May  2022

Message from the Editor

Heather Love, Editor, IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT) Newsletter

• The Call for Nominations to serve on the SSIT Board of Governors from 2023-2025.
• Updates about the ISTAS-2022 extended CFP deadline of 31 May 2022 (as well as other events that will take place as part of the conference).
• Information about recent SSIT member achievements, new material posted to SSIT’s IEEE.tv channel, and an upcoming student-focused webinar series.
• Several conference and publication opportunities of potential relevance to SSIT members.

As always, I invite submissions from SSIT members for inclusion in future newsletters. Announcements for and reports on local Chapter meetings, events, or outreach activities are always welcome; in addition, I’d love to hear about upcoming events, webinars, and conferences that might be of interest to SSIT members.

To announce an event, news item, volunteer opportunity, CFP, award notice, or other item, please contact me at [email protected]. Submissions for each newsletter are due by the first week of the month.

Best wishes to you all.

Sincerely,
Heather Love

Call for SSIT Board of Governors Candidates: Nominations due 30 June 2022

Submitted by Bob Dent, SSIT Past-President and Nominations Chair

SSIT is seeking candidates for three Board of Governors (BoG) Members-at-Large (2023-2025). All positions are voting members of the SSIT BoG.

BoG Members-at-Large (MaL) make a three-year commitment. MaLs are expected to attend the monthly SSIT one-hour conference calls and to be actively involved in the affairs of the Society. At the present, travel expenses are not reimbursed by the SSIT. MaLs may serve two consecutive terms.

Candidates should submit a nomination statement that includes any information relevant to their possible contributions to the Society. The information can include previous experience with respect to conferences, publications, finances, Chapters, standards, education, governance, and any relevant experiences of use to SSIT.

The deadline for the nomination to the Board of Directors Member-at-Large is 30 June 2022. Please submit nominations by email to Bob Dent, SSIT Nominations Committee Chair at [email protected].

Potential candidates are welcome to contact Bob Dent with questions in advance of submitting their nomination.

Eulogy for Long-time SSIT Member Jeffrey Robbins

Submitted by Terri Bookman

We are saddened to share the news that Jeffrey (Jeff) Robbins, a dedicated SSIT member, author, and ISTAS presenter for many decades, died on 18 April 2022. A eulogy reflecting on his career, contributions, and life is available on SSIT’s website. Many thanks to contributors for sharing their recollections of Jeff’s influence and impact, and especially to his daughter, Nina Robbins. Our condolences go out to Jeff’s family and friends.

ISTAS-2022 Updates: CFP Deadline Extended to 31 May 2022; SINS22 to be Co-Located with ISTAS-2022; Session Call for UN SDG Track

The 2022 IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS-2022) will run as a virtual event from 10-12 November on the theme "Digital and Societal Transformations."

The Hong-Kong/India/Australia-based ISTAS-2022 organizing committee invites all SSIT members to submit their work for presentation at the conference by the newly extended CFP Deadline of 31 May 2022 (1 June in Hong Kong). Details about topics of interest and submission guidelines/procedures are available in the Call for Papers.

SINS22 @ ISTAS-2022
The Fifteenth Workshop on the Social Implications of National Security (SINS22), Human Factors Series, will be co-located with ISTAS-2022. This year’s workshop theme is “ Securitization for Sustainability of People and Place: A Call to Transdisciplinarity.” The event is an initiative of the IEEE SSIT Technical Committee on Emerging Technology in cooperation with the Society Policy Engineering Collective (SPEC) at Arizona State University.

SINS22 Organizers

• Mariana Zafeirakopoulos, University of Technology, Sydney
• Roba Abbas, University of Wollongong
• Kathleen Vogel, Arizona State University
• Jeremy Pitt, Imperial College London
• Katina Michael, Arizona State University

ISTAS-2022 Session Call: Track 4, UN SDGs and Basic Sciences
As part of Track 4 (UN SDGs and Basic Sciences) at ISTAS-2022, Prasanta K. Ghosh (Professor, College of Engineering & Computer Science, Center for Science and Technology, Syracuse University, NY) is organizing a session titled “ Seeking Positive Impacts of Technological Advancements On The Climate And Society.” The session description is below. Please contact Prof. Ghosh ( [email protected]) for additional information.

The industrial revolution has brought tremendous gains in technological advancement and society’s prosperity. It is also true that technology could be a double-edge sword that can both do and undo damage to the environment. So, it is time to start a discussion on how technological advancements can positively impact our life and society. In this proposed session we will select invited and contributed presentations on positive impacts of technology on the environment and society. Presentations will include technological damage minimization, for example manufacturing with reduced wastage and reduction in toxic gas discharge, along with positive aspects of information availability and public health improvements.

Report: SSIT Board Member Kalyan Sen Travels as Fulbright-Nehru Specialist

SSIT BoG Member, Kalyan K. Sen (PhD, PE (PA & NY), MBA, IEEE Fellow) recently traveled to Nirma University in India to teach a short course as a Fulbright-Nehru Specialist. This was his second Fulbright assignment. The subject matter of his presentation is well described in this book, coauthored with his wife, Mey Ling (MEE, IEEE Member). 

The book, titled Power Flow Control Solutions for a Modern Grid Using SMART Power Flow Controllers, (ISBN: 978-1-119-82435-0) IEEE Press and Wiley, 2021, can be found at the publisher’s website at www.wiley.com/go/sen/powerflowcontrol.

Dr. Sen’s lectures were attended by some 140 students and a dozen faculty members for 4 hours each day for 2 weeks. In addition, he gave presentations at L. D. College of Engineering and Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar. There was also a national seminar organized on 2 April 2022 where professionals from local universities and utilities
were in attendance.

Invitation: SSIT Student Leadership and Professional Awareness Congress Webinars

The IEEE-SSIT Global Student Activities Committee is organizing a “Student Leadership and Professional Awareness Congress” in June, which will include a series of webinars that target students and aim to provide them with relevant, actionable ideas about prioritizing the social implications of technology as they move forward in their careers.

Two webinars have already been confirmed, and more will be announced in the coming weeks. Please share the invitation to attend among students and young professionals within your networks!

Webinar 1: Ten Important Lessons I have Learned for a Satisfying Life
Speaker: Robert (Bob) A. Dent
Date/Time: 4 June 2022, 8:30am EST/12:30pm GMT/6:00pm IST

Robert A. Dent P.E. had a 41-year career in the electric utility industry in the USA. He studied engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology, Pratt Institute and Polytechnic University. He has been an active volunteer in IEEE activities at the Chapter, Section, Society, and Board of Directors levels. He is an IEEE Life Senior Member and a member of IEEE Eta Kappa Nu Honor Society.

In this talk, Mr. Dent will discuss the lessons he has learned during his life that have brought him satisfaction. Register HERE.

Webinar 2: Cultivating Connections Beyond STEM: Why (and How) Engineers Should Become “Transdisciplinary Thinkers.”
Speaker: Heather A. Love
Date/Time: 7 June 2022, 10:00am EST/2:00pm GMT/7:30pm IST

In today’s world, engineers and technologists are frequently called upon to address complex problems that are not only technical but also social, environmental, and political in scope. Developing innovative solutions to these large-scale problems requires input from multiple stakeholders and disciplinary perspectives. To participate successfully in work environments that include non-technical collaborators whose expertise lies in different domains of knowledge, STEM professionals need to become, in the words of University of Waterloo Dean of Engineering Mary Wells, “transdisciplinary thinkers.”

In this talk, Dr. Heather Love (University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; IEEE SSIT Board of Governors) discusses the value for STEM students and young professionals (engineers in particular) of cultivating relationships and connections beyond their specific field of study so that they can become more comfortable engaging across disciplinary lines. Love will draw from her own experience as a humanities-based scholar who works on issues related to technology’s social implications; she will share the insights she has gained while conducting research and serving in professional roles that bridge between the humanities and STEM fields. Register HERE.

AI for Equity Symposium Recordings available on IEEE.tv

As we reported in last month’s newsletter, recordings from ISTAS21: Technological Stewardship & Responsible Innovation, which took place as a virtual event last October 27-31, are making their way to SSIT’s channel on IEEE.tv.

 

We are pleased to announce that the sessions from the Second International Workshop on Artificial Intelligence for Equity (AI4Eq): Against Modern Indentured Servitude, a pre-conference event organized by Jeremy Pitt (Imperial College, London), are now available for public viewing. All SSIT members are encouraged to check them out—as a bonus, most of the AI5Eq videos are in the 10-20-minute range, so ideal viewing for your coffee/tea or lunch break!

Here are the titles of and links to specific sessions:

• Jeremy Pitt: Opening Remarks (HERE)
• Panel Session 1: AI & Senior Lived Experience
• Toby Shulruff: Against Modern Indentured Servitude (HERE)
• Roba Abbas: The Co-Design of Location-Based Services (LBS) for Individuals Living with Dementia (HERE)
• Jordan Miller: Social Robots: The friend of the future or mechanical mistake? (HERE)
• Katina Michael (Keynote): Technology’s Role in Modern Indentured Servitude in Business (HERE)
• Panel Session 2: AI & Junior Lived Experience
• Rys Farthing: Out of the Coal Mines and into the Data Mines: Surveillance Capitalism and Children (HERE)
• Joseph Savirimuthu: AI in the Classroom: We Don’t Get No Education (HERE)
• Mina Vasalou: Navigo Games (HERE)
• Josiah Ober (Keynote): Human flourishing, servitude, and why they are incompatible (HERE)
• Panel Session 3: AI & Everyone’s Lived Experience
• Christine Perakslis: Converging Contexts leading to the Age of Allostatic Load (A-Load) (HERE)
• Agnieszka Rychwalska: Shadow (profiles) in the Dark (patterns): who locked your Digital Self? (HERE)
• Thomas Dannhauser: Smart Phone Addiction (HERE)
• Panel Session 4: AI & Community Lived Experience
• Allison Gardner: Responsibility, Recourse, and Redress: a focus on the 3 R's of AI Ethics (HERE)
• Genevieve Liveley: AI Futures Literacy (HERE)
• Regine Paul: Unravelling "digital common market" myths (HERE)
• Emma Carmel: Unravelling "digital common market" myths (HERE)
• Maria Tzanou: Closing Remarks (HERE)

Stay tuned for announcements in future newsletters; additional ISTAS21 Special Session recordings will be available in the coming months.

Call for Participants: Workshop on the “Effective of Climate Change on Diseases” @ SEGE 2022

Submitted by Prasanta Ghosh

Mr. William Maxwell (Upstate Medical University) and Prof. Prasanta Ghosh (Syracuse University) are organizing the workshop entitled “Effects of Climate Change on Diseases,” which will convene at SEGE 2022 (Smart Energy Grid Engineering).

SEGE 2022 takes place 10-12 August 2022 in Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Canada. For more information, visit: http://www.ieee-sege.com/schedule.html.

Workshop Description:
Despite many challenges, the pandemic has presented a unique opportunity to study health consequences of climate change, which will yield insights of the causes that could lead to improved public health and knowledge to combat future diseases. There are many challenges with little understanding of the Technology, Climate Change, and Disease relation, its impacts and possible mitigation approaches. In this session we will have both invited and contributed papers where presenters with diverse expertise will talk about how technology drives climate change, resulting a push of the efficacy of disease old and new and potential solution to overcome the challenges. By understanding how climate change propels disease forward with greater veracity, it may be possible to reverse engineer climate change to determine which technologies really need to be redesigned or abandoned completely. Therefore, the objective of the session is to develop an understanding of the gaps in data, theory, and scale which in turn will point to future needed work in technology, climate change-infections disease. In this way, epidemiologists, medical doctors, environmental scientists, and engineers should really be working together as they are intrinsically tied to each other.
Chair: Prof. Prasanta Ghosh and William H Maxwell, PE, P.Eng

IEEE Technology & Society Magazine (TSM)

IEEE TSM is SSIT’s award-winning flagship publication. It features peer-reviewed and general interest articles that explore and analyze the profound impacts of technology on our world.

Find out more about the publication’s scope, topics, and article submission guidelines here, and visit the IEEE TSM section of the SSIT website to read about current and past issues.

IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society

The IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society publishes four issues each year (March, June, September, and December); submissions are accepted on a rolling basis.

The editorial team seeks research papers on the interactions among technology, science, and society; on the impact of such interactions on individuals and society; and on the ethical, professional and social responsibility in the practice of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Find out more about the publication’s scope, topics, and article submission guidelines here, and be sure to visit the Transactions section of the SSIT website to read about current and past issues.

For expressions of interest to serve on the editorial board as an ongoing reviewer or associate editor, or for other inquiries please email founding editor-in-chief Katina Michael.

IEEE Computer Special Issue CFP

Submitted by Sambit Bakshi

The IEEE Computer magazine is hosting a special issue on the theme “Five Decades of Biometrics and Video Surveillance: Present Technologies and Future Possibilities,” with a target August 2023 publication date. IEEE SSIT members are invited to submit work for consideration.

See the full Call for Paper HERE. Author guidelines (page/word limits, etc.) are available HERE.

Submissions are due by 19 December 2022.

Guest Editors:

Sambit Bakshi, NIT Rourkela, India

Irena Bojanova, NIST, USA
Vitomir Štruc, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
George K. Thiruvathukal, Loyola University Chicago, USA
Maria De Marsico, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

Please contact [email protected] with questions.

IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC): Technology for the Benefit of Humanity

Santa Clara, CA, USA | 8-11 September 2022

IEEE SSIT is a technical co-sponsor of IEEE GHTC 2022.

IEEE ISTAS22: Digital and Societal Transformations
Hong Kong (Virtual Event)  | 10-12 November 2022

Call for Expressions of Interest to Host SSIT Conferences

IEEE SSIT organizes, co-organizes, and sponsors conferences focused on technology, society and ethics. IEEE SSIT is seeking expressions of interest from SSIT members interested in hosting the following conferences around the world.

IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS)

IEEE ISTAS is the annual flagship event of the IEEE Society on the Social Implications of Technology (SSIT). It is organized each year by SSIT in cooperation with SSIT Chapters and IEEE Sections. IEEE ISTAS brings together a broad range of disciplines (e.g., natural and social sciences, policy, ethics and education) to share research and experiences about the implications of technology adoption, adaptation and evolution.

SSIT is looking toward future ISTAS two to four years from now to allow planning and continuity between annual events. We are issuing a call for proposals for volunteers as organizers of ISTAS in 2023, 2024, and beyond.

IEEE Conference on Norbert Wiener in the 21st Century (21CW)

IEEE Conference on Norbert Wiener in the 21st Century (21CW) The 21CW conference series addresses the technical, social and personal legacy of the founder of cybernetics, control theory, and information ethics, Norbert Wiener. It has been held in Boston (2014), Melbourne (2016), and as a virtual event hosted from Chennai, India (2021), with satellite activities in India 2014, 2016, 2018.

Expressions of interest are welcome for 2023.

If you are interested in hosting one of these events, please contact SSIT Conferences Chair, Jay Pearlman ( [email protected]) to request SSIT’s Call for Proposals Guide, which provides:

• Guidance for conference organization and operations
• An overview of expectations for proposal content
• Background on ISTAS conference (including a list of recent events)
• A proposal template

Call for New Content: SSIT Website and IEEE.tv Channel

Thank you to the SSIT Members and Chapters who have responded to date to the invitation to contribute content for publication on the SSIT website. We look forward to receiving regular contributions. Please send articles, event notifications and other relevant content including pictures to Miriam Cunningham, SSIT Web Committee Chair.

SSIT Chapters, Distinguished Lecturers and SSIT supported Events are invited to provide Miriam Cunningham with recordings of Guest Lectures and other relevant content linked with SSIT’s Technical areas and field of interest for publication in the SSIT Society Channel on IEEE.tv. Please send a link by email to download the .mp4 file, include SSIT branding in the recording, and ensure that you have written permission from the speaker to publish it.

Call for Nominations: IEEE SSIT Awards

IEEE SSIT has three major awards, all of which are open for nomination at this time.

The Carl Barus Award for Outstanding Service in the Public Interest is open to anyone, or group, who performs an important public service, possibly at the risk of career or reputation. This includes anyone, whether or not in the engineering profession, or a member of IEEE. Further information on recipients can be found at  https://technologyandsociety.org/member-resources/awards-programs/barus-award-recipients/.

The Brian M. O’Connell SSIT Distinguished Service Award is for SSIT volunteers who have demonstrated outstanding service for the benefit of SSIT. More information on this award can be found at

https://technologyandsociety.org/member-resources/awards-programs/brian-o-connell-award/.

The SSIT Norbert Wiener Award for Social and Professional Responsibility is given to an individual or team for exceptional contribution, or outstanding career contribution in the field of the social implications of technology. Further information can be found at

https://technologyandsociety.org/member-resources/awards-programs/norbert-wiener-award/.

To nominate an individual, submit information to Michael Cardinale. Include the individual’s contact information – name, address, phone, email, professional history (year, organization and position), and the proposed citation in 25 words or less. The nominator must also submit their own contact information.

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