PAC 2007 Activities

Amy Bell, PAC Chair

17 November 2007 Boston, MA, USA

EAB Public Awareness Committee (PAC)

EAB Joint New Initiative with WIE

Former Name: Increasing the Representation of Women in IEEE Fields of Interest

Real World Engineering Projects (RWEP)

RWEP: Real World Engineering Projects

EAB-WIE New Initiative Two year project: 2007-2008 Total budget: $380,000

Discovery-based projects for first-year ECE and CS students

Best teaching practices workshops for the ECE and CS classroom

Focus on High-Quality Undergraduate Education

IEEE will provide ECE and CS faculty with first-year, discovery-based, projects that focus on real-world problems whose solutions impact society

IEEE will provide ECE and CS faculty with online, self-study workshops on the best pedagogical techniques for the engineering/computer science classroom

Timeline

June-July 2007 First review of submitted project and

workshop abstracts Online peer review process Invitations to submit proposals

October 2007 Second review/final selection of first year

proposals and workshops Peer review meeting in Arlington, VA

2007 EAB-WIE Advisory Board Members

Prof. Gozde B. Akar Prof. Joan Carletta Dr. Luisa Coppola Prof. Deepa Kundur Prof. Jenny Lo Prof. Theresa Mayer Prof. Mary Beth Rosson Prof. Yaling Yang

Abstract Submissions

Submitted abstracts 34 projects from 12 countries

(In order submitted): Colombia (2), Iran (1), Indonesia (1), India (1), United States (15), Bangladesh (2), Canada (4), Thailand (1), South Africa (2), Brasil (1), Australia (3), Switzerland (1)

Appx. 10 project abstracts submitted by women (estimated from first name)

4 workshops from 3 countries (In order submitted): United States (1), Australia (1),

Serbia (2) Appx. 3 workshop abstracts submitted by women

(estimated from first name)

Outcome: Abstract Review

• Double-blind review• Authors unknown to reviewers• Reviewers unknown to authors

• Invited for proposal • 18 projects from 6 countries

• Appx. 5 proposal invitations extended to women (estimated from first name)

1 workshop from 1 country Appx. 1 proposal invitation extended to a

woman (estimated from first name)

Proposal Submissions

Submitted proposals 15 projects from 5 countries

Iran (1), India (1), United States (8), Canada (4), Switzerland (1)

Appx. 4 project proposals submitted by women (estimated from first name)

1 workshop from 1 country Australia (1) Submitted by a woman

Review Criteria (Projects) Relevance: Does the proposed project address a

problem whose solution benefits society? Is the project presented in the context of a real-world, contemporary application? Are these connections made explicit in the proposed project?

Quality: Is the proposed project described in a straightforward, organized, and complete manner? Are the proposed project description and methods accurate, clear, and concise? Is the proposed project tractable for first year EE, CE and CS students?

Discovery: Does the proposed project result in student discovery of an underlying principle or concept? Does the proposed project illustrate strategies and trade-offs that are important in the engineering problem solving process?

Outcome: Proposal Review

• Double-blind review• Authors unknown to reviewers• Reviewers unknown to authors

• Selected for awards • 5 projects from 2 countries (US and

Canada)• Appx. 3 awards extended to women

Note: 4 additional project proposals are in revision, we anticipate making awards to them

9 Project Awards

Span 7 technical categories: circuits, communications, computer hardware/architecture, controls, human computer interaction, power electronics, signal processing

Project titles: Error Correction Codes for Wireless Communication

Systems Audio Forensics: Solving a Crime using Digital

(Audio) Signal Processing

Titles (cont.)

Manipulating Everyday Objects With Prosthetic Hands

Solid State Lighting for the Developing World HCI Alternatives using the Nintendo Wii Using Engineering to Save the Planet—One Ear at

a Time Power Electronics/System: A Look at Renewable

Energy Smarter Vehicles Feedback Controlled Brushless DC Motor

Benefits to IEEE

IEEE faculty members have all materials needed to conduct real-world projects in EE/CE/CS classroom

Students discover excitement of real problems and understand the importance of IEEE fields to society

Preliminary results indicate this is successful for recruiting women students

IEEE faculty members have online access to self-study teaching workshops

Future

RWEP portal development Assessment plan and tool

development for understanding impact on student outcomes

Publish/promote inaugural projects Initiate second year CFP and CFW New leader for RWEP

Thank You