Note from the Chair
Welcome to the SIGHT newsletter's first anniversary edition! We have come so far in the last 12 months. Thank you for all of the time, passion, and energy you have put into SIGHT this year.
We are delighted to recognize some of the highest performing groups this year. However, we know there are a number of groups that are laying the groundwork right now for some incredible achievements in 2015. We look forward to spotlighting your work next year!
Kartik Kulkarni, Chair, IEEE SIGHT Steering Committee
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SIGHT Committee News
Congratulations are in order for two SIGHT Steering Committee members who have been recognized for their humanitarian work!
- Ray Larsen will be receiving the 2015 IEEE Richard M. Emberson Award for "inspiring locally owned businesses to provide sustainable humanitarian benefits in underprivileged communities."
- Alfredo Herrera is a recipient of the 2014 IEEE Membership and Geographic Activities Achievement Award for "providing an enriching opportunity for member development and alignment with the IEEE mission and vision to deliver effective humanitarian technology open source products and services."
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More about SIGHT
- Find out what SIGHT is all about from Program Manager Holly Schneider Brown's IEEE Town Hall talk
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Calls for Papers and Opportunities
2015 IEEE International Humanitarian Technology Conference (IEEE IHTC) - May 31 - June 4, 2015 in Ottawa, Canada
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 Join the SIGHT Facebook Group and stay up-to-date on the latest news! |
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We want to hear from you!
Please let us know what you would like to read about in upcoming SIGHT newsletters.
Send your suggestions and ideas to Holly Schneider Brown, SIGHT Program Manager, at h.s.brown@ieee.org. |
IEEE SIGHT
445 Hoes Lane
Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-4141
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And the Notable SIGHT groups of 2014 are...
We are pleased to announce that the following SIGHT groups are hereby recognized as Notable SIGHT Groups of 2014:
- Bridges Nicaragua SIGHT
- CARG Bangladesh SIGHT
- Kerala SIGHT
- Madras SIGHT
Each of these four groups demonstrated exemplary efforts over the course of 2014. Bridges Nicaragua SIGHT has held a science camp, wind mill design and fabrication workshop, and has made particular progress with its Maker Space laboratory. CARG Bangladesh SIGHT has taken great strides with its solar-powered rickshaw solution, featured in last month's newsletter. The Kerala SIGHT has undertaken many activities in 2014 and is particularly noted for its Eyes Free Science Camp. Madras SIGHT has pioneered a solar lamp design competition.
 | | Bridges Nicaragua SIGHT wind mill design and fabrication workshop for high school students in rural Jinotega |
Each group will receive a US$500 grant for their activities. In early 2015, the SIGHT Steering Committee will be rolling out an official award program for the year. Details on requirements and how to apply will be published in an upcoming SIGHT newsletter.
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Updates from the IEEE Humanitarian Ad Hoc Committee (HAHC)
- At their November meeting, the IEEE Board of Directors voted to endorse a "boots on the ground" approach to humanitarian activities. This is great news for SIGHT, since it will continue to have a home and funding within the IEEE humanitarian activities program! Stay tuned for more information in 2015.
- HAHC Chair, Mike Lightner, had a chance to meet Humphrey Muhindi, the chair of one of our newest groups, the Kenya SIGHT, this month in Mombasa.
 | | Humphrey Muhindi (l) and Mike Lightner (r) discuss Kenya SIGHT plans |
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Presidents' Change the World Competition accepting applications
Are you a current or recently graduated student with an innovative solution to a humanitarian problem? Could you use $10,000 and relationships within the senior IEEE community to get the idea off the ground? If so, consider checking out the 2015 IEEE Presidents' Change the World Competition!
The IEEE Presidents' Change the World Competition is a contest designed to recognize students who identify a real-world problem, apply engineering, science, computing, and leadership skills to solve it, and, thereby, benefit humanity or their community.
Here are some important points about the 2015 PCW Competition:
- Registration opens 22 December and submissions are accepted through January 31, 2015
- A project team must have an IEEE member on it
- Submissions do not have to exclusive to PCW Contest
- All submissions will be required to include a short video as proof of their solution to a humanitarian challenge
Further details, official rules, scoring rubric, and registration information can be found here: www.ieee.org/changetheworld
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Educational Resources
2014 has seen a number of excellent Engineering for Change (E4C) webinars.
Here are some of the year's most popular:
Catch them on demand and earn one Professional Development Hour (PDH) per webinar!
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