Subodha Charles

What advice would you give to young technologists on how to get the most of the IEEE membership experience?

To get the most out of your IEEE membership, don’t just sign up—get involved. Attend local section meetings, join technical societies that align with your interests and actively participate in IEEE events, conferences and competitions. IEEE is more than just access to research papers—it’s a global community. Take advantage of mentorship opportunities, contribute to activities and network with professionals and peers. Volunteering for committees or local chapter activities can also be a game-changer—it helps you build leadership skills and meaningful connections that can shape your career.

What intrigues you right now?

My research area is on computer architecture. That’s commonly known as CHIPs, and to be a bit more specific, I work on hardware security. Particularly, I work to develop infrastructure for the power grid to help modernize its legacy infrastructure. With growing connectivity comes the threats of cybersecurity, and when you have the entire power grid distribution network all connected during one single attack, for example, you can have lights off. I’m focused on understanding and implementing solutions to prevent this from happening as this will not only be a concern now but will continue to be a concern in the future.