THE IEEE LEADERSHIP WIRE
1 August 2006
The IEEE LEADERSHIP WIRE is a report for top-level IEEE volunteers about IEEE affairs and organizational information. It is intended specifically for members of the IEEE Board of Directors, key Board committees and the six major operating boards. The newsletter is sent on or around the first of the month.
CONTENTS:
*IEEE LAUNCHES INTERNET TELEVISION*
*UPDATE ON NEW GRADUATE STUDENT MEMBER GRADE*
*FELLOW PROGRAM SEEKS APPLICATION ENGINEER NOMINATIONS*
*IEEE MENTORING CONNECTION OFFERS NEW BENEFIT FOR MEMBERS ENTERING THE WORKFORCE*
*NEW PUBLISHING TOOLS AND POLICY INFORMATION WEB PAGE AVAILABLE FOR IEEE AUTHORS AND PUBLICATION EDITORS*
*CLEAN AND RENEWABLE ENERGY EDUCATION PROGRAMS FROM WILLIS COLLEGE DISCOUNTED FOR IEEE MEMBERS*
*IN THE NEWS*
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**IEEE LAUNCHES INTERNET TELEVISION**
On 15 August, IEEE is launching the Beta release of IEEE.tv – an internet-based broadcasting network that will produce and deliver prerecorded, special-interest programming for engineers and technologists. A collaborative effort of IEEE volunteers, members and staff across the organization, the new service will initially be available only to members only through the myIEEE web portal, (www.ieee.org/myieee). It will expand to provide select content intended for the general public starting in September.
IEEE.tv will feature original IEEE-produced content within a viewer that may in the future serve as a carrier for non-IEEE productions. Series include IEEE conference highlights, interviews with authors who publish books with IEEE, IEEE president-elect candidate debates, and introductions to new IEEE products. In September, general interest programs including those promoting careers in engineering and demonstrating new technology in everyday applications will be available to anyone who visits www.ieee.org/ieeetv. Individuals with questions can contact tv@ieee.org.
**UPDATE ON NEW GRADUATE STUDENT MEMBER GRADE**
Starting this month, eligible graduate students will be given privileges of the newly-established Graduate Student Member grade and be provided with additional opportunities to expand their involvement in IEEE. Unlike traditional student members, Graduate Student Members (GSMs) will be permitted to vote in the IEEE annual elections and Society elections for those Societies of which they are a member. They are also eligible to hold volunteer positions previously restricted to Member grade or higher in IEEE Sections, Chapters, and Affinity Groups such as Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) and Women in Engineering (WIE). In September, GSMs will receive the 2007 annual election packet that includes a ballot.
The new GSM grade will not be reflected in the IEEE database until the new business management system is launched in mid-2007. GSMs will continue to pay the same dues rates as Student members.
For an individual to be recognized as a GSM, they must meet the qualifications established for IEEE Member grade. Generally, that means that the individual will need to have earned a bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree from an accredited institution in a program within IEEE’s fields of interest. In addition, a GSM must be a registered graduate student in a regular course of study in one of those IEEE fields and be carrying at least half of a full-time academic program. Student and Graduate Student Member grades can be held for a combined maximum total of eight years. After graduation, or upon reaching the eight-year limit, Graduate Student Members will be elevated automatically to Member grade. Information regarding renewal will be provided later this year.
**FELLOW PROGRAM SEEKS APPLICATION ENGINEER NOMINATIONS**
IEEE members are being encouraged to identify as Fellow candidates senior members who have made extraordinary accomplishments in the application of technology in IEEE fields of interest.
This effort is supported by the IEEE Board of Directors, which at its June meeting, called for the appointment of two ad hoc committees to work with the IEEE Fellow Committee. Appointed by IEEE President Michael Lightner, one ad hoc committee is focused on helping to increase member and public awareness of the Fellow program as revised in 2003. The other is tasked with reviewing the policies and procedures established to implement the program.
The Fellow policies and procedures were changed in 2003 to increase the number of Fellow nominees from industry. For this purpose, the revisions established a new Fellow category – Application Engineer/Practitioner – which recognizes significant contributions in “product development, advancement in system, application or operation, project management or construction activity, process development, manufacturing innovation, codes or standards development, or other application of technology.” The first individuals recognized in this category were named in the 2006 class of Fellows.
In addition to Application Engineer/Practitioner, Fellow candidates may be nominated in three other categories: Research Engineer/Scientist, Educator and Technical Leaders.
The nomination period for the 2008 Fellow class will run from August 2006 to 1 March 2007. To learn more about the IEEE Fellow program, visit www.ieee.org/fellows.
**IEEE MENTORING CONNECTION OFFERS NEW BENEFIT FOR MEMBERS ENTERING THE WORKFORCE**
The IEEE Mentoring Connection is a new online service that matches IEEE members to facilitate a mentoring partnership. The program, designed as a way for members to share workplace experience and offer career guidance, serves as a career development tool for members who have recently entered the workforce and a way for more experienced members to give back to the community.
The IEEE Mentoring Connection addresses several of the 10 Strategic Challenges adopted by the Board in June, including developing membership models that maximize membership opportunities and establishing the IEEE as a leading provider of continuing education and professional development. The program had its origins in research centered on identifying and meeting the needs of IEEE GOLD members, those who are less than 10 years beyond their first degree. It was established as a pilot in 2005.
Accessed through the membership benefits section of the IEEE Web site, potential mentors and mentees are asked to provide information that becomes part of a database. Once registered, mentees may search the database and select a mentor based on technical or educational background, geographic location or other criteria. Also available to participants are online training materials, such as a mentoring resource guide.
For more information on the IEEE Mentoring Connection, visit www.ieee.org/mentoring or contact Cathy Downer, Regional Activities, at c.downer@ieee.org or +1 732 562 5506.
The IEEE Publications section of the IEEE Web site has added a new Web page that serves as a central location for IEEE authors, editors and conference organizers seeking information for publishing activities. The IEEE Publishing Tools and Policy Information Web page http://www.ieee.org/web/publications/pubtoolsandpolicyinfo/index.html consolidates links to key pages in the IEEE Publications’ Web site into one place. Specific topics include basic publishing guidelines and policies, quick links to the IEEE Copyright Form, manuscript submission information, plagiarism guidelines and frequently asked questions (FAQs). For more information, contact the IEEE Intellectual Property Rights Office at copyrights@ieee.org or +1 732 562 3966.
**CLEAN AND RENEWABLE ENERGY EDUCATION PROGRAMS FROM WILLIS COLLEGE DISCOUNTED FOR IEEE MEMBERS**
IEEE and Willis College, a 110-year-old Ottawa, Canada-based institution, have established a partnership that will provide IEEE members with a 10 percent discount on Clean and Renewable Energy Education programs. The programs are offered in several languages including English, Spanish, Chinese and French. Courses are available on campus or online through their eLearning Portal.
Willis College offers certificates in Clean Energy (26 credits), Green Heat (14 credits), and Green Power (12 credits). The courses show participants how to use RETScreen software and uses a hands-on approach for each of the nine technologies covered (Passive Solar, Solar Air Heating, Solar Water Heating, Ground Source Heat Pumps, Solar Photovoltaics, Biomass, Wind Energy, Small Hydro, plus Co-generation). Two more technologies will be added in 2007 (energy efficiency in refrigeration and energy efficiency in heating). For more information or to access courses by Willis College, visit http://www.ieee.org/partners.
The IEEE, its members and its products and services are mentioned frequently in journalists’ reports on technology and the engineering profession. Here are just a few recent references.
26 June – WIRELESS WEEK – Trade publications continue to cover the temporary suspension by the IEEE Standards Association Standards Board of the 802.20 working group. In discussing the action, Steve Mills, the IEEE Standards Association standards board chair, explained in the article that “The IEEE-SA views quite seriously situations that potentially violate openness, due process or other fundamental principles of the IEEE standards-development process.”
16 June – INDIA WEST – A front page story highlighted two recent IEEE award recipients of Indian American descent. Thomas Kailath, a former professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University, received the Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal and Anjan Bose, professor of power engineering a Washington State University, received the Herman Halperin Electric Transmission and Distribution Award.
12 June – EE TIMES – The formation of the IEEE P1685 working group, aimed at simplifying silicon intellectual property integration and reuse, was profiled in the publication. “Spirit”, which the standard is more commonly referred to as, was launched by several companies at the IEEE Design Automation Conference in 2003.The goal is a common specification mechanism for describing intellectual-property integration data, and to allow automatic IP configuration and integration using compatible tools.
May – LASER FOCUS WORLD – Key topics examined at the IEEE International Interconnect Technology Conference were previewed. The publication stated, “one of the more visionary ideas they will encounter involves replacing current electrical interconnects between chips and circuit boards with similarly sized “light pipes” that will carry both electronic and optical signals.”
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IEEE LEADERSHIP WIRE staff contact:
Francine Tardo
IEEE Corporate Strategy and Communications
Tel: +1 732 465 5865
Fax: +1 732 981 9511
Mailto: f.tardo@ieee.org
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