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
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