VIRGINIA MOUNTAIN SECTION
NEWSLETTER
IEEE Region 3, Council 9, Section 6 September 1997
CONTENTS
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September Meeting 1
Reservations for the September Meeting 2
HELP WANTED 3
Take Advantage of Your Member Benefits 4
VMS Meeting Schedule for the 1997-1998 Year 5
HELP 6
VMS Activities
Election Results 7
Executive Committee Meeting 8
National Engineers Week Announces 1998
Billboard Campaign 9
What Is?
The Virginia Coordinating Council 10
VMS Home Page 11
Chapter Chairmen 12
*************************************************** (1)
September Meeting
EE at Virginia Tech
Leonard Ferrari
Head
Bradley Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Virginia Tech
The many new educational and economic development
programs recently implemented will be reviewed.
Possible revisions and prospects and plans for the future
of the Department will be discussed.
About the Speaker
Dr. Ferrari joined the Bradley Department of Electrical
Engineering as Department Head on July 1, 1995. He was
previously at the University of California, Irvine, where he
was a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He
served as Chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department for three years, and as Director of an NSF
Center for High Speed Image Processing.
Ferraris' specialty is image processing. He joined the faculty
of the University of California in 1980, as a researcher in the
Radiological Sciences Department of the College of
Medicine, then joined the Department of Electrical and
Computer Engineering in 1985. He served as Department
Chair from 1990- 1993. He has taught courses in circuit
design, communications, digital signal processing, image
processing, computer algorithms and computer graphics.
Ferrari has more than 12 years experience in industrial
research and development, and has authored more than 40
patent disclosures.
Early in his career he worked as a researcher for Polaroid
Corporation. In 1969 he moved to the Bell and Howell
Research Laboratories as director of the group responsible
for corporate research in video systems, magnetic and optical
recording, facsimile systems, airborne entertainment systems
and electro- optical products. In 1974 he returned to school
and received a Ph.D. degree from the University of
California, Irvine in 1980. He earned his MSEE degree from
Northeastern University in 1967, and his BSEE degree from
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1963.
*************************************************** (2)
Reservations for the September Meeting
Date: Thursday, September 18 1997
Social: 6:30
Dinner: 7:00
Talk: 8:00
Place: Donaldson Brown Hotel
Virginia Tech Campus
Blacksburg
Cost: Member or Guest $12.00
Student $ 4.50
Please make reservations by Monday, September 15, 5:00
P.M.
Roanoke: David Livingston (540) 857-6261
Blacksburg: Ira Jacobs (540) 231-5620
Lexington: Ed Wheeler (540) 464-7548
Radford and
Christiansburg: Usha Varshney (540) 731-0655
*************************************************** (3)
HELP WANTED
See Page 3
*************************************************** (4)
Take Advantage of Your Member Benefits
CONTINUING EDUCATION
CURRENT TECHNICAL INFORMATION
IEEE INFORMATION RETRIEVAL
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Information:
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HERE ARE SOME OF THE PERSONAL BENEFITS IEEE MEMBERSHIP
BRINGS YOU:
Receive your own personal subscription to SPECTRUM.
Become an active part of your local professional community.
Enhance your career by networking with technical experts.
Save with low member prices on IEEE products.
Attend top technical conferences at low member rates.
Increase your professional prestige.
Join a technical society.
The IEEE Financial Advantage Program
Program Highlights:
IEEE Gold MasterCard and VISA Gold
IEEE Mutual Funds
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Program Benefits and Services:
Business Services
Education Services
Financing, Planning & Investing
Home Services
Insurance Plans/ Supplements
Travel & Conference Registration
For access information and details on any of these, take your browser
Directly to the IEEE at: http://www.ieee.org/member.html
Or to the VMS Home Page at: http://fiddle.ee.vt.edu/ieeevms/
and select: IEEE Quick Links, then Member Services (No.11)
*************************************************** (5)
VMS Meeting Schedule for the 1997-1998 Year
Date
Speaker
Topic
Place
October 16, 1997
Joint with Power
Eng. Chapter(Subhas
Sarkar arranging)
Power Engineering
Holiday Inn Salem,
November 20, 1997(Spouses'
Night)
Bev Fitzpatrick
Technology Impact
on New Century
Region
Hotel Roanoke
January 15, 1998
Charles Alexander
(Tentative)
TBA
Donaldson Brown
Hotel Blacksburg,
February 19, 1998
Student Papers
Competition
Various
Donaldson Brown
Hotel Blacksburg,
March 19, 1998
Richard O. Claus
Fiber Optics and
Electro-optics at
Virginia Tech
Donaldson Brown
Hotel Blacksburg,
April 16, 1998
IEEE Distinguished
Lecturer: Ronald W.
Waynant
Applications of
Lasers in Medicine:
Current/Future Status
Donaldson Brown
Hotel Blacksburg,
May 21, 1998
Industrial Field Trip
Manufacturing
Roanoke or Salem
Executive Committee Meetings: 5:30 p.m. on:
October 16, 1997; January 16, 1998;
March 16, 1998; and April 21, 1998
*************************************************** (6)
HELP
For the first time in several years, at the outset, the VMS has
an agenda for meetings for the entire year. See Page 2. Usha
Varshney and Russell Churchill have planned an exciting and
interesting series of programs. This is just the start of an
undertaking to improve services to the members and generate
interest in the IEEE in general and our Section in particular.
There is a host of things that can be done to achieve these
goals and simultaneously serve the profession and the
community, something we seldom do. Public awareness and
benefits can be achieved by making technical information and
insight available, advising on issues of public safety,
enhancing pre-college education with support in science fairs
and talks, to name a few. An active role in Engineers Week,
see the announcement on page 3, is another small step in this
direction.
All of these things take time, BUT, it will not be a great deal
of YOURS if enough of us pitch in to help. Demonstrate your
willingness to give at least a little in service to the
community, the profession and yourself. Contact any of the
Officers or ExCom members, or attend the ExCom meeting
at 5:30 on the 18th. And bring your ideas as well as your
body. This is to be a kick-off session.
*************************************************** (7)
VMS Activities
Election Results
In the May 1997 VMS election, a total of 45 ballots were
submitted. The results are as follows:
Officers:
Chairman: David Livingston - 45 votes
Vice Chairman: Usha Varshney - 43 votes
Secretary/Treasurer: Edward Wheeler - 42 votes
Chapter Chairs:
Industry Applications Chair: Walter Hill - 27 votes
MTT/Electron Devices Chair: Hausila Singh - 25 votes
Power Engineering Chair: Subhas Sarkar - 28 votes
Industrial Electronics Chair: David Geer - 30 votes
Executive Committee:
Subhas Sarkar - 13 votes
Lynn Abbott - 30 votes
Russell Churchill - 28 votes
Ira Jacobs - 29 votes
Scott Midkiff - 27 votes
John Fennick - 23 votes
Andy Stevenson - 30 votes
So, the new executive committee consists of
Lynn Abbott,
Russell Churchill,
Ira Jacobs and,
Andy Stevenson and, of course, all officers and chapter
chairs, and Anbo Wang, first past Chairman.
Thanks to all who participated and congratulations to the
winners.
*************************************************** (8)
Executive Committee Meeting
The Executive Committee will meet, at the Donaldson
Brown, at 5:30 PM.
*************************************************** (9)
National Engineers Week Announces 1998
Billboard Campaign
For its 1998 celebration, the National Engineers Week
Committee will again be taking its message that "Engineers
Make a World of Difference" to the streets and the highways
through its Outdoor Advertising Campaign. The goal of the
program, which will be led by campus chapters of
engineering societies around the country, is to place a public
service announcement involving engineers on a minimum of
100 billboards during the month of February. Last year's
campaign garnered 21 placements around the country,
despite a late start. Based on a successful program run
annually by the Society of Automotive Engineers, the
campaign has a dual purpose: to increase "grassroots"
involvement, particularly among undergraduate engineering
students, in National Engineers Week, and to make a broader
audience aware of the week-long celebration and the
technological achievements it honors. The program works as
follows: First, chapters should contact National Engineers
Week and request an Outdoor Advertising Campaign kit.*
Then, they would identify one (or several) billboards or other
public advertising spaces within their community, preferably,
in prominent spots which can be seen by a large number of
people. Once the space is secured, the group will mail back a
"reservation form," providing all the details no later than
December 1. The Committee will provide the artwork and
will return the completed materials. The theme for the 1998
campaign is currently under development but, in a11
likelihood, will revolve around the idea of engineers as
"hands-on" problem-solvers. The artwork will contain a
tagline stating "This message brought to you by the National
Engineers Week Committee and...," with room to fill in the
name of the sponsoring chapter or group, giving the ad more
of a local focus and providing a "plug" for the group doing
the work.
* Dan Jackson has done this.
Note: The VMS plans to participate vigorously in this year's
national effort and in the Roanoke area program. Volunteers
are needed to assist in the planning and preparation. Please
contact Russell Churchill or send a note to the Editor.
...editor
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What Is?
The Virginia Coordinating Council
The Virginia Coordinating Council (VCC) is a unique entity
created to provide a means of bring all the IEEE sections in
Virginia into a single cohesive group. The VCC consists of
the Virginia Council, which is the four sections in Virginia in
Region 3, and the Northern Virginia Section which is in
Region 2. The representatives from the Central Virginia
Section, the Hampton Roads Section, the Richmond Section,
and the Virginia Mountain Section who serve on the Virginia
Council are on the Virginia Coordinating Council as well.
Two members from the Northern Virginia Section serve as
representatives to the VCC. The VCC normally meets
immediately following the Virginia Council meeting, and the
Northern Virginia representatives sit in on the Virginia
Council meeting. There are no other geographic councils in
IEEE which cross Regional boundaries.
The VCC was created to provide a single entity to consider
state wide concerns of all IEEE members in Virginia whether
in one of the four sections which are in Region 3 or the one
section in Region 2. There was no possibility of getting
Northern Virginia into Region 3 because of its orientation
toward Washington, DC. It is a member of the National
Capital Area Council of Region 2 in the same manner that
the other four Virginia Sections are members of the Virginia
Council. The VCC represents many more IEEE members
than the Virginia Council because Northern Virginia has
more members than the other four combined. This is helpful
in some lobbying efforts in Richmond on behalf of all
electrical engineers.
The VCC also provides a good vehicle for cooperation and
coordination among all Virginia IEEE members. Every now
and then the Virginia Council will hold its meeting in the
Northern Virginia area to help in this regard. The
chairmanship of the VCC rotates between the Chair of the
Virginia Council and a representative from Northern
Virginia.
As you can see from my explanation the VMS participates in
the VCC only through the Virginia Council.
...Dan Jackson, PACE Chair
*************************************************** (11)
VMS Home Page
The Virginia Mountain Section Web Home Page
(http://fiddle.ee.vt.edu/ieeevms/) has recently been
modified and expanded to make it easier to use and include
more information about the Section, the Region, and
National, and items of interest to engineers.
You will find quick access to schedules, details about the
Section, numerous publications and articles normally not
distributed to the general membership (in complete format).
Links to professional, federal, and private organizations and
groups active in national issues affecting our profession.
There are also more than a dozen direct links to particular
IEEE services such as Educational, Employment Assistance,
PE-Licensure. Standards and Publications, Address and
Membership Info Changes, and more.
Check it out and use the autofeedback to the editor (available
on the main page) to let us know what you would like to see
there to make it even better.
... editor
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Chapter Chairmen
Places have been reserved in the Home Page for any and all
kinds of information about your Chapter: History, function,
requirements, activities, schedules, flash announcements,
meetings, speakers ... . Please send your material to the
editor or submit it with the auto-mail feature on the Web
Page.
... editor