IEEE Annual Election Candidates - Division II

HOMER ALAN MANTOOTH
(Nominated by IEEE Division II)

Distinguished Professor, The Twenty-First Century
Research Leadership Chair in Engineering
University of Arkansas                                 
Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
https://uapower.group/mantooth/

Alan Mantooth received the B.S.E.E. and M.S.E.E. degrees from the University of Arkansas (UA) in 1985 and 1986, and the Ph.D. degree from Georgia Tech in 1990. He then joined Analogy, a startup company in Oregon, focusing on modeling and simulation. In 1998, he joined the faculty of the UA, where he is now Distinguished Professor and holds 21st Century Research Leadership Chair in Engineering. He founded and serves as the Executive Director of National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission at UA, and the NSF I/UCRC on GRid-connected Advanced Power Electronic Systems (GRAPES). He is Deputy Director of the NSF Engineering Research Center entitled Power Optimization for Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS). He has co-founded three companies in design automation (Lynguent), IC design (Ozark Integrated Circuits), and cybersecurity (Bastazo). He is a registered professional engineer in Arkansas, and a member of Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Xi, and Eta Kappa Nu.

Statement

Through over two decades of Society leadership, my colleagues can attest that I will apply servant leadership principles to my term in office. My background in industry, academia, and entrepreneurship have taught me to seek advice, listen to constituents, and represent people with a professional passion. It has also taught me the value of creative thinking when problem solving. I hope to make a difference on the IEEE Board by helping to promote diversity and inclusivity, advocating for our Societies and their needs – both large and small, and ensuring transparency in communications. As my experience demonstrates, I will work earnestly in an ethical and team-oriented fashion with the Division II Societies to represent their views and advocate for their needs at the IEEE Board level, while working with my fellow Directors to achieve strategic and tactical goals that advance IEEE’s mission.

I commit to engage in activities that judiciously steward resources that support and focus on serving the IEEE membership, promoting the profession, fostering inclusivity and diversity, and governing the organization with responsible, transparent fiduciary decision-making. 

IEEE Accomplishments and Activities
(S’83-M’90-SM’97-F’09)

Dr. Mantooth has been an active and committed volunteer for IEEE for 40 years. He has held the following leadership positions in IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS), Circuits and Systems (CAS), and Council on Electronic Design Automation (CEDA):

• Chairman - IEEE CANDE, Design Automation Technical Committee for Circuits and Systems Society, (2005)
• Chairman – IEEE Working Group on Standard VHDL Packages for Multiple Energy Domain Systems (P1076.1.1) (2001-2006)
• Standards Committee Chair of Power Electronics Society (2004-2012)
• VP Operations of PELS (2013-2016)
• President-Elect, President, Immediate Past-President, Sr. Past-President of PELS (2016; 2017-2018; 2019-2020; 2021-2022)
• TAB Awards and Recognition Committee (2019-2022)
• EiC of IEEE Open Journal of Power Electronics (2019-Present)

While serving as PELS President, Dr. Mantooth created initiatives to significantly increase PELS membership, which now exceeds 10,000, expanded technical operations and activities, strengthened conference and product portfolios, and enhanced our partnerships with sister societies and international organizations. He established mentorship, cybersecurity and design automation programs that are now thriving. He began the PELS Town Hall Meetings and PELS Day (June 20) to engage members more directly. Under his leadership, PELS has been in steady growth with very strong financial positions with annual surpluses exceeding $1M. He worked with the IEEE TAB Finance Committee to establish two IEEE Foundation accounts funded by Society surpluses to support scholarship and humanitarian endeavors.

He has led volunteers in establishing and expanding international conferences including IEEE Workshop on Wide Bandgap Power Devices & Applications (WiPDA), WiPDA-Asia, IEEE International Symposium on Power Electronics for Distributed Generation Systems, IEEE Workshop on Design Automation for Power Electronics, IEEE Workshop on CyberPELS, and the Design Methodologies Conference. He led the successful launch of the IEEE Open Journal of Power Electronics in late 2019, which ranks among the fastest submission to first decision journals in IEEE.

GEORGES ZISSIS, PhD
(Nominated by IEEE Division II)

Professor and Vice-Rector
Toulouse 3 University
Toulouse, France
https://cv.hal.science/georges-zissis

Georges ZISSIS, PhD is full Professor and Vice-Rector of Toulouse 3 University (France), IEEE HKN member. He is managing the “Light & Matter” research group (LAPLACE laboratory) enrolling 20 researchers. He won, in December 2006 the 1st Award of IEC-International Electrotechnical Committee Centenary Challenge, in conjunction with IET, IEEE and the Observer, for his work on standardization for urban lighting systems. In 2009, he won the Energy Globe Award for France, in 2022 he received the Alfred Monnier Prize, the highest recognition from the French Illuminating Engineering Society. He was President of the Power Electronics, Electronics, Optoelectronics and System section of the French National Council of Universities, managing 1,500 academics’. He is chairing the 4E-Solid State Lighting Annex for International Energy Agency. He was the 2019-2020 President of IEEE Industry Application Society. Today, he is chairing the IEEE Smart Cities Program and initiated the IEEE Future Directions, Smart Lighting project.

Statement

IEEE is the largest professional association worldwide, considered to be an influent, global leader in technology, aiming “to foster technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity”. Division II societies contribute thoroughly to this image. Looking at the “big picture”, I could say: “everything is fine, let’s keep it going” and continue business as usual. However, my background as scientist has taught me to always look behind the “big picture” and try to detect any potential instabilities, turbulence, or even worse, failures… That's how I have shaped my vision for making Division II brighter for years to come. My aspiration is, first of all, to drive our division’s growth and make it sustainable, by reinforcing the appeal and value to our members. If elected, I commit solemnly to dedicate my time and resources to bring this vision to a reality. To achieve it, I propose: (1) Develop breakthrough services to increase membership value and impulse new federating projects across societies; (2) Attract and retain Young Professionals to perpetuate the Division II for sustainable growth.

IEEE Accomplishments and Activities
(M’93-SM’06)

Contributions

• During my IEEE SCT-Smart Cities chairmanship, SCT was selected as pilot to experiment TC2.0 process. I am now working on the transformation of SCT into a Technical Community with enhanced attributes.
• I initiated the FDC Smart Lighting project. Here, we developed a contest for sustainable lighting for poor areas collaborating with IAS and IEEE Smart Village.
• During my tenure as IAS president (2019-20), I worked with IAS and PES leaders to establish an innovative Joint Technical Standard Coordinating Committee (JTSCC), to securing IEEE representation from both societies to develop NFPA standards. I have also created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) standing committee reporting to IAS board. As Vice-president (2017-18) I was in charge of IAS Long Range Planning, and as Past-president (2021-22) I was in charge of IAS Nominations Committee. 
• Chairing, IAS ILDC Technical Committee, one of the oldest IEEE technical committees, I expanded its scope, and name changed from Production and Application of Light to Industrial Light and Display Committee.

Positions

• IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) Member, HKN Chapter of the Board of Governors Professional Member
• 2023 Voting Member, Education Activities Board, Faculty Resource Committee
• 2020-Present Chairman, Smart Cities Technical Community
• 2021-Present Chair, FDC Smart Lighting Project
• 2022-2023 Member, Division II Representative, TAB Awards and Recognitions Committee
• 2021-Present Member-at-Large, TAB TC2.0 Ad-Hoc
• 2021-Present Member, Futures Directions Committee (FDC)
• 2020-2022 Member, TAB Sustainable Development Task Force
• 2020-2022 IAS Representative, Systems Council AdCom
• 2020-2021 Member, TAB Publications Group Supporting Documents
• 2021-2022 IAS Past President (Nominations and Intersociety Relations)
• 2019-2020 IAS President, Member of TAB
• 2008-2010 Chairman, IAS Industrial Lighting and Display Committee
• 2012-2014 IAS Manufacturing Systems Development and Applications Department Chair
• 2017-2018 IAS Annual Meeting General Chair
• 2008-2018 Member of Editorial Board, IEEE/OSA Journal of Display Technology
• 2003-2006 Associated editor, IAS Transactions (PALC Committee)