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Letter from the EditorJanet O'Neil – Editor, EMC Society Newsletter |
EMCS Newsletter Editor
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I recall when I became editor of the EMC Society Newsletter that outgoing editor Bob Goldblum told me "Remember, you don't need to write a letter from the editor in every issue. You only need to write one when you have something to say." Well, in this issue, I have plenty to say! Here goes....
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Exhibitors in Zurich included the company Innoveda based in Camarillo, California. Staffing the Innoveda booth are Guy de Burgh and Gene Garat (L-R). |
When she wasn't presenting a paper in Zurich, Maria Sabrina Sarto of the University of Rome "La Sapienza" was busy promoting the EMC Europe 2002 conference in Sorrento, Italy. She encouraged Sergio Di Michele of Stork Screens B.V. in The Netherlands to attend this conference next year. |
In February, I attended the 14th International Zurich Symposium and Technical Exhibition on EMC as a member of the EMC Society Board of Directors. I was impressed by the Symposium for many reasons. From attending the press conference held during the Symposium (I attended as the Editor of the EMCS Newsletter), I learned that over 600 people attended representing over 30 countries and all continents. Interest-ingly, according to the Symposium organizers, there were 94 people attending from Switzerland, a number which is decreasing, while there were 67 people from the USA, a number which is increasing. 200 papers were submitted of which 39% were rejected. Some 50 exhibitors of EMC related products and services participated. EMC modeling was one of the most significant topics at the Symposium. Four regular sessions and several other events at the symposium were devoted to recent technical developments in EMC testing and associated future global EMC standards. Emerging communication and information technologies with ever increasing channel bandwidths and clock frequencies above 1 GHz ensured that the special IEEE EMC Society workshop would be well attended (see cover story). At the Symposium Banquet, the program was very interesting and entertaining. Outgoing Zurich Symposium President Peter Leuthold acknowledged the past Presidents of the IEEE EMC Society who were present and thanked the EMC Society for its support of the Symposia over the years. Next year, at age 65, Professor Leuthold is retiring as Symposium President. He thanked the technical program chairs, including Ralph Showers, Clayton R. Paul, and Fred Tesche for their support over the years, noting "They are responsible for the high quality of the conference under the guidance of Gabriel Meyer." Several vendors were also acknowledged for supporting the Symposium over the years. Receiving awards for exhibiting continuously at the Symposium since 1981 were Haefely Test, Rohde & Schwarz (they were recognized as being one of the first exhibitors since 1977), Schaffner EMV and Montena EMC. President Leuthold oberved that the Zurich Symposium has come a long way since it was started by Tomas Dvorak. The incoming Zurich Symposium President, Ruediger Vahldieck, Chair for Field Theory with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Laboratory for Electromagnetic Fields and Microwave Electronics, warmly recognized the leadership of Peter Leuthold. He presented Pro-fessor Leuthold with an ice-pick and plenty of rope so he could climb mountains next year during his retirement and "reach the top of the world." Following this glowing and sincere tribute to Professor Leuthold, the banquet attendees were entertained by a gentleman who played numerous songs on wine glasses (that's the photo on the cover of this Newsletter). It was a very special evening at the Dolder Grand Hotel and a special week at the 14th International Zurich Symposium and Technical Exhibition on EMC.
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The Zurich Symposium attracted a global audience of EMC engineers including (L-R) Takeo Yoshino of the Fukui University of Technology, Radio Physics Research Lab, Yoshio Kami of the University of Electro-Communications, and Atsuya Maeda of A. Maeda Associates, Inc. |
Computer Simulation Technology (CST) presented an attractive booth and lively staff at the Zurich Symposium. Dr. Ralf Ehmann of CST GmbH, Dr. Emmanuel Leroux of CST Italy, and Tilmann Wittig of Darmstadt University of Technology in Germany, (L-R) enjoyed the booth traffic between the technical sessions. |
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The EMCS Board of Directors hosted a cocktail party following the Zurich Symposium party. This provided an informal opportunity for former EMCS President and IEEE Division IV Director Bill Gjertson of Boeing and his wife Marianne to visit with the incoming Zurich Symposium President Ruediger Vahldieck (L-R). Professor Vahldieck is also the chairman of the Switzerland joint EMC, AP and MTT Chapter. |
In March, I attended the IEEE Panel of Editors Meeting in San Diego, California as Editor of the EMC Society Newsletter. It was important to attend the meeting as this Newsletter will evolve into an official EMC Society magazine in 2002. Several key IEEE personnel who will be instrumental in helping our Society with this transition were at this meeting, including Bob Smrek, Laura Pohl and Susan Schneiderman. Over 150 IEEE Society Editors of Newsletters, Magazines and Transactions were present to learn about new policies, procedures, services, etc. In other words, we learned how to be more effective as editors. I also learned about recent developments with the IEEE Xplore web based "product". An advertisement for Xplore follows this column so you can learn more about this valuable product offering for IEEE members.
Lastly, I have to say something about Todd Hubing! Mr. Hubing is retiring from his post as Associate Editor for the Newsletter's popular Chapter Chatter column! As the deadline for each issue of the Newsletter drew near, I'd worry just how late Todd would be in submitting his column. I always threatened that I would "fire" him, but he would submit such funny columns that I ended up in tears reading them. That is, they were tears from laughing so hard! So, I would forgive and forget until the scenario would play out with each subsequent issue. Well, I don't have Todd Hubing to kick around as Associate Editor anymore. That means I need to find another person to take my "kicks." While I conduct a search for someone to replace the irreplaceable Todd Hubing, please contact me if you or anyone you know might be interested in volunteering for this position. All you really need is the ability to meet deadlines and a good sense of humor. Please read Todd's last column in this Newsletter on page 6 for insight on what's basically required of the job. Then, if you are still interested, let me know. Seriously though, I have tremendously enjoyed reading Todd's column over the years and will miss his unique sense of humor. It's not often that I sit at my computer, read his Chapter Chatter opening column and bury my head in my hands while I wipe the tears away! Thanks Todd for the years of fun reading! EMC