by Paul Kostek, Air Direct Solutions
How can you make performance reviews work for you when your manager is too busy to spend time discussing your future?
Performance reviews are yours; as such, you need to be proactive.
ACTION ALERT: TELL CONGRESS TO ADDRESS ELECTRIC RELIABILITY IN ENERGY LEGISLATION - IEEE-USA has issued a legislative action alert calling on IEEE members to contact their Representative and Senators and ask them to urge members of the conference committee on the Securing America's Future Energy Act of 2001 (H.R.4) to support inclusion of the Senate's electric reliability provisions. The Senate bill, passed in April, includes legislative language calling for the creation of a self-regulating reliability organization, the North American Electric Reliability Organization (NAERO), which would build on the successful voluntary industry-created North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC). Such an organization would have the authority to set and enforce standards for quality and reliability throughout the entire North American Electric Grid, including the elements that lie within Canada and Mexico.
IEEE-USA WORKSHOP TO EXAMINE US NATIONAL POLICY FOR ACCELERATING BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT - IEEE-USA will host an 18-19 June session at the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C., to explore ways of including Gigabit Ethernet over Fiber (GEF), along with other broadband technologies, in the coming national policy debate. Bill St. Arnaud, of Canada's CANARIE project, will headline the event, addressing the evolution of GEF in Canada.
IEEE-USA OPPOSES GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL ERODING MEDICAL PRIVACY - In a 25 April letter to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights, IEEE-USA President LeEarl A. Bryant expressed IEEE-USA's concerns over potential unintended consequences that could result from a proposed rule modification that would allow health care providers to share confidential medical records without patient consent in order to accelerate efficient record sharing.
IEEE-USA PLACES MASS MEDIA FELLOW AT POPULAR SCIENCE - IEEE-USA has placed its third fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science's (AAAS) Science and Engineering Mass Media Fellows Program. Robert Barnett, an IEEE student member who completes his Masters in electrical engineering at Clemson University this year, will spend 10 weeks this summer in New York City at media giant Popular Science, the world's largest science and technology magazine. The AAAS program is designed to strengthen connections among scientists, engineers and journalists by placing advanced science and engineering students in newsrooms across the country. Fellows work as reporters, researchers and production assistants in mass media organizations nationwide, collaborating with media professionals to enhance coverage of science- and engineering-related issues. Barnett, who also received his B.S. in electrical engineering from Clemson, formerly served as managing editor of the university's newspaper THE TIGER. His unique blend of engineering and editorial experience makes him particularly well suited for the job.
SEVEN IEEE STUDENT MEMBERS SELECTED FOR WASHINGTON INTERNSHIPS - On 28 May, seven IEEE Student Members will begin summer internships in Washington as part of the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) program. The IEEE is directly sponsoring four of the 14 engineering students selected to spend 10 weeks in Washington, D.C., learning how engineers can influence public policy on complex technological issues.
IEEE 802.15.1 STANDARD APPROVED - The IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Standards Board has approved the IEEE Standard 802.15.1(R), "Wireless MAC and PHY Specifications for Wireless Personal Area Networks," adapted from portions of the Bluetooth(TM) wireless specification. "The new standard gives the Bluetooth spec greater validity and support in the market and is an additional resource for those who implement Bluetooth devices," says Ian Gifford, Vice Chair of the IEEE 802.15 Working Group.
TEST DATES FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATION EXAM - IEEE Computer Society will offer its Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP) examination now through 30 June and again from 5 to 26 Oct. The 3.5-hour exam covers topics such as software design, requirements and testing. The new CSDP credential is intended for mid-level professionals. Candidates are required to have a baccalaureate or equivalent university degree and a minimum of 9,000 hours of experience in at least six of 11 knowledge areas. The exam will be offered at more than 300 testing centers in the United States and Canada, as well as in Brazil, China, Hungary, India, Ireland, Japan and Russia.
IEEE SOCIETIES INVEST $550,000 IN PRESERVING HISTORY - The IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics (LEOS) and Circuits and Systems (CASS) Societies are the latest IEEE Societies participating in the $1 Million Society Challenge. Issued in 1998 by the IEEE Foundation, the challenge offers a one-to-one match of all IEEE Society gifts to the Endowment of the IEEE History Center fund through 2005. With the addition of the $30,000 gift from LEOS and the $5,000 gift from CASS, a total of $550,000 has been given by IEEE Societies and matched by the IEEE Foundation.
THE IEEE NJ HEADQUARTERS EARNS ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD - The Piscataway Environmental Commission presented the IEEE with the Corporate Environmental Excellence Award for "continued commitment to the environment in Piscataway." The commission cited the IEEE's participation in the city's Clean Streets program and its commitment to maintaining and upgrading the Operations Center property and landscaping.
Jean Eason, Editor