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working with a major non-profit vision provider in the Philadelphia area to provide a less costly, quality 3D .... graduates can afford to attend college and only ten percent of the nation's ... Perhaps best of all, everyone involved with the project is ...
Progress Report 2015

60+ EPICS in IEEE projects completed Over 250 IEEE Volunteers have participated in an EPICS in IEEE Project

Help us Serve the World and Fulfill Global Human Potential through EPICS in IEEE The pages of this 2015 report demonstrate how

Your support will be deeply appreciated by

EPICS in IEEE is helping to transform lives though

those who benefit from EPICS in IEEE projects

the power of technology and education. As a

that enhance technology access, literacy

Signature Program of the IEEE Foundation, we are

and education. We respectfully ask you to

delivering innovative technological solutions while

help sustain our efforts by contribut­ing online

also providing young people with real-world

at www.epicsinieee.org.

Over 500+ University students globally have participated in an EPICS in IEEE Project Over 1,000+ Since its launch in 2009, EPICS in IEEE has become a Pre-University students globally have participated in an EPICS in IEEE Project premier global resource for engineers and engineering students in their efforts to provide important Over technological 700,000 people globally have been directly support to communities in need. A unique program of affected by an EPICS in IEEE Project and indirectly the IEEE Educational Activities Department, EPICS in IEEE demonstrates the promise of the IEEE mission: Advancing Technology for Humanity.

learning experiences. But we can’t do it without your help – volunteers and contributors who are our valued partners. You share our vision to improve lives through technology and to encourage the next generation of innovators.

Every dollar we raise helps us to approve another project, create another valuable learning experience, and serve another community. Please join us in this effort to change lives through technology.

In 2015, EPICS in IEEE approved more than US$60,000 for new projects. They are enabling High School students, University students, NGO partners, and teams of engineers to deliver technology solutions that improve the quality of life in their own environments. For example: • Biomedical

engineering students at the New Jersey Institute of Technology are

working with a major non-profit vision provider in the Philadelphia area to provide a less costly, quality 3D video game with the potential to reverse a common vision disability among children. (p. 2) • In

South Africa, a team representing the Engineers Without Borders student chapter of

the University of Johannesburg and an associated high school are developing no-cost, solar-powered lights to reduce the number of devastating fires in one of Johannesburg’s

About

poorest neighborhoods. (p. 9)

As the philanthropic arm of IEEE, the IEEE

grants to IEEE grassroots projects of strategic

The following pages describe the many other EPICS in IEEE initiatives launched during

Foundation inspires the generosity of donors

importance, supporting high impact Signature

2015. All are providing critical solutions created by a strong, vibrant generation of socially

so it may enable IEEE programs that enhance

Programs, serving as a steward of donations

technology access, literacy and education, as well

that empower bright minds, recognize innovation

as support the IEEE professional community.

and preserve the history of technology. With

The IEEE Foundation, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization in the United States, fulfills its purpose by soliciting and managing donations,

donor support, the IEEE Foundation strives to be a leader in transforming lives through the power of technology and education.

Kapil Dandekar 2015 EPICS in IEEE Development Chair

responsive engineers and engineering students. After you read about these achievements, we know you will share our pride. It is our hope that you will also want to add your financial support, enabling us to create another valuable learning experience and serve another deserving community.

Sincerely,

recognizing the generosity of our donors, awarding Kapil Dandekar 2015 EPICS in IEEE Development Chair EPICS IN IEEE Progress Report 2015  1

A Fun, Less Costly Therapy for Children’s Vision Health Binocular dysfunction, the inability of both eyes to work together, has been called the hidden learning disability.

Lighting the Darkness with Renewable Energy

Indeed, few other physical conditions can so drastically affect the

team to make major improvements in both the hardware and

academic performance of children, including those with brain

software, produce a prototype, and collect and assess clinical data

injury. Youngsters with this condition can’t concentrate because

from patients in the target age range of 8–18 years. Ultimately,

of blurred or double vision. They also experience eyestrain and

the students want to make the device available wherever children

headaches while trying to read or use a computer.

needing this therapy may be.

Vision therapy in a physician’s office is helpful, but the $3,000

The project is providing the high school students participating in the

to $5,000 expense usually is not covered by insurance. Less costly

project with practical, hands-on experiences that are expanding their

therapies for home use can also be beneficial, but children fail

knowledge of engineering principles as they take part in the overall

to use them because they are repetitive and boring.

engineering design process.

In New Jersey, a team of four biomedical engineering students at

For everyone, the goal is a complete, validated and therapeutically

about the Xi’an Children’s Village. For

the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and two high school

effective vision therapy game that will cost about $600 – a much

20 years, its mission has been to shelter

students are changing things. In collaboration with The Eye Institute,

more affordable option for families anywhere with limited

and care for children of incarcerated parents.

a non-profit organization that serves Philadelphia and the Delaware

financial resources.

Staff at the non-profit home look after

When a loved one goes to prison, the emotional turmoil can be difficult for family members. But the children of incarcerated parents often carry the heaviest burden. While looking for an EPICS in IEEE project

the children. Their daily routine is disrupted,

that would make a difference, leaders of

along with their already fragile sense of

the IEEE Student Branch of Xi’an Jiaotong

security and wellbeing.

University (XJTU) in Xi’an, China, learned

Valley, the students are creating a significantly less expensive,

about 80 youngsters, and ensure a warm,

home-based device designed to make therapy sessions both

loving atmosphere. It helps to counter the

effective and fun.

children’s deep sense of loss, as well as

The group is transforming at-home vision therapy into a high-quality, 3-D video game that will appeal to children, although adults can

the depression and shame felt by all but the very youngest.

In 2015, the IEEE Student Branch at XJTU submitted a project application to EPICS in IEEE for a low-power photovoltaic power system for the children’s home – enough for lighting and other basic electrical needs during the blackouts. An US$8,200 grant was approved for a two-year period. When completed, the Student Members

This hands-on aspect is introducing them

hope the system will demonstrate the

to engineering and renewable energy, while

effectiveness of renewable energy generation

also establishing the value of an engineering

also benefit from it. Patients undergo therapy sessions wearing

Located in a mountainous area some

to a small town adjacent to Xi’an Children’s

career. Youngsters at the home also are

a head-mounted display that provides a colorful, engrossing

distance from Xi’an, a major northwestern

Village; if the town can obtain funding, the

being introduced to electrical engineering

virtual-reality experience. By correctly aligning and maintaining

city of more than 5.5 million people,

students want to eventually provide it with

and renewable energy topics – and older

eye position for an amount of time set by the clinician, the patient

Xi’an Children’s Village had experienced

a grid-connected renewable power system.

children will be encouraged to take part

“destroys” 3-D, digital models of alien creatures.

problems with its power supply in recent

The device mechanics and therapeutic procedures that must be built into the game were begun during an NJIT summer research program. Now, an EPICS in IEEE grant of US$9,929 is enabling the 2  EPICS IN IEEE Progress Report 2015

summers. Frequent blackouts caused by power rationing in the region’s electrical grid create anxiety for everyone – especially

Meanwhile, XJTU students have involved

in helping to build the power system.

high school students from a university-

Out of the darkness, there’s optimism for

affiliated high school; they are helping to

bright, positive futures for everyone.

plan, design, build and install the system. EPICS IN IEEE Progress Report 2015  3

Building a Generation of Technology Innovators In Uganda, where fewer than 20 percent of high school graduates can afford to attend college and only ten percent of the nation’s population uses the Internet, a bold project is underway.

Teaching Engineering Concepts with Robotic Snakes

The ambitious goal: introduce disadvantaged

to apply their new skills to address real-life

engineering skills through mentoring as

primary-grade students to basic computer

needs in their community. Engineering

well as enhancing their project management

and programming skills – and in the process,

students from Makerere University in

and teamwork abilities.

When Victoria Serrano was growing up in her native Panama, one of her favorite childhood pastimes was playing with Legos.

discover a generation of technological

Kampala will teach them to create mobile

innovators who will help to advance

phone apps and Web-based applications

Perhaps best of all, everyone involved

Now completing her Ph.D. in electrical engineering at Arizona State

students. Other kits are being used by ASU students in outreach

Uganda into the Information Age.

for their solutions.

with the project is helping to expand

University (ASU) in Tempe while on leave from the Technological

activities with Tempe-area middle and high school students.

the base of Ugandan engineers and

University of Panama in David where she is an assistant professor

Thanks to a grant of US$7,320 from

Project leaders also plan to have

technologists who will help to steer

of electrical engineering, she was inspired to use high-tech

EPICS in IEEE, a computer lab with

the Karinabiri students share their

the nation’s future development.

Lego Mindstorms EV3 kits as key components to teach

10 PCs is up and running at Karinabiri

new enthusiasm for technology with

Primary School on the outskirts of Kampala,

disadvantaged children who are not

and the first 30 of the school’s students

currently enrolled in school. By mentoring

are learning how to use a computer and

youngsters who are not in school, the

develop fundamental capabilities. The

Karinabiri pupils should strengthen

young students at Karinabiri are mostly from

their confidence in their newly acquired

underserved urban neighborhoods where

computer knowledge and skills – while at

opportunities to use computers are rare.

the same time acquainting other children

organization that encourages young

snake, which works with a Wi-Fi nano adapter, a USB cable, and Matlab and Simulink software.

In early January 2016, she presented her paper on the project at the 14th International Conference on Education in Honolulu, Hawaii. Next, she plans to seek funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Space Grant and Fellowship

not even see.

Program to expand the

to assemble the kits and to write software controlling the snake’s

program to reach more

movements, such as slithering on a curved course. The students

students in the United States

also competed to build the fastest snake, and to help their public

as well as help sustain the

speaking skills, they gave presentations about their experiments

program in Panama.

School promises to be a winner for all

School (KCS) to teach and mentor the

the participants: The youngest pupils are

Karinabiri pupils.

discovering the excitement and possibilities

4  EPICS IN IEEE Progress Report 2015

she built and tested experiments to create and operate a Lego EV3

engineering differently,” Serrano says.

20 area high school students – many of them girls – learned how

science students from Kyambogo College

proficiency, will be to show them how

snakes. With the participation of other ASU students, in mid 2015

approach with a cool, fun activity like robotics can help them see

In October, in four after-school workshops on the university campus,

The computer lab at Karinabiri Primary

pupils have acquired some computer

with Technological University to teach the students to build robotic

but presenting the information in a way that combines a hands-on

with technology they might otherwise

technologists, recruited 20 high school

The next step, when the primary school

Serrano received a US$5,850 grant from EPICS in IEEE to partner

and the engineering concepts they had learned.

that computer technology offers, and the students from both KCS and Makerere University are refining their computer

Photo by: IICD

LOG’EL PROJECT, a local, non-profit

engineering concepts to high school students in Panama.

“Youngsters often see engineering concepts as difficult and boring,

Afterward, some of the Lego Mindstorm kits used in the project were donated to the David-area schools that participated, enabling local IEEE groups to repeat the robotic snake workshop with more EPICS IN IEEE Progress Report 2015  5

Digital Literacy for Rural India Encouraging Innovation and a Thirst for Learning

Away from such flourishing technology centers as Bangalore and Delhi, much of India suffers from widespread digital illiteracy. Almost three-fourths of the nation’s

for India’s employment market by providing

population live in rural villages where

the tools to teach them both digital literacy

some 30 percent of the inhabitants are

and English.

impoverished. Moreover, the ability to read and write is less than 60 percent – and considerably lower among females.

The digital literacy program for Paushi both the Princeton/Central Jersey Section (PCJS) and Kolkata, along with the iSTEM

books and other educational aids to help

club members, used a US$1,500 EPICS in

them master school curriculum, and access

IEEE grant to establish a functional library. A

to computers is very limited.

computer with basic software, a printer and

have helped a team of IEEE volunteers and the IEEE STEM (iSTEM) Club at New Jersey’s Bridgewater-Raritan High School start changing children’s lives in Paushi, a rural village several hours from Kolkata.

In 2012, IEEE Student Member Sharath Kalkur was one of four

He decided to pursue his Master’s at UIC. At least for now, he

students at RNS Institute of Technology in Bangalore, India, who

prefers studying the practical approaches that he thinks universities

new cyber classroom, as well as select

obtained a grant of US$1,305 to design an inexpensive portable

in the United States emphasize. “India has many opportunities for

additional equipment that will teach

device to translate basic American Sign Language into text and

learning,” he says, “but they take a more theoretical approach.”

Internet skills, provide basic English

audio in real time. With high school students from Sri Aurobindo

instruction and – when the new building

Memorial School, Sri Kumaran Public School and the RV Integrated

is completed in late 2015 – enhance

School for the Hearing Impaired, the team devised a ground-breaking

opportunities for distance learning.

system that promises to bridge the communication gap between

Kolkata-based Polaris Networks is donating

those unable to speak or hear with those who do.

began in 2013, when IEEE volunteers from

Children in these communities have few

But since 2013, grants from EPICS in IEEE

EPICS in IEEE helps a student discover his technological passion and path.

Internet access was installed by an iSTEM club member during summer vacation, after which a Kolkata-based teacher and volunteer began providing basic computer training to 40 children. In 2014, with a US$2,000 grant, another computer and

four desktop computers, the first of what everyone hopes will be additional industry support to make the project sustainable.

peripherals were installed, as well as

The iSTEM Club members’ have gained

Their non-profit partner is Kreeya, a

desks to accommodate classes that had

insight into the digital divide that affects

New Jersey-based organization that

doubled to 80.

so much of the world, but one fact is

promotes literacy in Indian villages to help reduce poverty. (The word Kreeya is Hindi for “good works.”) Together, their goal is to help Paushi students prepare 6  EPICS IN IEEE Progress Report 2015

In 2015, an EPICS in IEEE grant of US$3,000 enabled the high school students, guided by their advisor and PCJS volunteers, to plan and design a

already clear: The students’ newly acquired engineering and project management skills are helping to narrow the gap and improve other students’ futures.

The system electronically documents signed words and phrases, constructs a 3-D representation, sends motion information to a controller to identify the sign, and then both displays the English word on an LCD screen and plays it audibly. “When we began work on it, I had already decided that digital image processing (DIP) and embedded systems were what interested me most – but this project really fanned the sparks,” says Kalkur. “Our work was based entirely on those technologies as well as computer vision, and left me wanting to learn much

He adds that while the EPICS in IEEE project spurred him to attend graduate school, he was also motivated by his parents, teachers and mentors. When he completes his graduate studies in Chicago, Kalkur will return home to India where he wants to work in an industry involved with DIP – possibly in development for leap motion controllers. A new group of RMS Institute of Technology students took over the translator project after Kalkur and his teammates graduated. In 2015, the new team obtained US$485 to complete it, and the final prototype will be a handheld device. Eventually, it should be available at a price within almost anyone’s means, providing new dignity and confidence for the speech and hearing-impaired.

more about them.” EPICS IN IEEE Progress Report 2015  7

Reducing Fires with Sunlight in a Bottle Creating Uganda’s First Hub for Innovation

How can you reduce the frequency of devastating fires using two-liter glass bottles?

In late 2014, after attending the first-ever Entrepreneurship Workshop for Scientists and Engineers in East Africa in Nairobi, IEEE Member Ezabo Baron of the Uganda subsection found inspiration for an online innovation hub.

In Kathrada Park, where some of poorest

With a US$5,000 grant from

residents of Johannesburg, South Africa, live,

EPICS in IEEE, university engineering

the only light currently available at night is

students are designing the electrical

from kerosene lamps or candles. As a result,

system to charge the batteries

the settlement has suffered ruinous fires

using solar energy. They are also conducting workshops to

He saw that as science and technology continue to influence

A five-day technical meeting in September 2015 at the two

that have destroyed many homes.

peoples’ lives, Uganda needed a way to identify and encourage

participating universities launched work on the STI Platform.

the nation’s innovators and inventors. Baron envisioned a hub

Underscoring the project’s unique nature and popularity, the

After visiting Kathadra Park, members of

that would help his country’s emerging economy become more

meeting was broadcast by Uganda’s leading television station

involved in the global movement toward collaborative research and

and covered by two major newspapers. Simultaneously, the

technology transfer – while also helping to lift people from poverty.

project’s Facebook page was launched, and received nearly

To make this vision a reality, he quickly moved to obtain the

800 “likes” within a week.

the University of Johannesburg’s Engineers without Borders student chapter came up with a solution to improve living conditions and help to eliminate fires caused by tipped-over candles. The idea: to use the

support of other Uganda subsection members, an important

Students building the application are gaining hands-on experience

Liter of Light Day and Night solution to

NGO and several major universities. Then he applied for and

in web development, critical thinking and community action.

bring safe lighting into homes.

obtained an EPICS in IEEE grant of US$5,670.

Development is well underway, and the team is committed to

Liter of Light is a global, open-source

IEEE members in Uganda are now partnering with the Humanitarian Innovation Technical Institute (HITI) and students from Makerere

making it operative on both computers and mobile devices while also being accessible for everyone, including people with disabilities.

movement to bring sustainable solar light into simple dwellings, which generally have

The EPICS in IEEE grant is helping to fund basic project requirements,

thin, tin roofs. Bottles filled with water are

to create the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Platform.

including laptops, web hosting, communications services and

inserted into the roofs and act as bright

When completed, the software application will help HITI to select

student participants’ local transportation to meetings.

skylights, distributing light throughout the

University, Kyambogo University, and Entebbe Secondary School

and mentor innovative community projects for development. The project aligns with both Uganda’s national STI development plans and HITI’s goals to encourage and assist emerging inventors and entrepreneurs in commercializing new products and processes to benefit the most vulnerable and underserved. 8  EPICS IN IEEE Progress Report 2015

Sustainability is being planned for, in part through a small membership fee for users. Community participation and an advisory committee that includes representatives from government agencies, universities, research institutions and NGOs will also help the STI platform to flourish.

room during the day. With the addition of a small solar cell secured to the top of the bottle, which sticks up from the roof, plus a rechargeable battery and LEDs, there’s light both day and night.

familiarize high school students from UJ Metropolitan Academy with electronic components as well as assembly and soldering techniques. The younger students, with their teacher and the university students will assemble the Liter of Light units. All the students will take part in final testing and installation of the lights. When they first heard about the Light in a Bottle project, residents of Kathrada Park were distrustful; in the past, other organizations had made promises but they went unfulfilled. Now, after attending workshops and presentations, the residents are excited about the program and want to take part. Community members will be trained to build and maintain the solar lights so the project can be self-sustaining.

Through this project, the Engineers without Borders student chapter is fulfilling its mission to improve the quality of life using human-centered engineering solutions and a community is gaining safe, sustainable lighting. Perhaps best of all, students are learning how engineering can be a career not only about practical solutions, but also about caring. EPICS IN IEEE Progress Report 2015  9

We Take Special Pride These four EPICS in IEEE projects demonstrate the breadth of IEEE members’ creativity and resourcefulness in applying technology to meet the needs of humanity.

Controlling Insect Infestations While talking with local farmers about insects that were destroying their crops,

related information people can use to

the movements of insects, to help increase

safeguard electrical appliances before

Enhancing Mobility for the Disabled

the effectiveness of pesticides.

evacuating their homes – and also how

Members of the IEEE Madras Section

to safely perform appliance repairs after

are working with students from the

they return. Students at a vocational high

Sri Ramakrishna Matric Higher Secondary

school will be taught the preventive and

School in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, to

repair techniques, and they will share

design and build a pioneering automated

this information with their families and

wheelchair. The user activates it using a

communities. The knowledge transfer

switch and joystick, and can easily convert

will be sustainable, an ongoing process

the chair to a bed for sleeping. The device

to be repeated many times over.

offers greater mobility and independence

Charging Cell Phones and Careers

for the person using it and also reduces

How do you provide an important

the person between wheelchair and bed.

Growers Association, which represents

grant, they are working with their university mentors in bi-weekly,

phenomenon that diminishes rainfall on the Pacific Coast of

after-school sessions to develop strategies for water collection

the region, and which climate change is making worse.

and slow-drip irrigation.

project to other Colombian high schools.

the team is developing procedures and

working with the South African Subtropical

Central America – the result of El Niño, the periodic weather

IEEE Student Members hope to expand the

A method to help farmers detect and track

US$5,950 for the project and the team is

to food growing and irrigation. Thanks to a US$2,300 EPICS in IEEE

as well as about engineering careers, the

regularly occurs.

Kibambe Mashoko Nkwari had an idea:

Academy, a high school. He received

The town is one of the epicenters of water scarcity in

of Peninsular Malaysia where flooding

With a US$5,000 grant from EPICS in IEEE,

University of Johannesburg Metropolitan

Drought, and the threat of famine resulting from it, is a fact of life for the people of La Paz Centro, Nicaragua.

To build awareness of renewable energy

IEEE Graduate Student Member Patrick

For his project, Nkwari partnered with the

Growing Food Security with Simple Technology

the residents of the eastern coastal states

farmers who grow avocados, mangos, and litchi and macadamia nuts. With Nkwari’s guidance, the students are designing and building a harmonic radar system, which tracks small insects by attaching an RFID tag to a captured bug and releasing it. The radar can determine its location even in a cluttered environment. The tag uses the original radar signal as an energy source, reemitting a harmonic of the transmitting signal. Tuning the receiver to the harmonic frequency

community service while also demonstrating to low-income students the transformative power of a career in engineering? The IEEE Colombia Section and the IEEE Student Branch at Universidad Surcolombiana in Neiva, Huila, have launched an EPICS in IEEE project to achieve both.

the need for caregivers to physically transfer

Using a US$2,210 grant from EPICS in IEEE and in collaboration with the non-profit Amrit Centre for Special Needs, the team is developing the system to power the wheelchair. At its center is an embedded controller powered by a rechargeable

With assistance from a University of Managua student who is also

distinguishes the tagged target – and the

bio-intensive agriculture is now underway, and it could contribute

an Artists for Soup agricultural technician, the high school students

others in its cluster – from background

With the non-profit Fundacion Picachos,

movements of the wheelchair, and a

to greater food supplies in the face of unprecedented lack of

will be able to apply what they’ve learned to a real-life project.

clutter. The students will also analyze signal

which works with low-income Colombian

built-in alarm system helps to ensure

rainfall and limited resources.

Once the garden system is up and in operation, they will take

propagation and harmonic effects. Then,

youngsters, the team is teaching

the user’s safety.

they hope to propose building a system

60 high-school students at Educational

with a longer range.

Institution Técnico Superio basic concepts

But an innovative project that combines engineering and

The collaborative project is bringing together students from Vassar College, the University of Managua’s School of Engineering

part in a program to demonstrate what they’ve learned to other students in the region.

and 20 STEM high school students at Colegio Centro America

Producing healthy food year-round in water-scarce parts of

Paulo XII in La Paz Centro. The high school students are

Nicaragua, as well as elsewhere in Central America, is a growing

experimenting with simple circuit-board solar kits, a prototype

challenge; according to the U.N. World Food Program, 2.8 million

water monitoring system with Arduino controllers, and credit

Central Americans suffered from seasonal hunger in 2014–2015.

card-sized raspberry pi computers as they work to come up with local solutions to agricultural challenges.

With just a small amount of money, a little shared knowledge

of electronics and photovoltaic systems.

Protecting Electric Appliances during Floods The IEEE Malaysia Section and the IEEE Student Branch of Universiti Sains Malaysia are partnering with Mercy Malaysia, a

The two objectives: to enable the students to create a prototype solar charger that will power cell phones and other electronics, and to cultivate an interest in green technology and engineering.

and simple technology, new agricultural methods are now being

non-profit that provides relief, sustainable

With the US$5,613 grant, the group

Artists for Soup, a U.S.-based nonprofit working for food security,

introduced to secondary students. They will see the results of their

development and risk reduction to vulnerable

is modeling a charger prototype; when

educational enrichment and environment protection in La Paz Centro,

efforts as they produce food while also cultivating their knowledge

communities. Together, they are building a

completed, the high-school students will

is developing 70 bio-intensive garden beds at the high school. The

of engineering.

body of knowledge on electrical safety that

be responsible for its maintenance.

students know that the need is urgent for innovative approaches 10  EPICS IN IEEE Progress Report 2015

battery. The controller governs the various

The four participating high-school students are gaining insights into a possible engineering career. They’re also learning important lessons about mobility issues routinely faced by the physically disabled, as well as society’s responsibility to help others. Meanwhile, the project ultimately will empower those with special needs to lead quality, productive lives.

high school students will use to educate EPICS IN IEEE Progress Report 2015  11

Our Dedicated Volunteers The growth of EPICS in IEEE is the result of the diligent efforts of IEEE volunteers. Since the program began in 2009, dozens of volunteers have matched IEEE student members with high school students for successful collaborations with community-based organizations.

60+ EPICS in IEEE projects completed Over 250 IEEE Volunteers have participated in an EPICS in IEEE Project

We are pleased to acknowledge the contributions of three dedicated individuals. They represent all the dedicated EPICS in IEEE volunteers who are working to make the IEEE mission a reality: Advancing Technology for Humanity.

Over 500+ University students globally have participated in an EPICS in IEEE Project Over 1,000+ Pre-University students globally have participated in an EPICS in IEEE Project

Ezabo Baron of Entebbe, Uganda, leads

Ashutosh Dutta has made the EPICS in

Patrick Kibambe Mashoko Nkwari

an EPICS in IEEE program that partnered

IEEE project to bring digital literacy to rural

is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of

with several of the nation’s leading

India a family endeavor. A past chair of

Johannesburg (UJ) where he is pursuing

universities to develop an online innovation

the IEEE Princeton/Central Jersey Section

his studies in telecommunications

hub. Its purpose is to help generate ideas

(PCJS), he enlisted his older son, Srijoy,

research. His Ph.D. project, which uses

for innovative community projects and

to lead iSTEM Club participation at Raritan

radar cross-section to detect human

new services that could have commercial

Valley High School when the project began

motion behind walls, holds significant

potential. Known as the Science, Technology

in 2013. Arijit, Dutta’s younger son, now

potential for security applications and

and Innovation (STI) Platform, the hub

leads the students’ activities.

search-and-rescue missions.

Ashutosh Dutta’s many other IEEE activities

Nkwari’s research interests include

include industry relations chair for Region 1

wireless sensor networks, remote

and Member and Geographic Activities

sensing using radar systems and wireless

(MGA), pre-university coordinator for MGA,

telecommunication – so it follows that

and chair of the Ad Hoc Committee for

the EPICS in IEEE project he proposed

Public Visibility for the IEEE Communications

relies on these technologies to develop

Society. As the vice chair of the IEEE

a system for detecting and monitoring

Education Society Chapter of PCJS, he

insect movements in agricultural crops.

also will enable IEEE members in Uganda to evaluate new technologies, develop prototypes and products, and nurture start-ups – all of which could help to advance the nation’s economy. Baron describes the year-long effort to create the STI Platform “a remarkable experience in ‘familyhood’” as university and high school students joined with the Humanitarian Innovation Technical Institute and the IEEE Uganda Subsection. As word has spread about the new innovation platform, he

co-founded the IEEE STEM conference and helped to establish IEEE STEM clubs in seven New Jersey high schools.

a global provider of vehicle tracking

12  EPICS IN IEEE Progress Report 2015

curricula and increasing the number of EPICS in IEEE

and colleges in India participated in the workshop that

projects to help their local community. An additional

for five years with Ctrack South Africa, and fleet management solutions.

www.epicsinieee.org

own institutions. Over 50 participants from 24 universities

Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore.

the Chief Security Office.

scientific communities.

address when implementing similar programs at their

India with an emphasis on developing service-learning

countries that have successfully developed and delivered

studies, he was a technical manager

the nation’s engineering, technology and

of the EPICS in IEEE program among Universities in

and electronics engineering in 2014

Security and Mobility Organization within

Please Support the Growth of EPICS in IEEE

IEEE by identifying the challenges and opportunities to

Nkwari received his Master’s in electrical

in several African nations.

encouraging research collaboration among

the university curricula under the auspices of EPICS in

The primary goal of the workshop was to raise awareness

Activities Board by Professor Ramalatha Marimuthu of

Lead Member of Technical Staff at AT&T’s

which he believes is a vital tool for

organized a two-day workshop in Coimbatore, India.

was hosted under the auspices of the IEEE Educational

at technology conferences and competitions

of IEEE Collabratec’s Uganda community,

area of focus was how to include service learning into

selected representatives from institutions from several

from UJ. Before beginning his graduate

Uganda Subsection and the moderator

In 2015, the IEEE Educational Activities Board (EAB)

projects. Participants had an opportunity to hear from

An IEEE Senior Member, Dutta is

Baron is publicity secretary for the IEEE

Educating young engineers is at the core of EPICS in IEEE.

An IEEE Graduate Student Member,

has been an invited speaker and a judge

An IEEE Member and a computer scientist,

Over 700,000 people globally have been directly and indirectly affected by an EPICS in IEEE Project

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