Welcome Session

Dan Cross-Cole earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Virginia (1974).  The major was a University Major (proposed with faculty consultation) in the Philosophy of Science, looking at the relationship of mathematical theories to the real world.  The undergraduate thesis was "Galileo and the Laws of Bodies Falling in a Medium". Dan earned a Masters Degree in Applied Physics at Johns Hopkins University (1978).  He built (with the help of many) a calibration facility for Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometers for the Fusion Program.  His Master's Thesis was on the use of a new detector (made by Galileo Electronics) on a spectrometer for the EUV region.  Dan was hired as an Instrumentation Engineer and joined the IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Society while at Hopkins. He worked for 22.5 years as an Electronics Engineer (1980-2003) for the Naval Sea Systems Command.  Dan was Team Leader for an R&D program that developed a computer-aided calibration system for Radiation Detection Equipment.  He represented the Navy's interests in various Joint Computer Logistics Programs (JCALS, JEDMICS, Joint Logistics Group (JLG)). After his first official retirement, Dan taught Electronics Engineering courses at DeVry University.  He developed a course in Systems Engineering, using the various systems in an autonomous robot built by the student.  Dan retired (again) as Chair of the Network Communications Management and Network Systems Administration Program in 2008. In 2003, Devry Professor Seddik Benhamida invited Dan to join the Control Systems Society and attend the IEEE NOVA Section meetings.  Dan has served as Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer and Secretary for the Section; and Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer for the Control Systems Society.

Marcio Szechtman is the Technical Vice President of CIGRE (Technical Council Chair) from August 2018, till August 2024. He was the Technical Chair of the HVDC Study Committee between 2002 and 2008; Received the CIGRE Gold Medal in 2014 and the Honorary Member Award in 2008. He is the Life Fellow of IEEE/PES.  Recipient of the Uno Lamm HVDC Technical Award in 2009; Life Fellow since 2016. Marcio Szechtman is an Electrical Engineer with a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo. Recent assignments were General Director at CEPEL from 2017 to 2019, and Chief Transmission Officer at Eletrobras from 2019 to 2023.