IEEE Sections Congress 2014: Inspiring Our Leaders of Tomorrow

Amsterdam, The Netherlands; August 22-24, 2014

Primary Delegate Report by

Jacquelyn D. N. Cunningham, Primary Delegate for the IEEE Columbia Section

Thank you, IEEE Columbia Section, for the opportunity to serve as your Primary Delegate. (Pictured above with IEEE Region 3 Primary Delegates and leadership. I’m on the bottom row, in the purple top.) This was my first IEEE Sections Congress. The experience has allowed me to view the operations of IEEE at its global height and to gather information from all available IEEE resources to bring many benefits to the Columbia Section.

 

The IEEE Sections Congress 2014 (SC2014) was held August 22-24, 2014 in the RAI Convention Centre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The SC2014 theme was “Inspiring Our Leaders of Tomorrow,” and the agenda was quite aggressive! So, new this year, all Congress participants used a mobile app to design their schedule in advance, view speaker and exhibit information. On arrival, participants used the app to interact via social media, connect with attendees, post images, and meet-up with presenters. This was very exciting! Participants also used the app to locate meeting rooms, take advantage of newly announced opportunities, leave/pick-up Congress messages, and meet new friends and colleagues.

 

 

The mobile app was also used by Primary Delegates to vote on the top five of thirty-four (34) recommendations for IEEE’s efforts going forward. These top recommendations were the following:

 

  1. Include free access to IEEE Digital Library as a member benefit. Promote other IEEE services and products based on their usage and preferences (adopt Google Business Model).

Recommendation 1 update as of January 2017 (PDF, 78 KB)

  1. Develop an incentive and recognition program for companies that invest in full or partial support of their employees’ IEEE membership dues.

Recommendation 2 update as of November 2016 (PDF, 127 KB)

  1. Introduce loyalty rewards such as publication access, conference fees, standards for continued membership.

Recommendation 3 update as of November 2015 (PDF, 135 KB)

  1. Provide a tool to build, promote, record, host and broadcast technical events at the local level and make them available to IEEE members.

Recommendation 4 update as of November 2016 (PDF, 87 KB)

  1. Enhance vTools for better usability by volunteers and provide a training program to the Sections.

Recommendation 5 update as of November 2016 (PDF, 116 KB)

 

The Exhibit Hall hosted more than 40 exhibitors as well as Poster Sessions and Projects by students. Exhibitors included 41 IEEE units such as the Foundation, Education Activities Board, MGA, Meetings & Conventions, and Benefits as well as vendors.

Attendees had opportunities to attend numerous presentations, IGNITE Sessions, Breakout Sessions, Learning Labs, and their respective Regional Meeting.

The below sessions regarding “Enhancing Member Satisfaction” were offered and I attended Sessions #1, #2, #3, #4, #7, #8, and #10.

  1. Advancing Career Resources for Me
    mbers – McCorkle, Grayson (PDF, 5.9 MB)
  2. Attracting and Retaining New Members – Wan, Perez (PDF, 2.2 MB)
  3. Building Technical Communities – Hebner, Lerendegui, Ward-Callan (PDF, 3.7 MB)
  4. Embracing Young Professionals – Wong, Worboys, Milicevic (PDF, 4 MB)
  5. Engaging Students and Student Activities – Paserba, Schmid (PDF, 2.7 MB)
  6. Engaging with the Practitioner – Mintzer, Coughlin (PDF, 2.3 MB)
  7. IEEE-wide Opportunities for Continuing and Professional Education – Kam, Fujii (PDF, 2.1 MB)
  8. Improving IEEE Engagement in Industry – Cox, Hua, Kennedy (PDF, 713 KB)
  9. Member Grade Elevation and Member Recognition – Papomichalis, Martinez (PDF, 470 KB)
  10. The IEEE Professional Productivity and Collaboration Tool (PPCT) – Ford, Setti, Day (PDF, 3.2 MB)

The below sessions regarding “Improving Volunteer Experience” were offered and I attended Sessions #1, #2, #4, #5, and #6.

The below sessions for reaching beyond the Section were offered and I attended Sessions #1, #5, #6, #7, and #8.

  1. Conducting Conferences – Here, There, and Everywhere – Moses, Debono, Root (PDF, 2.8 MB)
  2. Developing your Networking Skills – Blank, Young (PDF, 2.2 MB)
  3. EPICS in IEEE and TISP – Two Key Programs that Impact Your Local Community and Pre-University Educators – Ramesh, Pelham (PDF, 1.6 MB)
  4. Ethics as a Global Concern – Kalasky (PDF, 312 KB)
  5. Getting Speakers for Your Section – Joffe, Luiken (PDF, 824 KB)
  6. Humanitarian Efforts – Navarro, Kulkarni, Schneider Brown (PDF, 2.3 MB)
  7. Importance of Standards for Industry Practitioners – Kraemer, Bartleson, Handal (PDF, 3.6 MB)
  8. Partnering with Other Professional Societies – Wong, Lloyd (PDF, 967 KB)
  9. SMART Cities – Engaging Technologies and Communities – Betis, Larios, Tonti (PDF, 10.2 MB)

 

There were 36 Learning Labs and I attended labs#3, #18, #26, and #27.

  1. A Section Leader’s Guide to Understanding IEEE-HKN, the IEEE Student Honor Society – Ramesh (PDF, 1.1 MB)
  2. Engaging Life Members Locally – Cruz, Kemp (PDF, 580 KB)
  3. Explore How Your Section Can Participate in Engineering Education Accreditation Activities – Kam (PDF, 3.1 MB)
  4. Google Apps – Lehotzky
  5. ICAP – Conformity Assessment for IEEE Standards – Green (PDF, 970 KB)
  6. IEEE and the Life Sciences – Hudson (PDF, 425 KB)
  7. IEEE Awards Program – Terman (PDF, 1 MB)
  8. IEEE Center for Leadership Excellence – Almuhtadi, Sen, Zajc (PDF, 292 KB)
  9. IEEE Conference Exchange (ICX) – Goodwin (PDF, 1.7 MB)
  10. IEEE Foundation: Transforming Lives through the Power of Technology and Education – Jamieson
  11. IEEE Technology Navigator – Flescher
  12. Importance of Standards Education and Section Engagement Opportunities – Irvine
  13. Introduction to IEEE Web Hosting – Luu
  14. Nominate Someone from Your Section: IEEE Educational Activities Board Awards –
    Ramesh (PDF, 658 KB)
  15. On-line IEEE Educational Activities Board Resources and Portals – Irvine
  16. Professional Productivity and Collaboration Tool: Networks and Research – Martinez, Melley, Schwartz
  17. Resume Lab – McCorkle
  18. Section Vitality Dashboard
  19. Senior Member Application – Martinez
  20. Solve for X: Engaging IEEE to Accelerate Progress on Technology Moonshots – Hecht, Ahira, Glass
  21. Special Interest Groups on Humanitarian Tech
  22. nology (SIGHT) How To’s – Schneider Brown
  23. Standards: Consensus-building in Action – Ingredients for Running Succes
  24. sful Meetings to Reach Consensus – McCabe
  25. The New Young Professionals Affinity Group: How to Create a Vibrant and Engaged Community of Young Professionals – Pranlal (PDF, 876 KB)
  26. The Role of Standards in Economic Development in Developing Countries – Kraemer, Chandra (PDF, 1.6 MB)
  27. Tools for Section Chapter Recording and Distribution – Walz
  28. Use IEEE eLearning Library Tutorials in Your Section or Chapter Meeting – Kam (PDF, 1.5 MB)
  29. Use the IEEE Certificates Program for Your Next Section or Chapter Event – Kam (PDF, 1.5 MB)
  30. Using Webex Effectively – Khusid
  31. eNotice – Gargiula
  32. Meetings – Gargiula
  33. Officer Reporting – Khusid
  34. Surveys – Luu
  35. Voting
  36. Word Press – Luu

Most exciting of all were the highly intriguing, informative, narrowly focused, 5-minute IGNITE presentations. Participants cheered for their favorite presenters (some of whom wore costumes), wore “convention gadgets” and rarely surrendered their seats. These sessions covered a variety of topics. I participated in most of these!

  1. Conferences for the Practitioner – Moses (PDF, 7 MB)
  2. Engaging with Members and the Community – Toland (PDF, 2 MB)
  3. Engaging with Mid-Career Professionals – Trelewicz (PDF, 7 MB)
  4. Engaging with Other Organizations – Mozar (PDF, 6 MB)
  5. Engaging with Social Media – Jacob (PDF, 455 KB)
  6. Engaging with Young Professionals – Worboys (PDF, 4 MB)
  7. Enhancing Technical Know-How and Education Through the Distinguished Lecturer Program – Gupta (PDF, 2 MB)
  8. Expanding SSCS Globally – A Chapter’s Success Story (New to Best Chapter in 20 Months) – Kumar (PDF, 1 MB)
  9. From Small Steps to Large Leaps: Pilot Projects with Solve for X – Hecht (PDF, 7 MB)
  10. Getting Your News into The Institute – Pretz (PDF, 2 MB)
  11. How Global Standards Change the World – Bartleson (PDF, 4 MB)
  12. How to Use Conferences to Build Communities – Lightner (PDF, 2.3 MB)
  13. IAS – An Outreach Success Story – Lloyd (PDF, 1.8 MB)
  14. IEEE Center for Leadership Excellence – Sen (PDF, 14.2 MB)
  15. IEEE Consultants Network – Blank (PDF, 1.9 MB)
  16. IEEE Day – Akar (PDF, 1.1 MB)
  17. IEEE Digital Library – Dahl (PDF, 2.3 MB)
  18. IEEE Women in Engineering – Patel (PDF, 4.3 MB)
  19. IEEEXtreme – World’s Biggest 24hr Programming Competition – AlSheikh (PDF, 7.1 MB)
  20. Investing in Innovation – IEEE Foundation Grants Program – Feisel (PDF, 602 KB)
  21. Membership Recruitment at Conferences – Meier (PDF, 3.8 MB)
  22. New IEEE Author Workshops Introduced in 2014 – Dahl (PDF, 854 KB)
  23. Out with the GOLD and in with the New Young Professionals – Vice (PDF, 14.4 MB)
  24. Power and Energy Society (PES) Chapters – Armstrong (PDF, 1.9 MB)
  25. Section/Chapter Sponsored Conferences – Panda (PDF, 5.4 MB)
  26. Solve for X Technology Moonshots – Glass (PDF, 31.2 MB)
  27. TAB/MGA Collaborations – Kumar (PDF, 872 KB)
  28. Technical Society Chapters are the Heartbeat of IEEE – Ligthart (PDF, 1.8 MB)
  29. 22 Technologies Shaping the World in 2022 – Walz (PDF, 1.5 MB)
  30. vTools Introduction – Gargiula (PDF, 3.4 MB)
  31. Women in Engineering Focus in Technical Activities – Cooper (PDF, 1.8 MB)

Finally, Sections Congress key addresses included renown innovators and thought leaders such as the recognition of IEEE 2014 Medal of Honor award recipient Dr. Jayant Baliga.

Read more about Dr. Baliga at https://www.ece.ncsu.edu/people/bjbaliga