Panel - The Role of Academia and Industry on Solving Community Challenges

Abdulla Al-Kaff

Committee Member of IEEE Region 8 Ad-Hoc on Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS)

Dr. Abdulla Al-Kaff is Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Autonomous Mobility and Perception Lab at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and serves as a Chief Business Development Officer at Seevia Technologies. Dr. Al-Kaff’s leadership extends beyond academia into significant IEEE roles. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Spanish Chapter of IEEE ITSS and as Associate Editor for the IEEE Open Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems. A demonstrated leader, Dr. Al-Kaff has successfully 32 projects, including competitive national and European Projects and numerous collaborations with industry, showing his skill in managing complex research initiatives that bridge academia and industry. Additionally, Dr. Al-Kaff co-founded Spain FlyingLab, part of a global hub that connects experts in drones, data, robotics, and AI professional services, fostering interdisciplinary research and practical applications in intelligent transportation. A committed leader, Dr. Al-Kaff’s extensive portfolio of IEEE activities includes serving on ITSS Committee on Membership Activities, and the IEEE Region 8 Ad-Hoc Committee for the Engineering Projects in Community Service and acting as a judge for the Region 8 IEEEDuino Student Contest, further evidencing his dedication to fostering educational and developmental opportunities within the engineering community.

Stephanie Gillespie

Chair of EPICS in IEEE

Dr. Stephanie Gillespie is an Associate Dean at Tagliatela College of Engineering at the University of New Haven in West Haven, Connecticut, USA. She has been a service learning practitioner for 5 years, including development of community partners and supporting student teams with real-world, client-based engineering for nonprofit organizations. Her current research interests span multiple areas of engineering education including makerspaces, multidisciplinary teams, gender diversity and minority retention, and entrepreneurial mindset. Her PhD from Georgia Tech focused on machine learning and signal processing for affective computing, specifically detecting stress and depression in adults with communication disorders. She is currently serving as the Chair of the EPICS in IEEE committee, and is also involved with the Society of Women Engineers and American Society for Engineering Education.

Samarth Deo

Chair of IEEE Region 8 Ad-Hoc on Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS)

Samarth Deo is the Head of Software at MACH R&D, Hitachi Energy AB, Sweden. A 2014 graduate of KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, he began his career as an R&D Software Engineer at ABB AB. In 2018, he became the R&D Manager for the Firmware & SDK team. Since 2022, Samarth has led seven R&D teams (around 130 engineers) in developing and maintaining the MACH control platform, which is crucial for HVDC and FACTS systems worldwide. He has held multiple leadership roles in IEEE, including Chair of the EPICS in IEEE committee and IEEE Sweden Section, and has received numerous awards, notably the IEEE Region 8 Exceptional Young Professionals Award. Recently, he was appointed Chair of the AdHoc on EPICS in IEEE within Region 8. Samarth is also an avid photographer and enjoys cooking at home.

Kai Godall

Committee Member of EPICS in IEEE

Kai Goodall is a BSc Mechatronics Engineering graduate and MSc Electrical Engineering candidate at the University of Cape Town. As a Committee Member for EPICS in IEEE and the STEM Outreach Lead for UCT’s Electrical Engineering Department, Kai is passionate about leveraging technology to solve real-world problems through service learning. He is also an AI Engineer at Rorschach Innovation Services, focusing on computer vision and AI for sports analytics. Kai has won three international engineering competitions and served as an Advisory Board Member for RS Group UK, where he gained valuable leadership and project management experience. He also serves as a Tech Ambassador for RS South Africa. His work spans AI, computer vision, robotics, sustainable development, and renewable energy, and he is committed to advancing STEM education, innovation, and automation to create a more sustainable future.