Women Designing Ethical AI and Sustainable Systems

Artificial Intelligence is transforming how we live, work, and innovate. As AI technologies become increasingly integrated into society, it is essential to ensure their development and deployment are guided by ethical principles, transparency, and sustainability.

Join the IEEE Women in Engineering (WiE) Thompson Okanagan Affinity Group and IEEE Young Professionals Thompson Okanagan Section for an engaging online event, Responsible Innovation in the Age of AI: Exploring Ethics, Trust, and Sustainability in Artificial Intelligence.

Time & Date: June 24, 2026, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM (Pacific Time)
Format: Online

Please Register Here: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/534266

The event will feature a keynote presentation by Dr. Viva Cundliffe, Founder and CSO of ReductionTech Inc., followed by an interactive workshop on Ethical Use of AI led by Dr. Quan Nguyen, Assistant Professor at Thompson Rivers University.

Participants will explore responsible AI practices, ethical considerations in AI adoption, sustainability challenges and opportunities, and the role of technology professionals in shaping trustworthy and inclusive AI systems.

This event is open to students, researchers, industry professionals, and community members interested in the future of responsible innovation.

Agenda:

12:00 PM – 12:10 PM
Welcome and Opening Remarks
IEEE Women in Engineering (WiE) Thompson Okanagan Affinity Group and IEEE Young Professionals Thompson Okanagan Section

12:10 PM – 12:50 PM
Keynote Presentation
Dr. Viva Cundliffe
Founder & CSO, ReductionTech Inc.

12:50 PM – 1:00 PM
Question and Answer Session

1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
Workshop: Ethical Use of AI
Dr. Quan Nguyen
Assistant Professor, Thompson Rivers University

1:45 PM – 1:55 PM
Interactive Discussion and Q&A

1:55 PM – 2:00 PM
Closing Remarks and Networking Opportunities

Bio:
Viva Cundliffe, Ma/PhD (ABD), is the founder and CSO of ReductionTech Inc., leading development of hydroxyl-based atmospheric remediation and carbon removal technologies. A Kamloops resident since 2006, she combines environmental engineering training with decades of applied research to design scalable oxidative systems—air curtain units, hydroxyl emitters and the CO2 Crusher—for urban and aerial deployment. Her work spans prototype validation, pilot planning, regulatory engagement and international advocacy to restore atmospheric oxidative capacity and accelerate greenhouse gas removal. Dr. Cundliffe has authored technical reports and preprints on hydroxyl inundation, led funded laboratory studies, and holds multiple provisional patents. She advises governments and industry on safe deployment, monitoring and governance, and champions transparent public engagement and rigorous field demonstrations. Known for pragmatic engineering, policy fluency and a focus on biosphere co‑benefits, she directs ReductionTech’s efforts to translate laboratory chemistry into measurable climate and air‑quality outcomes. She mentors young scientists and community leaders.

For further information, please contact:
Nisha Puthiyedth <nputhiyedth [at] tru.ca>
and subscribe to the news at NEWS-THOMPSONOKANAGAN@listserv.ieee.org

From Health Tracking to Health Creation: Building the V-Portal and the Health Creation Operating System

From Health Tracking to Health Creation: Building the V-Portal and
the Health Creation Operating System

Dr. Mark Percival, D.C., N.D.
CEO & Co-Founder, V-Metrics: Health Creation Lab
Health Creation Strategist and Systems Designer

The IEEE Thompson Okanagan Section and Okanagan College Student Branch are pleased to welcome Dr. Mark Percival, CEO & Co-Founder of V-Metrics: Health Creation Lab, for a presentation on the future of Health Creation technologies and systems design.

Dr. Percival will introduce the vision behind the Health Creation Operating System (HC OS), an emerging platform designed to help individuals better understand how daily behaviors shape energy, resilience, function, and overall well-being. The presentation will explore how coaching, behavior design, sensor-supported vitality metrics, AI-guided learning, and whole-person health assessment are being integrated into a practical system for Health Creation.

Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Time: 10:00AM – 10:45AM
Location: HS106, Okanagan College, 1000 K.L.O. Rd., Kelowna, British Columbia V1Y 4X8 (hybrid mode).

Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/564149

Abstract:
V-Metrics: Health Creation Lab is building a new kind of health technology platform: not another tracker, scorecard, or diagnostic dashboard, but a practical operating system for Health Creation. The Health Creation Operating System (HC OS) integrates coaching, behavior design, whole-person learning, pattern intelligence, and sensor-supported vitality metrics to help people understand how their daily patterns are shaping their energy, resilience, function, and well-being.

A central component of the emerging system is the V-Portal, a screenless shared sensor designed to make high-value body and cellular health metrics more affordable, accessible, and useful across families, teams, communities, and clinical settings. This presentation will introduce the vision, the architecture, the engineering opportunity, and the potential global impact of helping people consciously re-pattern their lives toward greater vitality, agency, and thriving.

Bio:
Dr. Mark Percival is a retired chiropractic and naturopathic doctor, Health Creation strategist, systems designer, and CEO & Co-Founder of V-Metrics: Health Creation Lab. In the late 1980s, he founded Health Coach Systems International and helped pioneer what became the modern health coaching industry. Since then, his work has focused on one central question: how can people be inspired, educated, and supported to consciously re-pattern their lives in ways that restore vitality, function, meaning, and well-being?

Through V-Metrics, Dr. Percival is helping build a Health Creation Operating System that brings together coaching science, behavior change, whole-person health assessment, biofeedback, AI-guided learning, and practical daily experimentation. The system is designed to help individuals and communities move beyond isolated health data and into a more supportive process of learning, self-understanding, and step-by-step health creation.

Photo Policy: Please be aware that photography, video, and sound recordings will take place during the event. You may be asked to appear in a photo, or you might be unintentionally recorded when photos or videos are captured. Individuals will not be identified in the Thompson Okanagan Section’s published media without their consent.

For further information, please get in touch with Youry Khmelevsky (email: tok-section [at] ieee.org) and subscribe to the news at NEWS-THOMPSONOKANAGAN@listserv.ieee.org
Refreshments will be provided.

Student Research Project Presentations

Time & Date: 9:30 am – 2:00 pm, Thursday, May 7, 2026
Location: Room C-130 and via Zoom (see email and registration information), Computer Science Department, Okanagan College
Registrations are open now:

Activity Diagram Analysis: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/558688
AlgoTrade & XGBoost: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/558962
Way-finding Mobile Application: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/558690
Line Diagram Analysis: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/558692

Join us for an exciting student research presentation!
Come support and learn from students as they share their work, there will be multiple presentations happening throughout the day.
Snacks and lunch will be provided, so bring your curiosity (and your appetite)!
We’d love to see you there!

Agenda:

09:30 am – 10:00 am | Coffee & Networking
10:00 am – 10:10 am | Opening Remarks
10:10 am – 10:40 am | Activity Diagrams Analysis for Visually Impaired Students: Dolcy
10:40 am – 10:45 am | Activity Diagrams Analysis for Visually Impaired Students Q&A: Dolcy
10:45 am – 11:00 am | Snacks & Refreshments
11:00 am – 11:25 am | “Way-finding Mobile Application for Navigation”: Kristina and Dolcy
11:25 am – 11:35 am | “Way-finding Mobile Application for Navigation” Q&A: Kristina and Dolcy
11:35 am – 12:00 pm | Snacks & Refreshments (Lunch)
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm | AlgoTrade & XGBoost: Harsh
12:30 pm – 12:45 pm | AlgoTrade & XGBoost Q&A: Harsh
12:45 pm – 01:00 pm | Snacks & Refreshments
01:00 pm – 01:25 pm | Line Diagram Analysis for Visually Impaired Student: Ajitesh
01:25 pm – 01:40 pm | Line Diagram Analysis for Visually Impaired Student Q&A: Ajitesh
01:40 pm – 02:00 pm | Snacks & Refreshments: Round Table & Open Discussions

Speakers’ Bio:

Dolcy Sareen is a fourth-year Computer Science student at Okanagan College. Dolcy is also the webmaster of the Okanagan College IEEE Student Branch. She is passionate about learning new technologies, with a strong focus on data. Dolcy enjoys connecting with people and continuously learning from new experiences.

Kristina Cormier is a fourth-year Computer Science student at Okanagan College. She has always been curious about science and technology. Recently, she has discovered a passion for data analysis and machine learning algorithms. Kristina is the Chair of the Okanagan College IEEE Student Branch. She coordinates with her team to help organize events and volunteering. Kristina truly enjoys mentoring, meeting new people and discovering new opportunities.

Harsh Saw is a fourth-year Computer Science student with hands-on experience spanning software engineering and AI/ML — from writing production code to deploying real-world systems. He has worked across multiple domains in industry, building technology that goes beyond the classroom. Passionate about turning ideas into working products, Harsh enjoys the full journey from early development to live deployment. He is driven by curiosity about what technology can do when it is built to actually work in the real world.

Ajitesh Parihar is a fourth-year Computer Science student and a Research Assistant at Okanagan College. He is a tech enthusiast who enjoys learning about innovations and technologies and is passionate about software engineering, cybersecurity, and algorithms. He enjoys meeting and working with people with diverse backgrounds.

Photographs

Line Diagram Analysis for Visually Impaired Students – Student Presentation

Line Diagram Analysis for Visually Impaired Students

Time & Date: 01:00pm – 02:00pm , Thursday, May 7, 2026
Location: Room C-130 and via Zoom (see email and registration information), Computer Science Department, Okanagan College
Registration is open now: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/558692

Agenda:

1:00 pm – 1:25 pm | Line Diagram Analysis for Visually Impaired Students: Ajitesh
1:25 pm – 1:40 pm | Line Diagram Analysis for Visually Impaired Students Q&A: Ajitesh
1:40 pm – 2:00 pm | Snacks & Refreshments: Round Table & Open Discussions

Abstract:

Line diagrams and mathematical function plots are commonly used in scientific and educational textbooks and articles to convey quantitative relationships. However, their visual nature presents significant challenges and barriers for visually impaired learners. Despite the ongoing efforts to improve accessibility in higher education, the non-text content still remains difficult to interpret non-visually. The existing diagram analysis approaches often focus on chart type classification, require manual user intervention for tasks such as label mapping, or fail to provide accessible end-to-end interaction for non visual analysis. Also, many of these systems do not explicitly consider the requirements of visually impaired users, resulting in workflows and interfaces that are not accessible. We propose an accessibility aware framework for automated analysis of line diagrams from raster images. The proposed end-to-end system performs CNN based curve segmentation, diagram type classification, label and tick extraction using optical character recognition, mapping of curve pixels to the diagram domain, and supports interactive querying along with a user interface compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Evaluation is conducted using a large synthetic dataset of 2D chart images representing a variety of mathematical functions and discrete point line charts, which is used for both model training and system-level assessment.

Speaker’s Bio:

Ajitesh Parihar is a fourth-year Computer Science student and a Research Assistant at Okanagan College. He is a tech enthusiast who enjoys learning about innovations and technologies and is passionate about software engineering, cybersecurity, and algorithms. He enjoys meeting and working with people with diverse backgrounds.

For further information please contact: Youry Khmelevsky (email: Youry at IEEE.org)
Refreshments will be provided

Algorithmic Trading: XGBoost Machine Learning Model – Student Presentation

Algorithmic Trading: XGBoost Machine Learning Model

Time & Date: 12:00pm – 01:00pm , Thursday, May 7, 2026
Location: Room C-130 and via Zoom (see email and registration information), Computer Science Department, Okanagan College
Registration is open now: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/558962

Agenda:

12:00 pm – 12:30 pm | AlgoTrade & XGBoost: Harsh
12:30 pm – 12:45 pm | AlgoTrade & XGBoost Q&A: Harsh
12:45 pm – 1:00 pm | Snacks & Refreshments

Abstract:

Stock markets generate enormous amounts of data every day, yet predicting how a stock will move throughout a trading session remains a difficult problem. This paper presents MarketSight, a system that learns from years of historical market data to forecast how individual stock prices will evolve across an entire trading day — before that day begins. By identifying patterns in past price behavior, the system produces a predicted price path for each stock, giving traders an early picture of likely intraday movement. The system runs automatically each night, updating its predictions with the latest available data. Experiments across approximately 500 US-listed stocks demonstrate meaningful forecasting accuracy, with predictions consistently outperforming naive baselines.

Speaker’s Bio:

Harsh Saw is a fourth-year Computer Science student with hands-on experience spanning software engineering and AI/ML — from writing production code to deploying real-world systems. He has worked across multiple domains in industry, building technology that goes beyond the classroom. Passionate about turning ideas into working products, Harsh enjoys the full journey from early development to live deployment. He is driven by curiosity about what technology can do when it is built to actually work in the real world.

For further information please contact: Youry Khmelevsky (email: Youry at IEEE.org)
Refreshments will be provided

Cross-Platform 2D and 3D Way-finding Mobile Application for Navigation in Industrial Buildings and Parking Lots – Student Presentation

Cross-Platform 2D and 3D Way-finding Mobile Application for Navigation in Industrial Buildings and Parking Lots

Time & Date: 11:00am – 12:00pm , Thursday, May 7, 2026
Location: Room C-130 and via Zoom (see email and registration information), Computer Science Department, Okanagan College
Registration is open now: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/558690

Agenda:

11:00 am – 11:25 am | “Way-finding Mobile Application for Navigation”: Kristina and Dolcy
11:25 am – 11:35 am | “Way-finding Mobile Application for Navigation” Q&A: Kristina and Dolcy
11:35 am – 12:00 pm | Snacks & Refreshments (Lunch)

Abstract:

Finding your way inside large buildings—like campuses, malls, or airports—can be difficult, especially when you’re short on time or in an unfamiliar place. Many existing solutions are expensive or rely on constant internet access. This project presents a mobile app that works both online and offline to help users navigate indoor and outdoor spaces. It uses interactive maps, QR codes for positioning, and a shortest-path algorithm to guide users efficiently. The system is designed to be affordable, easy to maintain, and scalable for different environments.

Speaker’s Bio:

Kristina Cormier is a fourth-year Computer Science student at Okanagan College. She has always been curious about science and technology. Recently, she has discovered a passion for data analysis and machine learning algorithms. Kristina is the Chair of the Okanagan College IEEE Student Branch. She coordinates with her team to help organize events and volunteering. Kristina truly enjoys mentoring, meeting new people and discovering new opportunities.

For further information please contact: Youry Khmelevsky (email: Youry at IEEE.org)
Refreshments will be provided

Activity Diagrams Analysis for Visually Impaired Students – Student Presentation

Activity Diagrams Analysis for Visually Impaired Students

Time & Date: 9:30am – 11:00am , Thursday, May 7, 2026
Location: Room C-130 and via Zoom (see email and registration information), Computer Science Department, Okanagan College
Registration is open now: VTools Link

Agenda:

9:30 am – 10:00 am | Coffee & Networking
10:00 am – 10:10 am | Opening Remarks
10:10 am – 10:40 am | Activity Diagrams Analysis for Visually Impaired Students: Dolcy
10:40 am – 10:45 am | Activity Diagrams Analysis for Visually Impaired Students Q&A: Dolcy
10:45 am – 11:00 am | Snacks & Refreshments

Abstract:

Diagrams are a very important part of education,learning and understanding , allowing the transmission of complex ideas in a visual format. However, current accessibility technologies introduce substantial limitations for visually impaired students in accessing these materials. Traditional approaches to fix this problem, such as audio descriptions and tactile graphics, either lack detail or are prohibitively expensive to scale. This review will focus on the current status of accessible diagram technologies, such as tactile graphics, 3D printing, AI-driven recognition applications and methods proposed till now . We identify the major technical challenges and propose an integrated approach using multi-modal interaction by combining audio, and AI-enhanced diagram interpretation. The approach offers equal access to STEM visual content as part of the road to inclusive education.

Speaker’s Bio:

Dolcy Sareen is a fourth-year Computer Science student at Okanagan College. Dolcy is also the webmaster of the Okanagan College IEEE Student Branch. She is passionate about learning new technologies, with a strong focus on data. Dolcy enjoys connecting with people and continuously learning from new experiences.

For further information please contact: Youry Khmelevsky (email: Youry at IEEE.org)
Refreshments will be provided

Data Collection and Staging Process Automation for Machine Learning in Algorithmic Trading – Students Presentation

Data Collection and Staging Process Automation Precision, Speed and Scalability for Machine Learning Modelling of Algorithmic Trading Stocks-Price Prediction

Time & Date: 9:00am – 11:00am , Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Location: Room E-301 and via Zoom (see email and registration information), Computer Science Department, Okanagan College
Registration is open now: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/555692

This project brings together three teams: Data Collection, Data Warehousing, and Machine Learning into a unified, end-to-end system for high-frequency stock price prediction.
Learn how we designed a scalable pipeline using distributed computing and XGBoost, covering system architecture, data engineering, and real-world ML applications in algorithmic trading.
This work also establishes a foundation for ongoing research and extended large-scale evaluation.
Open to students, faculty, and anyone interested in machine learning, data systems, or fintech.

Abstract:

This presentation discusses an automated data collection and staging pipeline for high-frequency stock price prediction using machine learning. The system integrates scalable ELT processes, data deduplication, and distributed training with XGBoost on high-performance computing infrastructure. Designed for precision, speed, and scalability, the framework enables efficient handling of large financial time-series datasets while maintaining robust predictive performance and optimized resource utilization.

Contributors:

This project was developed through a collaborative effort across three specialized teams:

Data Collection Team

Responsible for sourcing, aggregating, and preprocessing raw financial and market data.

Andrew Johnson
Emilio Iturbide
Reilly Mager
Lian Heckrodt
Cade Dempsey
Kristina Cormier

Data Warehouse Team

Designed and implemented the data storage architecture, ETL/ELT pipelines, and database systems.

Alex Anthony
Hayden Nikkel
Daemon Lewis
John Cortez
Jackson Rosco

Machine Learning Team (XGBoost)

Developed, trained, and evaluated machine learning models for predictive analytics and trading strategies.

Harsh Saw
Zane Tessmer
Kavaljeet Singh
Dante Bertolutti
Guntash Brar
Parag Jindal

Acknowledgements

We thank all contributors and collaborators who supported the development, testing, and deployment of this system.

Photographs

For further information please contact: Youry Khmelevsky (email: Youry at IEEE.org)
Refreshments will be provided

Data Warehouse for Trading Stocks Algorithmatically – Student Presentation

Data Warehouse for Algorithmic Trading Stocks-Price Forecasting on Digital Research Infrastructure using Machine Learning Modelling

Time & Date: 9:00am – 10:00am , Wednesday, April 21, 2026
Location: Room HS107 and via Zoom (see email and registration information), Computer Science Department, Okanagan College
Registration is open now: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/555684

Join this presentation to explore how a Data Warehouse system is built to manage and process large-scale stock market data. The project demonstrates how raw financial data is transformed into structured formats that can be efficiently queried and used for predictive modelling.

You’ll learn:

How Data Warehouses store and organize large datasets
Star schema design in a real system
How data pipelines automate transformation of financial data
How machine learning models use prepared datasets for predictions
How large datasets are processed efficiently

Abstract:
This presentation explains how large volumes of stock market data are organized and processed using a structured database system. The system takes raw financial data and converts it into a format that is easier to store, search, and analyze.

The data is processed through an automated pipeline that calculates key financial values such as price changes and trading volume summaries. The structured data is then stored in an optimized system that allows fast access and efficient analysis.

This approach helps make large financial datasets more usable and easier to work with.

Speakers Bio:
Emilio Iturbide Gonzalez is a graduating Computer Science student at Okanagan College with interests in data systems, software engineering, and artificial intelligence.
He has worked on building a Data Warehouse system designed to manage and process large volumes of stock market data. His work focuses on creating efficient data pipelines, organizing complex datasets, and supporting data-driven applications.
He is interested in building practical systems that connect software engineering, data processing, and real-world applications in technology.

Photographs:

For further information please contact: Youry Khmelevsky (email: Youry at IEEE.org)
Refreshments will be provided

2026 IEEE Thompson Okanagan (IEEE TOK) Section Annual General Meeting (AGM)

2nd IEEE Thompson Okanagan Section AGM (Hybrid)

Join us on March 27th at Okanagan College or online for our 2nd Annual General Meeting to celebrate our section’s milestones and help with our future direction. Click here to view the full agenda and register via vTools.

In-Person: Room HS101, Health Sciences Centre (HS Building), Okanagan College – Kelowna Campus, 1000 KLO Rd, Kelowna, BC (Okanagan College Kelowna Campus Map)

Section AGM Agenda:

5:10 PM – 5:25 PM – Welcome & Light Supper (Dr. Youry Khmelevsky, TOK Section Chair, 2026-03-27ThompsonOkanaganAGM)
5:25-5:30 Carl Zanon, Life Members AG, Chair.
5:30 PM – 5:45 PM – TOK Section Chair’s Report & Welcome
5:45 PM – 5:55 PM – TOK Section Women in Engineering (WiE) Affinity Group Chair’s Report & Welcome — online (Dr. Nisha Puthiyedth)
5:55 PM – 6:05 PM – TOK Section Young Professionals (YP) Affinity Group Chair’s Report & Welcome (Dr. Ghazanfar Latif)
6:05 PM – 6:15 PM – The Value of IEEE Membership and students’ applied research (Kristina Cormier, Ajitesh Parihar and Dolcy Sareen) – presentation
6:15 PM – 6:30 PM – Coffee Break & Networking
6:30 PM – 7:00 PM – Annual General Meeting (AGM) Business Session
7:00 PM – 7:15 PM – Roundtable Discussion & Closing Remarks

Refreshments will be served for in-person attendees.

Meet Our Speakers:

Portrait of Youry Khmelevsky

Dr. Youry Khmelevsky, Ph.D., SMIEEE:

Dr. Youry Khmelevsky is the Chair of the IEEE Thompson Okanagan (TOK) Section and a Senior Member of the IEEE. He has been a driving force behind the section’s growth, leading the successful elevation from Subsection to Section status in 2024. Dr. Khmelevsky is a Professor of Computer Science at Okanagan College, where he focuses on Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, and Data Warehousing. Beyond his local leadership, he is actively involved in IEEE Region 7 (Canada) initiatives and has organized numerous international technical workshops and conferences.

Dr. Nisha Puthiyedth’s Bio:

Dr. Nisha Puthiyedth is an Assistant Professor in Computing Science at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) and the Chair of the IEEE Women in Engineering (WiE) Thompson Okanagan Affinity Group. Her research focuses on bioinformatics and applied machine learning, with a particular emphasis on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), microbiome analysis, and data-driven approaches in agriculture and health. Dr. Puthiyedth is actively involved in advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in engineering and computing through her leadership in IEEE WiE initiatives and community engagement. She has contributed to the development of innovative teaching practices, including open educational resources, interactive learning methods, and industry-aligned student projects. Her work bridges academia and real-world applications, collaborating with industry partners and stakeholders to address pressing challenges in AMR and sustainable agriculture. She is passionate about mentoring students and fostering interdisciplinary research that creates meaningful societal impact.

Dr. Ghazanfar Latif’s Bio:

Dr. Ghazanfar Latif is the Secretary of the IEEE Thompson Okanagan (TOK) Section and the Chair of the IEEE Young Professionals (YP) Affinity Group. He is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Thompson Rivers University and a Senior Member of IEEE. Dr. Latif has an extensive research portfolio with over 100 publications and 14 US patents, and he has been recognized as one of the world’s top 2% scientists and has received several international awards. Beyond his leadership roles, he actively contributes to the academic community by organizing international conferences as General Chair, serving on editorial boards, and mentoring students on cutting-edge artificial intelligence and data science projects.

Kristina Cormier’s Bio:

Dolcy Sareen’s Bio:

Ajitesh Parihar’s Bio:

Photographs:

This is an excellent opportunity to connect with IEEE members, learn more about IEEE benefits, and participate in discussions about the section’s future.

For questions, please contact Dr. Youry Khmelevsky at youry [at] ieee.org
Stay updated on future events by subscribing to our mailing list:
news-thompsonokanagan@listserv.ieee.org