Recognizing Excellence- Nominating your deserving colleagues for their outstanding performance.
Preparing Outstanding Presentations, Part 5: The Summary-Making your final minutes count.
Call for Student Papers- Enter the 1997 graduate or undergraduate student paper competition.
Metrocon '97 - Mark your calendars for "Your Favorite Engineering Conference."
FYI: Micromachining - How to find out more about one of the latest industry "buzzwords."
Inside IEEE - IEEE Election Results, IEEE-USA Updates, Faraday Lectures, Ethics Hotline and "More than the Sum."
Section Activities -Anniversaries, Brainbuster
It is time once again to honor service to the community, to engineering
and technical careers, and to IEEE. The Section has several categories
of awards for which you can nominate deserving individuals. Consider
your colleagues as you review this list.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT - Recognition for contribution to the achievement of the IEEE Fort Worth Section and/or engineering progress through engineering efforts. In your nomination, include all work that has or will result in substantial improvements to the effectiveness of the section and/or engineering.
Previous recipients:
1994 Jean Eason
1996 Jeff Carrell
YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR - Recognition of an engineer 35 years of age or under for outstanding contributions in the leadership of technical society activities, leadership in the community and humanitarian activities, and evidence of technical competence through significant engineering achievements. The individual must be 35 or younger on January 1, 1997 and have been a member of the Fort Worth Section for at least one year. Factors for selection include:
Previous recipients:
1994 Brenda J. Pulis
1996 Nathan West
ENGINEER OF THE YEAR - Recognition for outstanding contributions in leadership of technical society activities, leadership in commu nity and humanitarian activities, and evidence of technical competence through significant engineering achievements. The candidates qualifications should exemplify a life long commitment to his/her profession and community. Factors for selection include:
Previous recipients:
1994 Robert Magnusson
1995 Frank J. Lewis
1996 Randal Moore
OUTSTANDING SERVICE - Recognition for an outstanding contribution to a Fort Worth Section committee or chapter. Candidate must be an IEEE member.
Previous recipients:
1994 Edward B. Worley
1995 Diane Collier
1996 Bob Krause
PROFESSIONALISM AWARD - Recognition for activities that uplift the public image of engineering. The engineer must have made outstanding contributions in the leadership of the community, humanitarian activities and/or technical society activities. To be eligible, the nominee must have been a member of the Fort Worth Section for four years. Factors to be considered include:
Previous recipients:
1994 Jean Eason
1995 Cecilia Menendez
Do any of these sound like someone you know? The awards committee
would very much appreciate your input. Send your nominations to
Diane Bowen Collier, 4406 Oak Knoll Ct., Arlington, TX. 76016,
or FAX 214-812-6820, or e-mail ustuivcv@ibmmail.com.
Provide the individual's name, address, and phone number (we have
to know how to contact them!); the award you are nominating them
for; and a description of why you feel they deserve the award.
There is no strict format, just basic information. Nominations
should be received by December 31, 1996.
Section Awards will be presented at Metrocon. For additional information
call Diane at (day) 214-812-8471 or (evenings) 817-572-0826.
by Cheryl Reimold, IEEE Professional Communications Society,
reprinted from PCS Newsletter
In this series, I have described a universal presentation structure
consisting of introduction, body, and summary. Part 3 and 4 discussed
the introduction and the body in detail. This time, we'll see
how to close the presentation with an effective summary.
Your summary simply is a restatement of your main message and your key points. If you can manage to add an interesting final thought or a "call to action," your closing will be even stronger. The whole thing should take no more than a minute. Here's an example:
In summary, every manager in this department should begin holding
weekly one-on-one meeting with his or her staff members. This
will reduce misunderstandings, increase morale, and create an
atmosphere of trust and real teamwork. I urge you to move on this
immediately so we can stem the tide of complaints, rumors, and
on-the-job conflicts. And now I'd be happy to answer any questions
you might have.
One of the most common problems in a presentation is running out
of time - either because you underestimated the length of your
speech or because your time allowance suddenly was shortened.
At this point, many speakers fly into a frenzy, rushing through
their remaining overheads - and almost always skipping the summary.
This is a big mistake. Don't ever omit the summary. Instead, be
prepared to shorten your presentation by condensing parts of the
body.
There are three very good reasons for always summarizing. First,
as I mentioned at the beginning of this series, there is a well
established rule of thumb: The audience takes in only about one-third
of what you say. So, if you want to make sure everybody has heard
your main points at least once, you need to state them three times
- and the summary is a natural place for the final repetition.
Second, you want to deliver the main message when the audience
is naturally most attentive - and that is at the beginning and
at the end of your presentation, as I explained in Part 2.
Third, you want to leave them with your main message still ringing
in their ears. Since the last thing you say is always freshest
in people's memory, you should make that last thing your main
message and not some minor part of the body.
I said earlier that the summary should take no more than a minute.
Many speakers violate this rule - and they pay for their mistake
with a loss of good will, even if their total time is right on
target.
The reason for the one-minute limit is simple: Mental exhaustion.
When you say the magical words "In conclusion" or "In
summary," the audience shifts into "high attention gear."
Unfortunately, they can maintain this high level only for a minute
or so; after that, they crash.
Think of them as sprinters going for the final 10-yard dash. You
can't suddenly move the finish line by 50 yards as they approach!
They'll either collapse or just stop and walk off the track, crying
foul. Your audience is just like that.
So, do summarize - but don't spoil your last impression by outstaying
your welcome!
Each year the Fort Worth Section sponsors a student paper contest
designed to provide students an opportunity to work on valuable
presentation skills. This contest is held in conjunction with
Metrocon and is open to undergraduate and graduate students members
of IEEE Student Branches within the Section.
Papers should be technical, but can relate to a hobby or interest.
Entries will be judged on written content including format (50%)
and oral presentation (50%). (Rules and contest guidelines available
through the Student Branches or from Diane Collier). Only the
finalists in the written competition will compete in the oral
presentation at Metrocon. Awards for Undergraduate and Graduate
divisions will be presented and winning entries will advance to
the Area competition. Printed copies of the papers will be made
available for Metrocon participants.
Prospective authors should submit five copies of their completed
paper by Friday, January 17, 1997 to Diane Bowen Collier, 4406
Oak Knoll Ct., Arlington, TX 76016-4512. If you have questions
call Diane at 214-812-8471 or E-mail ustuivcv@ibmmail.com.
Section members who would be interested in judging either the
oral or written portions of the Undergraduate or Graduate divisions
of the contest should contact Diane (see above). Your participation
is greatly appreciated.
Plan now to attend "Your Favorite Engineering Conference,"
METROCON '97 on Sat., Feb. 15. As always, Metrocon initiates the
Section's National Engineers Week activities. The '97 conference
will feature relevant technical and professional topics of interest
to local eletrotechnology professionals and students.
Five conference tracks: Communication, Aerospace, Power, Computer, and Professional Activities will include tutorials and one hour presentations on topics such as:
Metrocon will also provide the venue for the Section's annual
awards ceremony with presentations for Engineer of the Year, Young
Engineer of the Year, Outstanding Section member, Outstanding
Student member and Student Paper contest winners.
For additional information, visit the Section website at http://www.ieee.org/regional/section/fortworth.
Microsystem technology (MST), microelectromechnical systems (MEMS),
and micromachining is an emerging science based on the use of
silicon and other materials to fabricate small scale or microscopic
systems that traditionally would only have been seen on a macroscopic
scale. These systems typically see benefits in precision and integrated
circuit-like mass production.
Many fabrication techniques and design strategies have only been
developed in recent years. While information exchange is facilitated
through published papers, conferences and mailing lists, however
a Usenet newsgroup is proposed to allow people worldwide to participate
in discussion and exchange information, theories and ideas concurrently.
Check out sci.micromachining for discussion of all topics related to micromachining, microsystem technology, and microelectromechnical systems, including, but not limited to: