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:
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:
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.
Dolcy Sareen’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.
Ajitesh Parihar’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.
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
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