Celia Desmond is President of World Class – Telecommunications, providing telecommunications management training. Celia established and ran the PMO for Echologics. Her team managed all proposals, contracts and project management processes, She has lectured internationally on programs for success in
today’s changing environment. As Director at Stentor Resource Center Inc., she was instrumental in establishing governance, culture and service/product development processes. At Bell Canada, Celia provided strategic direction to corporate planners, ran technology/service trials, standardized equipment, and
supported large business clients.

Celia was 2016-1017 IEEE Division III Director. She has held numerous IEEE positions including, Secretary, IEEE VP – Technical Activities, ComSoc President, IEEE Canada President, VP Technology and Engineering Management Society and Project Director for ComSoc’s Wireless Engineering Certification. Celia holds MSc. Engineering, B.Sc. Mathematics & Psychology, Ontario Teaching Certificate and PMP certification. Celia has taught kindergarten, high school, and at 5 universities. She is author of 2 Project Management books.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celia-desmond-b92117/

Summary:
In this insightful episode of the IEEE Thames podcast, host Jeff Perry sits down with Celia Desmond, a seasoned telecommunications management expert whose career journey spans from teaching kindergarten to leading complex engineering initiatives at Bell Canada. Celia shares her experiences navigating diverse professional roles, offering strategies for managing large-scale projects and transitioning between industry and research environments. Her reflections underscore the vital role of personal initiative, adaptability, and continuous learning in career advancement.

Listeners will gain practical guidance on building a career beyond technical expertise—exploring how to cultivate leadership skills, create meaningful professional networks, and thrive in both small and large organizations. Whether you're early in your engineering journey or a seasoned professional, this episode provides valuable lessons on career ownership, project management, and the evolving demands of technology-driven roles.

Jeff's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffcperry/

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The podcast features Dr. Saurabh Sinha, a professor and executive dean at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, discussing the role of augmented AI (A2I) in shaping the future of technology, particularly in telecommunications and beyond. Dr. Sinha begins by sharing his experience with the IEEE Technology Prediction Reports from 2022 and 2023, where he observed a shift in AI's impact. Initially seen as a standalone technology, AI has now become integral to various domains, both technological and non-technological.

He explains how A2I differs from traditional AI by emphasizing the need to focus on human and societal aspects alongside technological advancements. This approach aligns with the concept of the Fifth Industrial Revolution, where AI is not just about efficiency and speed but also about inclusivity and ethics.

Dr. Sinha delves into the role of A2I in telecommunications, particularly with the advent of 5G and 6G. He highlights the importance of integrating AI with ethics and societal values to ensure technology is inclusive and beneficial to all. He also touches on the ethical implications of AI and how A2I could help address biases and other challenges in the development of AI systems.

The conversation also explores the role of AI in everyday life, the impact of large language models (LLMs), and the importance of ethically aligned design in shaping AI's future. Dr. Sinha advocates for a balanced approach, where AI serves humanity's broader goals, including achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

In closing, he reflects on IEEE's shift in focus towards "advancing technology for humanity" and expresses hope for a future where technology and human values are intertwined to create a better world.

Link to the Original Paper: S. Sinha, J. W. Lambrechts, A. Bimana and A. Ashipala, "Augmented Artificial Intelligence in 5G, 6G, and Beyond: A Quantum Leap," in IEEE Computer, vol. 58, no. 1, pp. 24-32, Jan. 2025, doi: 10.1109/MC.2024.3445532

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In this episode, the host of TEMS Radio, Manju Iyer is in a conversation with Jeff Perry, a leadership and career expert known for helping individuals, teams, and organizations unlock their potential in all facets of life. Given his background in engineering, business, and leadership, he specializes in working with engineering and technical professionals, but the principles he shares are universal.

Jeff is the author of the bestselling book, The Intentional Engineer: A Guide to a Purpose-Driven Life and Career for Engineers and Technical Professionals as well as the new book The Intentional Career Guide to Professional Networking.

Jeff received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington.

A sought-after teacher and speaker, Jeff is happily married to Robin. Together they have four children, and live in beautiful Pullman, Washington.

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The podcast episode with Tathagat Varma, a senior leader in the technology industry, covers a wide range of topics related to his professional experiences, leadership in innovation, and the role of AI in business.

Tathagat begins by discussing his unique experience in Antarctica, where he spent 16 months as part of an Indian science expedition. He explains how this experience shaped his approach to leadership and problem-solving, particularly the importance of innovation within constraints, which was critical in such a resource-limited environment.

He then delves into the difference between creativity and innovation, emphasizing that innovation is about channeling creative ideas to solve real-world problems within specific constraints. He shares how this principle applies to both the Antarctic expedition and corporate environments.

On the subject of AI, Tathagat discusses his PhD research, focusing on how businesses can effectively adopt AI technologies. He warns against adopting AI simply because it’s trendy and advocates for aligning AI initiatives with strategic business goals. He also touches on ethical considerations, such as bias and hallucinations in AI systems, and emphasizes the importance of human intervention to ensure AI's safe and ethical use.

He introduces the concept of "cognitive collaboration," where humans work alongside intelligent non-human agents, and foresees this as a major shift in the future of work. Tathagat concludes by sharing his vision for the intersection of technology and work, predicting that AI will play a significant role in decision-making processes and that organizations must adapt to work effectively with AI-driven tools.

The conversation wraps up with reflections on how companies can prepare for these changes and the importance of education and regulation to ensure the responsible use of AI.

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In this episode of Time's Radio, Manju interviews Donald Lobo, the founder of Project Tech for Dev, a social enterprise that brings technology to nonprofits. Donald shares his journey from Yahoo to founding Project Tech for Dev, emphasizing the importance of technology as an enabler for NGOs. He discusses the vision and mission of Tech for Dev, highlighting the ecosystem-building approach to support NGOs effectively. Donald also delves into the impact of AI in the social sector, emphasizing the need for technology awareness while cautioning against overreliance on AI to solve complex social issues. The episode concludes with insights on volunteering in the social sector and transitioning to nonprofit work, stressing the importance of understanding NGO challenges and adding value to the organization.

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Visualization to Prompt Discussion and Promote Debate in Meetings

In this podcast Joe Sarkis a member of the TEMS Education Committee speaks with author Clive Kerr on his study and recent publication titled “Visualizing Portfolios: Prompt Discussions and Provoke Debates in Management Meetings” which appears in a forthcoming issues of IEEE Engineering Management Review. Clive Kerr speaks about his experiences with visualization and how it emerged from his roadmapping work. How senior executives prefer better visualizations and how these visualizations can be improved so that senior and strategic managers can more fully engage with some complex resource allocation topics related to managing portfolios of projects. Lessons for manages are clearly delineated based on the research and experiences.

Clive Kerr

Senior Research Associate, Cambridge University

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Understanding Interpersonal Trust for Organizational Leaders

In this podcast Joe Sarkis a member of the TEMS Education Committee speaks with author JD Caddell on his study and recent publication titled ““The Dynamics of Trust: Path Dependence in Interpersonal Trust” which appears in Volume 51, Issue 3 of IEEE Engineering Management Review. Major Caddell speaks on three major findings related to his study including: (1) How initial assessments matter; (2) Promote trust building behaviors; and (3) Prioritize team development. He discusses surprises and challenges from his study as well.

JD Caddell

Major U.S. Army, Ph.D Candidate, Stevens Institute of Technology

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Transitioning to a Leadership Role with Stephen Deasy

Stephen Deasy popularly knows as Steve is the Chief Technology officer at Benchling. Steve is an experienced engineering leader helping teams, systems, and companies scale and has built, and led teams all over the world build products that users love.

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