National Engineers Week is February 17^th – 23^rd.  This is a good time to reflect on the past accomplishments of engineers and think about future advances that are predicted.  Electrical Engineers can take pride when reflecting on the developments of the recent past.  Ubiquitous computing, cell phones, and the internet are all achievements that have occurred in the lifetime of many of NoVA members.

The District of Columbia Council of Engineering and Architectural Societies (DCCEAS) plans a number of activities during Engineers Week.  The week kicks off on Saturday, February 16^th from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with Discover Engineering Family Day.  Family Day is designed to introduce children from ages 4 to 12 years old to the wonders of engineering.  The event is once again being staged at the National Building Museum. Engineers of all types will be on hand to share their love of the design-and-build process.  The IEEE/IEEE-USA will be represented at the event and is looking for volunteers to help staff our booth. Duties include speaking about IEEE/IEEE-USA and our programs as well as assistance with hands-on activities.  Sign up for a shift at http://bit.ly/DEFD2019.

Section News

The NoVA Section is in the middle of planning events and activities for 2019.  This will be the topic of the February 13th and March 13th AdCom Meetings.  You are welcome to attend and to assist with this planning.  If you are not able to join us but have ideas for events, you can send them to me or any AdCom member.

Note that Michaela Iorga, Vice Chair, is working diligently to update the section’s website (https://r2.ieee.org/nova/).  We want to make it a useful tool for you.

The Leadership Training session will be hosted this year on February 9th by our NoVA section in collaboration with Washington and Baltimore sections.  Organized again by Doug Holly, these free events have been an invaluable way for new and prospective volunteers to learn about IEEE’s structure and how to serve as section and chapter officers and volunteers.  Seats are still available, but space is limited.

Volunteering

IEEE NoVA always welcomes new volunteers.  We have a number of one-time events for which help is needed and longer-term roles that need to be filled.  Let me know if you wish to explore ways to work with your fellow IEEE members.

If you have ever considered assuming a role in your section, the Leadership Training session is a great opportunity to meet current volunteers and to learn about ways you can work with us.

The section has been very active in working with local STEM projects.  We know that many local schools struggle to find enough volunteers for their Science and Engineering Fairs.  You can find out how you can help in Fairfax County at https://r2.ieee.org/nova/calendar/local-non-ieee-events/.  You can also contact your local school to see whether they are looking for help with their fairs.

Upcoming Events

The best way to stay informed of local activities is to visit the NoVA website’s pages https://r2.ieee.org/nova/events/ that lets you search for events of interest, or https://r2.ieee.org/nova/calendar/ that provides a list of the next 2 months events.

The events currently scheduled for next few months include:

Special Forums, Seminars, and Conferences

We’re fortunate to have the Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference in nearby Washington, DC on February 17-20.  The 10th Conference on Innovative Smart Grid Technologies (ISGT 2019), sponsored by the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES), will feature plenary sessions, panel sessions, technical papers, and tutorials by experts representing the electric utilities, regulators, technology providers, academia, the national laboratories, and both federal and state governments.  Detailed information is available at http://ieee-isgt.org/.

Best wishes,

Michael Olex

Chair, IEEE Northern Virginia Section