Abstract:
For decades, experts have promised that microsystems technology would be a driver of industry growth and value creation. Today, when each of us has dozens of microsystems in our pockets, we know that the experts were right. What, then, is the future promise of micro- and nanotechnology? The 2013 Mid-Atlantic Micro/Nano Alliance Symposium will explore the current industrial expansion of microsystems technology and the new ideas on which tomorrow's promises will be built.

Keynote: "Medical Microsystems with the Promise to Revolutionize Medical Management" Jason Kroh, Vice President of R&D at CardioMEMS, Inc.

Platform Speakers:
Andreas Andreoub - Johns Hopkins University
Michael Huff - MEMS Exchange
Andrew McGill - Naval Research Laboratory
Samuel Stavis - National Institute of Standards and Technology

Abstract:
The ability to utilize a single cylindrical dielectric resonator to realize a multi-functional device is presented. Simultaneous excitation of multi-independent modes of a single dielectric resonator is used for filtering and oscillating as well as radiating purposes is discussed. A design of a dielectric resonator antenna in a polarization filtering cavity for dual function applications is studied where a cylindrical dielectric resonator is enclosed by a hypothetical resonant cavity that acts as a shielding for the resonating mode while transparent for the radiating mode. A possible application of this device is a receiving antenna at the frequency of the radiating mode and can incorporate a local oscillator operating at the resonant frequency of the resonating mode.

In this presentation, ANSYS HFSS - a full-wave 3D FEM electromagnetic simulation - is used to perform simulations of the dielectric resonator.

Abstract:
Bill Moorhead will describe "Resurf ECI," an Electrolytic Corrosion Inhibitor Epoxy Coating developed by PCI-TRAMMCO for the purpose of protecting railway track assets, particularly rail and rail fastenings, from damage caused primarily by stray current (electrolytic) corrosion, but also from atmospheric, chloride and galvanic corrosion. Resurf ECI has properties that make it ideally suited for application in the typically challenging railway and rail transit environment.

The coating must be as environmentally friendly as practical and must not be flammable when cured. Additionally, it must resist water, acidic and alkaline water, diesel fuel, common solvents, cleaning compounds and battery acid.

Bill will describe the development process, lead us through TRAMMCO's effort to have it tested and certified, and show its value in rail transit applications.

Abstract:
A number of recent studies examined the impact of increasing wind and solar generation on numerous island systems. Since these island systems are typically small—between 500 kW and 100 MW—even small amounts of solar and wind renewable generation can have a large effect. The techniques and methods developed, and the lessons learned are applicable to larger systems. These island studies found five important variables that must be addressed when evaluating high levels of renewable energy generation penetration which will be discussed.

Biography:
Jeff Palermo is an Executive Consultant at DNV KEMA Energy and Sustainability.

Abstract:
The FCC's opening up of TV white spaces for unlicensed use, has led to innovations in cognitive radio technology, spectrum sensing as well as novel proposals for dynamic spectrum access. Over a good part of the last decade, there has been a tremendous amount research on the theory and practice of cognitive radio networks such as dynamic spectrum access algorithms, networking protocols and software radio platform development. There have also been efforts in the direction of advocating new spectrum governance and policy including models based on spectrum property rights, open access and hybrid versions that include a mix of the previous two approaches. While recent and prospective policy reforms and the wealth of wireless innovations hold great promise for realizing our national goals of achieving ubiquitous broadband and continued growth in our wireless sector and services, a significant barrier to entry is the lack of appropriate wireless backhaul solutions. Realizing the goal of ubiquitous wireless broadband, especially in rural areas represents the next major challenge for information technology that is increasingly dependent on mobile and wireless access.

Biography:
Dr. Narayan B. Mandayam, Ph.D is currently the Peter D. Cherasia Faculty Scholar at Rutgers University. He received his B.Tech (Hons.) degree in 1989 from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in 1991 and 1994 from Rice University, all in electrical engineering. From 1994 to 1996, he was a Research Associate at the Wireless Information Network Laboratory (WINLAB), Rutgers University before joining the faculty of the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at Rutgers where he became Associate Professor in 2001 and Professor in 2003. Currently, he serves as Associate Director at WINLAB. He was a visiting faculty fellow in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University in 2002 and a visiting faculty at the Indian Institute of Science in 2003. His research interests are in various aspects of wireless data transmission including system modeling and performance, signal processing and radio resource management with emphasis on techniques for cognitive radio networks.

Abstract:
As a biochemical sensing technique, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) offers sensitivity comparable to that of fluorescence detection while providing highly specific information about the analyte. The high sensitivity of SERS detection results from the localized plasmons generated at the surface of noble metal nanostructures upon excitation by resonant electric fields at optical frequencies. Although single molecule identification with SERS was demonstrated over a decade ago, today a need exists to develop practical solutions for point-of-sample and point-of-care SERS systems. In recent years, optofluidic SERS has emerged, in which microfluidic functions are integrated to improve the performance of SERS. Advancements in optofluidic SERS are leading towards portable analytical systems, but the devices are currently too expensive and too cumbersome for limited resource settings. Recently, we demonstrated the fabrication of SERS substrates by inkjet printing silver and gold nanostructures onto paper. Using a low-cost commercial inkjet printer, we printed silver nanoparticles with micro-scale precision to form SERS-active biosensors. Using these devices, we have been able to achieve detection limits comparable to conventional nanofabricated substrates. Furthermore, we leverage the fluidic properties of paper to enhance the performance of the SERS devices while also enabling unprecedented ease of use. Paper dipsticks concentrate a relatively large sample volume into a small SERS-active detection region at the tip. Likewise, paper swabs collect samples from a large surface area and concentrate the collected molecules into a SERS sensor on the paper. In addition, the inherent chromatographic properties of paper enable sample cleanup and analyte separation to improve detection in complex real-world samples.

In this seminar, we will review the capabilities of SERS as a chemical and biological sensing technique. We will then present an overview of optofluidic SERS and its potential as a point-of-sample and point-of-care analytical technique. Next we will summarize the progress in the fabrication and use of paper-based fluidic devices for SERS-based detection, and we will describe their use in practical applications for point-of-sample chemical detection. Finally, we will discuss applications in highly sensitive point-of-care biological sensing for diagnostics that are currently under development.

Biography:
Ian White is an Assistant Professor in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland. Dr. White received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 2002, where he developed next generation optical metropolitan area networks. He then served as a Member of Technical Staff at Sprint's Advanced Technology Laboratories until 2005. At that time, Dr. White transitioned into the field of optical biosensors as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the University of Missouri Life Sciences Center. In 2008, Dr. White joined the faculty in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland. His research group aims to develop novel microsystems for applications in chemical analytics and disease diagnosis.

Abstract:
The IEEE Northern Virginia Section and Washington Section are pleased to announce the 2013 IEEE National Capital Awards Banquet. This year's event will be hosted by the Northern Virginia Section and will be held on Saturday, May 25 at the Johnson Center at George Mason University. The evening will be highlighted by guest speaker Dr. Rabinder N. Madan, IEEE Life Fellow and recipient of the Harry Diamond Award, who will share his discoveries in science through history and what excited a physicist and engineer in his career. A second guest speaker, Dr. John C. Mather, will reprise his role as keynote speaker at the 2012 awards banquet with an exciting new topic.

Keynote: "Recollections in Science from Far and Near" Dr. Rabinder N. Madan, George Washington University

Dr. Madan will share his discoveries in science through history and what excited a physicist and engineer in his career.
In tracing back into the history of scientific developments, it is not unusual to see that many scientific advances took place in a spirit of defiance of the commonly held views. One just has to look back into the examples of Aryabhata, Galileo, Newton or Darwin to stroke individual motivations. Looking back and starting with selected cases that led to foundational advances of the physical world, the talk will cover some developments of recent vintage, such as the phenomenon of chaos in circuits and compressive sensing.

Biography:
Dr. Rabinder N. Madan is a Life Fellow of IEEE and 2010 recipient of the IEEE Harry Diamond Award. He received his B.Sc. (Hons) and M.Sc. in Physics from St. Stephen's College, Delhi and a Ph. D. in Theoretical Physics from Princeton University. Presently he is a Visiting Scholar at the George Washington University. As Program Manager, Systems Theory, Office of Naval Research (1984-2012) he directed programs in Signal Processing, Communications and Information Sciences. In the prior years he held faculty positions at the Universities of California, Massachusetts and North Carolina and was a Senior Scientist at Hughes Aircraft Co. His interests and publications are in information sciences, signal processing, communications theory, nonlinear phenomenon, variation and optimization principles, scattering theory and principles of Radar. From 1993 to 2010, he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Franklin Institute. He is credited with having initiated the era of Special Issues and articles of substance with long shelf life in the Journal.

He is the recipient of the 1989 IETE J. C. Bose Memorial Award for the best paper in Science and Engineering and the best paper award in 'Cognitive Information Fusion' at the IEEE 2010 MFI in Utah. He has the honor of receiving the 2010 IEEE Harry Diamond Award. He participates in several IEEE Societies such as Signal Processing, Communications and Circuits and Systems and is a member of several IEEE technical committees.

Keynote: "Cosmic Instabilities and the Search for the Origin of Life" Dr. John C. Mather, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

In the beginning - there wasn't a beginning! The name "big bang" suggests a firecracker going off at a place and a time, but that's not what we observed. We observed an expanding universe, and we can imagine times when the universe was much hotter and denser. We can even imagine the effects of the Higgs boson and the idea of cosmic inflation. But we haven't yet imagined a way in which nothing turns into something. I will talk about the series of cosmic and catastrophic instabilities that have led to the formation of the Earth, and to life on Earth, and ultimately to intelligent life on Earth. It seems that the Universe is structured to be unstable and to tend naturally towards complexity, so perhaps it should not be a surprise that we exist. I will talk about how we are starting to find out some of the details, and how we could find out whether other planets are Earth-like. I will speculate (a little) about the future of space travel, possibly involving serious artificial intelligence that could travel to the stars, and (if it wanted to) introduce terrestrial carbon-based life elsewhere.

Biography:
Dr. John C. Mather is a Senior Astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, where he specializes in infrared astronomy and cosmology. He received his Bachelor's degree in physics at Swarthmore College and his PhD in physics at the University of California at Berkeley.

As an NRC postdoctoral fellow at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (New York City), he led the proposal efforts for the Cosmic Background Explorer (74-76), and came to GSFC to be the Study Scientist (76-88), Project Scientist (88-98), and the Principal Investigator for the Far IR Absolute Spectrophotometer (FIRAS) on COBE. He and his team showed that the cosmic microwave background radiation has a blackbody spectrum within 50 parts per million, confirming the Big Bang theory to extraordinary accuracy.

The COBE team also discovered the cosmic anisotropy (hot and cold spots in the background radiation), now believed to be the primordial seeds that led to the structure of the universe today. It was these findings that led to Dr. Mather receiving the Nobel Prize in 2006.

Dr. Mather now serves as Senior Project Scientist (95-present) for the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the great Hubble Space Telescope.

Abstract:
Communications systems are becoming increasingly commonplace and appear in a vast variety of applications such as: mobile phones, embedded systems, and medical devices. The need for greater energy efficiency, smaller size and improved performance of these devices demands co-optimization of algorithms, architectures, and implementations. This talk presents several design projects that illustrate the cross-domain optimization.

The design of system-on-Chip (SoC) blocks becomes increasingly sophisticated with emergent communication standards that have large real-time computational requirements. Two such algorithms, Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) decoding and Compressive Sensing (CS), have received significant attention. LDPC decoding is an error correction technique which has shown superior error correction performance and has been adopted by several recent communication standards. Compressive sensing (CS) is a revolutionary technique which reduces the amount of data collected during acquisition and allows sparse signals and images to be recovered from very few samples compared to the traditional Nyquist sampling. While both LDPC decoding and compressive sampling have several advantages, they require high computational intensive algorithms which typically suffer from high power consumption and low clock rates. This talk presents novel algorithms and architectures to address these challenges.

As future systems demand increasing flexibility and performance within a limited power budget, many-core chip architectures have become a promising solution. The design and implementation of a programmable many-core platform performing DSP applications containing 64 cores routed in a hierarchical network is presented. For demonstration, Electroencephalogram (EEG) seizure detection and analysis and ultrasound spectral doppler are mapped onto the cores. The seizure detection and analysis takes 900 ns and consumes 240 nJ of energy. Spectral doppler takes 715 ns and consumes 182 nJ of energy. The prototype is implemented in 65 nm CMOS which contains 64 cores, occupies 19.51 mm² and runs at 1.18 GHz at 1 V.

Biography:
Dr. Tinoosh Mohsenin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at the University of Maryland Baltimore County since 2011. Prior to joining UMBC, she was finishing her PhD at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Mohsenin's research interests lie in the areas of high performance and energy-efficiency in programmable and special purpose processors. She is the director of Energy Efficient High Performance Computing (EEPC) Lab where she leads projects in architecture, hardware, software tools, and applications for VLSI computation with an emphasis on digital signal processing workloads. She has been consultant to early stage technology companies and currently serves in the Technical Program Committees of the IEEE Biomedical Circuits & Systems Conference (BioCAS), Life Science Systems and Applications Workshop (LiSSA), International Symposium on Quality Electronic Design (ISQED) and IEEE Women in Circuits and Systems (WiCAS).

Biography:
David A. Mindell is the Dibner Professor of the History of Engineering and Manufacturing and Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, and he has formerly been department head of MIT's Program on Science, Technology, and Society (STS). He is an expert on the history and technology of human/machine relationships in complex technological systems. During the 2011-2012 academic year he was a Visiting Scholar at Aurora Flight Sciences Inc. Mindell's current research involves examining human/machine relationships in extreme environments, including human spaceflight, military robotics, undersea exploration, aviation, and surgery, with a goal toward developing general models of networks of humans and machines. Mindell's books have received several prizes and include Digital Apollo: Human and Machine in Spaceflight (MIT Press, 2008), Between Human and Machine: Feedback, Control, and Computing before Cybernetics (Johns Hopkins, 2002), and Iron Coffin: War, Technology, and Experience Aboard the USS Monitor (Johns Hopkins, 2012).

Abstract:
The Smart Grid is upon us. Even before the jump-start by the DOE stimulus funds, technology has not stood still. Advances in sensors, communications and digital processing are all helping make the grid smarter. How will all these changes influence the way we do business in the future? This presentation will focus on the changing landscape of technology and innovation and describe some of the more interesting "Smart Grid" ideas that are being developed today.

Biography:
Daniel J. Ward is a Principal Engineer with Dominion Virginia Power. He is a graduate of Stevens Institute of Technology (BE) and Union College (MSEE). Prior to joining Dominion, Dan spent 21 years at General Electric (Schenectady), and completed their Advanced Engineering Program.

At Dominion (Richmond, VA), Mr. Ward is involved in reliability improvements. A frequent instructor at Virginia Tech (Arlington), Mr. Ward chairs the ANSI C84.1 Committee on Voltage Standards for Electric Power Systems and Equipment and is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Dan is a member of the T&D Distribution Committee, the Insulated Conductors Committee, and a registered Professional Engineer in Virginia. He is the chair of the Richmond PES chapter and has authored and co-authored numerous technical papers, including four prize papers. Mr. Ward revised the distribution chapter for the 2006 and the 2013 editions of the Standard Handbook for Electrical Engineers published by McGraw Hill.

Dan received the IEEE Power Engineering Society's Award for Excellence in Power Distribution Engineering in 2000 and was named IEEE Fellow in 2004 with the citation "For contributions to electric power distribution systems".