ENTERPRISE LEVEL
About RES
RES Mission Statement:
The RES will become the lead organization for improving the image and influence of the engineering community in the greater Rochester area by: Demonstrating a comprehensive knowledge of the region’s engineering and technical capabilities; Providing the best clerical support and public relations assistance to our affiliates; Continually communicating the engineering and technical accomplishments to both the engineering and technical community and the public; Providing regular forums and networking opportunities for the exchange of ideas and discussion of issues; and, Providing programs that identify career opportunities to the region’s youth and develop the skills of the practicing engineer.
The deadline is the 10th day of the month prior to the issue. Unless otherwise stated, opinions expressed in this publication are those of contributors, not of the Rochester Society, Inc.
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Published every month but July. You can purchase individual copies directly from ISSUU. 2,500+ Monthly Circulation (11 issues electronically) ISSN 0035-7405
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Stay up to date with the Rochester Engineering Society & their affiliates events by going to: https://roceng.org/Calendar
Campus
Board of Directors:
Executive Board
President
DENNIS ROOTE, PE
CDE Engineering & Environment, PLLC
dennis.roote@cde-pllc.com
Treasurer / Imm. Past President
MICHELLE SOMMERMAN, PE
Colliers Engineering
Michelle.Sommerman@collierseng.com
HOWARD RESSEL, PE
Directors
Popli Design Group (retired NYSATE) ressel@frontiernet.net
RICHARD E RICE
Erdman Anthony rricesquash@gmail.com
BRETT ELIASZ, PE
Colliers Engineering
Brett.Eliasz@collierseng.com
KENTON G HINES
Merrill Lynch
Kenton Hines@ml com
KELLY ROBINSON, PE, PHD
Founder, Electrostatic Answers
kelly robinson@electrostaticanswers com
JESSIE COCQUYT
Administrative Director
First Vice President
DAWN LaPIETRA
L3Harris Corporation
dawnlapietra@gmail.com
Second Vice President
MIKE KURDZIEL, PhD
L3Harris Corporation
mike.kurdziel@L3harris.com
STEVEN W DAY, PhD Rochester Institute of Technology swdeme@rit.edu
NOAH KELLY NAM Products Services Manager, Alstom noah.kelly@alstomgroup.com
JESSICA SHANG, PHD
Associate Professor, University of Rochester j k shang@rochester edu
YVETTE LaBOMBARD, PE
Director Gas Engineering, RG&E
yvette labombard@rge com
SHEILA RANSBOTTOM, PE
Senior Transportation Engineer, Wendel sransbottom@wendelcompanies.com
President’s Message
Happy New Year!
As this goes to press, 2024 is slowly winding down. Many of you have taken a much-deserved respite over the past week, pushing projects, chasing deadlines, and otherwise doing everything you can to finish off 2024 strong. The same goes for the Board of Directors and admin staff at the Rochester Engineering Society. 2024 has seen a lot of change – most notably, the retirement of Lynne Irwin, our longtime administrative director. Into her shoes jumped Jessie Cocquyt, the Director of Association Management at Builders Exchange of Rochester and our new Administrative Director. Jessie and her team, under the leadership of our First Vice President, Dawn LaPietra and Magazine Chair, Brett Eliasz, have taken the reigns of RES’s communication program and have revamped it to better serve the needs of the engineering community.
Others who also have looked at how RES operates and have been working diligently to serve you are:
1.
Noah Kelly, STEM/Outreach chair – Noah has begun planning events aimed at high school and college students to further their interest in STEM fields. He is also taking responsibility for the RES tutoring program from our long-time coordinator, Lee Loomis. It is fitting that Lee, one of RES’s elder statespersons, is passing the torch to one of RES’s youngest directors. We are very thankful for both of their contributions.
2
Howard Ressel, Affiliate chair, is also reaching out to various groups to engage them and promote them within RES, thus strengthening our ties with the various technical groups in Rochester. Howard’s other passion is the RES continuing education program. There has not been a webinar series this past year that Howard has not played an integral part in planning, reviewing, or presenting.
3
Michelle Sommerman, Neal Illenberg, and Richard Rice have been busy planning our scholarships, awards, and award programs for the coming year, some with tighter deadlines.
4.
There are many other members of RES who have worked tirelessly throughout the past year whose names are too numerous to mention here. On behalf of the Rochester Engineering Society and the engineering community we serve, I say THANK YOU.
I need to remind you of a few changes starting this month, January 2025:
The Rochester Engineer will be published quarterly beginning in January 2025. Publication months will be January, April, July, and October.
During the off months when there is no magazine RES will publish a bi-monthly newsletter, formatted as an email newsletter.
For more information, please check out the RES website (https://www.roceng.org/) As always, if you see anything the magazine that interests you, or have any suggestions, please feel free to contact RES at res@frontiernet.net
Thanks again!
Dennis R. Roote, P.E. President, Rochester Engineering Society
THE ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOW FEATURES A LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SECTION.
Do you have something you would like to ask our editor? Do you have questions about RES? Do you have questions about local Engineering Firms? Send your letters to res@frontiernet.net to be included in next months magazine.
ASamplingfromtheArchivesofthe RochesterEngineeringSociety...1897-1978
ByLeeM.Loomis
Continuing with the historical sampling of the earlier writings on behalf of the Rochester Engineering Society, the years following "The Great War", into and through the “Great Depression”, continued to be a time of reaching out for the maturing Society, both locally and nationally The meeting minutes describe a series of technical discussions and presentations intended to broaden the technical horizons of the membership (especially the CE's, ME's and EE's).The RES affiliated itself with a number of National technical societies, adopted local Affiliated Societies, frequently held joint meetings with them and continued taking action on a growing list of public matters Certain issues of standardization, some crucial to public safety, became the responsibility of the RES and its affiliates. In the pervasive economic downturn of the “Great Depression”, the magazine offered classified advertising for unemployed engineers, technicians and draftsmen and took other steps to try to deal with the crisis Still, it continued its effort to shape the function, focus and infrastructure of the City of Rochester, and beyond World War, again affected the Society, taking away many of its leaders while providing opportunities for others to step forward to fill these vacancies. In an effort to provide even greater perspective on the happenings and concerns of the day, a synopsis, featuring selected items from "The Rochester Engineer" has become an integral part of this series The Second World War, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam War are now history. These experiences have changed the face of and will, no doubt, influence the future of the community. The Rochester municipal leadership and the industrial community have become immersed in the coldwar, growth economy
“The Rochester Engineer” (January 1979) This issue presents Dr. Rudolph Kingslake, Eastman Kodak Company and the University of Rochester, as the 1978 RES Engineer of the Year. Invited, in 1929 by U of R President, Dr. Rush Rhees, to become an Assistant Professor of Applied Optics in the newly-formed Institute of Applied Optics, Dr Kingslake relocated from England to Rochester. After eight years of full-time teaching at the U of R, Dr. Kingslake was invited to become the head of lens design at Eastman Kodak Company, where he subsequently distinguished himself in a thirty-two year career of optics design and implementation Prior to his leaving his full-time position at the U of R, always the dedicated teacher, Dr Kingslake established a renowned evening course in lens design at the U of R, where he continued, simultaneously, his forty-nine-year career with the Optics Institute. The RES, in partnership with the Illuminating Engineering Society, hosted a luncheon featuring Robert T. Dorsey, Manager of Lighting Technology at General Electric Company, speaking on “The Partnership of Light and Business” RES Member Linda Saalman, Technical Writer for Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. describes the NY State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) (pronounced “seeker”) and its impact on potential municipal, industrial, commercial and residential projects. This law and its implementing regulations divide projects into two general categories; Type I – adopting/changing zoning regulations, transfer of 100 or more acres of contiguous land, residential construction of 10 units or more, nonresidential construction exceeding 10 acres, 1,000 parking spaces or 100k sq. ft., structures taller than 100 feet, nonagricultural uses in an agricultural district, and projects near Historic Places, Critical Environment Areas or Parks/Recreational Areas
ASamplingfromtheArchivesofthe RochesterEngineeringSociety...1897-1978
ByLeeM.Loomis
Type II – replacing an existing facility, set-backs, road repaving, installing traffic control devices, and constructing minor accessory structures to existing facilities For Type II projects SEQR regulations would seem to cause little or no impediment to project implementation. For Type I projects, there can be significant delays, cost increases and prohibitions resultant from SEQR regulations. SEQR provides a mechanism by which public opposition to projects can be heard, addressed and adjudicated Ms Saalman states, “At this juncture (1979) SEQR has problems; a dedicated special interest group could strongly bias a proceeding, and later take unfavorable results to court and delay the project indefinitely However, SEQR also has the potential to make New York State a better place to live and work; providing previously-unavailable opportunities for citizens to have input to (and feel ownership of) more environmentally-compatible projects in their communities ” Technology Agent, Andrew C. Hirsch reported in this issue that both the County and the City have renewed their support for the RES Technology Transfer Program In particular, the City has agreed to energyuse inspections by Rochester Energy Forum, a technical group jointly sponsored by the Monroe Professional Engineers and the RES which will provide technical assistance and advice for improving the City’s energy usage Andy also reported that the Transportation Analysis Committee had unanimously recommended the use of trucks, rather than rail, for transporting refuse-derived-fuel (RDF) from the Resource Recovery Facility to RG&E’s Russell Station Andy also pointed out that this would need to be approved by the Town of Greece, before such an RDF transport plan could be implemented.
February 21, 1979 (Board Meeting, University Club) The Board approved three new applications for Regular Membership RES Executive Director, Joseph Campbell reported that the RES membership now totaled 625 Nominating Committee Chair, Past President John Robertson submitted the following ballot of RES Officers for 19791980: President – George G. Landberg, PE, 1st Vice President – Lee M. Loomis, 2nd Vice President – James Sterlace, 3rd Vice President – Peter Oppelt, Treasurer – Daniel Turner, Directors – Ronald Salzman, David Schneeberger, PE and Malcolm Drummond. The Board reviewed the new grant proposal for the RES Technology Transfer Program and agreed to get back to the President with any questions, thus deferring the final approval to the Technology Transfer Advisory Committee. President Richard Rice then discussed a letter he had received from the City of Rochester Engineer, requesting that the RES conduct a study the proposed construction codes, current under study by the City Following Board discussion, it was decided that President Rice would contact the City Engineer to discuss certain aspect of this request, and how they related to the area/expertise of local consulting engineers.
Subsequent articles in this series will describe the RES' continuing outreach to other technical societies as it considered its role in this and the larger community It will feature more of the activities of the RES as it moved to be of greater service to its membership, as the Society adopted a greater role in shaping the future of the City and its environs. Noted also, will be the contributions made by RES members in the struggle to meet the challenges coming out of World War II, the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War, as well as a hoped-for period of post-war growth and prosperity These articles will also feature an impressive array of RES activities in support of post-war re-emergence of Rochester area industry, and the continuing prosperity of the second-half of the 20th Century
We welcome your questions and comments on this series.
Up&ComingEngineer: MichaelShi
byNoahKelly
OnacoldFebruarySunday,MichaelandhisfamilysurroundedtheTVto watchtheKansasCityChiefsfaceoffagainstthePhilidelphiaEaglesin 2023’sSuperbowl.Asthegameprogressed,theTVflickeredstrugglingto holdasteadyconnectiontothebroadcastAstheTVscreenbrieflyturned darkforwhatfeltlikethehundredthtime,Michael’sfamilyfrustration grew.ForMichael,however,hesawanopportunity.
Earlierintheyear,MichaelenteredaScienceOlympiadcompetitionto buildanantennaAseeminglymundaneandpointlessassignmentto some,Michaelsawarealpurposetothisprojectrightinsidehisliving roomEversincethatSuperbowl,Michael’sloveforengineeringsoaredHe builtapersonalizedantennafortheTVthatreststheretothisday
Thenextyear,MichaelenteredanotherScienceOlympiadcompetition Thistime,thefocuswastobuildyourownwindturbinedeviceAccording totheAmericanCleanPowerAssociation,“Windisthelargestsourceof renewableelectricitygenerationintheUnitedStates,providing98%ofthe country’selectricity”Windenergyplaysavitalroleinouraccesstoclean energy,anditsimportancecontinuestogrowBydevelopingawind turbinedevice,studentsweretaskedtoidentifykeytraitsthatmakewind turbinessuccessfulandtooptimizetheircleanenergygeneration
Michaeltookaveryiterativeapproachtothiscompetition.Usinga3Dprinter,Michaelconstructedandanalyzedatotal of20scaled-downwindpowerdeviceswithdifferentdesignconstraintsandparametersHecenteredtheseturbines aroundthreedesignfactors:bladetwist,bladequantity,andtheductingeffectThebladetwistfocusedontheangleat whichthewindwouldcontacttheblades,thebladequantitiesimpactedboththeweightandrotationalspeedofthe turbine,andtheductingeffectfocusedonthecaptureofwindthroughaduct
Michaelthentestedhisvarietyofwindturbinesagainstdifferingwindspeedandcomparedtheirdesignelementsto theirrespectivevoltageoutputs.Usingthismethod,Michaelwasabletodeducetheidealspecificationsforeachofthe threedesignelementstooptimizehisownwindturbine
Michael’sfascinationforengineeringandinnovationdoesnotstopathisescapadesinsciencecompetitions.Witheach eventhecompetesin,hisappreciationforSTEMfieldsgrowsHeisnowtakinghiscuriosityelsewhereandisexploring thesolarenergyindustryIncollege,MichaelwouldliketostudyMechanicalorElectricalEngineeringHealsohasan affinityforthefinearts,ashehasbeenplayingtheclarinetsince4thgradeMichaelcontinuestoplaytheclarinetin manyperformancesandhasrecentlywonawoodwind/brass/percussioncompetitionforhismusicaltalent.Michael wishesforallthosebeginningtheireducationaljourneytoexploreSTEMHeemphasizesthatthereisnoshortageof newandexcitinginformationwiththeInternetandhopestoseeothersgrowtheirpassionforengineeringashedid
Figure 1. Michael’s wind turbine
Data science students help speed up Rochester Fire Department’s emergency responses
Luke Auburn | Director of Communications, Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences December 18, 2024
FIGHTING FIRE WITH DATA: “I used to think the fire department only deals with fire-related emergencies, but they deal with so many medical emergencies and spend a lot of time early in the morning patrolling their area to look for fire hazards,” says Homayra Tabassum ’24 (MS) (center). “Getting to see that in person helped us be much more insightful when we were thinking about resource allocation.” (Provided photo)
The students analyzed millions of data points to determine where to best place fire stations, fire trucks, and other resources.
WhereshouldtheRochesterFireDepartment(RFD)locatefirestationsoverthenext10yearstominimizeresponsetimesto emergencies?Whereshoulditdeploythemostfiretrucks?Howdoseasonalshiftsimpactthenatureandvolumeofemergenciesthat firefightersneedtorespondto?
ThesearequestionsthatateamofstudentsfromtheUniversityofRochester’sGoergenInstituteforDataScienceandArtificial IntelligenceexploredoverthecourseofasemesterfortheircapstoneprojectsponsoredbytheRFD.
“Wewerelookingforsomeonefromtheoutsidetocomeinandprovideadifferentsetofideas,experiences,andviewpointstohelpus enhanceouremergencyresponseservices,”saysDanielCurran,acaptainforplanningandresearchwhoisresponsiblefor technology-basedprojectsattheRFD “Wefeltthestudentswouldhaveanunbiasedperspectiveandlookatthesituationandtellus, ‘Thisiswherethedataleadsus,’andcometotheirownconclusions.”
Overthecourseofthesemester,thestudentsusedartificialintelligenceandotherdataanalyticstoolstomakesenseofmorethan1.6 millionpointsofdatacollectedbyRFDfrom2006to2024.Theyalsoincorporatedexternalcensusdatarelatedtopopulation,income, property,andhousingtoenrichtheiranalysis.
DatasciencestudentshelpspeedupRochesterFire Department’semergencyresponses
Luke Auburn | Director of Communications, Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences December18,2024
“Thiswasanamazingopportunitytocontributesomethingmeaningful,”saysdatascience graduatestudentBrynn(YeIn)Lee’24(MS).“TheRFDhas15firestations,they’re supportingabout500personnel,andtheyhavearound50,000annualdispatches,sothat’s ahugeimpactthatwecanhaveonthecommunity”
ThestudentsdevelopedinteractivemapsthatallowtheRFDtoanalyzehowlongittakes thefirefighterstoreachanincident,whileprovidinginformationaboutthedistributionof incidentsacrossthecityandtheabilitytosortbyincidenttype.Theyalsocreatedmodelsto predictthemonthlyincidentdensityoverthenext10yearsforall15firestations.
Intheiranalysis,thestudentsfoundthattheRFDisalreadyeffectiveatrespondingto incidentsinatimelyfashion.However,thestudentsofferedrecommendationsforsmall improvementsthatcouldfurtherdecreaseresponsetimes.Theirsuggestionsinclude reallocatingspecifictypesoftrucksfromonestationtoanotherandintroducingprograms similartothoseinothercitiesthatcanaddressnon-life-threateningcallswithfewer resources.
Accordingtothestudents,acriticalaspecttotheirproject’ssuccesswasgoingon“ridealongs”withtheRFD,whichgavethemanappreciationforthefirefighters’day-to-day responsibilities.Theysaidwitnessingthetypesofincidentsthefirefightersrespondto, learningabouttheirshifts,andseeingtheequipmentinpersonwasenlightening.
“Iusedtothinkthefiredepartmentonlydealswithfire-relatedemergencies,buttheydeal withsomanymedicalemergenciesandspendalotoftimeearlyinthemorningpatrolling theirareatolookforfirehazards,”saysHomayraTabassum’24(MS).“Gettingtoseethatin personhelpedusbemuchmoreinsightfulwhenwewerethinkingaboutresource allocation.”
ThestudentssaidtheirweeklymeetingswiththeRFDsponsorsandcollaboratingwithRFD’s internaldataanalystswereimportantlearningopportunitiesaswell
“Dealingwithreal-worlddataisnotalwayscleanorexactlythewayyouwantit,sothe captainandtheseniordataanalystswereextremelyhelpful,”saysteammemberMedhini Sridharr’24(MS).“Theyhelpeduschoosethemostimportantvariablesbasedontheir domainknowledge,whichwascrucialbecausewehadmorethan300variablestoconsider. Theyhelpedusdrilldowntowhat’simportant.”
responsibilities, each University of Rochester data science student, including Medhini Sridharr (center), completed a “ride-along” with Engine 16.
Overall,thestudentssaidtheylovedthechancetodoahands-onprojectwithreal-worldimplications,witnessthefirefightersat workfirst-hand,anddeliveraproductthatwillservetheRFDandlocalcommunityforyearstocome.
Theprojectteamincludeddatasciencemaster’sstudentsEugeneAyonga’24,Lee,Sridharr,Tabassum,aswellasundergraduate datasciencestudentNourAssili’26.
FIRE ENGINE OF INNOVATION: To gain an appreciation for the firefighters’ dayto-day
Researchers developing tool to instantly conceal and anonymize voices
Luke Auburn | Director of Communications, Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences December 5, 2024
The voice-changer system will produce computer-generated speech within milliseconds, allowing users to control factors like age, gender, and dialect.
Researchersaredevelopinganewsystemthatwillallowpeople tospeakanonymouslyinrealtimethroughcomputer-generated voicestohelpprotectprivacyandavoidcensorshiporretaliation. Thetechnologyisintendedtohelppeoplesuchasintelligence officerscarryingoutsensitivemissions,crimewitnesses concernedaboutbeingidentifiedbyperpetrators,and whistleblowerswhofearretaliation.
Thethree-yearproject,ledbyHoneywellandincluding collaboratorsfromtheUniversityofRochester,TexasA&M,and theUniversityofTexasatDallas,isfundedbytheIntelligence AdvancedResearchProjectsActivity(IARPA)andpartofthe AnonymousReal-TimeSpeech(ARTS)program.
Thevoice-changerprojecthasthreemainobjectives.First,thesystemwilltransformwhatausersaysintoadigitalvoicewithinafew milliseconds,ensuringthatitcanbeusedinreal-timeconversations Second,theteamaimstoallowuserstospecifywhattheycall statictraits,allowingcontroloverthedigitalvoice’sage,gender,anddialect.Lastly,theywanttoneutralizewhattheycalldynamic traits,suchasemotionsorhealthstatusthatcouldpotentiallytiptheidentityoftheuser.
“Intheend,a30-year-oldwomanfromTexaswillbeabletoinstantaneouslytransformhervoicetobeoutputbythevirtualspeaker tosoundlikea50-year-oldmanwithaBritishaccent,forexample,withoutproducingartifactsthatcanbetracedbacktotheidentity oftheuser,”saysZhiyaoDuan,anassociateprofessorofelectricalandcomputerengineeringandRochester’sleadontheproject. “Andinadditiontothelatencyrequirements,we’llalsobeworkingtoensuretheintelligibilityandnaturalnessofthecomputergeneratedvoice.”
Duansaysthatwhiletherolesontheprojectarefluid,histeamatRochesterwillinitiallyfocusongeneratingthevirtualspeakersand controlsforthestatictraits,buildingontheirexperienceinspeakermodeling,disentangledspeechrepresentations,andvoice synthesis.TheteamwillfirstdevelopthetechnologytoworkinEnglish.Ifsuccessful,theyplantoexpandittootherlanguagessuch asSpanish,Mandarin,andKorean.
Theteamhopestheseopen-sourcevoice-changertoolswillhavepositivebenefitsfarbeyondtheintendedinitialusecases.Still,the researchersrecognizethatpeoplemayhaveconcernsaboutsuchpowerfulsoftware.
“Ithinkit’snaturalforpeopletowonderwhatwillhappenifthesetoolsgetinthehandsofbadactors,”saysDuan.“It’simportantto notethatmylabandothersaroundtheglobearealsoworkingtodevelopdeepfakedetectiontoolssothatpeoplecandiscern whethersomethingissaidbyanactualpersonorgeneratedthroughalgorithms.Thosetoolswillbeequallyimportanttohave.”
VOICE MAKEOVERS: Real-time voice-changer technology could help intelligence officers, witnesses to crimes, and whistleblowers protect their identities. (University of Rochester GIF / AJ Pow)
Ruben Proano invited to join World Health Organization’s technical advisory group
Industrial engineering professor will serve as part of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Market Access for Vaccines
Michelle Cometa, Sr. News Specialist at Rochester Institute of Technology
RochesterInstituteofTechnologyresearcherRubénProañohasjoined theWorldHealthOrganization’s(WHO)TechnicalAdvisoryGroupon MarketAccessforVaccines(TAGMVAC).Hebeganhisserviceduringthe advisorygroup’sNovembermeetinginGeneva,Switzerland
TheTAGMVACgroupspecializesinareassuchasvaccinemarket dynamics,vaccinemanufacturing,immunizationprograms,anddata analytics.Thecommittee,comprisedof15expertsfromaroundthe world,convenestwiceayearandservesasaWHOadvisoryboard.
“ItisbothanhonorandaresponsibilitytobeinvitedtojointhisWHOadvisorygroup.Ensuringequitableaccesstovaccinesisa significantchallengeforhumanity,”saidProaño,anassociateprofessorofindustrialandsystemsengineeringinRIT’sKate GleasonCollegeofEngineering.“Theopportunitytodiscusstheissues,solutions,andstrategiesformakingvaccinesmore accessibleinsuchaprestigiousforumisauniqueprivilegeandachancetocontributetoabetterworld.”
Utilizingmathematicalmodelingandanalytics,Proaño’sresearchexploreswaystomakevaccinesmoreaffordable,accessible, andprofitable HisworkonvaccineshasreceivedsupportfromtheBillandMelindaGatesFoundation Additionally,hespenta sabbaticalyearattheUNICEFVaccineCenterinCopenhagenduringthefirstyearoftheCOVID-19pandemic.
“Inmyresearch,mystudentsandIhavebeeninvestigatinghypotheticalmodelstogainnewinsightsintocoordinatingtheglobal vaccinemarket,”hesaid.“Ibelievethatindustrialengineeringandoperationsresearchtoolsarehighlyeffectivefordeveloping systematicstrategiestotacklecomplex,multi-dimensionalchallenges.”
AdvisorygroupmemberssupporttheWHO'sMarketInformationforAccessInitiativeinitseffortstoimproveaccesstosafe, effective,quality,andaffordablevaccinesforall.Thegroupprovidesrecommendationsonvariousglobalvaccinemarketissues, enhancingaccesstovaccines,analyzingdata,understandingpricingdynamics,anddevelopinginitiativestobalancevaccine supplyanddemand.
Vaccinedistributionfluctuatesandoftenmillionsofchildrenarelivingincountrieslackingregularimmunizations.Programssuch asthosesupportedbyWHOworktoensurethattheneediestpopulationsreceivenecessaryandaffordablevaccines.
“WewerethrilledtolearnthatDr.PraonowasinvitedtoserveonthisTechnicalAdvisoryGroupfortheWorldHealthOrganization,” saidDoreenEdwards,deanofRIT’sKateGleasonCollegeofEngineering.“It’sashiningexampleofhowengineersbringtheir expertisetoaddresscomplexissuesthatimpactthequalityofpeople’slives.”
University researcher leads quantum computing project to improve electrical grid systems
Addingrenewableenergyandenergystoragecapacitybringsanaddedlayerofcomplexitytotraditionalelectricalgridsystems. Balancingsupplyanddemandofenergyforpowersystems,evenunderuncertainconditions,maybesolvedusingquantum computingtechnology,accordingtoRochesterInstituteofTechnologyfaculty-researcherBingYan
Yan,anassistantprofessorofelectricalengineeringinRIT’sKateGleasonCollegeofEngineering,isleadingaresearchteam developingadvancedoptimizationmodelsandmethodstomanagecomplexitiesofoperatingthemodernelectricalgridthrough quantumcomputing.
Advancescouldimproveday-to-dayoperations,bettermeetpowerdemandsandminimizecostsofoverallenergyresources. YanreceivedagrantfromIndependentSystemOperator-NewEngland(ISO-NE),anon-profitenergyresourceprovider,andis partneringwithJunpengZhan,assistantprofessorofRenewableEnergyEngineeringintheInamoriSchoolofEngineeringat AlfredUniversity,onthetwo-yearmultifacetedproject.
“UnitCommitmentisacriticalprobleminthedailyoperationofelectricalgrids,wherepowersystemoperatorsmustdetermine whichpowerplantsshouldruntomeetelectricitydemand,”saidYan.“Theobjectiveistominimizecostswhileensuringareliable supplyofpowerwithintheoperationallimitsofthegrid.”
Theresearcherswilldelivercomparisonsofstate-of-the-artquantumcomputingmethodsforunitcommitmentproblems.
Bing Yan partners with energy non-profit and Alfred University researchers to develop renewable energy solutions for power systems
Michelle Cometa, Sr News Specialist at Rochester Institute of Technology
Bing Yan, assistant professor of electrical engineering, partners with energy non-profit and Alfred University researchers to develop renewable energy solutions for power systems.
Photo credit: Scott Hamilton/RIT
Campus News RIT
University researcher leads quantum computing project to improve electrical grid systems
Bing Yan partners with energy non-profit and Alfred University researchers to develop renewable energy solutions for power systems Michelle Cometa, Sr News Specialist at Rochester Institute of Technology
Quantumcomputing,whichleveragestheuniquepropertiesofqubitsenablingfastersolutionstotheunitcommitmentproblem ascomparedwithclassicalcomputers,canpotentiallyimprovetheanalysisprocessinmanaginglargeelectricgridsystems,Yan explained.Thepowergridfacesnumerouschallenges,promptingsignificantresearchandinnovationinhowtheintegrationof variablerenewableenergysources,suchassolarandwind,distributedenergyresources,andenergystoragesystemscanbe added.
Althoughpopularandgrowing,renewabletechnologiesaddalayerofcomplexity.
“Asthedynamicsonthepowergridincrease,solvingUnitCommitmentbecomesincreasinglycritical,ataskclassicalcomputing strugglestoaddressefficientlywithinpracticaltimeframes.Goingforward,thefuturegridisanticipatedtobemorestochastic,or randomlydetermined,requiringmoremeasurementanddataprocessingeffortsforreliableandresilientgridmaintenance.”
YanhascollaboratedwithISO-NEsince2016,workingongridintegrationofrenewableenergyandenergystoragesystems.She hasseveralnationalresearchawards,includingaNationalScienceFoundationCAREERAward,intheseareasandutilizes connectionstoISO-NE’sAdvisoryBoardforfeedbackonthefeasibilityandperformanceofproposedmodelsandmethodsbeing exploredinherwork
Business Services
CET’s Kyle Scher helps bring AI into the classroom
Michelle
CET’s Kyle Scher helps bring AI into the classroom
Cometa, Sr News Specialist at Rochester Institute of Technology
KyleScherknowsAI,andhe’ssharingitwithhispeersandfaculty inRIT’sCollegeofEngineeringTechnology.Thethird-year mechatronicsengineeringtechnologystudentfromDixHills,NY is leadingastudentteamdevelopingProGenie,anartificial intelligencetoolforfacultyandpeers.Thenewtoolisacollection ofactivitiesthatcanbeincorporatedintocourseworkbeingtaught invariousclassesinCET.HehasbeenworkingthisfallwithMichael Eastman,CETprofessorandseniorassociatedeanforAcademic Affairs,andthreeclassmatesfromtheGolisanoCollegeof ComputingandInformationSciencesontheprojectthatis expectedtoberolledoutinthespringsemester.ProGenieisoneof theprojectsunderwayinCET’sLaboratoryfortheAdvancementof AppliedAIinEducation.
How did you begin work on the ProGenie project?
IstartedworkingwithDr.EastmanontheAIprojectfromaconversationwehadinaStudentGovernmentmeeting.Ijoined StudentGovernmentforashorttimeinmysecondyear,openingupsomeopportunitiestoworkcloselywiththeCETDean’s Officeoncoolprojects.TheAIprojectfocusesonhelpingstudentsstayengagedintheclassroombycreatingcontentthatis tailoredtothemusinggenerativeAI.Iamcurrentlytheprojectmanager.RITstudents,BenjaminBrundage(computerscience), StephenZelazny-Medina,andChristopherObando(bothsoftwareengineering),helpbuildthesoftware
Can you describe what it is and how it can be used?
ProGenieisaninnovativetooldesignedtotransformtheeducationalexperiencebyenablingeducatorstocreatetailored, narrative-drivencontentforanyclassorsubject.Byintegratingcustomizablestorytellingintolecturesandassignments,ProGenie enhancesstudentengagement,makingcomplextopicsmoreaccessibleandenjoyable.VersatileacrossSTEMdisciplines,it offersprofessorsadynamicwaytoenrichlessons,fostercuriosity,andimprovelearningoutcomes.Whiledesignedwith educatorsinmind,ProGenie’sopen-endedframeworkholdspotentialforbroaderapplications,makingitatransformativetoolfor moderneducationandbeyond.
How does the work you are doing on this project align with coursework in your degree program?
Whilethisprojectdoesnotdirectlyrelatetomymajor,ithasgivenmeinsightintothebroaderAIsector.Icanseeengineersinthe futureusingAItoolsastheyevolveandgetsmarter.IwouldexpectmostengineerstobeusingsomeformofgenerativeAIinthe future.Mechatronicsisabroadmajor.Becauseofthis,Iamnowonmysecondco-opwhereIamfocusedmoreonmechanical engineering,comparedtomyfirstco-opwhereIwasfocusedonelectrical.Havingadiverseco-opexperiencewillhelpyoulearn moreaboutthetheoreticalthingsyoulearnintheclassroom.Oneofthebigitemsthatemployerslookforonresumesispersonal projects Theywanttoseestudentsapplyingapassionoutsideoftheclassroom,becausetheyknowthatthenumberonething studentsbringwiththemtotheworkforceisexcitement,andwillingnesstolearn.Trytohaveapersonalprojectforevery semester,oracademicyeartoshowyouradvancement.
Kyle Scher and three classmates have built a new AI tool for CET engineering technology courses which will be rolled out in spring.
CET’s Kyle Scher helps bring AI into the classroom
CET’s Kyle Scher helps bring AI into the classroom
Michelle Cometa, Sr. News Specialist at Rochester Institute of Technology
How did you decide on this degree and what advice might you give to others pursuing interests similar to yours?
IenrolledatRITknowingthatIwantedtobeanengineer,butIwasnotsurewhatkind.ThatiswhyIstartedinCETExploration. TheexplorationclassshowedmethatmechatronicswasthecombinationIwaslookingforbecauseIenjoyedelectrical, mechanicalandrobotics.Myco-opexperiencehasonlyreinforcedmymajorselection.Iurgestudentstoseekco-opexperiences thatwillallowthemtofindthesameanswersabouttheirmajorselectionthatIwasableto.Myadvicetootherstudentsisto pursuewhatyouhaveapassionfor.Ifyouhaveahobbyoraninterestinsomething,trytofindwaystoworkonthaton,while completingyourRITeducation
Business Services
Student spotlight: Fine tuning a sense of touch
Undergraduate Leila Daly helps further sensor technology to improve touch in prosthetics
Michelle
Cometa, Sr. News Specialist at Rochester Institute of Technology
Finetuningsensorsonprostheticsincludesincorporatingthesense oftouchintoadevicetobeasclosetothesensationsfeltbyanatural limbascanbe.
LeilaDaly,afifth-yearcomputerengineeringtechnologystudent fromWillingboro,N.J.,isworkingwithKrittikaGoyal,anassistant professorofmechanicalengineeringtechnologyinRIT’sCollegeof EngineeringTechnology,ondevelopingasensorsystemforamore touch-responsiveprostheticfinger
ThetwobeganworkingtogetherlastsemesterafterDalytooka controlsystemsclassfromGoyal.SheexpressedinterestinGoyal’s prostheticsresearch,andtheinitialfewhoursaweekworkinginher lablastspringbecameanon-campusco-opthisfall.
“It’sonlybeenacoupleofmonthsandnowwehaveaproofofconcept.Weareatthestageoffinetuningthis,optimizingit,soLeilais testingthefabricatedsensorshemade.Thisisphaseone,”saidGoyal‘23(microsystemsengineering),whoisanexpertinbiosensingtechnologies.
ProjectslikeprostheticsimprovementsareMAD MakingADifference aphraseGoyalusestodescribehowtheoryandtechcanbe appliedforreal-worldsolutions.Dalyrelatedtothesentiment.Hereshedescribesherexperiencesbuildingthisfirstphaseofamore responsiveprostheticfingerandhowitinspiredhertoseekacareerinthemedicaltechnologyindustry
Describe the prosthetics project and the technology you are developing?
Weareworkingonthefabricationofapiezoelectricsensorbeingdesignedforprostheticapplications.Thegoaltohaveaprosthetic fingerwiththismaterialprintedontoitandthenhavethatactasatouchsensorontheprostheticfinger.Weareusingthe combinationoftwochemicals,onewithwhatisknownaspiezoelectricproperties,whichmeansthissensorrespondstomechanical strainwithareadableelectricalsignal.Theideais,ifyoutouchit,youcanreadthevoltagesignal.Notonlywouldtheuserbeableto detecttheyaretouchingsomething,buthowmuchforcetheyareapplyingtowhateveritistheyaretouching.TheexampleIuse whenIamexplainingittopeopleistheamountofforceyouwouldusetoholdyourchild’shandversusliftingaheavyobject
How did you begin this work and where are you in the process?
Dr GoyalandIresearchedextensivelyonhowchemicalsinteractinthecompositemixture Ouroverallgoalistocombinethe researchandcreatesomethingnew.Currently,Iamcuringmaterialsnowtoseehowtheyperformasasolidform.I’malsoapplying alayerofconductivityaroundit,asilverinktomeasurevoltage,andaroundthatIhaveanotherlayerofinsulatingmaterialtoensure thateverythingiselectricallysecure.
Leila Dal, seated, is working with Krittika Goyal, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering Technology, to improve touch sensors for prosthetics. Photo credit: provided
Student spotlight: Fine tuning a sense of touch
Undergraduate Leila Daly helps further sensor technology to improve touch in prosthetics
Michelle Cometa, Sr. News Specialist at Rochester Institute of Technology
How are you implementing your ideas for the prosthetic?
Theideaisthatthematerialisusedinaliquidstate,thefirstisthepiezoelectricmaterial,andthisonegivesofftheelectricalsignal thatgivesofftheresponseoftouch.Asecondoneprovideselasticitytothatmixture.Piezoelectricmaterialisverybrittleand powder-like.Theothermaterialaddsintheflexibilityandmobilityneededfortesting.Theideaistousethatmaterialinitsliquid state,thenapplyittothefinger(device).
How can work like this help prepare you for the workplace?
Thecombinationofeverysingleinternshipandresearchexperiencehashelpedmesignificantly.Iwouldsaywitheverynew opportunity,Ipickupanewtechnologyskillanda“soft”skill,whetherthat’slearningtospeakupmore,tocollaboratewithothers,or howtogiveapresentation.It’sskillsyoumaynotlearndirectlyfromclasses,buttheyareessentialingettingajobandbeingableto workwithothersinacommunalenvironment.Itisalsoimportanttoseealargeprojectthatinitsentiretymaylookoverwhelming andyouneedtolearnhowtobreakitdownintosmaller,moreachievablegoals.
What would you like to see come out of this project?
Iamverypassionateaboutthisproject.Thisdefinitelyinspiredmetowanttogointothebiomedicalfield,eventhoughmy backgroundisincoding.Iwouldlovetobeabletoprogramsomeaspectsofmedicaldevicetechnology.Iwouldlovetodothat specificallyforthisproject.Ihopetodothisnextsemester,andIcanseehowfaritevolvesbeforeIgraduate.
Colliers
Engineering & Design Conjures Best Meal Award at 15th Annual Canstruction Rochester Gala
ThisOctober,ColliersEngineering&DesignjoinedtheannualCANstruction Rochestercompetition,wherelocalarchitects,engineers,anddesignersbuild larger-than-lifesculpturesmadeentirelyfromcannedfood.Theseimpressive structuresarelaterdonatedtoFoodlink,helpingtoaddressfoodinsecurityacross thegreaterRochesterandFingerLakesRegion LearnmoreaboutCANstruction,its mission,andourpastbuildshere!
Inkeepingwiththisyear’sthemeof“Pumpcans,Witches,andGhostlyGoods,”our teambrewedupaspellbindingcauldrondesign,titledSeasonoftheWitch.The 6’x6’cauldronstructure,ledbyTeamCaptainEvanDeCotis,SeniorProject Manager|Mechanical,containedamagicalmixtureof4,240cans,featuring“eyeof potatoes,podsofpeas,stalksofcarrots,andgreenbeans”Ourteamselectedfood itemswithcare,ensuringeachcannedgoodwouldcontributetonourishingmeals forfamiliesinneed.
AttheOctober30awardsceremony,ourcauldrontookhometheBestMealaward, arecognitionofthethoughtfulfoodchoicesincludedinthestructure.TheSeasonof theWitchnotonlyembodiedtheHalloweenspiritbutalsoservedasapowerful reminderoftheimpactoureffortshaveinthefightagainsthunger.
Thecompletedspook-tacularsculptures,includingColliersEngineering&Design’s cauldron,arecurrentlyondisplayatTheStrongNationalMuseumofPlay’sAdams AtriumuntilNovember2.Weinviteyoutovisit,experiencethecreativityofthe CANstructionteams,andseehowourcommunityishelpingtomakeadifference, onecanatatime.
Cobbs Hill Village
A New Era of Affordable Senior Living in Rochester, NY
SpearheadedundertheNewYorkStateMitchell-Lamaprogram,theCobbsHillVillageSeniorLivingApartmentsribboncutting ceremonylastmonthmarkedasignificantmilestoneinaddressingthehousingcrisisforseniors.Inacitywhereaffordable housingremainsapressingneed,thethree-phase,104-unitcomplexaimstoprovidesecure,modern,andaffordablehomesfor Rochester’selderlypopulation.Theprojectrepresentsafeatofarchitecturaldesignandcollaborationwithowner’sRochester ManagementInc.,workingclosecloselywithformerPresidentandCEOPeggyHillandScottProcious,PresidentandCEO.Itis alsoasteptowardaddressingthebroaderneedforaffordablehousingsolutionsinNewYorkState.
The Project Overview
LocatedinthescenicCobbsHillareaofRochester,theredevelopedCobbsHillVillagehasbeendesignedtoseamlesslyintegrate intoitsnaturalsurroundingswhileprovidingmuch-neededhousingforseniors.ThiscomplexisakeyelementofGovernorKathy Hochul’sstatewideinitiativetomodernizeaffordablehousinginfrastructure.
Createdtoprovideresidentsaged55andolderwhomeetincomerequirementswithdignityandindependence,eachunitis designedtomeettheirphysicalandsocialneeds.Equippedwithmodernamenitiesthatarebothsustainableandaccessible,the unitsarealsosituatedinacommunity-richenvironmentclosetomedicalfacilities,publictransportation,andparks.
"TheCobbsHillVillageprojectwasanopportunitytodeliverasustainable,functional,andvisuallypleasingprojectthatservesthe specificneedsofRochester'sseniorcommunityandtheneighborhoodasawhole,"saidAndrewHart,ALSA,RLA,Buildings DivisionOperatingOfficer,ColliersEngineering&Design "Thedesignteamworkedtirelesslytoensurethatwedesignedaproject thatresidentscannotonlycallhomebutalsofeelproudof."
Merging Aesthetics with Functionality
ThedesignofCobbsHillVillagewasacollaborativeeffortbetweenseveralarchitectural,engineering,anddesignfirms Notably, ColliersEngineering&DesignpartneredwithSWBRArchitectstodevelopasitethatprioritizescomfort,preservationofmature trees,sustainability,andaccessibility.
Cobbs Hill Village
A New Era of Affordable Senior Living in Rochester, NY
“Designingasiteforaffordablehousingforseniorsrequiredafocusoncreatingasafeandwelcomingenvironment,”explained Hart."Weemphasizedtheneedtopreserveexistingmaturevegetation,viewsintoandoutoftheadjacenthistoricCobbsHill Park,upgradingaccesstotheneighborhoodwithaccessiblesidewalksandstaggingtheconstructiontonotimpactthecurrent residents.Thedesignteamalsoprovidedenergy-efficientfeaturesthatlowerutilitycostswhilealsominimizingenvironmental impact.ThisincludesLEDlighting,EnergyStarappliances,andsustainablebuildingmaterialsthathelpreducethebuilding’s carbonfootprint"
CobbsHillVillagewasdesignedwiththecommunityinmind,providingsharedspaceslikeloungesandoutdoorrecreational areas.Thesefeaturesaimtofostersocialconnectionsandpromoteasenseofbelongingamongresidents."Incorporatingspaces forresidentstoengagewitheachotherwasjustasimportantasensuringeachunitmetADAcompliancestandards,"Hartadded. "Wewantedtobuildmorethanjustapartments;wewantedtocreateavibrantseniorlivingcommunity."
Affordable Housing: Why It’s Essential
AcrossNewYorkStateandmuchofthenation,theneedforaffordablehousing,especiallyforseniors,hasneverbeenmore pressingasthecostoflivingcontinuestorise,disproportionatelyimpactingthoseonfixedincomes,includingretirees According totheU.S.DepartmentofHousingandUrbanDevelopment(HUD),nearlyone-thirdofseniorsspendmorethan30%oftheir incomeonhousing,pushingthemintowhat'sknownas“housinginsecurity.”
ProvidingaffordablehousinglikeCobbsHillVillagehelpsalleviatethefinancialburdenonseniors,offeringthemsecurityintheir retirementyears.Thesedevelopmentsplayacriticalroleinreducinghomelessness,improvinghealthoutcomes,andpromoting communitystability.Affordablehousing,whenthoughtfullydesigned,enhancesthequalityoflifeforseniorsandcreatesa stronger,moreinclusivecommunity
Hartemphasizedthispoint,stating,"WeunderstandthebroaderimpactthathousingdevelopmentslikeCobbsHillVillagehave onthecommunity.Affordablehousingnotonlyofferseconomicrelieftoindividualsbutalsoimprovestheoverallwell-beingofa community.Seniorsdeservehomeswheretheyfeelsafe,comfortable,andconnected."
Cobbs Hill Village
A New Era of Affordable Senior Living in Rochester, NY
AffordablehousingiscentraltoGovernorKathyHochul’spolicyagenda.Heradministrationhasprioritizedincreasingthesupply ofaffordablehousingunitsacrossNewYorkState,especiallyforvulnerablepopulationslikeseniors Hochul'sinitiativesaimto combatrisingrentprices,housinginsecurity,andhomelessness,whichcontinuetoplaguemanyNewYorkcommunities.
OneofthecoreelementsofHochul'splanisthe“Five-YearHousingPlan,”whichincludesamulti-billion-dollarinvestmentin affordablehousingprojectslikeCobbsHillVillage.Thisinitiativefocusesonconstructingnewaffordablehousingunits, rehabilitatingexistingones,andprovidingfinancialsupporttolower-incomeindividualsandseniors.Underthisprogram, developmentslikeCobbsHillVillagenotonlyreceivestatefundingbutalsobenefitfromtaxcreditsandotherfinancialincentives thatmaketheseprojectsfeasible
GovernorHochul’spoliciesaredesignedtoimproveaccesstohousing,reduceeconomicdisparities,andensurethatallNew Yorkershaveaplacetocallhome."Thestate’scommitmenttoprojectslikeCobbsHillVillageiscommendable,"Hartsaid."It’sa partnershipbetweenpublicpolicyandprivatedevelopmentthatenablesustocreatehousingsolutionsthatmatter."
A New Chapter for Rochester's Seniors
CobbsHillVillagerepresentsmorethanjustahousingproject;it’sareflectionofRochester’scommitmenttosupportingitsaging population.AspartofalargermovementtowardaffordablehousinginNewYorkState,thedevelopmentsetsanewstandardfor seniorlivingintheregion.
“ThecompletionofCobbsHillVillageisatestamenttowhatcanbeachievedwhendifferentdisciplinesandorganizationscome togetherforacommongoal,”Hartconcluded."Welookforwardtoseeinghowthiscommunitythrivesinthecomingyearswith thecompletionofPhasesIandII."
Withthegrandopeningofthefirstphasebehindthem,CobbsHillVillageisalreadywelcomingitsfirstresidents,offeringafresh startandasecurehomeformanyseniors.Asthestatecontinuestoaddressthehousingneedsofitscitizens,CobbsHillVillage standsasanexampleofwhatthoughtfuldesign,collaboration,andpublicpolicycanachieveforthebettermentofcommunities acrossNewYork.
Governor Kathy Hochul’s Affordable Housing Agenda
ASME 2025 Student Night Hosted By
RIT ASME
This year marks the return of the Rochester ASME Student Night. We invite you to join us for dinner and a technical presentation at 6PM on February 17th.
Connor Kennard, a 2021 RIT graduate, will present on his experience as a Simulation Engineer with Trackhouse Racing Group. This networking event will provide an opportunity for students at RIT and UR to connect with local engineers.
Tickets: Tickets are $5.00 for students and $20.00 for senior ASME attendees. Use the link below to register for Student Night.
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rit-asmestudent-night-tickets-1113222451319?utmcampaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utmmedium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utmsource=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl
President/: DAVE JERECKOS
IBC Engineering, PC 3445 Winton Place Suite 219 Rochester, NY 14623 585-292-1590
Vice President Technical:
LUKE LAWATSCH Labella Associates 300 State Street Suite 201 Rochester, NY 14614 585-454-6110
Vice President Legislative: TREVOR SAX IBC Engineering, PC 3445 Winton Place Suite 219 Rochester, NY 14623 585292-1590
Vice President Membership: REBECCA KOLSTAD
Kolstad Associates 40 Harrison Street Rochester, NY 14605
Treasurer / Education Chair: JENNIFER WENGENDER, P.E., CPD CPL 255 Woodcliff Drive, Suite 200 Fairport, NY 14450 585-454-7600
Administrative Secretary:
ADAM KRAMER M/E Engineering
300 Trolley Boulevard Rochester, NY 14606 585-288-5590
Newsletter Editor: NADIA THOMPSON
Turner Engineering 359 West Commercial St, Ste 2190 East Rochester NY 14445 (585) 381-3360
Affiliate Liaison: EMILY MILLER
WMS Sales 9580 County Rd Clarence Center, NY 14032 (716) 741-9575
Rochester Chapter Website: www.aspe.org/rochester
President's Message
Happy Holidays everyone!
Happy winter everyone! I hope you all had a great holiday As we continue into the season of ASPE we will be working very hard to continue with our giveaway program As mentioned in previous meetings this year we are looking into providing our members that attend 5 meetings this season (non-consecutive) we will provide them with a ASPE Rochester backpack We expect to begin distribution of the back packs at the February meeting Please make sure if you are a member that you are in good standing with ASPE and most importantly that you sign in at every meeting you attend so we can keep track
We have 87 Members with consisting of 52 Full, 20 Associate and 15 Affiliate members In that group of 85 members we have 19 PE’s and 9 CPDs Of the those that attend meetings, about half are Members If you attend meetings but are not a member, we are always glad to see you but please consider joining the Rochester Chapter of ASPE.
We will be for our monthly meetings at Three Heads for the new season and will continue through May of 2025 for another exciting year! I hope everyone is having a good Holiday season. I am looking forward to seeing folks at the December meeting!
Dave Jereckos, Chapter President
(Chapters are not authorized to speak for the Society)
Meeting Notice – Save the Date
Topic:
Integrating PEX into Plumbing Designs Using ASPE Best Practices
Sponsor: Location: Uponor – Brian Calotta
Three Heads Brewery: 186 Atlantic Ave, Rochester, NY 14607
Date:
RSVP:
Wednesday, January 15, 2025, 12:00 PM llawatsch@labellapc com
Officers & Societies
CHAIR
Kelly Robinson
VICE-CHAIR
Emmett Ientilucci
TREASURER
Lyle Tague
SECRETARY
Eric Zeise
AES & COMSOC
Cristiano Tapparello
CS & CIS
Bo Yuan
EDS & CSS
Sean Rommel EMBS
Cristian Linte GRSS
Emmett Ientilucci LIFE
Jean Kendrick
APS & MTTS
Danielle Walters PHOTONICS
Parsian K Mohseni
PES & IAS
Kelly Robinson
Jean Kendrick SPS
Eric Zeise TEMS
Paul Lee
YOUNG PROF
Eric Brown
STUDENT CHAP.
Univ. of Rochester
Ming-Lun Lee RIT
Jamison Heard
AWARDS
Jean Kendrick COMMUNICATION
Christine Frayda
Howard Bussey
NEWSLETTER
Mark Schrader PACE
Bruce Rubin
HISTORIAN
Ram Dhurjaty
CS/CIS
RES LIASON
Greg Gdowski
Dear Colleagues, Happy New Year!
Message from the Chair
Being professionally active is essential for your career and the vitality of the Rochester area technical community. I challenge you to participate in at least one professional event each quarter in 2025.
Our IEEE Rochester Section will help you! Come to our IEEE Rochester Section Joint Chapters Meeting on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at the RIT Inn and Conference Center. You will learn new things, meet interesting people, elevate the practice of engineering, and enrich the experience of your colleagues.
Our IEEE Rochester Section Executive Committee meets monthly to organize events. Our February meeting is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, February 4th, from 12:00PM to 1:30PM. We may change the meeting date and time, so please review the registration information using the link below
Please feel free to register for in-person or virtual (Zoom) attendance using this link: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/tego /event/manage/452252
I look forward to working with you!
Regards,
Kelly Robinson, PE, PhD Chair, IEEE Rochester Section
IEEE Rochester Section Leadership Opportunities
We are looking for IEEE members interested in leadership positions on our Rochester Section Executive Committee We are especially looking for the Treasurer and Young Professionals positions, the latter representing practicing engineers in their first 10 years after graduation Don't hesitate to contact Kelly Robinson to explore these and other opportunities
Region 1-2 and Region 10 - Collaborative Medical Device Engineering
The persistent need for affordable, low-cost medical devices in low-income and middle-income countries can be addressed by innovative design engineering of products carefully targeted to those marketplaces The goal is to provide a high level of usability and identical functionality using advanced electronics combined with lower component and manufacturing costs, simplified user interfaces, and innovative product aesthetics
A medical-grade defibrillator is being developed by a team headed by Dr Ram Dhurjaty from IEEE Region 1 and Professor Aparna Dixit of Pranveer Singh Institute of Kanpur, India, in IEEE Region 10. A defibrillator is a product that can uniquely stop defibrillation, which is the uncoordinated firing of segments of the heart muscle; and return the heart muscle to a state where normal neural excitation will result in the return of synchronized muscle contraction That will start the blood flowing normally again Nothing can substitute for a defibrillator when the heart is in defibrillation. Defibrillation is confirmed by the absence of a normal EKG (ECG) waveform sensed with two electrodes on the chest or extremities
The defibrillator is not the first product this team has worked on The first product was an affordable oxygen concentrator targeting patients with COPD and other respiratory diseases. The oxygen concentrator was prototyped, evaluated, manufactured, and marketed in India The effort on the oxygen concentrator involved several prototypes, careful evaluation, and clinical testing. It has proved that understanding the required solution's scientific and engineering principles and the newest technologies available can lead to a more affordable solution.
The lessons learned from the oxygen concentrator (first product) are currently being applied to the defibrillator's design This involves a holistic approach where usability, electrical, mechanical, and product design are simultaneously considered. The willingness to question design decisions on an ongoing basis has already produced substantial improvements to the product, system, and individual functional blocks This approach continues as the team progresses toward creating a minimally viable prototype (MVP) and beyond.
Dr. Aparna Dixit
Rochester Chapter Society for Imaging Science and Technology
Website: http://roceng.org/ISandT
IS&T Rochester Chapter Speaker Series
Wednesday, January 22, 2025at 6:00pm
Advancements in image sensor packaging that are enabling the AI revolution
by Dr. John McCarten
Location:
Hybrid meeting. Both in person and on-line
In-person:
1290 Titus Avenue
On-line (Zoom): Irondequoit Public Library –2 Floor Room: 213 nd
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82534010014
Meeting ID: 825 3401 0014
Abstract:
A comparison of the human vision system with past and ongoing image sensor development will be presented. Part one will be a reverse engineering of the human vision system, from the retina, color processing, the what pathway, the where pathway, and the rewiring that occurred during primate evolution. We will discuss mirror neurons, and the importance of switching between different perception pathways when encoding memory within the cerebellum. Part two will review image sensor development over the last 40 years, focusing on the reduction in SWaP(size, weight, and power) plus the acceleration of functional building blocks into the sensor itself. We will conclude comparing the neuron layers within the primary cortex and recent wafer stacking developments that enable new functional camera architectures.
Bio:
John McCartenreceived the Ph.D. degree in Physics from Cornell University in 1992. During his time at Cornell, John collaborated with John Bardeen, the inventor of the transistor. John Bardeen’s last paper starts with John’s name. Since 2001, John’s focus has been on image sensors and cameras. He has worked with semiconductor foundries on four continents. He has over 30 patents and been technical lead on development projects that have brought in over a billion dollars in sales.
Rochester Plant Engineers NFPA 70E Training
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
8:00am-12:00pm with a Lunch Provided 1:00pm-5:00pm with a Dinner Provided
Morning Class 7:30am sign in, Class Starts @ 8:00am
Evning Class 12:30pm sign in, Class Starts @ 1:00pm Each class will have a certificate or 4 continuing education credits (PDH)
National Fire Protection Association – NFPA 70E covers standards for electrical safety in the workplace. Throughout this course, you will review the relationship between the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and NFPA 70E. You will also review general NFPA 70E standards and the importance of these standards in maintaining your safety and the safety of others in the workplace.
The purpose of NFPA 70E is to provide a working area for employees that is safe from the risk associated with the use of electricity in the workplace.
WHERE: Stark Tech 300 Mile Crossing Blvd Rochester, NY 14624
COST: RPE Member or non-Member $50 per person
A2L Refrigerant Transition
Presentation at Black Button
Distillery
PRESENTED BY AMAL HUMSI WITH SAMSUNG
WHEN: JANUARY 22ND, 2025 FROM 2:30PM-8PM
Presentation Agenda
A2L Refrigerants
Background
HFC Phasedown Timeline
GWP
Technology Transitions
Building Code Updates & Changes
Refrigerant Concentration
Limit Compliances (RCL)
Applications & Requirements
Questions
Details:
2 Continuing Education Credits
Available
Limited Capacity of 30 people (1) Drink Ticket provided per Attendee
Tour of facility after training with tasting
Parking is on the road or on the corner of University Avenue & Blossom Road
180 Linden Oaks, Suite 100, Rochester, NY 14625
Dedicated to Professionalism in Engineering in the Interest of Public Safety and Welfare
2024-2025 Officers: President Kenneth Rea, PE, President-elect David C. Roberts, PE, Vice-President Robert K. Winans, PE, Secretary Martin E. Gordon, PE, Treasurer Christopher R. Devries, PE, Membership Chair Robert K. Winans, PE Past Presidents: Bill Grove, PE, Michael O Ritchie, PE, Directors: Christopher V Kambar, PE, Barry J Dumbauld, PE, Neal Illenberg, PE, Donald Nims, PE, Douglas R. Strang,, PE, Cade Krueger, PE
SAVE THE DATE
Rochester Engineering Symposium 2025
April 10th, 2025 In Person at the RIT Inn and Convention Center 5257 W Henrietta Rd, Henrietta, NY 14467 8 AM to 5 PM
6 PDH Credits
Multiple tracks of six credits offered in coordination with IEEE, ASPE, ASHRAE, ASCE, NYSATE, RES, Monroe Chapter of NSPE-NY
Early Registration will be $150 Registration after March 10th will be $175 Limited to 350 Registrants
There will be a limited breakfast, beverage service, and lunch provided. The on site bar and restaurant is available after 5 PM for networking as a separate activity.
WHY GET LICENSED? https://www nspe org/resources/licensure/why-get-licensed
As always, we encourage active membership in the Monroe Professional Engineers Society We are constantly striving to improve your membership but we always need more help If you are interested in becoming an active member or have any questions, please email me at artreardon@gmail.com or contact MPES through our website at www.monroepes.org/contactus/.
Kenneth Rea, P.E., President, MPES
January – Time to register kids for The Science and Engineering Fair!
As we head into the New Year, our resolutions can impact our local community. You can mentor a child you know (your own children or grandchildren, kids at the youth center, or even just students at a nearby school!). By helping them register for theTRFSEF, you encourage them to start a project that challenges their minds.
Harold Clark, Director Rochester Finger Lakes Fair trfsef@terraed.org
Many people assume that science fair projects take a full school year in order to have a lasting impact on a student’s life. But don’t worry! There are many valuable project experiences that can easily be completed in just a month or less. Here are some resources that can make the process both simple and fun!
TerraFairs.org
> International Journal for High School Research
> Webinar series and blog
> Videos about the fair experience
ScienceBuddies.org
> Project ideas and how-to’s > Career videos
> Ask an Expert
> Teacher and parent resources
Affiliated Societies of the Rochester Engineering Society
American Consulting Engineering, Companies of New York
American Public Works Association Monroe County/Genesee Valley Branch
American Society of Civil Engineers, Rochester Section
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Rochester Chapter
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Rochester Section
American Society of Plumbing Engineers, Rochester NY Chapter
Electrical Association
Genesee Valley Land Surveyors Association
Monroe Professional Engineers Society
New York State Association of Transportation Engineers, Section 4
Illuminating Engineering Society of North America Inc., Rochester Section Rochester Plant Engineers
Imaging Science & Technology, Rochester Chapter
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Rochester Section
Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, Rochester Chapter
Association for Bridge Construction and Design
Society of Plastics Engineers, Rochester Section
Terra Rochester Finger Lakes Science & Engineering Fair
