Focus on Careers: Three upcoming programs explore career issues for the 90's - The Dallas and Fort Worth Sections will be sponsoring three programs in May and June focusing on career issues for professional engineers.
Ten Tips for More Productive Networking
White House Acts on Pension Portability and Retirement Security - IEEE-USA Chairman Joel Snyder was invited by the White House to attend a press conference on April 11 and sit with administration officials as a representative of the engineering community, whose interests in improving pension portability and savings options are widely recognized
Section Activities UTA wins again at Region Meeting; Section awards at Regional Science Fair
Brainbuster
Humor
Feedback - Please take a few minutes to tell us what you think
May 2 Supercordless - A DCT Low Tier PCS System
May 15 Consultants Networking Meeting
May 18 Consultants' Workshop
May 21 Anateur Radio Satellites
June 22 Career Transitions Workshop
June 24 ICC '96: Career Focus Series
Focus on Careers
The Dallas and Fort Worth Sections will be sponsoring three programs in May and June focusing on career issues for professional engineers. Two are free of charge to IEEE members, so mark your calendars and plan to attend any or all. Refer to Calendar of Events for locations and times.
This workshop, sponsored by the Fort Worth Consultants' Network and the newly formed Dallas Consultants' Network will address the network needs for both the beginning consultant and the experienced sage. Not to be missed, this workshop will address:
Fee for the workshop is $30 and includes lunch and workshop proceedings. Reserve by Monday, May 13 by contacting Bob Krause, 292-6639 or b.krause@ieee.org.
This 6-hour workshop is designed to help individuals identify some of the obstacles that prevent them from taking charge of their careers in turbulent times. It also helps them to discover possibilities for growth and opportunities that may already be present in a career or organizational change. Helpful for all engineers, managers and their spouses. No charge for members (or their spouses). $25 for non-members. For additional information, contact LeEarl Bryant, 214-699-1649.
The IEEE-USA Career Equality Committee is offering an engineering Career Focus Series in conjunction with the ICC'96 conference in Dallas. Series organizer LeEarl Ann Bryant has recruited members of various IEEE-USA committees, including Employment Assistance and Consultants' Networks to participate, as well as company representatives from Texas Instruments, Aerospace Corporation and Dallas Semiconductor. This series is being offered free of charge. Topics include:
Corporate Showcase: Texas Instruments
Career Equality Focus
Engineering compensation and Advancement
Resources for Engineers and Consultants
by Bob Krause, Chairman, Consultants' Network
IEEE-USA Chairman Joel Snyder was invited by the White House to attend a press conference on April 11 and sit with administration officials as a representative of the engineering community, whose interests in improving pension portability and savings options are widely recognized. President Clinton announced at the conference that he would seek Congressional approval of a package of retirement savings proposals, dubbed the Retirement Savings and Security Act, which are designed to expand pensions, increase portability, and enhance protections.
In a brief conversation with President Clinton following the press conference, Snyder expressed appreciation for this effort on behalf of the nearly quarter million IEEE U.S. members and told the President that the proposal "was a major step forward to improving retirement security for all Americans in general and our members in particular."
Millions of Americans do not have adequate retirement savings and are worried about their retirement and being a burden on their children. The President's Retirement Savings and Security Act would empower more Americans to save for their retirement by expanding pension coverage, portability and protections.
New Small Business 401(k) Plan -- To Expand Pension Coverage:
Expanded IRAs -- to Increase Pension Coverage and Portability.
Increases Pension Portability.
Enhances Pension Protection and Security.
Prevents Pension Raiding.
While addressing 401(k)'s, IRA's and other defined contribution plans, the proposal does not attempt to improve the portability of defined benefit plans, a goal also advocated by IEEE's United States Activities Board. Administration officials have expressed concerns with defined benefit portability because of fears that workers would spend their lump sum pension distributions during career transitions and would end up with little more than Social Security when they retire.
The next step for the White House is securing legislative sponsors to introduce the Retirement Savings and Security Act in the House and Senate. Then comes the long and tenuous process of moving the bill through a Congress whose attention is increasingly focused on the November Elections.
Copies of the President Clinton's remarks and a 20-page summary of the proposed Retirement Savings and Security Act are available from the IEEE-USA office. Send your request along with a mailing address to the attention of Sharon Richardson by fax to 202-785-0017 or email to s.richardson@ ieee.org. F
Student Paper Contest: Preston P. Young, from UTA, placed third in the Region 5 Student Paper Contest in Kansas City with his paper, "Fabrication of Non-Uniform Waveguide Gratings."
Student Design Contest: Ken Tautz and Chris Redland from UTA placed third in the Region Student Design Contest.
Congratulations to all of these outstanding students! F
The Section participated in the Fort Worth Regional Science Fair by providing special awards for projects in IEEE related to fields.
Winners in Division I (High School) were:
Winners Division II (Junior High):
Fill in the nine squares below with the numbers 1 to 9, using only one of each, so that the sum of any three numbers added horizontally, vertically, or diagonally is 15.
Answer to last month's Brainbuster:
Archeologist finds coin dated 44 BC. How does she know it's fake? -How does anyone in 44 BC know that the year was 44 BC?
The new Lab Director had a transition meeting with his predecessor. "Take these three envelopes. When you find yourself in difficulty, open one."
Within two months, the moral at the Lab was rather low, so the new Director opened the first envelope. It said "Blame me." The new Director prepared a press release. "The Lab's current problems are the result of the previous administration's policies. Better times are ahead." It seemed to do the trick...for awhile. In a year's time there was a crisis, so the director opened the second envelope: "Re-organize". He prepared a new organization chart and everyone went to work putting it in place. And the crisis passed.
Inevitably, there was another low point. The Director opened the third envelope: It said, "Prepare three envelopes." F
Please take a few minutes to give us a little feedback. Feel free to climb on your soapbox and tell us what you think - what we should be doing and what we shouldn't be doing. Comments, complaints, suggestions, criticisms - we'll take them all. Send your responses to j.eason@ieee.org. Thanks for participating.
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MAY Supercordless - A DCT Low-Tier PCS System Communications Chapter
2
Thur, 6 pm Dick Hayter, Ericsson Inc.
Supercordless(TM) is a high user density, complete wireless
telecommunications system, incorporating all components of a system -
from the PSTN to the handset. Designed for the low-tier PCS market, it
uses DCT technology in the licensed and unlicensed 1.9GHz band. Dick
Hayter, Director of Supercordless at Ericsson, will follow-up on our
meeting from last month (PCS overview), with a presentation of this
system. His talk will include roaming, modulation techniques, range,
access technology, call capacity, and the primary rate interface (PRI)
with the switch.
Motorola Adv. Messaging Systems Div., Longhorn Conference Room. Exit
Beach St. North from I-820 North loop. First left North of I-820 and
Beach intersection. Enter at south entrance (behind Luby's).
MAY Networking Meeting Consultants' Network
15
Wed, 6:30 pm Networking is one of the key elements in making a consulting practice
successful. This month, the Consultants' Network is taking the
opportunity to have randomly selected audience members present their
consulting specialties. Please come prepared to present a five-minute
summary of the services and/or products you sell, your top two
marketing strategies, and how the Consultants' Network has helped or
can help your consulting practice.
Ben E. Keith Hospitality Room, Beers Distribution Plant, 7001 Will
Rogers Blvd. Exit I-35W South at Alta Mesa.
MAY Consultants' Workshop Consultants' Network
18
Sat, 8:30 am The full-day workshop will address the network needs for both the
beginning consultant and the experienced sage, relevant issues of how
to get started, contracts, marketing concepts, consulting resources on
the Web, liability insurance, fee setting and an interactive session on
networking. $30 registration fee covers lunch and workshop
proceedings. Reservations by May 13 to Bob Krause, 292-6639 or
<b.krause@ ieee.org>. See p. 1 for additional info.
UTA Nedderman Hall. Cooper and Border Streets in Arlington.
MAY Amateur Radio Satellites Computer Chapter
21
Tues, 6:30 pm Keith D. Pugh, AMSAT
Computers have played an important role in the development and
operation of all Orbiting Satellites Carrying Amateur Radio (OSCARs),
including the Russian RS (Radio Sputnik) series. Satellite "tracking"
and telemetry software help maintain these flying mailboxes, which
provide the opportunity to communicate with every square inch of the
Earth at least twice a day. This program will provide an overview of
all aspects of AMSAT, including Phase 3D currently under construction
in fourteen countries. Keith Pugh is an RF Systems Engineer for
Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems. He has held his operator's
license since 1953.
TCU, Sid Richardson Bldg., Lecture Hall #2. On Bowie, east of
University Dr. (one block north of Berry St.), south of I-30.
JUNE Career Transitions Workshop IEEE-USA Career Equality Cmte
22
Sat, 9 am This 6-hour workshop is designed to help individuals identify some of
the obstacles that prevent them from taking charge of their careers in
turbulent times. It also helps them to discover possibilities for
growth and opportunities that may already be present in a career or
organizational change. Helpful for all engineers, managers and their
spouses. No charge for members (or their spouses). $25 for
non-members. See p. 1 for additional info.
UTA Nedderman Hall, Rm. 202. Cooper and Border Streets in Arlington.
JUNE ICC '96: Career Focus Series IEEE-USA Career Equality Cmte
24
Mon, 8:30 am Series organizer LeEarl Ann Bryant has recruited members of various
IEEE-USA committees, including Employment Assistance and Consultants'
Networks to participate, as well as company representatives from Texas
Instruments, Aerospace Corporation and Dallas Semiconductor. This
series is being offered free of charge. See p. 1.
Dallas Convention Center.