Join us on Thursday, 25 September 2025, for a hybrid session covering both Federated Learning and highlights from this year’s 2025 INCOSE International Symposium (IS) in Canada!
The evening will start with a presentation by Dr. Art Villanueva on Federated Learning – A Systems Engineering Approach to Smarter Artificial Intelligence, and how complex system-level behavior arises from simple, local interactions. This will be immediately followed by Dr. Julia Taylor covering exciting topics from the 2025 IS.
Please be aware that this month’s presentation will take place on Thursday evening rather than Wednesday. We hope to see you there!
EVENT INFORMATION
Date: Thursday, 25 September 2025, 5:45 pm – 7:15 pm (presentations start at 6pm)
Location: Filippi’s restaurant in Kearny Mesa (San Diego), 5353 Kearny Villa Rd, San Diego, CA 92123 (Google Maps)
Cost: FREE! There will be an optional dinner of Italian food (spaghetti, pizza, salad, etc.) and soft drinks. Prices are $5 for INCOSE member and students/$15 for non-members. RSVP
Zoom Link: https://incose-org.zoom.us/j/84606914523?pwd=GaA3EusBwl3ZYz0rf9VxwyN2cyjYDm.1
Meeting ID: 846 0691 4523
Passcode: 264936
Telephone Dial In: 669-444-9171 (same passcode as above)
SYNOPSES
FEDERATED LEARNING. In the first presentation of this evolving series, Dr. Villanueva explored the convergence of Systems Engineering and Artificial Intelligence. In the second, he examined the phenomenon of emergence – how complex system-level behavior arises from simple, local interactions. This third installment delves into federated learning (FL), a distributed machine learning paradigm that applies principles of emergence at scale, enabling intelligent global behavior to arise from decentralized, local interactions.
Federated Learning enables edge devices to collaboratively train shared models without transferring raw data. Through decentralized computation and global aggregation, intelligent behavior emerges from the collective experience of autonomous participants – from smartphones and hospitals to fleets of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This talk will examine the algorithmic foundations of FL, its systemic challenges (non-IID data, intermittent connectivity, and adversarial threats), and its compelling applications in systems where privacy, resiliency, and autonomy converge.
From collaborative healthcare systems to adaptive environmental monitoring to smart infrastructure and UAV networks, federated learning provides a powerful framework for enabling distributed intelligence across diverse domains. Dr. Villanueva will examine how FL represents not just a technical tool, but a systems architecture for building complex, adaptive, and mission-aware AI at the edge, where privacy, resilience, and autonomy are paramount.
2025 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM. The 2025 IS was the largest annual gathering of systems engineering professionals – from industry, government, and academia – providing a platform to share ideas, present innovations, and network across a range of interactive formats including presentations, workshops, tutorials, and panel discussions. This short presentation will cover major events and happenings.
PRESENTERS
Dr Art Villanueva
Dr. Art Villanueva lives in the intersection of artificial intelligence, emergence, and systems engineering. His current research focuses on complex adaptive systems (CAS) – from brain mechanisms to autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). He is the founder of Phronos, an AI services company dedicated to leveraging AI and SE across domains. He also serves as a Senior Staff Engineer at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, where he applies his expertise to the next-generation of unmanned aerial vehicles. Dr. Villanueva previously served as Chief AI Technologist for Dell Technologies’ Federal Strategic Programs, guiding Dell’s AI posture across government sectors. His multidisciplinary experience also spans large defense and public transportation projects as well as clean-tech entrepreneurship in renewable energy. An inventor with multiple U.S. utility patents and several peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Villanueva holds a Doctor of Engineering in Systems Engineering from Colorado State University, where he specialized in meta-algorithmics for natural language processing. He also holds a master’s degree in systems engineering, a master’s degree in computer science from UC San Diego, and a bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics from UCLA. He is an INCOSE-certified Expert Systems Engineering Professional (ESEP).
Dr Julia Taylor
Dr. Julia Taylor is a Management Consultant at Taylor Success Systems, where she applies Systems Thinking to solve business challenges. She holds a Doctorate in Corporate Strategy (under the guidance of Igor Ansoff), an MBA from Santa Clara University, a B.S. in Chemistry from Memphis State University, and an Electronics degree from Heald Institute of Technology in San Francisco. Dr. Taylor has been a INCOSE SD board member since 2018 and Chapter President in 2024. Additionally, Dr. Taylor is the Chapter Representative for SD INCOSE at the San Diego County Engineering Council (SDCEC). Active in Toastmasters, Dr. Taylor holds the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) title and has achieved Presentation Pathways recognition. She is also the author of several technical papers and three business books.