Chapter Activities:

Dallas Chapter

Update by Dr. Eric Wong, UT-Dallas

MEETINGS

The Dallas Chapter co-hosted a Student Outreach and Computer Science Colloquium with the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) on January 29, 2010. The event included special invited guests Sam Keene who introduced the audience to the IEEE Reliability Society and Faye Bilger, Dallas Chapter chair. The featured presentation topic was “Safety in Software” by Dr. Michael F. Siok from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. Further description of the presentation and speaker is contained in the meeting announcement on the following pages. A special website at http://paris.utdallas.edu/IEEE-RS-Outreach has also been created for materials such as presentation slides and photos.

The presentation was well attended, both by students and industry. Despite questionable weather, attendees included at least 38 students, 10 from industry and several of the faculty. A special thanks to Dr. Eric Wong, Reliability Society Adcom and UTD professor, who coordinated the event.

Sam Keene presents the Reliability Society

Faye Bilger, Dallas Chapter Chair

Mike Siok, featured presenter

Audience participated in the question and answer period

Original Meeting Announcement:

Computer Science Colloquium

In conjunction with
IEEE Reliability Society Dallas Chapter 2010 Student Outreach

“Safety in Software”

Dr. Michael F. Siok
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
Fort Worth, Texas

In Partnership With

University of Texas at Dallas

The colloquium is open to the general public

Date: Friday, January 29, 2010

Time: 10:30am – 11:30am

Location: UTD - Room: ECSS 2.410

(Refreshments will be served at 10:00am: Networking opportunity for professionals and students)

The University of Texas at Dallas

ENGINEERING/COMPUTER SCIENCE BLDG. EC 31, P.O. BOX 830688, RICHARDSON, TEXAS 75083-0688 (972) 883-2190

Abstract

Software is ubiquitous in today's society; it is a vital engineered component in everything from anti-lock brakes systems in your car, industrial robots constructing complex parts, to guidance systems used for space launch vehicles. Increasingly, software is controlling and monitoring the operation of many types of complex systems -- systems you and I may even use. We have all heard results of the ever-increasing numbers of "computer glitches" and "software programming errors" in the media over the years. Given this, how can we not ask ourselves, "How safe are these systems that use software; how safe is the software that runs these systems?" This talk illustrates the role of software engineering in assuring development of safe systems with safety-critical software processing.

Biography

Michael F. Siok is a staff Software Systems Engineer with 25 years experience in embedded avionic computer systems and software development with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, TX. Dr. Siok conducts engineering research in computer performance and software assurance, develops detailed planning for avionics systems development, and conducts software process analyses for aircraft avionics programs. He led the in-house effort to put into place the standard engineering practice for software safety at the company. In addition, Dr. Siok consults with the various aircraft program engineering staff at the Fort Worth plant and with Lockheed Martin corporate engineering staff on matters of software safety; he also delivers software safety courseware for practicing software engineers. Dr. Siok holds Doctorate of Engineering and Master's of Science degrees in Engineering Management from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, TX, and a Bachelor's of Engineering Technology, Electronics, (with a double major in Music) from Southwest State University in Marshall, MN. He is a senior member of the IEEE and an active member of the IEEE Computer Society, the Association of Computing Machines (ACM), and the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE). Dr. Siok is also a registered Texas Professional Engineer and an INCOSE Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP).