|
2010 |
University of Toronto ECE Graduate Symposium
Program
Please visit our Contact Information page for location and parking information.
Please click for ECTI lab tour schedule.
Please click for student presentation schedule.
Please click for the detailed program brochure and room locations.
Legend:
Student
Industry
Panel
| Time | Session | Speaker |
| 8:00 AM | Registration and Breakfast | |
| 9:00 AM | Welcome Address and Keynote Speech Topic: Ontario Engineering: The Labour Market and Beyond |
Annette Bergeron (OSPE) |
| 9:30 AM | Student Presentations (Sessions 1A and 1B) | |
| 10:30 AM | Poster Session 1 / Break | |
| 10:45 AM | Industry Presentation 1 Topic: Google Chrome 
|
Alex Nicolaou (Google) |
| 11:05 AM | Industry Presentation 2 Topic: Higher Abstractions for Programming FPGAs |
Deshanand Singh (Altera) |
| 11:25 AM | Industry Presentation 3 Topic: High-Speed Serial I/O Standards |
Angus Mclaren (Gennum) |
| 11:45 AM | Break / Transition | |
| 11:55 AM | Student Presentations (Sessions 2A and 2B) | |
| 12:55 PM | Poster Session 2 / Lunch | |
| 1:35 PM | Industry Presentation 4 Topic: Development of Medical Non-Invasive Diagnostic Ultrasound Technologies |
Stergios Stergiopoulos (DRDC Toronto) |
| 1:55 PM | Industry Presentation 5 Topic: Vixs Systems---A Canadian Semiconductor Success Story |
Kuldip Sahdra (ViXS) |
| 2:15 PM | Industry Presentation 6 Topic: Silicon, Operating Systems and New Technologies: A Story of the Software in Between |
Mario Filipas (AMD) |
| 2:35 PM | Break / Transition | |
| 2:45 PM | Student Presentations (Sessions 3A and 3B) | |
| 3:45 PM | Poster Session 3 / Break | |
| 4:00 PM | Afternoon Keynote Speech Topic: Future of Communications in Canada |
Alan Horn (Rogers) |
| 4:30 PM | Panel Topic: Cross-disciplinary research and collaboration between academia and industry |
Tony Florio (RIM); Stewart Aitchison (ECTI); John MacRitchie (OCE); and Martin Snelgrove (Kapik Integration) |
| 5:30 PM | Award Presentation and Dinner |
ECTI Lab Tour Schedule
Each lab tour is about 30 minutes long.
| Time | Lab Facility | Lab Manager |
| 9:30 AM | ECTI Electron Beam Nanolithography Facility | Dr. Aju Jugessur |
| 11:55 AM | ECTI Bahen Prototyping Cleanroom | Dr. Henry Lee |
| 2:45 PM | ECTI Pratt Microfabrication Cleanroom | Dr. Edward Xu |
Student Presentations
Biographies
Annette Bergeron
P.Eng., MBA, President and Chair of OSPE
Topic: Ontario Engineering: the labour market and beyond
Biography: Annette Bergeron was reelected to the OSPE Board in 2009, having first joined
the Board in 2002, elected Chair in May 2004, and then Secretary in 2007. A licensed
professional engineer since 1990, Ms. Bergeron began her career as a Production Engineer
at Dofasco Inc. She is now AMS General Manager at Queen’s University and prior to that was a
Lecturer for the School of Business and a Director in the Faculty of Applied Science at Queen’s.
In June 2006, Ms. Bergeron was appointed to the Board of Directors of Kingston General Hospital.
She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science (Material and Metallurgical Engineering) from
Queen’s and a Masters of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at
York University.
Alex Nicolaou
Mobile Engineering Manager, Google
Topic: Google Chrome
Biography: Alex Nicolaou is a Mobile Engineering Manager at Google. Mr. Nicolaou
joined Google in 2006, shortly after Google opened an office in Waterloo, Ontario,
where he is involved in the development of mobile search and email products as a
Mobile Engineering Manager. Until 2006, Nicolaou was president and board member of aruna.ca Inc.,
a startup developing a unique RDBMS based on text-search algorithms and data structures.
Prior to that, Mr. Nicolaou was part of LiquiMedia Inc., a startup developing a real time
kernel extension and Java Virtual Machine. Alex holds an Honours BMath in Computer Science
and Combinatorics and Optimization and an MMath in Computer Graphics,
both from the University of Waterloo.
Presentation:
Deshanand Singh
Ph.D., Supervising Principal Engineer, Altera
Topic: Higher Abstractions for Programming FPGAs
Abstract: Today's FPGAs have logic capacities that are steadily increasing. The FPGA
is a large array of fine-grained programmable elements that can be configured in such
a way to efficiently solve many complex problems. For many applications, FPGAs are a
tremendously efficient computational fabric; however, the primary method of design
entry for FPGAs is through Hardware Design Languages (HDLs) such as VHDL or Verilog.
These languages model the FPGA at an extremely low level where the programmer is expected
to understand cycle-accurate details of how data is moved and transformed through the FPGA.
While this programming model is required to achieve the highest possible efficiency from FPGAs,
it is akin to "assembly language" programming for processors. In this talk, we explore
techniques that allow us to program FPGAs at a level of abstraction that is closer to
traditional software-centric approaches. These techniques allow us to tradeoff some efficiency
for added designer productivity.
Biography: Desh Singh is a Supervising Principal Engineer at Altera's Toronto Technology Center. His group
is responsible for a number of optimization algorithms in Altera's Quartus II CAD tool. These
include Synthesis, Physical Synthesis, Metastability Analysis as well as IP Core optimizations.
Desh holds a PhD from the University of Toronto in the area of timing closure techniques
for high speed FPGA designs.
Angus Mclaren
Senior Project Manager, Gennum
Topic: High-Speed Serial I/O Standards
Biography: Angus McLaren is a Senior Project Manager at the
Snowbush IP Division of Gennum. After receiving his B.A.Sc and M.A.Sc
from the University of Toronto in 1998 and 2000, respectively,
he joined Snowbush Inc as a Mixed Signal Designer, developing
high-speed serial I/O IP in various deep sub-micron technology nodes,
and eventually transitioning to project management in 2005.
Snowbush was acquired by Gennum in 2007, and has since operated as
the IP arm of the organization.
Stergios Stergiopoulos
PhD, Group Leader, Diagnosis & Prevention, Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), Toronto
Topic: Development of Medical Non-Invasive Diagnostic Ultrasound Technologies
Biography:
Stergios Stergiopoulos received the B.Sc. (Hon.) degree from the University of Athens in
1976 and
the M.Sc. & Ph.D. degrees in Physics in 1977 and 1982, respectively, from York University,
Toronto, Canada. Presently he is a Senior Defence Scientist at the Defence R&D Canada (DRDC) Toronto,
an Adjunct Professor at the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
of the University of Toronto, and the main innovator of the Defence R&D Canada (DRDC) medical
diagnostic technologies and patents that have been licensed to a Canadian company for
commercialization. These innovation include a number of non-invasive 3D imaging (i.e., cardiac 3D CT,
portable 3D/4D ultrasound) and vital signs monitoring (i.e., motion & noise tolerant automated
blood pressure and intracranial dispersive-ultrasound) technologies. To complete their development
and their commercialization process, Dr. Stergiopoulos raised approximately $11 million from
private investors and Government grants. He has an extensive background in science and research.
Since 1991, he is with DRDC, a Research Agency for the Canadian Department of National Defence.
From 1988 to 1991, he was with the NATO SACLANT Centre in La Spezia, Italy, where he performed
both theoretical and experimental research in sonar signal processing. At SACLANTCEN,
he developed jointly with Dr. Sullivan from NUWC an acoustic synthetic aperture technique that
has been patented by the U.S. Navy. From 1984 to 1988 he developed an underwater fixed array
surveillance system for the Hellenic Navy in Greece and there he was appointed also senior advisor
to the Greek Minister of Defence. From 1982 to 1984 he worked as a research associate at York University
and in collaboration with the U.S. Army Ballistic Research Lab (BRL), Aberdeen, MD, on projects related
to the stability of liquid filled spin stabilized projectiles. In 1984 he was awarded a U.S. NRC Research
Fellowship for BRL. He was Associate Editor for the IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering and for this
Journal he has prepared two special issues on Acoustic Synthetic Aperture and Sonar System Technology.
He has published numerous scientific articles and a Handbook (i.e. 2nd Edition, CRC-Press) in the
areas of advanced signal processing for sonar and medical non-invasive system applications.
His present interests are associated with the implementation of advanced processing schemes in
multi-dimensional arrays of sensors for sonar and medical tomography (CT, MRI and ultrasound) systems.
His research activities are supported by Canadian-DND Grants, NSERC Research & Strategic Grants
the Ontario Challenge Fund and NATO collaborative Research Grants. He has been awarded with
European Commission-IST grants as technical manager of several projects that included as project
partners major European corporations and Institutes (i.e., Siemens, Nucletron, Philips, Sema Group, Esaote,
Atmel, Fraunhofer). These project were entitled “New Roentgen”, “MITTUG”, “ADUMS”, “MRI-MARCB”, “DUST”
and Euroworkshop “Fourier”, with an average budget level of the order of Euro 1.5 million per project.
Dr. Stergiopoulos is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America and a senior member of the IEEE.
He has been a consultant to a number of companies, including Atlas Elektronik in Germany, Hellenic Arms
Industry and Hellenic Aerospace Industry.
Kuldip Sahdra
Director, ASIC Engineering, ViXS
Topic: Vixs Systems---A Canadian Semiconductor Success Story
Biography:
Kuldip S. Sahdra is the Director of ASIC Engineering at ViXS Systems Inc. He has been with ViXS
since 2001. Prior to joining ViXS, Mr. Sahdra held ASIC design management positions at PMC-Sierra
and ATI Technologies. Mr. Sahdra has a B.A.Sc. (Engineering Science - Computer Option) from
the University of Toronto and graduated in 1994.
Mario Filipas
Senior Manager, Software System Engineering, AMD Technologies, Inc.
Topic: Silicon, Operating Systems and New Technologies: A Story of the Software in Between
Biography:
Mario Filipas joined ATI Technologies Inc. back in 1997 as an Associate Engineer after
having completed his Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Engineering with a Minor
in Management Science. His earliest accomplishment included the start-to-finish
development of the Windows NT4 Miniport Driver for the ATI Rage128
which is still used in our Windows XP drivers today. Since that time,
Mario has led multiple development efforts, including the new Kernel Mode Driver (KMD)
for Windows Vista, and the company-wide project providing software support for Windows 7.
Today Mario is Senior Manager at AMD of the New Product Introduction team,
the Roadmap Project Management
team and the Software Department’s System Architects.
Alan Horn
Chairman of the Board of Rogers Communications, Inc (RCI);
President and Chief Executive Officer of Rogers Telecommunications Limited
Topic: Future of Communications in Canada
Biography:
Alan D. Horn resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and has been a director of RCI
and Chairman of the Board since March 2006. Mr. Horn was the Acting President and Chief
Executive Officer from October 2008 to March 2009. Mr. Horn has been President and
Chief Executive Officer of Rogers Telecommunications Limited since March 2006. Mr. Horn
served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Rogers Telecommunications Limited
from 1990 to 1996 and was Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of RCI
from September 1996 to March 2006. He is also a director of Fairfax Financial Holdings
Limited, CCL Industries Inc. and March Networks Corporation. Previously Mr Horn was a
director of Newbridge Networks Corp, ATI Technologies Inc and AT&T Canada Inc.
Mr. Horn is a Chartered Accountant. Mr. Horn received a B.Sc. with First Class Honours in
Mathematics from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
Tony Florio
University Relations Manager, Research In Motion (RIM)
Panelist
Biography:
Tony Florio works in RIM's University Relations department, which, as part of its
responsibilities, builds research partnerships between academic researchers and RIM.
Prior to joining RIM, Tony also held posts at the Ontario Ministry of Research
and Innovation and the Ontario Centres of Excellence.
Stewart Aitchison
Vice Dean of Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, Interim Director of
ECTI
Panelist
Biography:
As Vice Dean, Research, for the Faculty of Applied Science and
Engineering at the University of Toronto since 2007, Professor Aitchison
provides strategic leadership to advance the Faculty's research mission
as one of the world's leading engineering schools. He oversees the
Faculty's research enterprise, fosters synergy between research,
education and practice, develops multi-disciplinary collaborations, and
facilitates partnerships between faculty members, industry, research
organizations, federal and provincial governments and international
institutions. He also leads a research group of 15 graduate students and postdoctoral
researchers who work on optical integration, nonlinear guided wave
devices, and optical biosensors. Professor Aitchison was elected a
Fellow of the Optical Society of America, a Fellow of the Institute of
Physics London and a senior member of the IEEE. In 1996 he was the
holder of a Royal Society of Edinburgh Personal Fellowship and carried
out research on spatial solitons as a visiting researcher at CREOL,
University of Central Florida. Since 2001 he has held the Nortel chair
in Emerging Technology, in the Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering at the University of Toronto. He received a B.Sc. (with
first class honors) and a Ph.D from the Physics Department, Heriot-Watt
University, Edinburgh, U.K., in 1984 and 1987 respectively. His
dissertation research was on optical bistability in semiconductor
waveguides.
John MacRitchie
Director, Business Development, Ontario Centres of Excellence, Inc.
(OCE), Centre for Communications and Information Technologies
Panelist
Biography: As Director, Business Development with the
Centre for Communications and Information Technology (CCIT) of the
Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), Mr. MacRitchie is responsible for
operational management of the Centre business development team developing
and managing over 100 collaborative research and commercialization projects
in the Information and Communications Technologies sector in Ontario.
Prior to joining OCE, Mr. MacRitchie had over 15 years
of international business development and consulting experience for
large industrial control systems technology projects in markets including
China, United States, Brazil, Taiwan, and Canada, primarily serving
the power generation sector in these markets. He has also served as a
director of a Nova Scotia provincial crown corporation.
Mr. MacRitchie developed and facilitated the
“Ready for Risk” workshops on access to equity capital for early stage
growth companies in Nova Scotia with NovaKnowledge and is co-author
of Access to Capital: 2005 – Addressing the Equity Financing Gap
prepared for private and public stakeholders in the province. He remains
an active student of best practises in innovation and commercialization
and their impact on driving sustainable growth.
Mr. MacRitchie holds an MBA from Saint Mary’s University
in Halifax, and holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in
Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo.
Martin Snelgrove
PhD, CEO, Kapik Integration
Panelist
Biography:
Dr. Snelgrove had a technology-focussed 16-year academic career first
as a Professor at the University of Toronto and then as a Professor at Carleton University.
His research interests include bandpass sigma-delta converters, complex and
adaptive analog filters, and parallel processing. In 1999, Dr. Snelgrove moved into
entrepreneurship. Now he specializes in leading high-performance technical teams in
aggressive developments of disruptive technologies, which are largely derived from the academic research.
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