Celebrating IEEE Day

September 18, 2018

With IEEE Day 2018 and its global events approaching on 2 October, there are any number of activities in which you can engage, from worldwide virtual events to local activities. Because IEEE Day celebrates engineers, we want to share some of our IEEE Transmitter articles that have highlighted how engineers are advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. We’ve also included some IEEE Day events from 2017 to give a sense of what to look for this year.

In March, we talked on Transmitter about the research being done to turn buildings’ glass panels into photovoltaic modules, allowing “solar windows” to generate electricity without the need for large arrays of solar panels, reducing cities’ environmental impact.

On IEEE Day 2017, green building ideas like this were the basis for a technical conference at the Universidad Tecnologica in Pereira, Colombia, which focused on the LEED rating system, building design and construction, and ways to reduce energy use.

As we mentioned in a recent profile of the IEEE Power & Energy Society on Transmitter, 68 percent of the world’s population will likely live in urban areas by 2050, and the modernization of the electrical grid is crucial to meeting the demand for these sustainable environments.

Last year, the Power & Energy Society helped organize a free IEEE Day workshop in Troy, Michigan on installing your own solar array and wind turbine. Along with the Southeastern Michigan Power and Energy Chapter and IEEE Smart Grid, the event helped explain the requirements for connecting distributed resources to the grid.

One technology that has received significant attention for its implications on safety and accessibility is self-driving cars. As the industry pushes in that direction, communications are becoming especially important. We talked with IEEE Senior member Kevin Curran, IEEE member Sukanya Mandal and IEEE Senior member Shawn Chandler in our coverage of the Internet of Vehicles on how sensors might reduce traffic and accidents.

There are many IEEE Day 2018 events coming soon, so keep an eye out as we get closer to 2 October. This year we have also added virtual events that you can anytime from anywhere. You can keep up with the growing list of activities on the Get Involved! Page.

To find an activity you’d like to join or to get more information about the role of IEEE Day and other ways to get involved, visit the IEEE Day site.