Industry Session Details

2:00PM – 5:00PM

Workshop 1:
Location: Salon H

Modeling & Evaluating the Integrated Impacts of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) through T&D Co-Simulation
Speakers: Dr. Monish Mukherjee (PNNL) & Dr. Meghana Ramesh (PNNL)
Presentation Slides

Workshop 2:
Location: Salon F

AI & Agriculture from an Entomology Perspective
Speaker: Dr. Ashley Dowling, Professor of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

Standards as a Career Superpower IEEE 1547
Speaker: Christopher Sanderson, SMIEEE, SMASQ

Facility Tour: Tyson Manufacturing Automation Center

9:00AM – 12:00PM
Location: Mini Ballroom

Funding Sustainable Innovation – Nurturing Collaborations to Advance Regional Development
Moderator: Jennifer Fowler, Principal Investigator and statewide Program Director for the Arkansas jurisdiction of NSF EPSCoR
Panelists: Dr. Meredith Adkins, Assistant Research Professor, Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research, University of Arkansas
Dr. Laura Berry, Interim Dean of Health Professions, North Arkansas College
Dr. A. Matt Francis, Founder & President at Ozark IC, Director of IEEE Region 5
Dr. Saffeer M. Khan, Associate Professor of Practice & Manager of Flexible Energy Lab Suite in the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center at UNC Charlotte

Moving the World, Efficiently: Impact of Motors & Drives in the World Energy Utilization and how Energy Efficiency is a Key Recipe for the Transition to Clean Energy
Dr. Pietro Cairoli, Department Manager, ABB

GETting Interconnected at PJM
William Kenney, Senior Advisor, Competitive Transmission & Economic Analysis, Quanta Technology

1:10PM – 5:00PM
Location: Mini Ballroom

AII Power Utility

Asset Performance Management: The Unified Strategy
Tony Trim, Gulf Region Lead Solution Architect, Eaton Corporation

Bold Leadership for a Bold Solution: The Case for Expanding Nuclear Power in the State of Arkansas
Mark Bowling, Chief Risk, Security, and Information Security Officer, Extra Hop

9:00AM – 12:00PM
Location: Mini Ballroom

Ethics in Engineering
Raphaël Chabaneix

IEEE Member to Senior Member Upgrade Process and Application
James J. Mercier, P.E.

The Industry IEEE Fellow Process
Donald G. Dunn, Principal Consultant, Waldemar S. Nelson & Company

Wednesday April 3, 2:00PM – 5:00PM

Modeling & Evaluating the Integrated Impacts of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) through T&D Co-Simulation

Speakers: Dr. Monish Mukherjee (PNNL) & Dr. Meghana Ramesh (PNNL)

Wednesday April 3, 3:00PM – 4:00PM

AI and Agriculture From an Entomology Perspective

Advances in technology are changing all aspects of our lives, and agriculture is no exception. Global positioning systems have enabled precision field mapping, which in conjunction with advancements in sensors has allowed for precision management of crops. Combine this with advancements in computational techniques like AI, and systems are able to analyze large amounts of data and make management decisions for farmers. This has revolutionized areas of management involving soil moisture, nutrient levels, and overall plant health, however, management of insect pests has greatly lagged behind in the precision agriculture revolution. Monitoring of insect populations is at the heart of insect pest management and is also an area ripe for improvements through AI and other advanced technologies. Traditional insect monitoring involves many hours of manual labor per field and must be conducted regularly during the growing season. Additionally, expertise in insect identification is required to do the job efficiently and accurately. AI driven smart traps offer an opportunity to take over insect population monitoring, thus reducing the time spent manually checking traps and providing real-time pest data, which allows for more timely and targeted management of pests. Additionally, a network of active traps can monitor pest migration patterns, allowing for proactive treatment measures, as well as detection of new invasive species that have entered into the country. Combined with automated treatment systems utilizing pesticides or mating disruption technologies, precision treatment is possible, greatly reducing pesticide use while increasing crop yields.

Speaker: Dr. Ashley Dowling, Professor of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

Dr. Ashley Dowling is a professor of entomology at the University of Arkansas. His lab focuses on the taxonomy, diversity, and ecology of various arthropod groups, with emphasis on the microarthropods like mites. Current projects focus on developing artificial intelligence systems for insect identification at two levels. One is for use in a smart insect trap for agricultural systems and the other is a system focused on biodiversity of soil arthropods for use by museums, biodiversity researchers, and soil ecologists. Other projects focus on understanding the biodiversity of Ozarks arthropods, collecting data on tick species and prevalence of tickborne disease pathogens in the state, and examining the diversity and ecology of arthropods in streams and forest habitats.

Wednesday April 3 4:00PM – 5:00PM

Standards as a Career Superpower: IEEE 1547

Are you ready to step into the future of energy solutions? Join us for an electrifying seminar on IEEE 1547 meant to provide a set of criteria and requirements for the interconnection of distributed generation resources into the power grid.

1. Introduction: IEEE 1547
   • Emphasize the increasing importance of DERs in the modern energy landscape, and how IEEE 1547 standardizes their integration.
   • Mention the proliferation of renewable energy sources and the need for a unified framework to ensure their seamless integration into the grid.
2. Background into IEEE 1547 Standards
   • Discuss the origins of IEEE 1547, possibly tracing it back to the early days of grid modernization efforts.
   • Highlight any significant revisions or updates made to the standard over time.
3. Policy of Implementing IEEE 1547
   • Explain the role of policy in supporting the implementation of IEEE 1547.
   • Highlight regulatory frameworks that incentivize compliance with the standard.
4. Career Growth through Certification
   • Explain the value of obtaining certifications related to standards.
   • Showcase how certifications can boost credibility and open doors for career advancement. • Provide practical tips on choosing and pursuing relevant certifications.

Speaker: Christopher Sanderson, SMIEEE, SMASQ

Thursday April 4 9:00AM – 12:00PM

Funding Sustainable Innovation – Nurturing Collaborations to Advance Regional Development

Panelist: Meredith Adkins, PhD
Assistant Research Professor, Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I³R)

Meredith Adkins is an Assistant Research Professor at the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I³R), a translational research institute at the University of Arkansas that fosters collaboration to address grand challenges. In this role, Adkins works on use-inspired convergence research projects, employing human centered design principles. Adkins is the Principal Investigator for Phase 1 and 2 of NSF Convergence Accelerator Track J Food & Nutrition Security, where the convergence team is focused on building more resilient regional food systems through technology infrastructure. For this project, she leads the ecosystem work, engaging in user discovery, community understanding, and deployment of the technology solution. Adkins has worked at the university for over a decade, previously leading Northwest Arkansas corporate and community engagement, and she worked in international development in West Africa prior to the university. She continues to be a social connector, bringing industry, social enterprise, non-profit,
investor, and government partnerships to I 3 R’s economic development projects. She is passionate about societal impact and developing solutions that will support more equitable outcomes and access to technologies for historically underserved communities.

Adkins holds a doctorate in public policy with a specialization in community development from the University of Arkansas (’22), and B.A. (’06) and M.A. (’10) degrees in political science from the University of Colorado and Colorado State University. Her research interests are community reinvestment and development, capital access and impact investing, technology development for rural communities, and economic development more broadly.

Panelist: Dr. Laura Berry
Interim Dean of Health Professions, Director of Institutional Partnerships & Special Initiatives, North Arkansas College

Starting at North Arkansas College as a part-time math and science instructor, Dr. Laura Berry continued her career at the two-year college as full-time faculty, Director of Institutional Research, Title III grant director, and Dean of Arts, Sciences, Business & IT. To revitalize Northark’s IT program, Berry and two faculty members applied to the Mentor Connect program in 2016. The result was the College’s first NSF ATE grant. Seven years later, Northark has received six additional NSF grants.

After a failed attempt at retirement, Berry now serves as Interim Dean of Health Professions, helps lead Northark’s multiple NSF grants, coordinates new grant proposals, works with the Arkansas EPSCoR project to create a “start anywhere finish anywhere” data science model, and with the Arkansas Aviation Alliance to expand aviation across the state.

Berry was born and raised in Dallas, received a B.S. in biology from Howard Payne University in central Texas, attended graduate school at Oklahoma State University and the University of Arkansas. After so many years at Northark, she is also an unofficial college historian.

Panelist: Dr. A. Matt Francis
Founder & CEO of Ozark Integrated Circuits, Inc., IEEE Region 5 Director

Matt is founder and President/CEO of Ozark Integrated Circuits, Inc, where he leads development of high-temperature semiconductor computing solutions for energy, defense, aerospace and space applications. Dr. Francis is an expert in the scalable design, manufacturing and assembly of extremely reliable single-board computers, from silicon/silicon carbide semiconductors to advanced packaging, ceramics and test for reliability – including their complex supply chains. Under his leadership Ozark IC has been recognized as a leader in rugged computing devices, with 37 SBIR awards from DOE, NASA, Navy, USAF, DARPA and NSF, wins in the MassChallenge accelerator Gold Award (2020), the Army XTech Hypersonic Manufacturing Prize (2022), the American Made Geothermal Prizes (2021-2023) and as the 2023 Arkansas Business Innovation Pacesetter. Dr Francis served as a remote payload specialist for Ozark IC’s payloads on the International Space Station (2019-2021), and earned BSEE (’03), BS Physics (’04), MSEE (’07) and PhD (’09) degrees from the University of Arkansas.

Dr. Francis also serves as a Board Member and Director (2024-2025) for the IEEE (Region 5 USA Southwest), the world’s largest technical professional organization. He is the IEEE-USA representative to the IEEE Industry Engagement Committee and past chair of the IEEE MGA Chapter Operations Support Committee. He is passionate about entrepreneurship and growing the next generation of scientists and engineers. In 2022 he was the recipient of the IEEE-USA Entrepreneurship Spirit Award for the ground breaking work of his company, his mentoring of students through his local robotics club, and his mentoring for small-businesses in the deep-technology space. He is serving in multiple roles to help stakeholders engage in the CHIPS+ act, including serving as a founder of SURGEArkansas.org, an organization coordinating stakeholders in the state to respond to CHIPS+ opportunities with support from the Arkansas Dept. of Commerce.

Panelist: Dr. Saffeer Khan
Associate Professor of Practice & Manager of Flexible Energy Lab Suite in the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC) at UNC Charlotte

Dr. Saffeer M. Khan, graduated with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from University of North Carolina (UNC) at Charlotte. He has served in various academic positions at University of Arkansas Fort Smith and Arkansas Tech University between 2014 – 2022. Presently, he is an Associate Professor of Practice and manages the Flexible Energy Lab Suite in the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC) at UNC Charlotte. Dr. Khan has over 20 years’ experience of research and training, project management and engineering, and multidisciplinary collaboration in defense and academia. He is a principal investigator on several ocean renewable energy related projects sponsored by the North Carolina Coastal Studies Institute and focused on wave and wind energy resource characterization and powering the blue economy applications. As a Project Co-Director of “CLEANcarolinas”, Dr. Khan manages a multi-institutional, two-state, National Science Foundation Type 1 Developmental Regional Innovation Engine project. Dr. Khan is an active member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and IEEE Power and Energy, Industry Applications, Oceanic Engineering, and Power Electronic Societies. He is also a licensed Professional Engineer (Power) in Arkansas and North Carolina.

Moving the World, Efficiently: Impact of Motors & Drives in the World Energy Utilization and how Energy Efficiency is a Key Recipe for the Transition to Clean Energy

Speaker: Dr. Pietro Cairoli, Department Manger, Power Electronics, ABB Inc.

Dr. Pietro Cairoli is the Department Manager for the Department of Power Electronics at ABB Inc. US Corporate Research Center in Raleigh, NC. He received is Master’s in Electrical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano in Italy and PhD degree from the University of South Carolina. He currently leads a multidisciplinary team of scientists and R&D engineers with the mission to advance power electronics technologies for industrial and energy applications. His research interests include WBG power electronics, motor drives, solid state circuit breakers, DC distribution systems, and high efficiency electrical equipment for both industrial and power applications.

Speaker: Dr. Elio Perigo, Department Head, Multiphysics and Engineering, ABB Corporate Research Center

Dr. Elio Perigo received his Master’s and PhD degrees from the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), both in Materials. He joined ABB in 2016 after post-doctoral stages in Europe and South America addressing the circular economy of rare-earth-based materials and developing novel functional materials for power conversion applications. He currently leads the Multiphysics and Engineering Team at the US Corporate Research Center. The Team drives efforts in materials sustainability, machines manufacturing, mechatronics, and modelling of thermal, electromagnetic, mechanical, and processing of components and systems. Dr. Perigo’s research focuses on enabling affordable and high-efficiency developments in electrical applications.

GETting Interconnected at PJM

This study assessed how grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) might enable faster, cheaper, reliable interconnections of new resources.  Using Dynamic Line Ratings(DLR), Power Flow Controls(PFCs), and Topology Optimization(TO) in interconnection studies, analysis shows that network upgrades are more affordable with a greater production cost saving and lower emissions.  We hope to work with transmission owners and utilities to leverage this analysis as a capacity-building tool, as well as support new regulations or policies that promote uptake of GETs.

Speaker: William Kinney, Senior Advisor, Competitive Transmission & Economic Analysis, Quanta Technology

William Kenney has over 12 years of power system planning experience working with a variety of customers.  His background is in performing long-term reliability system assessments to ensure compliance of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) Transmission Planning standards.  His planning experience includes steady state, dynamic stability, Voltage stability, transfer analysis, and includes utilizing production cost models to perform economic planning analysis.

Thursday April 4 1:10PM – 5:00PM

AII Power Utility

Asset Performance Management: The Unified Strategy

Asset Performance Management (APM) is a standard regulated by the International Standard Organization (ISO). ISO 55000 examines the value of asset management, the scope of the asset management system, strategic asset management plan, asset management decision-
making, risk management, finance in asset management, and scalability of the asset management system. APM is more than a standard or a technology it is a strategy that unifies energy, process improvement, and information technology to work together toward operational excellence. In the spirit of continuous improvement, the presentation will have several key themes to guide the conversation that will address each of the core competencies. The key themes will be as follows: APM Uptake Conundrum, APM Value Props, APM Module, APM Business Case, and APM Business.

Speaker: Tony Trim, Gulf Region Lead Solution Architect, Eaton Corporation

Tony Trim is a Digital Strategist and IOT Solution Architect with significant experience that spans over 18 years in control systems and automation in the Oil and Gas Industry. He currently wears two hats, one at Eaton Corporation where he implements digital transformation leveraging
regional support strategies for electrical infrastructure using various SAAS business models to integrate fully cloud-based technologies from legacy systems. And two as the Director of the National Society of Black Engineers Information Technology Think Tank Special Interest Group,
where he is charged with the pursuit and promotion of creative answers to critical questions in the OT/IT world.

Bold Leadership for a Bold Solution: The Case for Expanding Nuclear Power in the State of Arkansas

Over the next five to eight years multiple coal fired plants in the State of Arkansas will be decommissioned. The consequence of these retirements is that there will be less electric energy generated and less electric power available in the State of Arkansas produced in the state. There will be a reduction in greenhouse gases and combustion pollution produced in the state, but there will also be losses of high paying and skilled technical jobs. The reliability of the electric power grid in Arkansas and the cost and availability of electricity in the state will also be negatively impacted. But there is a solution: nuclear power. Safe, reliable, and nearly always available, nuclear fission generated electricity is the solution to three challenges facing Arkansas in the coming decades. These challenges are Energy: the need for reliable electric power, Environment: the need to ensure a safe, healthy, and carbon responsible environment, and Employment: the need for technologically advanced employment opportunities. This presentation makes the engineering, political, and economic case for a statewide government commission to explore the possibility of expanded nuclear power in the state.

Speaker: Mark Bowling, Chief Risk, Security and Information Security Officer, Extra Hop

Mark Bowling is the Chief Risk, Security, and Information Security Officer at ExtraHop. Mark is responsible for all aspects of operational risk for ExtraHop, as well as responsible for all aspects of security, to include facility, personnel, and physical security.  Mark also fills the role of CISO, and is responsible for all aspects of cyber security for ExtraHop Networks.  Building on his three decades of experience working in government with the military, intelligence community, FBI, and Department of Education Office of the Inspector General, as well as several years in private consulting, Mark continues to work directly with ExtraHop customers to reduce their operational and corporate risk, advising on cybersecurity, risk management, and risk mitigation strategies.

Friday April 5 9:00AM – 12:00PM

Ethics in Engineering

Speaker: Raphaël Chabaneix

Raphaël Chabaneix’s practice focuses on representing universities, startups, research institutes and
technology companies in high-stakes intellectual-property litigation and licensing negotiations. He
has broad experience in the semiconductor, wireless-communications and biomedical areas. Raphaël
represents plaintiffs and defendants in federal courts and before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
(PTAB) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

He has also handled complex international commercial and investment disputes, notably before
international arbitral tribunals. He is fluent in French and holds law degrees from the Georgetown
University Law Center, Paris Comparative Law Institute (Panthéon-Assas University) and Sorbonne
Law School. Raphaël earned his engineering degree from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is
a member of the IEEE Eta Kappa Nu engineering honor society.

IEEE Member to Senior Member Upgrade Process and Application

Region 5 will host a tutorial on how to become a Senior Member by our resident expert, James Mercier. Questions will be encouraged. This is a great opportunity for those that have always wanted to seek Senior Membership but hesitated to do so. Get the help that you need at this
session. YP’s, WIE and LM are all encouraged to attend.

James will review the process required to advance your membership from “Member” grade to “Senior Member” grade. The review includes details on what is required and preferred for Professional Experience as well as the details and format required for Significant Performance. If you do not have Reference Writers, James will nominate you and assign your Reference Writers for you. Rarely has anyone that James has nominated not been upgraded.

Speaker: James J. Mercier, P.E.

James is currently licensed as a professional engineer in Texas and Ohio plus a Texas licensed Master Electrician. He is an American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Life Member and an IEEE Life Senior Member, having joined both in college. In the IEEE Central Texas Section, his
duties include Sr. Member Upgrade Coordinator, and now Treasurer. He is also a Past-Chair of the IEEE joint chapter (PI)² (PES/PELS/IES/IAS/PSES). In 2020, he was awarded the George F. McClure Citation of Honor recipient for dedication to IEEE and his Chapter.

He has an eclectic employment history. After serving 4-years in the Air Force, he worked in a factory for 3 years, and afterwards served a four-year Apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers becoming a Journeyman Wireman in 1999. His training specialized in industrial and commercial wiring. In 1986, he graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a BS in Civil Engineering and
worked as an Environmental Engineer in the private sector. In 1994, he was hired into the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to work in the Roadway Illumination and Traffic Signals Sections where he specialized in grounding practices, inspecting installations for code and contract
compliance, improving design practices, and improving lightning protection. In 2001, he transferred to the TxDOT Bridge Division Hydraulics to specialize in river and stream flows through culverts and bridges. He used his multiple and varied electrical experiences to design a collapse detection and motorist warning system for bridge in south Texas. The bridge had been damaged at night by an errant barge and several people died when they unknowingly drove off the broken bridge. He retired from TxDOT in 2015 and concentrated on serving IEEE. He is currently an active member and officer and a past President of the Austin Gem and Mineral Society.

The Industry IEEE Fellow Process

IEEE Fellow is a distinction reserved for select IEEE members whose extraordinary accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest are deemed fitting of this prestigious grade elevation. The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of the IEEE Fellows process and the requirements for being elevated to this position.

Speaker: Donald G. Dunn

Mr. Dunn is a Principal Consultant with Waldemar S. Nelson & Company providing services to the Refining, Chemical, and various other industries. He has held engineering and management positions at several major refining and chemical companies during his over 30-year career. He is currently a Fellow member of the IEEE and the ISA. He is a member of the IEEE, ISA, NFPA, API, and IEC standards development organizations. He co-chairs ISA18, chairs IEEE 841 & 841.1, and is the convener of IEC62682. Mr. Dunn served as the IEEE Houston Section chairman in 2001, 2002, 2006, 2011-2012, Vice President for the ISA Standards and Practices Board in 2011-2012, chairman of the IEEE IAS Petroleum and Chemical Industry Committee (PCIC) 2012-2014 and chairman of the API Subcommittee on Electrical Equipment 2012-2015. In 2015, he was elected to serve a three-
year term on the ISA Board of Directors and is the past chairman of the PCIC A&A subcommittee.