Professional Development

Education      Personal Growth      Technology

Technology Track

Thursday Sessions

10/14, 10:00-11:30 a.m.

10:00-11:30 a.m.

1:00-2:00 p.m.

1:00-2:00 p.m.

1:00-2:30 p.m.

3:30-4:30 p.m.

3:30-4:30 p.m.

Friday Sessions

1:15-2:30 p.m.

3:30-4:15 p.m.

3:30-4:30 p.m.

3:30-4:30 p.m.

3:30-4:30 p.m.

4:30-5:15 p.m.

4:30-5:30 p.m.

4:30-5:30 p.m.

4:30-5:30 p.m.

4:30-5:30 p.m.

Saturday Sessions

10:00-11:30 a.m.

10:00-11:30 a.m.

10:00-11:30 a.m.

1:15-2:00 p.m.

1:15-2:45 p.m.

2:00-2:45 p.m.

2:00-2:45 p.m.

Technologies Track

Thursday Sessions

Thursday, 10/14, 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 202D, Mezzanine Level

Get an overview of fuel cell function, environmental benefits, and transportation applications. The challenges involving basic materials, specialized sub-components, high volume manufacturing, and the supporting infrastructure will also be discussed.

Barbara Moore is a Mechanical Engineer with General Motors Fuel Cell Activities, where she is supervises leading reliability growth development for fuel cell power modules, fuel cell stack, and components. Her previous experience was with Delphi Automotive Systems, where she spent the first 11 years of her career focused on fuel system component supplier quality and product engineering of gas fuel injectors for GM vehicles. She received her BS in Mechanical Engineering from Syracuse University in 1981.

Thursday, 10/14, 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 202C, Mezzanine Level

Technology innovation and sustainment of excellence drive future business and competitive advantage. This presentation explores how multiple industry segments make technology decisions that engender the "courage to create" while maintaining a healthy core business.

Dr. Pamela Blake leads the Innovative Solutions group within Boeing’s Space and Intelligence Systems’ Advanced Concepts and Technology group. As Innovative Solutions lead, Pamela is responsible for identifying and nurturing revolutionary technology ideas, and for transforming these ideas into business opportunities. Dr. Blake's particular technical expertise is in the development and performance evaluation of algorithms and systems for the analysis of remotely sensed data. She holds a BA in physics from Willamette University, and her MS and PhD degrees in Geology and Geophysics from the University of Hawaii.

Thursday, 10/14, 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 202D, Mezzanine Level

Learn how Raytheon and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) take advantage of technology to support the configuration management effort contracted by the Navy to Lockheed-Martin Manassas for all submarine Non-Propulsion Electronic Systems (NPES). A central database of change requests and requirements is maintained as an unclassified web page. The baseline documents for each submarine hull class are posted on the web page. Weekly review meetings are held as video-conferences with telephone call in. Mail votes are taken for urgent issues. Issues are generally resolved via email or by telephone consultation among the interested parties.

Saturday, 10/14, 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 202B, Street Level

Engineers need not only worry about how (and IF) their product will work, but how the consumer will interact with their product. Consumer interaction is where usability engineers bring their expertise. They are advocates for the consumer, as well as having technical knowledge to work with the product to create a solution that satisfies the technology and the consumer. This presentation will explain a five step process currently in use in industry that allows for more usable designs. Examples of usability in software, consumer goods, and computer hardware will be presented.

Susan Benysh received her PhD from Purdue University in 1998 from the Industrial Engineering Department with an emphasis in Human Factors Engineering. She started working for IBM in 1997, starting the iSeries User-Centered Design Team. Currently, she is the iSeries Team Lead for Hardware Usability and the Product Development Team Lead for the Serviceability Assessment Tool.

Diana Ukleja received an MS in Computer Science from University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth in 1996 after a previous career in university libraries and a library computer company. She has been with Raytheon in Portsmouth, RI since 1996 and is currently a systems engineer in the integrated Warfare Sensor Systems and Software Department.

Thursday, 10/14, 1:00-2:30 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 202C, Mezzanine Level

Learn how technologies that were to be used in a commercial sonic cruiser airplane were applied to a totally different product – the 7E7 – in the face of market changes caused by 9/11.

Sandy Postel is currently Vice-President of Quality for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Previously, she has held numerous leadership roles with responsibility for the manufacturing and design of aircraft, new product development, and research and development. She earned degrees from Purdue University and University of Wyoming, and has also completed executive programs at Duke University and Harvard Business School. Sandy is the Boeing executive focal for SWE.

Thursday, 10/14, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 203DE, Mezzanine Level

Due to this year’s Presidential Mandate of Human Exploration of the Moon and Mars, NASA is currently developing a new space transportation system with multipurpose utility. The Crew Exploration Vehicle will offer a new capability to transport crew and cargo to and from the lunar and artian surfaces. This presentation details the planning, studies, and developments to date and goals, objectives, and requirements of the NASA Constellation Program.

Dr. Chris Barret has a BS, MS, and a PhD, all in Aerospace Engineering and has worked for NASA for 20 years. Her specialties are Flight Vehicle Design, Stability Control, Systems Engineering, and Project Management. Dr. Barret is also an AIAA Associate Fellow and a long-time member of SWE, AIAA and EAA.

Thursday, 10/14, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 202E, Mezzanine Level

Data must be organized to become information and the resulting information must be organized to become knowledge that supports decision-making. Knowledge workers are the engineers who transform information into knowledge. Among the challenges encountered in knowledge work are managing the process of organizing information into knowledge, leading the knowledge workers, ensuring the appropriate application of knowledge, facilitating knowledge-based decision making, maintaining currency amongst the knowledge workers and guaranteeing that others know the tacit and explicit knowledge they need.

Judith Forbes, PhD holds undergraduate degrees in Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Math and English Literature, as well as several graduate degrees and a PhD in Executive Management from the Drucker Center at Claremont Graduate University.

Friday Sessions

Friday, 10/15, 1:15-2:30 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 203C, Mezzanine Level

This course offers a practical look at designing and deploying online applications for manageability, reliability and efficiency.

Debra Chrapaty is responsible for the operational intrastructure and global network for all the Web properties of the MSN network of Internet services including the MSN portal, the MSN Hotmail® Web-based e-mail service, MSN Messenger Service and Passport.

Friday, 10/15, 3:30-4:15 p.m.

Dr. Sheila Harnett is a Distinguished Engineer in IBM's Systems and Technology Group and is responsible for defining and executing IBM's technical strategy for Linux - involving participation with the open source community, driving Linux exploitation and enablement across IBM's product teams, and the development and implementation of requirements needed to make Linux an Enterprise server platform. She has also been involved with the definition and execution of IBM's Linux technical strategy since 1998.

Friday, 10/15, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 102E, Street Level

Learn from a diverse set of panelists who have successfully created and managed global teams that have delivered outstanding results. The participants will cover team building "dos and don'ts", as well as tips for handling unique situations.

Friday, 10/15, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 101B, Street Level

This course will discuss the e-Enabled airline. Seamlessly integrated networks, communication systems, and applications will deliver superior value by keeping all aircraft constantly connected, sending and receiving valuable information; providing real-time monitoring for predictive rather than reactive response; improving airline operational efficiency; and increasing revenue.

Beverly Wyse is currently the Director, Deployment and Installations, Connexion by Boeing and her responsibilities include leading the deployment of a revolutionary airborne mobile broadband communication system aboard commercial and executive aircraft. Before joining Connexion by Boeing, Beverly was Director, 757 Program Management, Boeing Commercial Airplane Company. Ms. Wyse attended Pacific Lutheran University, studying general engineering and graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington in 1985.

Friday, 10/15, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 203C, Mezzanine Level

Learn about “sustainable growth,” a new and developing subject that is starting to affect projects and product design all around the world! You cannot be an engineer in the 21st century without some working knowledge of the term!

Elizabeth Butler received her Batchelor of Science Degree with Honors in Metallurgy from the Victoria University of Manchester, England. She continued her education after immigrating to the United States at Lehigh University graduating with an MS and PhD in Materials Science and Engineering. Elizabeth was a Guest Scientist in the Ceramics Division of the National Institute of Science and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland and a Post Doctoral Research Scholar in the Ceramics Department at Rutgers University in New Jersey. After joining the DuPont Company in 1995 she has held various positions, Scientist, Tech Service Liaison for Asia Pacific, Six Sigma Operations Black Belt and currently is a Supervisor in the DuPont early career Engineer development program. Elizabeth resides in Wilmington, DE, with her Scientist husband and two children, Sadie and Emily.

Friday, 10/15, 4:30-5:15 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 102D, Street Level

How secure are your Linux servers? What are some of the processes to take to achieve a solid level of security for your environment? What are the best among today's available open source security tools that you can use? Learn how IBM's Linux Test and Integration Center brought various open source security products together to protect its middleware integration test environment. Learn about various intrusion detection systems, Kerberos, auditing tools, firewalls, security processes and remote security scanners, as well as our recommendations and experiences.

Jin Xiong is a Software Engineer for IBM Corporation in Poughkeepsie, NY specializing in eServer Integration Testing for Linux on xSeries and Linux on ZSeries. Ms. Xiong presents on the subject of open source security as a result of the strong interest generated from the 3-month security study conducted at the Linux Test Integration Center, and will be publishing a white paper on her team’s experiences and recommendations during the study. Previously, she worked on system and security testing, and test projects for Java security, Integrated Cryptographic Service Facility, and eServer Tivoli Access Manager. She has a BS in Computer Science from the State University of NY, and an MS in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Friday, 10/15, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 101B, Street Level

General Motors is currently developing hybrid systems for larger vehicles to have a greater impact on fuel economy. With hybrid full-size pick-ups being released next year, a hybrid Saturn VUE in 2006, and hybrid full-size SUV's in 2007, GM will improve fuel economy on these vehicles by 30%. Learn about the technology being incorporated into these vehicles and the advantages for the consumer.

Friday, 10/15, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 102E Mezzanine Level

Honeywell's Commercial Aviation Products group is successfully producing the next step in navigation for air transport aircraft. The ADIRU(Air Data Inertial Reference Unit)processes and outputs Air Data information and Inertial Reference information. The Air Data Reference (ADR) component receives static and total pressures, total air temperature, barometric correction inputs, and AOA resolver inputs. The Inertial Reference component contains three force rebalance accelerometers and three laser gyros which it uses to measure inertial motion. The ADIRU will be used on the new Airbus A380 and the Boeing 7E7 aircraft.

Elizabeth Keller Bierman is a Customer Support Engineer, Aerospace Electronic Systems at Honeywell. She interfaces with aircraft manufacturers, airline customers, suppliers and Honeywell’s worldwide support network for overall technical support on navigation aviation products. She holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from Iowa State University and an MBA from Bentley College.

Friday, 10/15, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 102C, Street Level

Engineers all require a basic knowledge of patent law. This engaging presentation discusses the basics of patent law in a Top Ten List format. The presentation also discusses current issues in patent law, including the efficacy of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the proposed changes to the presumption of patent validity, and strategies for protecting an organization's R&D investment in this global economy.

Billie Jean Smith is a partner at the law firm of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP specializing in intellectual property law. Ms. Smith’s law practice includes the acquisition and enforcement of U.S. and foreign patent rights, worldwide intellectual property licensing and technology transfers, intellectual property portfolio management, product development counseling, and the acquisition and enforcement of U.S. and foreign trademark registrations. She received her undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, in biomedical engineering from Marquette University and her law degree, cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin.

Friday, 10/15, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 203C, Mezzanine Level

Join this interactive workshop about the future of automotive design and technology. Come hear what the future holds and tell us what you want. Top General Motors’ designers will be on hand to help shape the future!

Janet Goings is currently Assistant Staff Engineer and Program Manager, Design and Technology Fusion. She holds a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and the University of Michigan respectively. She has worked at General Motors in a wide variety of assignments since her freshman year in college. Her assignments have included development of advanced automotive systems, concept development, strategic planning, marketing, recruiting, and diversity programs. Her current assignment is working to leverage new technology to improve the aesthetic design of vehicles.

Saturday Sessions

Saturday, 10/16, 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 101A, Street Level

In a global complex business environment, engineering new ideas play as significant a role to the company bottom line as does the innovation/release of new solutions that satisfy customer requirements. Learn about the experience of engineering transformations to improve the bottom line by launching new initiatives and orchestrating quick results.

Anita Manwani is responsible for global procurement of Indirect Materials and Agilent's operations in India. She has held a variety of management positions, including vice president of Business Strategy. She is responsible for Agilent's strategy for an increased presence in India and the formation of a new entity, Agilent Technologies International, to provide R&D and IT enabled services to Agilent Entities worldwide

Saturday, 10/16, 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 101CD, Street Level

Learn about the role that engineers and engineering departments have during and after the implementation of a quality system. We will discuss the introduction of metrics that can be used in the engineering environment to identify areas for continual improvement and track trends and progress associated with process improvement. Leave this session with introductory knowledge of the purpose of quality systems and the importance of engineering tasks within the system.

Jennifer Fairchild graduated from the University of Missouri-Rolla with a BS in Electrical Engineering and received her MS from National Technological University. She presently is Vice-President of Quality and Tactical Engineering for Audio international, with emphasis on continual improvement in processes and products. She has been a SWE member since 1988.

Saturday, 10/16, 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 202E, Mezzanine Level

Wireless is one of the newest technology frontiers. With the availability of always-on, instant mobile communications, the potential of this technology appears to be limitless. Without cables, we can send voice and data “anytime, anywhere.” Wireless makes the Internet an intermediary among dozens of diverse mobile technologies such as communicating from handheld, car to Global Positioning System satellite, or payment wands waved in front of gas pumps. Get an overview of mobile communications, wireless local area networks and key mobile commerce applications in business so you can understand the potential of this technology.

Nirmala Krishnan has been with Boeing for the past 17 yrs. She has worked in Boeing’s 777 and 7E7 Cabin Systems Product development.. Nirmala recently graduated with MBA in technology Management from University of Washington, Seattle and currently works with Boeing Commercial Airplanes Engineering as Reliability & Maintainability Manager. She has contributed papers at prior SWE conferences and won a technical award in 2000 for her paper on "Women Leadership in New millennium.”

Saturday, 10/16, 1:15-2:00 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 101CD, Street Level

The role of a database administrator includes monitoring the performance of the database, tuning, backup and recovery, security, and a myriad of needs. Get a basic overview and introduction of the tasks of a database administrator, with tips and checklists to help organize the workload.

Candy Robinson has a BSEE from the University of Texas, and a MSCS from UC Davis, and MBA in Engineering and Technology Management from University of Dallas, and is a Certified Software Development Professional. She works as a database architect/administrator at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, providing ground support for the F/A-22 jet fighter.

Saturday, 10/16, 1:15-2:45 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 101A, Street Level

This presentation enables participants to sample and experiment with several innovative ways of creating an Internet presence. Weblogs are being used by journalists, politicians, educators and businesspeople to project up-to-date reviews of Internet materials, along with personal reflections and criticism. Collaborative filtering facilitates discussions and commentary on various issues and even consumer products. The presentation will also explore new developments in webpage construction and search engine placement.

Jo Ann Oravec is an Associate Professor in the College of Business and Economics at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater (USA). She received her MBA, MA, MS and PhD degrees from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She taught computer information systems and public policy at Baruch College of the City University of New York and also taught in the School of Business and the Computer Sciences Department at UW-Madison. In the 1990s, she chaired the Privacy Council of the State of Wisconsin, the nation's first state-level council dealing with information technology and privacy issues. She has written books (including Virtual Individuals, Virtual Groups: Human Dimensions of Groupware and Computer Networking, Cambridge University Press) and dozens of articles on computing technology issues. Jo Ann has also worked for public television and developed software along with her academic ventures. She will be a visiting fellow at Cambridge University in 2005.

Saturday, 10/16, 2:00-2:45 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 101CD, Street Level

A picture tells a thousand words which is why animations and/or videos are a natural solution to serve our procedural information to our customers. The goal is to eliminate confusion by showing our external and internal customers what a procedure requires by way of animations and/or videos. The animations and videos are perfect avenues to serve up information across different languages since language translation is not required for your eyes.

Jenny Somers is a Storage Systems Development Software Engineer for IBM Corporation in Tucson, AZ specializing in visual design. She has been recognized by the previous CEO of IBM, Lou Gerstner, for her design contributions for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. She also received an IBM Distinguished Engineer's Award for her submission to IBM Tucson's 2003 Early Tenure Showcase on the topic of animation. Jenny has two patents pending and a third in the earlier stages of development. Prior to her employment at IBM, she was President of Foothills Graphics, Inc., for nine years and during that time, she invented a third party software plug-in for CorelDRAW called TEKit which enabled the user to create isometric views at the click of a button. Jenny sold her software technology to Corel Corporation in 1999.

Saturday, 10/16, 2:00-2:45 p.m.

Midwest Airlines Center, Room 202B, Mezzanine Level

Successful enterprises today rely on business intelligence and data warehousing to gain a better understanding of their business and to establish a competitive position within their marketplaces. Since the increase in processor speed has outpaced the improvements in storage technology and the data volumes have grown at an exponential rate, I/O subsystem performance becomes a critical factor to overall system performance. Equally important is the challenge to balance system resources and how to make efficient use of storage investments. We will focus on the performance aspects related to optimizing systems configured for data warehouse workloads with a goal towards maximizing efficiency and containing costs.

Ann Matzou is a software engineer at IBM, and has been working on industrial standard commercial benchmarks during the past few years, including the benchmarks in the IBM eServer pSeries cluster environment with DB2 EEE implementation. She is skilled in performance tuning and maximizing efficiency of hardware and software with a strong focus on supporting business needs of the customer to maximize corporate strategy. Ms. Matzou has also worked on customer and software vendor benchmarks with Oracle Parallel Server, which is responsible for physical layout design, implementation of high availability system, and performance tuning of IBM SP cluster.