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A PUBLICATION OF THE PIEDMONT SECTION OF THE IEEE

April, 1997

http://www.carol.net/ieee/

Articles:
Chairman : Next Meeting : Editor : Officers

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Glenn Bishof

Why come to an IEEE section meeting when the subject is far removed from the emphasis of your work? Simple: biassociation. This term was used by Arthur Koestler, the author of Darkness at Noon, to describe creativity in his lesser known book, The Act of Creation. Koestler contends that many inventions came about through the merger of two dissimilar concepts into one. A favorite example of such a merger is the integration of a wine press and movable type: The Gutenburg Printing Press. Fuel injection systems in automobiles did not become economically feasible for average vehicles until electronic feedback controls became practical.
If you think hard about it, you can probably come up with an example within your industry or even your own company. If you remain in isolation in one area of electrical engineering, you may miss the opportunity to make a substantial contribution by combining two or more concepts that no one else thought to combine. Hershey Foods and its advertisers are making a fortune based on this idea. Who hasn't heard of the Reese's peanut butter cup and seen at least one commercial depicting an unlikely orig in of the product?
The officers of the IEEE Piedmont section do not have to justify the applicability of a speaker's subject matter to a particular business. There is no bottom line to focus on. The selection of speakers is based on what is perceived as potentially interesting to the membership.
I have observed that members who come to meetings usually fall into two categories: regular attendees and those who come to hear about a subject with which they are already familiar. The former group is small. The latter group is sometimes disappointed because the speaker does not go far enough into detail to suit their purpose. An hour-and-a-half to two-hour presentation cannot substitute for a technical seminar. It might, however, stimulate a thought process that could lead to an innovation. This is particularly true if the subject is outside the listener's area of concentration. Next time you read an announcement in the Pieeedmont Potential about a speaker talking on a subject you have absolutely no use for or interest in, come to the meeting.

Next Meeting

April 17, 1997
The Arts in Education

Nancy Gunderson

The links between understanding or playing music and participating in other art forms and high achievements in other areas of academia have been well documented. Even so, many schools are faced with cutting the arts to balance the budget. For our annual non-technical meeting topic, we will hear from Cheri Becker of the Peace Center, speaking to us on the arts in education and on volunteer opportunities at the Peace Center in Greenville.

Meeting details:
When: Thursday, April 17
Location: Colonial Quest, formerly Colonial Inn, 755 Wade Hampton Blvd. Dinner will be served.

The cost is $10.00 for members and guests and $5.00 for students. There is no charge to attend the meeting. Please make reservations by calling one of the officers by Tuesday, April 15, 1997, even if you plan on attending the meeting only!! I would hate for you to stand through the meeting.

From the Editor

Mark Stokes
Don't forget to let me know what method you would prefer to receive the newsletter. Three are available:
If you would like to receive the newsletter via some other method than USPS, please email me your full name and e-mail address.

Officer List:

CHAIRMAN Glenn Bischof (864) 638-3601ext 4357 email
VICE-CHAIRMAN Nancy Gunderson (864) 882-2414 ext. 357 email
SECRETARY Bob Richardson (864) 587-4435 email
TREASURER Mark Stokes (864) 647-2065 email
MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Allen Thomas (864) 862-5718 email
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES Nick Pasquerilla (864) 882-2414 ext.271
STUDENT ACTIVITIES Dr. John Komo (864) 656-5916 email
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES Lee Stogner (864) 281-8276 email
NEWSLETTER EDITOR Mark Stokes (864) 647-2065 email
AWARDS Dr. Randy Collins (864)656-5920 email

Use this space to reach over 500 IEEE members in this section!!

The Piedmont section of the IEEE is still offering sections of its newsletter for advertising space. If you are interested in supporting this effort, please contact one of the officers listed above.

-Mark