IEEE Cedar Rapids Section

Electrical power systems are undergoing unprecedented changes, mainly driven by decarbonisation targets and climate change, as well as other technical, economic, and social reasons. This leads to the integration of new technologies such as renewable generation, electric vehicles, HVDC links, etc. These devices are mostly connected via power electronics with very different dynamic behaviour, leading to increasing complexity of power system dynamics. In addition, uncertainty is also increasing due to the intermittent nature of renewable generation, but also because of how society will use energy on the way to decarbonization (e.g., electrification of transport or possibly heating). At the same time, advanced measurement and communication infrastructure are being integrated into modern power systems. Such technologies, especially coupled with machine learning, offer opportunities for advanced situational awareness, decision support tools, and automated control methods. This presentation will highlight the challenges faced in future power systems with high penetration of converter-connected units, in terms of their dynamic behaviour, and discuss methods and tools to tackle them. The talk will mainly address the question of how we characterize the complex and uncertain dynamic behaviour in power systems with high converter penetration, and how this can be affected by different control structures. Probabilistic stability assessment methods to quantify the impact and characterize new types of oscillatory interactions of power systems with converter-connected units will be discussed, including the behaviour of oscillations in the sub-synchronous range. In addition, a view on how to define system strength associated with small-signal dynamics will also be discussed. Co-sponsored by: University of California Riverside Speaker(s): Dr. Panagiotis Papadopoulos, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/486960

This is a joint meeting of Canadian Society of Senior Engineers and IEEE Life Members Affinity Groups. This series of presentations has been occurring for more than 20 years and is now being also advertised to the IEEE Northern Canada Section (NCS) Life Members Affinity Group (LMAG) through vTools and other IEEE LMAG's and IEEE members depending upon the topic. At the same time the Canadian Society of Senior Engineers (CSSE) is using their national organization to provide information, the subject and speaker to members across Canada. The next meeting will be held on Thursday, June 19, 2025. The meeting will open at 12:30 pm MDT (2:30pm Eastern), with the presentation starting at 12:45 (2:45 pm EDT). The meeting will be held via the Zoom platform with the actual invitations sent the afternoon of Wednesday, June 18 If you plan to attend and be included on the Zoom invite for this meeting please respond to Tom Madsen, [email protected], before noon on Wednesday, June 18. Please note the meeting originates in Alberta which is in the Mountain Time Zone, so if you are in another province you must account any necessary time shift. Title: From Geothermal to Vertical Farming: An Engineer’s Journey into Food Security and AgTech Innovation Presenter: Shlok Srivastava, P.Eng. Summary: With rising climate volatility, energy constraints, and supply chain disruptions, Canada faces an urgent need to develop resilient, locally grown food systems. In this talk, Shlok Srivastava, P.Eng., shares a compelling journey that began with a geothermal feasibility study at the Canadian Energy Centre and evolved into a bold venture in year-round strawberry production within a total controlled environment facility in Edmonton, Alberta. This transformation gave rise to GroHERE Harvest Ltd., an agri-tech company at the intersection of engineering, sustainability, and food innovation. The team recently repurposed an ex-cannabis facility into Alberta’s first commercial-scale vertical strawberry farm, marking a breakthrough for the Prairies. Attendees will get a behind-the-scenes look at the engineering challenges and breakthroughs of shifting from the energy sector to advanced food production — offering a fresh perspective on how Canada can reimagine its agricultural future and emerge as a net producer of premium fresh produce. Bio: Shlok Srivastava, P.Eng. is the Director of Operations at GroHERE Harvest Ltd., an agri-tech company advancing vertical farming for year-round strawberry production in Alberta. With over eight years of experience across the energy and agricultural sectors, Shlok has led innovative projects at the intersection of engineering, sustainability, and food security. His technical expertise spans O&G reservoir analysis, HVAC design, industrial energy audits, and data analytics. At GroHERE, he oversees engineering, QA/QC, and crop analytics, enabling high-efficiency cultivation within a fully controlled environment. Shlok is deeply committed to applying engineering innovation to strengthen local food systems and foster collaboration among industry, government, and regulatory partners. Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/487614

Join IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Chicago and Region 4 for an inspiring WIE Day 2025 event focused on cybersecurity. Our featured speaker, Aparna Achanta, Principal Security Architect at IBM Consulting, will present: "Embracing AI to Build Resilience Against AI Attacks" Aparna has extensive experience driving mission-critical cybersecurity initiatives, particularly in federal agencies. She successfully implemented cybersecurity frameworks like Zero Trust and Security by Design for U.S. Federal Clients thereby strengthening the security posture and enhancing data protection and security standards across cloud applications. She specializes in securing Emerging technologies in federal agencies, including low-code, No-Code applications, and Generative AI applications. She is a member of the Forbes Technology Council and a passionate advocate for women in tech. She is a founding member and speaker at the WomenTech Network and also serves as an executive board member at Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) Austin Chapter. The sheer complexity and volume of cyber threats are scaling cybersecurity teams to breaking point. The unprecedented pace at which AI is evolving means there is little time for proactive measures; teams must adopt an immediate crisis management approach. The sophistication of such threats is changing the game on how security is done. Traditional models based on determinism—where something is identified as a threat or not—give way to probabilistic approaches, which focus on interpreting ambiguous signals and investigating anomalies that may indicate potential threats. Arpana's talk focuses on how AI amplifies threat detection through automation, taking responses to the next level. AI can generate high-quality probabilistic insights, allowing teams to decide whether intricate patterns that seem harmful are malicious or benign anomalies- a capability unique to AI since conventional algorithms within the security framework cannot handle such subtle analysis. This event is a great opportunity for anyone interested in cybersecurity, AI, and the important role women play in advancing innovation. Don’t miss the chance to learn from an expert and connect with a community that supports growth and resilience in tech. Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/482836

Join the Cedar Rapids IEEE for a 2Pi Day or Tau Day pizza social event. We'll be holding it two days before Tau day, on Thursday, June 26th at 5:30 pm. Join us at Tomaso's on Blairs Ferry Rd for free pizza! 1950 Blairs Ferry Rd, Unit 108, Hiawatha, Iowa, United States, 52233