IEEE-PES Seattle and Puget Sound Energy (PSE) are hosting a tour of PSE’s System Operations Center in Redmond, WA. This control center is one of many centers PSE uses to monitor and control the distribution systems on PSE’s electrical grid, and ensure reliable service to PSE’s 1.2 million electrical customers. Participants will have the opportunity to see the Systems Operation Center in person, learn about day-to-day and emergency operations, and speak with control center operators. NOTE: ALL ATTENDEES MUST BRING A VALID, GOVERNMENT ISSUED PHOTO ID TO THE TOUR. 13635 NE 80th St, Redmond, Washington, United States, 98052

Zoom Link: https://ulaval.zoom.us/j/65298393873?pwd=oPbFThy9MSAKft8nbUrOjwC6Z6Ek8g.1 Biograpgy of Speaker: Gunes Karabulut-Kurt is a Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in New Frontiers in Space Communications and a Professor at Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada. She is the Director of the Poly-Grames Research Center, and is co-founder and Director of Education and Training of ASTROLITH, Transdisciplinary Research Unit of Space Resource and Infrastructure Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal. She is also an adjunct research professor at Carleton University, Canada. Gunes received the B.S. degree with high honors in electronics and electrical engineering from Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkiye, in 2000 and the M.A.Sc. and the Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Ottawa, ON, Canada, in 2002 and 2006, respectively. She worked in different technology companies in Canada and Turkiye between 2005 and 2010. From 2010 to 2021, she was a professor at Istanbul Technical University. Gunes is a Marie Curie Fellow and has received the Turkish Academy of Sciences Outstanding Young Scientist (TÜBA-GEBIP) Award in 2019. Talk Abstract: The satellite networks, emerging as megaconstellations, are promising significant advancements to eliminate the digital divide, especially with the deployment of direct-to-cell connections on a mass scale. However, the deployment of such networks remains challenging, requiring innovation in architecture, interoperability, and security. This keynote will provide an accessible overview of the development of non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), emphasizing how they can be seamlessly integrated with terrestrial systems through approaches such as Open Radio Access Networks (O-RAN). The discussion will explore how resource allocation can be configured to ensure efficient operation in heterogeneous networks, while addressing the pressing issues of resilience and security in a highly interconnected space-terrestrial ecosystem. The talk will conclude by highlighting open research directions and long-term opportunities, pointing to how NTNs can evolve into secure, intelligent, and sustainable infrastructures that support inclusive global connectivity. Meeting Link: https://ulaval.zoom.us/j/65298393873?pwd=oPbFThy9MSAKft8nbUrOjwC6Z6Ek8g.1, Québec City, Quebec, Canada, G1V 0A6

To kick off the spring season, we are having a social casual outing at Anthony’s Homeport in Kirkland, right by the water. Students, YPs, and everyone else are welcome! If you have questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to get in touch with John Vertner through his email, john.vertner@ieee.org. 135 Lake St S, Kirkland, Washington, United States, 98033