IEEE Region 2 PACE Status Report

As the year-end appears on the horizon, it is time to take stock of how we in Region 2 are doing  in serving our members and the public in 'professional' activities (PACE).
All in all, I am pleased to say that we are doing very well! 75% of our Sections have held at least one PACE event this year.  We desperately need a couple of sections to step up and start planning some events quickly to reach our objective of 100%. We have also done in well in documenting the events held to date with over 90% filing of reports.  We have also approved 82% of available funding for disbursements.  But that should not let you stop from bringing forward any good ideas for PACE events.  We will find the money somewhere!

I also want to provide here the descriptions of the activities to stimulate your thinking on what you can do in your section.  As we all know, there is no need to 'reinvent the wheel'.

Professional Skills Development:
Career Workshop (Philadelphia)
Writing Technical Papers (Cleveland)
PE Licensing (Pittsburgh)
Engineering and Project Management Workshop (Erie)
Effective Communications (Northern Virginia - planned)
High Power Microwave Applications (Central Pennsylvania)
Resume Workshop (Susquehanna)

Public Policy:
Grassroots Advocacy (Pittsburgh)
Patent Reform (Washington, Northern Virginia)
Congressional Visits – SET and Energy Fly-in (Philadelphia)
Section Meeting with Congressman (Southern New Jersey)

Student Activities:
Technical Paper Competitions (West Virginia, Cincinnati, Dayton)
Climate Change Workshop (U of Pittsburgh – Johnstown)
STEP -Student Transition and Elevation Partnership (Baltimore)

Pre-College Activities:
Robotics Competitions (Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Southern New Jersey)
Underwater Robotics (Baltimore)
Teacher –In-Service Program (Lima)
Science Fairs (Northern Virginia, Washington)

Volunteer Leadership Development:
Annual Leadership Workshop (Washington, Northern Virginia)
Region 2 Leadership Workshop (Erie)
IEEE-USA Awareness (Delaware)

Let me know how I can help you....

More IEEE-USA Webinars

You can register for these webinars at www.ieeeusa.org/careers/webinars.  You will also find there archived webinars that have been presented previously.

Find the Job you want in this Turbulent Economy                

12 Aug 2011 2-3 PM ET             John Hoschette

Every engineer needs strong career-planning strategies in order to survive and get ahead in corporate America. This workshop (webinar) is packed with real-world tips supported by actual work experiences and examples. Step-by-step guidance in handling a multitude of career issues is presented and includes course workbook pages to develop a resume, cover letter, a 30-second "commercial" and much more.

Risk Management Series: Application of Risk Management During Project Definition       

17 Aug 2011 12-1 PM ET             Paul Kostek

Starting a new project? This Webinar will address the steps to applying risk management during the project definition steps, i.e. user needs and systems requirements. Whether you work in a regulated industry – medical or aviation – or another industry this Webinar will show how applying risk management can improve project performance by identifying technical and design issues early in the project.

Business Organizations for Engineers                

25 Aug 2011 2-3 PM ET             David Ostfeld

Entrepreneurs are confronted with many issues when they're first starting out. Not only are they working to prefect their product and bring it to market, but entrepreneurs are also faced with deciding what the best business structure is for the companies they're trying to create. This IEEE-USA webinar will explore the different types of organizational structures entrepreneurs can use in starting their businesses. The webinar will examine the pros and cons of these different structures ranging from a "Sole Proprietorship" to a "Limited Liability Company (LLC)" to a "Corporation." Attending this webinar will provide entrepreneurs with valuable information that will give them a leg up on starting their business.

IEEE Job Site Career Webinar: Vestas Graduate Programme                

14 Sep 2011 10 AM EST (17:00 CET)             Vestas

Vestas Systems A/S -- the No. 1 global manufacturer, seller, installer and servicer of wind turbines -- will discuss how recent graduates, students, grad students, and young professionals with one to two years work experience -- all of whom hold a 3.5 GPA and has a Master's Degree or are/will be studying to obtain one -- can join the Vestas Graduate Programme.

Risk Management Series: Risk Management Standards and Decision-making               

 21 Sep 2011 2-3 PM ET             Ed Perkins

This webinar will discuss risk management, provide an overview of some of the risk domains and the risk standards that have been or are being developed, and present options for attendees on how they can apply risk management and risk-based decision-making in their careers.

A Voyage into Entrepreneurship and to the International Space Station               

 28 Sep 2011 2-3 PM ET             Dr. Gregory H. Olsen

Dr. Gregory H. Olsen will conduct this webinar about his experiences as an entrepreneur and scientist, and how the two interests have intersected to enrich his life. Most remember Dr. Olsen when, in October 2005, he became the third private citizen to make a self-funded trip into space. Dr. Olsen has also distinguished himself by co-founding companies, and is currently presiding as President of GHO Ventures, LLC, where he manages his angel investments. Please join us for this most interesting discussion where you will learn some of the dos and don'ts of entrepreneurship and hear how Dr. Olsen's accomplishments led him into space.

Risk Management Series: Enterprise Risk Management and Information System Security                

19 Oct 2011 12-1 PM ET             Peter Malpass, FAA

This webinar discusses enterprise risk management and its dovetail with other risk management approaches, particularly information system security (ISS). It provides an overview of how risk management works and some business / public service value and specific-discipline models to ensure coverage of risk domains. It introduces how enterprise and ISS risk management can interleave to the benefit of both. The webinar also provides ideas on how to sell and implement risk management at work.

Risk Management Series: Lean/Six Sigma and Risk Reduction                

16 Nov 2011 2-3 PM ET             Adina Suciu, Adav LLC

This webinar will discuss the Lean Six Sigma methodologies and their synergy with Risk Management. It covers the fundamental areas of the Lean Six Sigma, addressing both the concepts and approaches and how they apply to Risk Management. The course provides an opportunity for participants to fine tune their understanding and application skills through a structured review of the key topics, class discussions, exercises, and practice questions.

Risk Management Series: Risk-based Metrics for Software System Design, Development and Test               

14 Dec 2011 12-1 PM ET             Jeffrey Voas, NIST

This webinar will introduce a variety of factors that if left unaddressed increase the risk of undesirable system behavior, including reliability, security, privacy, performance, fault tolerance, resilience, availability, sustainability and maintainability. In the context of these desirable attributes, we will also discuss how vulnerabilities, threats, weakness, defects, and exploits greatly reduce the ability to ensure acceptable system behavior. We will do so by examining the financial and technical trade-offs of these factors that must be considered in order to move from unacceptable risk to tolerable risk.

IEEE-USA Career Webinars

Don't miss these!
Register at http://ieeeusa.org/careers/webinars/
 

Engineering — The View From Here      

09 June 2011, 2-3 PM             Reece Lumsden

In this one-hour webinar, Reece Lumsden offers frank guidance on navigating the early years of your engineering career through a combination of personal accounts and meticulously researched facts. Written in an open and conversational style that is action oriented and easy to understand, Reece approaches engineering holistically and from a variety of vantage points rather than through a single, technically focused myopia.

The Upside of Being Downsized     

23 June 2011, 2-3 PM             Diane Young

If you have been downsized or fear that you may be, then you will want to attend this informative and thought-provoking webinar. Career coach Diane Young will present ways to turn a challenge into an opportunity by changing your outlook. She will discuss how you can set and achieve goals, and also provide examples of how to survive and thrive in a down economy.

Beyond Job Satisfaction     

30 June 2011, 2-3 PM             Nigel Bristow

Given the uncertainties and challenges created by the global economy, career planning has become more—not less—important. Yet, most people continue to spend more time planning their vacations than they do their careers. Whatever your career needs, the Beyond Job Satisfaction webinar will help you prioritize them and then develop a roadmap for getting you to where you want to go.

Find the Job you want in this Turbulent Economy        

12 August 2011, 2-3 PM             John Hoschette

Every engineer needs strong career-planning strategies in order to survive and get ahead in corporate America. This workshop (webinar) is packed with real-world tips supported by actual work experiences and examples. Step-by-step guidance in handling a multitude of career issues is presented and includes course workbook pages to develop a resume, cover letter, a 30-second "commercial" and much more.                                                                                                                                                                                              

IEEE EMBS, Baltimore Technical & Professional Development Seminar

The IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) , Baltimore Chapter is holding a Chapter Meeting and a Technical/Professional Summer Seminar on June 11, 2011 at the National Electronics Museum located near BWI airport. We have two speakers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Location: National Electronics Museum 1745 West Nursery Road (next to Marriott Hotel at BWI Linthicum Heights, MD Date: 11-June-2011 Time: 10:30AM to 02:00PM Register for the event: http://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/meeting_view/list_meeting/6973 Speakers: 1. Bola Asiyanbola, MD, MRCS Assistant Professor of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Topic: "Multi-perspective technology: A new solution for post-operative retained foreign bodies using Computer Aided Detection" Postoperative retained foreign bodies are a recalcitrant problem. Automated Data Identity Capture (ADIC) technologies have been developed recently to detect retained foreign bodies, however, these systems mainly track and do not detect RFB. In addition ADIC can only be used on sponges therefore X-rays are still necessary. The addition of CAD in X-rays to detect RFB will aid accuracy of detection and reduce the false negative results of X-rays alone. 2. Boris Gramatikov, PhD Assistant Professor, Wilmer Opthalmologial Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Topic: “Physiological background, optical principles and electronic technologies for tracking eye movements” Many clinical situations require precise identification of the direction of gaze, often even without calibration. This is possible by utilizing the birefringent properties of the fovea - the most sensitive part of the retina. Birefringence is the property of materials to change the polarization state of light. The talk will focus on retinal/foveal birefringence scanning using polarized light, to detect eye alignment and central fixation in young children with the goal of screening for risk of amblyopia ("lazy eye"). In addition, eye-tracking applications will be discussed.

PACE Doubleheader Weekend April 30 - May 1 2011

I am at the Career Workshop in Philadelphia Saturday April 30.  This workshop featuring talks about Employment Trends, Career Strategy, Communications, Resume Development, Interviewing Skills and IEEE Resources is going extremely well. People have travelled from Maryland, Delaware, North Jersey to attend this event.  I am facilitating the webcasting of this event to Region 1 and Region 3 Sections as well.  It is also being recorded for later viewing.

The second PACE event of this weekend is at Baltimore where their renowned Robot Challenge is taking place.  It is their 15th year of bringing teams from local schools and creating the spark of engineering challenge in the minds of the young students. I hope to be there tomorrow to lend a hand.  Check out their website for pictures from last year.
http://www.robotchallenge.com/

Volunteer Training Workshop at Erie, PA

We had a very successful Volunteer Training Workshop at Erie, PA on Saturday April 17 in connection with the Region 2 Committee Meeting and the Student Activities Conference. We covered a whole gamut of topics including IEEE Overview, vTools, Officers' Roles, SAMIEEE etc.  The charts presented at the meeting including the IEEE brand video are available at the Region 2 Online Community http://region2.oc.ieee.org.   You can request access to it by using your IEEE userid and password. Let me know if you have any difficulty.  Look for a folder containing Erie Workshop material under 'Content'.

The Student Activities Conference featured over 280 students from all over Region 2 and included a Student Leader Worskhop.  A summary of that workshop including resources for Student Branches is also included in the Region 2 Online Community (in the same folder as the Volunteer Training Workshop).

The prize winners at the Student Activities Conference are listed at http://behrend.psu.edu/academic/engineering/IEEE-SAC/competitions.htm

The photos from the Student Activities Conference are at http://on.fb.me/f7lbqU.

Employment Network for your Section

In the present uncertain climate for jobs, it is important to offer our members all possible channels of communications for employment opportunities.  IEEE-USA Vice President Gary Blank and Region 3 Director Lee Stogner are offering a free webinar.  Be sure to attend! 
IEEE-USA Webinar: "How Can Your Section Start an Employment Network?"
Presenters: Gary Blank and Clarence "Lee" Stogner
20 April 2011, 2:00 - 3:00 PM Eastern USA
Register at http://www.ieeeusa.org/careers/webinars/2011/webinar-04-20-11.html

The IEEE-USA's career resources are available at www.ieeeusa.org/careers.  The main IEEE website also has job information at careers.ieee.org.  Please promote these on your Section websites. 

PACE Project proposals rolling in...

PACE Project proposals have been received so far from Philadelphia, Northern Virginia, Central Pennsylvania, Dayton, Erie, West Virginia and Susquehanna Sections. Some have all the papework but some do not but it is good to see the momentum and I hope other Sections can follow these leaders.


I know other Sections already have conducted some projects or planning some. Please do let me know the status and how I can help.

Remember, at one PACE project in each of our 20 Sections this year!

Central Pennsylvania Section's Professional Development Workshop

Russel Vela from Central Pennsylvania Section invites you to the “2nd Annual Professional Development Workshop”. This year’s workshop will focus on both the generation of High Power Microwaves and their applications.

The 2nd Annual Professional Development Workshop, to be held on April 16th, is designed to promote the understanding and application of specific areas of interest to the academic, government and industrial communities of Central Pennsylvania. This second workshop is an all day event, and will focus on the understanding and application of high power microwaves (HPMs) and the application of HPMs to material processing. Two, two hour seminars will be given by professionals with years of experience in these ares. The "High Power Microwave Generation - Issues and Challenges" seminar will be presented by Dr. Andreas A. Neuber of Texas Tech University and the "Microwave Materials Processing: An Overview" seminar will be presented by Dr. Dinesh K. Agrawal of the Pennsylvania State University.

Please register at http://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/meeting_view/list_meeting/6087
More information can also be found on the main page of the Central PA website (http://www.ieee.org/go/centralpa). While there is a registration fee associated with this event, it includes the cost of both two hour seminars, lunch, and handouts provided during the event. It should be noted that the obtainment of continuing education units (CEUs), or professional development hours (PDHs), is possible for this workshop, see website for details.

We would also appreciate your help in spreading word about this event.   A flyer is available at
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/24326274/CentralPAIEEE_2ndAnnualWorkshop_HPM_Flyer.pdf

The point of contact is
Jeremy Bossard
jbossard@ieee.org
814-865-2212
http://www.ieee.org/go/centralpa
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/24326274/CentralPAIEEE_2ndAnnualWorkshop_HPM_Flyer.pdf

IEEE-USA Webinars for professional development

Stuff You Don't Learn in Engineering School
Presenter: Carl Selinger
Date: Thursday, 14 April 2011
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 PM EST
Overview
Engineers today start their careers with excellent technical skills and subject-matter expertise. However, they are often less able to cope with the people, procedures and pressures of the real world. This one-hour webinar discusses the 12 most important soft skills engineers need to be more effective in work and in life. Using straight talk and down-to-earth examples, skills covered include: decision-making, setting priorities and managing time, running meetings, working in teams, better understanding of yourself and others (like co-workers, clients and your manager!), leadership skills, negotiating, getting feedback, dealing with stress and having fun, and, of course, improving speaking, writing and listening. 
Register Now

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How Can Your Section Start an Employment Network?
Date: Wednesday, 20 April 2011
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 PM EST
Overview
Employment Networks are beginning to form in Regions and Sections by IEEE members who are looking for work across the IEEE landscape. These Employment Networks are providing support and guidance by helping to review resumes, conduct mock interviews as well as sharing networking tips and news of job opportunities. During this webinar, members from Region 3 and the Rock River Valley Section of Region 4 will share their stories about how they were able to start their Employment Networks. Please join us for this informative webinar about how you can start your own Employment Network.


Register Now

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Fearless Networking for Engineers
Overview
Professional networking can be really challenging. This webinar simplifies the concept of networking and provides useful tips on how to network as an introvert. Learn the questions that can help you interact with people in your professional network and enhance your career today! "Fearless Networking for Engineers" was streamed live on 23 February as part of the IEEE Gold Webinar series.
http://ieeeusa.org/careers/webinars/

Career Workshop in Philadelphia

I am pleased to spread the news about the upcoming Career Workshop being organized by the Philadelphia Section with the help of IEEE-USA Career and Workforce Policy Committee in cooperation with the IEEE-USA Employment and Career Services Committee. 


Date: Saturday, April 30, 2011

Time: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Cost: [$20 for IEEE members; $30 for non members, $10 for students and unemployed.] Includes coffee, lunch, and handout of slides

Location: Temple University (Room 126, Engineering Building)  Philadelphia, PA

Registration Link: http://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/meeting_view/list_meeting/5909

The goal of this event is to teach you how to help yourself manage/run your career in this era of globalization and selective hiring. Learn about:
- Changes in the job market, list of resulting challenges,
- Job market requirements, how you relate to market, your business model,
- Analyzing personal factors impacting adapting to new workplace,
- Starting a personal career plan, values statement, and branding,
- New methods of job search, and begin development of your elevator pitch,
- Understanding the interview process, what to expect, how to present yourself,
- How to help yourself using IEEE resources and be motivated to try new job search approaches.

Please spread the word.  
 

Welcome to IEEE Region 2 PACE Blog

As the IEEE Region 2 PACE Coordinator for 2011, it is my pleasure to invite you to this blog which I hope will be a forum for interactive dialog about professional development activities across our region.

I will post here useful links, information about events being organized by different IEEE sections across our region, tips for successful planning.  Please feel free to share your suggestions and any questions you might have.  

As most of you know, the just concluded IEEE-USA Annual Conference featured a rich variety of technical and professional development sessions.  This is the link for the presentations of most of the speakers.
http://ieeeusa.org/calendar/conferences/annualmeeting/2011/program/default.asp


What are your hot buttons? What help do you need in organizing Section activities? Let me know.

Murty Polavarapu