During the fall 2019, the IEEE Toronto Section will hold elections for section officers for the term 2020 – 2021. The following candidates have been nominated by the nomination committee, based on the call for nominations that was published earlier this summer. Any member (of Graduate Student level or higher) who was not nominated but would like to candidate, can do so by petition. Please see below for instructions and deadlines.

The names below are listed in alphabetical order (by last name).

For the position of Chair, IEEE Toronto Section:

  1. Hossam Gaber
  2. Ali Nabavi
  3. Hoda Youssef

For the position of Vice-Chair, IEEE Toronto Section:

  1. Maryam Davoudpour
  2. Shankar Mahadevan
  3. Kyarash Shahriari

For the position of Secretary, IEEE Toronto Section:

  1. Nadia Aftab
  2. Dustin Dunwell
  3. Hugo Sanchez-Reategui
  4. Kyarash Shariari

For the position of Treasurer, IEEE Toronto Section:

  1. Rafaeel Chaudhry
  2. Alireza Siadatan

Candidates’ Statements (if provided by the candidates):

Hossam Gaber:
Dr. Gaber (PhD-Okayama University) is Professor in the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science, and the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Ontario Tech University. He is recipient of the Senior Research Excellence Award (2016-UOIT), and leading national and international scholarly research in the area of smart energy and transportation systems, that are transformed into multimillions funds, strong publications, invited talks, community services, and student supervisions. He is the founder of NPSS chapter (IEEE Toronto), SMC Chapter (IEEE Hiroshima), and IEEE-SMC Technical Committee on Intelligent Green Production Systems-IGPS. He is the founder of IEEE Smart Energy Grid Engineering-SEGE Conference, Symposium on Plasma and Nuclear Systems-SPANS, and general chair of IEEE SMC2020 (Toronto). He is active member of IEEE Smart Grid committee (education, operation, R&D), and CSA committees. He received IEEE Certificate of Appreciation in Toronto and Hiroshima Sections (2012, 2007), for his outstanding contribution. Within IEEE Toronto, he is leading student educational programs and innovation competitions, supporting Women-in-Engineering, and industrial and R&D projects, which led to increased membership. He is planning community interactions, humanitarian activities, intercommunications among societies within/outside IEEE, industrial projects, government engagement, technology development, and support standardization and policy management. He is planning to increase scientific and educational programs and national and international collaboration to address societal issues, improve quality of life, support health, safety, environmental protection activities, and enhance economic level. He is planning social and digital media services to promote scientific and social activities within IEEE Toronto Section, toward connected and smart community in Toronto.
(Received on Aug. 10, 2019)

Ali Nabavi:
IEEE Toronto Section is the largest section in Canada and one of the largest sections in IEEE Global. Thus, the section has the potential to offer excellent services for its local members, such as scheduling technical/social events, professional courses and engaging students and young engineers.

I joined IEEE in 1993 and started my first volunteer position as a Student Branch Counsellor in 1998. I was an ExCom member at IEEE Toronto since 2008 and currently serve as the Section Vice-Chair.

My work in IEEE stems from an interdisciplinary background in research and leadership within academia. Continuing the progress the IEEE Toronto Section has made under past leaderships, my goals for the enhancement of the Section include:

  1. Providing high quality services and benefits to our members by filling all volunteer positions at section level, training new volunteers to expedite activities and creating close relations between local technical chapters and their global technical societies.
  2. Increasing membership by supporting student branch activities, involving young engineers, and strengthening the Membership Development Committee.

Our membership growth is healthy and the city is thriving. I believe that there is more work to be done to amplify the value of IEEE in Toronto.
Due to my extensive experience with IEEE, I believe that I have the insight, dedication and experience to lead the IEEE Toronto Section.
For my short bio please use the link below:
https://www.ieeetoronto.ca/people/ali-nabavi/
(Received on Aug. 11, 2019)

Hoda Youssef:
Hoda holds an M.A.Sc. degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto (UofT). Her research involved Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) integration, Solar-Photovoltaic (PV) generation, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), microgrid control, and operation. Hoda also completed her B.Sc. degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering in 2009. Hoda joined the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) in the division of Consumer Protection and Industry Performance in July 2017. Prior to her graduate studies at UofT, Hoda had more than two years’ experience as a Marketing and Sales Engineer at ABB (S.A.E) where she was responsible for the Medium Voltage Power Products in the bulk power system projects. Hoda has been volunteering with the IEEE for more than 3 years. She is the Chapter Chair for the Industry Applications Society (IAS) at IEEE-Toronto.

IEEE Accomplishments and Activities (SM’16-M’18)
Award:
IEEE Toronto Section – Outstanding New Leader Award 2017
Societies:
Chair 2018-2019, Industry Applications Society (IAS) – IEEE-Toronto
Vice-Chair 2016-2018, IEEE Power Electronics (PELS) & Industry Applications (IAS) Joint Society – IEEE-Toronto
Election statement:
I am honored to be a candidate for Chair of the Industry Applications Society (IAS) at IEEE-Toronto section. With my experience in industry and academia and serving IEEE Toronto chapter in multiple positions, I believe that I am well prepared for this role. My main goal is to expand what I have been doing for three years.
(Received on August 10, 2019)

Maryam Davoudpour:
I have worked in the industry and academia, and have also been involved in IEEE technical activities in three different continents.
I believe that member participation is crucial to the vitality of IEEE Toronto, as the contributions of members and volunteers are an integral part of strengthening the already existent link between the industry and academia.
My main objectives are to make professional improvements that inspire members, empower the technical experts by supporting STEM engagement, Student Chapters, and our YP and WIE Affinity group.

I will focus on various strategies to encourage more diversity in IEEE Toronto Section. I also would like to connect IEEE Toronto industry members, with members from academia and also broaden IEEE Toronto with startups, strengthen industry events.

Let’s work together to make IEEE Toronto very successful. We can build a community that benefits humanity. This is what I want to share with every member in IEEE Toronto Section.
(Received on Aug. 10, 2019)

Shankar Mahadevan:
My name is Shankar Mahadevan. I am Senior IEEE member and Engineering Manager at leading automotive company located in GTA.

Toronto is fastest growing tech sector in North America, ahead of Silicon Valley and similar hubs. This is attracting wide set of new talent and companies to the ecosystem; from start-ups to enterprises. How do we tap into this pool and grow the IEEE Toronto section; while staying relevant for existing members and community?

If elected as IEEE Toronto Section Vice – Chair my goal will be to assist the Chair in increasing IEEE local engagement with special interest in newer and growing segment of companies calling Toronto home. With outreach programs and invited speakers, I hope to engage with them for fruitful next steps and network with members. The goal is to grow with everyone involved i.e. section executive committees get the necessary support to perform their mission.
(Received on Aug. 12, 2019)

Kyarash Shahriari:
Since its first date of establishment in 1884 as the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) and in 1912 as the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE), which eventually transformed into the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 1963, the IEEE has always been the source of inspiration for engineers, academia, students and the general society. In the early ages, this objective was followed through promoting engineering and technical support for all engaged parties. The IEEE mandate has since then been evolved and increased to include and to re-define technological advancements under Humanitarian Values and General Public benefits umbrella contrary to purely technical dimensions. Examples are adopting the tagline “Advancing Technology for the Benefit of Humanity” in Feb. 2010.
I’ve had the honour to be a part of this stream for more than 15 years as a student member at the beginning and a member, senior member, and volunteer at different executive positions thereafter. My intention to nominate myself, as the Secretary / Vice Chair of the Toronto Section, is to endorse the above through attracting new members and empowering volunteers’ engagement especially student membership as the future of the institution; creating more collaboration between chapters, sections, and societies; supporting the advancement and promoting high-tech and emerging technologies in GTA and Toronto using the IEEE platform; and increasing the partnership between engineering stakeholders (IEEE, PEng, OSPE, Colleges, Universities, etc). Toronto is the most important section in Region 7 and let’s make a model out of it all together.
(Received on Aug. 11, 2019)

Nadia Aftab:
I am fairly new to IEEE (member since 2017) and have been enjoying some of the benefits provided to all members. But I have also noticed that there’s an opportunity to bring diversity and promote inclusivity to our IEEE Toronto’s membership. If elected, I would like to work closely with our members to bring diverse voices (including young professionals like me) to the table and have seminars/sessions that highlight various topics (including emerging industries) that will keep us ahead of the curve. I also want to expand collaboration between IEEE Toronto and interactions with the industry as well as other organizations such as PEO, SMPTE etc.
(Received on Aug. 12, 2019)

Dustin Dunwell:
I have been serving the IEEE Toronto Section as the chapter chair of the Solid-State Circuits Society (SSCS) since 2007, and as a member of the Awards Committee since 2018. Over the last 12 years I have been astounded by the effort and dedication of volunteers in Toronto. I truly believe that the work being done by the Toronto Section has played an important role in the tremendous tech boom that Toronto has enjoyed over the past decade. The work being done and events being organized by the chapters and student branches have helped to develop a vibrant and connected engineering community in Toronto. We should all be proud of the work that has been done.

In applying to serve as secretary for the Toronto Section, I am hoping to further my involvement in this engineering community. As someone with a long history of involvement with academia, who is now a staff engineer at Huawei Canada, I believe that I can help to strengthen ties between academia and industry in our section. Specifically, I believe that I can help foster connections between the Toronto Section and the Toronto IC design community, which is growing quickly, but is currently under-represented. I hope to have the chance to do this as a member of the Toronto Section leadership.
(Received on July 28, 2019)

Hugo Sanchez-Reategui:
Having served as Industry Relations Committee Chair (2016-2018) with IEEE Toronto, Patronage Chair of IEEE Canada Conferences in 2017 and 2018. Having had the responsibility to bring awareness of IEEE Toronto as a “top technology leading brand” to industry partners i.e. utilities, manufacturers, academia, cities, research centers, etc.

I have been developing many volunteering activities in collaboration with IEEE Toronto Section Chapters and student branches: “Cybersecurity of the Digital Substation: Hands On Training “, “Electrical Grid Educational Seminars”, “Siemens RUGGEDCOM site visit”, “Symposium on Smart Cities and Transportation” and many others. Also, I participated as keynote speaker on “Distributed Generation and Introduction to Smart Grid”, “Improving Communication Skills for Engineers” in local universities.

Position Statement:
There are many ways to support the activities within IEEE Toronto area as follows:

  1. Continue building the bridge between academia and industry to collaborate in events on technology emerging trends
  2. Bring more support to student chapters across IEEE Toronto area within Great Toronto Area providing speakers and more collaboration with chapters
  3. Continue to survey participants of Toronto section activities in order to identify needs for better service to current and potential members
  4. Ensure meeting notes and action items are shared with attendees, chapters and implemented accordingly
  5. Collaborate with other officers to increase member engagement

(Received on Aug. 6, 2019)

Rafaeel Chaudhry:
I am honoured to be nominated for the IEEE Toronto Section’s Treasurer position. I have been associated with IEEE since 2004 when I joined as a student member, and have served in various volunteer roles and have been conferred multiple IEEE volunteer awards.

The heart of IEEE is its volunteers from every corner of the globe. The organization must enable these volunteers to innovate, lead and launch new IEEE products and services in their local region.

To grow the IEEE Toronto Section, we need a renewed value proposition for existing and prospective members.

If elected, apart from keeping the budget in check, I would work with other Section volunteers to help foster new initiatives for professional development and networking. These new outreach initiatives will include offering technical and professional advancement tutorials, practical workshops, hands-on training, online courses (with certificates upon successful completion), promoting mentoring of students by subject matter experts, strengthening/supporting local chapters as well as exploring the possibility to expand the IEEE member discounts.

As a Section Treasurer, I will strive to be transparent, accountable, and responsible with the allocated funds. I look forward to your support in electing me to serve IEEE Toronto and the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.
(Received on Aug. 9, 2019)

Alireza Siadatan:
Alireza Siadatan (Ph.D), Associate Professor, Senior Member of IEEE,
Committee Chair of Conferences/Conventions and Membership development at IEEE Toronto Section,
Visiting Professor at Power Systems Group, University of Toronto

  • IEEE Power & Energy Society Membership
  • IEEE Industry Applications Society Membership

Alireza Siadatan (S’07, M’13, SM’18) received the B.Sc., Ph.D. and Postdoc degrees all in electrical engineering from Shahid Beheshti University G.C., Tehran, IRAN, in 2002, 2013, and 2014, respectively. He was a Visiting PhD Student at Wisconsin University, Madison, 2012, USA. He has published more than 170 Journals and conference papers and has 15 patents. He has actively participated as a technical/executive committee member in various conferences such as SPEEDAM, COMPEL, PEDSTC. Furthermore, he has been an invited reviewer to IEEE Transactions, IET etc. He has more than 16 years of experience in industry and university. Alireza became a faculty member of the Azad University in 2008 and he is currently an associate professor there. Since 2018, he has been a visiting professor at University of Toronto, Canada. His current research interests include electric machines design and drives, BCI (Brain Computer Interface), renewable energy, WPT (Wireless Power Transformer) and power electronics.

He wants to (i) contribute to the Senior Membership Development milestone, (ii) organize the next EPEC conference in Toronto, (iii) allocate budget and provide financial support for new streams in IEEE Toronto branch, and (iv) set up practical events and workshops about hot topics such as fast charging battery stations, wireless charging and application of renewable energies in power systems for IEEE members in Toronto Section.
(Received on Aug. 9, 2019)

Election Procedure:
Voting will be done on-line. The election site will open on Monday, September 16, 2019 and will continue until the IEEE Toronto Annual General Meeting (AGM) on November 16, 2019. The winners will be announced at the AGM.

Nomination by Petition:
Any member who has not been nominated by the nominations committee is allowed to petition, in order to add their name to the ballot. The conditions are as follows:

  • The candidate’s membership grade must be of Graduate Student or higher.
  • The candidate must collect 60 supporting signatures from IEEE Toronto Members of Graduate Student or higher grade.
  • The candidate must submit the signatures (as a scanned PDF file) by email to the 3 members of the nominations committee: Tom Murad, Emanuel Istrate and Bruno Di Stefano. The list of signatures must include names and member numbers along with the signatures. The candidate must also submit his/her full name, membership number and membership grade, along with the position for which he/she would like to candidate.
  • All documents must be received by Monday, September 9, 2019.