NEWS from IEEE-USA
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Upcoming IEEE Smart Tech Workshops to Focus on Technology & Careers

WASHINGTON (24 September 2011) — Three upcoming IEEE Smart Tech Metro Area Workshops will feature emerging technologies and career guidance for practicing engineers and technology professionals.

Two-day workshops are scheduled for:

* 28-29 September in Santa Clara, Calif.
http://www.ieee.org/membership_services/membership/smart_tech/mga_maw_santaclara.html
 
* 19-20 October in White Plains, N.Y.
http://www.ieee.org/membership_services/membership/smart_tech/mga_maw_nynj.html

* 2-3 November in Baltimore, Md.
http://www.ieee.org/membership_services/membership/smart_tech/mga_maw_baltimore.html

Each event’s content is based on technologies in demand in those areas of the country and provide an opportunity for participants to learn firsthand from field experts. Some of the highlighted content includes:

* Wireless communications engineering
* Introduction to Smart Grid
* Introduction to Cybersecurity
* Software engineering essentials
* Embedded systems: mobile app development
* Electric vehicle engineering
* Biotechnology
* Medical device technology
* Web 3.0
* Intellectual property
* Consulting
* Career assistance

To see what specific topics are going to be covered at each workshop and who the keynote speakers are, click on the links above.

The cost for the workshops is $129 for IEEE members and $179 for nonmembers, if you register before early bird rates expire. After that, it’s $159 for members and $209 for nonmembers. Your registration includes two days of instruction, CEUs, networking opportunities, breakfast and lunch both days, and a Friday evening reception with light dinner and keynote speaker.

Workshop content provided by local practitioners, the IEEE Computer Society, IEEE Communications Society, IEEE Power & Energy Society and IEEE-USA.

For more information on the IEEE Smart Tech Metro Area Workshops Series, go to http://www.ieee.org/membership_services/mga_maw.html.

IEEE is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. IEEE and its members inspire a global community through IEEE’s highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities. www.ieee.org.

IEEE-USA Commends Texas Congressman for Introducing Pro-Growth Immigration Bill

WASHINGTON (18 September 2012) — IEEE-USA commends Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) for introducing a legal immigration reform bill today designed to promote innovation and job creation in high-tech manufacturing and services industries.

The STEM Jobs Act would provide up to 55,000 permanent employment-based (EB) visas each year to international students earning advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering and math from America’s top research universities. It also includes labor certification requirements for employers intended to safeguard job opportunities, wages and working conditions for U.S. and foreign workers.

“Enabling these graduates to become fully participating citizens will have a significant impact on our economy and create jobs,” said Keith Grzelak, IEEE-USA vice president for government relations. “America is ready to put their skills, education and ideas to work here rather than for an overseas competitor.”

IEEE-USA has long advocated for an increase in the number of EB visas available to skilled foreign STEM workers and a streamlining of the immigrant admissions process to make these visas the preferred path to citizenship. http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/positions/Immigration1110.pdf. The STEM Jobs Act  accomplishes both objectives by eliminating the outdated diversity lottery program and freeing up its 55,000 green cards for use by STEM professionals.

“We could boost economic growth and spur job creation by allowing American employers to more easily hire some of the most qualified foreign graduates of U.S. universities,” said Smith, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, in a statement. “These students have the ability to start a company that creates jobs or come up with an invention that could jump-start a whole new industry.”

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) is the only original Democratic cosponsor of the bill.

“The STEM Jobs Act ensures that America can retain those we educate and enables us to compete on a global scale with those in STEM-related industries to create more opportunity and innovation for our nation’s future,” Cuellar said.  

For Smith’s news release announcing the legislation, see http://lamarsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=308860. For the entire bill, go to http://judiciary.house.gov/issues/STEM/STEM%20Jobs%20Act.pdf.

IEEE Green Technologies Conference Seeks Papers on Current & Emerging Renewable Energy Sources & Energy-Reduction Technologies

WASHINGTON (18 September 2012) — IEEE Green Technologies Conference (GREENTECH 2013) organizers are seeking technical papers on topics related to current and emerging renewable energy sources and energy-reduction technologies.

Accepted papers will be presented during the fifth-annual conference (http://ieeegreentech.org/), 4-5 April 2013, at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center. They will also be published in a conference proceedings CD and available through the digital library IEEE Xplore.

Contributed papers, particularly in the following areas, are solicited:

* Energy Transmission, Distribution & Efficiency — Smart- and micro-grids, usage-based distribution, e.g. offices & homes; novel energy efficient devices, systems & operations; life-cycle efficiency & optimizations, e.g. buildings, transportation, logistics (supply chain), products & services

* Energy Generation & Storage — Renewable, low to zero emissions, e.g. biomass, wind, solar, fuel cells, ultra clean fuels, alternative fuels (thorium/nuclear); distributed, local/co- and poly-generation storage systems

* Management & Control — Sensors, monitoring, control, security, fail-safe & ad-hoc networks/communications, frameworks & architectures, context-based management; process & systems simulation

* Policies: Environmental, Legal, Social, Economic & Political Impacts — Emerging standards for renewable & reduced carbon emission energy sources & safety; technologies for developed & underdeveloped countries

PAPER SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

All papers (maximum of 8 pages) must be submitted in IEEE-approved format through https://www.easychair.org/account/signin.cgi?conf=greentech13 by 15 November. Submissions must describe original work not previously published or currently under review for publication in another conference or journal. For more information, see http://sites.ieee.org/greentech2013/conference-program/call-for-papers/.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

GREENTECH 2013 is designed to address the challenge of securing clean, green energy sources for the 21st century. The development and application of innovative clean and alternate energy sources will require the cooperative effort from many disciplines of engineering, science, architecture and policy. The event will showcase recent advances, emerging approaches, technical solutions and novel services and deployments.
 
For an article on the 2012 conference, see http://www.todaysengineer.org/2012/May/Green.asp.

GREENTECH 2013 is sponsored by IEEE Region 5, the Denver Section and IEEE-USA. To become a patron or exhibitor, see http://sites.ieee.org/greentech2013/files/2012/08/IEEE-GREENTECH-2013-Patrons-Brochure.pdf

IEEE/IEEE-USA Seek Nominations for 2013 ‘New Faces of Engineering’ Recognition for Engineers under 30 and College Students

WASHINGTON (10 September 2012) — Nominations are now open for IEEE members to be recognized as the IEEE/IEEE-USA’s 2013 New Face of Engineering. One program is for engineers under 30 and one for college students.

The Engineers Week (EWeek) “New Faces of Engineering” professional edition recognizes engineers new to the profession with outstanding educational and career accomplishments. It is open to IEEE members worldwide.

To be eligible, engineers must be 30 or younger as of 31 December 2012 and have a degree in engineering or computer engineering from a recognized U.S. college or equivalent international educational institution.

Judges will evaluate nominees based on their educational attainment, engineering achievements and participation and accomplishments in professional and technical society activities. Particular consideration is given to work (e.g. volunteering, publishing, conference presentations) in IEEE technical societies.
       
IEEE nominations should be directed to Sharon Richardson at s.richardson@ieee.org. Self-nominations are not permitted. The nomination form and more information are available at http://www.ieeeusa.org/communications/eweek/newfaces/default.asp.  

The nomination deadline is 19 October 2012.

The IEEE/IEEE-USA top choice will be featured during EWeek (17-23 February 2013) in a full-page ad in USA Today: http://www.eweek.org/Site/pdfs/USA_Today_Ad.pdf. Up to four others will be recognized on the EWeek Web site (www.eweek.org).

Dr. Jacquelyn K. Nagel, an assistant professor in the James Madison University School of Engineering, was the 2012 IEEE/IEEE-USA “New Face of Engineering.” She is conducting pioneering research in the use of biological systems as models for sensors, processes and instrumentation. Visit http://www.ieeeusa.org/communications/releases/2012/022812.asp.

College Edition Program

The “New Faces of Engineering College Edition” is for third-, fourth- and fifth-year IEEE student members enrolled in a bachelor of science engineering program at an ABET-accredited college or equivalent international institution, and have a minimum grade-point average of 3.0. The initiative is designed to recognize students whose academic success, contributions and experiences in engineering have them poised for future success.

The application will be available on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CollegeEdition starting 18 September. The IEEE/IEEE-USA winner will be featured on the page and receive a $500 scholarship.

Jeremy Blum was the first IEEE/IEEE-USA college edition winner. He is the founder and director of Cornell University Sustainable Design, an interdisciplinary 150-member team that pursues environmentally inspired design-build projects. See http://theinstitute.ieee.org/people/students/jeremy-blum-inspirational-engineering.

Sponsored by more than 100 engineering, science and education societies, as well as major corporations dedicated to increasing public awareness and appreciation of engineering, EWeek is celebrated annually by thousands of engineers, engineering students, teachers and leaders in government and business. IEEE served as lead society during EWeek 1993 and 2004, and will serve again in 2014.

Lockheed Martin and NCEES are EWeek 2013 co-chairs.

IEEE-USA advances the public good and promotes the careers and public policy interests of 210,000 engineering, computing and technology professionals who are U.S. members of IEEE.  

IEEE-USA Mini Golf Hole Wins Best Design Award

WASHINGTON (7 September 2012) — IEEE-USA’s miniature golf hole was honored for Best Design at the National Building Museum on Thursday.

“Hole in 1s and 0s,” part of the museum’s 12-hole mini golf course, was created by GrizForm Design Architects of Washington and built by Potomac Construction Services of Bethesda, Md. It was designed to represent the inside of a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet computer.

IEEE-USA President-Elect Marc Apter accepted the award from Chase Rynd, National Building Museum executive director, in a ceremony at the museum.

Rynd said the mini golf exhibition was a far greater success than he and museum staff anticipated. More than 27,000 people played a round from the day it opened on 4 July to its Monday closing. A new course will be open at the museum next Memorial Day through Labor Day.

To see FOX 5 coverage of “Hole in 1s and 0s,” go to http://www.myfoxdc.com/video?clipId=7506732&autoStart=true. (The IEEE-USA portion of begins at the 2:45 mark). For a feature story on the hole, see http://www.todaysengineer.org/2012/Aug/mini-golf.asp.

IEEE-USA chose to participate to help raise public awareness of engineering. A nearby description of the hole told museum visitors how its name calls to mind binary code, the phenomenon that all computer functions are governed by ones and zeroes. A QR code on the structure took players to http://www.ieeeusa.org/golf/, where they could find out more about engineering careers and schools, and how engineers create solutions to challenges we all face.

A jury of four was asked to rate each hole on a scale of 1 to 5 in three categories: design, fun factor and playability.

“Canal Park,” designed, built and sponsored by STUDIOS Architecture, OLIN, 3Form, Alliance Lighting, and Interface, won the Best in Show award, having received the highest overall score.

“Confluence,” designed, built and sponsored by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, won the People’s Choice award. This was based on players displaying their fondness for a specific hole through donations in the exhibition’s last gallery.

Also awarded Thursday:

Highest Fun Factor: “Piranesi’s Half Pipe”
Sponsor: Linder & Associates Event Architects
Designer and Builder: District Design
 
Most Playable: “Woods and Irons”
Sponsor: The JBG Companies
Designer: Landscape Architecture Bureau
Builder: Monarc Construction

Online Favorite: “Ball on the Mall”
Sponsor: Frank and Georgine Anton
Designer and Builder: E/L Studio

The Best in Show judges were:

Meg Bartow, senior vice president, Ogilvy Washington, and member of the National Building Museum Board of Trustees

Dennis  Carmichael, principal, ParkerRodriguez, and fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects

Robert Ivy, executive vice president and CEO of the American Institute of Architects

Tommy Wells, Washington, D.C., Council Member, Ward 6

IEEE-USA advances the public good and promotes the careers and public policy interests of 210,000 engineering, computing and technology professionals who are U.S. members of IEEE.