Events

Come to learn and stay for lunch! The kick-off event of the signature Lunch&Learn series of IEEE Young Professionals Ottawa will have Prof. Burak Kantarci, a highly distinguished expert on automated systems and communications, as well as surprises and treats including Turkish coffee!Title: Spectrum Intelligence for 6G and Uncrewed Systems (UxS): Security, Coexistence, and Edge AutonomyAbstract: Uncrewed systems (UxS) are moving from niche applications to large-scale deployments across logistics, infrastructure inspection, public safety, and defence-adjacent operations. What makes or breaks these deployments is not just the autonomy of the platform itself, but the reliability, security, and intelligence of its communications in a crowded and contested spectrum environment. This talk addresses exactly that problem. We show how machine learning is redefining the radio access layer for uncrewed systems operating in shared spectrum: detecting jamming and spoofing at the RF signal level, classifying interference from coexisting users, predicting spectrum occupancy, and enabling dynamic access decisions that protect command-and-control link integrity in real time. Drawing on recent work in deep ensemble learning and RF fingerprinting, we demonstrate how AI models trained on raw IQ and spectral data can expose threats and opportunities in the spectrum that are invisible to conventional signal processing. We then examine how fleets of uncrewed platforms can become active participants in spectrum coordination rather than passive spectrum consumers. Through federated learning and multi-agent reinforcement learning, uncrewed nodes collaboratively develop spectrum access policies adapted to their operational environment, without offloading sensitive mission data to centralized infrastructure. This is precisely the kind of distributed, scalable spectrum intelligence that next-generation shared-access frameworks, including those governing uncrewed systems operations in licensed bands, will require. The talk closes with a forward-looking discussion of how 6G, combined with embedded spectrum intelligence, can serve as the communications backbone for autonomous uncrewed systems ecosystems, enabling safe coexistence, resilient connectivity, and real-time threat response across complex, multi-stakeholder spectrum <a href="http://environments.Bio:" target="_blank" title="environments.Bio:">environments.Bio: Burak Kantarci is a Full Professor and University Research Chair of AI-Enabled Secure Networking for Smart Critical Infrastructures in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa. He is the founding director of the Smart Connected Vehicles Innovation Centre, the first academic-industry research laboratory in Canada's largest technology hub at Kanata North Technology Park. His current research focuses on machine learning for spectrum intelligence, RF security, and resilient 6G communications, with a particular emphasis on uncrewed aerial and ground systems operating in shared and contested spectrum environments. His work spans dynamic spectrum access, coexistence management, jamming detection, and distributed edge intelligence, with active industry collaborations aimed at enabling secure and autonomous uncrewed systems communications at scale. He is the author or co-author of more than 300 publications in established journals and conferences, and holds a PhD in Computer Engineering from Istanbul Technical University. He is a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal (Canadian version), the Minister's Award of Excellence from the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities (2021), and the 2023 Technical Achievement Award of the IEEE ComSoc Communications Software Technical Committee. Recent research honours include the 2024-2025 George S. Glinski Award for Excellence in Research in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa, the 2025 IEEE Ottawa Section Outstanding Engineering Educator Award, and the 2026 Professional Engineers Ontario-Ottawa Chapter Engineering Excellence Award. He holds the Exemplary Editor Award from IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials (2021) and multiple best paper awards from leading venues including IEEE Globecom 2024, IEEE VCC 2023, IEEE ICC 2023, Wireless World Research Forum 2022, and IEEE Globecom 2021. He serves as Editor of IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials and IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering, Associate Editor of IEEE Networking Letters, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, and Vehicular Communications (Elsevier). He is a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE Communications Society and the IEEE Systems Council, and was a Distinguished Speaker of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) from 2019 to 2021. He is a Senior Member of both the IEEE and the <a href="http://ACM.This" target="_blank" title="ACM.This">ACM.This event is co-hosted by IEEE joint Chapters of Signal Processing/Oceanic Engineering/Geoscience and Remote Sensing in Ottawa and IEEE Women In Engineering (WIE) <a href="http://Ottawa.Speaker(s):">Ottawa.[]Speaker(s): Prof. Burak KantarciAgenda: - Welcoming and introduction- Talk by Prof. Burak Kantarci- Lunch and networkingRoom: RBCx Finance Quarter, Bldg: Hub350, 350 Legget Dr, Kanata, ON , Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2K 3N1

Starlink and alike have attracted a lot of attention recently, however, the inner workings of these low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite networks are still largely unknown. This talk presents an ongoing measurement campaign focusing on Starlink and OneWeb on roofs, vehicles, vessels and airplanes, including their satellite access networks, gateway and point-of-presence structures, and backbone and Internet connections, revealing insights applicable to other LEO satellite providers. It also highlights the challenges and research opportunities of the integrated space-air-ground-aqua network envisioned by 6G mobile communication systems and calls for a concerted community effort from practical and experimentation <a href="http://aspects.Speaker(s):" target="_blank" title="aspects.Speaker(s):">aspects.Speaker(s): Dr. Jianping PanRoom: EN-2022, Bldg: S. J. Carew Building, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

[]To address the issue of limited accessibility to expert skin screening by skin specialists and alleviate the strain on the public healthcare system due to unnecessary invasive procedures, such as biopsies, we propose the development of a low-cost and hand-held probe device to accurately identify skin cancer non-invasively. The proposed device will reduce the pressure on the overall public health care system whilst specifically aiding underserved rural communities by providing an easy-to-use alternative for accurate skin cancer <a href="http://screening.To" target="_blank" title="screening.To">screening.To design the hand-held probe, the dielectric characteristics of healthy, benign and malignant (cancerous) skin tissue have to be known. Previous literature has reported properties for healthy skin and several benign and malignant pathologies (squamous and basal cell carcinoma; two types of skin cancer), but the dielectric properties of melanoma (another type of skin cancer) have only been reported below 8.5 GHz. Initial tests that our collaboration conducted show promising results for a significant contrast in dielectric properties of healthy skin and melanoma that would support the effort to develop a skin cancer <a href="http://probe.The" target="_blank" title="probe.The">probe.The first resonator for the hand-held low-cost prototype was designed in a simulation software that is specialized to study interactions of electromagnetic waves and biological tissues, such as healthy and cancerous skin. In parallel, we developed a laboratory model that can mimic the properties of healthy and diseased skin tissues. The developed probe has been validated on the laboratory model of <a href="http://skin.The" target="_blank" title="skin.The">skin.The goal of this research is to provide an easy-to-use, hand-held, low-cost device to allow for skin cancer screening in GP clinics in cities and rural communities. The innovation will allow for early detection and increased patient outcomes while relieving pressure on the public health system, by raising the accuracy of correct identification of skin cancer of a GP to that of a highly specialised <a href="http://dermatologist.Speaker(s):" target="_blank" title="dermatologist.Speaker(s):">dermatologist.Speaker(s): Lena, ***CANCELED***Room: 321, Bldg: Duff Medical Building, 3775 Rue University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/543954

IEEE SAS YP 2026 – Golf Social @ Launchpad Golf Heritage PointeKick off your week with some high-tech swings! Join us at Launchpad Golf - Heritage Pointe for an evening of networking, skill-building, and friendly competition. Whether you’re a scratch golfer or it’s your first time picking up a club, this social is designed for all skill <a href="http://levels.Event" target="_blank" title="levels.Event">levels.Event Details-Date: Monday, April 13th, 2026-Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM-Location: Launchpad Golf (Heritage Pointe)-Cost: $10 (IEEE Members) | $15 (Non IEEE Members)What’s Included-2 Hours of Golf: Access to high-tech hitting bays from 6:00 PM to 8:00 <a href="http://PM.-Clubs:" target="_blank" title="PM.-Clubs:">PM.-Clubs: You are welcome to bring your own set, but Launchpad will also provide clubs on-site for those who need <a href="http://them.-Food" target="_blank" title="them.-Food">them.-Food & Beverage: A full menu is available for order directly at your hitting bay. Please note that no outside food or drink is permitted on the <a href="http://premises.Registration" target="_blank" title="premises.Registration">premises.Registration & CapacitySpots are limited! Due to bay capacity, we have a strict limit on attendees. Please register early to secure your <a href="http://spot.Note" target="_blank" title="spot.Note">spot.Note to Attendees: During registration, please indicate if you are attending with a specific group so we can do our best to group you in the same bay. If you require a specific club setup (e.g., left-handed), please let us know in advance![]31 Heritage Pointe Dr, Heritage Pointe, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T1S 4H1

[]The panel, titled “Leadership at the Intersection of AI and Silicon Photonics,” will bring together leading experts to discuss leadership across academia and industry, the role of AI in next-generation photonics technologies, and strategies for career development and professional <a href="http://transitions.Speaker(s):" target="_blank" title="transitions.Speaker(s):">transitions.Speaker(s): Dr. Aref Chowdhury, Dr. Aaron Zilkie, Prof. Winnie Ye, Prof. Michal Lipson525 Legget Dr,, Kanata, Ontario, Canada, K2K 3G4

This paper presents a source-follower power amplifier (PA) designed to combat high VSWR and reverse intermodulation distortion (RIMD) in phased arrays. Its inherently low output impedance enables conjugate matching and robust resilience to load variations, mitigating degradation from antenna mismatches up to 4:1 VSWR. The design maintains strong large-signal performance without compromise, proving its suitability for compact, calibration-free integration in large-scale SATCOM and 6G <a href="http://systems.Agenda:" target="_blank" title="systems.Agenda:">systems.Agenda: ISSCC 2026 paper 20.4Room: 415, Bldg: ICT, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Low-Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites are now providing broadband service to users around the world. But they face space congestion problems. Some satellites must steer around each other to avoid collisions. In addition, the LEO satellites must share radio spectrum with geosynchronous Earth-orbiting (GEO) satellites and, more interestingly, with each <a href="http://other.This" target="_blank" title="other.This">other.This presentation will touch on collision avoidance but will focus on beam steering and other ways that these satellites can efficiently share spectrum with each other. There are a variety of ways they can do this. Some require information sharing, but others do not. Our work at Carnegie Mellon is examining the effectiveness of various spectrum sharing <a href="http://methods.Co-sponsored" target="_blank" title="methods.Co-sponsored">methods.Co-sponsored by: Lin CaiRoom: 660, Bldg: ECS, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, V8P 5C2

AI is getting more autonomous, and that's both exciting and challenging. What happens when AI systems start making decisions on their own? Who's accountable when things go wrong? And how so we manage the risks without slowing down innovation? If you've been wondering about these questions, this session is for <a href="http://you.As" target="_blank" title="you.As">you.As someone working in AI agents and product development, I've been diving deep into AI governance frameworks to understand what's actually required. In this session, we'll explore the key concepts from AI governance - what makes AI different from traditional software, the risk-based approaches organizations are using, and what's happening in the regulatory landscape with frameworks like the NIST AI RMF and the EU AI <a href="http://Act.This" target="_blank" title="Act.This">Act.This session is for anyone curious about AI governance, and seeking to understand how to build AI systems responsibly - as it explores how organizations can manage risk, accountability, and oversight in increasingly autonomous and agent-driven AI <a href="http://systems.Speaker(s):" target="_blank" title="systems.Speaker(s):">systems.Speaker(s): SnehAgenda: 7:00PM - Introduction of IEEE Hamilton Section7:15PM - Presentation8:00PM - Q&A8:15PM - RefreshmentsRoom: Boardroom, Bldg: Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre, 2302 Bridge Rd,, Oakville,, Ontario, Canada, L6L 2G6

Abstract:The demand for continuous increase in the bandwidth of optical transceivers creates a need for technological innovation of photonic integrated circuits (PICs). In particular, the modulators are often the limiting electro-optic component. Silicon photonics has provided a scalable platform for small, cost-effective, and highly integrated PICs, but silicon-based modulators have limited bandwidth and relatively large <a href="http://insertion-loss.Barium" target="_blank" title="insertion-loss.Barium">insertion-loss.Barium titanate (BTO) has emerged as a material for high-speed, low-loss electro-optic modulators that can be integrated into silicon photonic platforms. It is a stable oxide material, with large Pockels coefficients that can be produced on 300 mm wafers, which enables high-performance transmitter PICs with the same level of integration as silicon <a href="http://photonics.This" target="_blank" title="photonics.This">photonics.This talk will review the work that has been done by various researchers to develop BTO as a photonic platform, including various device demonstrations, the integration with silicon photonics, and its potential for applications in different fields. It will also discuss the commercial 200 mm BTO-silicon platform that Lumiphase has developed and the recent PIC <a href="http://demonstrations.Speaker(s):" target="_blank" title="demonstrations.Speaker(s):">demonstrations.Speaker(s): Felix EltesAgenda: 1:30 pm - 2:00 pm: Free networking (on-site only)2:00 pm - 3:00 pm: Tech Talk (hybrid)Room: MC603, Bldg: McConnell Engineering building, McGill University, 3480 rue University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 0C3, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/551060

Frequency-Domain Cross-Layer Diversity Techniques - Efficient Ways of Coping with Lost Packets in Broadband Wireless SystemsThe design of broadband wireless communications presents considerable challenges. The propagation conditions can be very hostile (e.g., highly dispersive channels and/or deep fading or shadowing effects). This is especially true for systems operating in mm-wave conditions, where one must rely in LoS and/or reflected rays. Moreover, these systems are expected to have power and spectral efficiencies, together with high QoS requirements. There are also implementation complexity constraints, especially at the mobile <a href="http://terminals.Prefix-assisted" target="_blank" title="terminals.Prefix-assisted">terminals.Prefix-assisted block transmission techniques combined with frequency-domain detection are known to be suitable for high rate transmission over severely time-dispersive channels. The most popular modulations based on this concept are OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing) and SC-FDE (Single-Carrier with Frequency-Domain Equalization). However, the severe propagation conditions in multiuser wireless systems make it likely that a non-negligible fraction of the transmitted packets will be lost, either due to deep fading/shadowing effects or due to collisions in the MAC (Medium Access Control) <a href="http://phase.The" target="_blank" title="phase.The">phase.The traditional approach to cope with lost packets is to drop them and ask for its retransmission. However, even packets with a large number of bit errors have useful information on the transmitted blocks that can be employed to improve the detection performance. To take advantage of this, we need to employ a cross-layer approach combining PHY, MAC and LLC layer aspects to cope with lost packets. In this talk we show how we can design powerful cross-layer network diversity techniques specially designed for broadband wireless systems employing block transmission techniques combined with frequency domain <a href="http://detection.Room:" target="_blank" title="detection.Room:">detection.Room: 430, Bldg: EOW, 3800 Finnerty Road, Room 110 Saunders Annex, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, V8P5C2

Welcome to the Biggest National Career Event of CanadaThis event is organized during Spring (April) and Fall (October) every year by the l’Événement Carrières in the vibrant city of Montreal. This April, we at IEEE Young Professionals (YP) Montreal are thrilled to announce our continued collaboration and partnership in organizing the event, ensuring unparalleled opportunities for all <a href="http://attendees.Whether" target="_blank" title="attendees.Whether">attendees.Whether you're a recent graduate in engineering, IT, or Computer Science eager to kickstart your career, or an experienced professional seeking new horizons, this is your gateway and ultimate platform for success. Don't miss out the opportunity to engage with top employers, connect with industry leaders, forge valuable connections, and explore exciting career <a href="http://prospects.Join" target="_blank" title="prospects.Join">prospects.Join us on Wednesday, April 22 from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM and on Thursday, April 23, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the prestigious Palais des Congrès de Montré<a href="http://al.Let's" target="_blank" title="al.Let's">al.Let's embark on this journey together towards a brighter future!**Please make sure to have a printed copy of your latest CV with you!**Bldg: Palais des congrès de Montréal, Metro Place-d'Armes, Palais des Congrès de Montréal1001 Pl. Jean-Paul-Riopelle, Montréal, Quebec, Canada, H2Z 1H5

Virtual Lunch & Learn - Empowered by Design: Structuring High-Performing Teams──────────PMINS Events Team is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom <a href="http://meeting.Topic:Empowered" target="_blank" title="meeting.Topic:Empowered">meeting.Topic:Empowered by Design: Structuring High-Performing TeamsTime: Apr 23, 2026 12:00 PM HalifaxJoin Zoom Meeting<a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85201523379Meeting" target="_blank" title="https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85201523379Meeting">https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85201523379Meeting ID: 852 0152 3379---One tap mobile+15642172000,,85201523379# US+16469313860,,85201523379# USJoin instructions<a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/85201523379/invitations?signature=HvsAsOM56SqkWVFCihn8LtjFJLWhnQ7rj1aeeFV99_QVirtual:" target="_blank" title="https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/85201523379/invitations?signature=HvsAsOM56SqkWVFCihn8LtjFJLWhnQ7rj1aeeFV99_QVirtual:">https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/85201523379/invitations?signature=HvsAsOM56SqkWVFCihn8LtjFJLWhnQ7rj1aeeFV99_QVirtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/553158