R5 May Newsletter
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The Region 5 Community Connector Newsletter Promoting activities, information, and news to the membership |
May 2024
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Membership Contacts: |
Hunter J Boudreaux – East Area Chair
Prasenjit Shil– North Area Chair
Joe Redfield– South Area Chair
Faye Kann– West Area Chair
R5 EXCOM Roster can be viewed here: https://rosters.ieee.org/home.html
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R5 Director’s Corner |
Dear IEEE Region 5 Members, April has been a busy month, and kicked off with the IEEE Region 5 annual meeting and student competitions. Our region committee had the honor of hosting volunteers and students from our 27 sections and 100 student branches across the Southwest for a weekend of learning, sharing and growing as professionals. This year was extremely special as on the 140th anniversary of IEEE, I had the unique opportunity to host all of these fantastic people in my professional home for over 25 years, the IEEE Ozark Section. Our special guests supported our theme of One IEEE including Thomas Coughlin (IEEE President) Kathy Herring Hayashi (IEEE Region 6 Director), Sonya Dillard (IEEE REGION 3 Director Elect) and Ed Palacio (IEEE-USA past president ). We handed out awards to very deserving sections and volunteers, and of course a major highlight was awarding our college teams who competed in Robotics, Ethics, Circuit Design, Pitch/Presentations and the new Cyber competition!
Many of us then departed for Washington DC, where Region 5 brought over 30 attendees to Congressional Visits Day. We were part of the record breaking 160+ that attended from all over the US, and had the chance to visit congress and talk about the importance of STEM workforce development, continued support for the CHIPS+ and Science Act, and the impact of technology in our communities.
As we move into May, we have many exciting events ongoing, including our Education Week programming covering topics from AI in design automation to Cybersecurity. We had a fantastic first IEEE-USA IWRC Energy Summit at GreenTech 24 – and in June we are excited to be working with IWRC-Dakotas, another ground breaking opportunity for industry, academia, government and more to connect and work on the greatest challenges of the 21st century – from Workforce to Research translation.
Finally, I’d like to take an opportunity to thank all the volunteers that make IEEE work. As you can see from our awards just in R5, we have a diverse set of volunteers – at all ages and levels of experience. Have you thought about serving? Reach out to your section – all IEEE volunteers can be found through https://rosters.ieee.org.
And its not just our sections and the Region that need volunteers – for example MGA, our parent organization, is taking applications for volunteers to serve on our international organizing committee through August 1: https://mga.ieee.org/board-committees/available-mga-positions
Thank you all for being part of our IEEE community, and doing your part to advance technology for humanity.
Matt Francis, PhD IEEE Director, Region 5
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R5 2024 Committee |
- Treasurer: William L WylieBillwylie@ieee.org
- Audit Committee Chair, 4th Year: Silke Spiesshoefer (East) Silke_Spiesshoefer@ieee.org
- Audit Committee, 3rd Year: Ernest X Njouondo (South) njouondo@ieee.org
- Audit Committee, 2nd Year: Patterson, Tristan Hunter (West) tristanpatterson10@hotmail.com
- Audit Committee, 1st Year: Bett, Italo (North) Italo.bett@ieee.org
| Innovation Challenge |
American-Made Challenges Prize | National Renewable Energy Laboratory: $1.85 Million DOE Digitizing Utilities Prize Round 2 Currently Open for Submissions
Electric utilities are searching for new, innovative ways to challenge traditional methods of data acquisition, use, and storage—could your big idea be the solution? The Digitizing Utilities Prize, launched by U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity, is back for Round 2 with $1.85 million in cash prizes available to competitors! With support from the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, Round 2 competitors can also choose to address cybersecurity threats and risks with demonstrated improvements in risk identification, analysis, prediction, or proactive response. Interested applicants are encouraged to follow the prize on HeroX to stay up to date on all prize information. The prize will be closing submissions on May 7th, so be sure to get your submissions in as soon as possible!
Point of contact: Alec Schulberg Alec.Schulberg@nrel.gov
| Spotlights |
On April 6, 2024, IEEE Region 5 recognized the achievements of members, Sections, Student Branches, and companies at the R5 Annual Meeting Banquet in Springdale, Arkansas.
Congratulations to our award winners!
Outstanding Small Section (<500): The Ozark Section
Outstanding Large Student Branch (>50): University of Texas at Dallas
Outstanding Large Company (>500): The Boeing Company of Oklahoma City
Jim Leonard Outstanding Member: Eugene Freeman
Outstanding Engineering Educator: Chunjiang (CJ) Qian
Outstanding Student: Matt Rao, University of North Texas
John Meredith Lifetime Achievement: Diane Bowen Collier
Outstanding Young Professional: Evan Glover
Outstanding Individual Achievement: Mark Hunter, Eric Meier, Art Depoian II, Alan Washburn
Director’s Awards:
For Hosting the AMA Series in 2023: Joe Redfield
For Hosting the 2023 RazorHack Challenge: Fortinet
For Hosting Over 40 Events in 2023: IEEE Local Group – Elkins Electronics Robotics Club
For Hosting the Region 5 Fall Executive Committee Meeting: The Lone Star Section and Southwest Research Institute For Hosting the Region 5 Winter Executive Committee
Director Emeritus Awards: Bob Becnel, John Reiner, Francis Grosz
| Community Outreach |
Project Self-Sufficiency (PSS)
Project Self-Sufficiency (PSS) evolved from the efforts of a countywide task force in 1985 to coordinate and expand services for low-income, single-parent families. One of the most promising pathways out of poverty includes access to higher education. Today, our local programs are offered to 105 families concurrently. PSS breaks new ground with single-parent families to access their self-power. PSS provides educational and career empowerment through 1:1 coaching, goal reinforcement, and significant support helping single parents cut through the stress and barriers to their success to self-power their completely new life.
PSS receives donated laptops & computers from banks, hospitals, and local commercial businesses. We refurbish those donations for participants’ academic use by installing current Windows operating systems, and applications and performing performance testing.
Volunteering at PSS is an excellent way to give back to your local community. For Members and Student Members, the commitment would be about 4 hours a week,
Right now, there is an immediate need in the Weld and Larimer County area of Northern Colorado, but there may also be a need in your immediate area.
If you live in the Northern Colorado area and are interested in volunteering,
please contact: Diane Glessner, Project Self Sufficiency, IT volunteer dianelee.glessner@gmail.com
| Membership Development |
Have you renewed your IEEE membership for 2024?
It is easy to forget and easy to put off. If you haven’t renewed your IEEE membership, or don’t know if you have, go to your IEEE account NOW. Go to www.ieee.org, Sign in, select your name, and then select Membership and Subscription Information OR call 800 678-4333. As a note, although Life Members have no dues, you do need to confirm your membership annually.
OR just renew now to avoid loss of any of your IEEE benefits at www.ieee.org/renew .
If you have already renewed, thank you for being part of the IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional association. We have a lot planned for you in 2024
IEEE Member Benefits
Have you looked at all the benefits you receive as an IEEE member?
IEEE has specific benefits tailored to your specific carrier phase. Are you taking advantage of all that IEEE has to offer for you? If you’re like me, you probably know of a few benefits and are taking advantage of them but are possibly missing out on others.
The latest IEEE member Benefits Bulletin is available. Go to:
IEEE Member Benefits for the latest on
- authoring through IEEE Collabratech,
- member discounts on insurance, UPS shipping, computer purchases, and Wiley-IEEE Press,
- Continuing educational opportunities through online learning and eBbooks. IEEE members have access to over 380 eBooks at no charge. See the current offering at https://www.ieee.org/publications/books/ebookclassics.html
Did you know about IEEE – IEEE Collabratec
IEEE has created an online tool to assist IEEE Members AND non-members in career development.
The IEEE Collabratec™ online community offers a suite of productivity tools and is available to technology professionals around the world with exclusive features for IEEE members. Plus sign up is free to everyone.
IEEE Collabratec™ can help you:
- Connect with global technology professionals by location and
- Access robust networking, collaboration, and authoring tools dedicated to technology professionals
- Establish a professional identity to showcase key accomplishments
You do NOT have to be an IEEE member to join IEEE Collabratech.
For more information, please contact: Ian MacMillan / Region 5 Membership Development Chair / i.d.macmillan@ieee.org
| R5 Conferences, Webinars and Professional Activities |
Region 5 Upcoming Conference List Now Available
Have you ever wondered what IEEE technical conferences are coming to your local vicinity? Have you ever wanted to get engaged as a volunteer with an IEEE technical conference in your local vicinity? Well, we now may have an easy way for you to find the answer. The Region 5 website now has a page listing upcoming conferences across Region 5. It also provides links to the conference websites where you can get further information about the conference and contact information if you are interested in getting involved with the conference organizing committee or work as a volunteer during the conference. The conferences being held within the Region 5 geographical area are listed at https://r5.ieee.org/upcoming/. There is also a link on the page to a downloadable Excel file listing the conferences that you can access and filter and sort to your heart’s content.
IEEE International Conference on Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems May 12-14 2024
The conference, scheduled to take place on May 12-14, 2024 in St. Louis: https://icps2024.ieee-ies.org/, which will bring together experts and researchers from academia and industry to exchange ideas and discuss the latest advancements in Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems.
The IEEE Denver Section is hosting the International Conference on Communications (ICC) which for 2024 which will take place in Denver Colorado (June 9-13, 2024). ICC is one of the two IEEE ComSoc flagship conferences attracting a large number of contributors and attendants. This year’s conference hosted 2000 attendees in Rome at ICC 2023
We invite you to submit a business, paper, workshop, tutorial proposal for consideration. See the attached Call for Papers (CFP) document. CFPs for symposium, workshops and tutorials require technical papers that will be published in IEEE xPlore digital library. Industry presentations, panels and workshops (not requiring publishing papers) will be solicited in the weeks ahead.
Given the convergence of computing and communication in our industry, we hope you will consider this opportunity and spread the word to your colleagues. Access conference Weblinks: Symposium Workshops Tutorials
For any question, please contact Tim Weil – General Co-Chair – ICC 2024 (Denver)720.656.9572 (m) | 240.337-1305 (f)
| R5 Sections and Formation Date |
| Section | Date | |
| 1 | Arkansas River Valley | June 20, 1994 |
| 2 | Arkansas | April 23, 1947 |
| 3 | Baton Rouge | February 5, 1955 |
| 4 | Beaumont | June 27, 1945 |
| 5 | Central Texas | May 23, 1930 |
| 6 | Corpus Christi | October 25, 1951 |
| 7 | Dallas | March 18, 1928 |
| 8 | Denver | May 18, 1915 |
| 9 | El Paso | March 7, 1940 |
| 10 | Fort Worth | January 5, 1956 |
| 11 | Galveston Bay | January 1, 1980 |
| 12 | High Plains | February 13, 2010 |
| 13 | Houston | August 7, 1928 |
| 14 | Kansas City | April 4, 1916 |
| 15 | Lafayette | November 11, 1970 |
| 16 | Lone Star | November 23, 2019 |
| 17 | New Orleans | December 8, 1933 |
| 18 | Oklahoma City | February 16, 1922 |
| 19 | Ozark | April 20, 1966 |
| 20 | Panhandle | June 12, 1947 |
| 21 | Pikes Peak | May 22, 1978 |
| 22 | Saint Louis | January 14, 1903 |
| 23 | Shreveport | January 14, 1903 |
| 24 | South Plains | May 4, 1955 |
| 25 | Southwest Missouri | February 14, 2009 |
| 26 | Tulsa | October 1, 1937 |
| 27 | Wichita | September 16, 1937 |
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IEEE USA News |
IEEE-USA IWRC brings the CHIPS Act to South Dakota 11 June with key sponsor Air Force Research Network- Midwest!
The 2024 IEEE-USA IWRC (Innovation, Workforce, and Research) Conference brings together industry leaders, academics, and government representatives to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and practical, market-ready applications. During this one-day summit, experts from the Dakotas and across the country will delve into topics such as research grants, technology transfer programs, start-up funding, and intellectual property. The 11 June event aims to inspire and empower true innovation in the Dakotas and Midwest. Don’t miss the pre-conference evening reception held the night before – tickets are available now at https://iwrc.ieeeusa.org/dakotas/.
For more information, please contact: Melissa R. Carl IEEE-USA Director, Business Development, Career and Member Services m.carl@ieee.org
Set sail with IEEE-USA to Alaska – 9-16 September 2024!
After the tremendous success of the inaugural 2023 Cruise, IEEE-USA is thrilled to announce we’ll be setting sail for a second time 9-16 September 2024. This time guests can expect to enjoy brisk, clean air and breathtaking scenery alongside the incredible line-up of speakers and networking opportunities while journeying to the Alaskan Frontier!
IEEE-USA will be hosting a 7-night Alaska Cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas. We will disembark from Seattle, WA, with stops at four beautiful ports along the way and two days at sea. Plus, if you’ve never seen the Northern Lights, this may well be your chance as we are cruising during “Aurora Season”.
With stops in Alaskan towns Sitka, Skagway and Juneau, guests can get a front-row seat to snow-capped mountains and awe-inspiring glaciers, while also taking in the history, cuisine, indigenous culture, and wildlife that this region has to offer. The last stop will be in Victoria, British Columbia – Conde Nast’s #1 City in the World – one last chance to collect memories of whistling orcas, treasured totems, maritime sights and histories.
Book your stateroom now: https://cruise.ieeeusa.org
For more information please contact: Leah Laird IEEE-USA Sr Marketing & Communications Specialist P: 202.785.0017 x8328
Wanted: Licensed volunteers to help with IEEE-USA and Region 5 Pilot for a PE Refresher
Region 5 is going to pilot a PE Refresher Pilot for IEEE-USA . We have the opportunity to design and implement an exciting new and promising pilot for a program that IEEE-USA (Career and Professional Development ) and the MGA YP Committee are jointly creating.
As part of the pilot, a few subjects will be introduced to members that sign up. These subjects are, tentatively, DC/AC Circuit Analysis, Mathematics, Ethics, Economics and Power. At this time, we have an open call for an instructor in these areas to help with preparing a 2 hour webex on one of the preferred topics by creating some summary material and problems on the topic. The instructor will present the material on one evening and then be available to answer questions on the problems. We are looking to recruit the team in September and start enrolling in October. I will have an informational session in mid September with those that respond to this call. Instructors should not be concurrently supporting NCEES on any exam writing efforts. Instructors should be licensed within the US.
In addition we would be looking for a project manager that is passionate about licensing to help manage the project and expand it beyond the pilot.
This is a pilot, so the purpose is to fine tune the program and collect feedback. The informational session will help clarify format a little bit more. However you may call me at 314-941-7641 or email at bob.becnel@ieee.org.
We are still pursuing a MOVE vehicle that will be based in Region 5, most likely in DFW. GOOD NEWS – At the IEEE Board Series, a proposal was put forward for funding the third truck, it was approved. We are on a path for the third truck. Most likely late spring to early summer to have it ready, so it will be ready for the 2024 hurricane season. With that news, we badly need the suite of volunteers that support the truck. We are very short on drivers right now. We have had to turn down some deployments due to the lack of qualified/certified drivers. But, the initial need is volunteers that can be trained to do the needed truck maintenance, does not require being certified to drive the truck. If you are at all interested, please contact me. If you are interested, take a look at the MOVE web site, click on “volunteer” and enter your information. Or, contact Gerry Ourada, gourada@ieee.org for assistance or questions.
The trucks are primarily focused on supporting disasters across the US in coordination with the American Red Cross. The trucks are also used for various STEM events. There are many opportunities to volunteer, truck drivers/operators, radio team, truck maintenance team, weather team, STEM volunteer, media coordination, etc
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MGA News |
MGA Outstanding Section Awards – DEADLINE 15 MAY 2024
Each year, the MGA Outstanding Section Awards are presented to one large, one medium, and one small Section (across all Regions), to recognize their excellent work and successful efforts in fulfilling the educational and scientific goals of IEEE for the benefit of the public. The recipient Sections are acknowledged for maintaining, enhancing, and supporting the Student Branches, Technical Chapters, and Affinity Groups within their geographic boundaries.
Three awards are presented as follows:
• Large Section = 1,501 or more members (including Students) as of 31 December of the prior year
• Medium Section = 501-1,500 members (including Students) as of 31 December of the prior year
• Small Section = 500 or fewer members (including Students) as of 31 December of the prior year
CLICK HERE to nominate your Section for the MGA Outstanding Large, Medium, or Small Section Award
For Tips on Writing Successful Nominations CLICK HERE
Friend of IEEE MGA Awards
These awards are designed to specifically recognize support provided to IEEE and its members by firms, divisions of firms, or individuals (non-members). Nominators can submit individuals or organizations for a Friend Award at the supporting or sustaining level. Nominations for this award can be submitted at any time during the year.
To learn more about the Friend of IEEE MGA Awards CLICK HERE
For questions about MGA Awards Program, contact mga-awards@ieee.org
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Frequent Links |