Spring 2025 Colloquium
Our colloquium series is held once a week in Arlington, VA for faculty, students, and guests! Speakers include academics, captains of the industry, technologists, venture capitalists, defense companies and even our very own ECE alumni. Each talk has a question-and-answer portion, so come prepared!
All colloquiums are held in-person at the Virginia Tech Research Center with a Zoom option.
***Due to weather conditions, Jeff Dickhart's talk has been canceled. We hope to have Jeff later this spring for his presentation!***
| Location: | Virginia Tech Research Center, 900 N Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22203 |
| Room: | Foggy Bottom |
| Reception: | 3:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. |
| Talk: | 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. |
February
Feb 5. Saifur Rahman '78
ECE Professor, 2023 IEEE President and CEO
Technology’s Role in Achieving a Resilient Climate
This lecture explains what carbonization is, addresses its causes and impacts. It then offers technological solutions to reduce CO2 emissions from the electric power sector which is responsible over 30% of global Carbon emissions. In order to address the reduction of carbon emissions from the electric power sector, a collaborative approach between the industrialized nation states and emerging economies is necessary.
This will involve a portfolio of solutions with low-carbon generation from wind, solar, hydro and nuclear, storage, cross-border power transfer and advanced technology focusing on energy efficiency. This talk also discusses the IEEE Climate Change program and related activities.
Professor Saifur Rahman is the founding director of the Advanced Research Institute at Virginia Tech, USA where he is the Joseph R. Loring professor of electrical and computer engineering. He also directs the Center for Energy and the Global Environment. He is a Life Fellow of the IEEE and an IEEE Millennium Medal winner. He was the 2023 IEEE President & CEO and was the president of the IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES) for 2018 and 2019. He is the founding editor-in-chief of the IEEE Electrification Magazine and the IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy.
He has published over 170 journal papers and has made over seven hundred conference and invited presentations. He has conducted several energy efficiency, blockchain and sensor integration projects for Duke Energy, Tokyo Electric Power Company, the US National Science Foundation, the US Department of Defense, the US Department of Energy and the State of Virginia. He has a PhD in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech.
Feb 19. Matthew Gardner '08
VP, Electric Transmission, Dominion Energy
Powering the Future: Navigating the Energy Revolution in the Digital Age
Our nation’s energy landscape is in the midst of change – some call it a disruption - one that we haven't seen since the end of WWII. Our thirst for data and the desire to electrify everything translates directly into a surge in electrical energy demand. Serving the world’s largest data center market, the Commonwealth is ground zero for growth.
In his talk, Matthew will unpack the energy growth drivers and how the electric grid is transforming to produce, transport, and deliver electricity to customers in a way that is reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean - even amidst unprecedented demands. The talk will provide an overview of the changes coming, the digital transformation that is inevitable, and how these converging forces will result in a grid with not only more capacity, but also with more capability.
Gardner is responsible for over 6,700 miles of electric transmission lines and more than 800 substation assets at Dominion Energy Virginia, serving 2.7 million customers. Since joining in 2008, he has held various roles in planning, operations, maintenance, and engineering.
Gardner serves on the board of the North American Transmission Forum and the executive advisory council of IEEE and its Power and Energy Society. He is President Elect, Cigré U.S. National Committee and is an active supporter of several academic institutions within the Commonwealth, including George Mason University (College of Engineering Industry Advisory Board), Virginia Commonwealth University (Executive Engineer in Residence) and Virginia Tech.
He holds a Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech where he was a Bradley Fellow (’08, ’05, ’03).
Feb 26. Afia Habib '21
Product Manager, Capital One
Ethical Dilemmas and Personal Values in Your Career
This talk delves into the critical role of ethics in engineering, highlighting how our personal motivations shape our professional journeys. Understanding one’s ‘why’ is essential in addressing the ethical dilemmas faced in the field, from navigating conflicts of interest to promoting sustainability.
We will discuss contemporary issues that engineers encounter, particularly in light of rapid technological advancements, and how these may unveil new ethical challenges. By anchoring our work in ethical considerations, we can forge a path toward responsible innovation that positively impacts society.
Afia is a Software Engineer at Capital One, specializing in Networking and Automation. With a strong technical foundation, she is passionate about designing and implementing innovative solutions that drive efficiency and scalability. Afia earned her B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech in 2021, where she served as President of the ECE Ambassadors during her senior year, fostering collaboration and mentorship within the engineering community. She was also an executive officer for the IEEE student chapter at Virginia Tech, where she helped organize events and initiatives to support student engagement in ECE.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Afia is deeply committed to social impact. She participates in local grassroots organizations, advocating for community-driven change and creating opportunities for underserved populations. She values the opportunity to contribute meaningfully both in her professional field and within her community.
March
Mar 5. Divita Vohra '17
Senior AI Product Manager, Spotify
AI Infrastructure and Beyond: Insights and Advice for the Next Generation of AI Innovators
The field of artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving, presenting exciting opportunities for students and professionals alike. This talk offers practical reflections and actionable next steps for Virginia Tech students interested in pursuing careers in AI, based on my 7-year journey building AI infrastructure in the industry.
Drawing from my experience at Spotify, where I lead the development of a domain-adapted, multi-task generative AI model and contribute to the broader AI infrastructure ecosystem, I will share key insights and lessons learned in areas such as:
Building and scaling AI infrastructure: Developing robust tools to address the challenges of fine-tuning, evaluating, and deploying AI models at scale, including handling large datasets, optimizing performance, and ensuring reliability.
Working with open-source AI backbones: Adapting and customizing open-weight LLMs for specific domain applications.
Ensuring responsible AI development: Collaborating with Trust & Safety, Legal, and Risk Advisory teams to address ethical considerations and mitigate potential risks.
Navigating the evolving AI landscape: Staying ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing field and adapting to new technologies and trends.
This talk will provide valuable guidance for VT students seeking to bridge the gap between academic foundations and real-world AI development, offering practical advice and inspiration for the next generation of AI innovators.
Divita Vohra is a Senior Product Manager at Spotify, passionate about building visionary, impactful, and responsible AI solutions. With an M.S. in Computer Science (Interactive Intelligence) from Georgia Tech and a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Virginia Tech, she maintains deep empathy for the needs of technical and data-driven end users.
At Spotify, she leads the development of a domain-adapted, multi-task generative AI model built on an open-source backbone. She also helps shape Spotify's AI infrastructure ecosystem, designing tools for fine-tuning, evaluation, and inference across batch and real-time workflows. Previously, she led ML platform development at Capital One, focusing on model deployment and forecasting.
Beyond her professional work, Divita deeply cares deeply about mentorship and currently serves as a mentor for Cornell’s Break Through Tech Program.
Mar. 19 Andrew Merewitz '12
Engineering Leader, Netflix
Navigating Software Engineering Career Paths
Embarking on a career in the tech industry offers a variety of paths, each with its own set of challenges and rewards. Join us for an insightful talk that explores the diverse career trajectories available to computer engineering/science graduates.
Drawing from 13 years of experience at industry giants like Bloomberg, Amazon, and Netflix, we'll delve into the nuances of individual contributor (IC) roles vs engineering management (EM) positions, and the contrasting environments of big tech companies and startups. Discover strategies for making informed career decisions, leveraging your skills, and adapting to the ever-evolving tech landscape. This session will help you feel more informed and prepared as you look to start your career.
VT Class of 2012, ECE. Bloomberg 2012-2020, Amazon 2020-2024, Netflix 2024- Present.
Current Role: Engineering Manager at Netflix.
April
Apr. 16 Sheng Yang '01
Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Logikcull
Title: TBD