Andrew Saad is a System Performance Engineer at Google.  He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering as well as a Master’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of California at San Diego.  He is a member of engineering honor societies, IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu and Tau Beta Pi. He serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Computing Engineering at the University of California at San Diego.

Gautam Deryanni is a Silicon Validation Engineer at Meta. He holds his Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the Shiloh-Marcos School of Engineering at the University of San Diego.  He is a member of engineering honor societies, IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu and Tau Beta Pi.

Api Appulingam, P.E., A.A.E., is the Chief Development Officer, and oversees a multi-billion dollar program tasked with making critical improvements and developing new infrastructure at both Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and the Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE) through architectural, engineering, environmental, planning and sustainability projects. Ultimately, she is responsible for bringing innovation to the airfield, terminals and roadways at both airports.
Prior to her current role, Ms. Appulingam served as the Philadelphia Office Leader for RS&H, Inc., a national provider of architecture, engineering and consulting services. Ms. Appulingam earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Master of Business Administration in Project Management/Corporate Finance from the University of Dallas. She is a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) and an Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.).

Ms. Appulingam is passionate about mentoring and supporting the next generation of STEM professionals. She mentors young women ages 13 to 18 as part of the WTS Transportation YOU program, which provides a hands-on, interactive introduction to a wide variety of transportation careers.

Christopher graduated from Prairie View A&M University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology and a military Officer Commission in the United States Army Air Defense Artillery Core in 1995. He has worked for companies like Schneider Electric (formerly Square D), General Electric (GE), SIEMENS Energy & Automation (SEA), Asea Brown Boveri (ABB), Atlas Copco, and now EATON.

Out of all of the achievements and recognitions he has received, he is most proud of his IEEE STEM mentoring efforts. He has been and continues to be the mentor to several Young Professional IEEE members. Part of his recommended reading is the book “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Dr. Spender Johnson. It’s a timeless business classic, which uses a simple parable to reveal profound truths about dealing with change so that we can enjoy less stress and more success in our work and life. He often refers to the charters as he mentors to his mentees on where they are on their journey. It’s not easy being a mentee of Christopher, but if you want to get closer to your goals he will help you to find new cheese.

Kathleen A. Kramer is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of San Diego. She has also been a Member of Technical Staff at several companies, including ViaSat, HP, and Bell Communications Research. She worked to develop new engineering programs as a founding member of the University of San Diego engineering faculty, eventually became the chair of electrical engineering, and then serving as Director of Engineering (2004-2013), providing academic leadership for all of the university’s engineering programs. She maintains an active research agenda in the areas of multisensor data fusion, navigation, and cyber security in aerospace systems. In 2022, she was named a Fellow of ABET, for her work to advance university engineering and computing education globally, including advances in the criteria for cyber security, mechatronics and robotics, and the incorporation of diversity and inclusion. She is a Distinguished Lecturer for IEEE AESS and led its technical panel on Cyber Security. She received the B.S. degree in electrical engineering with a second major in physics from Loyola Marymount University, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology.

James Burroughs, Jr. is a Standards Manager for Siemens involving the electric utility industry. His day to day responsibility involves getting all meter socket based equipment approved by electric utilities. He works closely with the product management team and engineering group to develop products needed by electric utility companies to help them gather electrical power usage data. But James's passion extends far beyond the products themselves. He is a firm believer in fostering the next generation of engineers, and actively seeks opportunities to teach, mentor, and inspire young minds. James understands the importance of giving back to the field that has shaped his career, and enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience to help young engineers on their path to success.

Phil Bautista is a highly sought after consultant and public speaker with over 20 years of experience specializing in business process analysis and improvement, service and asset management, and implementation with a focus on technology.  His contributions include the development of the world’s first microprocessor-controlled SCUBA diving computer; development, integration and problem solving including complex systems such as NASA’s Space Shuttle and  Apache Helicopter simulators.  He is a Senior Member of the IEEE regularly meeting with federal legislators to put forward initiatives aligned with the IEEE.  As an Extra Class Amateur radio operator his involvement in Emergency Communications as an officer in RACES and ARES gives him a unique perspective regarding preparedness and continuity of service without depending on traditional infrastructure components.  As the creator of the “Zombie Apocalypse” he continues to provide lectures and hands on training in the world of Amateur Radio and works to increase the awareness and number of licensed radio operators.  Founder of Bull Creek Data, his work in IT, Asset Management automation and Artificial intelligence is sought by the Pentagon, FBI, US House of Representatives, and commercial clients such as Starbucks, 7-11, Dell and high-level consulting companies of Accenture, Deloitte, CGI, Capgemini and others.