Wrapping up a solid year of growth and community contribution, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Young Professionals Southern Alberta Chapter has recently been awarded best Canadian Young Professionals group for 2014. The team’s vision – to cater to the professional and overall development of their fellow young professionals – has made them role models for young professionals.
Electrical and geomatics engineering students on the IEEE Young Professionals Southern Alberta Team. Front row (l to r): Yuting He, Mohsin Aziz, Piyush Rawat, Jatin Chatrath. Back row: Yuhong Liu, Neha Dawar, Tushar Sharma, Hani Badaway and Zhixing Zhao. Photo courtesy IEEE Young Professionals, Southern Alberta Section, Region 7
Under the leaderships of current chair Tushar Sharma, a graduate student in the iRadio Lab at the Schulich School of Engineering, the chapter has undertaken a number of academic exchange, industry engagement and educational activities.
In the 2013-14 season, the chapter held several technical lectures aimed at increasing research and knowledge exchange among different areas in engineering, physics and education. Special focus was given to professional and career development in the form of mixers, panel discussion, and networking sessions, with the goal of assisting members in the transition from undergraduate to graduate student or to joining the workforce.
University of Calgary students, faculty, staff and industry at the IEEE Holiday Mixer.
In collaboration with the Astronomy Teacher Training Institute, the Young Professionals created a students, teachers and researchers (STAR) initiative to spread awareness of radio and microwave education to schools across Alberta. The group hosted a star gazing session at All-Star Telescopes outside Calgary, where IEEE members, students, and Mitacs interns from around the globe witnessed phenomenon like saturn rings and meteors. Plans for 2015 include an extension of the 2014 lectures series and the creation of a continuing education centre in Siksika Nation.
Sharma will receive the award on behalf of the Southern Alberta Section during the IEEE Canada regional meeting in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Québec this April.
Article contributed by Tushar Sharma, IEEE Young Professionals Chair of Southern Alberta, Canada
