IEEE Alabama Section Report - Nov 2003

Our Section officers for 2004 will be:
Chair		Steve Daniel
Vice Chair	Elizabeth Kuhn
Treasurer	David V. Conner
Secretary	Jim Rooker

Our current year list of contacts, including officers of the
Montgomery Subsection, is posted at: https://www.eng.uab.edu/ieeea/Contacts.htm.

We have held monthly Section meetings this year, except for the
customary two-month summer break. A wide variety of excellent guest
speakers was supplemented at most Section meetings this year by a
brief presentation on professional activities topics, with guest
speakers arranged by our PACE Chair.

Our March meeting was our traditional Student Night Job Fair, with
several local employers attending and interacting with a large number
of student members. Following dinner the speaker presentations
tailored to the students included "The Advantages and Processes of
Becoming a Professional Engineer" and "What to Look for in the Perfect
Employer".

The following technical society chapters are currently active in our
Section: Communications, Computer, Power Engineering, Industry
Applications, and Engineering Management. The Montgomery Subsection
has continued another active year.

Professional Activities in the Section continue to include
participation with the Engineering Council of Birmingham
(www.ecob.org) and the Joint Engineers Council of Alabama
(www.jeca.org).  Through ECOB we collaborate with other local
engineering professional organizations to fund scholarships for
students entering engineering schools and recognize our fellow
professionals at the annual awards banquet during National Engineers
Week. We also participate in activities like the Girls Scouts Math &
Science Fair and the UAB Engineering Open House.

Through JECA, we represent the engineering profession via interactions
with the Alabama Legislature. An annual legislative reception in
Montgomery, held in April this year, provides an opportunity for us to
meet with the legislators and discuss topics of interest. Our
membership in JECA enables us to gain early access to pending
legislation that needs inputs from the engineering community.

On the federal legislative front, three members of our Section
attended the Engineering Careers Congressional Visits Day in July on
Capitol Hill.

Our Section is working to finalize arrangements for a professional
development course that is a pilot project supported by the
Engineering Management Society. The course is expected to take place
either in early December or in January.


John Krupsky
2003 Chair
Alabama Section