New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan recently signed a commendation recognizing 60 years of contributions made by the IEEE New Hampshire Section to the State of New Hampshire. IEEE and IEEE-USA are active in continuing education for engineers and technologists, accreditation and programs for university students, and supporting STEM pre-college programs. IEEE and IEEE-USA publications are the most cited in U.S. Patent records, with more than 1,200 papers published per month. And IEEE and IEEE-USA fields of interest span from robotics and the smart grid, to cloud computing and medical technology.
“Engineering and technology are still areas that provide the best career opportunities for young people,” said New Hampshire Section Chair Dr. Jason Hui, also the systems engineering manager at BAE Systems. “Technology companies like BAE Systems, Digital Equipment, and many smaller companies have been key contributors to New Hampshire’s economic growth over the last 60 years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics continues to rate technology jobs as some of the top areas for job growth over the next decade,” he said.
“IEEE and IEEE-USA recognize the importance of promoting STEM activities to our elementary and high school level students. This past year, the N.H. Section awarded pre-university grants to fund STEM programs at four New Hampshire schools. The Section also participated in TechFest and the Young Inventors Program, along with other technology and career related activities,” according to Don Sherwood, chair of the Pre-University Committee. “This year we will continue supporting students, teachers and schools through our Pre-University Grant Program,” he said. Click here for details.
“Technologists have significant impact for the benefit of humanity,” said Section Vice-Chair Nita Patel, also the 2011 New Hampshire Engineer of the Year. Further, she said: “Medical technology, created by companies like DEKA Research, saves hundreds of lives a year in New Hampshire. With mobile devices able to monitor health status and genetic data analysis, we are in the middle of a quantum leap forward in health care, as well as innovation in medical technology.”
One of the participants at the signing was Ralph H. Baer, who was recently elevated to IEEE Fellow for contributions to the creation, development and commercialization of interactive video games. At 91, Baer continues to take interest in playing with new technology, and developing hands-on devices to excite and inspire kids.
The New Hampshire Section hosts more than 25 meetings for technologists, many of which are open to interested members of the public at no cost. These meetings not only serve the 1,600+ N.H. section members, but also interested professionals and students across the state. There are student chapters at Dartmouth, UNH Durham, UNH Manchester, NHTI and NHCC-Nashua.
“The New Hampshire Section recently adopted the theme Education for Innovation,” said Jim Isaak, past president of the IEEE Computer Society, and past member of the IEEE Board of Directors. “The value of professional activities is poorly understood. Many folks realize that technologists and engineers are a primary source of innovation. It is also broadly recognized that innovation leads to economic growth and new jobs. But this doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Ongoing education and cross-disciplinary interactions are the catalyst for innovation and problem solving. These interests are what IEEE and IEEE-USA offer at the local level in New Hampshire, with more than 1,300 technical conferences worldwide, and collaboration across the technology spectrum.”
Isaak was chair of IEEE and ISO POSIX/Linux standards activities for 15 years. He pointed out that “IEEE Standards are still at the heart of many key technologies, including Wi-Fi, otherwise known as IEEE Std. 802.11.”
Jim is past president of the IEEE Computer Society, past IEEE division director, on the Board of the IEEE Society for the Social Implications of Technology, past NH Computer Society chapter chair, and candidate for IEEE VP-Elect for Technical Activities. Jim has 30 years in industry, six in academia ,and is now “no longer paid for the work he does.”
Press Contact: Jim Isaak, 603-472-9082, CS2010@JimIsaak.com
