VIRGINIA MOUNTAIN SECTION NEWSLETTER IEEE Region 3, Council 09, Section 65 September 1999 *********************************************** CONTENTS September Meeting .... .... 1 VMS 50th Distingushed Speakers: Kenneth R. Laker 1999 IEEE President.... .... 2 Paul Kostek 1999 IEEE-USA President.... 3 Reservations .... .... 4 May Meeting Report .... .... 5 New VMS Members .... .... 6 Chair’s Comment .... .... 7 New Senior Members .... .... 8 Arun Phadke: Award Recipient. .... 9 Computer/Control/IES meeting. .... 10 Pre-College Engineering .... .... 11 PE Exam Video .... .... 12 Sloan Career Resources Kit.. .... 13 NEW: Membership Information.. .... 14 1998-99 VMS Schedule .... .... 15 Your IEEE Benefits .... .... 16 VMS Section .... .... 17 ***********************************************( 1 ) September Meeting VMS 50th Anniversary Celebration Hotel Roanoke Thursday, September 16, 1999 Social Hour 6:00-7:00pm Dinner 7:00-8:00pm Program 8:00 Cost Members $20.00 Students 10.00 Guests 20.00 ***********************************************( 2 ) Kenneth R. Laker 1999 IEEE President 21st Century IEEE - The Exemplary Global Engineering Society The IEEE indeed enjoys a rich historical heritage has provided a robust foundation for its growth and evolution during the 20th century. Through the dedication and hard work of thousands of IEEE volunteers worldwide, the IEEE is well positioned to embrace the 21st century. From this perspective, I speak for the entire IEEE in congratulating the IEEE Virginia Mountain Section on achieving its 50th Anniversary. The 21st century IEEE embraces change as its trusted companion, shapes it to its purpose, and rides its crest capably. In doing so it is a role model for its members and the profession. My purpose is to provide an IEEE President's vision of the 21st century IEEE. Dr. Laker received the B.E. degree in Electrical Engineering from Manhattan College, and the MS and Ph.D. degrees from New York University. From 1973- 77, he served as a USAF officer at the Air Force Cambridge Research Labs. He then joined AT&T Bell Labs, where he conducted and managed R&D. He was appointed to the University of Pennsylvania faculty in 1984, as Professor and Chair of the Electrical Engineering Department. He served as Department Chair until the end of the 1992 academic year. In 1990 he was appointed the Alfred Fitler Moore Professor of Electrical Engineering. ***********************************************( 3 ) Paul Kostek 1999 IEEE-USA President IEEE-USA and Engineering in the 21st Century The evolution of engineering has lead to the evolution of IEEE-USA. We have moved from an environment where careers were relatively straight forward and long term to today where careers take many twists and turns. A highflying company today can be gone tomorrow. We need to anticipate these changes and respond. Members need a resource on how to manage their careers along with finding out about the latest trends. By developing partnerships with industry, IEEE-USA is lending greater visibility to employment opportunities. At the same time IEEE- USA is needed to speak out on the issues affecting members' careers. Activism is necessary not just for public policy, but also for our careers. The new IEEE-USA is focused on members careers, delivering new and improved services, and trying new approaches to make the profession better heard in Washington. Paul Kostek is a systems engineer with TekSci, a software consulting firm in Seattle, working with high tech firms in the application of systems engineering and in software development. He earned his BS degree from the University of Massachusetts in 1979. He is the 1999 IEEE-USA President and a Member of the IEEE Board of Directors. Paul also serves as the Executive Vice President and as a Member of the IEEE Aerospace & Electronics Systems Society Board of Governors. ***********************************************( 4 ) Reservations By 12 noon: Monday Sept 13 Roanoke: Dan Jackson (540) 774-0484 Blacksburg: Ira Jacobs (540) 231-5620 Lexington: David Livingston (540) 857-6261 Radford and Christiansburg: Russell Churchill (540) 731-0655 ***********************************************( 5 ) May Meeting Report VMS Plant Tour Litton Poly-Scientific Dave Kingma welcomed the group to Litton Poly-Scientific with a slide and video presentation. The division is headquartered in Blacksburg and has 1130 employees in four locations. Products designed and manufactured in Blacksburg include slip rings, fiber optics, torque motors, cube motors, resolvers, motor controls, twist capsules and security products. The company was founded in 1953 by James Pandapas and became part of Litton Industries in 1963. Design capability for the broad product line includes competencies in tribology, electrical and mechanical engineering, materials engineering, motion control, electro-optical design and analytical support. Laboratory and shop facilities are comprehensive including a materials lab, model shop, assembly areas, machine shop, electroplating, welding and a clean room. Following Dave's introduction an informative tour of the facility with stops at various product display sites was enjoyed by the group. Michael Nelson showed slip rings for space applications, and Tom Layne explained motor and resolver products. Barry Witherspoon reviewed the R&D Lab instrumentation, and Steve Cole showed special products for military helicopter rotors and tank turrets. Dave demonstrated the fiber optic security systems. Thanks to Dave and his knowledgeable associates for an especially interesting evening. ...Howard J. Moses ***********************************************( 6 ) New VMS Members - Welcome - According to our latest updates, 30 IEEE members have recently joined the roster of the Virginia Mountain Section. All have received welcome letters from Dan Jackson describing VMS activities. We hope to see and meet all of you at future meetings and join Dan in extending a warm welcome to: Jaime Barreto, Wytheville Kirk Carter, Blacksburg John Conley, Salem Bruno Corniere, Blacksburg John Critchfield, Blacksburg Bradley Davis, Blacksburg Michael Duffy, Elliston Carl Fossa, Christiansburg Matthew Grey, Blacksburg Glenn Hammond, Roanoke Matthias Imhof, Blacksburg Kevin Layman, Blacksburg Ted Leonard, Roanoke M. Lyon, Roanoke Monica Mallini, Blacksburg Gabriel Mateescu, Blacksburg Paul Mathew, Roanoke Paromita Mazumber, Blacksburg C. W. McDowell, Roanoke Jae Park, Blacksburg Christopher Jac Rose, Falls Mills Harold Simpson Jr., Salem D. Smith, Lexington William Spillman, Blacksburg F. Stephenson, Blacksburg James Van Ornum, Danville Paul Washbum, Blacksburg Layne Watson, Blacksburg Chris White, Salem Xunwei Zhou, Blacksburg ...editor ***********************************************( 7 ) Chair’s Comment by Dan Jackson Important announcement from EAB: IEEE Education Activities Board Seeks Evaluators The IEEE Educational Activities Board seeks engineering professionals from industrial, government, and academic sectors to serve as program evaluators for accrediting engineering and engineering technology programs at U.S. universities. Nominations will be accepted through 1 Nov. 1999. You may nominate yourself. The IEEE members selected will attend a one day training seminar on the IEEE/ABET accreditation process, one of which will take place at the June 2000 ASEE Annual Conference in Saint Louis. The IEEE and ABET, through their pool of trained program evaluators, will be able to visit engineering and engineering technology departments across the country. Evaluation sessions take place each fall and generally run for two to three days. “Participation in the accreditation process for IEEE/ABET engineering programs is a major responsibility”. said Rae Toscano, manager of IEEE EAB Administration. Service as a program evaluator provides IEEE members with the opportunity to contribute to the achievement of high quality educational standards in engineering programs. Nomination packages are available from: Accreditation Administrator, IEEE Educational Activities, 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ. 08855-1331. ...Dan Jackson ***********************************************( 8 ) CONGRATULATIONS to OUR NEW SENIOR MEMBERS Four of our members were elected to Senior Member grade in June. Congratulations to: ? Lenwood S. Heath ? David L. Livingston ? Yilu Liu, and ? Charles E. Nunnally Senior Member is the highest grade ofmembership in the IEEE for which an individual can apply. ...editor ***********************************************( 9 ) LOCAL MEMBER RECIPIENT OF IEEE TECHNICAL FIELD AWARD Arun G. Phadke, IEEE Fellow and Professor of Electrical Engineering at Virginia Tech, was approved by the IEEE Board of Directors as recipient of the 2000 IEEE Herman Halperin Electric Transmission and Distribution Award. Phadke was honored "for leadership in the field of computer relaying and for the conception of the synchronized phasor measurement technique using GPS satellite signals." Congratulations, Arun. ...editor ***********************************************( 10 ) Computer / Control / Industrial Electronics Chapter May 1999 Meeting Report Sunrayce 99 - Building a Solar Powered Car Last May the Chapter met at Virginia Western Community College to see and hear the student racing team and their advisors discuss their entry in Sunrayce '99. Sunrayce is a biennial event, sponsored by General Motors, the U.S. Dept. of Energy, and Electronic Data Systems Corp. The race lasts ten days. This year's route is from Washington DC to EPCOT Center in Orlando, Florida. About 40 college teams from the US and Canada entered. VWCC was one of only three two-year schools to enter. Sunrayce cars are full-sized, human- driven and solar powered. VWCC's entry weighs 1050 pounds fully loaded, including the smallest driver on the team. It is powered by a 7.8 HP DC motor, 16 lead-acid batteries and a .65 kW solar array. The project provided students with an opportunity for cross-disciplinary experience. The tubular frame design was completed by a mechanical design class. The switching power supply and electrical circuitry were designed by electrical team members. This is a first-generation car; that is it is the school's first entry in Sunrayce. It sports a full independent suspension with rack and pinion steering, rear wheel drive, and twin solar arrays, front and rear. In late April the car was driven, with police escort, from the school on Colonial Avenue to the Hotel Roanoke, for demonstration. It also appeared in several parades around the valley. Funding for the project comprised a$2000.00 grant from the college president and other cash donations for a total of about $8000. The solar panels were donated by Virginia Tech, and the motor and controller by Kollmorgen Corp. Sadly, the car failed to qualify for the race in June. Although it passed all the safety and design checks, it just didn't have enough power to make the grade. Team members still enjoyed the many challenges of fund-raising, organization, scheduling, design, and construction. They had the chance to apply a systems approach to a real hands-on project, while the school received valuable publicity, and a source of inspiration for future student competitors. The team is already starting on a new car for SunRayce 2001. All donations would be appreciated, Valley View Mall has committed to donating EPS material to build a mold for the next body. For more information about Sunrayce, see the web site at www.sunrayce.com, or contact David Webb at dwebb@vw.cc.va.us. Speakers and Topics – Any Ideas? What would you like to hear about at Chapter meetings? Here is your chance to express your views on computers, control systems, or any phase of industrial electronics. The audience consists of engineers, engineering students and professors, usually about a dozen or two. The talks are brief, one hour or less, with a half- hour for discussion afterwards. If you are developing a presentation for a larger audience, here is an opportunity to try it out. The format is informal. Chapter meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the GE Main Plant, 1501 Roanoke Boulevard, Salem, VA. All IEEE Members and guests are welcome. You do not have to be a member of the Chapter. Please contact me with your ideas at (540) 387-7359 or d.geer@ieee.org ....Dave Geer ***********************************************( 11 ) IEEE Invites Members To Review Pre-College Engineers Training Program PISCATAWAY, NJ, 3 August 1999 - IEEE seeks volunteers to review its new Pre-college Engineers Training (PET) resource web site. This site, once completed, will be a main component of IEEE PET, a program that will train engineers to work with K-12 teachers in an effort to increase the technological literacy of students worldwide. The PET resource web site is designed to sensitize engineers to educational issues such as curriculum development, classroom dynamics, available learning materials, and local implementation of educational standards. After completing the web- delivered training program, participating engineers will be accessible to the pre-college education community. "By nature of their professions, engineers and teachers really know very little about each other," explains Arthur Winston, vice president of IEEE Educational Activities. "In order to be effective resources to pre-college teachers, engineers must first be trained on various educational issues and skills." Members who volunteer to review the site will be given the secured web address and asked to share their comments/suggestions for improvement of the PET project. The IEEE will then revise the site as necessary. Following the revision, PET will be pilot tested by members in the Worcester, MA & North Jersey sections. A presentation about PET and a report on the test progress will be delivered at IEEE Sections Congress 1999. In early 2000, PET will be deployed throughout all IEEE Sections, and members will be encouraged to use it as a resource to help them serve the education community. Those interested in testing the PET training site should contact ChristyBouziotis at c.bouziotis@ieee.org, or call 1.732.562.6526. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) is the world's largest technical professional society, serving the interests of more than 330,000 members in the information and electrotechnology communities in approximately 150 countries. In keeping with its "Networking the World" slogan, the IEEE helps to foster technological innovation, enable members' careers, and promote worldwide professional community. ...editor ***********************************************( 12 ) New IEEE Video Prepares Engineers for PE Exam PISCATAWAY, NJ, 27 July 1999 - The IEEE has released PE Review: Electronics, a video tutorial that will prepare engineers to take the Electronics portion of the Professional Engineering (PE) Licensing Examination in October, 1999 or April, 2000. PE Review: Electronics focuses on the essential concepts required to analyze and design complex circuits and provides valuable hints on maximizing test scores. State licensing boards use examinations prepared by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). Expanding on the sample problems put forth in the NCEES's Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE), this video tutorial covers the following topics: Bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) Field effect transistors (FETs) Switching power supplies Operational amplifiers (Op-Amps) Frequency Response, and much more Presenters Dr. Martin S. Roden and Dr. Sidney Soclof have utilized their combined 65 years of experience, including courses presented through instructional television networks, to anticipate the types of questions viewers will have. Both Roden and Soclof are professional engineers and university professors. Run Time: 2 Hrs./15 Min. IEEE Order #: HV7044-QVE List Price: $199.00 IEEE Member Price: $125.00 Order from: IEEE Customer Service 445 Hoes Lane PO Box 1331 Piscataway, NJ 08855-1331 e-mail: customer-service@ieee.org phone: 1.800.678.4333 Web: http://www.ieee.org/eab For more information on this video tutorial, contact Patty Mickus IEEE Media Producer at p.mickus@ieee.org. To learn more about PE licensure, visit the NCEES Web site at www.ncees.org. ...editor ***********************************************( 13 ) IEEE COMPLETES SLOAN PROJECT, PRODUCES MULTIMEDIA CAREER RESOURCES PISCATAWAY, NJ, 14 May 1999 Many students are so immersed with technical subject matter that they often overlook what is needed for success in the "real world." To provide students with the necessary information to plan for their careers, the IEEE has produced the following multimedia resources that take an in-depth look at careers for electrical engineers and computer scientists: ? The IEEE Student Career Web site at http://www.ieee.org/organizations/eab /sloancareers/sloancareers.htm ? The CD-ROM, Careers for Electrical Engineers and Computer Scientists ? And two videos, What's Out There and Getting Ready "Although aimed at the college student, these materials are also helpful to high school students who are contemplating technical careers," said Peter Wiesner, director of continuing education for IEEE Educational Activities. "We want to encourage students to think about careers early, and provide them with the appropriate resources to do so." The IEEE was one of eleven professional associations to receive funding from The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to create products that explore the various career opportunities open to scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. To obtain information about the other participating associations, visit the Sloan Web site at www.careercornerstone.org. The CD-ROM and videos are available for purchase from: IEEE Customer Service Department 445 Hoes Lane PO Box 1331 Piscataway, NJ, 08855-1331 e-mail: customer-service@ieee.org Phone - 1.732.981.0060 To order the CD-ROM--$29.95 list and $19.95 for IEEE members: use code EC100-QVE To order the What's Out There video- -$24.95 list and $19.95 for IEEE members: use code EV5526-QVE. To order the Getting Ready video-- $24.95 list and 19.95 for IEEE members: use code EV5522-QVE. For more information on any of these products, visit IEEE Web address www.ieee.org/organizations/eab/ careeresource.htm. ...editor ***********************************************( 14 ) NEW Membership Information To help volunteers, members and prospective members answer questions about IEEE membership easily and quickly, the IEEE Membership department has compiled a listing of key Web pages for membership information at: www.ieee.org/membership/keyurls.html These pages contain answers to questions about such topics as the benefits of membership, IEEE dues, what publications are included in which Society memberships, and how a membership grade can be changed. For more information, contact Maria D'Alessio, IEEE Regional Activities. ...editor ***********************************************( 15 ) 1999-2000 MEETING SCHEDULE DATE SPEAKER/TOPIC MEETING PLACE September 16 50th Anniversary Hotel Roanoke November 18 Spouses Night Nancy Vorona, Industry Director for Advanced Materials & Electronics, Virginia Center forInnovative Technology "The Electronics Industry in Virginia - Plans for the Future" Clarion Hotel, Roanoke January 20 Joint Meeting: Microwave Theory and Techniques Roger Marks, Distinguished Lecturer, NIST "Standards for Broadband Wireless Access Systems” Appalachian Electric Power, Christiansburg February 17 Bart Cregger, Assistant Dean of Engineering, VCU "Engineering Education for the 21st Century: The Model at VCU" Appalachian Electric Power, Christiansburg March 16 Joint Meeting: Industrial Electronics/Computer/Control Systems TBD VMI, Lexington April 20 Student Project Night Virginia Tech May 18 Plant Tour Cloverdale Station ***********************************************( 16 ) Take Advantage of Your Member Benefits CONTINUING EDUCATION CURRENT TECHNICAL INFORMATION IEEE INFORMATION RETRIEVAL Ask*IEEE Document Delivery Service INFO: EMAIL: askieee@ieee.org CAREER TRANSITION SUPPORT ? Employment Services ? Job Listings ? Entry Level Resources ? Resume Listing Service ? Job Fairs ? Job Search Tools and Advice LINKS TO OVER 30 OTHER EMPLOYMENT RESOURCES SUCH AS: THE ACADEMIC POSITION NETWORK ADAMS JOBBANK ON-LINE AMERICA’S JOB BANK CAREERBUILDER OTHER ? Electronic Communications Services ? Directory Service (Aliases) ? Electronic Mail Services ? Mailing-Lists and Discussion Groups ? Majordomo Tutorial for ListOwners ? Usenet Newsgroups - ieee.* hierarchy ? Public Information Retrieval ? Anonymous-FTP Server ? File-Retrieval via E-Mail ? Traveling the Information Highway with Bob Alden ? IEEE Internet Project ? Info on IEEE RABFacts System 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 IEEE Group Insurance IEEE Conference Management and Travel Program Benefits and Services: Business Services Education Services Financing, Planning & Investing Home Services Insurance Plans/ Supplements Travel & Conference Registratio For access information and details on any of these, take your browser Directly to the IEEE at: Or to the VMS Home Page at: http://www.ieee.org/member.html http://fiddle.visc.vt.edu/ieeevms/ select: Links to IEEE, then Member Services ***********************************************( 17 ) IEEE Virginia Mountain Section VMS OFFICERS Chairman: Daniel W. Jackson d.jackson@ieee.org g (540) 774-0484 Vice Chairman: Dave Kingma dkingma@swva.net (540) 552-3011 x304 Sec./Treasurer: Howard J. Moses arcova@swva.net (540) 731-0655 VMS Executive Committee John Bay bay@vt.edu (540) 231-5114 Russell Churchill arcova@swva.net (540) 731-0655 John Fennick jhfslf@swva.net (540) 552-0052 Ira Jacobs ijacobs@vt.edu (540) 231-5620 Junior Past Chairman: David Livingston d.livingston@ieee.org (540) 857-6261 Virginia Council Representative: David Livingston d.livingston@ieee.org (540) 857-6261 VMS Chapter Chairs Industry Applications Dal Y. Ohm ohm@usit.net (540 ) 552-8973 Industrial Electronics/Computer/Control Systems David Geer d.geer@ieee.org (540) 387-7359 Microwave Theory & Techniques/Electron Devices Tim Gittemeier Tim.Gittemeier@gaastek.de.ittind.com (540) 563-3972 Power Engineering Ted Aaron Tea45@aol.com (540) 381-2521 COMMITTEE CHAIRS Awards : Ira Jacobs ijacobs@vt.edu (540) 231-5620 Membership Development: Vacant Nominations: David Livingston d.livingston@ieee.org (540) 857-6261 Anbo Wang awang@vt.edu (540) 231-4355 Lynn Abbott abbott@vt.edu (540) 231-4472 PACE : Dan Jackson d.jackson@ieee.org (540) 774-0484 Program : Dave Kingma dkingma@swva.net (540) 552-3011 x304 Publicity : John Fennick j.fennick@ieee.org (540) 552-0052 Student Activities: John Bay bay@vt.edu (540) 231-5114 NEWSLETTER Editor: John Fennick j.fennick@ieee.org (540) 552-0052 e-mail Newsletter Subscription Send the one-line message: SUBSCRIBE IEEEVMS your-name to: LISTSERV@listserv.vt.edu Anyone may submit material for the Newsletter Deadline: Monday following each meeting Submit To: Editor Change of Address VMS Web Page: http://fiddle.visc.vt.edu/ieeevms/ US Mail: IEEE Service Center 445 Hoes Lane, PO Box 1331 Piscataway, NJ 08855-1331 e-mail: address.change@ieee.org Tel: 800-678-IEEE Fax: 732-981-9667 IEEE Web: http://www.ieee.org/i3e_mailer.html (Changes are forwarded to the Newsletter) Visit the VMS WEB page: http://fiddle.visc.vt.edu/ieeevms Section/Chapter meeting notices, and reports. 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