IEEE Student Branch

By Mark Sinclair, President

The IEEE student branch hosted several successful events this past year. Professors Kraft and Nahin drew large crowds for their talks on Matlab. We also had several guest lecturers from nearby engineering companies. Representatives from Sanders visited us to talk about the diverse fields of employment that they have to offer. Charles Bianchi, a UNH alumnus from Lucent Technologies also spoke with us about high tech careers and advanced research topics.

The IEEE also held successful social events, including the fall picnic and the Christmas party. These events give students and professors the chance to talk, have a good time, and forget about school for a while. We all know how important this is! The IEEE officers were also fortunate enough to be invited to the State IEEE meeting in Manchester. There, we met several State executives, and got a chance to see how the IEEE is run.

Improvements were made to the IEEE lounge, including better lighting and a telephone, thanks to Daren Keller, Dr. LaCourse, and the Electrical Engineering department. The IEEE was also recognized as an official UNH student organization last year. Finally, this will allow us to use some of that student activity fee money that EE’s rarely see.

Our goals for the upcoming year are to make students aware that there is much more to a career in engineering than transistors and transfer functions. We plan to continue and expand professional talks to give students an idea of what is going on in industry, and to provide a link between the classroom and the real world.

The IEEE branches from UNH and NHTI are planning a team effort to enter the IEEE Micromouse design competition. The goal is to design a small vehicle that can navigate through a maze, without touching the walls, using only its self-contained circuitry. This is bound to be an excellent experience for everyone involved.

We will also bring more engineering companies to campus to talk about employment for graduating seniors and summer jobs for undergraduates. Working as an intern or co-op can be the most important and rewarding experience for any undergraduate. Students who take advantage of this real world experience gain a competitive edge in the job market, as well as an easier transition from school to work.

We will also continue with the traditional social events like the IEEE pool tournament (Kevin Meyer’s favorite), student-faculty basketball game, picnics, and Christmas party. Hope to see you there!