Connecting and Empowering Students

June 13, 2025

It started with an unconventional fashion choice for the 2017 IEEE Sections Congress: dozens of delegates from the western United States sporting replicas of jackets worn by the crew of the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek: the Next Generation.

But what started as a way to build team identity ultimately fostered broader connections and a sense of empowerment.

How, you might ask, could a sartorial choice do all that?

At the time, I was the Director of IEEE Region 6, which covers the western United States. IEEE Sections Congress is the triennial global meeting of delegates from more than 300 IEEE sections across all 10 of its global regions, a group that represents the grassroots leadership of IEEE. For delegates, it is an opportunity to discuss with peers what is happening at the local level.

The jackets gave people a reason to strike up a conversation. What started as a quirky aside about phasers and warp drives often turned into an opportunity to discuss one of Region 6’s major strategic goals: “Creating the Next Generation of IEEE and Transforming Our Organization for the Next Century.”

Empowerment means giving people the opportunity to do more and be more, to make things happen. But you cannot empower people without helping them build connections.

As the 2025 IEEE President and CEO, I’ve made empowerment one of the core themes of my time in office. We even had a challenge coin made to mark that theme.

IEEE has a unique position in the world of technology. We connect students to their careers, and academics to peers in industry and to each other. Our meetings and conferences help people find collaborators and spark new avenues for research and the advancement of technology.

IEEE is a connector. As an organization, it’s crucial that we use that power to grow the next generation of IEEE members, which means connecting students to meaningful careers. By forging the connections that matter, the links to industry partners and experienced mentors, we can turn student members into lifelong colleagues and future leaders.

Empowerment, in this context, means providing the connections students need, connections to peers, mentors, and crucially, the industry where they will apply and advance technology. Our fields thrive on this link between learning and application, between academia and industry. That’s why strengthening these connections and helping them bridge the gap between their studies and their future profession is a core part of my vision and a dedicated strategic focus for IEEE.

About the author: Kathleen Kramer is 2025 IEEE President & CEO.

Learn more about the next generation of tech: Check out the Transmitters, a community of technology professionals driving global progress with fresh insights on the topics and trends impacting our world.