Category Archives: 2016

Data Analytics in Educational Institutions: Building a Predictive Model for Student Enrolment

2016dec07jimnastos

McCall Milligan, Jim Nastos and
Jan O’Brien
Department of Institutional Research, Okanagan College

Data Analytics in Educational Institutions:
Building a Predictive Model for Student Enrolment

 Time & Date: 4pm–5pm, Wednesday, December 7th, 2016
Location: E103, Okanagan College, 1000 KLO Rd., Kelowna, BC V1Y 4X8

Talk Abstract: Now more than ever, planning and decision-making is data, rather than gut, driven. While there are many existing models for regression, prediction and learning, choosing an appropriate model involves understanding the associated data deeply. Often, choosing a standard model is still insufficient if the analyst is not customizing their model to handle the intricacies of their data.

We describe our development process of a Markov chain and Dynamic Markov Chain-based model for predicting college enrolments. The model is compared and contrasted against previously-attempted models. We include a demo of using our interface into the model, which allows for roughly 600 configurations of parameters, and many additional override value options.

The ideas presented here are applicable to many dynamical systems involving population migration in a discrete-time process.

Speaker Biography: Jim Nastos earned his PhD from UBC Okanagan in Interdisciplinary Studies. He is currently a College Professor of Computer Science at Okanagan College, and previously worked as an Institutional Research Data Analyst at Okanagan College, a math and computer science lecturer at the UBCO and a math lecturer at the UAlberta. His academic research has been published in mathematics, computer science, physics, social networks, bioinformatics and marketing venues.

McCall Milligan earned his bachelor of Applied Mathematics at UBC Okanagan. He will be entering an MSc program in financial modeling and risk analysis in 2017. McCall is currently working as an Analyst at Okanagan College in the Institutional Research and Planning office.

Jan O’Brien is Manager of Institutional Research and Planning at Okanagan College. She has been in higher education for over 20 years, in Faculty, co-op education and administration. The department works with data to support planning and evaluation of college programming. Jan earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Leicester and a bachelor of business administration degree from Simon Fraser University. Before working in higher education, Jan worked in technology marketing in Vancouver.

Registration is open now: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/42254
Pizza will be provided after the talk. For further information please contact:
Youry Khmelevsky (email: youryNOSPAM@ieee.org)

Real World Software, Entrepreneurship & Community

2016dec05keithmacintyre3

 

Keith MacIntyre, P.Eng.
President, Big Bear Software Inc.

Real World Software, Entrepreneurship & Community

Time & Date: 5pm–6pm, Monday, December 5th, 2016
Location: E105, Okanagan College, 1000 KLO Rd., Kelowna, BC V1Y 4X8

Talk Abstract: Software Development can seem abstract at times when learning concepts, theories and algorithms. I will take you through my 18-year journey of writing and deploying large software applications, leading teams, working for start-ups and starting my own company. I will share with you my successes, and more importantly the lessons learned from my failures. I will talk about the importance of mentorship, choosing a company to work for and my approach to building teams. Lastly, I will demonstrate the importance of community within a company, and being an active member of the community you live in.

Speaker Biography: Keith MacIntyre graduated from the University of Alberta with an Electrical Engineering Degree in 1998. He started writing software with some of the first home PC’s in the 1980’s. He quickly became a key software developer at General Dynamics Canada redeveloping election preparation and tabulation software for touch-screen voting systems used in numerous US elections. He has twice been the first employee for two start-ups that grew into successful 30+ person companies. He has personally written military tactical simulators used for training in the Middle East, chemical and nuclear disaster simulators used by the US Army, a pandemic flu simulator used by the Center for Disease Control, and many other products and systems. He has been running Big Bear Software Inc. for 13 years, 6 of those from Penticton. He is an active member of the community have been an executive member of JCI Penticton, a Director on the Chamber of Commerce, and ran in a municipal election for School Trustee, finding a balance between, work, community and raising his two sons.

Registration is open now: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/42253
Refreshments (& Pizza) will be provided. For further information please contact:
Youry Khmelevsky (email: youry@ieee.org)

Introduction to Microsoft Azure

sergiibaidachnyiSergii Baidachnyi
Principal Technical Evangelist
Microsoft Canada
sbaydach@microsoft.com

Time & Date: 3 pm–4 pm, Tuesday, October 18th, 2016
Location: EME 2202, UBC, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC
Registration is open now: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/41698

Time & Date: 5 pm–6 pm, Tuesday, October 18th, 2016 (Evening talk at Okanagan College).
Location: C-240, Okanagan College, 1000 KLO Rd., Kelowna, BC, V1Y 4X8
Registration is open now: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/41699

Talk Abstract: In this session we are going to discuss several Microsoft Azure services that may be interesting for students, developer and researchers. We will start with some PaaS services that allow you to build Web Applications and Internet of Things solutions. In the first demo you will be able to see how to deploy a basic web site even without any knowledge in Azure. In the second demo we will cover IoT Hub, Stream Analytic and Power BI services. The second important topic in the presentation is Big Data. Thanks to Azure you can use lots of Big Data services like HDInsight, Data Lake and Azure Date Lake Analytics. We will discuss all of them. Right after the Big Data topic we will discuss Containers that are very popular not just in development environments but also for many tasks in production environments. You will be able to see, how to deploy containers based on Docker service. Of course, we cannot miss Azure Machine Learning. You will be able to see tools and components that you can use in order to train you ML model and publish it as a web service in order to make it available to all other services. If time permits, we will discuss Microsoft Cognitive Services and Visual Studio Team Services.

Speaker Biography: Sergii Baidachnyi is a principal developer evangelist at Microsoft. Currently residing in Canada, Sergii is responsible for working with the developer community and promoting client-development tools as a superior mechanism for creating cross-platform business applications. The author was introduced to the .NET platform circa 2001, and since that time, he has actively participated in a number of .NET projects, developing, managing, and architecting financial, medical, and multimedia applications. At the same time, Sergii led Microsoft IT Academy, where he delivered .NET-related trainings on C#, Windows Forms, ASP.NET, and so on. He has published articles and reviews in multiple IT-industry magazines and several books on ASP.NET, Silverlight, Windows Forms, and Windows 8 Development. His book about Windows 10 development is available on Amazon. You can read more of Sergii’s musings on his blog at http://en.baydachnyy.com. You can also catch him attending and speaking at Microsoft events around Canada. Sergii’s twitter is @sbaidachni.

For further information please contact: Youry Khmelevsky (email: youry@ieee.org)
Refreshments will be provided.

Your First Wireless Product: Essential Things You Need to know

 

Lee

 

Lee Vishloff PEng, IEEE WCP

 

Your First Wireless Product: Essential Things You Need to know.

Time & Date: 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm, Tuesday, June 21st, 2016.
Location: E103, Okanagan College, 1000 KLO Rd, Kelowna, BC V1Y4X8 (parking info).

Talk Abstract: That all-in-one radio IC data sheet says , “No RF experience required”. But is it true?
There are a host of things that one needs to understand when designing a wireless product.
The most important of these is making (or keeping) the product legal to sell. Then comes
performance. Poor wireless performance results in product support calls which will destroy
your profit margin and/or create many unhappy customers. In these days of high competition
and social media poorly performing products are a sure way to a quick product death.

What is Covered:
This seminar will cover the essential things you need to address in order to create a high quality
wireless product including:
1. Factors affecting radio performance
2. Regulatory requirements
3. Radio transmission basics
4. Making your product testable
5. RF issues you need to address
6. Ways to improve system availability and performance
7. Things to watch out for when using approved wireless modules.

Who Should Attend:
This seminar is relevant to:
* Designers new to wireless product development
* R&D team leaders and managers
* Product managers looking to add wireless capability to a product line
* Investors and budget managers in a company starting in wireless

Answer to the question:
Yes, but only if you don’t care about transmit power, receive performance and regulatory
approval.

Speaker Biography:  Mr. Vishloff is a wireless consultant working in the areas of cellular-based IoT solutions, short-range wireless products and EMC Consulting. He is a regular contributor to the IEEE Communications Society training program teaching several courses in Wireless Technology. He is the current chair of the IEEE Vancouver Section.

He has over 30 years of experience in wireless systems and product design. During his career he has designed a wide range of wireless products including satellite systems, terrestrial radio systems, short-range video, rural communications, aeronautical and others. Lee brings a wide range of practical experience with hands-on and management experience in wireless telecommunication systems, modem, RF, analog, digital, embedded firmware and mechanical design technologies.

Refreshments will be provided. For further information please contact:
Youry Khmelevsky (email: youry at ieee.org).
Registration Page: https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/m/40091

04/25/2016: Learning to Use Git, SourceTree, and BitBucket

IEEE Okanagan College Student Branch &
IEEE Okanagan Subsection Present

Daniel Atkinson and Martin Wallace – Okanagan College

Learning to Use Git, SourceTree, and BitBucket

Time & Date: Monday, April 25th, 2016 5:30-7:30 PM
Location: E310, Okanagan College Campus 1000 KLO Road, Kelowna, BC

Talk Abstract:
In team environments one of the greatest challenges you can encounter is how to effectively share code and resources between members or to recover from disastrous updates. Git is a version control system that effectively solves these monumental problems. Git is the most widely used version control system in the world and is used by innumerable companies and teams to distribute code and work together as a more efficient and effective whole. Of course Git is only as useful as the repository that you use to store everything and we will be covering how to use Git to interface with web repository BitBucket and how to get files into and out of a remote repository hosted on BitBucket. BitBucket is a free to use and highly versatile web-based hosting service. Finally we will be covering how to use SourceTree, a graphical Git desktop client to perform Git operations in a graphical environment.

This workshop is intended for a wide audience and assumes no previous experience with Git, BitBucket, or SourceTree. Learners will be introduced to the basics of creating a repository, pushing and pulling, and working with branches via command line and graphical user interface. At the end of the workshop, learners will be able to create and interact with repositories in two different manners and be able to collaborate with teams of any size on personal or professional projects.

Speakers Biography:
Daniel Atkinson and Martin Wallace are students and experienced research assistants at Okanagan College in the Computer Science department. Each has used Git, BitBucket, and SourceTree on several personal and professional projects including as part of their environment for a previous NSERC research project at Okanagan College.

Refreshments will be provided. For further information please contact:
Scott Fazackerley (email: scott.fazackerley@ieee.org)
Registration Page: (https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/m/39657)

04/27/2016: Jira: A Beginner’s Approach to Project Management

IEEE Okanagan College Student Branch &
IEEE Okanagan Subsection Present


Ben Ward*, Parker Brown*, Garfield De’Pluzer* and Tyler Sutherland**
Computer Science, Okanagan College* & WTFast**

Jira: A Beginner’s Approach to Project Management

Time & Date: 5:30 – 7:30 PM, Wednesday April 27, 2016
Location: E310, Okanagan College, Kelowna, BC

Workshop Abstract:

We will be providing a workshop environment to share the utility of the project management tool Jira. Developed by Atlassian in response to a shift in industry standards of communication on project teams; Jira allows users to unlock the power in the AGILE development method using SCRUM style meetings as a stepping off point for organizing information.

Presenters’ Biographies:


Ben Ward
Is completing his third year towards a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Information Systems with a focus on software systems development. He has taken a keen interest in software design, artificial intelligence and revolve around procedural generation.

 

ParkerBrown

Parker Brown
Is working towards a Diploma in Computer Information Systems. Interested in metadata.

 

 

GarfieldPhoto

 

Garfield De’Pluzer
Second year student of the Network and Telecommunications Engineering Technology program with experience in network and system administration.

 

and

Tyler

 

Tyler Sutherland
Is the Project Manager of WTFast, with over fifteen years of experience leading enterprise information technology projects and managing operations.

 

 

Refreshments will be provided. For further information please contact:
Youry Khmelevsky (email: youry@ieee.org)
Registration Page: (https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/m/39647)

04/06/2016: Getting Started with LaTeX Workshop

IEEE Okanagan College Student Branch &
IEEE Okanagan Subsection Present

Scott Fazackerley – Okanagan College

Getting Started with LaTeX Workshop

Time & Date: 5 pm – 7 pm, Wednesday, April 6th, 2016
Location: E310, Okanagan College, Kelowna, BC

Workshop Abstract:
LaTeX (pronounced either “Lay-tech” or “Lah-tech”) is a cross-platform, portable document formatting system based on TEX (pronounced “tech”), a typesetting language originally designed especially for math and science but is commonly used in the communication and publication of scientific documents in many fields, including mathematics, physics, computer science, statistics, economics, and political science. Unlike traditional word processing, LaTeX relies on markup tagging to define the general structure of a document. While intimidating to the uninitiated user, basic mastery of LaTeX will allow a user to create well-structured and stylized documents with citations and cross-references.

This workshop is intended for a wide audience and assumes no previous LaTeX skills. In the workshop, learners will be introduced to the requirements for using LaTeX as well as building and compiling a basic document.   Learners will investigate how to create basic tables, include images and build a multi-section document.   Learners will also gain basic skills for creating documents with citations and cross references. At the end of the workshop, learners will be able to build and compile a simple LaTeX documents with bibliography.

This is a “bring your own computer” interactive event, as learners will be installing and configuring a LaTeX compiler and IDE. The event is free for all research students and IEEE members. All other participants will be $5 at the door.

Presenter Biography:
Scott Fazackerley likes LaTeX, using it on a daily basis. He is a college professor in Network and Telecommunications Engineering department at Okanagan College where he teaches client-server architecture, scripting, and security and networking in addition to being a PhD candidate at UBC, with a specific focus on data storage and analysis for low power embedded devices. Scott is a graduate of The University of British Columbia with a BSc (Honours) in Computer Science and MSc in Interdisciplinary Studies, focusing on the use of embedded systems and wireless sensor networks in the conservation, management and tracking on environmental parameters.   He continues to maintain an active research and consulting role working on collaborative projects in both industry and academia.

Refreshments will be provided. For further information please contact:
Youry Khmelevsky (email: youry@ieee.org)
Registration Page: (https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/m/39292)

02/18/2016: DOCSIS 3.1 – 10 Gbps over Coaxial Cable – Overview and OFDM Profile Optimization

Brian-Berscheid-Picture

 

 

Dr Brian Bersheid, Senior FPGA Developer
Vecima Networks, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

 

 

IMG_1491-2

 

 

Mr. Colin Howlett, VP Architecture
Vecima Networks, Victoria, BC, Canada

 

DOCSIS 3.1 – 10 Gbps over Coaxial Cable – Overview and OFDM Profile Optimizations

Time & Date: 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm, February 18th, 2016
Location: EME 1151, UBC, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC

Talk Abstract: DOCSIS (Data over Cable Service Interface Specification) 3.1 is a recently developed standard for delivery of high speed data 
over coaxial cable with speeds up to 10 Gbps.  In this talk, presenters from Vecima Networks, a Victoria and Saskatoon-based 
equipment manufacturer, will provide an overview of DOCSIS 3.1 physical layer and discuss research related to optimization of 
OFDM parameters to maximize system performance within sets of modems in a cable TV serving area.

Speakers Biographies:
Brian Berscheid is a Senior FPGA Developer at Vecima Networks.  His responsibilities are mainly focused on the development 
and implementation of signal processing functionality within Vecima’s products.  He is also heavily involved in collaborative
 research with a group of university partners with the aim of developing novel PHY and MAC layer algorithms for next generation 
cable systems.  Brian holds multiple patents and has published a number of journal papers in areas related to cable broadband 
access systems.  Brian received the PhD degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan and is currently 
an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan.

Mr. Colin Howlett is VP, Architecture at Vecima Networks.  Colin is responsible for defining the overall technology strategy at Vecima 
and leads a group of product architects who work directly with customers and the Vecima Research and Development team to 
define the next generation of Vecima products.  Within Vecima, Colin has held numerous positions as part of the Research and 
Development team directly involved in product development and project management before moving into his Architecture role in 
2007.  Colin has been an active participant in industry standards development within the IEEE and WiMAX Forum, and is 
currently actively involved in DOCSIS 3.1 initiatives at CableLabs.  Colin holds multiple patents related to his work in cable 
broadband access systems at Vecima.  Colin holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree and a Bachelor of Computer
 Science degree from the University of Saskatchewan.

Refreshments will be provided.
For further information please contact: Jahangir Hossain and Youry Khmelevsky
(emails: jahangir.hossain at ubc.ca and youry at ieee.org).
Registration Page: (https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/m/38488)

01/27/2016: Rotations in 3D Graphics Programming and the Gimbal Lock

BryanOrganized by IEEE Okanagan College Student Branch and IEEE Okanagan Subsection

Valentin Koch, Principal Research Engineer
Autodesk, Inc.

Rotations in 3D Graphics Programming and the Gimbal Lock (slides)

Time & Date: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm, January  27th, 2016
Location: E310, Okanagan College, 1000 KLO Rd, Kelowna, BC V1Y4X8 (parking info).

Talk Abstract: Rotations are fundamental in 3D computer programs, such as video games, 3D modelling, and embedded navigation systems. A frequent mistake in 3D graphics programming is to use the so-called Euler angles, or Euler matrices, to rotate objects around the traditional X, Y, and Z-axis. In this talk, Valentin will show why using Euler angles can lead to situations where an object loses one degree of freedom. The problem is referred to as the “Gimbal Lock”.  With some mathematical examples, Valentin will show why Gimbal Lock occurs, and will present different techniques to perform rotations in 3D that avoid the issue. This talk is for people who are interested in 3D graphics programming and have a basic understanding of Linear Algebra and matrix computations.

Speaker Biography: Valentin Koch joined Autodesk, Inc., in 2010 to help create the new road and highway optimization service. He is the product owner of the InfraWorks 360 optimization services, and he is architect of the optimization algorithms. Valentin previously worked as a consultant in operations research and optimization. He holds an MSc in mathematics and a BSc in mathematics and computer science. Valentin has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals about subjects that are related to optimization and operations research, including applications in road design optimization and resource allocations for road construction.

Refreshments will be provided. For further information please contact:
Youry Khmelevsky (email: youry at ieee.org).
Registration Page: (https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/m/38094)

01/27/2016: There and Back Again: Life at Google

BryanGardinerPhotoOrganized by IEEE Okanagan College Student Branch and IEEE Okanagan Subsection

 

Bryan Gardiner, former Googler

There and Back Again: Life at Google

Time & Date: 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm, January  27th, 2016
Location: E310, Okanagan College, 1000 KLO Rd, Kelowna, BC V1Y4X8 (parking info).

Talk Abstract: Named Fortune’s #1 best company to work for, for six years, Google’s culture is imbued with moonshot thinking, creativity, and a sense of humour, and Googlers tackle problems at unprecedented scale. To balance a fast-paced work environment, there are many perks and opportunities for growth, both work-related and otherwise. In this talk Bryan will share highlights and lowlights, lessons and surprises on a tour through his three years as a freshly graduated software developer, working in Search and Ads at Google Seattle.

Speaker Biography: Bryan Gardiner grew up in the Okanagan and has been involved with computers for as long as he can remember. He studied at Okanagan College and UBC Okanagan and graduated in 2011 with an Honours in Computer Science and a Major in Mathematics, and performed research in computational convex analysis. He then spent a few memorable years with Google in Seattle. He also develops free software in his spare time.

Refreshments will be provided. For further information please contact:
Youry Khmelevsky (email: youry at ieee.org).
Registration Page: (https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/m/38090)