IEEE IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society Distinguished Lectures

Introduction

Dr. Cynthia Furse has been selected as anIEEE APS Distinguished Lecturer for 2021-2023. She is available for Virtual Lectures on topics suggested below.

About Prof. Cynthia Furse

cindy gov award picture.jpg

Dr. Cynthia M. Furse is a Fellow of the IEEE, the National Academy of Inventors, and the Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society, and is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Her research interests are the application of electromagnetics to sensing and communication in complex lossy scattering media such as the human body, geophysical prospecting, ionospheric plasma, and complex wiring networks. Dr. Furse is a founder of LiveWire Innovation, Inc., a spin-off company from her research, commercializing devices to locate intermittent faults on live wires. She has taught electromagnetics, wireless communication, computational electromagnetics, microwave engineering, antenna design, introductory electrical engineering, and engineering entrepreneurship and has been a leader in the development of the flipped classroom. Dr. Furse is an Associate Editor for the Transactions on Antennas and Propagation (AP), Chair of the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society Awards Committee, a past Administrative Committee member for the IEEE AP society, and past chair of the IEEE AP Education Committee. She has received numerous teaching and research awards including the 2020 IEEE Chen To Tai Distinguished Educator Award.

Distinguished Lectures

Technical Talks:

History and Future of Implantable Antennas

Abstract: Implantable ante nnas have been used for communication with medical implants for decades. Since then, wireless medical telemetry systems and their associated implantable antennas have expanded rapidly. Implantable medical devices now touch virtually every major function in the human body. Cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators, neural recording and stimulation devices, cochlear and retinal implants are just a few of the many implantable medical devices available today. Wireless telemetry for these devices is necessary to monitor battery level and device health, upload reprogramming for device function, and download data for patient monitoring.

Emerging medical telemetry devices have led to recent advances in the design of small, biocompatible antennas that can be implanted in the human body. This paper will track the types of antennas seen in the past, the technologies that enabled these changes, and prospects for future implantable antennas for medical applications.

Four-part recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em0QR5AlEpE&t=3s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V-zI6akAms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMPa4FElYqE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZAPxp4DElY

Another version (more history) -- IEEE MTT SVC May 2021

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=182738660428702

And another... USC IEEE GRSS-APS-SSCS Joint Student Chapter

YouTube link

Arcs and Sparks: Live Reflectometry for Wires, Photovoltaics, and Impedance Measurements

Abstract: Aging electrical wiring has been identified as an area of critical national and international concern. Faults in aircraft wiring have been implicated in a number of severe aircraft incidents including the TWA800 and SwissAir111 crashes. Electrical wiring is the number one cause of home and building fires, and is responsible for numerous incidents in consumer product safety, photovoltaic systems, vehicular safety/reliability, safety of nuclear facilities, reliability of power distribution systems and communication systems, and others.

What could possibly be so hard about finding these electrical faults? This lecture describes the real-world challenges in electrical systems – live signals, switching systems, grounding and moisture, vibration, and more. We’ll talk about how electromagnetics, signal processing, artificial intelligence, chip and hardware design all merge to create new sensors that can detect and locate faults in critical systems. In particular, I’ll describe the development and use of spread spectrum time domain reflectometry (SSTDR) for finding faults on live electrical systems. Using a tiny pseudo-noise (PN) code similar to your cell phone or GPS signal, SSTDR hides within the noise margin of existing signals, enabling continuous monitoring and location of very hard-to-find intermittent faults. And along with SSTDR came a very broad family of broadband reflectometry systems and algorithms for analysis of the reflection signatures, which we’ll discuss.

And what is coming next? It turns out that the same reflectometry methods used to detect, locate, and diagnose faults can also measure complex impedance, which is what a vector network analyzer (VNA) is very good at. But spread spectrum can do it live (energized), in electrically noisy environments, and can control the signal to noise ratio to find very small changes in impedance.

Along with the technical journey, I’ll also describe my entrepreneurship journey as we took this exciting research off the bench and into the real world. Today SSTDR is used in aircraft manufacturing, handheld electrical testing, undersea cable testing, and has recently been approved for installation on Network Rail systems (UK). But our work is not done. Electrical systems are complex and varied, and some very gnarly problems remain. I’ll share a vision for the future, and some ideas about what it will take to get there.

Simulating Dielectric Variability with the Stochastic Finite Difference Time Domain Method

Electrical properties of the human body (skin, muscle, fat, etc.) vary significantly with time, temperature, and between individuals.When evaluating electromagnetic fields in and around human models from sources such as cell phones and medical devices, this variation in electrical properties creates significant variation in the resultant fields. This can de-tune antennas designed for medical devices, confuse medical sensors, or create uncertainty in certification of devices. Most electromagnetic simulation approaches use average tissue properties, and simulate average fields as a result, ignoring this variation. Monte Carlo methods do consider the variation, but running many (often thousands) of simulations with different properties for each simulation, and calculating the mean and standard deviation of the fields. We have developed a faster method of evaluating the stochastic variation in fields from the stochastic variation in tissue properties. The Stochastic Finite Difference Time Domain (S-FDTD) approach adds equations for variance of the fields to the traditional FDTD equations, solving for both mean and variance of the fields as a function of time. In this talk, I'll give an overview of the FDTD method, and how it is converted to the S-FDTD approach, and I'll talk about applications in bioelectromagnetics, particularly the evaluation of energy in the head from cell phone sources.

Other Topics

I will be glad to talk about other aspects of my current or previous research including bioelectromagnetic dosimetry, FDTD numerical computation, Antarctic electrical engineering research, etc. See https://utah.instructure.com/courses/558911

More General talks:

Entrepreneurship: Turning Ideas into Reality

Abstract: Have you ever thought about starting your own business? Taking an idea off the bench and into the market is exciting and so rewarding, but it is also hard, messy, and takes some critical knowledge and skills to be successful. In this talk, I’d like to share what I’ve learned from my own entrepreneurship journey with you.

In 1998 I happened upon an idea, an invention if you will, of using a coded cell phone signal to locate intermittent electrical faults on aircraft wires while the plane is flying. Most faults happen in the air (vibration, moisture, stress, heat, cold …) and many disappear before the plane lands, thus leading to the frustrating and potentially dangerous ‘no fault found’ condition where a maintainer knows something is probably wrong but cannot find it. After some large and clunky lab tests proved out the basic idea, my first PhD student, now Dr. Paul Smith, built a sleek and functional board to demonstrate the system and work out the theoretical constraints. Cool! Publication-publication-publication. A couple of patents. Some conference presentations. And that is where my typical world of NSF-funded academics would normally have stopped. But it didn’t. The demand for this technology as a product was clear. My DoD and NSF program managers were strongly (!) encouraging me to set up a company to move the technology to the next level, and eventually to a product they could purchase for their fleets. From my academic position, ‘development’ did not look half as interesting as ‘research’. Little did I know, development is often the instigator of MUCH more research! And it is how research gets off the bench and has impact on the world.

I’ll describe this journey, and two tools you can use, starting today, to develop your research ideas and then to develop business ideas from them. The first tool, the Lean Canvas for Invention, will guide you through identifying a real-world problem (by talking to real people who have this problem!), searching both the scientific literature and patent literature, critically evaluating the existing solutions to this problem and the market landscape, to reach the Most Valuable research Question (MVQ) and idea with potential and impact. And then, as you move through the research process, you will keep your eye on the real-world problem. Not all ideas will work out, but when they do, it is time for the next tool – the Lean Canvas for Business. This tool will help you identify partners, resources, costs, and value propositions, customers, market channels, and revenue streams, and to get started on the Most Valuable Product (MVP) for your fledgling company.

Examples:Turning Research Into Reality –
Starting Your Own Business

Bioelectronics and the Bionic Age: How Electronics Touch our Hearts and Minds

Abstract: Bioelectronics are critical elements of modern health care. From the echocardiograms and cardiac ablation, MRI scans to deep brain stimulators for treatment of Parkinson’s disease and depression, these electronics touch our hearts and minds. Where barely a generation ago the stethoscope was the diagnostic sensor of choice, we now have a treendous array of electronic medical diagnostic and treatment tools that touch virtually every organ, system, fluid, and action of our bodies. Where once the only heart we would ever have was the one we were born with, it is now possible not only to repair a broken heart but also to replace it, along with our knees, hips, teeth, and more. And this Bionic Age is barely in its infancy.The promise of neural prostheses are already helping the deaf to hear, the blind to see, and the chair-bound to walk. But with the promise of bioelectronics, also come the challenges of choices, ethical decisions, and access.

The Power of Change

Abstract: Throughout our lives and careers, we experience so many changes. Some are welcome and planned, others are distressing and chaotic. Change can be very powerful, a true force to be reckoned with. In this time of great change, let’s take a few minutes to think about where we want this change to take us, and what tools we have to guide our futures. Let’s talk about innovation, thinking outside the box, and planning in uncertain times. Let’s talk about change, the power it offers us, and ways to harness that power to take us where we want to go. Notes: This keynote lecture was first presented at the Women in Engineering and Women in Radio Science program of the 2020 IEEE APS URSI meeting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq_RFW2YiRE

Engineering Tomorrow's World Today

Abstract: Engineering changes the world. When you turn on the lights, get a drink from the faucet, or text your friends, you are experiencing the power and magic of engineering. Let’s talk about some of the really cool stuff that carries your text to your friend, and theirs back to you. And let’s talk about the inventors that invent this stuff. What’s it like to be an inventor? How do you invent stuff? Who can do it? Because YOU might just be interested in being one of those inventors, and changing the world.

Notes: This is a variety of talks that I typically tailor to a young (K12) audience and event I am speaking at. So “this talk” is never exactly the same. I have also tailored this talk to particular diverse groups (women/girls, diverse student clubs).

Women Inventors Who Changed the World

Did you know a woman is credited with inventing paper? Let's talk about historical women inventors, and about the inventions women are doing right here and now. Join me for a quick trip down memory lane, and a quick visit about what's new.

Getting an A in Life: the Power of Failure -- Getting it Right by Getting it Wrong

Abstract: We know we like to get A’s (they represent success), and that we hate to get F’s (ah, failure). But success and failure are inextricably intertwined. Failure is often an important tool for reaching success. So let’s talk about success and about failure. Let’s talk about what it feels like, how we can use failure as a tool, and how we can choose a definition of success that takes us where we want to be in our careers and in Life.

Example: seminar on Enhancing Skills for Professional Success, SSN College of Engineering, India (online), Feb. 25, 2021, https://youtu.be/9jtKFziv9H4

For Faculty and Teachers:

Teaching the World-Changers

Abstract: Teachers do the most amazing thing. They teach kids, our very own kids, how to change the world. In this talk Dr. Furse discusses the ways people change our world (medicine, engineering, science, education, art, music and more), how to recognize the innovative world changers in your class, what it feels like to change the world, and a few of the many, many, many ways teachers are teaching our kids to change the world.

Notes: This is a talk for K12 teachers and counselors, and parents. It was originally presented at TEDx Salt Lake City. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks9pEtnmfzE

A Busy Professor's Guide to Sanely Hy-Flex Flipping Your Classroom

Abstract: Flipped, hybrid, online, technology-assisted, active learning … wow, we’ve all heard about these courses, and how effective active learning can be. But it can be daunting to figure out how to apply this in YOUR class. Particularly now, when so many schools are in a mix of in person and online instruction, finding ways to teach in a Hybrid-Flexible (HyFlex) mode is key to working with the uncertainty of today’s educational realities. This session describes how I have ‘flipped’ my classroom, and how this can be adapted for in person, remote, and a mix of both. The students watch video lectures before class, freeing up in class time for problem solving and applications. In this session, I’ll talk about why I did this and how I got started, what worked and what didn’t. We’ll talk about technology, lack of technology, active learning, and ways to mix and match in person and remote techniques, even ways to combine them simultaneously. We’ll talk about this from a student point of view (what works for them) and from a faculty point of view (a busy professor’s guide to sanely HyFlex flipping your class).

Notes: I have given various versions of this keynote at many settings (including internationally), and would now adapt it to the Hybrid-Flexible (HyFlex) model for Post-Covid education. Here is a 1-hour talk for USU 2015 http://1560811.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/KEYNOTE+-+A+Busy+Professor%C3%A2%E2%82%AC%E2%84%A2s+Guide+to+Sanely+Flipping+Your+Class+-+DR.+CYNTHIA+FURSE/0_c4yrfgig

Being a Great Advocate for Diversity in Your Organization

This talk is under development. Please contact me if you are interested.

Education after Covid: Opportunities and Adventures

When universities all over the world shut down due to Covid restrictions, faculty and students scrambled to move classes to virtual settings. In many cases, faculty overnight completely re-evaluated how they were teaching, how they were assessing student learning, and what was really important in the educational experience. From this extremely stressful time, new ideas and new opportunities have arisen. This talk will discuss how active learning strategies that originally led to the flipped classroom are now being implemented in a hybrid flexible (HyFlex) mode, how we are rethinking assessment of knowledge and skills, how hands-on activities like labs can be used in flexible learning environments, and what students want and need now.

For more details on HyFlex Teaching see: http://teach-hyflex.utah.edu

Video of this talk given for IEEE at Iowa State:

https://www.ece.iastate.edu/seminars-and-events/virtual-distinguished-lecture-with-cynthia-m-furse-education-after-covid-opportunities-and-adventures/

Request a Lecture

About the IEEE Distinguished Lecturer Program (Links to an external site.).

All distinguished lectures should be free of charge to all members of the Society, and preferably to all IEEE members.

Note: I am available for VIRTUAL presentations only.
Please email me at cfurse@ece.utah.edu
After we agree on a title, time, and date, please fill out the Distinguished Lecturer Form HERE (Links to an external site.)
- email the form to me cfurse@ece.utah.edu and to Professor Levent Sevgi levent.sevgi@atlas.edu.tr