CAREER WEBINAR SERIES:  On 8 January, Dr. Michelle Tullier provided a presentation on solutions to common networking obstacles, as well as ways to expand your professional network and build powerful relationships.  The session is available for viewing in the IEEE-USA webinar archive.

CAREER WEBINAR SERIES:  On 15 January, career management consultants Ellen Sautter and Diane Crompton explored the world of online networking — including  social networking sites like LinkedIn, Ecademy and Ryze.  The session is available for viewing in the IEEE-USA webinar archive.

On Jan. 17, IEEE-USA and ASME organized a briefing moderated by IEEE-USA Past President John Meredith on New Nuclear Technology for the Congressional Research Caucus.  U.S. Representatives Judy Biggert and Rush Holt also delivered remarks.

On Jan. 22, IEEE-USA President Russ Lefevre meet with staff for the House Science and Techology Committee, its subcommittee on Environment, Technology and Standards and with the offices of U.S. Representatives Maria Cantwell (WA) and Mike Doyle (PA) to discuss implementation of federal innovation legislation.

In January, IEEE-USA President Russell Lefevre unveiled the President's Blog, a new communications initiative to help improve member awareness and engagement with IEEE-USA activities.

During January, IEEE-USA sponsored a student professional awareness conference at Virginia Polytechnic and State University (25 Jan.).

U.S. IEEE members joined hundreds of other engineers and scientists in the 2008 Science, Engineering & Technology Congressional Visits Day, on 4-5 March 2008, in Washington, D.C., to deliver the message that federally funded research secures the nation's future.

IEEE-USA staff supported IEEE PSPB participation in a March 20 public meeting by the National Institutes of Health soliciting input on implementation of NIH's Public Access mandate.

IEEE-USA will join with representatives of IEEE P1547, NEMA, NERC and the Gridwise Architecture Council on March 27 in a stake-holders meeting on national SmartGrid standards hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

During March, IEEE-USA sponsored student professional awareness conferences at University of Oklahoma (8 March), Brigham Young University (8 March), Louisiana Tech (11 March), Richard Stockton College (12 March), University of Toledo (13 March), University of Florida (18 March), Cleveland State University (26 March), George Mason University (26 March), Christian Brothers University (27 March), and California State University, Fresno (29 March).

The IEEE-USA Student Professional Awareness Committee (SPAC) held their second Student Awareness Professional Workshop (S-PAW) on 29 March 2008 at the Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge, LA.

In March, the IEEE-USA Precollege Education Committee held its fourth
90-minute workshops to introduce K-12 math and science teachers to
IEEE/IEEE-USA STEM education resources including the PEC Teacher
Reward/Grant Program, the IEEE-USA PEC Teacher-Engineer Partnership Award and IEEE lesson plans available on-line as part of the Teacher in Service Program (TISP). The workshop was held in conjunction with the JETS TEAMS Competition at the University of New Haven in New Haven, CT on 17 March.

Maryland Repeals Computer Services Tax: On April 6, the Maryland legislature repealed a state-wide tax on computer services before it could take effect.  IEEE-USA supported efforts by IEEE Maryland members to advocate in favor of the repeal, including testimony by IEEE Region 2 Director John Dentler before the Maryland House Ways and Means Committee.

IEEE-USA held its fifth annual Career Fly-In on 7-8 April 2008.  Participating U.S. IEEE members met with their representatives in Congress to discuss IEEE-USA-backed skilled immigration legislation and the state of the engineering workforce.

CAREER WEBINAR SERIES:  On 15 April, Marc Beebe, IEEE manager of Strategic Research and Planning, briefed participants on IEEE U.S. member demographics and preferences.

IEEE-USA was a primary sponsor of the IEEE Conference on RFID, which was held on 16-17 April in Las Vegas, Nevada.

IEEE-USA co-sponsored a congressional briefing on coal liquefaction R&D arranged for the Congressional R&D Caucus on 24 April 2008 on Capitol Hill.

IEEE-USA's Annual Meeting was held on 26-27 April 2008 in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Over 200 registrants representing all six U.S. regions and their sections participated in the conference, which focused on green engineering.

During March, IEEE-USA sponsored student professional awareness conferences at Valparaiso University (1Apr.), Texas Tech University (3 Apr.), Capitol College (4 Apr.), California State University, Long Beach (7 Apr.), University of Texas at Arlington (11 Apr.), Chico State University (11 Apr.), City College of NY - NYC (17 Apr.), University of Washington (17 Apr.), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (18 Apr.), The University of Missouri - Kansas City (18 Apr.), Arizona State University Polytechnic (18 Apr.), University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth (24 Apr.), California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (26 Apr.), and University of California, Irvine (28 Apr.)

At a special congressional reception, IEEE-USA joined with over a dozen other engineering societies in presenting a plaque to Chairman Bart Gordon and Ranking Member Ralph Hall recognizing the accomplishments of the House Committee on Science and Technology in celebration of its 50th Anniversary.

On May 10th, IEEE-USA - along with Scientists and Engineers for America (SEA), a coalition of engineering and scientific organizations - will host a Campaign Education Workshop to teach engineers and scientists how to run for public office.  This one day workshop to be held at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, will involve people from across the political and scientific spectrum.

IEEE-USA co-sponsored the IEEE Technologies for Homeland Security Conference, set for 12-13 May in Waltham, Massachusetts.

IEEE-USA President Russell Lefevre participated on a panel on "Attracting Professionals Into Aerospace Careers" at Inside Aerospace, n International Forum for Aviation and Space Leaders organized by AIAA on 13-14 May in Arlington, Virginia.

IEEE-USA's Entrepreneurs Committee will hold its first TechMatch Conference on 12 May in Minneapolis, MN in collaboration with LifeScience Alley and their MedTech investment conference. The TechMatch Conference will provide one-on-one meetings for entrepreneurs to meet with Chief Technology Officers, Venture Capitalists, and Angels.

On May 21, President Bush signed into law the the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), important legislation designed to protect against the misuse of genetic information. IEEE-USA joined with over 300 organizations comprising the Genetic Alliance to help encourage passage of this legislation.    more

During May, IEEE-USA sponsored student professional awareness conferences at Youngstown State University (1 May) and Devry University -Columbus (14 May).

On June 6, IEEE-USA President Russ Lefevre participated with leaders from thirteen other professional societies and labor organizations at a special meeting on "Strengthening Professionalism in the Public Interest" to discuss a proposed consensus statement on principles of professional integrity.

President Russ Lefevre participated on a panel on 'Electronics and Politics: What the Industry Needs from the Incoming U.S. Administration" at the IEEE Design Automation Conference (DAC) in Anaheim on June
10.

On June 12, IEEE Member Lee Colby (Santa Clara Section) testified on behalf of IEEE-USA before the House Judiciary Committee on Immigration in support of three permanent immigration reform bills introduced by subcommittee chair, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.).

CAREER WEBINAR SERIES:  On June 17, IEEE-USA offered a webinar on   Engineering the Art of Negotiation, a process-driven approach to negotiation and persuasion that you can use to keep projects on track and keep difficult people in check.

The IEEE-USA Board of Directors met on 20 June 2008 in Denver, Colorado.

In June,  IEEE-USA released two new E-Books. The first E-Book, Plug-In Hybrids: Electrification, Fuel Economy and the Environment, is part one of a three-part series from the IEEE-USA-sponsored symposium, "Plug-in Hybrids: Accelerating Progress 2007." The second E-Book, Survivor Planning: What Every Spouse Should Know, is a concise, step-by-step guide to compiling and organizing important personal information in advance of your or a family member's death.

In July, IEEE-USA Today's Engineer Digest, was awarded an 2008 APEX Award of Excellence for Most Improved Magapapers & Newspapers for its March 2007 issue, which debuted our new publication design for the print digest, which is distributed biannually to all IEEE U.S. members.

On July 17, IEEE-USA and the RFID Technology Council are presenting a congressional briefing on "Making Dollars and Senate:  U.S. RFID Companies, the Global Market and the U.S. Government."

On July 19, IEEE-USA is partnering with the Pittsburgh Section and the IEEE Power and Energy and Industry Applications Societies to offer "Career Survival for Engineers and Scientists in the 21st Century, a one day career management seminar in Pittsburgh. PA.

On July 23, 2008, IEEE-USA joined with 15 co-sponsoring organizations to host a congressional reception recognizing the House Diversity and Innovation (D&I) Caucus for their efforts to promote diversity in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

In July, IEEE-USA released "The Best of Backscatter fromIEEE-USA Today's Engineer," an e-book compilation from the Today's Engineer featuring essays by distinguished author, editor and engineer Donald Christiansen, who tackles issues with no pat solutions, such as education, communication, and the use of technology for human progress.  IEEE-USA also released "Plug-In Hybrids: Plug-In Vehicles and the Electric Grid," the second in a three-part series of e-books derived from IEEE-USA's 2007 PHEV Symposium.

 

IEEE-USA President Russell Lefevre and Managing Director Chris Brantley participated in the National Science and Technology Summit, convened by President Bush on 17-19 August 2008 at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

In August, IEEE-USA released "Engineering the Art of Negotiation — Part 1: How to Handle Your Boss", the first in a series of e-books demonstrating a practical approach to satisfying people's interests, including your own, through interest-based negotiation. In Part 1, internationally renowned negotiations consultant and trainer John G. Shulman shows you how you can get ahead in your organization and experience more career satisfaction by building a better relationship with your superior using the principles and practices of interest-based negotiation.
 

CAREER WEBINAR SERIES:  On Sept. 8, IEEE-USA held a webinar on "Engineering the Art of Negotiation" offering a process-driven approach to negotiation and persuasion designed to help keep projects on track and keep difficult people in check.

Former IEEE-USA President Ned Sauthoff, who is the director of the U.S. ITER Project, gave a congressional briefing on the "ITER Fusion Energy Experiment" on 28 Sept. 2008 on Capitol Hill.

IEEE-USA President Russ Lefevre, President-Elect Gordon and past President John Meredith, participated, along with a supporting volunteer/staff presence and the IEEE-USA booth at the 2008 IEEE Sections Congress (19-22 Sept.) to raise awareness of IEEE-USA programs and services.

IEEE-USA co-sponsored a 17 Sept. Congressional Briefing for the Robotics Caucus on the role of Robotics in Transportation.

IEEE-USA is co-sponsor of a National Science Foundation Congressional luncheon briefing, arranged for the Senate Commerce Committee on "Green Gasoline" and the potential for plant-derived gasoline, using renewable, non-food resources. 

IEEE-USA is a sponsor of GridWeek 2008 (23-25 Sept. 2008), a conference which brings together organizations focused on supporting Smart Grid development and it role in promoting energy independence and sustainability.

In September, IEEE-USA released "Plug-In Hybrids: New Technology Challenges & Opportunities; and The Need for Federal Action Now", the last in a 3-part e-book series derived from IEEE-USA's 2007 PHEV Symposium.
 

IEEE-USA co-sponsored the "Engineering Your Future" Conference held 3-5 October 2008 in Atlantic City, NJ. Hosted by the IEEE Women in Engineering and the Southern NJ Section, this year's conference featured workshops on: Teambuilding and Chair Yoga; How to Stay Cutting Edge; Outsourcing Engineering; Personality Types; Listening and Communicating Effectively; and How to Survive in a Changing Market Place and more.

IEEE-USA and its Medical Technology Policy Committee are sponsors of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's conference on "Accelerating Innovation in 21st Century Biosciences:  Identifying the Measurement Standards and Technological Challenges," which will be held on 19-22 Oct. at NIST in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

IEEE-USA President Russ Lefevre will address U.S. competitiveness and innovation policy as an featured speaker at “Innovation 2008: Renewing America Through Smarter Science & Technology Policy.” The conference, co-sponsored by Science Debate 2008 and the Center for Science, Technology and Public Policy at the Humphrey Institute, will be held on the University of Minnesota campus on October 20th and 21st, 2008.

IEEE-USA will be holding its first Engineering Skills Symposium on 23 Oct. 2008 at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.  The symposium will focus on current and future skills needed to compete globally and have a fulfilling career in the emerging field of green technology.  The program will include keynotes by the Texas A&M Dean of Engineering and the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Renewable Energy.
 

IEEE-USA Vice President of Communications and Public Awareness Paul Kostek will address the National Electronic Distributors Association's Executive Conference  (3-4 Nov. 2008) on the topic "Building the Technical Workforce of Tomorrow - Who Will Win the Great Talent Race?"

The IEEE-USA Board of Directors will meet on 20 November 2008 in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

IEEE-USA is a Bronze sponsor of the 21 Nov. Award Gala of the Benjamin Banneker Institute for Science and Technology, which will recognize individual and organizational achievements in promoting diversity in the science, technology, engineering and math professions.