IEEE Region 5 E-news: Volume I, Number 2, SEPTEMBER 2006 Hello Again: Welcome to the second in a series of e-news from your Region 5 Executive Community. This newsletter is to be another source of general and specific information not to duplicate that which is distributed by others direct or indirect. This e-news will have a lead article, this month by our Region Student Activities Committee Chair, Francis Grosz, (f.b.grosz@ieee.org) followed by the personal background of another of our four Area Chairs, your Region ExCom representative and advisor for the Sections. This month it is Marcus Borhani, (m-borhani@ieee.org) the Chair of the West Area consisting of the Panhandle, South Plains, El Paso, Pikes Peak and Denver Sections. There will be news from/about several segments of our IEEE organization: Students, Sections, your Region Program Coordinators, IEEE-USA, other major boards and about member activities, your successes and concerns. The Region 5 ExCom is here to help with your member programs and projects and to answer your questions about your professional organization. This being the first newsletter of the new 2006 – 2007 IEEE year, it brings timely comments about our number one 2006-2007 goal of membership growth. This is the time when each of us identify prospective new members and bring them into the organization. September is the perfect time to hold a membership drive. Some like to hold a BBQ cook out sponsored by one or two of your more supportive companies and give a free meal to all new members or those who will sign up that evening or afternoon. Other approaches with free dinners at the first meeting of the year will work just as well to bring in new members. Free dinners are great, but anything you can offer as an incentive will work also. Region 5 goals are 1) have a membership coordinator in each Section and 2) grow Region membership by 5%. Every conference should have an IEEE membership booth. The differential in conference fees between members and non-members should be sufficient enough to encourage new memberships. New recruiting resource kits are being distributed to every Section Chair. The other significant thing about the beginning of a new IEEE year is the importance of planning for member meetings, programs and projects. This is the time to bring your entity officers and leadership together and map out the year’s schedule of activities, identifying manpower and resources requirements to accomplish your plan. It should include major events such as Membership Drives, Engineers Week Activities and Professional and Educational programs for your members. And update you Section Strategic Plan for the next 3 to 5 years. Engineers are good at planning. But then you must put names and dates on an “operational plan” to accomplish your near term goals and follow through with good results. One important consideration when planning for Professional Activities for 2006, the Region has almost 70% of our 2006 IEEE-USA Funding still available and must be used to support your Professional Activities in 2006. Check below to see what activities are covered by this funding. CONTENTS

1. Featured Article: Francis Grosz, Region Student Activities Committee Chair 2. West Area Chair: Marcus Borhani 3. IEEE Virtual Community 4. Region 5 Conference and Annual Meeting 2007

5. Region 5 Awards 6. Section, Subsection, Chapter, Branch and Affinity Member News 7. Region 5 ExCom Program Coordinators News 8. Marketplace of Ideas: An Internet Tax 9. IEEE-USA News 10. Communications with E-News

1. Message from Our Student Activities Chair

This year, a major goal in Region 5 Student Activities is to support Student Branches and Chapters that are experiencing difficulties following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. We are also working to re-establish communications with Branches that have fallen out of the loop and make sure that all Student Branches and Chapters are aware of the other opportunities and resources available to them from the Region and Institute. The first Region Student Activities Newsletter for this academic year will be published shortly. If you are a Student Branch Counselor and do not receive a copy, or would otherwise like to receive these newsletters, please e-mail f.b.grosz@ieee.org and make sure you are on the mailing list. A number of Branches are having to rebuild this year due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As one Counselor from a Branch at a school hit by Katrina said, “Essentially, we’re starting over from the beginning.” We will be paying particular attention to those schools and offering any assistance we can. Also, Tulane is disbanding their Engineering Program at the end of this academic year and that Branch may disappear. (Tulane is keeping their Biomedical Engineering Program and the Branch may continue for those BME students.) We will be trying to assist those students in any way we can to continue their engineering education and to encourage them to participate in IEEE activities at their new schools. Many of the Tulane engineering student did get enrolled last year at Rice University in Houston, where a quarter million Katrina survivors were taken in. Visiting Tulane and talking to their Student Branch members is a high priority. Darren Mullen, Region Student Representative and I will try to visit a few Branches at the start of the year, especially those that were (and are) affected by Katrina or Rita. (Francis himself is a Katrina survivor from the New Orleans area.) A major part of the Region 5 Student Activities Program centers around the Region Conference held is April. Activities include a Student Branch Officers Training Workshop, an SPAC, and Student Paper, Design, and Robotics Contests, as well as social events for students only and both students and higher grade members of the Region. The Robotics Contest, which the Region has hosted for a number of years, draws a large number of students to the Region Conference and a larger number of participants to the Branch teams. Student Branches with teams seem to enjoy enthusiastic participation rather than passive membership. A number of Regions have such an event, and we would highly recommend that those Regions that do not hold a Robotics Competition consider starting one. We are also working with the Region Conference Committee to try to hold the first Ethics Contest in our Region at this year’s Conference, and are also trying to make sure that the Student Branches are aware of activities such as the Xtreme Programming Contest and to encourage participation in them. Darren and Francis recently returned from representing Region 5 at the Fall 2006 IEEE Student Activities Committee meeting. Note that the new Graduate Student Member (GSM) grade is now established. This means that GSMs may vote in all appropriate IEEE elections and hold offices in IEEE entities, including Section and Chapter positions. This is a new source of volunteers for local organizations, so put those GSMs to work! There will be a new international IEEE student contest soon; the IEEE Xtreme Programming Competition. This will be a single 24-hour contest involving teams from schools around the world trying to solve some challenging programming problems; the details will be forthcoming soon. Also, there will be a new Award announced soon for Student Branches that develop sustainable activities that may be replicated by other Branches; details on this will be announced shortly. The last 12 months have been difficult in much of Region 5. We are looking forward to better things this next 12 months and helping our student membership to again grow within Region 5.

2. Marcus M. Borhani (Member ‘91, Senior Member ‘01) received the BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering from Kansas State University (KSU) in Manhattan, Kansas, in 1973 and 1976 respectively. From 1974 to 1977 he was a teaching assistant at KSU and did research in the area of ion Implantation using the 600 KEV Cockroft Walton accelerator. He joined Texas Instruments’ Semiconductor Group in 1977 as Product Engineer for the 4K and later 64K DRAM memory devices. He has management experience in multi-probe, backgrind and backside metal in the wafer fab. He was Product Engineering Section Manager for several generations of CMOS memory devices including ROM and EPROM. He has managed Test Operations and Test Engineering Support for semiconductor devices. He then became Product Engineering Section Manager for several generations of Flash EPROM technology. He helped organize X-Fab semiconductor foundry in Lubbock, Texas in 1999, where he has been involved in CMOS and BiCMOS technology transfers and developments of modular technologies. He is a Product Engineering Manager at X-Fab. Marcus has been a Professional Engineer in Texas since 1991. He is the past Chair of the IEEE South Plains Section and its Reliability Society. He is currently serving as the Chair of IEEE Region 5 West area for 2006-2007. He has served in Texas Tech University’s College of Engineering Industrial Advisory Board since 2003. He also currently serves as the 1st Vice President of the South Plains Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE). Communications and planning are fundamental to IEEE’s success. The Region Executive Committee is committed to our mutual success so develop a plan for your Section or Chapter to utilize the experience and knowledge of your volunteers to help support your plan. The Area Chairs, listed below, are to mentor and support your efforts. Contact them and take maximum advantage of the Regional and Institute resources they can bring. Best wishes in the coming year! North Area: Steve Watkins 0: 573-341-6321 Emai1: steve.e.watkins@ieee.org H: 573-729-6601 West Area: Marcus Borhani 0: 806-747-4400 x2147 Email: m-borhani@ieee.org H: 806-794-7115 East Area: Harley Myler 0: 409-880-8747 Email: h.myler@ieee.org H: 409-838-2327 South Area: Candy Robinson 0: 817-655-7190 Email: candy.robinson@ieee.org H: 972-775-2513

3. IEEE Virtual Community Again IEEE has established the Virtual Community to consolidate all communications for the various IEEE units. You will now find the Region 5 web site has also moved to the VC. Most everything now of general interest can be found on the R5 Virtual Community site. It is anticipated this will cut down on the many e-mails now being sent/received by having the

information available in a central location for those who wish to look it up. There is a script that allows some class of members to also send the information via e-notes to a selected group of member addresses taken from the SAMIIIE member database. This Newsletter will be

distributed via the R5 Virtual Community site. There is a place for each section to also be set up on the virtual Communities site as an affiliate of Region 5. Check out what the other Region 5 Section VC has to say. Questions: Stephen T. Long, Virtual Community Coordinator (s.t.long@ieee.org )

Most all the Region 5 documents and reports from the first of the year can be found on the R5 Virtual Communities site. And some of the other notable speeches and documentation from other sites have been put on the R5 communities site so you can easily find and read them. Just log in

to www.ieee.org and take it from there. After you find what you are looking for, you may want to use the short cut URL www.ieeecommunities.org/ieee.region5 to return with out going through ieee.org, but then that’s the fun of finding more and more files of interest if you have the time.

4. Region 5 Conference and Annual Meeting CALL FOR PAPERS IEEE Region 5 Technical Conference 2007

April 20-22, 2007 University of Arkansas Continuing Education Center, Fayetteville, AR

The 2007 IEEE Region 5 Technical Conference and Annual Meeting will be held at the University of Arkansas Center (adjacent to the Radisson Hotel), Fayetteville, AR on April 20-22, 2007. In April, the UA campus, located in the foothills of the beautiful Ozark mountains, will be bursting in spring colors. Artistic Eureka Springs, Branson and the legendary big cat sanctuary at Turpentine Creek are about an hour's drive (for more information look at http://www.fayettevilletourism.com/)

The technical sessions, tutorials, and short courses will be coordinated to provide a comprehensive and well- balanced program. This meeting is intended to provide a forum for the exchange of information on state of-the-art electrical engineering research. The conference will also provide a forum for electrical engineering students in Region 5 universities and colleges to participate in a Robotics contest, a Circuit Design Contest and a Student Paper Contest (please, visit the URL of the IEEE Region 5 Conference for more details on these student contests http://www.2007ieeer5conference.com)

Abstract Submission; Authors are invited to submit contributions for review and possible presentation (oral or poster presentation) at the conference on the topical areas listed below. Abstracts submissions are due November 17, 2006 at http://www.2007ieeer5conference.com using the template provided at the URL. Successful authors will be notified by December 18, 2006. Papers on current research are requested in the following and related IEEE topics: Biomedical Research Analog Mixed-Signal Design and Test Control Systems and Sensors Power Electronics Microwave NDE and Imaging Packaging and Functional Materials Microelectronics Remote Sensing

Nanotechnology RFIDs Photo voltaic Research Digital Circuits & Systems

In addition to the technical sessions, proposals are invited for conducting workshops and short courses that will provide a comprehensive overview of current areas of research interest in electrical and computer engineering. Presenters will be asked to submit a paper for publication in the Conference Proceedings to be distributed to attendees in a CD medium. The proceedings papers will be indexed by IEEE. Deadline for Conference Proceedings manuscript submission: February 7, 2007

5. IEEE REGION 5 AWARDS Eleven awards listed below are presented at the Region 5 Annual Meeting banquet. Additional awards may be presented at the committee's discretion. Make note of those units and persons who you will nominate next spring for these awards. There are other IEEE unit awards for which our Region 5 membership can be nominated. It is the duty of each IEEE leader to recognize and award outstanding member performance. Last year no one from Region 5 was given an award at the IEEE-USA Leadership Conference. The basic award is given for excellence in presenting and managing a Professional Activity in the section. Region 5 has always been known for our support of Professional Activities. Each section needs a Professional component in their yearly member program. #1- OUTSTANDING Large SECTION - An award will be given for the most active and progressive SECTION based on: number of meetings; type of programs; strategic plan; PACE activities; interactions with Student Branches, Society Chapters, the Region, and other engineering societies; continued education for members; conference activities; and special projects. Membership > 1,000 #2- OUTSTANDING SMALL SECTION - An award will be given for the most active and progressive SECTION based on: number of meetings; type of programs; strategic plan; PACE activities; interactions with Student Branches, Society Chapters, the Region, and other engineering societies; continued education for members; conference activities; and special projects. Membership <= 1,000 #3- OUTSTANDING MEMBER - An award will be given to an individual MEMBER who has performed outstanding service to the Section, Region, and/or IEEE that promotes the objectives of the IEEE. #4- OUTSTANDING ENGINEERING EDUCATOR - An award will be given to an IEEE MEMBER who has performed in an outstanding manner in the field of ENGINEERING EDUCATION. #5-OUTSTANDING LARGE STUDENT BRANCH - An award will be given for the

most active and progressive STUDENT BRANCH based on the number of meetings,

General Information: A block of rooms have been reserved at the Radisson Hotel. The conference rate is $119 per night + tax (http://www.radisson.com/fayettevillear).

Technical Conference Chair: Vasundara V. Varadan (ieeer5@uark.edu)

Program Committee: S. Ang, S. Bajwa, J. Balda, S. Burkett, G. Chaudhry (U MO KC), J. Di, M. EI Shenawee, A. Maishe, O. Manasreh, A. Mantooth, T. Martin, R. McCann, K. Namuduri (Wichita SU). H. Naseem, H. Nassem, V.Rao(U MO R), L. Schaper, V.K. Varadan, K. Ye

type of programs such as technical, professional, S-PAC conference, interaction with the local Section, other student engineering groups, and special projects that advance the objectives of the IEEE. #6-OUTSTANDING SMALL STUDENT BRANCH - An award will be given for the most active and progressive STUDENT BRANCH based on the number of meetings, type of programs such as technical, professional, S-PAC conference, interaction with the local Section, other student engineering groups, and special projects that advance the objectives of the IEEE. #7-OUTSTANDING STUDENT MEMBER - This award will be presented to a STUDENT MEMBER who has given outstanding contributions of time and effort to the Student Branch, the Section, the Region, or the national IEEE to advance the principals of IEEE. This individual may have graduated, but must have been a student member of IEEE during the calendar year of the award consideration. #8-OUTSTANDING STUDENT BRANCH COUNSELOR - An award will be given to the STUDENT BRANCH COUNSELOR that has best supported their Student Branch and promoted the objectives of the IEEE. #9-OUTSTANDING SMALL COMPANY AWARD - An award will be giving to a COMPANY within the Region, nominated by a Section, that strongly supports IEEE members, Region 5, and the objectives of IEEE. A Section may nominate more than one company. #10-OUTSTANDING LARGE COMPANY AWARD - An award will be giving to a COMPANY within the Region, nominated by a Section, that strongly supports IEEE members, Region 5, and the objectives of IEEE. A Section may nominate more than one company. #11-OUTSTANDING SECTION WEBSITE AWARD - An award will be given to the Section within the Region that provides the most effective Section website. This should be on the Region 5 Virtual Community for all interested to see. 6. Section, Subsection, Chapter, Branch, Affiliates Member News Sections: It is also time to think about new section officer training. Most sections hold their elections in the fall to give the new officers time to put together their committee chairs and their staff. And since it is the responsibility of each officer to train their replacement, holding group training sessions makes this transitions easier. The Region Training Committee Chair, Zafar Taqvi will again be looking for mutual locations where two or more sections can get together for a day and experience officer training with exchanges between section leaders as to how they run their section membership programs and projects.

The University of Texas - Dallas Web site has received the First Place Award in the Region 5 Web site contest, and has also been entered into the IEEE Web site contest. The paperwork for the Certificate and the check are submitted to Region 5 Director Bob Scolli for his signature. Congratulations! The Denver Section is again planning to have an IEEE event associated with Colorado Tech Week. This is the second annual Colorado Tech Week and includes events throughout the State. In Denver, they will be hosting 3 evenings of events on September 18, 19, 20th under the title "IEEE Presents - Engineering the Future of Colorado" with sub-themes for each evening. All events will be held in 3 rooms (one set aside for networking) in the conference center at one of the Qwest buildings in downtown Denver. Pikes Peak Section is also invited to participate if possible. They will be submitting R5 PACE funding request and also requesting support from IEEE-USA as they will be including both Government Affairs and the launch of the IEEE Entrepreneurs Village focused in Colorado. They are also planning to have monthly MPAC events through the end of the year in support of the entrepreneurs village launch. Submitted by: Jim Jefferies, IEEE Denver PACE Chair jjefferies@ieee.org Future section news can be submitted by the section leadership to your Area Chairmen or directly to this newsletter editor, Bill Whipkey (w.whipkey@ieee.org) Subsections: This is a good time for the subsections to be recognized. The Black Hills Denver Subsection will host the fall Region ExCom meeting in Rapid City, South Dakota in October and the successfully rejuvenated Corpus Christi Rio Grand Valley Subsection will be the host for the spring Region ExCom meeting in February in Brownsville, Texas. These meetings include a joint Region ExCom/Subsection meeting and sometimes a chance for a purely social gathering at a place of interest. In South Dakota, we will visit Mt. Rushmore and later Crazy Horse monuments. We have not yet heard about the places of interest for the Rio Grand Valley Texas Region 5 ExCom/Subsection meeting. A valley-wide local technical conference is being organized in conjunction with the university in Brownsville and the subsection will be playing a part in that. The student branch is very active and it was suggested the subsection work closely with the student branch at least in the near term, as it will be a win-win for both. One of the local school districts wants to start something like Project Lead The Way (pre-engineering curriculum) and has contacted them to help get local engineers involved. This will be another great opportunity for the subsection. Need help in reviving a section, subsection, chapter and/or affinity group contact Don Preston, Region 5 Rejuvenation Coordinator (d.preston@cox.net). Chapters: In the chapter is were future section leadership is developed. It is important for the sections to nurture their chapters. Here is where most of the section technical educational programs and national conferences are supported and we all need continuing training to secure our careers. Items of interest to chapter members can be sent to the Newsletter Editor w.whipkey@ieee.org. I have received the following from the Communications Society: The Communications Society Broadband wireless access paper continues to top the list of most popular ComSoc papers requested through Xplore! “Broadband Wireless Access with Wimax/802.16: Current Performance Benchmarks and Future Potential” by Wolter, Andrews and Chen has been the most requested ComSoc published paper on

Xplore. Check out the ComSoc www site headlines at www.comsoc.org. See the monthly ComSoc Top Ten list of those papers receiving the most requests for PDF Views through IEEE Xplore. New online tutorials just posted. View all available 55 online tutorials at the ComSoc Tutorials Now program web page. Each tutorial originated from half-day or full-day tutorials given at recent IEEE Communications Society conferences. These tutorials are so good it is like being at the conference. View a free five-minute preview of each new tutorial. The most recent tutorials are: Commercial Wireless Networking: Creating a Tactical Internet Capability with Commercial Technology by Burbank; Software Radio Implementation for MIMO/OFDM High-Speed Wireless LAN/MAN with Space-Time Coding and BLAST Technologies by Xiang

Free on line access to IEEE Communications magazine, journal and conference papers on RF Testing. Visit IEEE Communications new "Tech Focus" site at: ttp://www.comsoc.org/tech_focus/index.html

New National Electrical Safety Code Released (Power Engineering) The IEEE Standards Association plays an important role in promoting safety at electrical installations by publishing the National Electric Safety Code (NESC), used throughout the United States and in more than 100 countries. The latest version of the code, NESC 2007, was released on 1 August. Find out more at http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/3535/05686431 Student Branches: IEEE spends considerable money in support of our Student Branch members, for they are the life line of IEEE when they chose to remain a full member after graduation or rejoin at a later time. One of the most successful programs IEEE–USA has supported over the years are the SPACs, student planned and presented and a wonderful recruiting program for the student branch. Last year our Region fell short on SPACs with all the summer storms. This year it is reported the Region will support 5 to 7 SPACs by year end. These are a half day or whole day presentations by professionals on topics of professional (non-technical) interest to the students. IEEE-USA can supply one speaker from a list of 30 to 40 speakers. The other 2 or three would be from the local community or other speakers on the list who are close by and would not require air transportation or over night accommodations. For more information contact Kristi Hummel, Region 5 Professional Activities SPAC Coordinator (khummel@ieee.org). One of the most popular SPAC topics is Ethics. Ethics is discussed in Latest Issue of "IEEE Potentials" How are engineers to deal with the tricky issue of ethics? An article in the latest "IEEE Potentials" (July-August, p. 14) sets out to provide some answers. "Ethics for Engineers Falls in an Unstructured Gray Zone," by Jim Watson, suggests that ethics are seldom a purely black-and-white issue; as a result, engineers must, at times, not only factor in whether it is possible to create something, but also whether it would be correct to do so. IEEE members may read "IEEE Potentials" online at no charge as a benefit of their membership. To learn more, visit http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/3607/08135741 And finally, Rules for the 2007 Region 5 Conference and Annual Meeting Student contest are now available on the R5 VC site. Each year the contest committees review the rules and procedures and make changes when appropriate, especially the Robotic Contest which is different each year. Affinity Groups: Life Members are a reservoir to assist in many Section, Chapter, Branch activities. There are over 2,000 life members in Region 5 and growing, but only four Life Member Affinity Groups now: Dallas-Fort Worth Sections, Kansas City Section, Oklahoma City Section and Wichita Section. It takes only six signatures to form a Life Member Affinity Group

in the section. Many retired members would like to be involved in IEEE activities. Need help? Contact Ross Anderson, Life Member Committee Chair (r.c.Anderson@ieee.org). WIE (Woman in Engineering) is an international body of 110 chapters, only 18 in the USA. IEEE has about 5% women members and should be supported by more than just one WIE chapter now in the Oklahoma City Section. There are several large member sections such as Houston, Dallas, Denver, Saint Louis, Central Texas, etc. that could form and support a Women In Engineering Affinity Group. National dues are $25.00 per year. For more information contact Nita Patel, Woman in Engineering Committee Chair (nita.patel@ieee.org) GOLD Celebrates Tenth Anniversary. Engineers aren't typically known to be the partying type. But the Graduates of the Last Decade, better known as GOLD, are kicking off a month long celebration to commemorate their 10th anniversary. Learn more at (http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/3604/08135741) GOLD members are recent graduates and can help recruit the next class of graduating seniors to join IEEE as full members. They are another resource for section projects and are great for organizing social functions. IEEE gives GOLD members special privileges and cater to them at several national gatherings. And the sections honor them with a young Engineer of the Year award at Engineering Week banquets. To learn more about establishing a GOLD Affinity Group in your section, contact Rama Shastri (r.shastri@ieee.org).

Consultants Network Online Village Opens Doors for Entrepreneurs. Want to start a business of your own? IEEE members now have a new place to turn to for sage advice and information: the IEEE Entrepreneurs Village. The online site provides high-tech entrepreneurs with tools and resources to help them launch new businesses, and expand existing ones. Village members can seek advice and information on topics such as funding, marketing, hiring, best business practices, and legal issues. Learn more at http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/3489/08135741

7. Region 5 ExCom Program Coordinator News (Your Region 5 Contacts) Student Activities Coordinator, Francis Grosz (f.b.grosz@ieee.org) Graduate Students Members now have all the rights of a full member. They can hold office in the section, chapter and are another source of potential section leadership. They now also have the right to vote in any IEEE election. Education Activities and Unit Training, Zafar Taqui (z.taqui@ieee.org) Your Section/Chapter Education Committee Chair is a major part of your yearly plan. Each section/chapter needs to hold at least one technical seminar, workshop, tutorial for the sections members. Here is where the training resources of your chapter societies can help if you do not have a local expert to lead a workshop on a current hot topic. Officer Training is also necessary for the good of the section/chapters/membership as your officers seamlessly move from one position to another at the beginning of the IEEE year, January 1st. A pilot program in the fall of 2004, proved face to face training with electronic aids can be most effective in small groups gathered in a central location. The example was the South Area training that took place in Austin, Texas. Each of the 5 sections could drive there and back in one day. Corpus Christi would have had to spend a night somewhere and chose to decline. Zafar is looking for central locations that can accommodate a number of sections within driving distance and others who would come with funds made available for an overnight stay. Some sections will still be outside of the locations selected and may need their own Region training session or funds

to send one of their leaders to a near by gathering. It is important you hear from Zafar to know where he will set up this fall’s officer training sessions. Professional Activities Committee Chair, Ted Carr (t.b.carr@ieee.org) Professional Activities for the US membership is now a major part of the Region/Section relationship with IEEE-USA partially funding the larger Professional projects. Those non-technical programs and projects that address the engineers professional career and those of the public which affect the IEEE members careers are eligible for Special IEEE-USA funding through the Region PACE Chair at the discursion of the Region Director. IEEE-USA has given each Region funds to encourage and support Professional Activities. To obtain these funds, contact Ted with your plan or idea or contact one of the Region Professional Committee Coordinators to help you plan a professional project. Most Sections include one or two minor professional programs into their yearly schedule of member activities covered by the sections program funds. Region/IEEE-USA money always follows good ideas so lets hear what you would like to do to help your membership professionally. The following coordinators are available to assist the sections, chapters and branches meet their professional obligations under the IEEE constitution to help our IEEE members professionally. Professional Activities State Government and Federal Technology Policy Coordinator, James Jefferies (jjefferies@ieee.org) See also Section Activities. As September winds down, so does Congress. Bucking historic trends going back roughly 800 years (give or take), Congress looks like it will actually go home very close to October first. This is its usual target adjournment date, but Congress usually extends its own deadline until at least mid-October. Given the closeness of this year's election, many legislators want to get home to campaign, so the deadline will be met. This does not mean that Congress has finished its work. Most of the appropriations bills are still incomplete, as are a number of big legislative items. These will be pushed off until after the election. Congress expects to convene in a lame-duck session in mid-November to finish things up. The length of this session will depend on the results of the election. Like many issues before Congress, much of IEEE-USA's legislative agenda remains incomplete. Here are our highlights so far: Intellectual property Reform: No Action Congress continues to slowly debate significant reforms to the IP system in the US. Congress is being very cautions on this issue. No action is expected until 2007 at the earliest, although that may be optimistic. Patent Reform: Done for the year Congress did pass limited pension reform legislation this year. Most importantly, the new law made changes passed in 2001 permanent. IEEE-USA led the fight for these provisions and strongly supported this year's law. Complete details of the new law can be found here:

http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/issues/retirement/index.html Immigration Reform: Incomplete The big immigration bill is dead. Congress is still working on smaller bills, but these pertain mostly to enforcement of existing immigration laws and will not expand the existing system. Proposals to expand high-skill immigration, including the H-1B visa, have not moved and remain stuck with the larger immigration bill. However, some legislators have suggested that a small provision to raise the H-1B visa cap to 115,000 for next year will be inserted into an appropriations bill during the lame-duck session. IEEE-USA is still working on heading off that threat. It does not look like the permanent immigration system for high-skill immigrants will be altered this year. The issue will likely come back up next year. American Competitiveness Initiative: Incomplete Significant portions of the ACI initiative remain in the appropriations bills, although these have not yet become law. These provisions include significant increases in spending for basic research, NASA and NSF. Support for these provisions remains high in both chambers of Congress. The appropriations bills they are attached to are unlikely to pass until November. While support for the provisions is high, so is their price-tag. In a lame-duck session, anything can happen. IEEE-USA will have to fight hard to keep these programs intact. R5 members should be taking every opportunity to inform existing representatives (especially new representatives immediately after the election) that IEEE-USA has positions as outlined on www.ieeeusa.com. Issues like responsible high tech worker immigration reform and full funding of the ACI directly support the important and long term competitiveness essential to our economy and the world leadership of the United States. Professional Activities Employment/Careers Committee Coordinator, Jean Eason (j.eason@ieee.org) Employment/Careers training of Section PACE Committee members will again be a major part of next year’s Professional Workshop, scheduled for Labor Day Weekend at a resort location now called the IEEE-USA Annual Meeting. Until then, Jean is also the IEEE-USA Chair of the Career and Services Committee and made a presentation at the PACE Leadership Workshop on all the services available to help our members with job and career. These documents can all be found on the IEEE-USA web site. Member Professional Awareness Conferences (MPAC), Ted Carr (t.b.carr@ieee.org) A section MPAC gets more bang for the buck with multiple speakers and seating for the whole of the section membership. The Panhandle Section holds one in the spring and one in the fall. Although specifically for member professional topics, with IEEE support of speakers, their small section has also added a technical and has continued to draw good attendance at both of their section MPACs year after year.

Professional Activities Pre-college Student Activities, Hardy Pottinger (h.pottinger@ieee.org) IEEE-USA Pre-college Education Committee’s Pre-college Teachers Grant Program awards grants to teachers to sponsor innovation and creativity in or outside of the classroom. The Grants provide small amounts of funding up to a maximum of $1,500 for novel ideas that introduce engineering to students. For more details See http://www.ieeeusa.org/volunteers/committees/pec/teacher-grants.html AVERAGE ACT SCORE JUMPS FOR CLASS OF 2006; MANY GRADS STILL LACK COLLEGE-READY SKILLS National ACT scores rose significantly in 2006. The average ACT composite score for the U.S. high school graduating class of 2006 was 21.1, up from 20.9 last year. Scores were higher for both males and females and for students across virtually all racial/ethnic groups. The average ACT composite score has slowly increased since 2002, rising from 20.8 in both 2002 and 2003 to 20.9 in both 2004 and 2005. This year's increase is the biggest in 20 years, with the average score reaching its highest level since 1991. The current score results are based on more than 1.2 million 2006 graduates -- a record number of ACT-tested graduates -- who took the ACT at some point during their high school career. This represents 40 percent of all graduating seniors nationally. More students have college-ready skills in English, math, reading, and science this year than last. Despite the increases, the results suggest that the majority of ACT-tested graduates are still likely to struggle in first-year college math and science courses. Forty-two percent of test-takers met or exceeded the College Readiness Benchmark on the ACT Math Test (a score of 22), indicating they have a high probability of earning a "C" or higher and a 50/50 chance of earning a "B" or higher in college algebra. Only 27 percent met or exceeded the benchmark on the ACT Science Test (a score of 24), indicating they are ready to succeed in college biology. The ACT is a curriculum-based achievement test made up of four separate exams in English, reading, mathematics, and science -- plus an optional writing test. The average national scores for each required subject test in the ACT in 2006 were: English, 20.6 (up from 20.4 in 2005); Math, 20.8 (up from 20.7); Reading, 21.4 (up from 21.3); and Science, 20.9 (unchanged). The ACT is scored on a scale of 1 to 36, with 36 being the highest possible score. ACT scores are accepted at virtually all colleges and universities across the nation. The test is administered in all 50 states and is the predominant college entrance exam in 25 states. Full results may be viewed at www.act.org/news/data/06. PORTRAIT OFTHEAMERICANTEACHER The teaching profession has changed dramatically over the past forty years. The majority of the nation's three million teachers have at least a master's degree and an average of fifteen years of experience. In addition, more than 75 percent of all teachers participate in professional development related to their grade or subject area. As part of its annual National Teacher Day celebration, the National Education Association recently released a list of the top five trends in the teaching profession and outlining the main characteristics of a 21st century schoolteacher. According to NEA's research and other sources, today's teachers are primarily white, female, married, religious, and on average are 43 years old. More than half hold at least a master's degree. Forty-five years ago, in 1961, only 23 percent held advanced degrees. Additionally, 21st century teachers: - Spend an average of 50 hours per week on all teaching duties. - Teach an average of 21 pupils at the elementary level, 28 pupils at the secondary level.

- Spend an average of $443 per year of their own money to meet the needs of their students. - Make an average starting salary of $31,704 per year. - Enter the teaching profession to help shape the next generation. NEA's research also points to five main trends that have emerged over the past five years: Trend #1: America's public school teachers are the most educated, most experienced ever. Trend #2: Teachers are learning new skills and sharpening the ones they've already developed. Trend #3: The number of teachers leaving the profession is increasing. Trend #4: The teaching corps in public schools does not reflect the diversity of the student population. Trend #5: Male teachers are a dwindling breed. -- 2006 SCIENCE OLYMPIAD NATIONAL TOURNAMENT Approximately 2,400 students from 120 teams and 46 states competed in the 22nd Annual Science Olympiad National Tournament at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. Teams from Georgia and California won top prizes in their middle school and high school divisions, respectively. At the high school level, each gold medal winner won a $28,000 scholarship to Indiana University. Other awards included trips to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA, cash scholarships, and Texas Instruments prize packages. Science Olympiad tournaments consist of a series of 23 individual and team events in each division held throughout the school year. The events are aligned with national science standards and cover such topics as epidemiology, biology, robotics, aerodynamics, computers, physics, astronomy, and engineering. (I started this pre-college program when it went national while the Denver Section Chair. We wanted IEEE to sponsor this competition, but chose to have their own Future Cities contest. Every section should get into this program. It is by far the most comprehensive of all the other competitions.) The Science Olympiad is a non-profit organization devoted to improving global competitiveness in science education, increasing student interest in science, developing a technologically-literate workforce, and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by both students and teachers. These goals are met by participating in regional, state, and national tournaments; by attending summer training workshops; and by incorporating Science Olympiad into classroom curriculum. In 2005, Science Olympiad was awarded the Society of Manufacturing Engineers "Building the Future Award" for enhancing middle school science and engineering education. For more information and details about the current winners, visit www.soinc.org. -- TAX BILL INCLUDES SURPRISE FOR TEENS (Source: Houston,Texas Chronicle, May 15, 2006) An aggressive proposal tucked inside the Legislature's property tax relief bill will require most students to take four years of math and science to graduate from high school -- a move experts say will put Texas youngsters ahead of the pack academically. Though most area educators applaud the concept, they're now scrambling to figure out how to hire the extra teachers and build the new labs needed to comply with the bill, which is expected to be signed by Gov. Rick Perry. The extra classes are among a handful of high-impact initiatives included in House Bill 1 -- changes largely overshadowed by the school finance reforms hammered out in the month-long session. The Legislature pushed back the start of the school year to late August, provided $2,000 raises for teachers and decided to require school districts to hold their elections in conjunction with other municipalities. School leaders' heads were left spinning by the whirlwind session.

Greetings from the JETS Board Did you participate in a JETS (Junior Engineering Technical Society) program in high school? If so, let JETS know by sending a brief email to Leann Yoder at lyoder@jets.org, or visit the JETS website and sign up at www.jets.org/alumni/alumni_reg.cfm--hjp. Please help us find JETS Alumni. The attached ad is something I'd like you to consider running in your organization's enewsletter, staff newsletters, or other publication where you think the readers might possibly be JETS alumni. ASME plans to run it in their section electronic newsletter this month and possibly beyond. We'd love to hear from JETS Alumni. -- EIGHT NEW STATES CHOSEN FOR STATE SCHOLARS INITIATIVE Eight new states have been chosen for participation in the State Scholars Initiative, a national business/education partnership effort designed to increase the number of students who take a rigorous curriculum in high school, the U.S. Education Department has announced. The states are: Colorado, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. Under the State Scholars Initiative, each state will receive up to $300,000 during a two-year period to implement scholars programs in at least four school districts. Local business-education partnerships will work with students in those districts, encouraging them to take a rigorous course of study, one that will give them a boost whether they go to college after they graduate or straight to work. The Education Department's Office of Vocational and Adult Education funds the project, which is overseen by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education in Boulder, CO. The Scholars Core Course of Study includes four years of English, three years of math (algebra I and II and geometry), three years of science (biology, chemistry, and physics), three and a half years of social studies (U.S. history, world history, geography, economics, or government), and two years of a language other than English. Scholars programs use a high-impact strategy to motivate students to complete rigorous high school courses that prepare them for college and careers. The program utilizes business people to make presentations to eighth-graders just before they select their high school courses. Business volunteers help students understand the career options and monetary benefits of taking challenging courses. Students may receive academic support, incentives, and special recognition that help ensure their success, especially in the more difficult courses. The eight new states join 14 others previously chosen for participation. They include: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Washington. For more information on the State Scholars Initiative, visit www.wiche.edu/statescholars. -- ODYSSEY OF THE MIND ANNOUNCES WORLD CHAMPIONS OF CREATIVITY Out of nearly 800 teams, 19 have been declared World Champions of the 2006 Odyssey of the Mind World Finals. Teams from all over the world traveled to Iowa State University in order to compete in the oldest and largest creative problem-solving competition in the world. Odyssey of the Mind is founded on the idea that creativity can be taught and nurtured. Students display innovative thinking and exceptional creativity throughout this competition. Teams worked for months perfecting their solutions to one of five problems and advanced by winning in their state or country. They could choose between designing a vehicle that worked as a float in a parade; building a device that remotely transfers items; or recreating ancient Egypt. They could also choose to build a weight-holding structure out of balsa wood that weighs no more than 15 grams but can

hold as much as 1,000 pounds of weight! Finally, teams could recreate a jungle where a human talks with animals to help each other solve problems. During World Finals, over 18,000 participants, supporters, and officials attended the event. It was run with the help of over 400 Odyssey volunteers. Odyssey of the Mind sponsor -- and Triangle Coalition member -- NASA, was in attendance, as well as the Microsoft Corporation, an educational partner of Odyssey of the Mind. Everyone who solves Odyssey of the Mind problems is a winner. Those teams of students that excel and are awarded first through third place leave with a trophy, but all teams leave with a well-deserved feeling of success and accomplishment. For more information on the program, visit www.odysseyofthemind.com. (If your section has not yet adopted a Math and Science Competition, do so. They are great fun and you are also advancing the profession.) Professional Activities Student Professional Awareness Conferences Kristi Hummel (khummel@ieee.org) See also Student Branches Member Development, Teddy Wyatt (teddy.wyatt@ieee.org) IEEE is like a business. There are two sides of the ledger. One side list all the units income and the other list all the units expenses. To maintain the level of programs, especially funding from IEEE-USA for Professional Activities, we need to keep the income level growing. This means we have to get out there and sell our colleagues and others in our field to join the IEEE. All levels of IEEE are affected when membership does not come up to where we budget. And we have more and more senior members passing on to Retired members who because of their faithful membership over 35 or more years, gets to retain most of their benefits in IEEE without continuing to support the membership pot. Many do like myself continue to pay my dues equivalent to the Foundation of other favorite IEEE unit, but this does not help the general fund or our US organization, IEEE-USA who works very closely with and supports the US Regions and Sections member benefits. What can an individual member do to help IEEE grow in membership?

The foundation and strength of the IEEE is a strong and growing base of members. IEEE does not have a professional sales and marketing force for membership. Rather, we depend on word of mouth to communicate our organization and that means you. To continue to grow and build the IEEE, we need your help. Here’s what you can do.

Participate in the Member-Get-A-Member program. This program is available with incentives for finding new members. You will get a $5.00 credit voucher for every member that you recruit. But the real reward is more than a credit voucher. It’s a stronger, better IEEE with enhanced connections into industry and the community. These connections help to build the IEEE Network that supports our careers and the profession.

There are many tangible benefits associated with membership: career and professional development tools, discounts on products and services (both technical and non-technical), the award-winning Spectrum magazine, reduced conference registration fees, multiple opportunities to network with the leaders of the field, access to top technical information, an ever increasing number of continuing education courses, and much more. The list

continues to grow each year. In 2005 we launched a members-only web portal, myIEEE. This portal puts all your membership benefits together in one, easily-accessible place.

In 2006 you will see the launch of IEEE.tv, which, through streaming video, can place conference presentations, technical seminars, and other items of general interest directly on your desktop. We also have plans to launch a new, online member directory to help our members get in touch, and stay in touch with each other. It is also important you continue your membership next year and enjoy all these member benefits.

This is your organization. Help us to grow it and to keep it as vital and vibrant in the future as it has been in the past. Thank you for your individual participation in the 2006 Membership Drive.

8. Marketplace of Ideas: An Internet Tax In May, a French member of the European Parliament suggested a Europe-wide tax on e-mail and cell phone text messages as a way to finance the European Union's rising costs associated with its expansion. Naturally, this prompted a swift outcry from bloggers and industry lobbying groups. Suggestions were also made to levy taxes on heavy users of network resources and e-mail from companies that send unsolicited promotional messages. Would you favor such taxes? Send you comments to the Editor, w.whipkey@ieee.org I will print some of your responses in the next Region 5 Newsletter. 9. IEEE-USA News IEEE-USA advances the public good and promotes the careers and public policy interest of more than 220,000 engineers, scientists and allied professionals who are U.S. members of the IEEE. "2005 ANNUAL REPORT" Last year was a banner year for IEEE-USA as it was building careers and shaping public policy. U.S. IEEE members and others can review online the Washington, D.C.-based organization's efforts, as reported in its "2005 Annual Report." These activities cover the gamut -- from helping the U.S. Congress enact new energy legislation, to proposing a new legal standard adopted by the U.S. Supreme Court; from introducing new career publications and online courses, to supporting pre-college math and science teachers; from promoting engineering in national media outlets, to helping shape TV news spots on IEEE technologies. Read IEEE-USA's "2005 Annual Report" at http://www.ieeeusa.org/about/annual_report/2005.pdf For more information on IEEE-USA, visit http://www.ieeeusa.org New eBook Available: The Best of TE on Career Survival This compilation of articles on career survival from IEEE-USA Today's Engineer magazine can help you find success in today's challenging job market. To survive in a changing world, engineers need to understand how the changing business eco-system will affect their careers. This selection of articles will help readers increase situational awareness of the marketplace, learn how to assess the market and themselves, and how to identify steps to take to survive and remain competitive in today’s competitive environment. To purchase this eBook, visit: http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/3560/171913

The $100 Laptop is Comming: IEEE-USA Todays Engineer Online Article. Some manufacturers Dr. Mary Lou Jepsen approached about producing and selling a laptop computer for $100 laughed at her. Despite this chiding and disbelief, the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) chief technology officer has persevered, and the $100 laptop is on track to be shipped next spring. Jepsen describes the OLPC program in The Working on the $100 Laptop in the July issue of "IEEE-USA Todays Engineer Online." OLPC is a non-profit association dedicated to researching and developing a low-cost laptop to serve as an educational tool for children in the developing world. The cheapest laptops on the market today typically sell for about $499, a price completely out of reach for most of the world’s children and their parents. The $100 laptop has the potential to transform education in the worlds poorest countries. Jepsen writes that Billy Edwards, AMD chief strategy officer describes our design of the $100 laptop as the first fundamental revisit of personal computer architecture since IBM launched the PC in 1981. Twenty-five years, and now, for the first time, we are redesigning the whole architecture hardware, software, display and weв to coming up with some remarkable inventions and innovations. The $100 laptop, which will have online capability, will also have features that most typical laptops do not. These include instant on, three to four times the range of WiFi antennae, a hand crank to recharge the battery, one-tenth the power consumption, and a higher-resolution display. IEEE-USA Offers Resources to Assist Tech-Based Entrepreneurs The new IEEE-USA Entrepreneurs Village is an online portal designed to provide high-tech entrepreneurs with tools and resources conducive to innovation and company growth. It links high-tech entrepreneurs with their peers, and prospective entrepreneurs with mentors. Village members can seek advice and information on such topics as organization, funding, marketing, human resources, asset requirements, growth, best practices, and legal and government issues. A search engine will assist you in finding the right match to your needs. Experienced entrepreneurs are encouraged to become mentors. IEEE-member entrepreneurs who make up the IEEE-USA Entrepreneurial Activities Committee (EAC) administer the virtual village. The Village allows you to conduct live chats and exchange useful Web links and articles with other Entrepreneurs, said David Ostfeld, who co-chairs EAC with Mauro Togneri. The networking and knowledge-gathering capabilities are endless. The interactive Village provides access to networking and resources that will help new and established business owners. Members can post discussion items, link to articles, meet other entrepreneurs and find out about local entrepreneurial groups already established within U.S. IEEE Sections. Seventy-five percent of all innovation comes from small business, and successful small businesses become large businesses, Togneri said. Expanding technology-based entrepreneurial business is critical to the U.S. economy and IEEE members career vitality and employment. Visit the Village at http://www.ieeeusa.org/careers/entrepreneurs/. Former Japan S&T Executive Director Cites Terrorism, Infectious Diseases as Emerging Threat. Dr. Yukio Sato, former executive director of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), told the Congressional Research and Development (R&D) Caucus that emerging threats such as terrorism and unknown infectious diseases are a mega trend in

Japan. Discussing the state of S&T policy in Japan, Dr. Sato also cited two other mega trends: * A rapidly aging society in which the declining birth rate will aggravate the financial situation of the country pension system, while an increase in productivity will be required to maintain national capacity with a declining labor force * As deregulation and privatization advance, a shift from a uniform and homogeneous society to a more competitive society, bringing with it discussions of expanding differences such as producing increased gaps in income As a friend, ally, and important trading partner to the United States, Japan competitiveness certainly benefits the United States, but it also challenges us to be better, said Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), who chairs the R&D Caucus with Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) The reverse is true too; U.S. competitiveness challenges and benefits Japan. It only makes sense, then, that we understand each other strategy for remaining competitive, and learn from each other. The briefing was hosted by the United Engineering Foundation in collaboration with IEEE-USA, ASME, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers. IEEE-USA co-hosted the 12 July Capitol Hill as a member of the congressional R&D Caucus Planning Committee and Advisory Committee. For more on the caucus, go to www.researchcaucus **IEEE-USA IN ACTION ** Senators Highlight Engineering at IEEE-USA Cosponsored R&D Symposium WASHINGTON (18 May 2006) Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) offered congressional perspectives on the importance of federal investment in engineering research and development in speeches at the Engineering R&D Symposium on Wednesday. IEEE-USA is a lead sponsor of the event, which concluded today at the Hyatt Regency Hotel-Capitol Hill. "R&D spending has a positive growth effect on the economy," Alexander said. He and Bingaman are major cosponsors of the three "Protecting America's Competitive Edge" (PACE) bills being considered by congressional committees. Now in its fourth year, the Engineering R&D Symposium brings together leaders from prominent U.S. engineering organizations to gain firsthand knowledge of the administration's R&D priorities and the potential impact of the President's 2007 budget request on the science, engineering and technology community. Dr. Raymond L. Orbach, director of the Department of Energy's Office of Science, delivered the keynoteaddress. IEEE-USA volunteers play key roles in the symposium. Emily Sopensky moderated a presentation on engineering R&D in the FY 07 budget; and Dr. Martin Sokoloski moderated a presentation on R&D, innovation and competitiveness. Sokoloski's panel included Dr. C.D. Mote, Jr., president of the University of Maryland; and Philip Ritter, a senior vice president with Texas Instruments. Mote discussed the National Academies' Oct. 2005 report, "Rising Above the Gathering Storm." The report, which he helped produce, formed the basis for the PACE legislation and contributed to the President's American Competitiveness Initiative. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) serves as the directorate for the symposium and manages the Web site, http://www.engineeringpolicy.org/. NEW ENGINEERING CAREERS BROCHURE UNVEILED FOR 11-13-YEAR-OLD STUDENTS, CHILDREN'S MUSEUMS

IEEE-USA has unveiled a new six-panel engineering careers brochure that is designed for 11-13-year-old, sixth-to- eighth grade U.S. students. Titled "My Science, My Math, My Engineering! How Am I Ever Going to Use This Stuff in the Real World?," the brochure: (1)lists courses youngsters should take to get ready for engineering; (2) shows how they can figure out "if engineering is interesting"; and (3) asks "what could *you* do if you were an engineer?" In one of the brochure panels, James Michener, the novelist and short story writer, is quoted: "Scientists dream about doing great things, engineers do them." Some 20,000 copies of "My Science, My Math, My Engineering!" have been preordered by more than two-dozen U.S. children's museums. These include: The Exploratorium, in San Francisco; the Science Museum of Virginia, in Richmond; and the Buffalo Museum of Science. Large quantities have also been requested by organizations with K-12 student sci-tech enrichment programs, such as the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif.; and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, in Huntsville, Ala. Members of IEEE-USA's Pre-college Education Committee, including a school teacher, drafted the text. And IEEE-USA volunteer members pre-tested the brochure for readability and design with students in the target age range. "My Science, My Math, My Engineering!" complements an earlier IEEE-USA publication aimed at high-school students, "Careers in Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering." To see the new brochure for younger students, go to http://www.ieeeusa.org/volunteers/committees/pec/Precollege_brochure.pdf Copies can be obtained without charge by writing to IEEE-USA Communications Assistant Helen Hall at h.hall@ieee.org. IEEE-USA's Services for Unemployed Members -- How are We Doing? The IEEE offers a number of resources to aid U.S. IEEE members during periods of unemployment or involuntary career transition, including job listings, insurance, reduced membership dues, quick-response workshops, consultants networks and fee surveys, online legislative action center, local Section and PACE Network presentations, the IEEE-USA Salary Service and more. IEEE-USA needs your help evaluating its career resources for unemployed U.S. IEEE members. If you are or have recently been unemployed: (1) Were you aware of the aforementioned resources; (2) Did you make use of them (if yes, which ones); and (3) How was your experience? Please send your candid responses to mailto:ieeeusa@ieee.org. All comments will be kept confidential. P.E. Electrical and Computer Review Course Now Available Online A new course designed to help you prepare for the P.E. Electrical and Computer exam is now available online and on CD-ROM. Created especially for the exam's new format, the IEEE-USA P.E. Review: Breadth review course features detailed analysis and discussion of sample tutorial practice problems in electrical and computer engineering. The presentation offers insight into proper approaches to problems covering computers, electronics, controls, communication and power -- the types of problems found in the morning breadth portion of the restructured exam. The course will help you improve your chances of passing the exam by reinforcing the theory you learned in school, and focusing on the essential concepts required to analyze and design complex systems. Go to

http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/3817/173782 and look for product No. UH 3110 (online version) and No. UH 3100 (CD-ROM). For First Time, IEEE-USA Supports Two Engineering Mass Media Fellows For the first time, IEEE-USA is providing support for two IEEE graduate student members to serve 10-week summer internships as AAAS Science & Engineering Mass Media Fellows. They are: Charles Emrich, Ph.D. in biophysics at University of California/Berkeley; and Miriah Meyer, Ph.D. candidate in computer science at University of Utah/Salt Lake City. Each has secured a placement: Emrich at the "Sacramento Bee"; and Meyer at the "Chicago Tribune." The program serves to introduce engineers, scientists and mathematicians to a media assignment ; improve public communications on science, technology and engineering; and promote technological literacy. For more information on the IEEE-USA involvement in the 32-year-old AAAS program, go to: http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/3250/168698 GAO FINDS THAT H-1B VISA PROGRAM UNDERCUTS U.S. WORKERS; IEEE-USA ENCOURAGES CONGRESS TO FIX 'FLAWED' H-1B PROGRAM IEEE-USA encourages Congress to fix the badly flawed H-1B program, which undercuts U.S. workers and enables the exploitation of foreign guest-workers. The findings, conclusions and recommendations contained in the new General Accountability Office (GAO) report, entitled "H-1B Visa Program: Labor Could Improve its Oversight and Increase Information Sharing With Homeland Security," reinforce a decade worth of government studies on the H-1B program. The report concludes that the government, specifically the Departments of Labor, Homeland Security and Justice, lack the authority, resources and will to police the H-1B program. To support this claim, the GAO found thousands of examples of H-1B applications that were approved despite obvious violations of the law contained in the clear language of the applications themselves. In a statement released today, IEEE-USA President Dr. Ralph W. Wyndrum, Jr. said: "Even a casual glance at these applications would have revealed problems, but those in charge lacked the authority to spot these problems. Implementation of the H-1B program fails every test of the principles its advocates have asserted. Employers can and do give preference to H-1Bs over U.S. workers. Employers who choose to do so can easily manipulate the system to pay below-market wages. And the program accelerates the offshoring of high-skilled jobs by training people who then become our overseas competition. Bringing in the best and brightest and keeping them here should be the goal of the program, but the H-1B program now does not serve that purpose." According to IEEE-USA, the GAO affirms what independent observers and the government already know: the H-1B program has little oversight, and statutory changes are necessary to ensure it serves the national interest. The program can be fixed, but only by Congress. The GAO shows that the key enforcement mechanism to prevent adverse effects on U.S. and foreign workers, the Labor Condition Application process, does not work. The GAO report also provides specific recommendations that should be mplemented immediately, but the report does not go far enough to fix the H-1B program so that it functions as Congress intended. Key GAO findings include:

**"Labor oversight of the H-1B program is limited, even within the scope of its existing authority. Labor review of employers H-1B applications is limited by law to identifying omissions and obvious inaccuracies, but we found that it does not consistently identify all obvious inaccuracies." **"Labor’s system does not consistently identify all obvious inaccuracies. For example, although the overall percentage was small, we found 3,229 applications that were certified even though the wage rate on the application was lower that the prevailing wage for that occupation in the specific location." The IEEE-USA would emphasize that the GAO report looked for wage rates that were lower than the prevailing wages found on the H-1B application. No attempt was made to establish than the prevailing wages listed were correct. Other studies have found that, on average, prevailing wages on H-1B applications are between $13,000 and $24,000 below market rates. The GAO did not investigate this problem. **"Additionally, Labor does not identify other errors that may be obvious. We found 993 certified applications with invalid employer identification number prefixes. In other programs, Labor matches the application employer application number with valid employer identification numbers. However, they do not formally do this match with H-1B applications because its is an attestation process, not a verification process." The GAO also found many procedural and legal obstacles that prevent agencies from properly policing the program and from sharing information between them on violations. The report will be posted at http://www.gao.gov IEEE-USA President Wyndrum concluded: "Little in the report is new. Earlier reports by the GAO, Inspectors General at the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security, and the White House Office of Management and Budget, have repeatedly found similar problems over the past decade." IEEE-USA urges Congress to heed the warnings contained in the new GAO report and act to correct the numerous flaws and deficiencies in the H-1B program before taking steps to expand a program that allows exploitation of foreign workers, disadvantages U.S. workers, and facilitates the transfer of American jobs and technologies overseas. IEEE-USA advances the public good and promotes the careers and public-policy interests of more than 220,000 engineers, scientists and allied professionals who are U.S. members of the IEEE. IEEE-USA is part of the IEEE, the world's largest technical professional society with 360,000 members in 150 countries. For more information on IEEE-USA, go to http://www.ieeeusa.org 10. Communications with eNews I discovered the first newsletter was not delivered by eNotes an automated e-mail system of selection and transmission to a all Region 5 members. It was instead posted to the Region 5 Communities site discussed above. There are several calendars of upcoming conferences, meetings, etc., and are to be updated on the R5 communities site.

To make this Region 5 Newsletter interesting to our members, the Editor is asking for NEWS about the Members, Sections, Chapters, Student Branches, Infinity Groups, the Public that would be of interest to our membership. I would also like to hear what you think about our Region 5 Newsletter and/or its distribution. In future issues, we will ask your opinion about one of our Region 5 issues to get your feed back. Questions, letters to the editor and your responses to this e-publication are to be sent to the Region 5 Newsletter Editor (w.whipkey@ieee.org).