|
|
|
|
IEEE Washington Section |
|
Serving members in the District of Columbia and part of Maryland since 1903 |
|
e S C A N N E R
Calendar Index › Welcome Technical Societies and Affinity Groups L I N K S |
Chair's Welcome Message Strengthening Our Foundation for the Next 125 YearsComing on the heels of a successful 2009 during which we celebrated the 125th anniversary of the IEEE, I would like to continue the momentum by taking lessons from the past and applying them to plan for a better future for the Washington Section. It is my utmost honor and privilege to serve as the 2010 Section Chair. During my tenure, with your help and support, I am confident that we can make a difference and strengthen our section's foundation by providing a fertile ground for ideas and innovations. I joined IEEE as a student member 18 years ago and have found the experience rewarding every step of the way. From my undergraduate years as an EE major to my graduate student years as a systems engineering and field robotics major, IEEE helped me connect with my peers and has offered unparalleled networking opportunities, all the while keeping me abreast of the latest developments in my field. Within the Washington Section, I served as treasurer and vice chair in the preceding years and had an opportunity to better understand our strengths and the areas where we can improve. I also served as the founding chair of the joint Robotics and Automation Society chapter for two and a half years, which again allowed me to appreciate the value of working closely together to foster collaboration. This year I am fortunate to have the support and counsel of Harry Sauberman (Vice Chair), Dr. Mary Tobin (Treasurer), Monica Taysing-Lara (Secretary), and the following Directors: Dr. Paul Cotae, James Christian, Gerard Christman, Roger Hardwicke, Dr. Guru Madhavan, Tom Starai, and Tim Weil. I would also like to acknowledge the support of Region 2 officers: Bill Walsh (Director), Gerard Christman (South Area Chair), and Murty Polavarapu (Employment & Career Activities Coordinator). I intend to work closely with the region and section officers and directors by drawing upon their wisdom and the experiences they have gained in their many leadership roles over the years. Fiscal responsibility and innovative ways to improve the Section's finances will be an area where I will focus my energy in order to ensure the quality and diversity of sponsored activities. Towards this, I will actively seek funding from various programs within IEEE by highlighting the successes we have had in the past, and how those play a vital role in shaping the section's outreach and paving the way to a better future. It is my hope that our section's success stories and innovative ideas will serve as a model, not only within Region 2, but among the other 324 local sections in 10 geographic regions. The Washington Section supports many programs that are beneficial to members and the community by raising awareness and informing the public of the important role engineers and scientists play in improving the quality of life. It has been a central tenet of the section that our actions and activities benefit budding engineers by offering them the needed guidance and mentorship so that they can go on to serve their communities with professionalism and ethically strong values. Our student branches and the Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) chapter are two equally important and effective means of realizing this goal. I will work with advisors, mentors and officers of colleges and universities to provide any requested support. Some of the prominent programs that the section has been an integral part of include the Future City Competition, the annual robotics speedway competition, the poster contests sponsored by the IEEE foundation and PACE, and high school science fairs, to name a few. The Section recognizes the invaluable efforts and service of its volunteers and officers via various awards and by nominating outstanding individuals for external awards such as DCCEAS Engineer of the Year. I plan to work closely with other professional organizations to benefit our IEEE members in the Washington metropolitan area. The Washington Academy of Sciences (WAS) is one organization with whom our section has had a long standing association. The section supports the academy's Science & Technology Aptitude Recognition in Schools (STARS) program by providing both financial support and lending technical expertise as judges. WAS and its affiliated societies will host the biennial Capital Science conference at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, VA in March. The Washington Section has actively participated in this conference in the past and CapSci 2010 promises to be an apt venue to share the exceptional research that is being carried by our members. Interested presenters can expand their CapSci presentations to a technical article both for inclusion in the conference proceedings and the WAS journal. As the 2010 associate editor for engineering for the WAS journal, I strongly encourage you to consider submitting articles for publication. On a related note, the inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival will provide a unique opportunity to showcase the section's depth and breadth of sponsored programs. I will work with Region 2, IEEE-USA, and the IEEE Foundation to ensure that our section contributes to the success of this festival. Please attend our Administrative Committee meetings on the first Tuesday of every month at the American Association for Advancement of Science. I also urge you to write articles for the Scanner newsletter on interesting advancements and notable happenings, and to consider offering to give a talk to the technical society chapter appropriate to your field(s) of interest. See the eScanner for a roster of chapter officers, upcoming meeting dates, and other information. The Washington and Northern Virginia sections not only share members geographically but have closely worked together on many areas of common interest. In fact, many of the technical societies have joint chapters, and our officer training, awards banquet, and other social events take place in a shared fashion. It is only symbiotic that we continue collaborating to bring interesting and useful events to the members. In this regard, I am looking forward to working with my counterpart in the Northern Virginia Section, Barry Tilton, and extend the same invitation to other members, as well as section and chapter officers. In these uncertain economic times and with many thinking twice before renewing their IEEE membership, it is important that we provide services and networking opportunities that offer a helping hand to members in need, while solidifying our strong foundation and being proactive in consolidating future opportunities. I encourage you to share your suggestions and thoughts on how the section can be useful to you and its other members by dropping me a note (see below). I wish you a happy and prosperous 2010 and am very much looking forward to working with you. Rad Madhavan, Ph.D. |
|
1/10/10 | |
|
Send changes to Tim Weil at trweil@ieee.org or Elsie Grant at ncac-scanner@ieee.org. |
|