IEEE Institute Awards
Program Highlights
The IEEE Awards Program proudly honored a diverse group of IEEE members and non-members in 2017. The program was pleased to integrate the expertise of our global volunteer network to administer 51 awards on behalf of the IEEE Board of Directors. The first IEEE Vision, Innovation, and Challenges Summit was held on 25 May 2017 at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, CA, US. Speakers looked to the future of the tech industry and the impact engineers have on serving the global community. It culminated in the evening Honors Ceremony Gala.
Commemorating IEEE’s Highest Award
2017 marked the 100-year anniversary of the IEEE Medal of Honor. Sponsored by the IEEE Foundation, the Medal of Honor is awarded to an individual for an exceptional contribution or an extraordinary career in the IEEE fields of interest. To commemorate this milestone centennial anniversary, IEEE Awards created an exhibit—a “Wall of Fame”—displayed on the lower conference level of the IEEE Operations Center, Piscataway, NJ, US to recognize and showcase IEEE’s highest-level award recipients.
The unveiling took place on 7 September 2018, where Past Medal of Honor recipients, Board of Directors, Management Council, and Awards Board members, Special VIPs, and employees all gathered to watch 2017 IEEE President Karen Bartleson and Foundation Vice President H. Vincent Poor cut the ribbon to the exhibit. In his remarks, Poor said, “The IEEE Medal of Honor and its iconic recipients shine a light on the incredible work being undertaken by the IEEE professional community to advance technology and innovation. This wall showcases the hard work, dedication, and prestige of our members and volunteers.”
Measuring approximately 16ft wide and 7ft high, the Wall of Fame spans the length of the wall and consists of backlit translucent panels, each engraved with the name of the Medal of Honor recipient and the presentation year, to date. Between the panels are a copy of the Medal of Honor medallion and an interactive screen, which allows visitors to learn more information about the award, view recipient photos, and watch their presentation videos. The unveiling event is archived on IEEE.tv.
By The Numbers
- 57: Technical Field Award, Medal, and Recognition recipients
- 13: Different countries award recipients represented
- 4: Different continents award recipients represented
- 8: Ceremonies were held internationally
- 31: IEEE Technical Field Award Committees of 7 members each, varied in geography, gender and expertise
IEEE Society Awards
Program Impacts
IEEE Foundation holds and manages a significant number of donor designated funds that enable Societies to recognize both technical achievement and service. Society Awards pay tribute to technical professionals whose exceptional achievements and outstanding contributions have made a lasting impact on technology, society and the engineering profession. In the technical arena, pioneering and current contributions to a field of interest are recognized, while service awards honor both volunteers and staff for their contributions to a Society. New funds and generous gifts committed in 2017 enabled the establishment of the following awards:
- IEEE Magne “Kris” Kristiansen Award for Contributions to Experimental Nuclear and Plasma Science by the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Science Society,
- IEEE Caixin Sun and Stanislaw Grzybowski Lifetime Achievement Award, IEEE Caixin Sun and Stanislaw Grzybowski Young Professional Achievement Award, and IEEE Caixin Sun and Stanislaw Grzybowski Best Student Paper Awards by the IEEE Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society, and
- IEEE Control Systems Society Roberto Tempo Best CDC Paper Award by the IEEE Control Systems Society.
Supporting Women in Science
The Council on Superconductivity selected Professor Judith L. MacManus-Driscoll of the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy at University of Cambridge, UK to receive the 2017 IEEE Dr. James Wong Award for Continuing and Significant Contributions to Applied Superconductivity Materials Technology. This award recognizes a living individual for a career of meritorious achievements and outstanding technical contributions in the field of applied superconductor materials technology. The award was presented to Prof. Driscoll during the European Conference on Applied Superconductivity in Geneva, Switzerland in September 2017. Prof. Driscoll received a plaque, an inscribed niobium medallion and a cash award of $5,000.
This was the first time a woman has been awarded this honor. “I am in a very important position as a senior female Professor in Cambridge where the proportion of women is very low, particularly women with children. I support women in science at all levels…with proposal writing and personal encouragement. I hold a school Governor position at a local girl’s high school. There, I help to steer the science activities and encourage girls to pursue science degrees,” said Driscoll.
Other honors Driscoll has received include The Joule Medal (for applied physics) from the Institute of Physics and The Inaugural Armourers and Brasiers Prize from the Royal Academy of Engineering for materials research that has contributed to industry. Though not an IEEE member, Prof. Driscoll has made significant contributions in superconductivity materials research.
Gifts from James Wong and IEEE Council of Superconductivity to the IEEE Foundation made the establishment of this award possible.
By The Numbers
- $159,189: Awarded
- 247: Recipients
- 87: Society Awards
IEEE Eta Kappa Nu
Program Highlights
Communication and Engagement were the 2017 IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) themes. With your support HKN volunteers focused on the importance of IEEE-HKN to its members. Specifically, outreach to and engagement of the members, chapter leadership, faculty advisors, departments and alumni were emphasized. The exciting result? New and re-invigorated chapters! HKN Chapters boast more students than ever, with an average of 18 students per chapter. Chapter leaders worked even more closely with faculty and their University departments to fill gaps and aid in student success on their campuses. Service hours and programs offered by HKN Chapters were also increased, driving greater impact on the communities served.
First Chapter in Italy – First Year Outstanding!
Mu Nu Chapter Politecnico di Torino was founded on 20 March 2017, and one year later, on 19 March 2018, Mu Nu was recognized with the HKN Outstanding Chapter Award!
With its energized and enthusiastic students, a highly engaged and dedicated Faculty Advisor, a clear sense of purpose and service and a plan, Mu Nu demonstrates that it has the formula for success of an HKN Chapter.
This successful intersection of engagement and enthusiasm all started as an e-mail exchange between Paolo Montuschi, future Faculty Advisor of Mu Nu, and student Silvia Vitali on 16 June 2016. Silvia, Founding President of the Mu Chapter, embodies true leadership skills and her ability to organize her fellow students, energize them with the idea of service to others and give back to the community helped fast-track the team’s efforts.
Their plan involved execution of programs in the areas of:
1. Knowledge Growth (5 sessions)
2. Team Building (4 sessions)
3. Projects (4 projects)
4. Tutoring (15 sessions, with an average of 20 students per session)
5. Fundraising (raised $4,100)
6. Company tours (2 tours)
7. Collaboration (5 partnerships)
In just one year, this outstanding chapter clocked 2,894 volunteer hours, impacted 350 people, held 31 events, and mentored 3 new International HKN Chapters (American University of Shajah, UAE, Khalifa University, UAE, and Wasdea University, Japan).
By The Numbers
- 2,967: New inductees in 2017
- 258: Chapters Worldwide
- 18: Average number of new inductees per chapter
- 126: Chapter Officers trained at the Student Leadership Conference
- 24: Outstanding Chapters Awards presented
- 100: Percentage of the board and staff who donate to HKN
- 17: Ride on Cars built by Epsilon Xi for children with disabilities – HKN and EPICS together!
Grants Program
Program Highlights
Your donations make it possible to fund innovative projects of interest to IEEE. In 2017, the IEEE Foundation Grants Committee identified nine worthy projects, conducted all around the world, and awarded a total of US $253,000 in grants. A joint committee of the IEEE Foundation Board of Directors and the IEEE Life Members Committee work together to review project applications and select the recipients who are most worthy.
The 2017 grants awarded to IEEE organizational projects addressed the theme: Raise awareness and understanding of science and technology and their potential to address a global challenge. The theme aligns with the IEEE Foundation’s mission to “enable IEEE programs that enhance technology access, literacy, and education.”
Ranger In Your Pocket
Groundbreaking high-speed cameras that captured the world’s first nuclear test are featured in the program: Ranger in Your Pocket: Los Alamos Innovations. Manhattan Project optical engineer Berlyn Brixner recalled his experience preparing for the Trinity Test: “I got nearly fifty motion picture cameras in operation by the time of the explosion. Something like 100,000 pictures were taken with all those cameras.”
The Los Alamos/Northern New Mexico IEEE Section worked with the Atomic Heritage Foundation (AHF) to produce Los Alamos Innovations. The program is part of AHF’s Ranger in Your Pocket series on Manhattan Project sites and was launched in late 2017.
The Manhattan Project, which highlights the effort to create an atomic bomb in World War II, was a crucible for innovation, as scientists and engineers created 5,600 inventions relating to the atomic bomb. Los Alamos Innovations focuses on the innovative technologies developed by scientists and engineers at Los Alamos and their lasting impact on modern science and society. The technologies covered in the program include high-speed photography, computing, reactors, and others.
The “Ranger” series draws on AHF’s extensive oral history collection. Los Alamos Innovations will have 50 short audio/visual vignettes, all with firsthand accounts. Listening to the voices of the participants makes the history more immediate and human.
The $40,500 grant provided by the IEEE Foundation has made this project possible. The Los Alamos/Northern New Mexico IEEE Section and AHF are very grateful for this support.
See all the grants awarded in 2017.
By The Numbers
- $253,000: Total magnitude of grants awarded
- 9: Number of grants awarded
- 3: Grants awarded from Foundation Fund
- 6: Grants awarded from Life Members Fund
- 12: IEEE Tech for Humanity Series sessions at 2018 SXSW supported