Updated: 18 June 2020
IEEE Student Activities Committee Launches Virtual Speakers Program
The IEEE Student Activities Committee has launched the Virtual Speakers program. IEEE student members make up one quarter of IEEE’s membership, or about 100,000 worldwide. They are eager for the chance to benefit from the wealth of knowledge and experience speakers have to share about the professional and academic world. Take the opportunity to become a thought leader by helping shape the minds of the future of engineering without having to travel.
The Virtual Speakers program, overseen by the IEEE Member and Geographic Activities Student Activities Committee, is a great opportunity to share a rewarding experience and aligns with IEEE’s mission to nurture the profession. Many speakers were active in IEEE during their own years at university. They can impart wisdom, information, and guidance to the next generation of engineers and IEEE leaders. It is also a nice way to set themselves apart as a mentor and subject-matter expert.
Virtual speakers agree to give live virtual talks or presentations via digital platforms such as Zoom, WebEx, or Google Meet. These talks are generally about 30 minutes in length followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer period. These talks can be technical or professional in nature, cover a broad array of topics, and can be delivered to students anywhere in the world. Volunteers are encouraged to give talks on as many different subjects as they have expertise in, and in whatever language they are comfortable speaking.
The success of the new Virtual Speakers program depends on professionals like you. Join the growing list of IEEE members and nonmembers who are volunteering a small amount of their time to make a big difference in the future careers, personal development, and lives of student members. The presenters will have the opportunity to interact directly with members of individual student branches, one branch at one school per talk.
Register to become a virtual speaker by completing the Form to Become a Virtual Speaker.
You can explore a list of speakers and their topics. To request a speaker, complete this form. You will be contacted by the Virtual Speakers Bureau Committee to make arrangements.
IEEE Collabratec Makes It Easier for Members to Stay Connected
IEEE Collabratec has made it easier for members to stay connected with the organization and their section. The online networking platform has introduced two features—IEEE badges and the Section Gateway.
The IEEE badges reward members for exploring and participating in IEEE communities and discussion forums, and for creating networks with other IEEE members. There will be three badges in this series: Discover, Connect, and Collaborate. The Discover badge is now available and can be earned by exploring different facets of IEEE.
The Connect and Collaborate badges, set to release in July and September, respectively, will be earned by interacting with and completing challenges on journeys related to connecting and collaborating with other users on the platform. Continued participation earns the user points.
IEEE is encouraging participation across its global network. Beyond individual achievement, the badge challenge will recognize IEEE sections whose members are successful in completing the badge journeys. Recognition of IEEE sections will be conferred in August and again in December.
The Section Gateway feature, which was launched in November, notifies members about events in their section, allows them to contact section leaders directly, and learn about new members. The feature can be accessed from the user’s profile page. Members who earn badges will be recognized on their Section Gateway.
To learn more about IEEE Collabratec, check out the user guide, FAQs, and users’ forum.
IEEE Contact and Support Centers Remain Open
IEEE Contact Center representatives are available to assist members 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, from Sunday 4:30 p.m. to Friday 4:30 p.m. ET. Its telephone numbers are 1.732.981.0060 worldwide or 1.800.678.4333 if calling from the United States or Canada. Or you can reach it online.
Members can also find answers to frequently asked questions on the IEEE Support Center website.
IEEE Collabratec: Virtual Workspaces
IEEE Collabratec provides engineers with virtual workspaces where they can create, organize, and share ideas on projects with one another for free as they shift to remote work environments.
Users have created several workspaces on COVID-19 research, policies, and ideas with a specific technical focus. One is COVID19 Broadband Use Cases where discussions are taking place about how to fix the weaknesses found in broadband networks as a result of the increased use of the Internet. Participants can also explore designs of inexpensive and easily manufactured ventilators in the COVID19 Mechanical Ventilators workspace.
Here’s how to get started:
- Step 1:Join or sign in to IEEE Collabratec: Use your IEEE account login credentials to sign in to the website. If you don’t have an IEEE account, create one for free.
- Step 2: Create a workspace: Within IEEE Collabratec, navigate to the workspaces option at the top of the page and select the green “+Create New” button on the right-hand side.
- Step 3: Start collaborating. Once you have created your workspace and invited your colleagues, you can collaborate on files, make posts, create events, or start a video conference on Google Hangouts.
To share and collaborate on files, all participants in your workspace need to attach the same storage provider such as Box, DropBox, or Google Drive.
Learn more about IEEE Collabratec workspaces by visiting the User Guide or visit the IEEE Collabratec Users Forum.
