IEEE Member and Geographic Activities

News

MGA Scoop - May 2020 Issue

MGA Scoop

May 2020

Upcoming Events

The IEEE Virtual Events Calendar provides an up-to-date listing of major upcoming events and those now available on demand.

Call for Participation: 2020 Volunteer Leadership Training Program

Update (6/1/20): Applications for the 2020 VoLT Program are now being accepted until July 17,2020. Click here to apply.

The MGA Training Committee is pleased to announce the launch of the 2020 Volunteer Leadership Training (VoLT) Program. The VoLT Program invites growing volunteers who have a desire to continue growing as IEEE volunteers and lead their local units to complete the program’s prerequisite courses, and apply for the program when the application opens in June.

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MGA News - April 2020

 

A Letter to IEEE Volunteers

Dear Fellow Volunteers,

 

I hope this message finds you well. We understand that the effects of COVID-19 are affecting many people across the globe both professionally and personally.

 

Below is a communication about IEEE travel restrictions, airline refunds and reimbursement procedures.  Please comply with the restrictions included in the message from IEEE Treasurer, Joe Lillie.IEEE is actively monitoring all upcoming meetings and events.  Information about Sections Congress 2020 will be communicated when any decisions have been made. 

 

If you have any questions, please contact Larry Bolsch, MGA Finance, at l.bolsch@ieee.org or Christie Giambalvo, MGA Geographic Activities at c.giambalvo@ieee.org.

 

Please stay safe and well.

 

Sincerely,

Mary Ellen

MGA Treasurer

Communication from IEEE Treasurer, Joe Lillie

Due to the travel restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, IEEE requests that volunteers defer purchasing airline tickets for IEEE travel until further notice. For those of you who have already purchased airline tickets for IEEE activities and will not be traveling due to COVID-19, most airlines will be providing refunds or credits against future travel. Please contact your airline as soon as possible to discuss refunds and credits. These discussions need to occur prior to the date of travel. If credits are issued, the credits should be used for future IEEE travel.

If you have recently traveled and have not yet submitted your expense reimbursement request, please do so using normal procedures.  If you have submitted an expense reimbursement request and have not yet received the reimbursement, you should expect reimbursement within the normal time period.

Further communication will be sent when normal travel plans can be resumed.

Stay safe and follow all local and national recommendations relative to the virus.

Thanks for your assistance and understanding in these difficult times.

Joe Lillie

IEEE Treasurer

Cancelling of Face to Face Gatherings

Following the message from IEEE President Toshio Fokuda and IEEE Executive Director Stephen Welby, we have asked all of our geographic units to cancel all face to face gatherings due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and instead maximize the use of our online and virtual alternatives. 


Member and Geographic Activities (MGA) has been working with our geographic units worldwide to utilize tools such as eNotice, EWH and Collabratec to keep members informed and to utilize WebEx and Google Hangouts Meet for larger virtual events or Google Hangouts Classic for smaller meetings.  


Adapting Your Marketing Communications to the Environment Around You

In today’s environment, it is critical to be sensitive to the perceptions and sentiment of your IEEE brand. Your brand’s voice, message, tone, and photo usage needs to convey the appropriate sentiment. Engaging with your targeted audience should be carefully weighed against normal business practices, with a shift required during these unsteady times. View IEEE’s statement regarding COVID-19 and visit the Adapting Your Marketing Communications to the Environment Around You Toolkit for guidance.

U.S. REAL ID ACT – ARE YOU READY?

Starting 1 October, 2021*, every U.S. air traveler 18 years of age or older will be required to present a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or another federally approved form of identification such as a U.S. passport, to board a domestic flight or enter secure federal facilities that require identification.

Do I Need a Real ID to FLY?

U.S. residents who want to use a driver’s license to board a commercial aircraft will need to obtain the new license by the October 2021 deadline, when it becomes the only identification accepted by the TSA.  If you don’t need a license to board a flight, either because you don’t travel or you use a U.S. passport, you do not need the Real ID. 

Common Reasons to Obtain a Real ID:

·         You want to fly with only your U.S. State-issued ID

·         You don’t have a passport or another TSA approved ID

·         You need to visit a secure federal facility

2-Step Verification

Your GoogleApps@IEEE account can now be enabled for 2-Step verification(2SV). This added layer of security will help to protect your account from unauthorized access.

What is 2-Step Verification?

2SV is a process that requires two steps to access your account. You must:

1.    Verify who you are through a password (something you know)

2.    Receive an access code delivered to a device (something you have)

Learn more about 2SV or enable 2SV for your account today.

Sections Congress 2020: New Opportunities to Learn and Network

New Opportunities to Learn and Network in Ottawa Canada this August

“Leading our Global Technical Community” is the theme of the 2020 IEEE Sections Congress, which is scheduled to take place from 21 to 23 August in Ottawa Canada. The congress, held every three years, is sponsored by the IEEE Member and Geographic Activities Board. 


IEEE Sections Congress is the triennial flagship event hosted by IEEE that brings together influencers and leaders from our 430,000 members spanning 165 countries, including technical professionals, corporate and academic leaders, key contributors and entrepreneurs to learn about IEEE products and programs.


After participating in Sections Congress, volunteers can apply what they’ve learned by introducing new programs and initiatives within their local communities.


The three-day event will offer a program designed to help delegates navigate and create a personalized schedule to meet their needs. There are over 40 breakout sessions, interactive ignite and panel sessions- with the option to select between overview and in-depth sessions. Overview sessions, offer general concepts at an introductory level and in-depth sessions offer expert details for attendees familiar with a topic.

Topics will fall within one of three tracks:

●       Why We Lead - To Advance Technology for the Benefit of Humanity

●       Where We Lead - In Fostering Professional Networks and Engaging Technical Communities

●       How We Lead - By Developing Organizational Knowledge and Leadership Skills

MGA 2019 Individual Award Recipients

At the IEEE Member & Geographic Activities Board 23 November 2019 meeting, the awards for the MGA Larry K. Wilson Transnational, MGA Innovation, MGA Leadership, MGA Achievement, and MGA Young Professionals Achievement were selected.


The following individuals were selected as 2019 MGA Award recipients.

The MGA Larry K. Wilson Transnational Award is presented to one individual annually, to recognize the accomplishment judged to be the most significant and effective in fulfilling one or more of the goals and strategic objectives of MGA as related to transnational activities.  This award is made in memory of Dr. Larry K. Wilson whose biography is listed below.


Takako Hashimito, Tokyo Section - “For inspiring leadership and contributions to IEEE Women in Engineering across the world with the mission: Inspire, Encourage, Engage and Empower.”


The MGA Innovation Award is presented to an individual, or a team, whose accomplishment/project is judged to be the most innovative and effective in fulfilling one or more of the strategic goals of MGA.