IEEE SHE in ECE Event
On July 2, 2024, IEEE Circuits and Systems Society (CASS) in collaboration with IEEE Electron Device Society (EDS), IEEE North Jersey Section and Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department at NJIT hosted the third annual one-day summer camp for female high school and middle school students on NJIT campus. The focus of the event was to attract Female Students into Electrical and Computer Engineering and into IEEE CASS and encourage female students to select engineering as their career. The program was organized from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. The theme was SHE in IEEE and SHE in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). SHE stands for “Soaring High-powered Excellence.”
This year more than 80 girls entering 6th to 12th grades from the local schools attended the event. Students were welcomed by Prof. Durga Misra, IEEE ED/CAS Chapter Chair of North Jersey Section. He mentioned how the young female students to become the leaders of the technology and innovation in developing new technologies in high-tech industry and in space research. He emphasized the role of IEEE such as Try-Engineering program and appreciated the financial support from the IEEE CASS and IEEE EDS. The student group included many minority students.
Ms. Marjorie Perry, CEO, and sole principal of MZM Construction gave the opening keynote encouraging the student to join STEM and work hard to achieve their goals. Furthermore, Ms. Perry inspired the girls to be engineers and mentioned how electrical engineers and computer engineers are leading the way from self-driving cars to wireless communications using their mobile phones. She encouraged them to do well in science and mathematics in school.
Following the opening keynote, a panel discussion was held as part of the program. The panel consisted of women faculty members and industry leaders in engineering field and WiE leaders of IEEE. The academic panelists were Ms. Lucie Tchouassi, Associate Dean for Academics, Newark College of Engineering, Prof. Ratna Raj and Prof. Xuan Liu of Elect & Comp Eng Department of NJIT. The industry panelists were, Ms. Chitra Venkatraman, retired Telecommunication Engineer from Nokia; Dr. Anisha Apte, Sr. Design Engineer at Synergy Microwave Corporation and IEEE Region 1 WiE Chair; Ms. Carol Benitez, Vice President of Operations at Greener by Design; Ms. Jessica Harris, President at Harris Energy Solutions LLC; and Ms. Stephena C. Uzoma, Electronics Installation Engineer in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The panel was introduced by Ms. Lucie Tchouassi. Each panel member went to a round table to talk to the students. There was a question bowl with many relevant questions and the students were happy to pick a question to ask the panelist. In general, the panelists had a very cordial discussion with students and advised the students how they can think about selecting their career. The panelists told the students to be strong and brave as a female electrical engineer because female engineers make a highly positive impact in new technology development and innovation.
After the panel meeting the students were divided into four groups: (A) visit to Virtual Reality (VR) Lab; (B) visit to the Power Systems and Smart Grid Research Lab where Prof. Marcos Netto explained the students about Renewable Energy Research and New Jersey’s Offshore Wind Energy initiatives; and the other two groups (C) and (D) remained for the Hands-on-Activity. The groups were rotated. The hands-on activity was guided by Dr. Byron Chen, Director of Labs of ECE Department. The students were given the Snap Circuits Green Energy from Elenco Electronics and a multimeter to work on several circuits using solar energy and wind energy. They were excited to build their projects, and the volunteers helped them if they had any difficulties. Please see a short video. Students took the kits home. Later in the afternoon the students had snacks and interacted with the current female ECE students in an informal environment to learn more.
During lunch time NJIT’s admission office guided the high school seniors about the application process and declared that the application fee will be waived if they apply to ECE Department or any engineering program for their undergraduate studies. Ms. Teri Bass and Ms. Ryoko Mathes of ECE Department of NJIT worked tirelessly form January 2024 to make the project a success. Around 15 ECE students worked as volunteers to help the students to have an excellent time.
We had more than 122 registrations and 80+ attendance. In 2024, we had a survey to receive feedback from the female high school and middle school students at the end of the program. Fifty-seven students, who attended the program, responded. As shown in the figure above 94.7% agree and strongly agree that they have learned more about electrical and computer engineering after attending the event. The students were also encouraged (71.9%) to consider ECE/Tech as their choice of major in college. Out of the responders we had 42.1% Asians, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; 43.9% African Americans and Latinos, 10.5% Whites as shown in the figure below. We had a significant increase in Black or African American students from 17% in 2023 to 31.6% in 2024.
Durga Misra
CASS/EDS Jt Chapter Chair, IEEE North Jersey Section
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IEEE CASS-SSCS-EDS Wuhan Joint Chapter Successfully Hosts Lectures on Security of Edge Deep Neural Networks and IEEE Professional Career Development
The IEEE CASS-SSCS-EDS Wuhan Joint Chapter and the IEEE CASS-SSCS-EDS HUST Student Branch successfully hosted lectures on "Security of Edged Deep Neural Networks" and "IEEE Professional Career Development: From a Beginner to a Leader", by IEEE fellow Prof. Chip Hong Chang and Prof. Chia-Wen Lin, on July 5, 2024, and July 9, 2024, respectively.
The two lectures were both conducted in-person in the C111 conference room of the School of Optical and Electronic Information at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST). The lecture titled "Security of Edged Deep Neural Networks" was delivered by Prof. Chip Hong Chang from Nanyang Technological University. The lecture on "IEEE Professional Career Development: from a Beginner to a Leader" was presented by Prof. Chia-Wen Lin from National Tsing Hua University. The two lectures attracted faculty members and students from the School of Optical and Electronic Information, the Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, the School of Integrated Circuits, the School of Electronic and Information Engineering, and so on.
Prof. Chip Hong Chang presented research on the attacks and defenses of Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) in the context of the rapidly evolving Internet of Things (IoT) and the transformative "model once, run anywhere" paradigm in AI. His lecture highlighted the critical vulnerabilities posed by current DNN hardware implementations and the increasing trend of outsourcing model training and deployment, leaving a profound impression on the audience. Prof. Chia-Wen Lin shared insights and observations on the importance of professional activities and services, such as paper publications and conference organization, for career development in academia and engineering, based on years of experience with IEEE CASS and SPS, triggering heated discussion during the subsequent Q&A session.
The successful completion of two lectures deepened the understanding of AI security and DNN hardware vulnerabilities, and emphasized the value of IEEE professional activities for career development among the attending faculty and students. The upsurge of academic exchanges will continue in the future lectures series organized the IEEE CASS-SSCS-EDS Wuhan Joint Chapter and HUST Student Branch.
Xupeng Zhang, Student Branch Member
Chao Wang, Wuhan Chapter Chair
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IEEE CAS Society Day and Australia New Zealand Student and Young Professional Congress (ANZSCON) Successfully Held In Auckland, New Zealand
The first IEEE CAS Day in New Zealand, held on August 4th, 2024, marked a significant milestone in the region's engagement with the global Circuits and Systems Society. The event featured distinguished speakers from various parts of the world, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the local audience. Notable presenters included Professor Myung Hoon Sunwoo, IEEE CAS President, and Professor Kea-Tiong (Samuel) Tang, IEEE CASS Vice-President of Regional Membership Activities. Their insights highlighted the latest advancements and trends in circuits and systems, fostering a collaborative environment for innovation and development. Professor Hanho Lee, IEEE CASS Vice President of Technical Activities, and Professor Yongfu Li, IEEE CASS R10 BoG and DataPort representative, shared their perspectives on technical advancements and data-driven research. Additionally, Professor Saurabh Sinha, Past IEEE Board of Director & VP-Education, provided a comprehensive overview of the educational initiatives within the IEEE, emphasizing the role of continuous learning in technological progress.
The event concluded with a round table discussion on the possibility of starting up IEEE CAS Chapters in New Zealand with Professor Saurabh Sinha, Yongfu Li, and Professor Tek Tjing Lie, IEEE New Zealand Section Vice-Chair as the moderators. This inaugural event set the stage for future collaborations and knowledge exchange within the IEEE CAS community in New Zealand.
For more details, visit IEEE vTools (https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/424847).
On the next 2 days (July 6-7, 2024), IEEE Australia New Zealand Student and Young Professional Congress (ANZSCON) was successfully held at Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand. ANZSCON is an IEEE student-organised event where young engineering students and professionals from around Australia and New Zealand meet to familiarize themselves with trends in science and technology, discuss present and future engineering challenges, develop new skills, and share technical, social, and professional experiences.
Co-organised by the IEEE student branches of the University of Canterbury, the University of Auckland, and Auckland University of Technology, the theme of this year’s ANZSCON was 'Leading Your Future,' and 50 students, young professionals, and IEEE members, both senior and new, attended.
The congress commenced with inspiring video messages from Professor Kathleen Kramer, IEEE President-Elect, and Professor Lance Fung, IEEE Region 10 Director, each highlighting their ongoing commitment to nurturing future leaders within IEEE's extensive network.
A standout session titled 'Pathway to Your Future' featured a diverse panel that shared valuable insights into leadership across generations within IEEE's framework. This was followed by the University of Canterbury’s Dean of Engineering Professor Saurabh Sinha discussing the pivotal role of IEEE's organisational structure in enhancing support for student branches globally.
The highlight of ANZSCON was the engagement with the IEEE Circuits and
Systems Society (CASS), particularly through the insights shared by Associate
Professor Yongfu Li. Professor Li, a tenured associate professor at Shanghai
Jiao Tong University and a prominent member of the IEEE CASS Board of
Governors, spoke about the expansion opportunities for IEEE CASS in New Zealand
and Australia.
In conclusion, the successful execution of ANZSCON 2024 not only underscores the robust nature of IEEE's student and young professional community in these regions but also sets the stage for a deeper and more impactful involvement of IEEE CASS in shaping the future of technology and innovation in Australasia.
Leonardo Bolstad
University of Canterbury Student
Branch
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IEEE CAS Day in Sydney, Australia
On 2nd July, 2024, the IEEE Circuits and Systems (CAS) Society will host the first CAS Day event in Sydney, Australia. The event featured a series of compelling technical presentations at the Faculty of Engineering & IT, University of Technology Sydney. Dr. Xi Forest Zhu and Prof. Herbert Iu led the event, welcoming academic staff and local CAS members to the event.
It begins with Prof. Myung Hoon Sunwoo, IEEE CAS Society President, from Ajou University, South Korea who shared insights into deep learning models for medical disease diagnosis, highlighting the latest advancements and applications in the field. This was followed by a presentation from Prof. Hanho Lee, IEEE CAS Society Vice-President of Technical Activities, from Inha University, South Korea, who discussed efficient hardware architecture design for lattice-based post-quantum cryptography, addressing the critical need for security in the era of quantum computing.
Later, Prof. Kea-Tiong (Samuel) Tang, IEEE CAS Society Vice-President of Regional Activities and Membership, from National Tsinghua University, Taiwan, presented on neuromorphic AI design based on compute-in-memory and compute-in-sensor technologies, showcasing innovative approaches to AI hardware design. This was followed by a tea break, allowing attendees to network and discuss the presentations.
The technical sessions continued with Prof. Yongfu Li, IEEE CAS Society R10 Board of Governor, from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, who explored AI-in-the-loop for physical design verification, discussing design-for-manufacturing (DFM), design-technology co-optimization (DTCO), and electronic design automation (EDA) techniques. Prof. Herbert Iu from the University of Western Australia, Australia, presented on double locally active memristors-based inductor-free chaotic circuits, offering insights into cutting-edge circuit design.
Prof. Forest Xi Zhu from the University of Technology Sydney, Australia, concluded the technical presentations with a discussion on millimeter-wave integrated circuit design, highlighting the challenges and innovations in high-frequency circuit design.
This series of presentations provided a deep dive into the latest research and developments in circuits and systems, reflecting the IEEE CASS's commitment to advancing technology and fostering collaboration within the community. The technical events were a highlight of the CAS Day celebrations, offering valuable knowledge and inspiration to all attendees.
Forest Xi Zhu, University of Technology Sydney
Herbert Iu, University of Western Australia
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IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Westlake University Student Branch Chapter Successfully Hosts Inaugural Seminar
On August 1st, 2024, the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Westlake University Student Branch Chapter successfully hosted its inaugural seminar. This event was organized in collaboration with the CenBRAIN Neurotech Center of Excellence at Westlake University, as part of its Leading Lecture Series.
The kickoff event started with a welcome message from Chair Professor Mohamad Sawan, followed by a brief talk by Jinbo Chen, the Student Branch Chapter Chair, who provided an overview of the chapter’s formation and its future goals. This set the stage for a series of insightful academic presentations.
Prof. Amara Amara from Beihang International Campus discussed the application of artificial intelligence in enhancing healthcare systems in developing countries, focusing on error analysis in primary health centers and early warning systems for malaria. Prof. Wei Mao from Xidian University highlighted advancements in AI computing chip design, showcasing innovations in hardware acceleration and multi-domain system applications, including ultraviolet blindness monitoring and radar data fusion. Prof. Yongfu Li from Shanghai Jiao Tong University introduced IEEE DataPort, emphasizing its role in accelerating research and industrial development through open-source data access and collaborative design contests.
This successful inaugural seminar highlighted the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Westlake University Student Branch Chapter's commitment to fostering academic excellence and innovation. The event provided a platform for knowledge exchange and set the foundation for collaborative efforts aimed at driving technological advancements and addressing real-world challenges.
Jinbo Chen
IEEE Westlake University CASS Student Branch Chapter Chair