Title: Sensors for Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation – from Coils to Radar Systems

Nathan Ida is currently Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. His research work encompasses the broad aspects of computational electromagnetics where he has contributed to both understanding of the interaction of electromagnetic fields with materials and to the development of new methods and tools for numerical modeling and simulation for, and beyond. An important part of this work is in electromagnetic nondestructive testing and evaluation of materials at low and microwave frequencies with particular emphasis on theoretical issues, on all aspects of modeling and simulation and on related issues stemming from research in NDE including sensors and applications. Other areas of current interest include electromagnetic wave propagation, theoretical issues in computation, as well as in communications and sensing. Much of this work has found its way into practice through industrial relations and consulting across industries as diverse as power generation, polymers, steel, medical and software. Dr. Ida has published extensively on electromagnetic field computation, nondestructive testing of materials, surface impedance boundary conditions, sensing and others, in over 400 publications. He has written 11 books including two on computation of electromagnetic fields (one in its second edition) one on modeling for nondestructive testing, one on nondestructive testing with microwaves, a textbook on engineering electromagnetics, now in its fourth edition, a textbook on sensing and actuation (now in its second edition) a book on the theory and applications of surface impedance boundary conditions and others including on ground penetrating radar and industrial sensing based on microwaves. Dr. Ida is a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electric and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a Fellow of the American Society of Nondestructive Testing (ASNT), a Fellow of the Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society (ACES) and a Fellow of the Institute of Electronics and Technology (IET). Dr. Ida teaches Electromagnetics, Antenna Theory, Electromagnetic Compatibility, Sensing and Actuation as well as Computational Methods and Algorithms.
Dr. Ida received his B.Sc. in 1977 and M.S.E.E. in 1979 from the Ben-Gurion University in Israel, and his Ph.D. from Colorado State University in 1983.

Title: Machine Learning applied to the Design and Analysis of Low Frequency
Electromagnetic Devices

David A. Lowther received a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Electrical Engineering from King’s College, London in 1970 and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Brighton Polytechnic in 1973. He was a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at Imperial College, London from 1973 to 1979 working with C. J. Carpenter on the simulation and measurement of electromagnetic fields in the end regions of electrical machines.
In 1979, he moved to the Department of Electrical Engineering at McGill University as an Associate Professor and was promoted to the rank of Full Professor in 1986. He was Chair of the Department from 1998 to 2006. His research interests have centered on the simulation of low frequency electromagnetic devices and the computer implementation of the design process for such devices.
In 1978, together with Prof. P. Silvester and Prof. E. Freeman, he founded of Infolytica Corporation. This was the first company with the specific goal of generating solutions to industrial level electromagnetic field problems on a personal computer. He has published over 300 papers in journals and conferences.
He is currently the President of the International Compumag Society and is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and the Institution of Engineering and Technology.