2007 IEEE News Briefs | 
Printer Friendly |
|
Media Relations Contacts: 19 December – Deadlines are approaching for an IEEE-USA online engineering video scholarship competition and mass media fellowship program open to undergraduate college students in the U.S. The online video competition for undergraduate engineering students asks participants to create 90-second video clips, aimed at 11-13 year-olds, that reinforce engineers' contributions to the quality of life and help debunk engineering stereotypes. IEEE-USA will award seven scholarship prizes totaling $10,000 to the most creative and effective video clips highlighting the theme "How Engineers Make a World of Difference." The competition is open to all U.S. undergraduate students in engineering and computer science. All entries must be submitted through YouTube by midnight (Eastern Time) on Friday, 18 January 2008. For more information on how to enter the IEEE-USA Online Engineering Video Scholarship Competition visit the IEEE-USA Web site, or email Pender McCarter at p.mccarter@ieee.org. Since 2000, in conjunction with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) program, IEEE-USA Engineering Mass Media Fellows have backed nine U.S. IEEE undergraduate and graduate students who have helped journalists in print and broadcast fields communicate authoritatively to the public about science, engineering and technology. IEEE-USA Mass Media Fellows have been engaged by such media outlets as "Scientific American," the "Chicago Tribune" and WNBC-TV. Mass Media Fellows must be at least a senior in college majoring in mathematics; engineering; or the natural, physical, health, computer or social sciences. Deadline for applications is Tuesday, 15 January 2008. More information can be found on the AAAS Web site. Scitopia.org Adds Four New Societies 17 December – Four new societies – Royal Society, UK; Royal Society of Chemistry, UK; Audio Engineering Society, U.S.; and IMechE, UK. – have recently joined scitopia.org, bringing the number of participating societies to 19. Scitopia.org is a free, federated vertical search portal created by leading science and technology societies, allowing users to scan the entire digital libraries of the participating societies Scitopia.org aims to provide an alternative to other general search engines – helping researchers get the quality content they need through a gateway to the research most cited in scholarly works and patents. Scitopia.org searches the complete digital libraries (over 3.5 million documents spanning more than 350 years of scholarship) of the leading publishers in major science and technology disciplines. As a federated search with no delay for indexing, scitopia.org provides more current access to content than other search engines. 2007 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting to Announce Breakthroughs in Semiconductor Industry 6 December – The 53rd annual IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) will feature keynote speaker Morris Chang, chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, discussing major technical innovations and new business models that have affected the semiconductor industry. In addition to the keynote address, three different plenary sessions, as well as technical programs and short courses are scheduled. IEDM 2007 will take place 10-12 December in Washington, D.C., USA. For more information, visit the IEDM 2007 Web site. Tech Insider Webinar Series from IEEE Spectrum Explores WiMax Standard 29 November – On 5 December, the latest of the IEEE Spectrum Tech Insider Webinar series will feature industry experts discussing some of the hottest issues in WiMAX, including how it will compete with 3G technology and reshape mobile devices and the Internet. Register for the Webinar. Board of Directors Elevates 295 Senior Members to Fellow Grade 20 November – The IEEE Board of Directors named 295 Fellows for the Class of 2008. View the full list. White House Acknowledges 50th Anniversary of IEEE Global Communications Conference 20 November – President George Bush has extended his personal congratulations to the IEEE Global Communications Conference (IEEE GLOBECOM 2007) on its upcoming 50th anniversary celebration in Washington, DC, USA from 26 - 30 November 2007, citing the conference for its international achievement in the “development and advancement of global communications” as well as “promoting achievement and innovation in technology and engineering.” President Bush and other Washington-area officials are acknowledging the conference with public proclamations, declaring the week of 26 November 2007 “IEEE Global Communications Week.” Read the full press release and proclamation. IEEE Xplore® Upgrade Provides New Tools for Researchers 14 November – IEEE recently released several new research options for its IEEE Xplore online delivery platform, which powers IEEE online subscriptions for organizations and individuals. New features available through IEEE Xplore 2.4.2 include:
Additionally, this release includes test features including:
For full information on these and other features, visit IEEE Xplore . 2004 IEEE Medal of Honor Recipient and Life Fellow Tadahiro Sekimoto Passes Away 12 November – 2004 IEEE Medal of Honor recipient and Life Fellow Tadahiro Sekimoto, passed away 11 November in Tokyo. Sekimoto served as both president and chairman during his 54-year tenure at NEC Corporation, one of the world’s leading providers of Internet, broadband network and enterprise business solutions. Sekimoto was awarded the 2004 IEEE Medal of Honor for his “pioneering contributions to digital satellite communications, promotion of information technology R&D, and corporate leadership in computers and communications." Read the full press release from NEC Corporation. IEEE Members Select John Vig 2008 IEEE President-Elect 8 November – John Vig, consultant, System Planning Corporation; Colts Neck, New Jersey, USA, has been selected as 2008 IEEE president-elect. Pending acceptance of the Teller's Committee report by the IEEE Board of Directors, Vig will begin serving as IEEE president on 1 Jan. 2009. He will succeed 2008 IEEE President Lewis Terman, IBM Research Emeritus. Read the full press release (PDF, 94.5 KB) and review the complete 2007 IEEE Annual Election results. 1 November – IEEE is one of six scientific publishers who collaborated to create the full complement of the Scientific and Technical Information Exchange (STIX) Fonts. Released as a beta version on 31 October, STIX Fonts is a comprehensive set of special characters – mainly mathematical – that represent a significant breakthrough in scientific, technical, and medical publishing, enabling compatibility with all web browsers, word processors, and other scholarly communications software. One of the most important aspects of the STIX project is that the fonts are freely available to any software vendor or user with the acceptance of the STIX Fonts license, whose terms and conditions are compatible with open source licenses specifically designed for fonts. The five other publishers that collaborated to design, fund and manage the STIX project are the American Chemical Society (ACS), the American Institute of Physics (AIP), the American Mathematical Society (AMS), the American Physical Society (APS) and Elsevier. Read the full press release or download the STIX Fonts. IEEE Transactions on Robotics is Top Rated Robotics Journal in Re-Issued 2006 Journal Citation Reports 1 November – The IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO) is the top ranking journal in the robotics category in the 2006 Journal Citation Reports (JCR) with an impact factor of 1.763, the highest in this category. The impact factor is a calculated figure indicating the average number of times articles published in the previous two years are cited in the current year, 2006, in this case. When the JCR was originally published in June, T-RO appeared to have slipped to third place in this category. After the data was analyzed by Editor-in-Chief Alessandro De Luca, it was determined that a number of 2006 citations were missing. The JCR publisher, Thomson Scientific, confirmed the error and corrected it in the recently re-issued version of the 2006 JCR. JCR includes data for nearly 6,200 highly cited titles in a wide variety of disciplines. The IEEE Transactions on Robotics and the preceding journal, the IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, have ranked number one in the Robotics category for several years and specifically for the five year period 2002 - 2006. The IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine is also in this category which includes a total of 12 journals; it ranks sixth in the 2006 JCR. The 2007 edition of the Journal Citation Reports will be published in June 2008. Scitopia.org Launches Updated Site 1 November – Scitopia.org, the free, federated search portal created by leading science and technology scholarly societies, including IEEE, removed its beta label on 16 October, marking the launch of its official service. Scitopia.org Beta was opened in June 2007, allowing users to test the site and provide feedback for improving the search portal. Since the initial beta release, scitopia.org has refined the cross-file searching that occurs with multiple content partners and modified the interface based on user feedback. The result is a simple and flexible interface, capable of providing reliable retrievals from over three million documents – primarily peer-reviewed journal content and conference proceedings –spanning more than 150 years of scholarship. 29 October – IEEE Societies, Sections, and Chapters offering Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for courses, workshops, lectures and tutorials being offered at their meetings or conferences must first register the activity with the IEEE Educational Activities Department (EAD) to ensure that the CEUs offered are valid. IEEE is an Authorized CEU Provider through the International Association for Continuing Education and Training. If your organization is offering CEUs but fails to register the course(s) with EAD, the CEUs are not valid. The Educational Activities Department is responsible for maintaining all CEUs offered by the IEEE as well as keeping a registry of students and the CEUs they have earned for up to seven years. Student transcripts are available upon request. For more information on IEEE CEUs and offering them for your continuing professional development events, contact Celeste Torres at c.torres@ieee.org or +1 732 981 3425. IEEE-USA to Host Innovation Forum 29 October – IEEE-USA will host its first Innovation Forum in Falls Church, Va., on 6-8 November. The event is designed to promote the innovation process, highlight new technologies and trends, and help high-tech professionals improve their innovation skills. Current and future leaders from industry, academia and government are among those who should attend. The forum is part of the IEEE-USA Innovation Institute. New Journal Issues Now Available in IEEE Xplore® Digital Library 24 October – Over 70 new journal issues and conference proceedings have recently been added to the IEEE Xplore Digital Library, including:
A full list is posted on the content update webpage. Individuals can sign up for email alerts to learn whenever new titles are posted to IEEE Xplore. Proceedings of the IEEE Takes a Look at T-Rays 24 October – The August 2007 Special Issue of the Proceedings of the IEEE (v.95, no.8), edited by IEEE Fellows Derek Abbot and Xi-Cheng Zhang, focuses on emerging applications and technological advances in T-ray (terahertz) imaging, sensing, and retection. In recent years, as advances in femtosecond laser technology have enabled the technology to emerge as a safe imaging method, T-rays have become an important tool for the noninvasive sensing of materials and structures. Key applications currently driving the technology are in the defense, security, and biosensing industries and span a wide range of hardware and signal processing issues. This special issue contains papers that discuss both the technical and practical applications of T-rays, covering six major themes related to the technology: T-ray imaging and retection; T-ray bio- and chemical sensing; novel T-ray technology; T-rays for material, semiconductor, and IC diagnostics; high power electron-based T-ray sources; and bridging the T-rays to millimeter wave region.
IEEE Hosts
2007 University Partnership Program Leaders Summit The day-long summit included a presentation IEEE Spectrum senior editor Jean Kumagai and photo editor Randi Silberman entitled "Bill & Ed's Excellent Underwater Adventure." Drexel University’s "Engineering a Better World" and Berkeley's HOPE (Hands on Practical Electronics) were both discussed as model student branch programs. 16 October – Registration is now open for the 2008 Formula Hybrid International Competition, a design and engineering challenge for undergraduate and graduate college and university students. Sponsored by IEEE and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International, the competition will take place at the New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, USA, 5-7 May 2008. The event, which challenges college and university students to design, build, and race high-performance hybrid vehicles, also includes a fuel efficiency component. Students with backgrounds in electrical, mechanical, and computer engineering are encouraged to compete. Individuals can register and review the rules online. 16 October – The Electron Devices Society (EDS) is sponsoring a career development strategy session Sunday, 9 December, as part of its flagship conference, the 2007 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting, held December 10-12 in Washington, D.C. Designed for graduate students and young professionals who are Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD), the program will include a seminar on career development strategies in today’s globally competitive world and a panel discussion focusing on career options and career path selection featuring experts from academia, research, design, development and manufacturing. Following the event, participants will have an opportunity to meet with EDS Officers and Administrative Committee (AdCom) members at a special networking session where they can learn more about the benefits of joining EDS. The event will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. EST in the Jefferson Room of the Washington Hilton and Towers Hotel. International Conference to Discuss Strategies for Meeting the Demand for Future Engineers and Educators 9 – 11 November 8 October – IEEE, in cooperation with Verband der Elektrotechnik (VDE) and several international professional organizations, is looking for individuals to participate in the first of its kind IEEE international conference that will bring together members of industry, academia and government to discuss and offer solutions regarding the future of engineering education and the profession. The conference, “Meeting the Growing Demand for Engineers and Their Educators 2010-2020,” to be held 9-11 November in Munich, Germany, encourages attendees to collaborate and offer solutions that will be presented in an action plan on the final day. The meeting will feature four keynote addresses, 12 moderated paper discussion sessions and three breakout sessions, and is designed to open communication channels among the participating organizations. Representatives from top corporations including Cisco, IBM, Microsoft, Siemens and Vodafone will take part in the workshop discussions. Sponsored by the IEEE,the IEEE Foundation, and Siemens, Inc., the conference is being held in cooperation with the following international professional organizations: VDE, the European Association for Education in Electrical and Information Engineering, European Commission, and Fraunhofer Gesellschaft. For a full list of sponsors and additional information about the conference, visit the conference Web page. Individuals can also register online. For additional details, contact Jessica Czeczuga, Educational Activities, at j.czeczuga@ieee.org or +1 732 562 5496. 8 October – The IEEE Spectrum Autumn 2007 Career Accelerator Forum, a webinar featuring online presentations by career experts in medical and healthcare technology, computer security and career advancement, will take place 11 October. The three sessions will address medical electronics, the fast track management and career paths in computer security. Individuals can register online for the four hour program. IEEE Launches Internet Television 27 September – IEEE is announcing the launch of IEEE.tv – an Internet-based television network that features targeted programming on technology and engineering produced by IEEE members. Featuring a variety of programming options including hot topics in technology, conference highlights and interviews with industry experts, IEEE.tv can be viewed at www.ieee.org/ieeetv. IEEE is the world’s leading professional association for the advancement of technology. First launched as a Beta site in August 2006, IEEE.tv is a collaborative effort of IEEE volunteers, members and staff. Improved features include “flash” video format, a list of “most viewed” and “recently added” videos and different options for RSS feeds, enabling Internet syndication. Additional features available only to IEEE members include downloadable videos and personalization options. Read the full press release. (PDF, 93.8 KB). First IEEE 802 Wireless Standards Education Workshop to Take Place at IEEE GLOBECOM 26 September – The IEEE Educational Activities Board in cooperation with the IEEE Standards Association is presenting a first of its kind standards education workshop. Through this workshop, attendees can learn about the important role IEEE 802 Wireless Standards play in manufacturing and production processes. In association with IEEE GLOBECOM, the workshop is scheduled to take place 30 November to 1 December 2007 in Washington, DC. The workshop will feature a comprehensive panel discussion on standards history and the standards development process featuring the following speakers:
Moderator:
Panelists: Topics that will be covered in the lectures include: wireless LAN Standards for Wi-Fi Solutions, the development of WPAN ecosystem standards, the basis of WiMAX mobile broadband networks, and performance requirements and verification of the IEEE 802 wireless technologies. IEEE Members save $150 (USD) on registration and IEEE GLOBECOM attendees save an additional $50 (USD). IEEE Student Members are encouraged to attend and are offered a significantly reduced registration fee where they save $400 (USD). The preliminary program and a registration form are available online. Conference to Examine Role Technology Can Play in Managing Health Care Costs 19 September – The role technology can play in helping the United States manage health care costs by advancing the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease will be examined at a conference at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Md., on 25 September. Major technological advances have greatly improved patient care since the 1970s, but have come at a steep price. U.S. health care spending is expected to rise from nearly $2 trillion in 2002 to more than $4 trillion by 2015. The goal of "Economic Strategy for Health Care through Bio and Information Standards and Technologies" is to emphasize the need to develop a long-term economic strategy for implementing bio and health care information technologies into our health care system. By developing breakthrough biomeasurement, bioinformatics, biologically based and health-information technologies, rising health care costs can be reigned in and quality can be improved. To read the full press release, visit the IEEE-USA Web site. IEEE 2006 Annual Report Now Available 11 September – The sense of connection that the IEEE fosters among members is the theme of the 2006 IEEE Annual Report. Titled “Interconnected,” it is being mailed this month to corporate, education and government leaders around the world, and to IEEE volunteers and staff. Also, for the first time, the report is being made available digitally to IEEE members. A special email alert is enabling them to either view the Annual Report in their browsers or to download the PDF version.(PDF, 3,468 KB) 2007 IEEE Annual Election Period Opens 11 September – Ballots for the 2007 IEEE Annual Election have been mailed to all eligible voting IEEE members via first class. Ballot materials may be accessed electronically. The annual election candidate biography booklet was provided to members who are eligible to vote for the first time in the annual election, those who have been elevated to Member or Graduate Student membership grades on/or before 30 June 2007, and those members who voted by paper ballot in the 2006 election. Members who transmitted their ballot electronically or did not vote in the 2006 election, will not receive the candidate biography booklet. However, access to these materials will be available electronically via the IEEE Annual Election Web site. All eligible voting members will receive a paper ballot and postage paid reply envelope in their ballot package. To assist all voting members in making an informed decision, a moderated Roundtable Q&A video/audio session with the three President-Elect candidates answering questions asked by members, and a video/audio of the annual President-Elect candidates' debate, hosted by the IEEE Philadelphia Section, are also available on the IEEE annual election Web site, or directly from IEEE.tv. All ballots must be received by the election vendor by 1 November 2007 at 12 noon, Central Time USA (17:00 Greenwich Mean Time) to be counted. For additional information about the IEEE Annual Election, please contact: corp-election@ieee.org. Symposium Explores Plug-in Hybrid Cars 11 September – A one-day symposium, “Plug-in Hybrids: Accelerating Progress 2007” will address the technology hurdles and policy challenges for commercializing plug-in hybrid vehicles. The symposium, which will be held on 19 September in Washington, D.C, will bring together leaders from manufacturing, electric utilities, universities, national laboratories and nonprofit organizations. Read the full story in The Institute . IEEE Expert Now Pilot Program Enables Members to Earn Free Continuing Education Units 11 September – IEEE Expert Now courses are available for use by IEEE Regions, Sections, and Chapters interested in participating in the IEEE Expert Now Section-Chapter Program. The program, which began as a pilot in 2006, helps local IEEE volunteers organize an event where attendees can view one or more IEEE Expert Now course(s) and discuss the materials with a local expert on that topic. There is no charge for participating in this program in 2007, and IEEE Regions, Sections and Chapters who do participate this year will have the ability to award Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to event participants free of charge. IEEE Regions, Sections and Chapters interested in participating will work directly with IEEE Educational Activities (EA) Staff to organize the event. IEEE EA Staff provides access to the selected course(s), can make recommendations or provide “best practices” for organizing the event, can provide surveys for attendees’ feedback and CEUs to attendees who return completed surveys. For more information visit the IEEE Expert Now Section-Chapter Program Web site or send a message to expertnowinfo@ieee.org. Call For Speakers – IEEE Sections Congress 11 September – The Sections Congress 2008 Program Committee is now accepting nominations for session speakers. Sections Congress 2008 will be held 19 – 22 September at the Quebec City Convention Center in Quebec City, Canada. The theme of the event is "Celebrating Volunteer Achievements Worldwide." The three program tracks are: Membership; Section Management; and Section/Chapter Activities. To nominate a speaker, visit the IEEE Sections Congress 2008 Web site and click on "Nominate a Speaker." The deadline for submitting speaker nominations is 1 November 2007. IEEE Foundation Grants Awarded for 2007 10 September – The IEEE Foundation awarded grants to a variety of initiatives in 2007. Highlights include the creation of a new exhibit at the Women at Work Museum in Attleboro, Massachusetts, USA, to showcase the achievements of women engineers throughout history; the production of the pilot episode of "Nerd Girls", a television documentary aimed at encouraging a young female audience to consider entering engineering-related fields; the creation of the "Museum of the Future", a non-profit organization that aims to promote science and engineering among the public, especially those that are victims of the digital divide in Portuguese-speaking countries around the world; and providing resources to launch a Turkey-wide Web site contest in which pre-college students will compete to design and develop the best school website. In total, nearly US$250,000 was presented to support initiatives from IEEE branches around the world. For more information, visit the IEEE Foundation Web site. IEEE Seeks Program Evaluators for Accrediting Engineering And Engineering Technology Programs at U.S. Universities 10 September – IEEE, the largest member of ABET, Inc. (formerly known as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology), is responsible for the peer-review evaluation of more than 700 college and university programs. To aid IEEE and ABET in its accreditation process, the IEEE Educational Activities Board (EAB) is seeking engineering professionals from industry, government and academe to serve as program evaluators. Applications for the 2007 - 2008 academic year will be accepted through 15 November 2007. In addition to lending their valuable expertise to the accreditation process, program evaluators have the opportunity to keep abreast of the latest engineering and technology teaching methods and can meet individuals who will soon be entering the profession. Additionally, program evaluators will learn how to conduct an objective evaluation of the educational process using established criteria. Selected applicants will attend a training seminar on the IEEE/ABET accreditation process, which will be scheduled in several locations throughout the U.S. in 2008. After training, program evaluators are dispatched in teams to visit engineering and engineering technology departments at colleges and universities across the country on behalf of the IEEE and ABET. Evaluation sessions are held during the fall and usually run two to three days. Information packages, including the application and nomination forms, are available online for engineering programs and engineering technology programs. For more information, contact eab-accred@ieee.org. IEEE Publishes Four New Journals in IEEE Xplore 10 September – Inaugural issues of four new publications have been recently published in IEEE Xplore covering biomedical, signal processing, industrial electronics, and network management technologies. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems focuses on microelectronic issues in a wide variety of applications found in life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing discusses the theories and applications of signals by digital or analog devices and techniques. This includes filtering, coding, transmitting, estimating, detecting, analyzing, recognizing, synthesizing, recording, and reproducing signals. IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine deals with the theory and application of electronics, controls, communications, instrumentation, and computational intelligence to industrial and manufacturing systems and processes. IEEE Transactions on Network and Service Management publishes peer-reviewed, archival quality papers advancing the state-of-the-art and practical application of network and service management in an online-only format. 10 September – LeaderPoint, a company specializing in executive and management development sessions and newest member to the IEEE Education Partners Program (EPP), is offering members a 10 percent discount on its Executive Experience session. The session, a five-day, comprehensive development program designed to advance leadership and management skills, is held in Kansas City, Mo. The Executive Experience will help participants:
Each session has an assessment component which provides a summary of LeaderPoint’s observations, the participant’s comments, and specific recommendations. Participants can contact LeaderPoint at any time for follow-up work, questions, and concerns. For more information, visit the LeaderPoint Web site. For general information on the IEEE Education Partners Program visit the EPP Web site. IEEE-USA Seeks Award Nominations 22 August – The IEEE-USA Awards and Recognition Committee is seeking nominations for its 2007 awards in professionalism, technical achievement, and literary contributions to public awareness and understanding of the engineering profession. The deadline for nominations has been extended to 14 September 2007. Examples of activities that would qualify individuals for nomination include promoting science and math education in pre-college education, promoting professional awareness with college students, educating members on non-technical skills to advance and maintain their careers, and educating the public on the positive impact of the professions served by the IEEE. For a detailed description of each award and nomination forms, visit the IEEE-USA Web site. IEEE Xplore Toolbar Now Available 22 August – The IEEE Xplore digital library can now be instantly accessed through a customized toolbar, enabling users to easily search IEEE journals, magazines, conference proceedings, standards and books directly from their browser. This feature became available as part of the IEEE Xplore 2.4 Release which went live 4 August. It can be accessed through the tools section of the IEEE Xplore Guide or from the IEEE Xplore Web site. IEEE Applications & Practice Magazine Accepting Submissions for Premiere Issue 20 August – IEEE Applications & Practice Magazine, a new IEEE eZine and print supplement to the IEEE Communications Magazine, is intended to be a source of timely, significant, technically-reviewed articles, application notes, and technical papers for engineering practitioners in all areas of communications technology. A special issue focusing on optical communications is planned for January 2008. Submissions for this special issue should provide information that will be useful to engineering practitioners at all levels of experience. Technical papers, tutorials, application notes, and other formats are welcomed in numerous general areas. Abstract submissions are due 15 September 2007 and final papers are due 1 November 2007. Papers should be no longer than 4,500 words and contain no more than six figures. Please contact Jack Howell at j.howell@comsoc.org with any questions or for additional information. 14 August – The IEEE Professional Communication Society (PCS), celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2007, will host its annual international conference in Seattle, Wash., USA from 1 – 3 October. The conference will address “Engineering the Future of Human Communication” and commemorate the past 50 years of PCS and look toward the future. Featured speakers include Ray Kurzweil, a legendary inventor and futurist, and Chris Linnett, who launched some of the Web’s most popular sites including the MSN homepage and Microsoft Office Online. Topic areas that will be addressed include information design, usability, cross-cultural communication, and visual/multimedia communication. To register for the conference, or for more information, visit the PCS Web site. Members Save US$50 on Teaching Seminar From The American Society of Mechanical Engineers 8 August – Registration is now open for an Essential Teaching Seminar offered by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), which will take place 6-8 September, 2007 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo University in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Designed for engineering and technology faculty at institutions of higher education, the seminar will enable educators to improve their teaching skills in a collegial, peer-critiqued environment as well as learn from the latest best practices. Participants will prepare and teach actual classes in small group settings. Each seminar is limited to 30 participants. IEEE members can save US$50 on the registration fee, which includes meals. Questions can be directed to Amy Bentow, manager, education, ASME at bentowa@asme.org or +1 212 591 7880. IEEE Journals Rank High in 2006 Journal Citation Reports 3 August – Each year, the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) from Thomson ISI examine the impact of academic journals by determining how often journals' articles are cited by later research. The 2006 study, released in June 2007, shows that IEEE journals maintain a healthy and growing lead in their field. The JCR ranks journals by their impact factor, defined as the average number of times articles published in a specific journal in the previous two years were cited in a particular year. According to the JCR, IEEE publishes:
and high-ranking journals in several additional fields of technology. Upcoming Webinars From IEEE Spectrum Tech Insider Include Autumn 2007 Career Accelerator Forum 3 August – Several IEEE Spectrum Tech Insider webinars are scheduled for the fall. These include:
Additionally, the Autumn 2007 Career Accelerator Forum, a virtual trade show and three-part presentation by career experts focusing on opportunities in medical and healthcare technology, computer security and career advancement is scheduled for 11 October. Planned Service Disruptions 3 - 5 August Due to System Upgrade 31 July – From Friday, 3 August through Sunday, 5 August, the IEEE Web site will be affected by a system upgrade to a new Business Management System (BMS). During this time, users may experience temporary service disruptions and be unable to access select applications or services that require creating or signing in with an IEEE Web account user name and password. Additionally, on 4 August 2007, IEEE Xplore is expected to be off-line beginning at 9 a.m. EDT until midnight (12:00 AM EDT on 5 Aug). IEEE Life Fellow Leslie Geddes Awarded National Medal of Technology 27 July – Leslie Geddes, an IEEE Life Fellow and Purdue University professor, was presented with the National Medal of Technology from President George W. Bush in a White House ceremony on Friday, 27 July. The National Medal of Technology is the nation’s highest honor for technological innovation. Geddes is recognized for more than 50 years of research that has spawned innovations ranging from burn treatments to miniature defibrillators to ligament repair to tiny blood pressure monitors for premature infants. His most recent discovery, which will be described in an upcoming research journal, is a new method for performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation that he says will be more effective than standard CPR, according to a Purdue University press release. A member of the IEEE since 1947 and the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society since 1973, Geddes was awarded the IEEE Edison Medal in 1994 “for fundamental contributions to applied biomedical instrumentation and the understanding of the electrical properties of the cardiovascular system." The National Medal of Technology program is administered by the Technology Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The program was established by Congress in 1980, and medals were first issued in 1985.The medal is given annually to individuals, teams and companies for accomplishments in the innovation, development and commercialization of technology. 13 July – Moshe Kam, IEEE vice president, Educational Activities, and Robert Quinn Professor at Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pa., USA, has been named the new head of Drexel’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department (ECE). An IEEE Fellow, Kam also currently serves as a member of the IEEE Board of Directors and Executive Committee. The ECE Department at Drexel is one of the oldest engineering departments in the United States (established in 1893 as a Department of Applied Electricity). The department has 35 full time faculty members and it educates about 1,000 students (750 undergraduates and 250 graduates). Its annual research expenditures are approximately US$15M with primary research support coming from the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, Lockheed Martin, and the National Science Foundation. Kam received his Bachelor of Science in electrical and electronics engineering in 1977 from Tel Aviv University, and the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Drexel University in 1985 and 1987, respectively. Trial of IEEE Spectrum Digital Delivery Debuts with July Issue 10 July – IEEE Spectrum debuted an all-digital version in July which will be offered as an optional IEEE member benefit in 2008. The digital version of the magazine will be sent to current IEEE members via a monthly email alert in an introductory trial that will run through December 2007. Members will continue to receive IEEE Spectrum in both print and digital formats until the end of the year. This trial will also be applied to the September and December print issues of The Institute. At any point during the trial, subscribers can elect to opt into digital delivery only in 2008 by checking the opt-in link provided in the email alert. IEEE members who choose this option will no longer receive print copies of the publications. Those who do not opt into digital delivery for 2008 will continue to receive a print subscription. There are no plans to suspend the print edition, and members can elect to stop the introductory trial period at any time. Members can view the digital publication by either downloading a PDF file or using the enhanced, browser-based edition. The browser-based edition includes a navigation bar to easily sort through content, a settings bar to customize the publication’s display, an enhanced search feature and the ability to forward an article or the entire issue to a friend or colleague via email. IEEE UCE/Spam Filtering Service Policy to Change from "Opt-In" to "Opt-Out" 10 July – To help reduce the increasingly large volume of unsolicited commercial email messages – commonly known as spam – being sent to ieee.org email addresses from outside sources, the IEEE UCE/spam filtering service will be changing from the current “opt-in” policy to an “op-out” policy.” On 20 August 2007, a default spam filtering level, expected to reduce the volume of email sent to ieee.org addresses by 30 percent, will be applied to all IEEE email aliases. It is designed to filter out email that is extremely likely to be UCE/spam. In the past, this filtering service had to be individually activated by each user. Those who do not wish to have the default spam filtering level applied to their IEEE email alias can select to “opt-out” at https://uce.ieee.org and choose the “No UCE/Spam filtering” option, or select a more aggressive filter level. After choosing this option, click on “Set UCE/Spam Filtering Level” button to save the changes. If no action is taken by 20 August, the default spam filtering level will be activated. Subscribers can opt-out of the filtering service at any time. For more details on why the new policy was implemented, how the policy will improve email delivery through internet service providers and the aggressiveness of the service, visit https://uce.ieee.org/opt-out-info.html. Questions can be directed to member-services@ieee.org. 10 July – Nominations are being accepted for the IEEE Fellows class of 2009. The rank of IEEE Fellow is the Institute’s highest member grade, bestowed on IEEE senior members who have contributed “to the advancement or application of engineering, science and technology.” The deadline for nominations is 1 March 2008. Senior members can be nominated in one of four categories: application engineer/practitioner, research engineer/scientist, educator or technical leader. The Fellows Web site contains additional information on the nomination process including access to the Fellows Nomination Kit, lists of Fellows who may be available as references as well as the history of the IEEE Fellows program. For more information visit the Fellows Web site. IEEE Approves Six New Publications for 2008 10
July – IEEE has approved six new
publications for 2008. The list of new journal
titles, which cover a wide variety of engineering
and computer science topics, include:
IEEE
TRANSACTIONS
ON HAPTICS What's New Newsletters Now Available in New Format 10 July – IEEE recently launched a new HTML format for all eight of its WHAT’S NEW@IEEE newsletters. The updated format, which debuted with the May 2007 issues, features a more polished layout including embedded hyperlinks making it easy to navigate through the different stories. To view a recent issue, visit http://newsletters.ieee.org/ieeelibr/issues/2007-06-21.html. To subscribe to any of the WHAT’S NEW@IEEE newsletters, visit http://www.magnetmail.net/actions/subscription_form.cfm?user_id=IEEE IEEE Mentoring Connection™ Seeks New Members 5 July – The IEEE Mentoring Connection is seeking additional “online” mentors to help guide younger professionals in career planning and professional development. Mentor participation is open to all higher grade IEEE members. The program is connecting members around the world. For example, currently a mentor in Florida is partnered with members in Hong Kong and China, and a mentor in Ireland is partnered with a member in Saudi Arabia. Other mentors in the United States are currently matched with individuals in Japan, Nigeria and India. A total of 854 mentees and 379 mentors have registered for the program to date. Since its inception, 166 mentor/mentee pairs have been established, with several other partnerships in the process of being finalized. Potential mentors are asked to review the time and effort commitment to the program necessary to ensure a successful mentoring partnership. Currently, mentors are asked to dedicate a minimum of two hours a month. To join the program, visit the Mentoring Connection Web site and use the IEEE Group ID “IEEE2006” to open the site, followed by a Password and User ID set-up process. Members with questions can contact Cathy Downer, Regional Activities, at c.downer@ieee.org. 5 July – IEEE members are now eligible for a 10 percent tuition discount on courses offered by the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) by enrolling through the IEEE Education Partners program. RIT currently offers more than 45 certificate and degrees online, and has an office dedicated to supporting students enrolled in online programs. Students taking RIT online courses are afforded all of the same functions of a traditional university including admissions, financial aid services, registration, tuition payment, a comprehensive library and a bookstore. Consistently ranked as one of the United States’ leading comprehensive universities by U.S. News & World Report, RIT is recognized as a world leader in career-oriented and professional education. With more than 20 years of experience in distance learning, RIT offers advanced certificates and masters degrees online in areas such as imaging science, information technology, microelectronics, networking and systems administration, software development and management and telecommunications. 13 June – The IEEE, the world’s leading professional association for the advancement of technology, announced that Dr. Thomas Kailath, a respected leader in digital signal processing and systems theory, has been selected as the recipient of the 2007 IEEE Medal of Honor. Dr. Kailath’s invaluable contributions have led to fundamental breakthroughs and technology upgrades in a wide range of areas including multi-path smart cellular phones, wireless text and video messaging, credit card transactions, image resolution and environmental sampling. A professor of engineering at Stanford University, Kailath will be presented with the award at the annual IEEE Honors Ceremony on 16 June 2007 in Philadelphia. The award is sponsored by the IEEE Foundation. Read the full press release. (PDF, 94 KB) 2007 IEEE Presidents' Scholarship Awarded for 3-D Display Device 12 June – The IEEE Presidents' Scholarship, sponsored by the IEEE Foundation, was awarded to George Francis Hotz, a 17 year-old senior at the Bergen County Academies in Glen Rock, N.J, USA, at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair held last month in Albuquerque, N.M, USA. The US$10,000 Presidents’ Scholarship is awarded annually for “outstanding achievement in creating a project that demonstrates an understanding of electrical engineering, information technology, or other IEEE fields of interest.” More than 1,500 students qualified for the competition. For his winning project, entitled "I Want a Holodeck", Hotz designed and built a full color, high resolution, 360 degree viewable volumetric display, which displays 3-D objects in a hologram-type format. Hotz mounted a screen and a DLP projector on a spinning platform, and by spinning the projector quickly while displaying different cross sections of a particular image, it tricks the eye into seeing the image in three dimensions. These objects will be valuable in a variety of applications including CAT scans, MRIs, protein-folding visualizations and video games. Hotz said the project was inspired by watching the movie STAR WARS and seeing the hologram that R2D2 projected of Princess Leia. Scitopia.org Research Site Now Live 12 June – Scitopia.org, the free, federated search portal created by leading science and technology scholarly societies, officially launched 3 June at the Special Libraries Association’s Annual Conference. The service commences with 15 participating Societies including two new partners, the American Vacuum Society and Acoustical Society of America providing users with an even broader array of high quality results to their sci-tech search queries. More than three million documents, including peer-reviewed journal content and conference proceedings spanning 150 years of science and technology, may be searched through this dedicated gateway. Design Squad TV Show Seeks New Projects 12 June –The production crew for the PBS television series “Design Squad” is soliciting ideas for engineering projects that will appeal to their 9 to 12 year-old target audience. The IEEE provides funding for this series that soon will begin filming episodes for its second season. The series follows two teams of high school students, mentored by professional engineers, as they compete to design and build a functional machine. The show’s producers at WGHB, Boston, Mass. are seeking projects that would be visually interesting, serve a client with a specific need and provide the opportunity for multiple solutions. Past projects have included building a machine that makes pancakes and designing a summer sled for LL Bean. Ideas for new shows may be emailed to the show’s executive producer, Marisa Wolsky, at marisa_wolsky@wgbh.org.
Proceedings of
the IEEE Examines Electric, Hybrid and
Fuel Cell Vehicles 12 June – The current special issue of Proceedings of the IEEE (v. 95, no. 4) takes an in-depth look at electric, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles. The issue covers topics regarding state-of-the-art and key technologies associated with these vehicles. The table of contents and abstracts for all papers can be found in the IEEE Xplore digital library, where subscribers may also read the full text of all articles. TryEngineering.org Now Available in Seven Languages 8 June – The IEEE pre-university portal, TryEngineering.org, once available in only English, is now available in Chinese, French, German, Russian, Japanese and Spanish. In addition, the portal's monthly newsletter is now featured in English, French and Spanish. Users can examine the seven versions by checking the language box on the top right-hand side of the entry page of TryEngineering.org. The non-English versions were derived from the English edition with the help of professional translators. The translations were reviewed by engineers who are native speakers of the six languages into which the site was rendered. TryEngineering.org is a project of IEEE, IBM, and the New York Hall of Science. The translations and monthly newsletters are supported by the Life Member Committee and the IEEE Foundation. June Issue of IEEE Spectrum Focuses on Megacities 4 June – By 2008, more than half the world's population will live in cities. A comprehensive report in this special issue of IEEE Spectrum focuses on major engineering projects and challenges of the world's largest cities (Mumbai, Shanghai, Sao Paulo, Tokyo, New York City, London and Lagos) and how technology can make our urban future better. To view the June issue of IEEE Spectrum, visit the IEEE Spectrum Web site. 21 May – The IEEE will hold a workshop with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU-T) designed to help identify key opportunities for collaboration between IEEE and ITU-T for developing Ethernet as a carrier service 31 May – 1 June 2007 in Geneva, Switzerland. The workshop will also provide an overview of the standardization aspects of Ethernet based network services, requirements and technologies and how they affect the development of Ethernet based and capable access networks. For more information, visit the IEEE Standards Association Web site. IEEE-SA Seeks Volunteer Members For Work on Earth Observation Standards 10 May – The IEEE Committee on Earth Observations Standards working group (ISWG) is seeking volunteers to participate in standards-related tasks designed to progress the Group on Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). The IEEE is one of more than 40 international organizations that are part of GEOSS – a global Earth Observation System that, over the next decade, will revolutionize the understanding of Earth and how it works. IEEE has been given the lead for GEOSS standards development. Action items include the development and maintenance of an online registry of related standards, the creation of a standards and interoperability forum for introduction of standards not in the registry or new standards needed, and the coordination of international standards organizations involved in the project. The ISWG is looking for IEEE volunteers who possess knowledge and have experience with a broad range of standards related to earth observations and data systems that process, archive and distribute them. Individuals who are interested in participating or have further questions can contact Jay Pearlman at jay.pearlman@boeing.com or Siri Sodha at sjsk@nsidc.org. IEEE GOLD Online Seminar Focuses on Career Decisions 10 May – IEEE Gold (Graduates of the Last Decade) is hosting an online seminar entitled “Career Decisions: Academia vs. Industry” on 24 May at 5:00 p.m. EST. The seminar will feature Grace Wong, CSO of ActoKine Therapeutics, in Chestnut Hill, Mass., who will discuss challenges she was faced with when deciding on her career, how she dealt with balancing her professional and personal life, and how she learned about the differences between career paths in academia and industry. For more information and a link to the registration form click here. 8 May – The IEEE Educational Activities Board (EAB) and the Women in Engineering Committee (WIEC) are seeking unique hands-on project and online workshop ideas as part of a new initiative designed to enhance engineering education. Entitled "Real World Engineering Projects: EE, CE and CS Curricula," these projects and workshops will give students the opportunity to discover the relevance of contemporary electrical engineering, computer engineering, and computer science (EE/CE/CS) problems, generate enthusiasm about the engineering profession, and improve student retention, especially for female students. Winning proposals will receive a US$5,000 honoraria as well as coverage in IEEE publications, Web sites and conferences. Abstracts are due by 31 May 2007. Submitted projects should be targeted at first year college engineering students and focus on real-world problems whose solutions benefit society. Selected entries will be complied in an on-line library of contemporary, hands-on projects. Similarly, a call for workshops has also been issued for high quality, online, self-study workshops on the best pedagogical techniques for the EE/CE/CS classroom. Workshops may address teaching at all levels of an undergraduate degree program. Full details including sample abstracts and submission forms can be found on the Real World Engineering Web site. Individuals with questions should contact Barbara Stoler, Educational Activities, at b.stoler@ieee.org or Amy Bell, initiative leader, at abell@vt.edu. Membership Recruitment Record Set in First Quarter 2007 3 May – During the first quarter of 2007, IEEE recruited a total of 25,807 new members with same-quarter recruitment increasing two percent over 2006 (the previous record). Higher-grade member recruitment posted a 14 percent increase over the first quarter of last year. Call for Articles: IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine 3 May – Articles are now being accepted for the new IEEE WOMEN IN ENGINEERING MAGAZINE, scheduled to debut in August 2007. The publication will promote the mission of Women in Engineering – “To Inspire, Engage, Encourage and Empower IEEE Women Worldwide ” – through articles that integrate engineering with current issues facing society and interdisciplinary technologies, including medicine, law, governance and international women’s issues. Authors are invited to submit papers on a variety of topics including engineering careers, career guidance, profiles and current events involving technology. Authors whose articles are selected will receive a US$50 to $100 honoraria. Articles should be submitted to wie-research@ieee.org. For more information and guidelines regarding topics and submissions, click here. IEEE Foundation Grant to Help David Sarnoff Library Recover from Flood Damage 3 May – The IEEE Foundation awarded a special US$11,346 grant to the David Sarnoff Library in Princeton, N.J last month to underwrite the cost to dry and save documents that were damaged in a nor’easter that hit the area last month. Flood waters damaged a substantial portion of the Library’s rare collection of laboratory notebooks, technical reports, manuals, and manuscripts from the early days of radio, television and electronics. The IEEE Foundation grant will restore documents from the RCA Divisional Technical and Contract Reports Collection which represents work conducted at various RCA locations from 1960 to 1987 in the fields of semiconductor processing, design and manufacturing; computer memory and systems; video cameras and satellites; microwave and radar systems; displays and consumer video technologies. To learn more about the IEEE Foundation and its grant making program click here. 3 May – The IEEE-USA Nominations and Appointments Committee is seeking U.S. IEEE members to fill a number of board positions and committee spots. IEEE-USA board members direct the day-to-day operations of IEEE-USA, provide leadership for volunteer committees, oversee financial performance, and promote new activities. Nominees for these board positions must be Senior or higher grade members from IEEE Regions 1-6. Nominations must be submitted by no later than 11 May 2007. To nominate candidates, visit the online nominations page, or contact Helen Hall, IEEE-USA at h.hall@ieee.org for more information. IEEE Annual Report Receives Honor 3 May – The 2005 IEEE Annual Report has received a Silver award from the New Mexico Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (NMPRSA). The judges of the competition awarded 48 out of a possible 50 points for the effectiveness of the design and copy. This is the second time that the IEEE Annual report has received this recognition from NMPRSA. IEEE Establishes Vietnam Section 2 May – The IEEE Vietnam Section was officially inaugurated as a part of Region 10 at the Hanoi University of Technology on 6 March. The event was held in conjunction with the 5th International Conference on Research, Innovation and Vision for the Future (RIVF 2007) and was attended by approximately 50 IEEE members and RIVF delegates. Region 10 Director professor Janina Mazierska spoke at the inauguration and outlined the vision for the Vietnam Section for the next 10 years which includes a membership of 10,000 including 10 student branches, 10 Women in Engineering affinity groups, five societies and five GOLD groups. IEEE Joins with Eta Kappa Nu to Increase Cooperative Activities 2 May – IEEE and Eta Kappa Nu (HKN), the electrical and computer engineering honor society, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance cooperation between the organizations and encourage joint activities designed to improve services to members of both organizations and increase the reputation of the profession. These may include student activities and awards, among others. IEEE members who were inducted into HKN in the past are asked to update their contact information. To obtain a copy of the complete text of the MOU please contact education-services@ieee.org. IEEE-USA Announces Award Winners 2 May – Former congressional staff members William B. Bonvillian and David J. Goldston will share the 2006 IEEE-USA Distinguished Public Service Award “for outstanding support of science and technology-related legislation and policy in the U.S. Congress.” Bonvillian, former legislative director and chief counsel for Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), is currently the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s director of federal relations and head of MIT’s Washington office. Goldston spent 20 years serving Congress and is now a scholar in residence with the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. Both were champion supporters of federal R&D programs. Bonvillian and Goldston are among 16 IEEE-USA award recipients who will be honored during the IEEE-USA Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., on 2 September. 2 May – The IEEE has partnered with the University Alliance, a continuing professional education resource provider that offers a variety of online professional certificate and degree programs from 10 accredited universities, to offer up to a 10 percent discount on select programs. IEEE members can receive the following discounts:
Discounts on other programs and courses offered by the University Alliance are available. To review the variety of programs and discounted rates visit the University Alliance Web site. Members with questions can also contact a dedicated IEEE program representative at 866-220-1677. To review all University Alliance online partnering universities or other IEEE Education Partners, visit the IEEE Education Partners Web site. IEEE Enhances Standards Patent Policy to Permit Fuller Disclosure on Licensing 30 April – The IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) has enhanced its patent policy by permitting the disclosure of licensing terms associated with patents that might be included in its standards. The policy changes are intended to make the IEEE standards-setting process more transparent and go into effect May 1 at 12:01 p.m. EDT. To read the full press release, click here. IEEE President Leah Jamieson to be Honored as a Woman of Vision 24 April – IEEE 2007 President and CEO Leah Jamieson has been named as a recipient of the 2007 Woman of Vision Award for Social Impact by the Anita Borg Institute. She is being recognized for her work at the forefront of innovations in education and social change as a co-founder and past director of the Engineering Projects in Community Service. The Women of Vision Awards were created to highlight, recognize and celebrate the achievements of women revolutionizing technology. Also being honored are Deborah Estrin, Ph.D., professor of computer science at UCLA and IEEE member, in the category of innovation, and Duy-Loan Le, senior fellow at Texas Instruments, for leadership. The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology works to increase the impact of women on all aspects of technology and to increase the positive impact of technology on the world's women. Jamieson and the other recipients will be presented with their awards at a banquet on 3 May in San Jose, Calif. To read the full press release, visit the Anita Borg Institute Web site. Scitopia.org Research Site Set to Launch in June 24 April – In June, IEEE and 12 of the world’s leading science and technology societies will launch scitopia.org, a free federated search engine that will enable users to explore research most often cited in scholarly work and patents. More than three million documents, including peer-reviewed journal content and conference proceedings spanning 150 years of science and technology, may be searched through this dedicated gateway. Search results will present users with a relevant ranked list of content that will include the article’s title, authors and citation. Once a piece of content is selected, the user will be directed to the publisher’s digital library site to access the full text. Researchers at institutions with subscriptions to the content will be automatically authenticated and will be able to click through to access the full text. For full details about the service and a full list of participating societies, visit www.scitopia.org. IEEE Student Branches in India Recruit Members Through Special Events and Activities 24 April – When it comes to getting IEEE student members excited about the IEEE, throwing fun and games at them is the way to go. No one knows that better than members of the IEEE Gujarat Section in India and the IEEE student branch at the Indian School of Mines, in Dhanbad. During the past few months, both groups organized hands-on events that combined robot competitions, charades, and quizzes with serious sessions about the benefits of the IEEE. Both were so well attended that the two groups plan to hold them again. Read the full story in The Institute . IEEE Spectrum Receives Multiple High Profile Editorial Honors for Series on Re-Engineering Iraq 5 April – IEEE Spectrum was honored by American Business Media’s Jessie H. Neal National Business Journalism Awards with three recognitions for editorial excellence. A series of articles by executive editor Glenn Zorpette on “Re-engineering Iraq” (IEEE Spectrum, February 2006 and March 2006) won a Neal Award and the Grand Neal Award from among the competition’s more than 1,000 entries. Created by American Business Media in 1955 to recognize independent business publications, The Neal Award is considered the “Pulitzer Prize of the business press.” For both publications and editors, this prestigious award is the industry’s highest honor and reward for excellence. Zorpette also was named the 13th recipient of the 2007 McAllister Editorial Fellowship, given annually to an editor to promote the study of business media. The same series of articles received a National Magazine Award nomination in the Reporting category from The American Society for Magazine Editors, the consumer-magazine equivalent of the Academy Awards. The Reporting category honors the enterprise, exclusive reporting and intelligent analysis that a magazine exhibits in covering an event, a situation or a problem of contemporary interest and significance. Other finalists in the Reporting category include Esquire, Fortune, Rolling Stone and Time. The awards will be presented on the evening of 1 May at the Time Warner Center in New York. New Technology Connections Portal Provides Resources for Exploring Emerging Technologies 5 April –The IEEE New Technology Connections Portal provides visitors with an overview of key emerging technologies supported by the New Technologies Directions committee, and a list of resources to obtain additional information. Each featured technology includes a general description, upcoming conferences, news articles, technical papers, related standards, professional organizations and academic programs. Technologies currently featured in the portal include RFID, remote sensing, wind power and WiFi, with more to be added. Record Number of New Senior Members in 2006 5 April – The IEEE raised 2,608 members to senior member grade last year, the largest yearly increase ever, and 15 percent more than in 2005. This number also surpasses the goal of 2,400 elevations set by the IEEE Membership Development Committee. For more information and a regional breakdown of the statistics, read The Institute article. 5 April – IEEE Technical Activities has set a goal to ensure conference content is accessible in IEEE Xplore within 30 to 60 days after the conference. Conference planners are being asked to take a proactive role in reducing delays by submitting a CD-rom containing Xplore-compatible PDF files within seven days of the conference end date. Technical Activities is developing a long-term action plan to consistently achieve this 30 to 60 day goal. This includes improving in-house, operational efficiencies to accommodate the increasingly large volume of conference publication content that is submitted. The goal is hoped to be reached by the second quarter of 2007. Questions regarding the timeliness of conference publications content should be directed to Cheryl Sinauskas, Technical Activities, at c.sinauskas@ieee.org or Mark A. Vasquez, Technical Activities, at m.vasquez@ieee.org. Technical Activities and Publication Services and Products Board Call for Nominations 5 April – The Technical Activities Board is seeking nominations for TAB Periodicals Committee Chair (2008-2009, two year term) and Vice President Elect, Technical Activities (2009; president, 2010, past president, 2011). Nomination forms and position statements should be returned by Monday, 30 April 2007. To request a nomination form and to obtain additional information of the functions and time commitment of the offices, contact Paula Dunne, Technical Activities, at +1 732 562 3919; or p.dunne@ieee.org. The Publication Services and Products Board is seeking nominations for three member at large positions to serve from 1 January 2008 through 31 December 2010 and three ordered alternates. Endorsements (two page maximum) should be sent by 20 April 2007 to Josephine Germano, publications, at j.germano@ieee.org. 5 April – Learning Tree International, a professional development provider specializing in hands-on training for information technology and management professionals, has partnered with IEEE to offer members a 10 percent discount on its courses and certification programs. Over 300 courses and 45 job-specific professional certification programs are offered in a wide range of subjects including:
RealityPlus™, an award-winning course covering project management, software and communication skills, also qualifies for the discount. Courses, available in both English and French, last two to five days and are presented in nine U.S. locations in addition to London, Stockholm, Paris and Ottawa. Learning Tree instructors, who are expert practitioners in high-tech companies, R&D labs and other business environments, also can conduct on-site training in single and multi-course programs upon request. To access courses offered by Learning Tree International or to review other partners, visit the Education Partners Program Web site. Seminar on Global Standards and Developing Economies to Be Held in Tunisia 9 - 10 May 26 March – The IEEE, in collaboration with the Tunisian Ministry of Communication Technologies, will present a free seminar entitled “Global Standards and Developing Economies: Broadband Access and Infrastructure” 9-10 May in Tunis, Tunisia. The event will provide an in-depth introduction to international standards activities and highlight the scope of the IEEE and its relationships to other standards bodies. Hosted by the IEEE Standards Association Corporate Program, the conference will bring together leaders from industry, government and international standards organizations to share their insights on how local entities can participate in and optimize global standards and best practices to help close the digital divide. To read the full press release, visit the IEEE Standards Association Web site. IEEE Expert Now Courses Now Available to Members Through IEEE Xplore 23 March – IEEE members can now purchase individual courses from the IEEE Expert Now collection directly through the IEEE Xplore digital library. IEEE Expert Now courses feature the best of IEEE’s educational content delivered in one-hour, online courses. The interactive, multimedia tutorials contain the latest information on emerging technologies and cutting-edge trends presented by the leading experts in IEEE fields of interest. Continuing Education Units for maintaining professional licensure and certifications are available upon successfully passing the assessment, at no additional charge. All courses are peer-reviewed to ensure quality. IEEE members can purchase each one-hour course for $69.95, with unlimited online access for 30 days from date of purchase. Electronic IEEE Copyright Form Now Available In Japanese, Chinese and Russian 23 March –The IEEE Intellectual Property Rights Office has announced that the IEEE Copyright Form (eCF) can now be read in Japanese, Chinese and Russian, bringing the total number of languages to seven. The new versions of the eCF enable more authors who use English as a second language to better understand copyright transfer and their rights and privileges as IEEE authors. The eCF enhancements will allow authors to select Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese or Russian versions of the eCF “Wizard,” which guides them through completion of the appropriate form. After responding to the Wizard in the selected language, the author will be brought to a copy of the IEEE Copyright Form for he/she to review in the corresponding language. The actual copyright form, as completed and signed by the author, will continue to be an English-language, legal document. The eCF was introduced to authors and volunteers in 2005. Since its inception, the eCF has effectively accomplished the goal of digitally transferring ownership rights of the intellectual property to IEEE, and also has saved significant amounts of time and effort on the part of IEEE authors, volunteers and staff. More than 37,000 copyright transfer forms were signed and submitted through the online tool in 2006. The eCF is available for all IEEE-copyrighted periodicals and conferences. Editors and conference organizers who wish to make the eCF available to their authors may register through a convenient ,web-based form. 24 Hour Online Global Marathon Targeted Toward Women in Engineering 22-23 March 20 March – IEEE members are invited to participate in the third-annual 24-hour "Global Marathon For, By and About Women in Engineering,” designed to provide insights and information on engineering careers to high school and college students, their teachers, counselors and parents, and professional women engineers worldwide. The event is scheduled for noon EST Thursday, 22 March, to Noon EST Friday, 23 March. The Global Marathon, which coincides with Women's History Month, was created by the National Engineers Week Foundation. The 24-hour marathon of Webcasts, Internet chats and teleconferences — to be found at the Engineers Week Web site, www.eweek.org — connects an international community of women engineers and other professions with expertise in a wide variety of disciplines. Each presenter will lead a 30- to 60-minute presentation with postings and questions from participants worldwide. All sessions and presentations will be archived for future access. Sessions will originate from various locations in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, China and Japan, and will also target audiences in Africa and Latin America. IEEE-USA is one of several organizations involved in the event. To read the full press release, visit the IEEE-USA Web site. First IEEE Milestone in Spain Dedicated for Early Developments in Remote Control 15 March – IEEE President-Elect Lewis Terman will present the first IEEE Milestone in Spain for “early developments in remote control” on 16 March 2007 in Madrid. The milestone, sponsored by the IEEE Spain Section, recognizes the work of Spanish engineer Leonardo Torres-Queved, who in the early 1900s, developed a system named Telekine which was able to perform “mechanical movements at a distance.” To read a full description of the milestone, visit the IEEE History Center Web site. Educational Activities Board 2007 Call for Nominations Includes New Award 15 March – The IEEE Educational Activities Board is seeking nominations for its 2007 Education Awards. In addition to its seven existing recognitions, a newly-established annual award for Meritorious Achievement in Informal Education will be presented this year. The Meritorious Achievement in Informal Education award recognizes IEEE members who volunteer as librarians, docents, tour guides, or curators; or who act as technical advisors to or serve as board members of aquariums, museums, parks, zoos or similar settings where teachers, students, and the public benefit from their professional expertise in science and technology. The deadline for all nominations is 30 April. For descriptions of the full list of the awards and to access nomination packets, visit the EAB Awards Web page. Questions can be sent to eab-awards@ieee.org. Call For Papers: 2007 IEEE Conference on the History of Electric Power 13 March – The IEEE History Committee and History Center are accepting papers for its next conference series, the 2007 IEEE Conference on the History of Electric Power which will be held from Friday 3 August through Sunday 5 August 2007 on the campus of the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, New Jersey, USA. The conference is co-sponsored by IEEE and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Conference papers can address all aspects of electric power and its applications from the 19th century to the present. Individuals interested in submitting a paper for consideration should submit an abstract and one-page c.v., either electronically or in paper form, to Frederik Nebeker, IEEE History Center, Rutgers University, 39 Union Street, New Brunswick NJ 08901, USA; or to f.nebeker@ieee.org. The deadline for submissions is 15 April 2007. For more information, visit the History Center Web site. Feedback Requested on Engineering Messaging 5 March – The U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is seeking input on the results of market research intended to identify messages for communicating more effectively with the public about engineering. As an NAE member, IEEE President Leah Jamieson serves on the advisory committee to the project, which will consider submitted comments when the final report is prepared later this year. To review the market research report and provide feedback by the 19 March deadline, visit the Engineering Messages Feedback form. Responses from this site will go to both NAE and IEEE. IEEE Spectrum Seeks Entries For Do-It-Yourself Electronics Projects Competition 5 March – IEEE Spectrum and Make magazines have teamed up to sponsor a contest that will recognize the most unique and clever do-it-yourself electronics projects. The winning entries will receive full coverage in the print and/or online editions of both IEEE Spectrum and Make (combined readership over one million), as well as airfare and accommodations to attend the next “Maker Faire,” Make magazine’s annual jamboree for do-it-yourselfers, 19 to 20 May 2007, at the San Mateo, Calif., Fairgrounds, where the winner will describe and demonstrate his or her project. Interested applicants should include a brief description of the project, an estimate of how much it cost to create, a photo, parts list and schematic in their entries. Applications should be mailed to: Spectrum/Make DIY Contest, 3 Park Ave., 17th Floor, New York, NY 10016-5997, U.S.A. The entry deadline is 15 March 2007. For more information, visit the IEEE Spectrum Web site. IEEE-USA Employment Navigator Online Portal Offers Free Access to Members 5 March – IEEE-USA has re-launched its online Employment Navigator, which now provides free access to all IEEE members. Employment Navigator, an online career development portal, collects millions of job leads from more than 100,000 Web sites and places them in a single searchable database. In addition to searching job postings, members for the first time can access basic company information, contacts from the LinkedIn online networking portal, and salary benchmarking tools from the search results.The service will expand to include job listings outside the U.S. later this year. To access this free member service, users must first his/her IEEE Member Web Account at the login prompt. For more information, contact Marnie James at m.c.james@ieee.org. 5 March – IEEE members interested in taking continuing education courses in video game production can sign up for exclusive online training programs offered by The Game Institute ™, a new member of the IEEE Education Partners Program. The Game Institute provides online professional training designed to advance students’ video game programming skills through creative, hands-on assignments and activities. The courses focus on five major areas of study: programming languages, mathematics skills, 3D graphics pipeline programming, real-time game engine architectures and artificial intelligence algorithms. IEEE members who enroll in any of these courses will receive a 10 percent discount. Later this year, The Game Institute plans to launch a number of art and design courses for those interested in 3D game art and animation. For more information on the Game Institute or other partners, visit the IEEE Education Partners Program Web site.Computer Society Certification Program Offering Two Testing Windows 5 March – The IEEE Computer Society’s Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP) program, a certification program designed for mid-level software engineers, will be holding two testing windows in 2007. The application deadline for the 2 April – 30 June window is 2 April, while the deadline for the 1 September – 30 November testing window is 1 September. For more information, visit the IEEE Computer Society Web site.IEEE Fellow First Woman to Win Prestigious Turing Award in Computing 26 February – Frances E. Allen, an IEEE Fellow and IBM Fellow Emerita, was presented with the Turing Award from The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) on 21 February. She was honored for her work which led to innovations “that fundamentally improved the performance of computer programs in solving problems and accelerated the use of high performance computing.” Allen is the first woman to receive the award in its 40-year history. The Turing Award, first presented in 1966, and named for British mathematician Alan M. Turing, is widely considered the “Nobel Prize in Computing.” It includes a $100,000 prize. To read the full press release, visit the ACM Web site. IEEE Standards Online Subscriptions Now Available In IEEE Xplore 26 February – The IEEE Standards Online subscription packages are now accessible through the IEEE Xplore digital library, which also delivers access to all IEEE periodicals and conference publications. Incorporating these subscription options into IEEE Xplore provides subscribers with advanced features that were not available in the previous platform. These include the ability to search all IEEE content at the same time, opt-in email alerts for notification of new content and multiple search options, including searches by standard status and industry grouping. The introduction of the IEEE Standards Online packages into IEEE Xplore now provides over 400 new customers with the ability to access article abstracts from the full IEEE Xplore digital library. Users can view training materials and documents on the new platform online. For more information on the IEEE Standards Online subscription packages, visit http://www.ieee.org/digitalsubs. Iowa Middle School Wins IEEE-USA National Communications Award 26 February –Turkey Valley Community School of Jackson Junction, Iowa, won the seventh annual IEEE-USA Best Communications System Award at the National Finals of the National Engineers Week Future City Competition on 21 February. The honor, for the most "efficient and accurate communications system," was one of 29 special awards presented at the Hyatt Regency Hotel-Capitol Hill. St. Thomas More School of Baton Rouge, La., won the overall competition for their future city, Mwinda. The school also captured top honors in 2005. To read the full press release, visit the IEEE-USA Web site. TryEngineering.org Adds 13 New Countries to “Find a University” Search Tool 21 February – TryEngineering.org has added 13 new countries to its global search tool which enables users to search for accredited engineering and engineering technology programs online. Originally launched in June 2006 with search capabilities for the United States and Canada, the “Find a University” database now includes Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and the United Kingdom. The expanded search feature allows users to find accredited programs based on locale, tuition, and size of the student body of the academic institution. Links are also provided to the university, college and admissions department associated with each program. The TryEngineering.org Web site will continue to add additional countries to the “Find a University” search tool in 2007, as well as produce German, French, Chinese, Japanese Russian and Spanish versions. Tryengineering.org is a joint project of IEEE, IBM and the New York Hall of Science. Celebrate Engineers Week 18-24 February 15 February – As part of this year’s official Engineers Week events, IEEE serves as one of the sponsors of a new U.S. Public Broadcasting System engineering reality program, “Design Squad.” The show follows two teams of high school students, mentored by professional engineers, as they compete to design and build functional machines. The program will premiere the first of 14 episodes on PBS stations across the U.S. during Engineers Week. View previews at The Design Squad Web site. During EWeek, the IEEE Women in Engineering affinity group also will participate in “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day,” 22 February. Additionally, IEEE-USA is supporting a number of other activities including, among others:
The Eweek committee continues to add activities and materials to encourage international participation. This year, materials from the DiscoverE 2007 program have been translated into French, German, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Arabic. DiscoverE brings engineers into elementary and secondary schools to work with students on hands-on activities. The materials are available online. IEEE volunteers interested in taking part in EWeek programs should contact their local Sections. Read more about Eweek in The Institute or at the official Eweek Web site. IEEE Travel Services Announces Policy Changes 6 February – IEEE Travel Services is making a process change as a service improvement to clients which will result in a quicker response time to travel booking needs. As a result, IEEE now has only one travel agent onsite at the Operations Center who will handle IEEE travel-related bookings for airlines, rental cars, limousine service and hotels. However, IEEE members, volunteers, staff and the general public will be able to continue to use IEEE Travel Services for personal and/or business travel. When calling IEEE Travel, after remaining on hold for longer than 1.5 minutes, users will have the option of transferring to our central reservation center operated by World Travel, Inc. Please note when selecting this option, the phone will be answered as World Travel and volunteers should identify themselves as an IEEE client. World Travel agents have been trained on IEEE Policy, so users should experience no change in service level. IEEE Travel continues to encourage volunteers, members and staff to use the IEEE Online Booking Tool for standard travel bookings. IEEE Travel can also be reached at +1 800 879 4333 within the U.S. and Canada and +1 732 562 5387 outside the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, IEEE will be phasing out the direct billing option currently available to all volunteers by April 2007. Individuals are being encouraged to use their personal credit cards for travel and to submit expenses following the standard IEEE expense reimbursement process. Those who have a concern about using his or her personal credit card should contact their staff liaison for other available options. For more information, contact IEEE Travel Services at travel-team@ieee.org. Updated IEEE Identity Standards Document Available 6 February – An updated version of the IEEE Identity Standards document is now available online. The document explains the correct usage of the IEEE name, Master Brand and other organizational symbols in all official materials, communications and promotional materials produced by the IEEE, both print and electronic. The rules for use of the IEEE Master Brand have not changed, however, language has been clarified to address frequent questions, the most common usage errors and correct usage on Web sites. Additionally, visual examples regarding use of the Master Brand with the name of an IEEE event or unit have been added. IEEE Computer Society Seeking Nominations for 60th Anniversary Award 6 February – In honor of its 60th anniversary celebrated in 2006, the IEEE Computer Society will be presenting a one-time award to an individual or individuals who have been responsible for one of the most fundamental and important computer science and engineering contributions over the past century. This award will provide high visibility recognition to the technical areas covered by the IEEE Computer Society. The recipient will receive a crystal memento and a $20,000 honorarium. The deadline for nominations is 15 March 2007. For more information and to access nomination materials, visit the IEEE Computer Society Web site. 6 February –The IEEE and TrainingCity, a private provider of advanced information technology and programmer training programs, have signed a partnership agreement that will provide IEEE members with continuing education courses in IT and computer programming at a discounted rate. TrainingCity offers training in such areas as XML / Web services, VoIP / SIP, security training and embedded Linux. TrainingCity offers live, instructor-led courses in more than 20 locations throughout North America, including four locations in Canada, as well as one location in Singapore and one in the United Kingdom. Participants who cannot attend the events in person have the option to access the classes via the Web. All live, virtual classes are scheduled for all major time zones and limited to a maximum of six students participating online per location. IEEE members interested in taking training courses offered by TrainingCity qualify for a 10 percent discount as long as they access/register for the courses via the IEEE Education Partners Program Web site. Former IEEE Member to Receive Honor From Society of Automotive Engineers 6 February – Former IEEE Member Victor Wouk will be recognized with a posthumous award from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) during the Metropolitan Engineering Societies Council meeting to be held during Engineer's Week. The 2005 Elmer A. Sperry Award will be presented to Wouk’s family 15 February for "his visionary approach to developing gasoline engine-electric motor hybrid-drive systems for automobiles and his distinguished engineering achievements in the related technologies of small, lightweight, and highly efficient electric power supplies and batteries." According to the SAE, the award honors Elmer A. Sperry, who was renowned for his navigational gyroscope and who coined the word "automotive", giving SAE its name. IEEE is a co-sponsor of the award along with The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, The American Society of Civil Engineers and The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. The 2006 Elmer A. Sperry Award was presented to Dr. Antony Jameson, a former IEEE member, in January "in recognition of his seminal and continuing contributions to the modern design of aircraft through his numerous algorithmic innovations and through the development of the FLO, SYN and AIRPLANE series of computational fluid dynamics codes." IEEE President Leah Jamieson to Serve as Keynote Speaker at DesignCon2007 24 January – IEEE President Leah Jamieson will serve as a keynote speaker at DesignCon 2007, a conference produced by the International Engineering Consortium. Jamieson will discuss how global and technological trends in the semiconductor industry are driving change in engineering education, and how she has prepared students for careers where traits such as innovation and flexibility are as crucial as math, science and traditional engineering fundamentals. DesignCon2007 takes place from 29 January to 1 February in Santa Clara, Calif. To read the full press release, click here. 24 January – Nominations are being accepted for the IEEE Fellows class of 2008. The rank of IEEE Fellow is the Institute’s highest member grade, bestowed on IEEE senior members who have contributed “to the advancement or application of engineering, science and technology.” The deadline for nominations is 1 March 2007. Senior members can be nominated in one of four categories: application engineer/practitioner, research engineer/scientist, educator or technical leader. The Fellows Program Web site contains additional information on the nomination process including access to the Fellows Nomination Kit, lists of Fellows who may be available as references as well as the history of the IEEE Fellows program. New Tech Alerts from IEEE Spectrum Online Link to Exclusive Web Content 19 January – IEEE Spectrum Online has created a new Tech Alert for both members and non-members who want to receive groundbreaking news on technology and science. The alert features links to exclusive online interviews, articles, podcasts and Web events with leading technology innovators and is e-mailed biweekly in an html or plain-text format. Sign up for the Tech Alert and other IEEE Spectrum newsletters on the IEEE Spectrum Web site. In Memoriam: 1974 IEEE President John Guarrera 17 January – 1974 IEEE President John Guarrera died on 6 December 2006 in El Cajon, Calif. He was 82. Guarrera was a retired Cal State Northridge (CSUN) professor who helped save the university's College of Engineering and Computer Science from being eliminated in the early 1970s. In 1976 he created the CSUN Center for Research and Services and ran it until his retirement in 2004. As chairman of one of the IEEE predecessor societies, the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE), Guarrera was an active supporter of the merger of the IRE and the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) to form the IEEE in 1963. In addition to serving as 1974 president, other past IEEE leadership positions included serving as Region 6 Director and San Fernando Valley Section Chair. Additionally, as 1977 IEEE-USA chairman, Guarrera helped spearhead pension reform legislation in the U.S. Congress, and organized the first IEEE conference on technology policy that forged connections for IEEE-USA with lawmakers in Washington. Former IEEE President Awarded Prestigious Gordon Prize from the National Academy of Engineering 16 January – 2004 IEEE President Arthur W. Winston has been named co-recipient of the Bernard M. Gordon Prize awarded annually by the National Academy of Engineering. Winston, Harold S. Goldberg and Jerome E. Levy of the Gordon Institute at Tufts University will share the $500,000 award that recognizes innovation in engineering and technology education "for the development of a multidisciplinary graduate program for engineering professionals who have the potential and the desire to be engineering leaders." The prize will be awarded in February during National Engineers Week. The three honorees established the masters of science program in engineering management at the Gordon Institute of Tufts University in 1984. The unique program, designed for practicing engineers with industrial experience, emphasizes project management skills, product innovation and development, communication, and team leadership. In addition, the program includes courses on relevant advanced technical topics and the human factors that influence relationships with colleagues, employees, and business management personnel. Winston, current director of the Gordon Institute, worked with Goldberg and Levy to define the mission, curriculum, and policies of the school, and to prepare it for accreditation. He also was responsible for developing and teaching advanced technological methodology for product development. Winston led the transition to joining with Tufts University in 1992 and the program's concurrent transformation from a one-year, full-time program to a two-year program with Friday and Saturday classes. This change made the program more attractive to working engineering professionals and to organizations that might sponsor students. Since 1992, enrollment has increased sixfold, with most of its students attaining their goals in engineering management. For more information on the Gordon Institute, visit http://gordon.tufts.edu/. IEEE Approves Authentication Standard for USB Flash Drives and Other Personal Storage Devices 16 January – The widespread use of USB flash drives and other personal storage devices has raised concerns about the security of information in many organizations. A new IEEE standard, IEEE 1667(TM), addresses this issue by defining methods for authenticating transient storage devices when they are mounted to host computers in corporate, government, academic and other environments. To read the full press release, visit the IEEE Standards Association Web Site. IEEE Mourns the Passing of Former Executive Director Dan Senese 9 January – Dan Senese, who served as executive director of IEEE from 1995-2004, passed away 6 January, 2007. Senese retired from his position as executive director and chief operating officer of IEEE in 2004. He was previously an employee of Bellcore (now Telcordia), a New Jersey-based telecom research and development company, where he served as vice president, quality, and worked at Bell Laboratories prior to divestiture from 1968 to 1984. In addition, his pioneering work on electronic switching led to three patents on computer architecture and the co-authoring of two of the three best papers written during 1973, as selected by the IEEE Computer Society. Senese, a Middletown, N.J. resident, is survived by his wife, Joan; his two daughters, Margaret and Amy; and his sister, Tona DelPrete. IEEE Member Wins Online Renewal Laptop Giveaway 4 January – Daniel E. Davison was randomly selected from all IEEE members who renewed their membership online by 1 December as the winner of a laptop computer. Davison, an IEEE member since 1993, is an associate professor at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. The laptop is a Dell Inspirion 6400. Members can still renew their memberships for 2007 online . IEEE Begins Work on 10 Communication Standards for Personal Telehealth Devices 2 January – The IEEE has begun work on 10 telehealth device standards for controlling information exchange to and from personal telehealth devices and cell phones, personal computers, personal health appliances and other compute engines. These standards, a part of the ISO/IEEE 11073 family of health informatic standards, will provide clear definitions of what is needed to implement common communication features for personal telehealth devices. Visit the IEEE Standards Association Web site to read the full press release. 19 December – The IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT) is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a special edition of Technology and Society Magazine. Articles in the winter 2006 issue include “Controversy and Achievement: History of IEEE Society and Technology Magazine” and “The Future of SSIT and the State of the Engineering Profession.” To view the table of contents visit the publication's Web site. 19 December – IEEE has partnered with Knowledge Master, Inc. to offer IEEE members a selection of 26 courses in microelectronics, semiconductors and integrated circuit design in Mandarin Chinese. This partnership fulfills two important objectives of IEEE: to serve the community of practitioners in the area of microelectronics and to serve a segment of its practitioner population that resides in China. Founded in 2004, Knowledge Master, Inc. is an online education company which provides online career development courses for Chinese or Chinese American working professionals. The organization specializes in the delivery of highly interactive online courses, lectures and training classes through their Web site. The courses are developed by Dr. Wen Ching Chang, an internationally-renowned professor of microelectronics, specializing in RFIC, CMOS, Analog IC, Optoelectronics and Wireless communications. To access courses offered by Knowledge Master, Inc. or to review other partners, visit the Education Partners Program Web site.History Center Adds 75 New Oral Histories to Web Site 19 December – The IEEE History Center has added 75 new oral histories to its online archive. The oral histories are organized into nine different collections and include interviews with Gordon Moore, the developer of Moore’s law and co-founder of Intel Corporation, Robert Noyce, one of the inventors of the integrated circuit and Wilson Greatbatch, who helped develop the implanted, cardiac pacemaker. All oral histories are in PDF format and include an abstract and an index. View the list of collections; or view the alphabetical listing. IEEE Foundation Seeking 2007 Grant Applications 19 December – The IEEE Foundation is seeking grant applications for 2007 projects in accordance with its mission to improve the technological literacy of society from childhood through adulthood. During 2007, unsolicited applications will be accepted in three cycles from IEEE units and other organizations working in areas of relevance and importance to the IEEE and its membership. Projects should achieve one or more of the following objectives:
♦
Improve primary and secondary science,
technology, and math learning Application deadlines:
To learn more about the IEEE Foundation’s grant guidelines, and to submit an online application, visit the IEEE Foundation Web site. IEEE Communications Society to Launch Certification Program 7 December – The IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc) has selected New York-based Professional Examination Service (PES) to develop a certification program for engineers working in communications technology. ComSoc is planning to roll out the first certification, in wireless cellular technology, late in 2007. When fully developed, the program will comprise a number of certifications in various areas of communications technology. During program development, PES will collaborate with a broad cross-section of stakeholders, including practicing engineers from small and large companies worldwide, to conduct an extensive analysis of the knowledge and skills required by engineering professionals in wireless cellular communications technology. Following the analysis of practice, PES will conduct item and examination development workshops and a standard-setting study with representative groups of stakeholders, as well as provide consultative services to keep ComSoc informed of new trends and technologies in certification assessment. To read The Institute story, click here. For additional information contact Jack Howell at j.howell@ieee.org. Thomas Bartlett Named First Eric Herz IEEE Outstanding Staff Member Award Recipient 7 December – Thomas W. Bartlett, a retired former associate general manager for finance, for the IEEE, was presented with the first IEEE Eric Herz Outstanding Staff Member Award at a luncheon at the November Meeting Series. During part of his 47 year career, Tom held the highest financial position at the IEEE, reporting to the chief IEEE staff person. The award, established last year, is presented by the IEEE volunteers to a present or past full-time staff member in recognition of outstanding contributions to the organization. Tom was honored for developing and implementing financial management systems that contributed uniquely to the growth and achievements of the IEEE during his career. The longest-serving employee in the history of the IEEE, Tom also played an integral role in the merger of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) and Institute of Radio Engineers which formed the IEEE in 1963. 6 December – InQuestra Learning and IEEE have recently partnered to offer business and systems analysis-related courses to IEEE members at a discount. InQuestra Learning provides a 16 hour, online Business Systems Analyst Certificate program. A private company incorporated in 2003, InQuestra Learning has issued more than 3,000 Business Systems Analysis Certificates to qualified learners to date. All of the company’s online courses are professionally designed and developed by industry experts, focus on skills development and include hands-on labs, email support, and study guides to enhance each student’s self-paced learning experience. For more information, to access courses by InQuestra Learning or to review a list of other partners, visit the Education Partners Program Web site. Name Change for Expert Now IEEE 6 December – The name of Expert Now IEEE, a continuing education resource for technical professionals presented in hour-long learning courses, has been changed to IEEE Expert Now. References to this product in all presentations and other materials should be changed. 5 December – Dr. Thomas Kailath, a respected leader in digital signal processing and systems theory, has been named the recipient of the 2007 IEEE Medal of Honor for “exceptional development of powerful algorithms in the fields of communications, computing, control and signal processing.” Some of Kailath’s most recent research has influenced modern work in semiconductor manufacturing and wireless communications. Kailath, a professor of engineering at Stanford University, will be presented with the award at the annual IEEE Honors Ceremony in June 2007. The award is sponsored by the IEEE Foundation. For a full listing of 2007 IEEE Medal recipients and other honorees, visit the IEEE Awards Web page. To read the full press release, click here. Milestone Dedication in Israel Recognizes One of the World's First Electronic Computers 5 December – The IEEE dedicated an IEEE Milestone in Electrical Engineering for one of the world's first electronic computers. The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, built the Weizmann Automatic Computer (WEIZAC) during 1954-1955 with the scientific vision of Chaim Pekeris and the engineering leadership of Gerald Estrin. To read the full story in The Institute, click here. IEEE Alters Its Standards Patent Policy to Provide Fuller Disclosure on Licensing 4 December –The IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) has approved a change in its patent policy effective 30 April 2007 that provides for the optional advance disclosure of ”not to exceed” licensing terms associated with patents that might be included in its standards. The change is intended to make the IEEE standards-setting process more transparent. IEEE-SA has also submitted a request to the U.S. Department of Justice for a business review letter confirming the Department’s guidance on the antitrust aspects of the new policy. Read the full press release. IEEE Standards Association Recognizes Motorola with 2006 Corporate Award 4 December – IEEE-SA has selected Motorola, Inc. as the recipient of the 2006 IEEE Standards Association Corporate Award in recognition for its “outstanding contributions to IEEE standards, which allow people to be mobile and connected across the globe.” Motorola has been a leader in the creation of several IEEE standards including the family of IEEE 802™ wireless standards and battery standards. Read the full press release. |
