IEEE President-ElectCandidate Forum

Region 6September 22, 2004

IEEE Region 6Evelyn H. Hirt, Director

Michael R. Lightner Candidate for

2005 IEEE President-Elect

University of Colorado, BoulderECE, CS, Rehabilitation Medicine

Denver Section, Region 5Local arrangements, 2005 Region 5 conference

Societies: Circuits and Systems, Computer, Communication,Signal Processing, Engineering Medicine and Biology, and EducationEditor, Conference Chair, Society President, Division Director, VP-Technical Activities, VP-Publications,

ece.colorado.edu/~lightner/IEEE/

This is a Time of Change for IEEE

Major strategic studies on membership publications, conferences and societies

Expect changes this year and next Board is listening and supporting change Retiring ED allows revisioning IEEE staff

leadership This is not business as usual We must take advantage of this openness

to change

What are the Challenges

The value equation for IEEE is broken The value and importance of volunteers

is not adequately acknowledged Challenges to our publishing activities

This is a $30M net to IEEE that is at risk The pipeline for engineering and

computer science is too small The reputation of engineers and

computer scientists

The Value Equation

Need more options for members at reasonable prices

Professional Education Personal HomePages Personalized Information Services

Goal - General member fees $40-$60 (?) (Spectrum, Institute, TBD ,,,),

then buy services from menu gain additional services and recognition based on

volunteering

The Volunteers Volunteers -our most valuable resource - est. at

$750M/yr ! IEEE needs volunteers. Mechanisms for attracting volunteers

Reputation for excellence, community of peers Chance for leadership and making a difference 15% of members are volunteers. 50% of volunteers are not

members. Reviewers <50% IEEE members, authors ~50% IEEE

members, conference committees - no requirement to be IEEE member

We need more creative thinking to attract and retain volunteers

Senior Member & Distinguished Member based on Service

Publication and Information Access

Products and Services - Future is providing solutions not papers, journals, etc.

Open access movement a challenge to our publications and membership

Our successful packaged products challenge membership

My proposed response We should not have a library of publications, but rather an

evolving and richly featured research tool. Possible ‘iTunes’ model $1/paper download plain pdf Combining solution packages with iTunes downloads gives us

Open Access without charging authors and maintains our net revenue from publications.

Publications and Information Access

We must capture the tremendous educational activities of the IEEE

for professional education as a member benefit as product for non-members Build on partnership models of Computer Society

and LEOS, connecting with chapter and section activities and others

Building the reach of our Standards activities Participating globally in the future of

engineering education

Pipeline and Reputation

We must build a serious effort in pre-college education

Language in pre-college should have recognition and respect for engineering and computer science and not just a general science orientation

We have to be in primary schools as well as secondary schools

Pipeline and Reputation

Engineering and Computer Science must be viewed with respect and trust by the general public

Don’t just be known because of bugs, malware, major failures

Challenge the commodification of engineering

This is a long term effort that is necessary for the future of the profession

Summary IEEE is the defining organization for our profession As such it must embrace

Change Opportunity All elements of the profession

Members, non-members, industry, other organizations, customers and partners

We must set professional standards Now is the time to look to the future, building on our

inspiring past and current strengths We need your ideas, questions, participation and

leadership. Without you the IEEE would not exist I would appreciate your vote and help in building the

IEEE of the future

Thank you for your attention,

leadership and invaluable contributions to the IEEE!

ece.colorado.edu/~lightner/IEEE/

Closing Remarks

My goal, if elected, is to take the tremendous organization that the IEEE is, and together with volunteers, members and staff, develop appropriate responses to current

and future challenges so that the IEEE remains the integrating

thread of our professional lives for generations to come.

Closing remarks To accomplish this goal I am proposing five initial

actions: 1. Reduce the current membership dues and introduce a

menu of member service and benefit options. 2. Introduce a new membership category of Distinguished

Member for outstanding contributions to the IEEE. 3. Increase the range of technical areas explicitly supported

by the IEEE and IEEE societies. 4. Develop an initiative process that allows Societies to

access their reserves for innovative projects. 5. Develop the research tool of choice for the technical

professionals in our fields.

Closing Remarks Other key concerns are:

the image and reputation of engineers and engineering; the global pipeline of engineering students; offering professional education tools, publications and vital

professional networks to support the practicing engineer; developing a suite of global members services at affordable

prices; and strengthening the organizational units of the IEEE.

I humbly request your vote for 2005 IEEE President-Elect and your support in achieving and increasingly vibrant and vital, IEEE.