Title:

Breeding the Global Engineer: An Engineer with Soul

Date:

Monday, November 14, 2011 at 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Location:

Rm E1-270, EITC (Engineering & Information Technology Complex),
Fort Garry Campus, University of Manitoba

Speaker:

Mark Talesnick, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Departments of Civil Engineering
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Haifa, Israel

Abstract:

Technion (Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel) is proposing the establishment of a center for educating a new type of engineer, the “global engineer.” The term “global engineer” was coined by Professor Bernard Amadei, founder of Engineers Without Borders (EWB), an international association dedicated to initiating and fostering sustainable engineering projects in developing and disadvantaged communities all over the world. “Global engineers” are engineers trained to work together with developing communities to respond to their particular local needs. While in a more perfect world, this training would be an integral part of the education, practice, and research at many levels of a university, the establishment of the proposed Global Engineering Center will constitute a significant first step in highlighting and addressing areas that need improvement, and perhaps ultimately bringing them into the mainstream of engineering education.

The establishment of the Global Engineering Center will enable the Technion to host visiting professors and practitioners who are expert global engineers; will provide the resources for workshops and hands-on projects, and the materials and travel funds required to construct and install engineering projects in developing areas; and will provide fellowships for graduate students and funding for a half-time administrative staff member.

The Global Engineering Center will enable the expansion of the type of activities carried out by the Technion’s EWB group, and crucially, will enable more students from a variety of faculties to learn how to apply their skills and knowledge to create innovative solutions to real-world engineering challenges in developing areas.

Professor Talesnick will address a number of pertinent critical questions, including the need for global engineers, and why we should take part in the global engineering revolution. He will also provide examples from his work related to EWB.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Mark Talesnick (born 1959 in Toronto) has been a professor at Technion in the field of GeoMechanics, earthquake engineering and soil structure interaction, since 1993. He obtained his BSc in Geological Engineering from the University of Toronto in 1982. After moving to Israel in 1982, he obtained MSc and DSc in Civil Engineering from Technion in 1985 and 1990, respectively. He has a number of journal and conference publications in these fields.

He formed Engineers Without Borders (Technion) in 2007, and led student groups to remote villages in eastern Nepal to construct BioGas reactors, water harvesting and social/economical projects. He is credited with the development of the concept of a new breed of engineer, the Global Engineer. Together with Professor Bernard Amadei, the founder of Engineers without Borders, he developed a “study abroad program” for international students to work with Israeli students, with two rounds already completed in August 2010 and 2011.

He was the one who formed and captained the Israel National Ice Hockey Team (1992-1994), and coached the Junior Israel National Ice Hockey Team (1995/6).

Cost:

Free, All are welcome.

Organizers:

• IEEE Computer & Computational Intelligence Chapter
• IEEE Education, Management, and Communication Chapter (EduManCom)
• UofM IEEE McNaughton Student Centre
• University of Manitoba Space Applications and Technology Society (UMSATS, T-Sat)
• University of Manitoba Amateur Radio Society (UMARS)
• Institute of Industrial Mathematical Sciences (IIMS)
• University of Manitoba Engineering Society (UMES)
• Engineers Without Borders – UofM Chapter
• Canadian Technion Society Winnipeg Chapter

Contact:

For questions or more information contact Witold Kinsner at 474-6490.

Date:

Saturday, November 12, 2011 from 11:30-17:00

Location:

E3-558 EITC
University of Manitoba

Speakers:

Craig Nemeth, Matthew Sebastian, Frank Serafin (VE4FHS), Troy Denton (VE4TRD), Matthew Woelk (VE4MDW), Kiral Poon, Kane Anderson (VE4PWN), Jonathan Aird, and Dario Schor (VE4SCH).

Abstract:

This hands-on workshop is designed as a continuation of the beginners workshop held in October. A team of experienced mentors will use Code Composer Studio to demonstrate examples of:

• analog-to-digital conversions,
• handling input through push-buttons,
• using built-in timers,
• handling interrupts, and
• using a capacitive touch interface.

Lunch will be served from 14:00-15:00pm in E1-514.

Registration:

$5 for IEEE student members
$25 for non-members
Join IEEE now and you’ll receive significant discounts in all our upcoming events!

Each student must have an MSP430 LaunchPad and a Capacitive Touch Booster Pack. If you do not have one, you can pre-order one through UMIEEE when you register. The MSP430 LaunchPad is $5 and the Capacitive Touch is $15 (both prices include taxes and shipping).

Only 15 spots available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Register online before November 4, 2011 by clicking here.

Payment required to complete registration. If the fee is not received by the end-of-business on November 4, the spot will be assigned to another student.

Organizers:

• University of Manitoba Amateur Radio Society (UMARS)
• University of Manitoba Space Applications and Technology Society (UMSATS)
• University of Manitoba IEEE Student Branch (UMIEEE)
• IEEE Computer and Computational Intelligence Chapter
• IEEE EduManCom Chapter
• Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Manitoba

Event Sponsor:

• Shell Canada

Contact:

For more information contact Dario Schor, VE4SCH or Frank Serafin, VE4FHS.

Gallery:

Title:

Designing High Speed External Memory Interfaces in Altera FPGAs

Date:

Monday, October 3, 2011 @ 4:00-5:00pm

Location:

E3-270, EITC Building, University of Manitoba Fort Garry Campus

Speaker:

Kalen Brunham, P.Eng
Senior Member of the Technical Staff
Altera Corporation
Toronto, Ontario

Abstract:

The fundamental challenge in designing high speed external memory interfaces for protocols such as DDR3 is the unknown phase relationship between the memory components and the memory controller. In addition, static timing analysis breaks down as it does not take into account the reduction in pessimism as a result of memory interface calibration. This presentation outlines these challenges and reviews how Altera addresses them by building self calibrating memory controllers and employing cutting edge flexible static timing analysis.

Speaker Bio:

Kalen Brunham is a Senior Member of the Technical Staff in the Software and IP department at Altera’s Toronto Technology Center. Over the 8 years he has been with Altera he has been involved in a number of projects including competitive architecture analysis, external memory interface IP development, and IP usability. His current interests are in debug tools for external memory interfaces and high level IP integration in FPGAs. Kalen holds an M.Sc from the University of Manitoba in the area of signal and data compression.

Organizers:

IEEE EduManCom Chapter & Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering.

Cost:

This will be a free event.

Contact:

For questions or more information: Ken Ferens 474-8517

Date:

Monday, October 3, 2011 from 6:00pm to 8:30pm

Location:

E1-514 EITC
University of Manitoba

Speakers:

Craig Nemeth, Matthew Sebastian, Frank Serafin (VE4FHS), Troy Denton, and Matthew Woelk (VE4MDW)

Abstract:

This hands-on workshop is designed to introduce first and second year students to the design of embedded systems. Each student will receive a Texas Instruments MSP430 LaunchPad development board to work with and take home after the workshop.

A team of experienced mentors will demonstrate how to:

• use Code Composer Studio,
• program the embedded microprocessor in C,
• debug embedded programs, and
• use input/output ports to interface external components.

Pizza & pop served in E1-514 EITC from 6:00-6:30pm. Workshop in E3-528 from 6:30-8:30pm

Registration:

$5 for UMARS/UMIEEE/UMSATS members
$10 for non-members.

Registration includes pizza, pop, development board, programming cables, and software to continue learning at home.

Only 15 spots available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Register online before October 2, 2011 by clicking here.

Organizers:

• University of Manitoba Amateur Radio Society (UMARS)
• University of Manitoba Space Applications and Technology Society (UMSATS)
• University of Manitoba IEEE Student Branch (UMIEEE)
• IEEE Computer and Computational Intelligence Chapter
• IEEE EduManCom Chapter
• Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Manitoba

Event Sponsor:

• Shell Canada

Contact:

For more information contact Dario Schor, VE4SCH or Frank Serafin, VE4FHS.

Gallery:

Date:

Thursday, July 14, 2011 from 6:30-8:30pm.

Location:

E2-210 Engineering Information and Technology Complex
University of Manitoba Fort Garry Campus

Speaker:

Mr. Greg Linton

Abstract:

In this tutorial, participants will learn about the six orbital elements and different types of orbits using the Satellite Tool Kit (STK) from Analytical Graphics Incorporated.

STK is a very powerful software used to model complex space systems such as:

• Determine when faces of the satellite are facing the sun,
• Model different antennas and their effect on communications with a particular ground station, and
• Studying and planning attitude manoeuvres.

This tutorial will begin with a simple introduction to Keplerian Orbital Elements and different types of orbits using STK. The participants will model the orbit for a the T-Sat mission that is being designed by members of the University of Manitoba Space Applications and Technology Society (UMSATS).

Speaker Bio:

Mr. Greg Linton studied at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay and graduated with an Electrical Technologist Diploma in 1999 and a Bachelor of Science in Physics the following year. Greg joined Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Studies in October of 2006 as a Space Instructor. Since then he has hosted students from across the Canadian Forces as part of the Space Section’s well known courses and instructed for the Aerospace Systems Course. His current topic areas include display technologies, statistics and space sciences.

In addition to training DND employees he participates in the Aviation and Aerospace In Manitoba Day, which introduces 650 grade six students to aerospace careers and opportunities. Greg also helps out with the Manitoba Space Adventures Camp, in which high school students learn about a number of advanced space topics. Activities at the camp include the use amateur weather research balloons that reach over 70,000 feet in altitude.

Greg started his masters studies with the University of Manitoba in the fall of 2010. His thesis topic studies the use of broadband satellites internet communications for the command and control of micro-satellites. He is an active member of UMSATS’ Communications Team.

Cost:

FREE!

Registration:

There are 40 spots available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Register online by clicking here.

Organizers:

University of Manitoba Space Applications and Technology Society
IEEE EduManCom Chapter
IEEE Computer and Computational Intelligence Chapter
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Manitoba

Contact:

For more information contact Dario Schor.

Gallery: