Greetings, fellow IEEE section members.

This is a follow on to my open letter issued in mid-March at the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak. At that time, there were an overwhelming number of unknowns related to this virus. In that determining risk was impossible, and there was a mandated business downturn imminent, our executive committee made what was really the only practical decision to suspend regular section activities. Our meetings for March through May were cancelled. This included this year’s award-winning engineering student project presentations, an annual highlight normally held in April.

Not only were the students unable to present to us in person, but due to campus closures, the teams submitted their projects remotely (streamed or recorded). The winners were selected by the various university engineering faculty committees, and our section made its customary awards to the winning teams. These student presentations are generally highly interesting and worthy of promotion as part of IEEE’s basic mission. To that end, I am listing the following links to the student presentations…

Miami University…
Wireless Power Transfer Security (Advisor: Prof. Dmitriy Garmatyuk; Students: Austin Patrick, Xinyue Zhou, Rafe Qiao and Jiekang Xu)
Predistortion of RF Communication Signals (Advisor: Prof. David Hartup; Students: Kevin Doench, Andrew Haidet, Rachel Kevdzija and Becca Kheiry)

University of Cincinnati…
A Cross-Layer Adaptive Video Communications Solution Over SDR (Advisor: ; Students: Yiling Fu, Sunmeng Lin)
Music Maker (Advisor: Dr. Carla Purdy; Students: Adam Tait, Jason Judis, John Rose, Eric Gatto)
Luvie: an LGBT Inclusive Healthcare Marketplace (Advisor: Dr. Ossman; Student: Dillon Dragomir)
The Recyclable Separator (Advisor: Dr. Max Rabiee; Students: Skylor Stewart, Micah Tawney)

Now, as for moving forward, we plan to resume our normal section meetings schedule starting this September when Dr. Gorsuch will be presenting on the “IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems.” The meeting notice is posted on the Cincinnati IEEE website and registration will commence on 9/11. The venue, as has been customary, will be Raffel’s (Evendale, OH). In keeping with current health guidelines, Raffel’s has adopted several new practices related to hygiene. These include reduction in capacity, use of larger space for meetings, increased seat/table spacings, and rigorous sanitation regimens between events. In addition, the staff will be wearing masks and gloves when interacting with guests. While meals will still be served buffet style, the staff will dish all food such that guests do not handle any serving utensils. Social distancing and use of masks is advised according to any guidelines in place at time meeting is held. Finally, and at time of check-in, the body temperature of each attendee will be non-invasively scanned as a screening measure.

Whether you believe this crisis is real or has been overblown, I believe it is high time to get on with our lives. We now know enough about this contagion to recognize its actual risk (relative to all of the other risks we face daily without complaint or consternation) and take appropriate precautions.

Looking forward to seeing you in September!

Jay Perin
Section Chair, IEEE Cincinnati

Greetings.

We are now in the midst of a most unusual period in section and national history. In an effort to stem the contagion of COVID-19, the U.S. has instituted a national emergency and essentially gone into lockdown. A great portion of economic activity having been suspended, corporate losses are mounting, personal investment portfolio valuations have plummeted, and, for many, perhaps, financial security is at risk. What is more, there are still a great many unknowns. While it is certain that we will, at some time in the future, emerge from this dark period to resume our normal lives, we do not yet know when that will be.

I would suggest two thoughts to help center the soul. First, this is a chance to engage in some personal reflection. Are you on the right path personally and professionally? Are you tending to your families as you ought? Are you being a good neighbor in this time of collective hardship?

The second thought is more secular and relates directly to you and the rest of the entire worldwide membership of IEEE. You are a technical professional. The primary mission of IEEE is to harness technology in the service of humanity. As we work our way through this crisis, we will undoubtedly observe technologists of all sorts leading the way. You can take pride in that. What is more, it should serve to inspire in you a desire to improve your capabilities to match your capacity. In this way, you will not only enhance your personal ROI, but you will strengthen our technical community’s ability to contribute in responding to any such challenges we may face in the future.

Now, as for regular section business, this situation has forced some changes on us. We will be refraining from our normal section meetings for the time being. At the very least, this means postponement of that for March. Dr. Gunsch had a fantastic presentation on the ethics of AI prepared for us. We will undoubtedly work to reschedule him. The April meeting is typically devoted to a “best of team projects” presentation by local engineering students from the UC and MiamiU student chapters. (The NKU chapter may get involved starting next year.) All schools have essentially closed their campuses and have adopted remote learning models to close out the school year. Even if we are clear to host an April meeting, I am uncertain as to how this change on campus might affect such an event. Be assured that the section’s Executive Committee will work diligently to bring things back on line at the earliest opportunity. We will keep you posted as the situation evolves.

Take care, do everything in your power to do, and let God take care of the rest.

Jay Perin

Section Chair, IEEE Cincinnati

Due to the COVID19 virus and surrounding restrictions, the March meeting, IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems, is cancelled and will be rescheduled at a future date.  Our first and foremost objective is the health and safety of the membership and families.

Please remain active with social distancing and associated hygiene so we will all get through this major life event without incident.

Feel free to reach out to us (your Cincinnati IEEE Executive Committee) with any questions or needs.  We will help any way we can.

We will notify you by email and website update when we are able to resume normal functions.

Sincerely, your Cincinnati IEEE Executive Committee

IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems

DATE:    Cancelled

PLACE : Raffel’s – 10160 Reading Road (see below for directions)

TIME :

5:30 p.m. Social Time & Registration

6:00 p.m. Dinner

7:00 p.m. Presentation (45-60 min)

COST:   $15- $20, See information in Reservations

ABOUT THE MEETING:   Around the globe, concern is rising over the ability of autonomous and artificially intelligent systems to (more…)

Slides from the presentation: Climate Change In Perspective – 27Feb2020

Climate Change in Perspective

DATE:      Thursday, February 27, 2020

PLACE :   Raffel’s – 10160 Reading Road (see below for directions)

TIME :

5:30 p.m. Social Time & Registration

6:00 p.m. Dinner

7:00 p.m. Presentation (45-60 min)

COST:   $15- $20, See information in Reservations

ABOUT THE MEETING:   Climate history is discussed, including the historical record and science of climate. The relative risks and potential causes of temperature change are discussed with regard to the costs of potential mitigation and avoidance.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER:  Marwan Nusair received (more…)

Technologists and Public Policy – Building a Better Society

DATE:      Thursday, January 23, 2020
PLACE :   Raffel’s – 10160 Reading Road (see below for directions)
TIME :      5:30 p.m. Social Time and Registration
6:00 p.m.:  Dinner
7-8 p.m. – Presentation
COST: $15- $20, See information in Reservations (Updated)

ABOUT THE MEETING
Cybersecurity.  AI.  Cryptocurrencies.  Digital privacy.  Autonomous vehicles.  American society is (more…)

IEEE Cincinnati Holiday Social,

Tour of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Museum

ABOUT THE MEETING:

The recently expanded and renovated Hall of Fame & Museum, adjacent to Great American Ball Park (home of the Reds since 2003) features 9 galleries, over 100 display cases and (more…)

The Future of Computing

Presented at the University of Cincinnati

DATE:     Thursday, October 24, 2019
PLACE :  University of Cincinnati (see below for directions)
TIME :      6:00 p.m. – Dinner & Social Time
6:35 p.m. to ≈ 8:00 p.m. – Presentation
COST:      Free, See information in Reservations

ABOUT THE MEETING:   From the early days of punch card readers and IBM mainframes through the transition to personal computers and evolution into cloud powered tablets and cellphones, computers are being integrated into everything from refrigerators to airplanes. Join us as Dr. Jhz presents on the multi-faceted future of computing.  Every year the Student Chapter hosts a meeting and speaker with the Cincinnati Chapter.  These meetings are informative and well attended.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER:     Dr. Rashmi Jha is an Associate Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computing Systems Department at the University of Cincinnati. She worked as an Assistant Professor and then Associate Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at the University of Toledo, Process Integration Engineer at IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center.  She finished her Ph.D. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State, and B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, India. Dr Jha has more than 13 years of experience in the areas of Solid State Electronic/Nanoelectronic Device Fabrication, Electrical Characterization, Data Analysis, and Device Modeling.  She has been granted 12 US patents and has authored/co-authored several publications in the areas of nanoelectronic devices.

She has been a recipient of CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation in 2013, IBM Faculty Award in 2012, IBM Invention Achievement Award in 2007, Materials Research Society’s Graduate Student Award in 2006, Applied Materials Fellowship Award in 2005-2006, and the best student paper award nomination in IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) in 2005. Her current research interests lie in the areas of Nanoelectronic Devices Enabled Future Neuromorphic Computing Systems, Resistive Random Access Memory Devices and other Emerging Memory and Logic Devices, Spintronics, Neuroscience and Cognitive Modeling, Neuroelectronics, Emerging Nanoscale Devices Enabled Cyber-Security Systems, Flexible/Invisible Logic and Memory Devices for Wearable Computing, Solid Oxide Battery Devices, and Energy Harvesting Devices.

MENU SELECTIONS:  Buffet Menu:  Adriaticos Pizza

LOCATION:  University of Cincinnati in 427 ERC (Engineering Research Center), 2901 Woodside Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45221
Parking garages can be found next to ERC.
The nearest parking garage is Library Woodside Garage or the Campus Green Garage. There is also on street parking on Martin Luther King Blvd and Clifton Ave.
1.From the parking garages head inside campus
2.You will then get to ERC (big orange-ish building with smoke stack like roof).  Enter through the front of the building (By the new Linder Business School) go straight up the stairs (or elevator up one floor) and take a right through the doors at the top of the stairs. The room will be on the right hand side.

RESERVATIONS:  http://www.ieeecincinnati.org/meetings/.  Please click on the appropriate link and complete the reservation.  (Note:  Meeting list on webpage is slow to load on some browsers)

Cost is free for this meeting.  Please register in advance so we order enough pizza.

Reservations close at 11:59 PM on Tuesday October 22, 2019.

DINNER RESERVATION CANCELLATION POLICY
An email to reserve.cinti@ieee.org prior to the close of reservations is required to properly cancel your reservation.

All Reservations must be made by October 22nd, 2019

WALK-INS (those without reservations): You are welcome to attend this meeting and/or enjoy the dinner even if you did not register in advance. Food and drink will NOT be available to those not preregistered.

PE CREDITS:  Depending on the subject matter, attendance at IEEE Cincinnati Section Meetings now qualifies the attendee for Professional Development Hours towards renewal of Professional Engineers Licenses.  Required documentation will be available following the meeting if qualified!  The Section Meetings also provide a great opportunity to network with fellow engineers in the area.

5G RISING: What is it? Why Should I Care?

ABOUT THE MEETING:

If you think about hyperbole in national strategic initiatives, you have probably heard about 5G. The 5G narrative promises a future of ubiquitous connectivity for everything from your mobile device to self-driving vehicles, and has been lauded as a national security interest. With an expected 111% CAGR growth of market opportunities worldwide peaking at a zenith of $277 Billion by 2025, this presentation will explore the technical and business underlying concepts of 5G deployment from a network operators perspective, will explore some of the hype, and will help identify opportunities to exploit.

Special Note: This presentation will be held in conjunction with the section’s Annual Senior Member Drive. This will be an opportunity for those IEEE members wishing to elevate their grade to Senior Member to meet with a panel of Senior Members who can review their professional credentials and assist them in the application process.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER:

Tom Simpson is the Chief Operating Officer of CBI, which is the corporate entity that holds Cincinnati Bell, CBTS, Hawaiian Telecom, and ONX Canada. While many of these services are known as Cincinnati Bell in the area, all of the business entities represented under CBI provide consumer, small business, enterprise business, network and professional services engagements from our FIoptics business in Cincinnati to 5G system integration for Fortune 100 entities worldwide. Tom’s passion is driving business through technology, and has lived in some form of research, engineering, or general technology business for the past 30 years.

MENU SELECTIONS:  Buffet Menu:  Homemade Potato & Chicken Noodle Soups, Salad & Baked Potato Bar, Toppings: Shredded Cheddar, Chopped Bacon, Sliced Hardboiled Eggs, Sauteed Mushrooms & Garlic, Diced Broccoli & Diced Turkey, Cottage Cheese, Breadsticks

Tea and soft drinks are included, and alcoholic beverages are available for purchase.

LOCATION: Raffel’s is located at 10160 Reading Road, south of Glendale-Milford Road on the east side of Reading. Take I-75 to the Glendale-Milford Rd. Exit, go east on Glendale-Milford Road approximately ¾ of a mile to Reading Rd. and turn right on Reading.

RESERVATIONS: http://www.ieeecincinnati.org/meetings/. Please click on the appropriate link and complete the reservation.  (Note: Meeting list on webpage is slow to load on some browsers)

Cost is $15 for members advanced registration. Non-members and unregistered member cost is $20 cash at the door.

Reservations close at 11:59 PM on Sunday September 24, 2019.

DINNER RESERVATION CANCELLATION POLICY
An email to reserve.cinti@ieee.org prior to the close of reservations is required to properly cancel your reservation.

All Reservations must be made by September 24th, 2019

WALK-INS (those without reservations): You are welcome to attend this meeting and/or enjoy the dinner even if you did not register in advance. Walk-ins pay a higher $20 dinner fee. Raffel’s determines our cost based on the number of plates used; if you choose to have dinner, please pay the fee if you eat even if you arrive late or didn’t pre-register.

PE CREDITS: Depending on the subject matter, attendance at IEEE Cincinnati Section Meetings now qualifies the attendee for Professional Development Hours towards renewal of Professional Engineers Licenses. Required documentation will be available following the meeting if qualified! The Section Meetings also provide a great opportunity to network with fellow engineers in the area.

Global E-Commerce: How Advanced Material Handling Systems are Changing Our World

ABOUT THE MEETING:
Each year, e-commerce continues to improve on its already impressive retail sales market share. As brick and mortar stores like Sears and Toys’R’Us file bankruptcy, Amazon and Walmart are growing profits. People want their products faster, cheaper, and with more convenience. Have you ever wondered how Amazon is able to promise 2 day or faster delivery? The key factor driving this capability is automation. To ramp up output, ensure accuracy, and limit downtime, the systems that make this possible are comprised of an increasingly diverse and sophisticated array of electrical devices and control technologies that will be explained and explored.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
Rylan C. Maynard received his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA, in 2016. He is currently (more…)