24 April 2025
by Valeri Paul and Michelle Thompson
The IEEE San Diego Section made a significant impact at the recent Del Mar Electronics and Manufacturing Show (DMEMS), thanks to the hard work of numerous volunteers and participants. With a spacious 20′ x 10′ booth area and strong show support, the San Diego Section was able to showcase a wide variety of IEEE activities and connect with many interested engineers and professionals.
Event Highlights
The show produced an impressive 35 IEEE-sponsored events, including a variety of certificate-granting technical talks, student robotics demonstrations, author signing sessions, and live demonstrations of new open source digital radio protocols.
Volunteer Recognition
Special thanks to Mike Bryant who coordinated our presence at the show, along with the dedicated team of volunteers who staffed the booth, including Valeri Paul, Paul Williamson, Greg Laugle, Enrique Monteagudo, and Michelle Thompson.
Women in Engineering Panel
The San Diego IEEE Women in Engineering hosted a well-received panel discussion that offered PDH credits. Panelists included:
- Dr. Justina Sanchez
- Dr. Tracy Nguyen
- Ashmeet Kaur Chandok
- Grethel Cabuto
The panel received excellent reviews and helped extend the IEEE community. Several notable connections were made between attendees and Upal Mahbub, our San Diego Section Chair.
Visitor Highlights
Our booth attracted a diverse group of visitors including:
- A Life Member who was thrilled to learn about the restoration of the Life Member Affinity Group
- Consultants Network members seeking to expand their connections to PCB manufacturing
- Engineers from aerospace circuits and systems who discovered the relevant IEEE society
- DSP engineers interested in the Open Source Digital Radio demonstrations
- Maria Hatfield, PhD from Dattel (a data architectural firm) who has already participated in IEEE webinars
- Mark Oberman from UC San Marcos who visited with his students and connected with Greg Laugle
- Engineers from Aerotech with questions about IEEE
- Representatives from L3 Harris providing updates on SDSU IEEE student branch elections
- Engineers specializing in power reduction for IoT and embedded devices
- Dispatch Tech personnel who gave a talk and had their own booth
Several visitors were encouraged to apply for Senior Membership, and numerous connections were made between attendees and IEEE’s specialized groups.
Looking Ahead
The Del Mar Electronics and Manufacturing Show continues to be an excellent venue for IEEE San Diego Section. Its manageable size and friendly atmosphere make it ideal for demonstrations, workshops, and networking. Last year featured a popular soldering kit activity, and this year’s demonstrations were equally engaging.
Below, see some of the over-the-air demonstrations at the booth, with a “special guest” analog tachometer towards the end.
If you have photos or videos from the event, please consider sharing them for our newsletter and social media channels. Contact any of the Executive Committee members if you need assistance uploading to the Section Flickr group or YouTube channel.
Below, a poster session from Open Source Digital Radio local group (on first table) and UCSD Student Branch robotics demonstrations (on second table after 90 degree turn).
We encourage all members to consider volunteering for next year’s show, giving a talk, or bringing interactive demonstrations. With our flexible booth space and the show’s support, we can showcase any IEEE-related activities and continue to make valuable connections in our engineering community.