Sponsor: Washington/NoVA IEEE EMC Society
Speaker: Dr. Shahid Ahmed of Jefferson Lab, which is a particle physics research facility new Williamsburg, VA.
Time: 6:30 p.m. (Networking); 7:00 p.m. (Dinner); 7:30 p.m. (Discussion)
Place: Rhein Tech Laboratories, 360 Herndon Parkway, Herndon VA
More Info: Short pulses are inherently ultra-wideband (UWB) and have been the subject of interest for various applications such as wireless communications, high speed data transfer, fast switches, high speed interconnects, and medical sciences. Understanding the characteristics of UWB signals is best suited in time domain. Therefore, the beauty of time domain technique for example, finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for simulating various EM problems will be discussed.
Cost: $15 for IEEE Members, $20 non-members

Abstract:
This talk will describe efforts from our research group to control the shape and thus function of soft materials (liquid metal, polymer and hydrogels) for applications that include sensors, soft/stretchable electronics, and self-folding polymer sheets. The research harnesses interfacial phenomena, microfabrication, and the unique properties of a moldable liquid metal. Conventional electronics are typically fabricated from rigid materials (e.g., silicon for transistors, copper for antennas). New materials are being explored as candidates for flexible/stretchable/soft electronics because of the novel applications that emerge from their mechanical properties. Examples include flexible displays, implantable devices, electronic textiles, and soft robots. This talk will discuss the underlying fundamental science motivating active areas of research in our group and will included work on ultra-stretchable wires, sensors, antennas, and microelectrodes created by injecting a gallium-based metal alloy into elastomeric microchannels. Soft, biomimetic memory ("memristor-like") and diode devices composed of hydrogels and moldable metal will also be discussed as well as self-folding polymers sheets that change shape in response to light.

Biography:
Prof. Michael Dickey received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology (1999) and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin (2006) under the guidance of Professor Grant Willson. From 2006-2008 he was a post-doctoral fellow in the lab of Professor George Whitesides at Harvard University. Michael has several years of industrial work experience as a co-op for Kimberly Clark working on non-wovens and as a Chemical Engineer for Merck working on scaling up pharmaceutical processes. Prior to arriving at NC State Michael received several honors, including the Georgia Tech Presidents Scholarship, a NSF Graduate Fellowship, and a NIH Post-doctoral Fellowship. In August 2008, he joined the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at NC State University where he is currently an Assistant Professor. He received the NSF CAREER award in 2010, the Sigma Xi Young Faculty Award in 2011, and the Outstanding Teacher Award in 2012. Michael's research interests include the study of soft materials, thin films and interfaces, and unconventional nanofabrication techniques. The goal of the research is to introduce new functionality into devices (e.g., stretchable circuits, soft electronics, self-folding sheets) in a simple, inexpensive, and scalable manner.

Abstract:
Streetcars played an important role in the development of Washington, DC and its surrounding suburbs. From 1862 until 1962, the people of Washington relied on the streetcar as the primary mode of public transportation until bus conversion and Metrorail construction. Now, over 50 years since the end of streetcar service, Washington and other cities across the country are looking to the streetcar again as a means to encourage new development in existing neighborhoods, provide an environmentally friendly alternative to the bus and to lure people back to public transit. Eric Madison of the National Capital Trolley Museum will conduct a presentation and discussion on how the streetcar led to the growth of Washington and the reintroduction of streetcars on the H Street Corridor as the first phase of a proposed 37-mile network throughout the District.

Biography:
Mr. Madison began his career with the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) in 2003 as an Administrative Management Officer for the Public Space Management Administration. From 2003 to 2005 he also served as an Emergency Liaison Officer through DDOT's Office of Risk Management. In 2006, Mr. Madison joined DDOT's Office of the Director as an Operations Manager for the following administrations: Public Space Management, Transportation Policy and Planning, Urban Forestry and Mass Transit. In 2007, he joined the Mass Transit Administration as a Transportation Planner responsible for bus operations and the implementation of the Anacostia and H Street/Benning Road streetcar projects. As part of his responsibilities, he was also appointed in March 2008 as a District representative to the Tri-State Oversight Committee (TOC) which is responsible for state safety oversight of the WMATA Metrorail system. In April of 2009, Mr. Madison became Chair of the committee where he served until March of 2010. Mr. Madison continued to work on the development of the safety and security program for the DC Streetcar Project until his departure from DDOT in November of 2011 to accept a position with LTK Engineering Services where he now works as a Rail Operations Analyst.

Abstract 1:
With the advent of the Internet, wireless networks, social networking, and "consumerization" of healthcare, the healthcare provider is usually seen after the patient or their family has sought out ratings, reviews, online health information, or various other actions that have democratized the healthcare information ecosystem. New patient and healthcare provider (HCP) engagement tools that understand this new paradigm are crucial to the improvement of health in large communities and connected systems over wireless networks make that a possibility. Social networking is a start but considered insecure or inappropriate in many environments. Secure systems that encourage "teams" of patients and their care providers (what the author calls the "Patient Team" or "Patient Health Team") to enter and exit the patient care stream as necessary with complete information about the patient's care continuum and contextually sensitive electronic medical records are necessary. Wireless healthcare networks make this not only a possibility but an inevitability. This talk will provide information on how the patient can be seen as a real participant or, better yet, leader of their own care teams through the use of modern wireless networks.

Abstract 2:
Medical devices can no longer be seen as standalone components and have been targeted in Meaningful Use Phases 2 and 3 as a potential integration point. Creating connected devices, especially wireless ones, is a major requirement for most manufacturers but are not easy to architect because integration is not easy. Using modern, open source and open software architecture techniques to build connected devices that work in wireless environments is a necessity; service-oriented architecture (SOA) and web-oriented architecture (WOA) can play a role to enable standalone devices to be integrated into Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and enable true interoperability of clinical data and enable clinical engineers to collaborate more closely with IT specialists. This talk will explain how to create the "Ultimate Connected Medical Device Architecture" and use modern Internet techniques to successfully implemented connected devices over both wired and wireless networks.

Biography:
Shahid N. Shah is an internationally recognized healthcare IT (information technology) thought leader. He is a consultant to various federal agencies on IT matters and the winner of Federal Computer Week's coveted "Fed 100" award given to IT experts that have made a big impact in the government. Shahid has architected and built multiple clinical solutions over his almost 20- year career. He helped design and deploy the American Red Cross's electronic health record solution across thousands of sites; he's built two web-based electronic medical records (EMR) now in use by hundreds of physicians; he's designed large groupware and collaboration sites in use by thousands. As a former chief technology officer of a billion dollar division of CardinalHealth, he helped design advanced clinical interfaces for medical devices and hospitals. Shahid also serves as a senior technology strategy advisor to NIH (National Institute of Health) SBIR/STTR program helping small businesses commercialize their healthcare applications. Shahid runs several successful blogs. At http://shahid.shah.org he writes about architecture issues. At http://www.healthcareguy.com he provides valuable insights on how to apply technology in health care. At http://www.federalarchitect.com he advises senior federal technologists, and at http://www.hitsphere.com he gives a glimpse of the health-care IT blogosphere as an aggregator.