IEEE USA News
 IEEE-USA
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Greg Hill, Member & Electronic Communications Coordinator
g.hill@ieee.org, 202-785-0017, ext. 8335 www.ieeeusa.org
 
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U.S. IEEE MEMBERS ELECT PRESIDENT, 2004; MEMBER-AT-LARGE, 2003-2004
 
The results of the IEEE's 2002 annual election have been tallied, and U.S.
IEEE members have elected John W. Steadman to serve as IEEE-USA President
in 2004. Steadman, head of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the
University of Wyoming, is a Senior Member of the IEEE and currently serves
on the IEEE-USA Board of Directors as vice president for Career Activities.
Steadman will assume the role of president-elect on 01 January 2003, and
will work with 2003 President James V. Leonard and current President LeEarl
A. Bryant.
 
The IEEE's U.S. members also selected former IEEE-USA President Merrill W.
Buckley, Jr. to serve as IEEE-USA Member-at-Large, 2003-2004. Buckley, who
served as IEEE-USA president in 2000, is an IEEE Fellow with a history of
dedicated service and leadership at all levels of the Institute.
 
Congratulations and good luck to our new officers!
 
For more information, and complete results of the IEEE annual election,
please visit: https://www.ieee.org/organizations/corporate/candidates.htm
 
Please note that these election results, as tallied by the IEEE Tellers
Committee on 7 November 2002, are unofficial until the IEEE Board of
Directors accepts the Report of the IEEE Tellers Committee at its 16-17
November meeting. This year, there were no Constitutional Amendments, and
there were two survey questions. The number of ballots mailed was 249,352.
The number of valid ballots returned was 39,059, a return rate of 15.66
percent.

 

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IEEE-USA-Supported Cyber Security Research and Development Act Clears Final
Congressional Hurdle and Goes to the President
 
WASHINGTON (15 November 2002) ? The Cyber Security Research and
Development Act (H.R. 3394), which IEEE-USA has supported since its
introduction, passed the lame-duck House of Representatives by unanimous
consent Tuesday and will be sent to the President for his signature.
 
"IEEE-USA is pleased to see this bill pass," IEEE-USA President LeEarl
Bryant said. "It will put some of our nation's best and brightest minds to
work protecting against cyber terrorism. We also see advantages for
commerce and personal privacy."
 
The five-year, $902.85 million bill is designed to address the nation's
extraordinary vulnerability to attacks upon computer systems and networks,
and the critical national infrastructures that rely upon them (e.g., air
traffic control, financial transactions, water systems and electricity
grids). It will create new research and education programs at the National
Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) to ensure that the United States is better prepared to
prevent and combat electronic terrorist attacks.
 
"Homeland security is the be-all and end-all of why we're back in
session right now," said House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert
(R-NY), who introduced the bill last December with colleagues from both
parties. "The nation could be brought to its knees, and we've got to
protect against that."
 
Research Subcommittee Chairman Nick Smith (R-MI) told the press
gathering of a recent electronic attack that crippled 13 computer servers
that manage Internet traffic.
 
"While this hour-long attack went nearly unnoticed by routine computer
users, a longer attack could cripple communication, infrastructure
operations and even national security efforts," Smith said. "We cannot
allow attacks like this to happen again."
 
The proposed legislation is designed to promote more innovative
research in cyber security and to attract more senior researchers and
students into the field. This will help address the inadequate protection
current technology offers, and provide more research and development into
better security for computer systems and networks that protect critical
aspects of daily life.

 

 
IEEE-USA ASSEMBLY ANNOUNCES ELECTION RESULTS
 
The following decisions were made at the IEEE-USA Board of Directors
Meeting in Itasca, Illinois on 13 November 2002:
 
CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE:
 
2004 IEEE-USA President-Elect:
 
Gerard Alphonse
Jean Eason
 
2004-2005 IEEE-USA Member-at-Large:
 
Gary Johnson
Lee Stogner
 
APPOINTMENTS:
 
2003-2004 IEEE-USA N&A Committee:
 
John Reinert
Bob Adams
Michael Garretson, alternate
 
The IEEE-USA Assembly also met on 13 November, in conjunction with the
IEEE-USA Board of Directors annual meeting, and elected the following
officers:
 
2003 IEEE-USA Vice President, Career Activities: Gregg Vaughn
2003 IEEE-USA Vice President, Member Activities: Gary Blank
2003 IEEE-USA Vice President, Professional Activities: Loretta Arellano
2003 IEEE-USA Vice President, Technology Policy Activities: Ralph Wyndrum
2003 IEEE-USA Secretary/Treasurer: David Green
 
Please join in congratulating our new officers and wishing them well in
their upcoming terms!

 

 
IEEE-USA-Supported Bill to Strengthen NSF Clears Senate
 
WASHINGTON (25 November 2002) - The National Science Foundation
Authorization Act of 2002 (H.R. 4664), which IEEE-USA has supported since
its introduction in May, cleared the Senate on 14 November and heads to the
President for his signature.
 
The House Science Committee bill, introduced by Nick Smith (R?Mich.)
and bipartisan cosponsors, authorizes a 15 percent annual increase for the
National Science Foundation (NSF) in FY 2003-2005. This puts the NSF budget
on track to double by FY 2007 to $9,839,262,000.
 
"NSF funds cutting-edge research in engineering and computing that are
of tremendous value and interest to U.S. IEEE members, and ultimately
beneficial to all Americans," IEEE-USA President LeEarl Bryant said. "These
funds will help maintain a viable U.S. technology workforce, which is
critical to our nation's economic competitiveness and security."
 
Other highlights of H.R. 4664 include authorization of the President's
Math and Science Education Partnership Program in elementary and secondary
schools; new research into plant biotechnology; and the Tech Talent program
to address the decline in the technical workforce and to improve
undergraduate math and science education.
 
"These programs will help NSF address new challenges, including
information technology, nanotechnology and homeland security, and could
help offset the recent declines in Defense Department support for
electrical and electronics-related research at universities," IEEE-USA Vice
President for Technology Policy Ralph W. Wyndrum said.
 
Research Subcommittee Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas)
praised the bill. "This is truly an historic piece of legislation for
science policy in the United States that will have profound and lasting
effect on the future prosperity of our nation," she said.
 
An independent agency established by the National Science Foundation
Act of 1950 to advance scientific and engineering progress in the United
States, NSF is the government's premier research agency. It supports 46
percent of the basic research in engineering performed at universities and
colleges, and helps train more than 25,000 graduate students each year.
 
"Scientific research at NSF has advanced science and technology and
greatly enhanced our lives," Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) said. "Investment
in the sciences is an investment in our future."

 

  "IEEE-USA's Year 2002 in Review"
 
"Building Careers & Shaping Policy: IEEE-USA's Year 2002 in Review,"
 
1. "National Engineers Week: Tomorrow's Engineers Making History Today"
2. "Victory in FESTO Supreme Court Case"
3. "Congressional Visits Day Brings Focused Message to Capitol Hill"
4. "IEEE-USA Endorses Senate Bills on Homeland Security"
5. "Congressional Fellows Play Important Role as Advisers to Congressional
Lawmakers"
6. "Broadband Deployment Workshop Draws International Attention"
7. "Strengthening Ties Between Engineers and the Media"
8. "Summer Interns Focus on Today's Tough Tech Policy Issues"
 
The spread will also appear in the December 2002 IEEE SPECTRUM. And the
document will be included on the IEEE-USA website at <https://ieeeusa.org>
in the near future.
 
This product is supported by IEEE-USA's Communications Committee and, with
a combination of e-zines (such as IEEE-USA TODAY) webzines (such as
IEEE-USA TODAY'S ENGINEER) and print publications (such as IEEE-USA NEWS &
VIEWS), complements our multifaceted U.S. IEEE member communications
efforts.
IEEE_1001_YIR_MagSpread4rev
 
 
E-Week 2003 Kits Now Available
 
WASHINGTON (27 November 2002) - Planning kits for National Engineers
Week 2003 (16-22 February) are now available from IEEE-USA and the E-Week
Website.
 
The kit will guide you on conducting E-Week activities in your area.
It includes 50 ways you can participate in E-Week, a planning calendar,
publicity program, E-Week poster and a product catalog and order form.
 
The Discover "E" program provides information for engineers who visit
classrooms to help improve student interest in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics. Information is also included on Introduce a
Girl to Engineering Day and the Future City Competition, which IEEE-USA
introduced to National Engineers Week in 1993.
 
To request your kit, contact Helen Hall at 202-785-0017, ext. 8354 or
h.hall@ieee.org. You can also get one by visiting
https://shop.eweek.org/eweek/ and clicking "Promotional Materials."
 
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  Updated 11/27/02