JANUARY 2001
IEEE-USA in
action:
by Chris McManes
Bigger, Better IEEE Job Site Set for February
Launch
The new IEEE job site (www.ieeeusa.org/jobs)
is set to launch in late February and promises to make the job-hunting process easier and
more effective for IEEE members. The new site, which is replacing the highly successful
IEEE-USA Job Service, is a cooperative venture between IEEE-USA, IEEE Spectrum
magazine and application service provider Hire.com of Austin, Texas.
Two of the site’s most exciting
features are profiling and passive job seeking. Candidates can create a profile of their
background and what they’re looking for in a new job, and then let the software
search the database for a match. If a match is found the job seeker is notified
immediately by e-mail, and then might be asked to take a pre-qualification test. After
answering the questions, the candidate will know within minutes whether he or she will
receive a personal interview. And all of this can be done anonymously.
The new site’s features are designed
to appeal to the so-called "passive job seeker." This person isn’t actively
pursuing a new job, but might be willing to accept one if the ideal position became
available. These candidates are the most sought-after in today’s recruiting
environment.
Whether actively seeking work or just waiting for the
perfect opportunity to find them, IEEE members are encouraged to register their profiles
early. IEEE Spectrum gives added incentive by offering a Personal Digital Assistant
to three members who establish a profile within the first 90 days of the site’s late
February launch.
IEEE-USA
Congressional Fellows
Dr. Peter Winokur, Jason Remer and Dr. Russell Lefevre
have begun their IEEE-USA Congressional Fellowships with the 107th Congress. Each will be
advising a member of Congress on key electrotechnology issues.
"I can't imagine a more exciting time to be involved in the political process than
this upcoming year," Remer said. "Technology policymaking is sure to play a
major role in Congress this year, especially in light of the increase in e-commerce,
Internet security issues and electric power deregulation."
Dr. Winokur, manager for radiation technology and assurance at Sandia National
Laboratory in Albuquerque, is working in the office of Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on
renewable energy and technology issues. Sen. Reid is ranking member of the Environment and
Public Works Committee and the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee. Dr. Winokur
will work on legislation to promote the development of clean, renewable energy sources
such as wind, biomass (plant materials and animal waste), sunshine and geothermal heat.
Remer, a design engineering supervisor for Entergy's Arkansas Nuclear One plant outside
of Russellville, Ark., is supporting Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) on national energy policy
issues. Rep. Barton, whose district is in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, is Chairman of the
newly organized Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Remer will assist Barton on national energy strategy, nuclear energy and electric power
restructuring issues.
Dr. Lefevre, vice president of Technology Services Corporation in Los Angeles, is
advising Sen. John D. Rockefeller, IV (D-W.Va.) on science and technology issues. Sen.
Rockefeller serves on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and is
ranking member of the Aviation subcommittee. Dr. Lefevre will lend his expertise in a
number of scientific areas, including alternate fuels, electric vehicles, frequency
spectrum allocation and aviation safety.
IEEE-USA's Congressional Fellows join Dr. Saj Durrani, whose IEEE-USA Executive
Fellowship with the Federal Communications Commission's Office of Engineering and
Technology runs through June 2001.
IEEE-USA Congressional Fellows accept a one-year appointment to share their scientific
and technical knowledge by working on the staff of a U.S. Congressperson or Congressional
committee. This advisory role provides an engineer's perspective on public policy issues.
IEEE-USA is accepting applications for 2002 Congressional and FCC Fellowships through Feb. 23, 2001. For more information on both opportunities,
visit the Government Fellowships web page at http://www.ieeeusa.org/forum/govfel or contact
Chris Brantley at c.brantley@ieee.org.
IEEE-USA's Legislative Agenda Highlights
The
IEEE-USA Board of Directors adopted its Legislative Agenda for the 107TH Congress
(2001-02) and approved a slate of position statements at its meeting in Tampa, Fla., on 16
November 2000. The Legislative Agenda serves to outline IEEE-USA's legislative priorities
and to inform IEEE-USA members, policy makers, other professional organizations and the
public about electrotechnology public policy concerns. Priorities range from retirement
savings to federal support of research and development (R&D) to Internet privacy and
security. More information on the Legislative Agenda is available on-line at www.ieeeusa.org/forum/agenda.
Highlights included:
ELECTRICITY INDUSTRY RESTRUCTURING: IEEE-USA
believes that reliability of electric power systems is of critical importance to our
nation's economy. In light of proposals to restructure the electricity industry, who is
responsible for the reliable delivery of electric power should be clear, the organization
notes. Thus, IEEE-USA recommends that reliability and strong support for R&D of
electric power systems are primary considerations in federal and state plans to
restructure the electric power industry.
IEEE-USA's position statement on "Information Security in
Electric Power" highlights how electric restructuring can create and have created
significant financial incentives for malicious intrusion into computers and communications
systems of electric power industry and marketplace participants. The paper recommends ways
of protecting against these intrusions and detecting them if they occur. These issues were
also raised at a May 2000 symposium that IEEE-USA helped organize, "Ensuring Electric
Power Reliability, The Challenges Ahead." For more information, visit www.ieeeusa.org/electricpower.
CASH BALANCE PENSION PLAN CONVERSIONS: IEEE-USA
strongly believes that pension plan participants must have access to timely and
understandable information about benefits provided in employer-sponsored pensions and
other retirement savings plans, especially when changes are made to those plans. IEEE-USA
encourages employers to disclose in a timely manner useful information about changes in
pension plans, and to use pension plan surpluses to reduce any adverse financial effects
on long-tenured plan participants. These recommendations are outlined in a new position
statement on "Maintaining Equity in Cash Balance Pension Plan Conversions."
ANTI-SPAMMING: Unsolicited commercial e-mail
(SPAM) threatens to slow down or reverse progress in the new economy if users shut down
their e-mail systems in response to the vast amounts of unwanted information. To combat
this, IEEE-USA will support legislation that requires bulk e-mailers to include valid
return addresses, restricts mail unless recipients opt in to bulk e-mail lists and allows
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to develop and implement anti-SPAM policies with
appropriate penalties for non-compliance.
While IEEE-USA recognizes the importance of e-mail for advertising
and reaching potential customers, it also believes that regulations concerning SPAM should
evolve from those applicable to unwanted telephone and fax solicitations. These
recommendations are outlined in IEEE-USA's new position statement on "Supporting
Legislation to Control Unsolicited E-mail (SPAM)."
UNIFORM COMPUTER INFORMATION TRANSACTIONS ACT:
UCITA is a model state law designed to create a uniform legal framework for commercial
transactions involving computer software, multimedia products, computer data and
databases, online information and similar products. UCITA is considered "a cyberspace
commercial statute" and covers contracts that are generally known as
"shrink-wrap licenses."
IEEE-USA opposes state adoption of UCITA without significant
amendments that protect consumer interests and sustain federal intellectual property
rights -- such as reverse engineering -- that promote innovation. IEEE-USA joins many
organizations, including 24 state Attorneys General, in opposing UCITA because it would
inject an "ironclad statutory framework" in mass-market transactions that is
very easy to abuse to the "serious detriment" of individual consumers and
business users of computer software, software developers, computer consultants and the
general public.
IEEE-USA's new position statement "Information Security in
Electric Power" highlights the threats posed by software security vulnerability to
reliable electric power, and takes issue with the "self help" provisions of
UCITA. These provisions would allow software vendors to embed security vulnerabilities in
power software for the purposes of "self help," yet also allow them to disclaim
all responsibility for any misuse of that "back door."
UCITA took effect in Maryland on 1 October 2000 and will be
implemented on 1 July 2001 in Virginia. It is being considered by other states and the
District of Columbia. For more information on IEEE-USA's legislative priorities, position
statements and grassroots efforts, visit the IEEE-USA Policy Forum at www.ieeeusa.org/forum.
IEEE-USA is the career enhancement and technology policy
organizational unit of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE),
the world's largest technical professional organization with more than 350,000 members.
IEEE-USA promotes the careers and public-policy interests of almost 230,000 U.S. IEEE
members.
Chris McManes is PR/Marketing Communications
Coordinator at IEEE-USA.
