IEEE is one of the largest student organizations at UC San
Diego. The national organization is the largest professional organization for
electrical engineers nationwide. Despite having endless electrical engineering
students at its disposal, the university’s IEEE has done a notable job
developing both professional and leadership opportunities for all members, and
strong connections amongst members for a “family feel."
IEEE is divided into three different groups: organization
members, staff members and officers. Any organization member can be staff, who shadow
the officers. This creates a stepping-stone process to an officer position.
Staff members receive priority at IEEE’s technical workshops in return for the
extra work they put in. Gerardo Gonzalez, a staff member, notes that getting to
attend as a staff member is “a great introduction into the organization as a
whole,” and he believes his participation in the organization has been a true
learning experience with an important introduction to the real world. Staff
members have many directions in which they may go, such as outreach or even
project teams.
Outreach
According to Will Chen, Outreach Chair this past school year
and Electrical Engineering major about to enter his junior year, IEEE’s
volunteer work is geared towards creating more STEM opportunities for both
students on campus and within the greater San Diego community. The Outreach
Team puts forth its best efforts to “expose others to all different resources
and opportunities as possible.” Chen recalls that after their STEM Merit Badge
Fair event in which boy scouts may earn their electronic and computer
programming badges, he received an email from a grateful mother whose son was
about to drop out of his school’s programming class before attending IEEE’s
STEM program. He was eager to return to his school’s program, proving that t
IEEE’s members are making a difference through hands-on learning activities.
Workshops and Project
Teams
Electrical engineers are no exception to the many engineers
who seek hands-on experience, and IEEE has been successfully facilitating the
development of engineering skills using technical workshops and project teams.
In fact, the technical resources IEEE offers are what first attracted past
Outreach Chair Will Chen to the organization. Chen was involved in the Grand PrIEEE (pronounced “pr-ee”)
project, gaining experience programming and working with circuit boards.
Jamie Chao, this past school year’s Project Team Chair, was
in charge of the Grand PrIEEE, which is only one of many projects IEEE develops, like the Micromouse competition.
Chao, an Electrical Engineering senior, says the Grand PrIEEE project consists
of constructing an autonomous line-following robot. During the Fall quarter,
the team brainstorms the schematics. In the winter, they configure the basic
components, build sensors (usually ROC or optimal cam sensors) and use high
pass filters. To follow the line, the robot either needs to see a white taped
line or a copper wire emitting electromagnetic fields. Finally, in the Spring
quarter, the team combines all the processes and refines the robot.
IEEE project projects are coordinated in relation to the
classes electrical engineers must take. For example, ECE 125A and ECE 125B are
both power classes and are referenced when dealing with the power components of
the robots.
“You get what you put in,” said Chao. And because IEEE
members put heavy effort into their projects, most students are inspired to
return the year after.
IEEE member and officer Tony Wong describes his experience
with the organization as “helpful, especially as a first year student and when
you don’t know what resources to utilize.” The interdisciplinary aspect of the
club, given its technical workshops, professional development, engaging
students, and extensive bonding and ties made amongst members, prepared Wong
before making any mistakes.
As for Ryan Collins, current 2016 President, he says members
are “not just people who want to get their resumes boosted.” In addition, he
notes that the skills-building opportunities allow members to become more
confident in what they are learning – confidence that they can then lend to
others when given the role of, say, staff member or officer.
As for the future of UC San Diego’s IEEE chapter, Collins
hopes to hear from recruiters and leverage their expertise as he plans for more
professional events and Tech Talks in order for members to gain exposure to
more companies. Collins is also working towards obtaining a new project space –
a designated area for multiple student organizations to work on side projects.
Keep up with IEEE at http://ieee.ucsd.edu/
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