Panel - WiE in Humanitarian Technology

14:30-14:35
Welcome by Margarida Trigo (WiE Region 8) and Patrizia Lamberti (WiE Italy)

14:35-14:45
WIE Region 8 activities presentation by Margarida Trigo, WIE committees of IEEE R8

14:45-14:55
WIE AG IEEE Italy Section presentation by Patrizia Lamberti, Chair of IEEE WIE AG Italy Section

14:55-15:05
Tune Award presentation – by Roberta di Pace (WIE AG Italy Section Outreach Activities Coordinator) and Valentina Consolo (WIE AG Italy Section volunteer)

15:05-15:45
Panel discussion “Humanitarian Efforts Empowering Women through Technology” moderate by Larissa Abi Nakhle, IEEE Region 8 SAC WIE SBAG Coordinator with

• Magdalena Salazar Palma, IEEE Region 8 Past President
• Georgia Iria Saridaki, Research and Development Engineer
• Lara D’Argento, Inclusive Product Growth Strategist

15:45-16:00
Q&A

#1 Introduction of WiE R8 and WiE Italy

Duration: 20 min

Title

Women in Engineering – R8 and Italy section introduction

Speakers:

Prof Patrizia Lamberti and Margarida Trigo / Larissa- vice chair WiE R8

Summary:

Introduction to WiE R8 mission, initiatives and 2024 goals and KPIs.
Introduction to WiE Italy section.

#2 WiE Italy TUNE awards

Duration: 10 min

Announcement / distribution of the awards

Roberta Di Pace and Valentina Consolo from WIE Italy section (potentially hybrid mode)

#3 Panel discussion: Humanitarian Efforts Empowering Women through Technology

Speakers and Panellists

Dr. Larissa Abi Nakhle (IEEE Region 8 SAC WIE SBAG Coordinator), Magdalena Salazar Palma (IEEE Region 8 Past President), Georgia Iria Saridaki (Research and Development Engineer) and Lara D’Argento (Inclusive Product Growth Strategist)

Panel Topic

Humanitarian Efforts Empowering Women through Technology

Summary

This session will highlight humanitarian initiatives aimed at transforming the lives of women worldwide through innovative technology and targeted interventions. We’ll explore how organizations leverage technology to address pressing issues, create sustainable change, dismantle systemic barriers, and foster stronger communities.

Magdalena Salazar Palma

Born in Granada, Spain. Received MS and PhD degrees in EEE from Technical University Madrid, Spain. Holds an Honorary Doctorate from Aalto University, Finland. Currently Honorary Emeritus Full Professor, Department of Signal Theory and Communications, Carlos III University Madrid, Spain. Researcher in electromagnetic field theory; advanced computational and numerical methods for microwave and millimeter wave passive components, antenna arrays and smart antennas; advanced network theory; millimeter, submillimeter and THz frequency band technologies. Prolific well cited author of over 750 publications (books, articles in scientific journals, international symposia, etc.), and PI of projects and patents. IEEE Life Fellow, IEEE-HKN member. Volunteer for 34 years. Served in over 100 positions, among them, IEEE BoD member, MGAB member, R8 Director, IEEE GovCom member, Ethics&Member Conduct Committee Chair, WIEC Chair, AP-S President. Currently serving as EPPC Chair, member of IEEE Fellow Committee, IEEE CRC, TAB PerCom, and more.

Lara D’Argento

Multilingual professional with 18 years of international experience, transforming inclusivity into a competitive advantage through growth strategies. Mentor for 200+ startups across 12+ incubation programs. First woman in Italy to co-author a Growth video course on a platform with over 170,000 subscribers and more than 700 companies. Co-founder of an organization for equal opportunities in tech, managing an application for a €2 million European grant. Recent speaker at Product Management Day 2024 on gender equity in product design.

Georgia (Iria) Saridak

Georgia (Iria) Saridaki received the diploma of Electrical and Computer Engineering from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) in 2021. She is pursuing her PhD degree at the Electric Energy Systems Laboratory NTUA. She is working as Research and Development Engineer in SmartRUE (Smart grids Research Unit of the Electrical and Computer Engineering School) and she has been involved in several European and national funded research programs (RE-EMPOWERED, COMPILE, EDDIE, APEX- Smart Management Hub of Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Efficiency). She is a teaching and laboratory assistant in two undergraduate ECE NTUA courses; Power System Analysis (Steady State) and Power System Analysis (Asymmetrical and Transient State).

Patrizia Lamberti

Patrizia Lamberti (SM’21) Master degree in Electronic Engineering and Ph.D. degree in Information Engineering from the University of Salerno, in 2001 and 2006, respectively. She is Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering with the Department of Information and Electrical Engineering and Applied Mathematics (DIEM), University of Salerno, Italy. Since 2002, she has been involved in experimental and numerical research on device, materials and innovative composites for electrical engineering applications in several fields, with emphasis on Robust Design in presence of uncertainty. She has authored over 130 scientific publications in international journals and in proceedings of international conferences. She currently serves IEEE as chair of the IEEE Italy Women in Engineering Affinity Group and as vice-chair of Nanotechnology Council for Italy section.

Margarida Trigo

Margarida Trigo has a Master’s degree in Industrial Electronics and Computers Engineering from the University of Minho where she also enrolled in the doctoral program Advanced Engineering Systems for the Industry, with a research focus on autonomous vehicles. Margarida has several years of experience and she currently works as a Product Manager in a Fintech company.
In addition to her industrial work, Margarida actively participates in IEEE as a volunteer. She was part of the Portugal section ExCom from 2018 to 2023 and is currently involved in the Professional and Educational Activities and WIE committees of IEEE R8.

Larissa Abi Nakhle

Larissa Abi Nakhle is the co-founder and Head of Partnerships at ZAKA, an educational Artificial Intelligence company dedicated to upskilling individuals and facilitating their integration into the job market across the MENA Region.
With a background spanning over five years in marketing and community building for non-profits, Larissa has been actively involved with IEEE since 2016. She served as Treasurer and Chair of the IEEE AUB Student Branch in Lebanon, and currently holds the position of Vice President at IEEE Young Professionals Lebanon. In 2023, Larissa joined IEEE Region 8 Women In Engineering as a CRSP Member and took on the role of IEEE Region 8 SAC WIE SBAG Coordinator. Additionally, she serves as the Social Media Core Team Lead on the 2024 IEEE Global Entrepreneurship Steering Committee.
Larissa is passionate about fostering meaningful connections within communities to empower technical professionals to exchange experiences and knowledge.
She holds a B.E. in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the American University of Beirut.