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11.09

Ahhh, November... the crisp smell of midterms in the air and the feels-like-1,000-more-days countdown until Thanksgiving break.

But Autumn isn't just about studying and cranberry sauce. It's also a great time to plan ahead for what you're going to do be doing this winter, and next summer, and how IEEE-USA could play into those plans.

Of course, planning for next summer means laying the groundwork now, and filing some applications that have deadlines just a few months away. So let's find out about those opportunities and how you can apply while time is still on your side...

Lights, Camera, ACTION!

One way you could spend your winter break (and the weeks leading up to it) is shooting a video for IEEE-USA's third annual Online Engineering Video Competition, which offers $5,000 in scholarships to the top three entries.

The goal of the Competition is to inspire young people (kids around 11 to 13 years old) to think about engineering and "How Engineers Make a World of Difference." Entrants create 90-second videos profiling a working engineer. The winning videos will be posted to the IEEE-USA YouTube channel and shown around the world during Engineers Week, 14-20 February 2010.

Putting a good video together isn't easy, and takes some advance planning, says last year's winner, Samantha Caldwell, a student at the University of Texas-Austin. "I would advise everyone to think about the video first," says Caldwell. "Find the message you want to send to kids about engineering, and try to think of how you want to display it in a way that will keep their interest. It's a creative competition, which many engineers aren't used to, so don't think too hard about it, just have lots of fun."

Interested? The competition is open to individuals or teams from any U.S. college or university. At least one team member must be an IEEE student member, but the other people on your team don't have to be engineering students and can be studying any academic discipline (which could make this a good time for you to establish some friendships in the film department).

Besides the scholarships, entering this contest gives you pretty good bragging rights. "To put so much effort, time and thought into a project and to achieve first place is an incredibly rewarding experience," says Caldwell. "Now any time I'm asked what's an accomplishment I've made, I will always have an answer, this video. It has meant so much winning this award. It's a scholarship and experience I will always remember."

For more information, or to find out how to enter, visit http://www.ieeeusa.org/communications/video_competition/default.asp. But don't delay — entries are due by 15 January 2010.

Spend Next Summer Working in the Media

One of the most important things to learn for technology professionals is how to talk about complex technical subjects to a general audience. One way you could get a lot of experience on this front is by applying to be one of next summer's IEEE-USA Mass Media Fellows.

Mass Media Fellows work for 10 weeks in the summer as reporters, researchers and production assistants in mass media organizations nationwide. As a Fellow, you'll collaborate with media professionals to enhance coverage of science- and engineering- related issues in the media in order to improve public understanding and appreciation of science and technology.

"The fellowship was definitely a fantastic experience," says one of last year's Fellows, David Lukofsky, who worked at WOSU-FM, a public radio station in Columbus, Ohio. "It is not every day that scientists are presented with an opportunity like this one to develop their communication skills. Whether I'm talking to friends or experts at a conference, I realize how the fellowship has made me a more articulate scientist."

Last year's other Fellow, Nicholas Diakopoulos, who worked at the Sacramento Bee in California, agreed that it was a valuable experience. "The communication skills that I developed during the fellowship — including writing, working with editors, and simplifying complex science concepts — have already proven valuable in my post-graduate work, such as a recent article I wrote for a magazine," says Diakopoulos. "Also, the exposure to the culture of journalism was quite beneficial to my work as a researcher because I want to develop new technologies to be used by journalists."

Diakopoulos has some advice for people thinking of applying for the Fellowship: "Start a blog. Blogging doesn't usually involve a lot reporting, but it can incorporate other components of being a journalist, such as analysis, storytelling, and writing. It will give you experience writing, build confidence, and can also serve as a valuable portfolio piece for your application."

Interested? Fellowship applicants must be U.S. members of the IEEE and must be enrolled college or university juniors or seniors or graduate or post-graduate students in the natural, physical, health, engineering or social sciences. You can find out more and apply at http://www.ieeeusa.org/communications/massmedia.asp. The deadline for applications is 15 January 2010.

Get Wiser About Government with WISE

A third great opportunity available to students through IEEE-USA is the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering, better known as WISE Internships. Every year, the program selects several outstanding engineering students who spend a summer in Washington, D.C., learning how government officials make decisions on complex technological issues, as well as how engineers can contribute to legislative and regulatory public policy decisions. 

"This internship was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to know our government in a better way," says one of last year's WISE Interns, Milad Alemohammad. "It was exciting to see how different government organizations deal with technological issues."

Many interns find the WISE program to be a life-changing experience. "Well, in short, I have a job because of WISE," says another of last year's interns, Ian Hoffbeck. "Through my research, and through the help of another intern, I got in touch with the Florida Solar Energy Center. I got a chance to volunteer there, and a director at the center wound up seeing my final presentation. He brought me down, I gave my presentation to several of the people there, and I guess they liked something they saw. I can't say this would happen to everyone, but it's what happened to me. Also, I suppose I am a whole lot more informed, which makes talking more fun, but the job thing really takes the cake."

Hoffbeck has some advice for anyone applying for this summer's internships: "Try to think of the parts of engineering that really interest you, and see if you can get some preliminary knowledge about the topic. More than anything, try to find your passion, because then you get to spend all summer researching something you love."

Working in D.C. will also prepare you for dealing with the unexpected. "Come to D.C. with a mind open towards your topics," says Alemohammad. "It is important to stay unbiased and expect any kind of decisions and reactions by policy makers."

If you're an IEEE member and want more information on the WISE Internships, visit www.wise-intern.org/. The deadline to apply for the summer 2010 program is 31 January 2010.

So that's the scoop... three opportunities, but also three deadlines coming up in January. So study for those midterms, eat your cranberry sauce, and then get started!

John R. Platt is a freelance writer from coastal Maine. He is a frequent contributor to Today's Engineer, and writes the Extinction Countdown blog for Scientific American.

Comments may be submitted to todaysengineer@ieee.org.