(This presentation is open to all, including non-INCOSE members. Image curtesy of ThisisEngineering on Unsplash)

Please join us on Wednesday, 12 March 2025, in Old Town San Diego for a HYBRID presentation on Human Factors Engineering and its role in urgent acquisition and rapid prototyping. Please RSVP below.

This presentation will be conducted by Ms. Lily Zeman and Dr. John Wood of the U.S. Navy’s Naval Information Warfare Center – Pacific (NIWC-Pacific) division, and will be held at The Art of the Cigar in Old Town.

IMPORTANT INFO

Date: 12 March 2025, 5:30-7pm (the presentation starts at 6).

Location: The Art of the Cigar, 2609 Congress Street, Suite F, San Diego, CA (Google Maps)

Cost: Free! An optional dinner of pizza, wings, salad, and soft drinks will be offered at $5 for INCOSE members, $10 for non-members.

Zoom Meeting Link:
https://incose-org.zoom.us/j/83123390599

Meeting ID: 831 2339 0599

Phone line: +1 669-444-9171 US

SYNOPSIS

Urgent Capability Acquisition and Rapid Prototyping are accelerated processes intended to put functional solutions in the hands of the warfighter in a fraction of the time. Engineers often view them as means to test and mature technical capabilities. While this is critical, it is also critical to test and mature how humans will interface with the system in various roles including trainer, installer, user, maintainer, help desk agent, etc. This presentation will highlight key Human Factors Engineering activities that programs must perform to ensure the solutions they are building will ultimately provide the capability warfighters need in a manner they can use and maintain

PRESENTERS

Ms. Lily Zeman currently serves as Deputy Department Lead Systems Engineer at the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific and a passionate advocate of Human Systems Integration. Helps the Navy develop system that are warfighter centered. They must be built with the end user in mind, resulting in systems that are easy to use and easy to maintain. Ms. Zeman holds a BS in Electronics and Computer Engineering and a MS Cybersecurity and Information Assurance from National University.

John Wood, PhD, currently serves as Department Lead Systems Engineer at the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific where he leads world-class engineers as they create future warfighting capabilities for the US Navy and other Department of Defense customers. Throughout his career, Dr. Wood has consistently applied his systems engineering and project management expertise to solve mission and safety critical challenges within healthcare, aviation, and defense. Dr. Wood holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the US Naval Academy and a PhD in Systems Engineering from the George Washington University.

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Welcome!!

The Los Angeles and San Diego chapters are hosting TWO online independent study groups (‘Cohorts’) for the INCOSE Systems Engineering Professional (SEP) certification, one on Thursday nights and the other on Friday mornings.

This registration page is for the THURSDAY EVENINGS Cohort that will meet from 7:30-9pm Pacific Time!

Both Cohorts will last 10 weeks and will help students prepare for the INCOSE SEP certification knowledge exam. There will also be an optional 11th-week session focused on reviewing the type of questions found on the knowledge exam.

Persons local to southern California are especially encouraged to register, as we plan to host a SEP paper exam in the SoCal area shortly after the Cohorts conclude. This training teaches you how to successfully study to increase the chance that you will pass the knowledge exam.

Non-INCOSE members are also welcome to register!

Questions? Contact us at info@sdincose.org and/or info@incose-la.org.

Important Information on the Thursday Cohort

* The Cohort is 10 weeks long and will meet once a week using either Zoom or Microsoft Teams. (Which we use will be determined and announced beforehand.)

* Expect each Thursday session to last for 1.5 hours, from 7:30pm – 9pm Pacific Time. (On some evenings, the classes may run longer, e.g., until 9:30pm.)

* The Cohort will cover the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook Version 5, upon which the knowledge exam is based.

* The INCOSE Los Angeles chapter will host the Thursday evening Cohort.

* The Thursday Cohort begins on 10 April 2024 and ends on 12 June 2024. There will be an optional extra meeting the following week on 19 June 2025 to discuss exam questions.

* We may limit each class to 50 students. Please sign up immediately if you are interested, and only if you are serious about attending! Please be serious about taking the INCOSE Systems Engineering Professional (SEP) exam as well.

* The INCOSE San Diego chapter will also host a Friday morning Cohort. Both the Thursday and Friday Cohorts the will cover the same material each week; please choose the one that works for you. You are also welcome to join the Friday morning Cohort to listen in and/or make up for a missed session.

* The registration fee is $100. However, participants are eligible for up to a full refund:

• 50% Refund for fulfilling your participation responsibilities, including creating a presentation deck and presenting to the Cohort. Note: Every participant must present to receive this refund— no exceptions! Presentations may be done in small teams depending on the number of students.

• Additional 50% Refund upon providing proof of having taken the SEP exam (pass or fail) by December 31, 2025.

* The LA and San Diego chapters will also organize an in-person paper exam 3-4 weeks after conclusion of the Cohorts. The exact location is to be determined (TBD), but expect it to be somewhere between Los Angeles and San Diego.

* The paper exam cost is also TBD, but we hope to make it free for all Cohort participants.

* We will apply INCOSE’s Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) adjustments to reduce the registration cost for students from smaller economy countries:

• PPP2 Countries: 25% discount ($75 total)
• PPP3 Countries: 50% discount ($50 total)

Please see each country’s PPP rating Here and CONTACT US if you have any questions at info@sdincose.org

* All students are required to pay via PayPal to join the Cohort. If you don’t have a PayPal account, you can still make payment using a credit card through the PayPal site.

* All registered students who have submitted payment will receive the course curriculum and meeting link a few days prior to the first session. Thank you!

About the Cohort Structure

Cohorts are largely student-led learning experiences. Each participant will be part of a small team responsible for presenting a section of the INCOSE Handbook Version 5 to the entire Cohort. To support these sessions, the LA and SD chapters will supply team leaders (typically two per meeting) to facilitate the sessions by providing introductions, managing the schedule and Zoom sessions, and addressing any challenges that arise.

Preparation and Materials

You must have your own copy of the INCOSE Handbook, Version 5.

• INCOSE members can download it for free from the INCOSE Store (you must log in).
• Non-members will need to purchase a copy.

All participants are strongly encouraged to review each week’s assigned material in advance to fully engage with the presentations and ask thoughtful questions. NOTE that this Cohort is only supplemental to reading the Handbook. It is strongly encouraged to read the Handbook from beginning to end.

Before the First Session

• Please read Chapter 1: Systems Engineering Introduction of the Handbook.
• Familiarize yourself with the key Terms and Definitions in Appendix C

Technical Requirements

Please make sure your computer or network does not block access to Zoom or Microsoft Teams, as these will be our primary platforms.

Thursday Evening Cohort Schedule

WEEK	DATE	TOPICS
1	10 April 2025	Welcome, organization of Cohort, section assignments, how to use this handbook, Ch 1 – SE Intro
2	17 April 2025	Ch 2 – System Life Cycle Concepts, Models, Processes – 2.1 Life cycle terms concepts through 2.3.2.2 Supply Process
3	24 April 2025	Ch 2 – System Life Cycle Concepts, Models, Processes – Section 2.3.3 Organizational Project Enabling Processes
4	1 May 2025	Ch 2 – System Life Cycle Concepts, Models, Processes – Section 2.3.4 Technical Mgmt processes
5	8 May 2025	Ch 2 – System Life Cycle Concepts, Models, Processes – Technical Processes I, 2.3.5.1 through 2.3.5.6
6	15 May 2025	Ch 2 – System Life Cycle Concepts, Models, Processes – Technical Processes II, 2.3.5.7 – 2.3.5.14
7	22 May 2025	Ch 3 – Life cycle analysis methods – 3.1 Quality characteristics and approaches
8	29 May 2025	Ch 3 – Life cycle analysis methods – 3.2 SE analyses and methods through Ch 4 section 4.2.4 Product Line Engineering
9	5 June 2025	Ch 4 – Tailoring and Application Considerations – section 4.3 through 4.4.10 Transportation Systems
10	12 June 2025	Chapter 5 – Systems Engineering in Practice
11 (bonus)	19 June 2025	Practice questions for exam

About SEP Certification

What is Systems Engineering Professional certification? Certification is a formal process whereby a community of knowledgeable, experienced, and skilled representatives of an organization, such as INCOSE, provides confirmation of an individual’s competency (demonstrated knowledge, education, and experience) in a specified profession. Certification differs from licensing in that licenses are permissions granted by a government entity for a person to practice within its regulatory boundaries. Certification also differs from a “certificate” that documents the successful completion of a training or education program. There are three types of INCOSE SEP certification: ASEP, CSEP, and ESEP. Please read more here.

What is the Systems Engineering Professional exam? The SEP exam is a 2-hour exam designed to test your knowledge of INCOSE systems engineering practices and processes. Please read more here.

Please contact us at info@sdincose.org and/or info@incose-la.org for more information.

What Each Student Will Need for the Cohort

Each student who attends a Cohort will need the following:

• A copy of the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook: A Guide for System Life Cycle Processes and Activities, 5th Edition. An electronic version of this is available free for all INCOSE members. Non-members must purchase the handbook. Visit the INCOSE store here.  Important – you must have Version 5.
• The ability to log in and participate in the weekly Zoom or Teams sessions.  Please ensure your computer and/or network does not block access to Zoom or Teams.
• A commitment to build a slide deck and to present the agreed-upon material to the Cohort (this might be part of a small team). Presenting will result in 50% refund of the cost of registration.
• You should have interest and intent to take the INCOSE SEP exam, though this is not mandatory. Proof of you taking the exam by 31 Dec 2025 will result in 50% refund of the cost of registration. All payments and refunds will be made using PayPal. Note that you do NOT have to have a PayPal account; you can also pay on PayPal using a credit card.

Thank you! Please contact us at info@sdincose.org and/or info@incose-la.org if you have any questions, and we look forward to meeting you on April 10th!

The INCOSE LA and San Diego Chapters

RSVP deadline is past

Show Attendees

Welcome!!

The Los Angeles and San Diego chapters are hosting TWO online independent study groups (‘Cohorts’) for the INCOSE Systems Engineering Professional (SEP) certification, one on Thursday nights and the other on Friday mornings.

This registration page is for the FRIDAY MORNINGS Cohort that will meet from 8-10am Pacific Time!

Both Cohorts will last 10 weeks and will help students prepare for the INCOSE SEP certification knowledge exam. There will also be an optional 11th-week session focused on reviewing the type of questions found on the knowledge exam.

Persons local to southern California are especially encouraged to register, as we plan to host a SEP paper exam in the SoCal area shortly after the Cohorts conclude. This training teaches you how to successfully study to increase the chance that you will pass the knowledge exam!

Non-INCOSE members are also welcome to register!

Questions? Contact us at info@sdincose.org and/or info@incose-la.org.

Important Information on the Friday Cohort

* The Cohort is 10 weeks long and will meet once a week using either Zoom or Microsoft Teams. (Which we use will be determined and announced beforehand.)

* Expect each session to last up to two hours, from 8am – 10am Pacific Time.

* The Cohort will cover the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook Version 5, upon which the knowledge exam is based.

* The INCOSE San Diego chapter will host the Friday morning Cohort.

* The Friday Cohort begins on 11 April 2024 and ends on 13 June 2024. There will be an optional extra meeting the following week on 20 June 2025 to discuss exam questions.

* We may limit each class to 50 students. Please sign up immediately if you are interested, and only if you are serious about attending! Please be serious about taking the INCOSE Systems Engineering Professional (SEP) exam as well.

* The INCOSE Los Angeles chapter will also host a Thursday evening Cohort. Both the Thursday and Friday Cohorts the will cover the same material each week; please choose the one that works for you. You are also welcome to join the Thursday Cohort to listen in and/or make up for a missed session.

* The registration fee is $100. However, participants are eligible for up to a full refund:

• 50% Refund for fulfilling your participation responsibilities, including creating a presentation deck and presenting to the Cohort. Note: Every participant must present to receive this refund— no exceptions! Presentations may be done in small teams depending on the number of students.

• Additional 50% Refund upon providing proof of having taken the SEP exam (pass or fail) by December 31, 2025.

* The LA and San Diego chapters will also organize an in-person paper exam 3-4 weeks after conclusion of the Cohorts. The exact location is to be determined (TBD), but expect it to be somewhere between Los Angeles and San Diego.

* The paper exam cost is also TBD, but we hope to make it free for all Cohort participants.

* We will apply INCOSE’s Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) adjustments to reduce the registration cost for students from smaller economy countries:

• PPP2 Countries: 25% discount ($75 total)
• PPP3 Countries: 50% discount ($50 total)

Please see each country’s PPP rating Here and CONTACT US if you have any questions at info@sdincose.org

* All students are required to pay via PayPal to join the Cohort. If you don’t have a PayPal account, you can still make payment using a credit card through the PayPal site.

* All registered students who have submitted payment will receive the course curriculum and meeting link a few days prior to the first session. Thank you!

About the Cohort Structure

Cohorts are largely student-led learning experiences. Each participant will be part of a small team responsible for presenting a section of the INCOSE Handbook Version 5 to the entire Cohort. To support these sessions, the LA and SD chapters will supply team leaders (typically two per meeting) to facilitate the sessions by providing introductions, managing the schedule and Zoom sessions, and addressing any challenges that arise.

Preparation and Materials

You must have your own copy of the INCOSE Handbook, Version 5.

• INCOSE members can download it for free from the INCOSE Store (you must log in).
• Non-members will need to purchase a copy.

All participants are strongly encouraged to review each week’s assigned material in advance to fully engage with the presentations and ask thoughtful questions. NOTE that this Cohort is only supplemental to reading the Handbook. It is strongly encouraged to read the Handbook from beginning to end.

Before the First Session

• Please read Chapter 1: Systems Engineering Introduction of the Handbook.
• Familiarize yourself with the key Terms and Definitions in Appendix C

Technical Requirements

Please make sure your computer or network does not block access to Zoom or Microsoft Teams, as these will be our primary platforms.

Friday Morning Cohort Schedule

WEEK	DATE	TOPICS
1	11 April 2025	Welcome, organization of Cohort, section assignments, how to use this handbook, Ch 1 – SE Intro
2	18 April 2025	Ch 2 – System Life Cycle Concepts, Models, Processes – 2.1 Life cycle terms concepts through 2.3.2.2 Supply Process
3	25 April 2025	Ch 2 – System Life Cycle Concepts, Models, Processes – Section 2.3.3 Organizational Project Enabling Processes
4	2 May 2025	Ch 2 – System Life Cycle Concepts, Models, Processes – Section 2.3.4 Technical Mgmt processes
5	9 May 2025	Ch 2 – System Life Cycle Concepts, Models, Processes – Technical Processes I, 2.3.5.1 through 2.3.5.6
6	16 May 2025	Ch 2 – System Life Cycle Concepts, Models, Processes – Technical Processes II, 2.3.5.7 – 2.3.5.14
7	23 May 2025	Ch 3 – Life cycle analysis methods – 3.1 Quality characteristics and approaches
8	30 May 2025	Ch 3 – Life cycle analysis methods – 3.2 SE analyses and methods through Ch 4 section 4.2.4 Product Line Engineering
9	6 June 2025	Ch 4 – Tailoring and Application Considerations – section 4.3 through 4.4.10 Transportation Systems
10	13 June 2025	Chapter 5 – Systems Engineering in Practice
11 (bonus)	20 June 2025	Practice questions for exam

About SEP Certification

What is Systems Engineering Professional certification? Certification is a formal process whereby a community of knowledgeable, experienced, and skilled representatives of an organization, such as INCOSE, provides confirmation of an individual’s competency (demonstrated knowledge, education, and experience) in a specified profession. Certification differs from licensing in that licenses are permissions granted by a government entity for a person to practice within its regulatory boundaries. Certification also differs from a “certificate” that documents the successful completion of a training or education program. There are three types of INCOSE SEP certification: ASEP, CSEP, and ESEP. Please read more here.

What is the Systems Engineering Professional exam? The SEP exam is a 2-hour exam designed to test your knowledge of INCOSE systems engineering practices and processes. Please read more here.

Please contact us at info@sdincose.org and/or info@incose-la.org for more information.

What Each Student Will Need for the Cohort

Each student who attends a Cohort will need the following:

• A copy of the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook: A Guide for System Life Cycle Processes and Activities, 5th Edition. An electronic version of this is available free for all INCOSE members. Non-members must purchase the handbook. Visit the INCOSE store here.  Important – you must have Version 5.
• The ability to log in and participate in the weekly Zoom or Teams sessions.  Please ensure your computer and/or network does not block access to Zoom or Teams.
• A commitment to build a slide deck and to present the agreed-upon material to the Cohort (this might be part of a small team). Presenting will result in 50% refund of the cost of registration.
• You should have interest and intent to take the INCOSE SEP exam, though this is not mandatory. Proof of you taking the exam by 31 Dec 2025 will result in 50% refund of the cost of registration. All payments and refunds will be made using PayPal. Note that you do NOT have to have a PayPal account; you can also pay on PayPal using a credit card.

Thank you! Please contact us at info@sdincose.org and/or info@incose-la.org if you have any questions, and we look forward to meeting you on April 11th!

The INCOSE LA and San Diego Chapters

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(This presentation is open to all, including non-INCOSE members)

* See the recorded video HERE.

Greetings,

Please join us on Wednesday, 30 April 2025, at 5:45pm for a HYBRID presentation by Mr. Robert Aftel on the Dieselgate scandal: how engineers used technology and their knowledge of regulations to mislead governments and their customers.

This presentation will be made remotely by Mr. Aftel of the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR). INCOSE San Diego will host a group viewing at Maggie’s Cafe in Clairmont, though you are also welcome to join us virtually via Zoom.

INFORMATION

Date: Wednesday, 30 April 2025, 5:45-7pm Pacific Time (presentation start at 6pm)

Location: Maggie’s Cafe, 3232 Greyling Dr, San Diego, CA 92123 (Google Maps)

Cost: Free! There will be an optional dinner with soft drinks at the in-person venue at a cost of $5 INCOSE members/$10 non-INCOSE members. RSVP

Remote Login: We will use Zoom for the presentation:

https://incose-org.zoom.us/j/83735505397

Dial In: 669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 837 3550 5397

SYNOPSIS

In 2013, engineering student researchers at West Virginia University were performing on the road emission tests with new miniaturized instrumentation on a variety of vehicles when they discovered that the Volkswagen diesels they tested were not meeting EPA standards.  Further investigation showed that the control systems designed by Bosch and Volkswagen were deliberately designed to fool the standard stationary tests of that time, and the ensuing scandal cost Volkswagen several tens of billions of dollars in fines, and some of their leadership their personal freedom. 

In this presentation, Mr. Robert Aftel will review the history of this scandal, and how engineers used technology and knowledge of regulations to mislead governments and their customers.  Most engineering disasters are errors of omission or simple negligence; in Dieselgate we have a rare example of engineers acting with malfeasance.

PRESENTER: Robert Aftel

Mr. Robert Aftel is a Navy civilian with a background in engineering and IT.  His background on Dieselgate comes from his side passion for automobiles and internal combustion engines, where his knowledge and experience is applied as an expert witness for clients in litigation.

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(This event is open to all, including non-INCOSE members.)

Please RSVP below

Please join us for an incredible STEM demonstration of High Tech Middle Mesa’s Play It By Ear project! Inspired by Beep Baseball and insights from the SoCal Beep Baseball Association, the team engineered game adaptions for sight-impaired students, using tech such as 3D CAD and systems engineering. Come see their work!

MAIN INFORMATION

Date: Wednesday, 28 May 2025. Dinner will be ready by 5:30pm, with the presentation starting at 6pm.

Location: Hourglass Field House in Mira Mesa, Room J223. 10440 Black Mountain Rd, San Diego, CA 92126 (Google Maps)

Price: Free! There will be an optional dinner served with soft drinks and water at $5 INCOSE members and students, $10 non-members. RSVP below

SYNOPSIS

This event will revolve around High Tech Middle Mesa’s Play It By Ear project, led by sixth-grade students and designed by teachers Dave Garcia and Nate Ewart.

This project re-imagined sports and games to ensure accessibility for all, regardless of visual ability. Inspired by Beep Baseball and insights from the SoCal Beep Baseball Association, students explored sound, light, and inclusive design to create game adaptations for sight-impaired peers. STEM and Humanities studies dove into complex concepts like physics, anatomical studies of the ear and eye, historical analysis of historical figures with disabilities, and culminated in an engineering challenge which guided students to dream up CAD-designed 3D prototypes of their inclusive games.

The 6th grade Math/Science and Humanities classes explored this question of “How do we engineer for inclusion?” by partnering closely with the visually impaired community. Students collaborated with the So Cal Beep Baseball Association and UCSD to design and engineer working beep baseballs to provide affordable equipment for this inclusive sport. After running into supply-chain issues during COVID, leagues across the U.S. found that acquiring the equipment necessary to play the sport had become increasingly difficult. By redesigning a beep baseball prototype, you will learn how Dave Garcia and Nate Ewart hope to solve this equipment shortage and increase ease of play for the sport of Beep Baseball nation-wide. Throughout Play it by Ear, students built empathy; broke stereotypes around limitations; mastered high level content on the science of sight, light, sound, and hearing; learned to solder; and 3D printed original games for the visually impaired.

BIOGRAPHIES

Nate Ewart

Nathan Ewart is a 6th Grade Humanities Project Designer at High Tech Middle Mesa, where he creates interdisciplinary learning experiences that spark curiosity and critical thinking. He holds a B.A. in History from Point Loma Nazarene University and an M.Ed. from UC Santa Barbara. Since entering the field of education, Nathan has been dedicated to helping students find joy and purpose in reading, writing, and historical inquiry. He is passionate about designing meaningful, student-centered projects that show learners the real-world impact of their voices and ideas.

Dave Garcia

David Garcia is a 6th grade math and science teacher with over a decade of experience in education. He has been part of the High Tech High organization for seven years and is a founding faculty member of High Tech Middle Mesa, which opened its doors in 2018. Passionate about project-based learning and student-centered teaching, David designs interdisciplinary experiences that spark curiosity and deepen understanding. A proud San Diego native, he brings both local roots and a global perspective to his classroom, helping students make meaningful connections between their learning and the world around them.

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