It has been announced that Kristi J. Brooks, IEEE Foundation Board Secretary, will receive the Regional Professional Leadership Award from IEEE-USA during its Annual Meeting at the Hilton in Cincinnati, OH, USA on 5 May. Brooks is honored "for leadership inspiring children as Design Squad liaison, and for student mentorship in Region 4."

Read more about Kristi's part-time passion in The Institute.

The IEEE Life Members Committee (LMC) and the IEEE Foundation hosted an IEEE Life Members Reception on 25 March at the Heldrich Hotel, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. Local IEEE Life Members from 4 Sections were invited, and more than 70 attended. The reception provided local Life Members and the LMC an opportunity to gather in a social setting and exchange ideas about Life Members activities and, of course, to socialize and enjoy lunch.

During the gathering, Louis A. Luceri Chair, IEEE Life Members Committee Chairman shared committee activities and accomplishments of the IEEE Life Members Fund (LMF). The LMF of the IEEE Foundation supports technological and educational outreach; the preservation, research and promotion of the history of the profession and IEEE; activities of interest to IEEE Life Members, potential engineers and engineering students; educational programs including student travel grants, poster contests, fellowships, and prize paper awards.

John Meredith, IEEE Foundation Board Member discussed how and why Life Members should support the LMF. IEEE Life Members were encouraged to add “First-Hand Histories” to The Global History Network (GHN) www.ieeeghn.org which preserves and promotes the history of innovation in electrical engineering. Nathan Brewer, IEEE Global History Network Administrator and Librarian who spoke at the luncheon and other professional staff at The IEEE History Center are determined to preserve the personal memories of our pioneers. While viewing the GHN, be sure to enjoy the Oral Histories section as well.

The 2012 IEEE LMC members were introduced to the group. Feedback from the members was requested so the membership can continue to shape the scope and success of its efforts. Attendees shared stories of their local activities and discussed the importance of staying active and sharing knowledge and experiences with future engineers. This is the sixth reception of its kind held specifically for Life Members. Another will be scheduled in September or October 2012 during the next LMC meeting.

View photos of the event on Facebook: facebook.com/IEEEFoundation.

For more information on the receptions contact Karen A. Galuchie, Sr. Mgr, IEEE Foundation Operations & Planned Giving at+1 732 562 3860 or e-mail: k.galuchie@ieee.org. To learn more about the IEEE Life Member Fund, visit the IEEE Life Member Committee.

Special thanks to those who donate to the IEEE Life Members Fund of the IEEE Foundation. Your donations allow us to host gatherings and support activities of interest to Life Members. Your donation may make you eligible to receive a Life Members Pin, Milestone Coaster or to become a member of the IEEE Heritage Circle or IEEE Goldsmith Legacy League. For more information, visit www.ieeefoundation.org.

An IEEE Foundation grant helped The IEEE Chicago Section to start the IEEE-Chicago Section Fund intended to generate enthusiasm for math and science education, especially education about electrical engineering. Mount Prospect Public Library (MPPL) in Mount Prospect, IL, USA was the pilot project for the Fund. Thanks to IEEE Chicago Section's IEEE Science Kits for Public Libraries grants, MPPL librarians were able to develop science kits that give students access to prepared experiments and science materials that they might not encounter in the traditional classroom. Twenty-six libraries in IEEE Region 4 were selected to be the first recipients of the IEEE Science Kits for Public Libraries grants. The libraries, both large and small from urban and rural areas, serve students in nine different states. A recent benefit from the grants, and using the science kits, was an educational program series developed by the MPPL librarians called the "Mad Scientists Club". Held at the Library, the after school program allows students to conduct science experiments with the guidance of a librarian.

Watch MPPL's Mad Scientist Club on YouTube and see the kits in action.

IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN), IEEE’s official honor society for students and professionals in engineering science and computing and IEEE-designated areas of interest, recently announced its list of 2011 award recipients. The awards, which will be presented on 25 March, recognize the outstanding achievements of students, faculty and IEEE-HKN chapters. Read the full news release and list of chapter recipients (PDF, 117 KB).

Richard J. “Dick” Gowen was chosen as the first person to be interviewed for a series of articles to profile IEEE volunteers who have had a significant impact on our organization. The article, Volunteers Who Made a Difference, Dick Gowen: A Foundation Builder by Kathy Kowalenko appears in the February 2012 edition of The Institute and highlights Dick's career and involvement not only in IEEE but also in IEEE Foundation. After more than five decades of volunteering, it was hard to pick which of Dick's many contributions had the most influence on IEEE. So The Institute asked Gowen, an IEEE Fellow, to choose, and he selected two: being president in 1984 during IEEE’s centennial year, and being the longest-serving president of the IEEE Foundation, a term that lasted seven years. Read more about Dick Gowen.

Dr. Leah H. Jamieson, IEEE Fellow, was elected to serve as 2012 IEEE Foundation President. The IEEE Foundation Board of Directors met on Tuesday, 15 November 2011 at which time the 2012 officers were elected. Serving with Jamieson will be Arthur W. Winston as Vice President of Development & 1st Vice President, Antonio C. Bastos as Vice President of  Grants, Joseph V. Lillie as Treasurer and Kristi J. Brooks as Secretary. Richard J. Gowen, 2005-2011 IEEE Foundation President, will assist in the transition of leadership by serving one year as Past President.

Jamieson joined the IEEE Foundation Board in 2009. When asked about her level of commitment she responds, “IEEE has the potential to change people's lives, from creating the forums where new ideas are sparked to encouraging young people to become the innovators of the future, said Jamieson. “I'm grateful for all that IEEE has done for me, and I'm glad to have a chance to give back for all I've gained.” Read more about Dr. Leah H. Jamieson.

The IEEE Foundation Board's role is to work to meet the philanthropic expectations of IEEE and its members with compassion and professionalism; ensuring donations are well invested in a variety of educational, humanitarian, historical preservation, and peer recognition programs of IEEE.

John L. Hennessy, President of Stanford University Named 2012 IEEE Medal of Honor Recipient
IEEE Fellow and Stanford University President, John L. Hennessy, who pioneered the RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) processor architecture and demonstrated exceptional leadership in computer engineering and higher education, has been named recipient of the 2012 IEEE Medal of Honor, IEEE’s highest award.

Hennessy was a co-recipient of the 2000 IEEE John von Neumann Medal for outstanding achievements in computer-related science and technology, and has received numerous other awards for his work, including being named in 2005 the first holder of Stanford’s Bing Presidential Professorship.
Sponsored by the IEEE Foundation, the IEEE Medal of Honor will be presented along with 21 other IEEE medals and recognitions at the IEEE Honors Ceremony on Saturday, 30 June 2012 in Boston, Mass., USA.
Read the full list of 2012 IEEE Medal and Recognition Recipients.

If you know someone who may meet the criteria for an IEEE-Level Award, visit the Awards Web page or call +1 732 562 3844 to learn more about the IEEE Awards Program and nomination process.