WiE and YP Activity at IEEE NEWCAS 2016
The 14th IEEE International NEWCAS Conference was held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel from June 26 to 29, 2016. The program included tutorials, plenary talks, technical sessions as well as etworking and social events.
On Monday, June 27, 2016, the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society (CASS), Women in Engineering (WiE) and Young Professionals (YP) hosted a WiE and YP panel discussion and social event. Panelists included prominent leaders in industry and academia: Prof. Magdy Bayoumi (University of Louisiana), Dr. Neda Parnian (Intel), Prof. Mohamad Sawan (Polytechnique Montréal), Dr. Shahram Tafazoli (Motion Metrics), and Prof. Rabab Ward (University of British Columbia).
The panel discussion was organized by the local IEEE CASS Women in Engineering and Young Professionals volunteers: Parastoo Dehkordi (University of British Columbia), Mohamed Elgendi (University of British Columbia), Ophir Kendler (SysEne Consulting, Inc.), Jacqueline Nichols (Cellula Robotics), Ana Laura Gonzalez-Rios (Chipkin Automation Systems), and Ljiljana Trajkovic (Simon Fraser University). Each panelist addressed five questions:
- What was your career path and the most important challenges you faced?
- What is your view of current trends and opportunities in the circuit and systems field?
- What are the needed skills to success in CAS profession?
- What are your best and worst career decisions?
- What is your advice for WiE & YP?
Attendance to the panel discussion was modest and included engineers of both genders and all ages. Included are photos of the panelist, volunteers, and the organizing committee. The flyer announcing the event is also enclosed.
Panelist and attendees continued to network after the panel at the sunset cruise event, bringing a cheerful close to a successful event. The Magic Harbor Cruise, a highlight of the social events at NEWCAS 2016, was held on Monday evening. Over 100 attendees were at the cruise, including conference organizers, and guests. The cruise was a fine networking dinner event with live entertainment. It included a spectacular view of Vancouver’s magnificent skyline and mountains. It was a perfect ending to a day of learning and inspiration that left attendees with countless fond memories.
Generous support from the sponsors enabled us to host the event that showcased WiE and YP and shared our vision. Panelists who participated in this event imparted invaluable lessons and tips to the attendees and offered many meaningful examples of how Young Professionals and Women in Engineering may contribute to society and grow within the profession.
Mohamed Elgendi and Ljiljana Trajkovic
IEEE NEWCAS 2016 WiE and YP Organizing Committee