IEEE Canadian Foundation
ICF McNaughton Centre Grant Reports
IEEE Student Branch at University of Victoria
IEEE Student Branch at University of Victoria was awarded an ICF MLRC Grant for upgrading existing McNaughton Centre by getting a new power supply, function generator, and desktop computer to run engineering programs such as Altium and Matlab, send branch emails, and run their weekly meetings. The McNaughton Centre has become so popular work space for IEEE members that it often runs out of chairs and desk space during peak hours. The branch continues to maintain its vibrant operation by supporting students through skill development workshops, homework help and tutoring, as well as industry mentoring such as in their micro-processor group activities.
IEEE Student Branch at Concordia University
In Dec. 2014, ICF awarded an MLRC Grant to the IEEE Student Branch (SB) at Concordia University for upgrading their McNaughton Centre. The SB operates an open electronics lab and learning centre so that engineering students can practice and work on their own personal projects. The upgrade consisted in fully equipping a third workbench to accommodate more students and to replace some general tools in the lab. The SB volunteers secured discounted prices from a local store. To quantify the increased use of the MLRC, an attendance log book was introduced. It also helped ensure the centre is open and properly staffed when students want to use it. As the word spread, more first year students discovered the MLRC. In order to recognize students who use the lab for their projects or learning, Achievement Badges (2015 IEEE Student Enterprise Award) were introduced. The upgrade helped students to explore technology in a supplementary way to their academic courses. It also helped the SB volunteers gain experience in managing the finances and running their McNaughton Centre.
Concordia University IEEE Student Branch Chair, Nathaly Arraiz Matute, at the Concordia MLRC
ICF Special Grant Report
ICF awarded a Special Grant to UBC and SFU IEEE Branches for their South Korea Field Trip. Nineteen UBC students and five SFU students went on a 12-day trip which entailed Seoul, Daejeon and Busan. They toured a wide range of technology companies, Universities and one of the world's most advanced fusion reactors. They visited National University in Seoul and KAIST (formerly the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), a public research university in Daejeon. They met Korean students of the same age and fields of study, and had a chance to discuss leading edge engineering solutions that Korean companies use to excel in the global technology research and manufacturing. The UBC’s Go Global Exchange Program and UBC and SFU Engineering Co-op Programs were promoted to the Korean Universities and companies, respectively. The trip participants were students who came from a variety of backgrounds and interests: open-source software, biomedical imaging devices, communications, electronics, nanotechnology and semiconductors. Some were interested in pursuing graduate studies abroad and some hoping to work in Asia after graduation. Each participant found networking opportunities and parts of the trip relevant to their personal goals and interests.
A link to the photos from the trip: http://www.ubcieee.org/fieldtrip/photos/
IEEE Canada Vehicular Technologies Travel Grant Report
Md Jahidur Rahman, graduate student from University of British Columbia, supported in part with the ICF grant awarded in April this year, attended and presented two technical papers at the IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC) 2015 in London, UK, June 8-12, 2015. At the conference, he also attended several technical symposia, workshops and panel discussions on topics related to the filed of his research. He reported that the feedback received on his research and meeting leading researchers from Academia and communication companies are very valuable for his future work.
You Can Make a Difference - Donations to ICF by IEEE annual membership renewal
Your donation means so much to the success of projects, initiatives and awards reported here in the IEEE Canada Newsletter. During your upcoming IEEE annual membership renewal, please make use of the convenient option to donate to the IEEE Canadian Foundation to sustain and grow the range of IEEE activities supported across Canada. Direct donations are also welcome, online (http://ieeecanadianfoundation.org/EN/donateonline.php)
or by mail (http://ieeecanadianfoundation.org/EN/don_mail.php).
A Volunteer-Webmaster Needed for IEEE Canadian Foundation
The IEEE Canadian Foundation (ICF) is seeking a volunteer to maintain its bilingual website (http://ieeecanadianfoundation.org). He/she will be part of a small committee whose duties include posting ICF meeting information and other related material, and coordinating French translation with the volunteer(s) handling that task. Some proficiency in French would be helpful/of value.
Experienced/knowledgeable and interested volunteers, please contact: John Mowbray, ICF Nominations Committee, John.Mowbray@ieee.org
Webmestre bénévole recherché par la Fondation Canadienne de l'IEEE
La Fondation canadienne de l'IEEE est à la recherche d'un ou d'une bénévole pour maintenir son site Web bilingue (http://ieeecanadianfoundation.org). Cette personne fera partie d'un petit comité chargé notamment d'annoncer l'information sur les réunions de la Fondation, de diffuser les documents connexes et de coordonner les travaux de traduction vers le français auprès des traducteurs bénévoles. Une connaissance du français serait utile et appréciée.
Les bénévoles compétents et expérimentés qui désirent occuper cette fonction sont priés de communiquer avec: John Mowbray, Comité des nominations de la Fondation canadienne de l'IEEE, John.Mowbray@ieee.org
