The aim for this first 2016 Newsletter is to give you information about what the Section did in 2015, and what the Section has to look forward to in 2016.

Future newsletters will be sent out after each Ex Com meeting.

My name is Peter Kootsookos, and I am the incoming Chair of the Section for 2016-2017.  You can find more about me on Google or LinkedIn or Collabratec.

Highlights of 2015

The following are some of the highlights of what the Section achieved in 2015.

  • The first Fellows Dinner, where Fellows in the Section were recognized for their contributions to the IEEE.
  • The 2015 Annual General Meeting, which was dinner, followed by a talk by Professor Yaakov Bar-Shalom from UConn, and some caricatures drawn by local artist Matt Ryan.
  • Sponsoring prizes at the Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair.
  • Sponsoring the Masuk High Schooland C. Goodwin Technical High School robotics teams.
  • Sponsoring the Fairfield University Student Chapter for special projects.
  • Sponsoring prizes at the Trinity College Fire Fighting Home Robot Contest.
  • Plus active technical programs from:
    • the Power & Energy Society chapter,
    • the Control Systems / Robotics & Automation / Industrial Applications joint chapter,
    • the Computer / Systems, Man, & Cybernetics / Social Implicatins of Technology joint chapter, and
    • the Antenas & Propagation / Microwave Theory & Techniques / Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control joint chapter.

Current Calendar of Events for 2016

Many of our events in 2015 are continuing efforts that will occur again in 2016.  Below is a general list of currently planned events. Note that not all Chapters in the Section have planned out their full year calendar yet, so more events will be added as the year progresses.

All events will be published on Collabratec and our website.

January:

  • 12 — ExCom Meeting
  • 14 —10 Year Recognition Social (Invitation Only)
  • 16 — “Make a Robot with Raspberry Pi and Scratch” workshops. Jan. 13, 16, 23, 30 and Feb. 6
  • 22 — Getting Started with Matlab

February:

  • 9 — Executive Committee meeting, location TBD

March:

  • 8 — Executive Committee meeting, Fairfield University
  • 17 — Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair Judging (Judges needed!)
  • 18 to 20 — Entrepreneurs’ Network: Stamford Startup Weekend(Reduced rates for IEEE members)
  • PES: “Transformer Specifications & Fundamentals of Autotransformers” @ Eversource and UI (date TBD)
  • PACE: Professional Skills Workshop (date TBD)

April:

  • 1 to 3 — Trinity college Fire Fighting Robot Contest(Judges needed!)
  • 12 — Executive Committee meeting.
  • PES: “Induction & Permanent Magnet Machines applications with Inverters” @ UCONN (date TBD)
  • AP/MTT/UFFC: :5th Annual DML tour (date TBD)
  • 30 —Connecticut Invention Convention (State Final Judges). CIC promotes STEM among elementary to middle school children. While the IEEE CT is not officially a sponsor, we support their mission, and would like to see if our members are interested to become involved.

May:

  • 10 — Executive Committee meeting.

June:

  • 14 — Executive Committee meeting.
  • Fellows Dinner 2016  (date TBD)

October:

November:

December:

  • 9 – Computer Science Education Week @ Fairfield University (CSEdWeek is held in recognition of the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (December 9, 1906)).
  • Masuk High School Robotics Competition (Judges needed!)

How Do I Get Involved?

There are many ways for you to get involved!  By simply being a Connecticut-based IEEE member, you are funding the efforts above. Other ways to get involved as a voluteer are:

All Members: 

  • Help out in one of our judging efforts (Trinity College, CSEF, or Masuk HS Robotics)
  • Help a High School robotics team or College Student Chapter get sponsorship.
  • Help to organize a professional skills or technical workshop.
  • Join Charlotte Blair and Theodora Saunders in re-invigorating the Women In Engineering affiliate group. The Section will join with the Society of Women Engineers in a joint social later in the year.
  • Introduce yourself at an Executive Committee meeting. All members are welcome to attend. The meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month, except over the summer.
  • Attend a technical society chapter meeting.

Young Professionals:

  • Let the Section know what we can do for you! Please take our survey.
  • We have resources available to organize IEEE networking socials, professional skills workshops, or technical forums.

Student Members:

Life Members:

  • Several life members have expressed an interest in getting to know other life members in the Section.  There are currently 452 life members in Connecticut.  Please let us know if you want to form an affinity group, and conduct social or technical meetings of interest to our life members.

Happy 2016!

If there is anything that the Connecticut Section can do to improve your professional life as an IEEE member, please call me or send me an email.  My contact details are below.

The IEEE is your organization. The more you get involved the more you benefit, and the more we all benefit.

Regards,

Peter J. Kootsookos

p.kootsookos@ieee.org

+1 860 543 5917