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IEEE/IEEE-USA’s New Face of Engineering Honored for Technological Innovations Benefiting Women and Children

WASHINGTON (1 March 2011) — Sampathkumar Veeraraghavan was recognized as the IEEE/IEEE-USA’s 2011 New Face of Engineering during National Engineer Week for developing technological solutions that improve the lives of disabled and impoverished women and children in India.Veeraraghavan was one of 14 engineers recognized for this international honor and featured in a full-page ad in USA Today on 21 February: http://www.eweek.org/Site/Engineers/newfaces2011/EWEEK_New_Faces.pdf   I’m humbled by this honor and would like to dedicate it to the disabled children that benefit from our programs,” Veeraraghavan said. “The recognition has motivated me to strongly pursue my passion toward designing engineering solutions to solve global humanitarian issues. In coming years, I will continue working to develop more technological solutions, and will strive hard to bring many more positives changes to the living conditions of people with disabilities.” Engineers Week (EWeek) was celebrated in the United States 20-26 February.Veeraraghavan, 27, is a component design engineer with the Intel Corp. and lives in Hudson, Mass. He earned his master’s degree in electrical engineering from Tufts University in Medford, Mass., in May 2010.After graduating from India’s Anna University with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering in 2005, Veeraraghavan visited a local school for developmentally disabled children in Chennai, India, where he saw children with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and other disorders. Their needs varied so much that proper therapy was impossible.So he and a group of medical professionals developed the Automated Screening System for Developmental Disorders, a 30-minute screening procedure that assists in the early detection of autism in children as young as 18 months.

Veeraraghavan recently created India’s first online database to collect and analyze information on the physically and mentally disabled. The Information System on Human and Health Services is helping to close the sizable gap in medical resources available to women and children in urban vs. rural areas. More than two million people in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu have been impacted by the system. Veeraraghavan has received numerous awards from IEEE and other organizations for his humanitarian work.The New Faces of Engineering program is sponsored by the National Engineers Week Foundation, a coalition of engineering societies, major corporations and government agencies. The program highlights the vitality, diversity and rich contributions of engineers under 30. They are honored annually during EWeek. IEEE-USA has participated in the program since its inception in 2003.A New Faces of Engineering, College Edition, is being started to promote the accomplishments of fourth- and fifth-year engineering students. It will highlight their academic success and student contributions to the industry and sponsoring society.

WASHINGTON (25 February 2011) — Discover Engineering Family Day drew a National Building Museum one-day record 13,994 visitors on Saturday 19 February to kick off National Engineers Week activities in the nation’s capital. IEEE-USA, which played a leadership role in the launch of the first Family Day in 1993, is one of the event’s major sponsors.Family Day introduces children to basic engineering concepts with hands-on and thought-provoking activities. At IEEE-USA’s exhibit, children learned about what type of materials conduct electricity and how basic electrical circuits and light bulbs operate. See Washington FOX 5 coverage at http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/mornings/holly_live/holly-morris-discover-engineering-family-day-021811#.  On Tuesday, IEEE-USA President Ron Jensen presented awards to two teams at the Future City Competition National Finals: the third-place award to Davidson (N.C.) IB Middle School; and the Best Communications System Award to the Alexander Dawson School of Las Vegas. The third-place team will receive a $2,000 scholarship from IEEE-USA for the school’s science and technology program. IEEE-USA EWeek liaison Murty Polavarapu and fellow Virginia IEEE member Kiki Ikossi judged the communications award. Each of those students will also receive a $100 U.S. Savings Bond.The Future City Competition (www.futurecity.org), conceived in IEEE-USA offices in 1993, is designed to promote technological literacy and engineering to middle school students. Under the guidance of an engineer/mentor and teacher, children create their own vision of a future city, working first on computer and then constructing three-dimensional scale models. The students also have to write an essay about a predetermined challenge the city might face.More than 1,100 schools and 33,000 students from across the United States competed during the 2010-11 season. Thirty-five regional champions earned a trip to Washington for the National Finals.  Sampathkumar Veeraraghavan was recognized as the IEEE/IEEE-USA New Face of Engineering. An electrical engineer and recent graduate of Tufts University, Veeraraghavan develops technological solutions to global humanitarian issues for disabled and impoverished women and children. He was one of 14 engineers featured in a full-page ad in USA Today on Monday: http://www.eweek.org/Site/Engineers/newfaces2011/EWEEK_New_Faces.pdf.  The New Faces of Engineering recognition program is sponsored by the National Engineers Week Foundation, a coalition of engineering societies, major corporations and government agencies. The program highlights the vitality, diversity and rich contributions of engineers under 30. They are honored annually during Engineers Week.A New Faces of Engineering, College Edition, program is being started to promote the accomplishments of fourth- and fifth-year engineering students. It will highlight their academic success and student contributions to the industry and sponsoring society.

Electric Vehicles to Take Center Stage at IEEE-USA Workshop in Austin

WASHINGTON (25 February 2011) — The new Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf will be featured attractions at the IEEE-USA Electric Vehicles & Personal Transportation Workshop on Friday 4 March at the Renaissance Austin (Texas) Hotel. The event will explore the challenges and opportunities of electric vehicle transportation and feature eight panels of more than 20 technology, industry, academic and policy experts.Craig Eppling, a regional communications manager for General Motors, will discuss the Volt on the electric vehicle market panel. He will be joined by Mark Perry, director of product planning for Nissan America; and Rob Ferber, chief technology officer for KLD Energy Technologies. Ferber is a former science director at Tesla Motors and was responsible for Tesla’s early drive train integration of motor, controller and battery systems.The Volt, which uses electricity at all times to run the vehicle, has an all-electric range of 35 to 40 miles. After that, an onboard gasoline-powered generator recharges the lithium-ion battery to extend your driving range another approximately 340 miles. The Leaf is 100 percent electric and uses no gasoline. It has a driving range of about 100 miles when fully charged and has to be recharged to drive further. Both cars are plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and use regenerative braking.Other workshop focus areas include charging infrastructure; PEVs and the electricity business; customer acceptance; managing PEV loads; electric vehicle policy issues; PEVs and the electric grid; and personal electric transportation.In addition to the Volt and Leaf, personal transportation devices such as electric scooters and bicycles are also scheduled to appear.

The cost for the workshop, which includes a buffet breakfast, lunch, coffee breaks and a post-event reception, is $175 for IEEE members and $200 for nonmembers. It will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information and to register, see http://www.ieeeusa.org/calendar/workshops/EVPT/default.asp.   Exhibit and sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Colonel Mason at colonel@prfirm1.com or 214-329-4949. You can follow previews of the workshop on the ScienceNews Radio Network (http://www.promiseoftomorrow.biz/). 

New IEEE-USA President Looks to Advance U.S. Innovation & Entrepreneurship

WASHINGTON (8 February 2011) — New IEEE-USA President Ron Jensen has identified advancing U.S. innovation, entrepreneurship and competitiveness as his priorities for 2011. “Engineers and technologists are innovators and job creators,” Jensen said. “The more technology specialists we unleash in the workforce, the better our opportunity to revitalize the U.S. economy. Our nation’s ability to innovate new products and services will help us to compete globally and create jobs in the United States.”Jensen, who became IEEE-USA president on 1 January, succeeds Evelyn Hirt. Jim Howard is president-elect.Jensen is encouraged by the recently announced public/private partnership, Startup America, and its potential to increase the number of new businesses that have high-growth, high job-creating potential. See http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/startup-america  .IEEE-USA supports and promotes high-tech entrepreneurship through programs like its Entrepreneurs Village, TechMatch and IEEE Alliance of Consultants Networks. In 2009, IEEE-USA entered into a partnership with the Small Business Administration to assist high-tech entrepreneurs starting new ventures. Federal and state resources are available at http://www.ieeeusa.org/careers/entrepreneurs/resources.asp#SBA.  “I am especially interested in understanding how we can help our members become more innovative, entrepreneurial and competitive in the global economy,” Jensen said. “We have to understand what our members’ careers will be like 5 to 10 years from now and support their adjustment to that environment.”IEEE-USA will also work with other science and engineering organizations to encourage Congress to fund the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010. The legislation, which was signed into law in December, authorizes federal investment in science, engineering, innovation, technology and competitiveness. Its goal is to help the United States maintain its world technology leadership and to create jobs.Meet the New IEEE-USA PresidentRonald G. Jensen enjoyed a 40-year career with IBM. He held positions in semiconductor development and applications, chip development, system design, systems architecture, management and project management. He assisted in the development of several IBM families of computers and servers, and retired in 2009 as a chief engineering manager.Jensen’s professional interests range from systems architecture and embedded systems to technical education, management and strategic planning, to the use of the Internet, collaboration tools and social networking to build a professional environment.