Happy New Year from IEEE-USA!
As 2023 draws to a close, we take a moment to reflect on the year’s accomplishments and look forward to meeting the challenges of the year ahead.
IEEE-USA’s ambitious plan to reinvent itself, begun in 2022, started to pay off in 2023 with three new, innovative events. In September, our inaugural IWRC Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas brought together local, state and national leaders with local researchers, business leaders and entrepreneurs to build bridges and partnerships. Conceived as part of the CHIPS Act and sponsored by the NSF’s EPSCoR program, IWRC aims to improve innovation in rural America by finding and supporting innovative researchers, businesses, and individuals in every corner of our country.
In October, IEEE-USA celebrated a half century of service in style on our 50th Anniversary Cruise. More than 100 guests joined this inaugural event full of fun, families, food, and learning (but mostly fun) as we sailed from Orlando to the Bahamas and back.
Rounding out our new initiatives was “Designing Chips with CHIPS,” an industry conference hosted by Qualcomm in San Diego. Responding directly to requests from industry members, this event focused on the impact the CHIPS and Science Act will have on industries related to chip manufacturing, especially chip design and packaging.
These successful events represent three new innovative models of IEEE meetings, each designed to serve the needs of underserved parts of the technology community. This was intentional as IEEE-USA continues to position itself as the small, scrappy, entrepreneurial part of IEEE — and we intend to continue in 2024!
Our 2024 cruise adventure, a 7-night cruise to the breath-taking scenery of Alaska, will be held in September. (Reserve early for the best rooms and best prices!) Plans are also being put in place for IWRC events in South Dakota, North New England, and Alabama next year.
Beyond innovative events, IEEE-USA staff and volunteers worked in 2023 to expand and improve our professional development products, including our award winning E-Books, webinars, audiobooks, and IEEE-USA Insight. Among our many highlights is a partnership with Stoney Brook University to produce short videos about innovation for the general public.
Speaking of the public, in 2024 IEEE-USA will be expanding popular “IEEE-USA is My Competitive Edge” national advertising campaign with new videos suitable for the United States and other countries. These videos raise awareness of IEEE among potential members and the general public.
On the humanitarian front, our MOVE Community Outreach volunteers provided tireless support for disaster relief and recovery efforts in the wake of tornadoes in Mississippi, and in the aftermath of Hurricanes Idalia in Florida and Lee in New England, in addition to educational stops at schools across Regions 3 and 5.
In Washington, IEEE-USA continued to provide quiet leadership in the halls of Congress. Through a series of Congressional briefings, meetings and discussions, IEEE-USA worked directly with legislators to help Washington understand AI and other emerging technologies. These efforts resulted in multiple pieces of legislation being introduced in 2023, which IEEE-USA intends to aggressively promote in 2024, starting with our annual CVD on 10-11 April.
These examples represent just a few of the highlights from 2023. In 2024, we — IEEE-USA’s leaders, volunteers and staff — will build upon these successes as we support the career and public policy interests of U.S. IEEE Members. From our family to yours, we wish you health, peace and prosperity in the new year!
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