IEEE Toronto Section

Hybrid Renewable Energy Standalone Systems
2017-03-24 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Toronto) | Room BA 4287, 40 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S2E4
Friday March 24, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. Dr. Ambrish Chandra of Department of Electrical Engineering, École de technologie supérieure, will be presenting “Hybrid Renewable Energy Standalone Systems”.
Day & Time: Friday, March 24th, 2017
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Speaker: Dr. Ambrish Chandra
Department of Electrical Engineering
École de technologie supérieure
Location: Room BA 4287
Building: Bahen Center of Information Technology
University of Toronto
40 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S2E4
Contact: Sanaz Kanani
Organizers: IAS & PLES Joint Chapter
Register: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/44319
Abstract: Several isolated areas in the world currently use only diesel generators (DGs) to serve their requirements of electrical energy. However, the use of DGs has many drawbacks: 1) high cost of electricity, 2) air and noise pollution, 3) Loss in fuel efficiency and maintenance cost. To remedy those problems it is better to generate power from a cost-effective, environmental friendly renewable energy sources (RESs) such as wind, solar, hydro, biomass, etc. RESs are clean and almost available all over the planet but are intermittent in nature, especially wind and solar power generations. This makes their integration to micro-grid with DG difficult, especially if the local grid is not connected to the main grid. Hybrid standalone system consists of many elements such as photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, DG, energy storage system, AC and DC loads, dump load etc. Most of these elements are connected to the AC or DC bus via power electronic devices. In this presentation many possible hybrid renewable energy standalone systems will be discussed. Control of some of the systems will be discussed in detail.
Biography: Prof Ambrish Chandra did his engineering degree from the University of Roorkee (presently IIT), India, M.Tech. degree from IIT, New Delhi, India, and Ph.D. degree from University of Calgary, Canada, in 1977, 1980, and 1987, respectively. Since 1994, he is working as a Professor of Electrical Engineering at École de Technologie Supérieure (ETS), Université du Québec, Montréal, Canada.
The key differentiator of Prof. Chandra’s work is in the simplicity and practicality of the new solutions proposed by him. His most significant work is concerned with the advancement of new theory and control algorithms in the following two areas: 1) integration of renewable energy sources to distribution systems with improved power quality features, and 2) power quality improvement in distribution systems. His work has had a significant impact and is now extensively employed in the industry. During the past 20 years he has published around 300 research articles in these two areas. He was instrumental in writing six review articles on power quality; those have now become de-facto standards worldwide. Many of the articles co-authored by him have high Google citations 2036, 867, 603, 325, with total Google citations 9380, h-index 42, i10-index 99, and are being referred by many international researchers. He is a coauthor of the book ‘Power Quality – Problems and Mitigation Techniques’, John Wiley and Sons Ltd, (2015) which deals with the power quality problems in distribution systems.
Prof Chandra is Fellow of many organisations, including IEEE, CAE, EIC, IET and others. He is a Distinguished Lecturer of IEEE Power and Energy Society, and also of IEEE Industry Application Society. He is an Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics. He is IEEE Power and Energy Society Montreal Chapter Chair. From May 2012 to September 2015, he was the Director of a multidisciplinary graduate program on ‘Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency’ at ÉTS. Prof Chandra is a professional engineer in the province of Quebec, Canada.

Cyber Security for Utilities Seminar
2017-03-22 18:00 - 20:00 | Room 202, Galbraith Building, 35 St. George St. Toronto, Ontario
Wednesday March 22, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. the IEEE Toronto Computer Society/Industrial Relations will be presenting “Cyber Security for Utilities Seminar”.
Day & Time: Wednesday, March 22nd, 2017
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Speakers: Steel McCreery
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL)
Doug Westlund, P. Eng.
AESI
Location: University of Toronto
35 St. George St.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5S 1A4
Building: Galbraith Building
Room Number: 202
RSVP is required for this event. Please visit https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/44162 for more details and to register.
FEES:
IEEE Members: Free
Non-IEEE Students: Free
Non-Member (Professional): $10 + HST
Abstract: Cyber Security is one of the hottest technology topics ensuring the safety and reliability of the Electrical Grid against cyber-attacks from hackers. This seminar will be a great opportunity for students, new grads, and engineers to have a general overview on cyber security issues and challenges for utilities in North America. Industry Standards such as NERC CIP will be discussed, as will career opportunities on this field.
Join us on our first seminar on Cyber Security with IEEE Toronto Section. We look forward to seeing you at the event!
Biographies:
Steel McCreery is an Integration Application Specialist II Communications, providing communications and automation applications engineering support to sales, consultants, utility and industrial customers in addition to SEL’s internal Engineering Services team.
Doug Westlund, P. Eng., has 30 years’ experience in technology and cyber security in the utility and telecommunications markets. In his role at AESI he assists utility executive teams and their Boards with strategic planning and risk management. He has led more than 100 cyber security projects for generation, transmission and distribution utilities, developed risk management for the Ontario LDC insurer (MEARIE), and developed cyber security best practices and programs for the American Public Power Association and its 2,000 distribution utility members.

Emerging Trends in Software, Computing, & Application Development
2017-03-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Room TRS2164 (8th Floor of the Building), 575 Bay Street (Entrance at 55 Dundas Street West), Ryerson University
Monday March 13, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. Dr. Ilia Nika, Software Engineering Technology Professor and Coordinator of Software Programs at ICET Department of Centennial College, will be presenting “Emerging Trends in Software, Computing, & Application Development”.
Day & Time: Monday, March 13th, 2017
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Speaker: Dr. Ilia Nika
Software Engineering Technology Professor and Coordinator of Software Programs
ICET Department, Centennial College
Location: Room TRS2164 (8th Floor of the Building)
575 Bay Street (Entrance at 55 Dundas Street West), Ryerson University
Contact: Dr. Maryam Davoudpour
Organizers: WIE, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics, Magnetics, Computer Science Department of Ryerson University
Abstract: Software is taking the planet by storm. Whether is engineering, manufacturing, medicine, business, arts, or education, the use of software is changing the way we live and is helping to improve people’s lives.
In this talk we will present several emerging trends in software, computing, and application development, as well as show some of the recent applications in various areas. Most importantly, we will relate the recent changes to ongoing curriculum updates to computing program across the education system.
Biography: Ilia has a Ph.D. in Applied mathematics, and more than 30 years of experience in mathematical modeling, software development, teaching, applied research, and curriculum development.
His main areas of expertise include mathematical modeling, Java and .NET programming, and mobile application development. Ilia has developed several automated systems for signal processing of geophysical data including the solution of inverse resistivity problem in resistivity logging. He is very interested in applications of machine learning in both engineering and education and has developed an application for predicting student retention in community colleges using institutional data and ensemble learning. Ilia has developed and taught courses in Software Systems Design and Computer Communications & Networking degree programs, as well as courses in Software Engineering Technology programs. Ilia has been principal investigator and/or co-investigator in several ARIC projects. He is also an Information Technology Management and Continuing Education part-time instructor, at Ryerson University (2007 – Present). Currently he is teaching Emerging Technologies course for Software Engineering Technology students, Centennial College.

Big Data
2017-03-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Room TRS2164 (8th Floor of the Building), 575 Bay Street (Entrance at 55 Dundas Street West), Ryerson University
Monday March 6, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. Dr. Ann Cavoukian will be presenting “Big Data”.
Day & Time: Monday, March 6th, 2017
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Speaker: Dr. Ann Cavoukian
Location: Room TRS2164 (8th Floor of the Building)
575 Bay Street (Entrance at 55 Dundas Street West), Ryerson University
Contact: Dr. Maryam Davoudpour
Organizers: WIE, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics, Magnetics, Computer Science Department of Ryerson University
Biography: Dr. Ann Cavoukian is recognized as one of the world’s leading privacy experts. She is presently the Executive Director of Ryerson University’s Privacy and Big Data Institute. Dr. Cavoukian served an unprecedented three terms as the Information & Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, Canada. There she created Privacy by Design, a framework that seeks to proactively embed privacy into design, thereby achieving the strongest protection possible. In 2010, International Privacy Regulators unanimously passed a Resolution recognizing Privacy by Design as an international standard. Since then, PbD has been translated into 39 languages.
Dr. Cavoukian has received numerous awards recognizing her leadership in privacy, most recently as of the Top 100 Leaders in Identity (January, 2017).

An Introduction to UAV Regulations
2017-02-28 15:00 - 17:00 | York University, Petrie Science & Engineering Building (building #17), Room Number: 422, 4700 Keele Street
There has been an exponential surge in the use of the small unmanned aerial vehicles (sUAV), also known as drones, ranging from recreational to professional and research activities. However, whether used as a great toy to record spectacular images from the air or a great tool for activities such as mapping, construction or emergency response, the sUAV can crash or collide with other objects, or can cause privacy concerns. This is why most countries regulate the operation of sUAS to mitigate the risks from potential inflight accidents with manned aircrafts that operate in the same airspace, collisions with vehicles and power lines, crashes in populated areas, or privacy violations that can raise trespassing and security concerns. The presentation will address various regulations and operational aspects we need to be aware of for the safe and legal operation of a sUAV.
Speaker: Costas Armenakis, PhD, PEng
Registration: Registration is free, and is open to IEEE members and non-members, but space is limited. Please RSVP through the registration website or contact Kyarash Shahriari / Dante Bolatti.
Remote Access: This meeting is accessible through IEEE WebEx service for those who may not be able to attend. Please contact Kyarash Shahriari or Dante Bolatti for more details.
Day & Time: Tuesday, February 28th, 2017
3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: York University
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Building: Petrie Science & Engineering Building (building #17)
Room Number: 422
Contacts: Kyarash Shahriari
Dante Bolatti
Biography:
Dr. Costas Armenakis is an Associate Professor and Program Director of Geomatics Engineering at the Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Toronto, Canada. He has over 30 years of research experience in photogrammetry, remote sensing and GIS working on the acquisition, handling, processing and management of geo-spatial data and information from terrestrial, aerial and space-borne image sensors. His research interests are in the areas of photogrammetric engineering and remote sensing mapping, focusing on unmanned mobile sensing and mapping systems and the use of unmanned aerial vehicle systems for geomatics. He is an ISPRS Fellow and former President of the ISPRS Technical Commission IV on Digital Mapping and GeoDatabases. Currently he serves as Co-Chair of the ISPRS ICWG I/II: UAS & Small Multi-Sensor Platforms: Concepts & Applications.

Health Apps by Design: A Reference Architecture for Mobile Apps for Health
2017-02-27 12:00 - 13:00 | Room TRS2164 (8th Floor of the Building), 575 Bay Street (Entrance at 55 Dundas Street West), Ryerson University
Monday February 27, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. Dr. Karim Keshavjee will be presenting “Health Apps by Design: A Reference Architecture for Mobile Apps for Health”.
Day & Time: Monday, February 27th, 2017
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Speaker: Dr. Karim Keshavjee
Location: Room TRS2164 (8th Floor of the Building)
575 Bay Street (Entrance at 55 Dundas Street West), Ryerson University
Contact: Dr. Maryam Davoudpour
Organizers: WIE, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics, Magnetics, Computer Science Department of Ryerson University
Biography: Karim is a Family Physician with over 25 years of experience designing, developing and implementing Electronic Health Records/Electronic Medical Records and helping clinicians use them effectively. Currently working on architecting a scalable and sustainable technology system that will help us prevent diabetes cost-effectively. Diabetes prevention is feasible, but is not cost-effective. I believe an engineered solution could change things dramatically.

Improving Communication Skills for Engineers
2017-02-22 18:30 - 20:30 | Room 202, Galbraith Building, 35 St. George Street
Wednesday February 22, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. IEEE Toronto Section’s Industry Relations Committee and Young Professionals Affinity Group will be hosting a seminar on “Improving Communication Skills for Engineers” with distinguished speakers who will share their experiences and speak about the opportunities, possibilities, and challenges in an engineering workplace and the required communication skills. You will hear first-hand tips on how to become an excellent communicator to advance your career.
The focus of this seminar is on communication skills one requires to be successful in an engineering profession. This seminar could be of special interest to engineering students, new graduates, young engineers, and young professionals in general.
This seminar is free; light refreshments will be provided.
Please register at the link below:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/improving-communication-skills-for-engineers-tickets-31690711772
Day & Time: Wednesday, February 22nd, 2017
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Room 202, Galbraith Building, 35 St. George Street
Organizer: IEEE Toronto Section’s Industry Relations Committee, Young Professionals Affinity Group
Event Details:
6:15 pm-6:40 pm: Registration and Welcoming
6:40 pm-7:00 pm: 1st Speech by Dr. Tom Murad
7:00 pm-7:20 pm: 2nd Speech by Mr. Hugo Sánchez-Reategui
7:20 pm-7:40 pm: 3rd Speech by Mr. Ted Lyberogiannis
7:40 pm-8:00 pm: Open Panel and Q&A with Speakers
8:00 pm-8:30 pm: Closing and Networking
Other topics that will be covered in this seminar include:
§ What university does not teach you: the minimum level of knowledge and skills an engineer requires to perform engineering work independently, including academic knowledge, sector specific technical knowledge, business specific knowledge, emerging technologies, supervisory, management, and communication skills.
§ How much you can benefit from mentors in achieving your career goals.
§ Why life-long learning is critical for your career and life success.
Biography of speakers:
Dr. Tom Murad
Dr. Tom Murad is the Head of Siemens Engineering and Technology Academy, in Siemens Canada, with over 35 years of experience in professional engineering and technical operations executive management including more than 10 years of academic and R&D work in industrial controls and automation. In the last four years, he worked within Siemens Canada as the Head of Expert House and Engineering Director in the Industry Sector. Prior to joining Siemens Canada, Tom was the Senior Vice President and COO of AZZ-Blenkhorn & Sawle, an engineering system integration and technical solutions provider in Ontario, specialized in power distribution and controls in various industrial and infrastructure applications. He has previously held various V.P. and Director positions in a number of engineering and industrial organizations internationally, and contributed to many large global industrial projects. Dr. Murad is a Fellow of Engineers Canada and a member of Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), APEGA in Alberta, and NAPEG in the Northwest Territories, as well as a Senior Member of IEEE in various technical societies. Tom earned a Bachelor of Engineering and a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Power Electronics and Industrial Controls from the Loughborough University of Technology in the UK. He also received a Leadership Program Certificate from Schulich Business School, York University. Currently, Dr. Murad serves on a number of advisory boards in the industry and academia. He has been an active member of the PEO Licensing “Engineering Experience Review” Committee for the last 12 Years.
Mr. Hugo Sánchez-Reategui
Hugo Sanchez-Reategui has been a consultant of PowerStream Inc. for the past 6 years confirming capacity for Embedded Distributed Generators dealing with stakeholders, developers, utilities and government agencies. Hugo is a current member of Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO), active member of Toastmasters International (Public Speaking) for the past 7 years. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering at National University of Callao, Peru and IEEQB Program Certificate at Ryerson University in 2010. Currently, Hugo mentors undergrad students, international engineers and junior Toastmasters members. His technical interests include Smart Grid Technologies, Distribution Reliability, Substation Communications and Protection of Distribution Systems.
Mr. Ted Lyberogiannis
Ted is a Professional Engineer with a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto and a Master’s degree in Electrical Power Systems from the University of Waterloo. He currently works as a manager at an electrical utility in Toronto. Upon graduating from his Bachelor’s degree in 2004, he realized that his technical abilities would be of little use if he was unable to communicate effectively. Shortly after graduating, he began practicing his public speaking by joining a local Toastmasters club at his work. He is now an experienced Toastmaster who has competed at the Semi-Finals of the World Championships of Public Speaking on two occasions – most recently placing 3rd in his Semi-Final this past August in Washington, DC. He has delivered talks to dozens of different audiences including the National Job Fair, students at the University of Toronto and the Water Environment Association of Ontario. He is a firm believer in the power of communication and that anyone can become a good public speaker if they practice enough – even those of us who studied engineering!

Micro-Scale Robots: Magnetic Actuation for Wireless Manipulation
2017-02-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Room TRS2164, 575 Bay Street (Entrance at 55 Dundas Street West)
Monday February 13, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. Dr. Diller, Assistant Professor in the department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto, will be presenting “Micro-Scale Robots: Magnetic Actuation for Wireless Manipulation”.
Speaker: Dr. Diller
Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto
Day & Time: Monday, February 13th, 2017
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location: Room TRS2164, 575 Bay Street (Entrance at 55 Dundas Street West)
Ryerson University (TRS2164 is on the 8th floor of the building)
Organizer: WIE, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics, Magnetics, Computer Science Department of Ryerson University
Abstract: Micro-scale mobile robots can physically access small spaces in a versatile and non-invasive manner. Such microrobots under 1 mm in size have potential unique applications for object manipulation, local sensing and cargo delivery in healthcare, microfluidics and advanced materials fabrication. These devices are powered and controlled remotely using externally-applied magnetic fields for motion in 2D and 3D. This talk will introduce our experimental work in micro-manipulation using single and teams of these devices.
Biography: Dr. Diller is an Assistant Professor in the department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, and Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon University in 2013. His current work focuses on fabrication and control relating to remote actuation of micro-scale devices using magnetic fields, medical robotics, smart materials, and swimming at small size scales.

Innovative Radio Systems and Antennas for Space Telecommunication Applications
2017-02-08 16:00 - 17:00 | BA 1230, 40 St. George Street, Toronto
Wednesday February 8, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. Dr. Hervé Legay, Thales Alenia Space, will be presenting “Innovative Radio Systems and Antennas for Space Telecommunication Applications”.
Speaker: Dr. Hervé Legay
Thales Alenia Space, France
Day & Time: Wednesday, February 8th, 2017
4:00 pm
Location: BA 1230, Bahen Centre for Information Technology
40 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2E4
Contact: Sean V. Hum
Organizer: IEEE Toronto Electromagnetics & Radiation Chapter
Abstract: We stand at the dawn of a new era for the space telecommunication ecosystem, marked by a consistent exponential growth in throughput as well as the irruption of new systems based on constellation of satellites. For these challenges, new models for disruptive innovation are imagined for the future generation of payloads:
• Developing new antennas and RF subsystems concepts inspired by optics, or based on metamaterials (composite media with an internal periodic structure that provides specific characteristics such as filtering, phase-shifting, absorbing, etc.)
• Integrating of smart and agile RF systems with signal processing capability that exploit mechanically actuated RF components, smart RF surfaces as well as innovative deployment schemes.
• Introducing into space cost efficient manufacturing techniques, based on additive and subtractive processes, metallised plastics, thin organic large area electronics, etc. Recent achievements in these innovative concepts developed at Thales Alenia Space will be presented, identifying their perspectives and their limitations.
Biography: Hervé Legay was born in 1965. He received the electrical engineering and Ph.D. degrees from the National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA), Rennes, France, in 1988 and 1991, respectively. For two years, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow with the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, where he developed innovating planar antennas. He joined Alcatel Space, Toulouse, France, in 1994, which is now Thales Alenia Space. He initially conducted studies in the areas of telecommunication satellite antennas and antenna processing. He designed the architecture and the antijamming process of the Syracuse 3 active antenna. He is the author of 27 patents. He is currently responsible for the R&T studies on space antennas, director of the joint laboratory MERLIN involving Thales Alenia Space and IETR (Institut d’electronique et de Télécommunication de Rennes). He coordinates the collaborations with academic and research partners. He was appointed Antenna Expert in Thales. Dr. Legay is a co-prize-winner of the 2007 Schelkunoff prize paper award. He received the Gold Thales Awards in 2008, a reward for the best innovations in the group Thales.

Intermodulation Distortion Mitigation in Microwave Amplifiers and Frequency Converters
2017-01-30 14:00 - 15:00 | Room WB116, Wallberg Building 184 College St, Toronto, ON M5S 3E4
Monday January 30, 2017 at 2:10 p.m. Professor Carlos Saavedra, Queen’s University and Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, will be presenting “Intermodulation Distortion Mitigation in Microwave Amplifiers and Frequency Converters”.
Event Slides: Intermodulation Distortion Mitigation in Microwave Amplifiers and Frequency Converters
Speaker: Professor Carlos Saavedra
Queen’s University, Kingston
Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques
Day & Time: Monday, January 30th, 2017
2:10 pm – 3:00 pm
Location: Room WB116, Wallberg Building
184 College St, Toronto, ON M5S 3E4
Contact: Dustin Dunwell
Organizer: Solid State Circuit Society
Cost: Free for everyone. Complimentary refreshments will be provided.
Abstract: Intermodulation distortion (IMD) refers to the phenomenon where the spectral lines of an information‐bearing signal interact with themselves to yield new, undesired, spectral lines as they pass through a circuit. While some of the spurious tones are easily eliminated through filtering, others are more difficult to deal with because they appear within the band of the information signal and interfere with it. The study of IMD has a rich history and multiple techniques have been developed over time to mitigate it. One such method is known as derivative superposition (DS), which reduces IMD distortion by using an auxiliary circuit to generate an out‐of‐phase replica of the IMD tones produced by the main circuit. First introduced in the late 1990s, DS has attracted much attention due to its small footprint and low power consumption. This talk will discuss work we have carried out at Queen’s that uses DS and digital assist to improve the output third‐order intercept point (OIP3) of gallium‐nitride (GaN) power amplifiers from by +40 dBm to +50 dBm over a 5 GHz span. A stand‐alone distortion cancelling cell will also be presented which can improve the OIP3 of a generic off‐the‐shelf microwave amplifier by 7.5 dB. The talk will conclude with a discussion of mixer linearization using DS and digital assist techniques.
Biography: Carlos Saavedra obtained the Ph.D. degree from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, in 1998. From 1998 to 2000 he was a Senior Engineer at Millitech Corporation (North Hampton, Massachusetts) and in 2000 he joined Queen’s University at Kingston where he currently holds the rank of Professor. He is an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, is a member of the Technical Program Review Committee of the IEEE International Microwave Symposium (IMS) and of the Steering Committee of the IEEE NEWCAS conference. He is Past Chair of the IEEE MTT‐S Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC‐22) on Signal Generation and Frequency Conversion and was Guest Editor of the September 2013 IEEE Microwave Magazine Focus Issue titled “100 Years of Mixer Technology”. He served on the Steering and Technical Program Committees of the 2012 IEEE IMS and was a member of the IEEE RFIC Symposium TPC from 2008 to 2011. Prof. Saavedra is a three‐time recipient of the third‐year ECE undergraduate teaching award at Queen’s University.

Innovations in Communications
2017-01-26 17:00 - 19:00 | Room SF 2202, Sandford Fleming Building 10 King’s College Rd, Toronto, ON M5S 3G8
Thursday January 26, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. the IEEE Toronto Communication Society is inviting all interested IEEE and other engineers, technologists and students to our FIRST technical/social event themed “Innovations in Communications”.
Speaker: Ahmed Alsohaily, Technology Strategy, Telus
Presenting “Low Power Wireless Access for Internet of Things Connectivity”
Alberto Leon-Garcia, Professor, University of Toronto
Presenting “Enabling Smart Infrastructures with Multitier Cloud Computing on Software-Defined Infrastructure”
Nebu Mathai, Director, Strategic Initiatives + Advanced Engineering Cognitive Systems Corp
Presenting “Cognitive Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations: Emerging Trends and Technologies”
Day & Time: Thursday, January 26th, 2017
5:00 pm – 7:00+ pm
Location: Room SF 2202, Sandford Fleming Building
10 King’s College Rd, Toronto, ON M5S 3G8
Contact: Eman Hammad
Organizer: IEEE Toronto Communication Society
Kindly RVSP for event and dinner here.
We are also extending the invitation to interested volunteers to join our team, and for interested speakers to contact us.
Schedule: 5:00 pm – 5:05 pm Opening Remarks
5:05 pm – 5:30 pm Talk #1: Low Power Wireless Access for Internet of Things Connectivity
5:30 pm – 5:40 pm Coffee Break
5:45 pm – 6:15 pm Talk #2: Enabling Smart Infrastructures with Multitier Cloud Computing on Software-Defined Infrastructures
6:15 pm – 6:45 pm Talk #3: Cognitive Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations: Emerging Trends and Technologies
6:45 pm – 8:00 pm Dinner and Networking
Talk #1: Low Power Wireless Access for Internet of Things Connectivity
Abstract: This talk will discuss the emergence of Low Power Wireless Access (LPWA) connectivity to cater to many Internet of Things (IoT) applications. After providing an overview of LPWA challenges, potential solutions and innovations, 3GPP Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) solution will be detailed as prime candidate technology for providing LPWA connectivity.
Biography: Ahmed Alsohaily (S’13–M’15) received his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 2015 and is currently the Assistant Director of the Wireless Lab at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in University of Toronto, where he holds a MITACS Elevate postdoctoral fellowship. He is also a member of the Technology Strategy team at Telus responsible for standardization at 3GPP RAN. He actively contributes to the IEEE ComSoc Standards Development and serves as an advisor to the NGMN Alliance
Talk #2: Enabling Smart Infrastructures with Multitier Cloud Computing on Software-Defined Infrastructure
Abstract: In this project we discuss the SAVI approach to integrate IoT, SDN, and cloud computing technologies into a platform that can support smart applications. From 2011 to 2016 the NSERC Strategic Network for Smart Applications on Virtual Infrastructures (SAVI) investigated the convergence of computing, networking, and sensing to create an agile platform for smart applications. We introduce SAVI’s multitier computing cloud that converges computing, SDN and sensing, and we describe the testbed that was deployed across Canada and federated with the U.S. We discuss use cases that are operational on SAVI including: service chaining, testbed-wide orchestration, intrusion-detection and protection using NFV, multilayer monitoring and modeling using machine learning, and a live intelligent transportation dashboard for the Greater Toronto Area
Biography: Professor Alberto Leon-Garcia is Distinguished Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electronics an Electrical Engineering “For contributions to multiplexing and switching of integrated services traffic”. He is also a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has received the 2006 Thomas Eadie Medal from the Royal Society of Canada and the 2010 IEEE Canada A. G. L. McNaughton Gold Medal for his contributions to the area of communications. Professor LeonGarcia is author of the leading textbooks: Probability and Random Processes for Electrical Engineering, and Communication Networks: Fundamental Concepts and Key Architecture. Leon-Garcia was Founder and CTO of AcceLight Networks in Ottawa from 1999 to 2002. He was Scientific Director of the NSERC Strategic Network for Smart Applications on Virtual Infrastructures, and Principal Investigator of the ORF Research Excellence project on Connected Vehicles and Smart Transportation.
Talk #3: Cognitive Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations: Emerging Trends and Technologies
Abstract: Electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO; a major component of CEMA, Cyber Electromagnetic Activities) are fundamental to a variety of defense and public security contexts. Forward-thinking roadmaps have highlighted the need to extend this to cognitive EMSO on dynamic land/water/air/space platforms.
Current solutions for CEMA — all based on COTS technologies — are lacking in several respects. Higher performance solutions have unfavorable size, weight and power (SWaP) characteristics, and low agility; the lower-end offers questionable quality of measurement with low flexibility. Additionally, the lack of sufficient edge computing to handle the high loads of radio signal processing often preclude aggressive real-time online sensing.
This talk will present a solution for RF situational awareness that disruptively surmounts these issues in all respects. Rather than employ COTS technologies with poor SWaP and mediocre performance, we present a custom integrated circuit (IC) that enables ultra-low SWaP with high-performance. Central to the solution is the integration of significant on-chip computing resources that enable processing of high-bandwidth RF data directly at the source. The lack of a hardened algorithmic processing chain enables flexible and rapid reconfiguration of the sensor-actuator personality. On-chip computation further facilitates a very agile loop from the high-level algorithmic processing to the low-level RF, analog and digital front ends.
We will also discuss how this uniquely Canadian technology aligns with and enables advanced defense applications.
Biography: Nebu John Mathai, PhD, PEng, is the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Advanced Engineering at Cognitive Systems Corp, a Waterloo, Ontario company. In this dual-mandate role, he directs a team at the forefront of advanced radio and computer science/engineering, while engaging with industrial, government and defence partners who require the bleeding edge. His team produced the highperformance low-power multi-processor computing architecture that forms the foundation of the company’s cognitive-radio-on-chip offering. Beyond this, they have developed real-time RF propagation and data fusion tools, and software suites for advanced cognitive radio sensing and communications applications. He also leads a number of strategic initiatives to anticipate and execute on the RF situational awareness requirements posed by next-generation civilian and defence roadmaps pertaining to electromagnetic spectrum operations.

Top 10 Ways to Design Safer Embedded Software
2017-01-26 09:00 - 16:00 | Room CB 114, Best Institute (University of Toronto) 112 College Street
Thursday January 26th, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. the IEEE Computer Society Toronto Chapter will be holding a Training Course: Top 10 Ways to Design Safer Embedded Software.
We are sorry to inform you that this event has been cancelled. We will attempt to reschedule the event later this year.
Abstract: Embedded systems are everywhere these days: from implantable medical devices to self-driving cars. The risks of human injury are also multiplying as more embedded systems connect to the Internet and become open to hacking as well as malfunction.
There are design techniques that can be applied to develop safer and more reliable embedded systems. As we consult with companies in a range of industries, we are continually surprised that such techniques–including the 10 techniques you will be exposed to in this course–are not more widely known and practiced.
Register today to join us at this important 1-day course where the focus is on minimizing the risk of injury or loss by firmware malfunction though a combination of lightweight, demonstrably-valuable design techniques.
RSVP is required. Visit https://events.vtools.ieee.org/meeting_registration/register/42587
Agenda: 9:00am Coffee*
9:30am Morning Session
12:30pm Lunch*
1:30pm Afternoon Session
3:30pm End (approx.)
* Morning coffee and lunch are included in the registration fee.
Prerequisites: Attendees should be generally familiar with the terminology of embedded software or have first-hand experience doing embedded systems design.
Fees: IEEE Members: CDN $135 + 13% HST
Non-Members: CDN $160 + 13% HST
Day & Time: Thursday, January 26th, 2017
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Room CB 114, Best Institute (University of Toronto)
112 College Street
Toronto, ON M5G 1L6 Canada
Campus Map: http://map.utoronto.ca/building/052
Public Parking (Toronto General Hospital Parking Garage): https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Toronto+General+Hospital+Parking+Garage/@43.6589808,-79.3865625,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xd777822577805e72!8m2!3d43.6589808!4d-79.3865625

Abstraction in Situation Calculus Action Theories
2017-01-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Room TRS2164, 575 Bay Street (entrance at 55 Dundas Street West), Ryerson University
Monday January 23, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. Bita Banihashemi, PhD Candidate in Computer Science at York University, will be presenting “Abstraction in Situation Calculus Action Theories”.
Speaker: Bita Banihashemi
PhD Candidate, Computer Science
York University
Day & Time: Monday, January 23, 2017
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Room TRS2164, 575 Bay Street (entrance at 55 Dundas Street West), Ryerson University
Contact: Maryam Davoudpour
Organizer: WIE, Magnetics, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics
Abstract: We develop a general framework for agent abstraction based on the situation calculus and the ConGolog agent programming language. We assume that we have a high-level specification and a low-level specification of the agent, both represented as basic action theories. A refinement mapping specifies how each high-level action is implemented by a low-level ConGolog program and how each high-level fluent can be translated into a low-level formula. We define a notion of sound abstraction between such action theories in terms of the existence of a suitable bisimulation between their respective models. Sound abstractions have many useful properties that ensure that we can reason about the agent’s actions (e.g., executability, projection, and planning) at the abstract level, and refine and concretely execute them at the low level. We also characterize the notion of complete abstraction where all actions (including exogenous ones) that the high level thinks can happen can in fact occur at the low level.
Biography: Bita Banihashemi is currently a PhD candidate in Computer Science at York University. Her research is primarily focused on agent supervision, which is a form of control/customization of an agent’s behavior. Her research interests include Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, Autonomous Agents and Multi-agent Systems, and AI and the Web.

CMOS Bioelectronics
2017-01-20 14:00 - 15:00 | Room GB 248, 35 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 1A4
Friday January 20, 2017 at 2:10 p.m. Professor Ken Shepard, Electrical and Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University, will be presenting “CMOS Bioelectronics”.
Speaker: Prof. Ken Shepard
Electrical and Biomedical Engineering
Columbia University
Day & Time: Friday, January 20th, 2017
2:10 pm – 3:00 pm
Location: Room GB 248, 35 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 1A4
Contact: Junho Jeong
Organizer: IEEE Toronto Photonics Chapter
**Refreshments will be served**
Abstract: CMOS electronics, which has revolutionized communications and computation in the last 30 years, has the same transformative potential for life science applications with appropriate “more than Moore” augmentation. In this talk, we will outline work in my group over the last 10 years, which has applied augmented CMOS to problems in molecular diagnostics, microbiology, and neuroscience. We will discuss several on-going projects in my group in these areas include high-bandwidth CMOS-integrated nanopores, point-functionalized nanotube devices integrated on CMOS for genomic diagnostics, electrochemical imaging chips for understanding microbial communities, high-density electrophysiological arrays for in vivo and in vitro studies of neural systems, biologically powered solid-state electronics, and various wireless probes to studying neural and cellular systems.
Biography: Ken Shepard received the B.S.E. degree from Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, in 1987 and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University, Stanford, CA, in 1988 and 1992, respectively. From 1992 to 1997, he was a Research Staff Member and Manager with the VLSI Design Department, IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY, where he was responsible for the design methodology for IBM’s G4 S/390 microprocessors. Since 1997, he has been with Columbia University, New York, where he is now the Lau Familty Professor of Electrical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. He also was Chief Technology Officer of CadMOS Design Technology, San Jose, CA, until its acquisition by Cadence Design Systems in 2001. He is current serving on the board of two other start-ups, Ferric, commercializing integrated voltage regulator technology, and Quicksilver, commercializing single-molecule electronic genomic diagnostics. His current research interests include power electronics, carbon-based devices and circuits, and CMOS bioelectronics.

5G RAN - Standards Developments
2016-12-14 16:30 - 17:30 | Room BA1230, 40 St. George Street, M5S 2E4
Wednesday December 14th, 2016 at 4:30 p.m. Dr. Ivo Maljevic, senior member of TELUS technology strategy team, will be presenting “5G RAN – Standards Developments”.
Speaker: Dr. Ivo Maljevic
Senior Member, TELUS Technology Strategy Team, Chief Technology Office
Adjunct Lecturer, University of Toronto
Day & Time: Wednesday, December 14th, 2016
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Location: Room BA1230
Bahen Centre for Information Technology
40 St. George St, Toronto, ON M5S 2E4
University of Toronto
Organizer: IEEE Communications Society
Contact: Eman Hammad
Abstract: The 3GPP is in the process of standardizing the next, 5th generation of mobile communications. This talk provides an up to date overview of the current standardization status and focuses on the Radio Access Network (RAN) part. Specifically, it addresses the completion timelines of each of the phases (there are 3 phases), use cases that are driving the design and architecture options. Additionally, 5G spectrum, key performance targets & requirements and air interface proposals and open areas for research are discussed. Finally, the talk privies an up to data information about the 5G trials conducted so far.
Biography: Dr. Ivo Maljevic is a senior member of TELUS technology strategy team within the Chief Technology Office, where he focuses on defining a long-term vision for the RAN, spectrum strategy and standardization. In terms of broader industry involvement, in the past he has participated in the Canadian Evaluation Group for the IMT-Advanced proposal, and now he is actively involved in NGMNs and ATIS 5G initiatives. He also participates in 3GPP RAN sessions. Additionally, Ivo is an adjunct lecturer at the University of Toronto. Prior to TELUS, he was with Soma Networks, and before that, he worked at Motorola Canada. His areas of expertise include LTE/WiMAX/CDMA wireless systems, software defined radio, signal processing, and digital communications theory.

Women in Robotics Series: Erica Tiberia, Roboticist and Educator
2016-12-08 18:00 - 21:00 | Health Innovation Hub, 263 McCaul Avenue, Toronto, ON
Thursday December 8, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. Erica Tiberia, roboticist, creative technologist, educator and entrepreneur, will be presenting “Women in Robotics Series”.
Speaker: Erica Tiberia
Roboticist, Creative Technologist, Educator and Entrepreneur
Day & Time: Thursday, December 8, 2016
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Location: Health Innovation Hub
263 McCaul Avenue, Toronto, ON
The meeting room is on the first floor. Note that the doors to H2I will lock at 6 but someone will be there to let you in. Please knock.
Organizer: IEEE Toronto Section, Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) and the IEEE Women in Engineering Toronto Section (WIE)
RVSP at https://www.meetup.com/Get-Your-Bot-On-Robotics-Hackathon/events/234793342/
Agenda: 6:00 pm – Networking
6:30 pm – Welcome
6:40 pm – Erica Tiberia – talk and Q&A
7:40 pm – Pitches from the community – Community members can ask for assistance on their projects
8:00 pm – Networking
9:00 pm – Close
Biography: Erica is a tech educator and creative technologist. She has a technical background in molecular biology and biotechnology and a passion for science communication, digital education, and emerging technology. She has designed and coordinated education programs involving electronics, robotics, digital fabrication and programming for kids and adults. She also designs, builds and programs robots and is a level 1 winner of the 2016 sample return robot NASA Centennial Challenge. Her work has been featured on Bloomberg Tech, Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet, NASA.gov and more.
A scientist by training, Erica has a B.Sc. In Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of Waterloo. She completed M.Sc. work on research done at the Department of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto. She has done molecular biology research at Cornell University, the University of Waterloo, the Hospital for Sick Children, and the Princess Margaret Cancer Center, and is an author of multiple peer reviewed scientific papers.

Developing Wearable Technologies for improved management of sleep-related breathing disorders
2016-11-29 14:30 - 15:30 | Room ENG-460, 245 Church Street, Toronto, ON
Tuesday November 29th, 2016 at 2:30 p.m. Dr. Azadeh Yadollahi, Scientist at SleepdB Laboratory and Assistant Professor at University of Toronto, will be presenting “Developing Wearable Technologies for improved management of sleep-related breathing disorders”.
Speaker: Dr. Azadeh Yadollahi
Scientist, SleepdB Laboratory, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
Assistant Professor, Biomaterial & Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto
Adjunct Faculty, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Manitoba
Day & Time: Tuesday, November 29th, 2016
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Room ENG-460
245 Church Street, Toronto, ON
Ryerson University
Organizer: IEEE Signal Processing Chapter Toronto Section
Contact: Mehrnaz Shokrollahi
Abstract: Over four million Canadians live with a chronic respiratory disease such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)—all of which are associated with high morbidity. In Canada, 6.5% of total health care costs are related to these disorders, amounting to $5.7B in direct and $6.72B in indirect costs per year. Moreover, the overlap between asthma, COPD, and OSA is common, is clinically important, worsens quality of life, and is associated with greater morbidity and mortality more than the sum of the contributing disorders. A feature common to chronic respiratory diseases is that their symptoms, eg. shortness of breath, worsen during sleep. Most emergency visits and deaths related to asthma and COPD occur during the night. However, our understanding of the mechanisms of respiratory disorders exacerbation at night is limited; which consequently challenges our ability to manage these disorders. One of the main barriers to determine the underlying pathophysiology of sleep-related respiratory disorders is that the available technologies to perform studies are expensive, invasive, and confound normal breathing and sleep patterns. Therefore, the results may not be applicable to a wide range of people or over a long period of time to evaluate treatments and interventions. Therefore, the mechanistic link between sleep and respiratory disease, particularly the role of night-time fluid redistribution, is not well understood. To address this gap, my team is developing novel technologies to monitor respiratory related physiological signals during sleep, as well and technologies to non-invasively assess tissue composition, and its role on the pathophysiology of sleep related breathing disorders.
Biography: Dr. Azadeh Yadollahi is a Scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network, where she leads the SleepdB laboratory. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Institute of Biomaterial and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto and Adjunct Faculty Member in the Graduate Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Manitoba. Her research aims to determine the pathophysiology of sleep-related breathing disorders and to develop novel technologies for improved management of these disorders. She is particularly interested in developing innovative technologies for monitoring of physiological signals at home and implementing personalized treatments for older populations with chronic sleep-related respiratory diseases. To date, Dr. Yadollahi has authored and co-authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, had more than 60 presentations at national and international conferences, and been invited 26 times to give presentations on her research at prominent national and international academic institutions. Her research is supported by grants from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canadian Respiratory Research Network, and Ontario Centres of Excellence, among others. In the past 10 years, Dr. Yadollahi has been instrumental in developing new wearable technologies for improved diagnosis and treatment of breathing disorders during sleep. At Toronto Rehab, Dr. Yadollahi is leading SleepdB, a Sound-proof laboratory to examine sleep-disordered Breathing. SleepdB is the first laboratory in the world dedicated to understanding the mechanisms of airway narrowing during sleep and to developing acoustic technologies to improve sleep-related respiratory disorders. This laboratory will also serve as a hub for knowledge translation and exchange between researchers and clinicians to advance clinically relevant research and implement cutting-edge assessments and treatments for breathing disorders.

Sensor Data Fusion, Levels, Models and Approaches
2016-11-25 15:00 - 16:00 | BA1230, Bahen Centre, 40 St. George Street
Friday November 25, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. Behzad Moshiri, senior member of IEEE and Professor at University of Waterloo & University of Tehran, will be presenting “Sensor Data Fusion, Levels, Models and Approaches”.
Speaker: Professor Behzad Moshiri
University of Waterloo
University of Tehran
Senior Member of IEEE
Member of ISIF
Day & Time: Friday, November 25, 2016
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: BA1230, Bahen Centre, 40 St. George Street
Abstract: In this talk a review on sensor data fusion concept and multi-sensor array which is usually referred as sensor data fusion will be presented. Generally, “Sensor Data Fusion” as well as “Information Fusion” concepts deal with the synergistic combination of data or information provided by various knowledge sources such as sensors or information extractors, in order to provide a better understanding of a given scene or obtaining an accurate knowledge discovery. The use of sensor data fusion concept has advantages such as “Redundancy”, “Complementary”, “Timeliness” and “Less Costly Information”. The advantages of multiple-sensor data fusion approaches in terms of cost, accuracy and reliability will be explained. Fusion characterization addressing the application domain, fusion objective, fusion process input-output (I/O) characteristics and sensor suite configuration will be shown. In this seminar the different levels and models of Data Fusion will be presented and also different conventional and intelligent data fusion approaches will be introduced. Finally, some typical examples on applications of sensor data fusion in different fields such as Robotics, Process Control, Information Technology and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) will be presented.
Biography: Behzad Moshiri received his B.Sc. degree in mechanical engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) in 1984 and M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in control systems engineering from the University of Manchester, Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), U.K. in 1987 and 1991 respectively. He joined the school of electrical and computer engineering, University of Tehran in 1992 where he is currently professor of control systems engineering. He was the member of ISA (Canada Branch) in 1991-1992. He has been the member of ISIF since 2002 and senior member of IEEE since 2006. Dr. Moshiri is adjunct professor in department of electrical and computer engineering at university of Waterloo since 2014. His research collaborations with university of Waterloo, university of Toronto and university of Ryerson have been initiated since 2007 and the applications of sensor data fusion methods in different disciplines were the core and main field of research ties with colleagues in above mentioned universities during last decade. He is the author/co-author of more than 300 articles including 100 journal papers and 21 book chapters. His fields of research include mechatronics, automation, advanced industrial control design, smart sensing system design, broad spread of applications of “sensor/data fusion” as well as “information fusion” concepts in mechatronics, process control, robotics, information technology, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering and intelligent transportation systems (ITS).

Who Are We Studying in Social Media: Bots or Humans?
2016-11-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Room ENG 288, George Vari Centre for Computing and Engineering, 245 Church Street
Thursday November 24, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. Dr. Anatoliy Gruzd, Associate Professor of Ted Rogers School of Management and Canada Research Chair in Social Media Data Stewardship, will be presenting “Who Are We Studying in Social Media: Bots or Humans?”.
Speaker: Dr. Anatoliy Gruzd
Associate Professor
Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University
Canada Research Chair in Social Media Data Stewardship
Day & Time: Thursday, November 24, 2016
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Room ENG 288, George Vari Centre for Computing and Engineering, 245 Church Street
Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2K3
Map: http://www.ryerson.ca/maps – Look for ENG
Organizers: IEEE Toronto Systems Chapter, Alexei Botchkarev
IEEE Toronto WIE, Magnetics, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics, Computer Science Department of Ryerson University
Maryam Davoudpour
Registration: Registration is free, but space is limited. Please register via http://tinyurl.com/systemsChapterEvent24
Abstract: Researchers studying various online and computer-mediated communities used to be able to argue that the online is an extension of the offline, and that offline and online are just different slices of real life. But the increasing number of bots in our datasets and the increasing use of algorithmic filtering by social media giants are widening the gap between online and offline, and between computer-mediated and algorithm-driven communication. This in turn makes some online data less reliable, at least for those of us studying human behavior. It also begs the question, if we are using data from social media for modelling, are we modelling human behavior in social media or simply reverse engineering how bots and other algorithms operate? Therefore, there is an urgent need to better understand the nature of bots and algorithmic filtering, and their influence on users’ online interactions, not just from a computational, but also from sociological perspective. This talk will discuss some of the key challenges and possible solutions to detecting social bots in the context of conducting social media research.
Biography: Dr. Anatoliy Gruzd is a Canada Research Chair in Social Media Data Stewardship, Associate Professor in the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University. He is also the Director of the Social Media Lab and a co-editor of a multidisciplinary journal on Big Data and Society published by Sage. Dr. Gruzd’s research initiatives explore how the advent of social media and the growing availability of social big data are changing the ways in which people communicate, collaborate and disseminate information and how these changes impact the social, economic and political norms and structures of modern society. Dr. Gruzd and his lab are also actively developing and evaluating new approaches and tools to support social media data analytics and stewardship.
His research and commentaries have been reported across Canada and internationally in various mass media outlets such as Foreign Affairs, Los Angeles Times, Nature.com, The Atlantic, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, The Canadian Press, CBC TV, CBC Radio, CTV and Global TV.

Phase Noise in LC Oscillators: From Basic Concepts to Advanced Topologies
2016-11-23 14:00 - 15:00 | BA 1240, 40 St George Street, University of Toronto
Wednesday November 23, 2016 at 2:10 p.m. Dr. Carlo Samori, Professor at Politecnico di Milano, Italy, will be presenting “Phase Noise in LC Oscillators: From Basic Concepts to Advanced Topologies”.
Speaker: Dr. Carlo Samori
Professor, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Day & Time: Wednesday, November 23, 2016
2:10 p.m. – 3:10 p.m.
Location: BA 1240
Bahen Centre for Information Technology
University of Toronto
Contact: Dustin Dunwell
Organizer: Solid State Circuit Society
Abstract: Despite having been the subject of extensive study in last 20 years for the solid-state IC community, the phase noise in voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) is still today an important research subject. The main reason is that phase noise is one of the main issues encountered during the design of a transceiver whose understanding is an essential know-how for an RF designer. A second reason is that the intrinsic time-variant nature of VCOs makes these circuits difficult to analyze, therefore new topologies are often proposed, claiming advantages in term of phase noise and/or dissipation that in several cases are hard both to understand and verify without a direct implementation.
This lecture will start from the basics of LC VCOs and of phase noise. The phase noise will be calculated in basic topologies and the fundamental trade-off with power dissipation and tuning range will be highlighted. The lecture then will continue by presenting advance VCO topologies, showing how these circuits typically aim to enhance either the current or the voltage efficiency, in order to improve the phase noise vs. power dissipation trade-off.
Biography: Carlo Samori received the Ph.D. in electrical engineering in 1995, at the Politecnico di Milano, Italy, where he is now a professor. His research interests are in the area of RF circuits, in particular of design and analysis of VCOs and high performance frequency synthesizers. He has collaborated with several semiconductor companies. He is a co-author of more than 100 papers and of the book Integrated Frequency Synthesizers for Wireless Systems (Cambridge University Press, 2007). Prof. Samori has been a member of the Technical Program Committee of the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference and he is a member of the European Solid-State Circuits Conference. He has been Guest Editor for the December 2014 issue of the Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

AI-Based Software Defect Predictors: Applications and Benefits and Lessons Learned
2016-11-21 11:00 - 12:00 | KHE 225, Ryerson University, 340 Church Street, Toronto
Monday November 21, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. Dr. Ayse Basar Bener, professor and director of Data Science Laboratory at Ryerson University, will be presenting “AI-Based Software Defect Predictors: Applications and Benefits and Lessons Learned”.
Speaker: Dr. Ayse Basar Bener
Professor, Director of Data Science Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Director of Big Data, Office of Provost and Vice President Academic
Ryerson University
Day & Time: Monday, November 21, 2016
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: KHE 225, Ryerson University, 340 Church Street, Toronto
Contact: Maryam Davoudpour
Organizer: WIE, Magnetics, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics, Computer Science Department of Ryerson University
Abstract: Software analytics guide practitioners in decision making throughout the software development process. In this context, prediction models can help managers efficiently organize their resources and identify problems by analyzing patterns on existing project data in an intelligent and meaningful manner. In this talk I will share my experiences building and deploying AI (machine learning) models in software organizations over 15 years. We have encountered similar data analytics patterns in diverse organizations and in different problem cases. I will give examples from deployed projects and discuss these patterns following a “software analytics” framework: problem identification, data collection, descriptive statistics, and decision making.
Biography: Dr. Ayse Basar Bener is a professor and the director of Data Science Laboratory (DSL) in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ryerson University. She is the director of Big Data in the Office of Provost and Vice President Academic at Ryerson University. She is a faculty research fellow of IBM Toronto Labs Centre for Advance Studies, and affiliate research scientist in St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. Her current research focus is big data applications to tackle the problem of decision-making under uncertainty by using machine learning methods and graph theory to analyze complex structures in big data to build recommender systems and predictive models. She is a member of AAAI, INFORMS, AIS, and senior member of IEEE.

Operational-Log Analysis for Big Data Systems: Challenges and Solutions
2016-11-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Room: ENG 288, 245 Church Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3
Friday November 18, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. Dr. Andriy Miranskyy, Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Science, Ryerson University, will be presenting “Operational-Log Analysis for Big Data Systems: Challenges and Solutions”.
Speaker: Dr. Andriy Miranskyy
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, Ryerson University
Day & Time: Friday, November 18, 2016
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: George Vari Centre for Computing and Engineering
Ryerson University
Room: ENG 288
245 Church Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3
Map – http://www.ryerson.ca/maps – Look for ENG
Registration: Registration is free, but space is limited. Please register via this link: http://tinyurl.com/systemsEvent
Organizers: IEEE Toronto Systems Chapter, Alexei Botchkarev albot@ieee.org
IEEE Toronto WIE, Magnetics, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics and Computer Science Department of Ryerson University
IEEE Toronto WIE Chair: Maryam Davoudpour maryam.davoudpour@ieee.org
Abstract: Big data systems (BDSs) are complex, consisting of multiple interacting hardware software components, such as distributed compute nodes, networking, databases, middleware, business intelligence layer, and high availability infrastructure. Any of these components can fail. Finding the failures’ root causes is extremely laborious. Analysis of BDS-generated logs can speed up this process. The logs can also help improve testing processes, detect security breaches, customize operational profiles, and aid with any other tasks requiring runtime-data analysis.
However, practical challenges hamper log analysis tools’ adoption. The logs emitted by a BDS can be thought of as big data themselves. When working with large logs, practitioners face seven main issues: scarce storage, unscalable log analysis, inaccurate capture and replay of logs, inadequate log-processing tools, incorrect log classification, a variety of log formats, and inadequate privacy of sensitive data. This talk describes the challenges and practical solutions faced while building and institutionalizing dynamic analysis tools in the industry.
Biography: Andriy Miranskyy is an assistant professor at the Department of Computer Science, Ryerson University. His research interests are in the area of mitigating risk in software engineering, focusing on software quality assurance, program comprehension, software requirements, project risk management, Big Data, and Green IT. Andriy received his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics at the University of Western Ontario. He has 17 years of software engineering experience in information management and pharmaceutical industries. Prior to joining Ryerson, Andriy worked as a software engineer in the IBM Information Management division at the IBM Toronto Software Laboratory; currently, he is the Faculty Fellow of the IBM Centre for Advanced Studies. He has served as Guest Editor for a special edition of IEEE Software as well as organizer, committee member, and reviewer for several software engineering workshops and conferences.

Health Informatics Evening at Centennial College
2016-11-16 17:30 - 20:30 | Room L1-02, Centennial College, Progress Campus 941 Progress Ave., Toronto
Wednesday November 16, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. Igor Sirkovich, Vikki Leung, Karim Keshavjee and Jimmy Poulin, will be presenting “Health Informatics Evening at Centennial College”.
Speakers & Agenda: 5:15 to 5:30 Event Registration
1. Igor Sirkovich from 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Founder and CEO of Xpertera
HL7 FHIR and eHealth Architecture Consultant at Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Presentation title: Current initiatives at the Ministry of Health and eHealth Ontario, pan-Canadian standards collaborative, and health informatics standards (HL7 FHIR), Xpertera introduction.
2. Vikki Leung from 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Full Stack Developer at Interdev Technologies Inc.
Presentation title: Technology used for Community Paramedic Services, Interdev Technologies
3. Karim Keshavjee, MD from 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM
CEO of InfoClin Inc.
Adjunct Professor at University of Toronto, University of Victoria
Visiting Scholar at Ryerson University
Associate Member at Centre for Evaluation of Medicine, McMaster University
Numerous publications on Health Informatics studies and medicine
Presentation title: Health Apps by Design: A reference architecture for mobile apps for health
4. Jimmy Poulin from 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Director of Operations at m-Health Solutions
Presentation title: ECG signal remote collection via mobile wireless external recorder and smartphone.
5. NSERC speaker (name will be announced later) from 7:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Presentation: Funding opportunities for College Students in Science and Technologies programs.
8:00 to 8:30 PM Networking
Day & Time: Wednesday, November 16, 2016
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Room L1-02, Centennial College, Progress Campus
941 Progress Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M1G 3T8
Map: http://www.centennialcollege.ca/about-centennial/contact-us/campus-locations/
Organizers: IEEE Toronto WIE, Nicoleta Zouri
IEEE Toronto WIE, Magnetics, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics, Maryam Davoudpour
Registration: Registration is free, but space is limited. Please register via email to Nicoleta Zouri
Abstract: Offered as part of the Experiential Learning process for students in Health Informatics Program at Centennial College, this event facilitate skills and knowledge transfer between audience and speakers through an interactive session. Digital health solutions will be discussed and software demos will be presented.

IoT Advancement and impact on the future of Health and Wellness
2016-11-14 16:00 - 17:00 | BA B026 Bahen Centre for Information Technology University of Toronto 40 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 2E4
Monday November 14, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. Fawzi Behmann, President, TelNet Management Consulting, Inc., will be presenting “IoT Advancement and impact on the future of Health and Wellness”.
Speaker: Fawzi Behmann
President, TelNet Management Consulting, Inc.
IEEE NA ComSoc Vice Chair
Day & Time: Monday, November 14, 2016
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: BA B026
Bahen Centre for Information Technology
University of Toronto
40 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 2E4
Contact: Eman Hammad
Abstract: The acceleration in communications technology has impacted our work, home, transportation, commerce, education and with no exception has increased adoption in healthcare.
This presentation will introduce the concept of IoT and architectural evolution from a pre-IoT to Collaborative IoT impacting many markets such as home, health, automotive, enterprise, transportation and infrastructure. This will be enriched by several examples.
The talk will then focus on healthcare and wellness exploring current and emerging solutions at hospitals, clinics, care centers and homes. Solution building blocks include sensing, aggregation, and data analytics.
Examples of some of the adjacent technologies such as Drone, Wearables, 3D, and Robot will be highlighted.
Finally the talk will conclude with some of the factors and challenges to deliver scalable solutions, delivering better quality of services and experience. These include development platforms, 5G, virtualization, collaborative applications and security.
Takeaway Points:
· Understanding of rapid evolution of technology and impact in critical healthcare areas
· Examples of use cases in healthcare & nutrition.
· Considerations for scalable and secure networks.
Biography: Fawzi is a visionary, thought leader, author and contributor in advancing adoption of technology in serving humanity. Fawzi spent over 30 years in industry and held various executive and leadership positions with Tier 1 companies in the areas of communications and networks spanning Semiconductor, communication systems and service provider. Fawzi was a principle architect and championed the definition and the developing of integrated pre-IoT telecom alert system and networking management solution at Teleglobe Canada. He was a senior product manager with Nortel Networks for product release for enterprise, broadband edge and core nodes. Fawzi also served as the Director of Strategic Marketing with Motorola/Freescale for SoC networking & Communications product line in Austin, Texas.
Fawzi is passionate about technology automation and has founded TelNet Management Consulting Inc. in 2009 offering consulting services in the areas of technology trends and positioning for smart networking and IoT/GIS solutions. Examples included Solar Energy, Public Safety – emergency response systems. He organized and chaired workshops, tutorials and was a distinguished speaker on key topics such as IoT, 5G, virtualization and Big Data/Analytics. Fawzi is a board member with several companies and had several publication including a recent book on the subject of future IoT “Collaborative Internet of Things for Future Smart Connected Life and Business” published by Wiley, June 2015 http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118913744,subjectCd-EEJ0.html
Fawzi is active in international forums and standards activities with ITU, ITRS and IEEE Fawzi is a senior member of IEEE, and is currently the ComSoc NA vice chair, CTS Conference & PACE Chair, and ComSoc/SP/CS Austin chapter chair. He was the recipient of several awards from Industry and IEEE including CEO Freescale Diamond Chip Award in 2008, and IEEE ComSoc Chapter of the year award in 2015 and Outstanding R5 member award for 2013, 2014 and 2015. He is currently serving as Conference chair for IEEE Central and organized sessions and workshops at BHI, Himss, Smart Tech on IoT and healthcare.
Fawzi holds a Bachelor of Science with honors and distinction from Concordia University, Montreal; Masters in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo, Ontario and Executive MBA from Queen’s University, Ontario Canada.

Will 2020 witness a significant impact empowered by IoT, 5G and virtualization?
2016-11-14 12:00 - 13:00 | BA 2179 Bahen Centre for Information Technology University of Toronto 40 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 2E4
Monday November 14, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. Fawzi Behmann, President, TelNet Management Consulting, Inc., will be presenting “Will 2020 witness a significant impact empowered by IoT, 5G and virtualization?”.
Speaker: Fawzi Behmann
President, TelNet Management Consulting, Inc.
IEEE NA ComSoc Vice Chair
Day & Time: Monday, November 14, 2016
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: BA 2179
Bahen Centre for Information Technology
University of Toronto
40 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 2E4
Contact: Eman Hammad
Abstract: Several technologies are converging empowering IoT and delivering a greater impact and advance services to multiple markets by 2020’s.This presentation will introduce the concept of IoT and architectural evolution from a pre-IoT to Collaborative IoT impacting many markets such as home, health, automotive, enterprise, transportation and infrastructure. This will be enriched by several examples.
Advancement in computing processing power, cloud based services and virtualization have resulted in an environment and platform for convergence some of the key technologies for development and deployment of new products, applications and services that will have a great impact on improving business processes and quality of life.
The talk will provide various examples and scenarios at different areas such as home, health & wellness, car, building, infrastructure and city.
Solution building blocks include sensing, aggregation, and data analytics. Examples of some of the adjacent technologies such as 3D, Robot, Drone and Wearables will be highlighted. Finally the talk will conclude with some of the factors and challenges to deliver scalable solutions, delivering better quality of services and experience. These include development platforms, 5G, virtualization, collaborative applications and security.
Takeaway points:
· Understanding of rapid evolution of IoT & and other related technologies.
· Emerging of ecosystem cloud based big data/analytics – use cases.
· Considerations for scalable and secure networks.
Biography: Fawzi is a visionary, thought leader, author and contributor in advancing adoption of technology in serving humanity. Fawzi spent over 30 years in industry and held various executive and leadership positions with Tier 1 companies in the areas of communications and networks spanning Semiconductor, communication systems and service provider. Fawzi was a principle architect and championed the definition and the developing of integrated pre-IoT telecom alert system and networking management solution at Teleglobe Canada. He was a senior product manager with Nortel Networks for product release for enterprise, broadband edge and core nodes. Fawzi also served as the Director of Strategic Marketing with Motorola/Freescale for SoC networking & Communications product line in Austin, Texas.
Fawzi is passionate about technology automation and has founded TelNet Management Consulting Inc. in 2009 offering consulting services in the areas of technology trends and positioning for smart networking and IoT/GIS solutions. Examples included Solar Energy, Public Safety – emergency response systems. He organized and chaired workshops, tutorials and was a distinguished speaker on key topics such as IoT, 5G, virtualization and Big Data/Analytics. Fawzi is a board member with several companies and had several publication including a recent book on the subject of future IoT “Collaborative Internet of Things for Future Smart Connected Life and Business” published by Wiley, June 2015 http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118913744,subjectCd-EEJ0.html
Fawzi is active in international forums and standards activities with ITU, ITRS and IEEE Fawzi is a senior member of IEEE, and is currently the ComSoc NA vice chair, CTS Conference & PACE Chair, and ComSoc/SP/CS Austin chapter chair. He was the recipient of several awards from Industry and IEEE including CEO Freescale Diamond Chip Award in 2008, and IEEE ComSoc Chapter of the year award in 2015 and Outstanding R5 member award for 2013, 2014 and 2015. He is currently serving as Conference chair for IEEE Central and organized sessions and workshops at BHI, Himss, Smart Tech on IoT and healthcare.
Fawzi holds a Bachelor of Science with honors and distinction from Concordia University, Montreal; Masters in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo, Ontario and Executive MBA from Queen’s University, Ontario Canada.

Digital Health Initiatives at eHealth Ontario
2016-11-11 11:30 - 12:30 | Room A3-21, Centennial College, Progress Campus, 941 Progress Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M1G 3T8
Friday November 11, 2016 at 11:30 a.m. Hosna Sedghi, Project Manager at eHealth Ontario, will be presenting “Digital Health Initiatives at eHealth Ontario”.
Speaker: Hosna Sedghi, MSc, PMP
Project Manager, eHealth Ontario
Day & Time: Friday, November 11, 2016
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Room A3-21, Centennial College, Progress Campus
941 Progress Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M1G 3T8
Map: http://www.centennialcollege.ca/about-centennial/contact-us/campus-locations/
Organizers: IEEE Toronto WIE, Nicoleta Zouri
IEEE Toronto WIE, Magnetics, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics, Maryam Davoudpour
Registration: Registration is free, but space is limited. Please register via email to Nicoleta Zouri
Abstract: eHealth Ontario was established by the provincial government in September 2008 as an independent agency of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. eHealth Ontario is enabling physicians and health care providers to establish and maintain electronic health records (EHRs) for all of Ontario’s 13 million residents.
Biography: With a background in software engineering Hosna Sedghi has worked as a project manager at eHealth Ontario for the past 3 years and as a project lead previous to that. Hosna has extensive experience with HL7 standards, business analysis, system analysis, integration, and health information.

Acute, Sub-acute and chronic Therapeutic Strategies Post-SCI
2016-11-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Lecture Theatre (Basement), University Health Network-Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, 550 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2A2
Thursday November 3, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. Prof. Angelo All, Division of Neuroscience and Neuroengineering at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, will be presenting “Acute, Sub-acute and chronic Therapeutic Strategies Post-SCI”.
Speaker: Prof. Angelo All
Division of Neuroscience and Neuroengineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (JHU)
Research Director at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Department of Biomedical Engineering, SiNAPSE Institute at the National University of Singapore (NUS)
Director Spinal Cord Injury and Repair Research Laboratory at the JHU and NUS
Day & Time: Thursday, November 3, 2016
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Lecture Theatre (Basement), University Health Network-Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
550 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2A2
Co-sponsored by University Health Network-Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
No Admission Charge
Abstract: Among neurological disorders, the cost of spinal cord injury (SCI) to society ranks second only after mental retardation. Acute SCI can manifest as ‘anatomically intact’ with spared demyelinated and electrically defunct axons showing physiological discontinuity across the site of lesion. Even if only a small number of spared fibers remain after SCI, with immediate treatment, the quality of life of patients can be greatly improved. Early knowledge of the extent of spared fibers will help rehabilitation therapists and scientists as well as neurologists to plan time-sensitive strategic treatment options. The therapeutic strategies would be tailored in order to ensure the survival of neurons post-primary injury and limit secondary phase of injury. Scientists and physicians would also need to devise ways to prevent progression of the injury and improve the microenvironment around the injury for treatment by using, for example, stem cell that aims to produce therapeutically-induced functional recovery. We have developed in vivo rodent models and quantitative assessment techniques and methods that can reliably quantify the repair and regeneration post-injury and demonstrate objective neuro-electro-physiological assessments of SCI recovery and rehabilitation. First, I will present experimental methods to create calibrated contusive SCI model and the neuroelectrophysiological function monitoring using Evoked Potentials (EP). The second part of my presentation involves the investigation of the effects of therapeutic hypothermia (acute), application of conjugated polymers for drug delivery within intraparenchymal of spinal cord and limiting the secondary phase of injury (sub-acute) and third, human stem cell replacement (chronic) therapy postcontusive SCI. I will present preliminary results on the effects of temperature manipulation on EP signals and a novel design of biodegradable polymers for drug delivery as well as the results of transplanting human stem cell derived oligodendrocyte progenitors to aid recovery of spinal cord function. Our expectation is that these techniques would be applicable in basic research as well as be able to translatable for future clinical studies.
Biography: Angelo H. ALL, M.D., MBA, started his higher education in Pharmacy School, graduated from Medical School, continued his career as a surgery fellow and obtained a MBA degree from the Johns Hopkins University. Since 2000, his Biomedical and Neuro-Engineering research at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institute has shaped his career. Dr. ALL is an Assistant Professor at the Division of Neuroscience and Neuroengineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (JHU), Baltimore, USA. He also holds faculty position of Assistant Professor and is the Research Director at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Department of Biomedical Engineering as well as SiNAPSE Institute at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He is the director of the Spinal Cord Injury and Repair Research Laboratory at the JHU and NUS. Dr. ALL has established a very productive multidisciplinary translational research project through collaborations with scientists in both Medical and Engineering fields. The focus of his research is Central Nervous System (CNS) injury, repair and regeneration. His translational research projects involve cell replacement therapy using oligodendrocyte precursor cells derived from embryonic, iPSC and Directly Converted stem cells, as well as hypothermia treatment in the contusive model of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). In addition, part of his laboratory team is also investigating the application of nanoparticles to limit the secondary phase of SCI. Recently, his laboratory is developing the “Optomedicine” – we adopt Optogenetics-based approaches for rehabilitative treatment post-SCI. Optomedicine allows us to regulate the electrical activity of neuronal population cells with millisecond spatiotemporal precision. We are also testing the hypothesis of delivering genes into neurons of the CNS in a pioneering method that would translate “Optomedicine” into clinical settings. Dr. ALL Lab pioneered the monitoring and quantitative analysis of somatosensory and motor evoked potentials for assessment of long-term electrical integrity at various stages of pre- and post-injury. He and his team of researchers studied plasticity and adaptive changes in CNS, which enable reorganization of spared neuropathways following neurotrauma. He also uses different imaging techniques to monitor anatomical changes in the CNS architectures at various time points. These images allow the identification of spared fibers and the tracking of the extent of secondary injury to determine the therapeutic benefits of the various treatment strategies.

IEEE Signal Processing Society (SPS) Winter School on Distributed Signal Processing for Secure Cyber Physical Systems
2016-11-02 - 2016-11-04 | Concordia
November 2-4, IEEE Signal Processing Society (SPS) is hosting a Winter School on Distributed Signal Processing for Secure Cyber Physical Systems at Concordia.
Speakers: This event consists of presentations given by internationally well-known Distinguished Speakers including members of IEEE Signal Processing Society Board of Governors, 6 IEEE Fellows, and a Notable Industry-based Presentation form PwC’s Cybersecurity & Privacy Practice in Canada as follows:
Prof. Ali Sayed (UCLA, President-Elect of IEEE SPS);
Prof. Georgios Giannakis (IEEE Fellow, University of Minnesota);
Prof. Pramod Varshney (IEEE Fellow, Syracuse University);
Prof. Deepa Kundur (IEEE Fellow, University of Toronto);
Prof. Anna Scaglione (IEEE Fellow, Arizona State University);
Prof. Tongwen Chen (IEEE Fellow, University of Alberta);
Prof. Mark Coates (McGill University), and;
Mr. Sajith Nair, Partner in PwC’s Cybersecurity & Privacy in Canada.
About The Event: This is a unique opportunity for Concordia’s students/researchers, working/interested in security and signal processing, to learn more about the state-of-the-art research, get the chance to talk in person with elite and internationally well-known researchers, and to start/build the bases for future research collaborations.
Register: ​Please check the School’s Homepage (below) for the call for participation (CPF), Biography of the invited speakers, and Registration details:
https://users.encs.concordia.ca/~i-sip/s3pcps2016/

Advanced Manufacturing Canada: Conference & Exhibition 2016
2016-11-02 - 2016-11-03 | Toronto Congress Centre (South Building)
Advanced Manufacturing Canada: Conference & Exhibition will take place at Toronto Congress Centre (South Building) on November 2-3, 2016.
Day & Time: November 2-3, 2016
Location: Toronto Congress Centre (South Building)
Toronto, Ontario
Teaser Video: https://youtu.be/A5ZRyXC00kg
Advanced Manufacturing Canada (AMC) is bringing industry, government and academia together for a two-day conference and exhibition focused on fostering a national dialogue about how the manufacturing community can leverage Advanced Manufacturing to stimulate innovation, increase productivity, and compete in the global marketplace now and into the future.
AMC is bringing the brightest minds, the latest technologies, and the businesses that need them together to continue the conversations and provide the solutions focused on the topics and technologies – automation and robotics, automation economics, additive manufacturing, and workforce development – that will shape the future of manufacturing.

Algorithms and Ethics
2016-10-31 11:00 - 12:00 | KHE 225, 340 Church Street, Ryerson
Monday October 31, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. Dr. Richard Lachman, Associate Professor, will be presenting “Algorithms and Ethics”.
Speaker: Dr. Richard Lachman
Associate Professor, Digital Media in RTA School of Media
Day & Time: Monday, October 31, 2016
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: KHE 225, 340 Church Street, Ryerson
Contact: Maryam Davoudpour
Organizer: WIE, Magnetics, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics, Computer Science Department of Ryerson University
Abstract: Software algorithms are becoming more and more influential on the daily lives of citizens. Netflix, Spotify, Facebook, and Google openly discuss their use of algorithms as part of their operations, and mainstream critics have discussed the effects of filter-bubbles and echo-chambers on our points of view. However, algorithms are increasingly embedded in governmental and legal systems – with mathematical models influencing everything from teacher evaluations to police dispatch locations, and even parole board hearings. Algorithms exert their influence over our social, political, legal, financial, and educational systems, with average citizens and politicians having little understanding of how computation affects the conventions, laws, and assumptions that underlay our society . What are the responsibilities of computer scientists and software engineers towards an ethical practice as algorithmic decision-making becomes integrated into policy?
Biography: Dr. Richard Lachman directs Zone Learning for Ryerson University, Research Development for the Faculty of Communication and Design, and the Experiential Media Institute (formerly the Transmedia Research Centre). He is an Associate Professor, Digital Media in the RTA School of Media, and also serves as a Technology and Creative Consultant for entertainment and software-development projects. Dr Lachman completed his doctorate at UNE (Australia) studying software recommendation-engines, did his undergraduate work in Computer Science at MIT, and holds a masters degree from the MIT Media Lab’s “Interactive Cinema” group. His work with the Petz artificial-life software has over 3 million units shipped worldwide, his later transmedia projects have garnered a Gemini, CNMA and Webby Honouree awards, and he has lead projects with UNICEF, TIFF, Penguin UK, Kobo, CTV, the Discovery Channel Canada, the Banff Centre for the Arts, and the CRTC. His areas of research include virtual reality, transmedia storytelling, digital documentaries, augmented/locative experiences, mixed realities, and collaborative design thinking.
