Title: Potential Effects of Economic Policy in 2025

Abstract: The talk will first present baseline trends for key indicators on the current economy, including budget and financial conditions. It will then discuss potential economic effects of possible policies of the new Trump administration.

Date and Time: Feb 20,2025 6-7:30 PM

Speaker: Lee Price

Bio: Lee Price is a retired economist. During his 40 years in the Washington, DC area, he served as Chief Economist at the Commerce Department, the economist for six Congressional committees, Research Director for both a think tank and a small foundation and Chief Risk Officer at the FDIC.

Date & Time: 6 PM, 16 January

Location: Virtual only by Zoom

Title: Texas Power: a 2025 Update

Speaker: Jim Woodrick

Biography: Mr. James Woodrick had a 28-year career with DuPont Inc., including positions in technology, operations, business and manufacturing management in Victoria, Alvin, Houston and Orange, Texas, and in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Wilmington, Delaware.  He served eight years as Plant Manager of DuPont’s facilities at Chocolate Bayou (Alvin) and Sabine River Works (Orange).  After retirement from DuPont Jim served for ten years as President of Texas Chemical Council, the trade association representing the state’s chemical industry.

Jim has an interest in science related to climate and energy, especially as it relates to the efforts being made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  He also has a lifelong interest in history, particularly that of Texas and Spanish Colonial Mexico, and has published several books and articles on historical topics.  

James Woodrick attended the University of Texas at Austin and graduated with a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering.          

Jim and his wife Frances reside in Austin.  They have two daughters and two grandchildren.

Abstract: This talk will give an overview of the ERCOT grid which provides about 90% of electrical power to Texas.  The growth of renewable power will be a primary focus, especially since its inherent intermittency impacts grid reliability.  Current plans for the expansion of generation capacity will be compared to expected demand growth.

Video recording: youtube.com/watch?v=YqsBkcKiukE

Additional information:

Gov Abbott directive to the PUC https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/Jackson,_Kathleen_08.16.23.pdf

The PUC nuclear report is posted here
https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/Documents/55421_52_1443114.PDF

From the discussions on this PUC project site
https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/search/filings/?UtilityType=A&ControlNumber=55421&ItemMatch=Equal&DocumentType=ALL&SortOrder=Ascending

Here is Glotfelty’s 9/24 report to the Texas House Appropriations committee. Start at 4:08:10 (to 5:54:20) 
https://house.texas.gov/videos/20813

Concerning a new nuclear startup company in Austin 
https://youtu.be/gI7447kRIXM?si=wTPMrjfxfL2N4WtZ
Glotfelty said in a reply email to me the following:
I have spent a lot of time with Aalo. They are a good group of people. I have numerous friends that work there. They have great promise.

Another important topic is development of a 765 kV transmission system to serve the Permian Basin as well as building a 765 kV backbone throughout ERCOT.  Project number 55718  https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/search/filings/?UtilityType=A&ControlNumber=55718
The PB wants about 24 GW of new electric power to run their fracking operations.  My concern is where is the power going to come from?
I think ERCOT is still working on the 765 kV plan.  https://duckduckgo.com/?t=h_&q=ercot+765+kV+plaN&ia=web

Look at the PUC schedules and note under Electric there are meetings with videos and agendas.  Look at the item numbers under agenda and watch the videos at those specific items numbers to see details of discussions in videos.  In one of the videos Dan Patrick criticizes the PUC for botching their jobs at keeping the reliability of the Houston area.  Shortly thereafter Glotfelty and the PUC chair resigned leaving the state in limbo right at a time of very rapid growth.  This is not good.

Another good source of what it going on inside ERCOT is the calendarhttps://www.ercot.com/calendar and look at the ROS meeting notes where studies of various kinds reports are posted.  These reports do not show up in searches on the internet but they do contain a wealth of information, something for students to read.  Students and IEEE members are also welcome to attend these meetings as well as other committee meetings.

The following Central Texas Section Life Member Affinity Group members have agreed to run for Chapter offices for 2025:

Chair,  Bill Martino 

Vice-chair,  Clyde Springen 

Secretary,  Tom Grim 

Treasurer,  Kai Wong 

Date/Time: 14 November 2024, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM

Location: Cherry Creek Catfish Restaurant

Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/event/register/436552

Time/Date: 17 Oct 2024, 6PM to 7:30PM

Location: Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Rd., Austin, Texas AND virtual via Zoom

Topic: Electrical Engineering contributions to the Allied War effort in WWII

Abstract: Engineers and scientists contributed to the Allied war effort in many ways. Their efforts resulted in everything from Colossus to LORAN, and from GEE to the Proximity fuze. The talk will overview as many of these contributions as time permits. 

Speaker: John Purvis

Bio: John earned a BSEE from the University of Houston and a MSEE from the University of Texas at Austin. He ha worked for TRW, Texas Instruments, National Instruments, IBM, and the State of Texas Comptroller’s office in engineering an marketing roles. He also was on the Computer Science Faculty at St. Edward’s University for several years. He joined IEEE as a student at U of H and has been a member for 56 years. He has served in many positions within the Section and the Region 5 Committee. Currently he is webmaster for the Central Texas Section Life Member Chapter, on The Institute Editorial Advisory Board, and is R5 Life Member Affinity Group Coordinator. Since retiring he has developed an interest in the history of the WWII period. He has been a docent at the Texas Military Forces Museum for over five years. 

Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/436369

Recorded Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfzQJHRO8q4

PDF of slides:

Date/Time: 19 Sep 2024, 06:00 PM to 07:30 PM

Abstract: System and platform debug is extremely important to launch products quickly, to avoid undue delays in production, for faster customer product introduction, for in-field debug, etc. Traditional debug techniques using open-chassis are useful for system debug, but removing the chips from the platform takes an unacceptable amount of time in today’s competitive environment. The availability of USB Type-C connectors on most computer platforms opens up an entirely new platform debug method called closed-chassis debug.  This new type of debug eliminates the need to open up the platform.

Closed-Chassis Platform Debug using an available functional receptacle, such as USB Type-C, on a final form factor device is now highly important for Hardware, Software and Firmware debug. The wide acceptance of the Type-C receptacle by most OEMs/ODMs, makes this connector/receptacle the optimum interface for debug purposes. This presentation starts by introducing traditional debug techniques, then gives details on the history of USB and how USB evolved to the Type-C connector.  It then goes covers new system and platform debug techniques including open and closed-chassis debug using the ubiquitous USB Type-C connector.

Location: Asian American Resource Center, Room Number: 8 and Virtual

Video recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUFki8mAZFg

Date / Time: 15 Aug 2024, 06:00 PM to 07:31 PM

Speaker:  Mr. Tom Babb of SkiFi Inc.Texas, Austin.

Bio: Tom Babb is the Head of Marketing of SkyFi, and he is in Austin, Texas.  Prior to SkyFi, Tom was the Growth Marketing Manager and Community Success Marketing. Tom has a background in e-commerce and community management with a variety of skills from content creation to strategic partnerships.  He also was a Consultant with Adobe Inc. and Meta in Accessibility.  He graduated from Kansas University with BA in Journalism.   

Topic: Satellite Imaging Technology

Abstract: Tom will introduce SkyFi as a new Austin-based company to provide Earth observation technology to bring comprehensive geospatial data and analytics to suit businesses and individuals across the world.

Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/event/register/429166

Recording of meeting: https://youtu.be/Q72NdMuylf0

Speaker: David of EverSource Wealth Advisors & Matthew of Davidson Law Group

Topic: ESTATE PLANNING 101: PRESERVING & PROTECTING YOUR FAMILY & LEGACY

Bio: David formerly worked for SpaceX, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin as an engineer before he transitioned to the financial services industry.

After his father passed away, David helped his mom through some tough financial questions, and that gave him the spark to pursue a career in financial planning. David is passionate about serving others and lives by Zig Ziglar’s famous saying, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

He knows first-hand that true happiness is experienced when helping others.  David Sandhu is an investment advisor representative with EverSource Welath Advisors, a registered investment advisor.

Matthew of Davidson Law Group: Matthew Davidson was born in Austin, Texas. He spent his high school years on a family ranch in Dripping Springs, part of the beautiful Texas Hill Country.  He then attended and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in English and American Studies.
 
After working in the financial industry, Matthew attended Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he earned his Juris Doctorate. Following law school, he moved back to his home state and began practicing in Fort Worth. Soon after, Matthew and his brother, James, established the Davidson Law Group in Fort Worth with a concentration on estate planning, elder law, and probate.
 
Matthew’s welcoming personality and genuine passion for helping others is what led him to these practice areas, for which he has become renowned. With the goal of helping hardworking men and women protect what they have earned throughout their lifetimes, he creates meaningful, life-long relationships with his clients, and is always there when they need him.
 
Matthew has been recognized by Fort Worth Magazine and 360 West Magazine as a Top Attorney in multiple years and has been the recipient of several awards, including Best Attorneys in America 2015, the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel, and Super Lawyers Rising Stars.  Matthew has an AVVO rating of 10.0 and a 5-star AVVO Client Rating.
 
He is also a member of Wealth Counsel, ElderCounsel, and the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys, and currently serves on the Board of the Center for Transforming Lives Foundation.
 
Matthew enjoys time with his wife, Brianna, his children, Hayden, Clay, and Sylvia, and other family and friends. He is also an avid outdoorsman, sports fan, and music enthusiast.

Abstract: Now more than ever, it is vital to have a plan in place that will protect your assets, provide for your family, and spare them the burden of unnecessary expenses, taxes and delays.

Date / Time: 25 Jul 2024, 12:00 PM to 01:00 PM

Speaker: Kendra Cook of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Topic: Space Technology for Interplanetary Exploration

Bio: Kendra Cook is a Senior Systems Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) where she has worked for nearly 8 years. She is currently serving as the Lead Spacecraft Operations Systems Engineer for NASA’s flagship mission, Europa Clipper. Prior to joining JPL, Ms. Cook spent 15 years working for the U.S. Government on various satellite and technology development programs. Ms. Cook also served seven years as an Officer in the United States Air Force where she was an Aerospace Engineer specializing in UAVs and air-launched weapons systems. She has a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Boston University and M.S. degrees in both Astronautical Engineering and Computer Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), a Certified U.S. Export Compliance Officer (CUSECO), and is the Chair of the IEEE Aerospace Conference.

Abstract: Ms. Kendra Cook will be diving into the technology required for interplanetary space exploration through two case studies. She will discuss the technology currently being used on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover, and the in-situ and remote sensing technology being developed for the Europa Clipper Mission that will launch in October.

Date / Time: 18 Jul 2024, 06:00 PM to 07:35 PM

Location: Virtual only

Video: https://youtu.be/DZtWTUN2kRY

Speaker: Stuart Greenfield of The University of Texas, Austin

Date / Time: 27 Jun 2024, 06:00 PM to 07:31 PM

Location: Hybrid meeting. Virtual attendance via Zoom. Face-to-face attendance at Room 8 of the Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Rd., Austin, Texas

Abstract: Before looking into the Forecasters’ projection into 2024-2025, Mr. Greenfield will review the Post WWII period when US was the dominant economic power in the world. In 2023, US has four percent of the world population while accounting for 23 percent of the world’s Real Gross Domestic Product (RGDP). While we continue to be the world’s dominant country since the turn of the century, our economic growth rate has declined. Stuart will delineate the factors that are affecting the rate of change, and what we need to do to reverse the trend and keep up with the rest of the world or adjust to the new world of many developing country with much higher growth rate.         

Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/event/register/422403

Recorded video: