McGill IEEE Student Branch

Seventeen months ago, when a group of dedicated students embarked on a journey to reactivate the McGill IEEE Student Branch, we couldn’t imagine a better situation than we are in now. With a long, rich history that can be traced back to 1936, the IEEE student branch at McGill was dormant for several years until 2011. Yet it experienced a phenomenal growth during the past year and its members surpassed 290 in December 2012. Currently, the branch is the largest IEEE student branch in Eastern Canada.

Established in 1884, IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is the world’s largest professional, non-profit association for the advancement of technology, with more than 400,000 members and over 100,000 student members in 150 countries. IEEE opens the door to opportunities to help develop your professional identity in science, technology, and engineering. Access to cutting-edge information, networking opportunities, career enhancement, and many other exclusive member benefits are the key values of IEEE membership.

IEEE Canada, operating in three geographic areas (Western, Central and Eastern Canada), has over 50 student branches in universities and colleges. It recognizes the individual achievements of its members through an extensive program of awards; promotes student growth by providing scholarships and grants through the IEEE Canadian Foundation; and provides resources to assist members in upgrading their knowledge base, professional skills, and networking capabilities.

Operation and activities

The branch holds biweekly committee meetings as well as several technical, professional, and social events throughout the school year. We are particularly adept at meeting the needs of members. By becoming a member of the McGill SB, students are privileged to be involved in the electrical engineering community on campus, in Montreal, and internationally.

This is achieved through:

• Holding social events for fun, creating a sense of community, and fostering team building skills
• Organizing corporate events to expand members’ professional networks, providing them with internship and employment opportunities, and exploring real-world applications of what they have learned
• Holding technical and leadership events to develop practical and personal growth

Here is a list of some activities that McGill SB has undertaken in the past two years:

• Design and programming competitions
• Organizing field trips to Industry</li
• Organizing field trips to Universities (e.g. Harvard, MIT, etc.)
• Organizing information sessions and recruitment events
• Bringing in speakers on technical and professional subjects
• Hosting “Star of the Year” and “End of School” picnic

In the future, we will consider extending the list to include:

• Holding Student Professional Awareness Conferences (S-PACs)
• Offering crash course tutorials to sophomores and juniors</li
• Raising funds for charity

With a number of notable efforts, we recall the IEEEXtreme in the Fall 2012 as the branch’s most notable achievement. It was a great success and McGill teams excelled securing 5 teams out of the top 7 teams of Canada. There were over 1,900 teams in this competition from all over the globe. Among the branch’s achievements is the 2012 “IEEE Region 7 (Canada) Exemplary Student Branch Award,” awarded at the 2012 IEEE Canada Student Congress in Mississauga, last September.

As a result of an exceptional membership development and successful events, we have succeeded in building a healthy financial situation this year. Apart from the funds and grants from the ECE department, IEEE Montreal and IEEE Canada, we were able for the first time to have secured funding from industry. Potential uses of this cash surplus would be to create competitions, support student projects, and subsidize events.

Challenges

Intended to enhance the learning experiences of the IEEE student members, McGill IEEE McNaughton Learning Resource Centre was established in 1983 and upgraded in 1987. The centre was supposed to be a hub for encouraging IEEE membership and activities, and interaction between the SB and IEEE Montreal.

However, the center has been obsolete due to the inactivity of branch for several years. Having applied for IEEE Canada grants, we have been communicating with the department for a new, spacious location. The upgrading of a McNaughton center will have a lasting impact on the Branch operations.

Another challenge is to establish a sustainable connection between the SB and undergraduate students such that they become more involved in the activities and committee. We believe that coming together, keeping together, and working together will enhance progress and lead to more success. We are also trying to break out of our shell as an ECE-only group and reach out to other academic disciplines in engineering and science.

In an effort to form meaningful ties with undergraduates, we have started cooperation with ECSESS, the undergraduate society at the ECE department. To begin, we are organizing a joint trip to Ottawa to visit a
number of well-known corporations in early February. Furthermore, we have been subsidizing the undergraduate membership by up to 30%.

Opportunities for volunteering

If you like to organize innovative, fun, and educational activities, come and share it with us; the SB welcomes you! Through volunteerism at IEEE, you can take pride in participating in activities that interest you, while gaining valuable leadership skills and connecting with others in your field of interest. If you are looking for a position in the next year’s committee, keep an eye on our webpage for the committee election in April.

We live in a world where women are empowered to go for what they want. The SB has recently formed the women in engineering (WiE) affinity group, and will organize a one-day workshop in the coming months. So,
come and raise your voice; it is your work to shape the future and make your wishes come true.

We are active in social media, including Facebook and Twitter. Don’t forget to visit our webpage sb-ieee.ece.mcgill.ca to get more details about past and upcoming events, as well as our achievements, and
membership benefits.