations for success in a profession where a majority of their peers are men. [more]

VTS Kickoff starts with a VROOM!. Dr. Ali Emadi, Ph.D. provided attendees to the IEEE Chicago Chapter of the Vehicular Technology Society a tour of IIT’s power engineering lab. With a demonstration covering the equipment used to train students as well as several projects currently under way by the department. [more]

______________________________________________

Chair’s Column: Strengthening Relationships with Student Branches

My name is Jim Phillips and I have the honor of being recently elected as your Section Chair. Many thanks to Bill Nartker our Immediate Past Chair, for his hard work, dedication and leadership. The goals he set for us last year are paying dividends. Following his lead, I have adopted the goals of last year with the addition of working to strengthen our relationships with Student Branches and significantly adding to the number of Section volunteers through recruitment and training. A big obstacle at the moment is the need for a volunteer to Chair the Student Activities Committee. I need someone to step up and lead this important effort. If you are interested contact me at jpdsl@dls.net.

Normally a quiet time, this summer has been unusually busy. Several new groups are in the process of forming and have held meetings.  These include: Women in Engineering, Systems, Man and Cybernetics, and Vehicular Technology. Their events are the focus of this month’s newsletter.  Also, the Section received word from the IEEE History Center that our application for an IEEE Milestone award has been approved by the IEEE Board of Directors. This Milestone recognizes the invention of the first practical Power Fuse by the founders of S&C Electric Company that played a significant role in the development and growth of electric power distribution systems worldwide. Keep your eyes out for more on this exciting development in subsequent issues of the e-Scanfax newsletter.

Mark Your Calendars:
Plans have been made for a family event on Saturday, September 25th to tour a wind farm near Bloomington Illinois.  Check the Chicago Section website calendar at www.ieeechicago.org for details.  This will be a great opportunity to show your youngsters an example of how technology can help our environment and just maybe spark an interest in our profession.

2010/2011 Section Officers left to right:  Michael Reed-Secretary,  Sharon Phillips-Treasurer, Robert Burke-Vice Chair and James Phillips-Chair.

ITT Tech Students Debate Technology at IEEE Meeting.

Sixteen students from the ITT Technical Institute in Mount Prospect, Ill., participated in a technical debate during an IEEE student chapter meeting. The debate centered on present-day format wars in cell phone technology.

According to John Cox, the chair of the School of Electronics Technology at ITT Tech Mount Prospect, format wars have had a major impact on the electronics industry since the 1960s. It doesn’t take a technology expert to recognize the technological implications of 8-track versus cassette, 78 rpm versus 33 1/3 rpm discs, Beta versus VHS and, recently, DVD HD versus Blu-ray. The winner of these technology wars doesn’t just mean the difference in the technology we use. More importantly, it can mean a major shift in the industry and the job market.

“We wanted students to see that the electronics profession is not just math and circuits,” Cox said. “It’s also about jobs, careers and opportunities that may be available a few years from now.”

The students’ debate focused on cell phone technology. Two teams of students debated CDMA versus UMTS for third-generation (3G) phones. The other two teams debated WiMAX versus Long Term Evolution (LTE) as the future of fourth-generation (4G) technology.

Not only were students able to demonstrate their technical knowledge, they were also able to work on public speaking, handling criticism and defending their opinions.

“Students got a chance to have a lively debate about a strictly technical topic,” Cox said. “They combined what they learned in technical classes with the debate and persuasion skills learned in their composition classes. This debate was about taking a position, making a case and defending it.”

ITT Technical Institute students participated in a technical debate during an IEEE student chapter meeting.

| top |

New System, Man & Cybernetics Society (SMC) Chicago Chapter Seeks Your Input.

Started in March of this year, the SMC Chicago Chapter’s mission is to serve the interests of Chicago area members by promoting the theory, practice, and interdisciplinary aspects of systems science and engineering, human-machine systems, and automatic control systems. The focus of the chapter's activities will be systems engineering technology, including problem definition methods, modeling, and simulation, methods of system experimentation, human factors engineering, data and methods, systems design techniques and test and evaluation methods.

Through the organization of technical presentations, social events and networking opportunities, the SMC hopes to grow their membership in the coming year. The SMC is looking for engineering and computer professionals interested in the integration of the theories of communication, control, cybernetics, stochastics, optimization and system structure.

Drawing members from the EMC, Communications and Power Apparatus and Systems Man and Cybernetics societies, Dr. Richard Markin, co-founder and CEO of Visionary Sciences, Inc. gave a talk on eye tracking technology. Through tracking the movement of a patient’s eyes as he or she is shown various images, an analysis can be made. The movements are recorded and overlaid on a copy of the image itself to see where the patient focused his or her attention, and how that attention varied with time. This pattern of movement is compared with the movement of a healthy person and thus a deviation is identified. Created for rehab patients suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Dementia among others, there are numerous applications. Having earned his M.A. and Ph.D in Human Development from the University of Chicago, Dr. Markin is on the staff of several local hospitals and works at two clinics.

Dr. Markin explained his complex adaptive systems model that includes network theory and fractals. Having a strong interest in cybernetics, society and the humanities, Dr. Markin is involved in the creation and application of moral/ethical decision making, language, culture and creativity. Opening with a video highlighting his company’s eye-tracking technology, Dr. Markin explained how evaluations were made more objective due to the use of measurable variables to track the patient’s eyes while being shown various images. Tracking eye movements and drawing conclusions from where the eye is drawn and the duration and frequency of focus allows for measure against a mean. Being very portable and fairly robust allows Visionary Sciences, Inc. product offering to possess a major advantage over their competitors.

Dr. Tony Vertino, a colleague of Dr. Markin’s then outlined the statistical analysis tools used by the eye-tracking technology. Limiting potential weaknesses in the old way of conducting the test, by pen and paper, eye testing allows for accurate recording of where the eye’s movements are focused.

The SMC Chicago Section meets quarterly, for more information on the group and/or to recommend speakers of interest to the group, find the SMC link on the www.ieeechicago.org website.

| top |

WIE Group Provides Mentor/Volunteer Opportunities

The IEEE Women in Engineering group is actively seeking volunteers to achieve the goals outlined in their 2010 Annual Plan. The group originated as a way to mentor women engineers by highlighting the expectations for success in a profession where a majority of their peers are men. The Chicago Section now boasts over 80 active Women in Engineering members including students and professionals with Engineering experience and Computer Science backgrounds.

A small and diverse population of male members and visitors also provide viewpoints to the group. WIE Chicago Section encourages guests of all backgrounds to share in the knowledge and provide input. The IEEE-Chicago Section’s WIE affinity group offers students and professionals an opportunity to share ideas, exchange current information and network in a relaxing environment.

Vickie Peters, Chair of the IEEE-Chicago Section’s WIE group outlines a three-fold vision. ‘We are hoping to increase the visibility of the Women in Engineering affinity group, provide mentor opportunities to cultivate growth within our student community and increase the depth and scope of our volunteer efforts.’ Ms. Peters brings a passion for computer science along with her engineering background and is currently working on her dissertation. 

The WIE group is seeking volunteers for Mentor opportunities as well as the formation of subcommittees to expand on issues raised during meetings. Volunteers are also needed to assist in the development and planning of Technical Symposiums the WIE Chicago Section plans to host in the future. 

Recently, WIE hosted a welcome reception featuring two keynote speakers. The guest speakers were Lorena Blonsky, founder of LMB Associates, and Wanda Reder a Vice President of S & C Electric, who is a past president of the IEEE Power and Energy Society. Lorena spoke on the appropriate mindset to have while at networking events and how to remain ‘top of mind’ with the people you meet. 

Wanda spoke on the current trends and future direction of the energy sector for engineering professionals. With work experience in many energy corporations, including ComEd, Wanda’s outlook was that there were challenges ahead but also reasons for optimism. Wanda outlined a 20% increase in output expected of the U.S. power grid by 2030 paired with a 45% decrease in the workforce. She found it hard to imagine a type of engineering that would not be a part of the future world of energy. 

The IEEE WIE–Chicago Section polled their members for input on how to maximize the value of their membership. Many contributors agreed that networking and continued learning about industry trends were important motivators for their participation. For more information on volunteering, or to provide feedback on the direction of the group in the coming year, visit the WIE Chicago homepage link on the www.ieeechicago.org  homepage.

| top |

VTS Kickoff starts with a VROOM!

Dr. Ali Emadi, Ph.D. provided attendees to the IEEE Chicago Chapter of the Vehicular Technology Society a tour of IIT’s power engineering lab. With a demonstration covering the equipment used to train students as well as several projects currently under way by the department. Dr. Emadi shared his presentation time with Prof. Mahesh Krishnamurthy. Prof. Krishnamurthy explained research that went in to the development of new motor designs necessary in maximizing energy efficiency and power output.

Dr. Emadi also continued with a traveling tour of the IIT fleet parking lot where a converted standard Ford pickup was retrofitted with hybrid technology. He showcased technology able to implement hybrid automotive advantages on existing platforms instead of designing entire cars from scratch. From the engine to the differential, systems are installed and tested to prove them as roadworthy.

The highlight of the tour included the garage where the IIT Hybrid Formula racers were kept. Attendees to the VTS Kickoff meeting were able to view the winner of the 2010 GM Best Hybrid Electric award (see photo). For more information on the IIT Project visit http://formulahybrid.iit.edu/.

The Vehicular Technology Society (VTS), Chicago Chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) serves engineering and computer professionals in the twelve counties of the greater Chicago area. As part of the Chicago Section, the VTS Chapter provides a local interface to the worldwide network of the IEEE.  In addition, the VTS Chapter organizes technical presentations, social events, and networking opportunities of interest to vehicular technology professionals.

For more information concerning the IEEE VTS Chicago Chapter, visit: www.ieeechicago.org/vts. To find out about volunteer opportunities contact Emad Isaac at esi@ieee.org.

IEEE VTS members view the IIT Hammer Hawk, winner of the 2010 1st Place GM Best Engineered Hybrid Systems Award.