News
Investing in Potential and Transforming Lives Around the Globe

We proudly recall the ways IEEE Foundation served as the IEEE philanthropic partner during 2021 and enter 2022 with a sense of achievement and excitement for the future. In the December 2021 “A Year in Review – Thanks to You” edition of this e-newsletter, we shared a few highlights of the IEEE Foundation’s work and path forward for 2022. This month, we focus on the accomplishments of many of the IEEE programs, supported by donors like you, that Illuminated, Educated, Engaged and Energized human potential.
IEEE programs illuminate the possibilities of technology by using it to address global challenges.
- Celebrated IEEE-USA Mobile Outreach Vehicle (MOVE)’s 5th anniversary in 2021 by receiving a second vehicle, which was donated by Cisco Systems. The two trucks combined for four deployments spanning nearly 100 days assisting victims of natural disasters in Louisiana, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee by providing short-term communications infrastructure, computer, and power solutions.
- Improved the health, education and wellbeing of eight communities in six different countries (Cameroon, Galapagos, Honduras, India, Kenya and Uganda) through newly established IEEE Smart Village projects. Each project meets the unique needs of the local community and is designed to close the energy-gap for the world’s most energy impoverished citizens through the three pillars – electrification, education and enterprise development.
- Kicked off the EPICS in IEEE Environmental Competition in partnership with the United Engineering Foundation to harness the power and potential of university students in the US to mitigate and address the impact of climate change in their local communities. The application deadline is 4 February 2022.
- Fostered stronger collaborations through the IEEE SIGHT Fund enabling the IEEE Humanitarian Activities Committee to solidify partnerships with IEEE Electron Devices Society (EDS) and IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (APS) resulting in seven projects being selected to receive funding.
IEEE programs educate the next generation of innovators and engineers
- Selected 72 high-achieving undergraduate electrical engineering students from 40 universities across USA and Canada interested in pursuing a career in power & energy as the 2021-22 IEEE PES Scholars. Thirty of these scholarships were made possible thanks to our newest Presidential Level supporter the Hoveida Family Foundation. This year’s group of PES Scholars brings the total number of scholarships awarded by IEEE Power & Energy Society Scholarship Plus Initiative since its inception to 1,881.
- Equipped social studies and STEM pre-university educators from around the world with the knowledge to leverage the free IEEE REACH lesson plans, videos and hands-on activities to elevate their students’ technological literacy. More than 13,000 users from 160 countries accessed the REACH website during 2021 representing a 15.1% increase from 2020.
- Invested in the advancement of young investigators by awarding grants like the inaugural IEEE NPSS Edward J. Hoffman Early Career Development Grant Award to Émilie Gaudin, a postdoctoral researcher at the Université de Sherbrooke in Quebec, Canada and the 2021/2022 Myron Zucker Student-Faculty Grants to teams from Lakehead University, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada and University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
IEEE programs engage a wider audience in appreciating the value and importance of engineering and technology.
- Dedicated fourteen IEEE Milestones including the 3 Gravitational-Wave Antennas conducted in three locations with four Nobel Prize winners as speakers, Folsom Powerhouse the birthplace of the AC Grid in Sacramento, CA, USA and Multiple Silicon Technologies on a Chip recognizing Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) technology in Agrate Brianza, Italy.
- Encouraged research into and study of the history of technology through initiatives like the IEEE Life Member History Fellowship awarded in 2021 to Susannah Glickman a Ph.D. candidate in the American History track at Columbia University, New York, NY, US and the IEEE Elizabeth & Emerson Pugh Scholar in Residence at the IEEE History Center awarded to Breanna Lohman, a doctoral student at the University of Toronto, Canada.
- Enhanced and expanded the source material and resources available on the Engineering & Technology History Wiki (ethw.org) for historians and the public to explore through the addition of 20 oral histories with technology icons, 50 topic articles and 25 first-hand histories.
- Provided opportunities for IEEE Life Members to remain active, involved and vital through the establishment and activities of IEEE Life Member Affinity Groups (LMAGs) from around the world. Ten new LMAGs were added during 2021 bringing the total to 118.
IEEE programs energize innovation by celebrating technological excellence.
- Honored the twenty-four 2021 IEEE Medal and Recognition recipients whose groundbreaking technological advances shape our lives and the future of the profession during the first ever virtual IEEE Vision, Innovation, and Challenges Summit and Honors Ceremony.
- Presented the inaugural IEEE Mildred Dresselhaus Medal to Kristina M. Johnson. The IEEE Mildred Dresselhaus Medal, supported by Google, is the first IEEE medal named for a female innovator.
- Added a new IEEE medal in honor of pioneer and IEEE Fellow Nick Holonyak, Jr. The first presentation of the IEEE Nick Holonyak, Jr. Medal for Semiconductor Optoelectronic Technologies will be made in 2024, and is supported through donations from Friends of Holonyak.
- Nurtured 270+ IEEE-HKN student members representing 20 countries during the four day virtual HKN Student Leadership Conference that included more than 50 professional development and chapter strengthening sessions and workshops. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from Apple co-founder and HKN Eminent Member Steve Wozniak.
- Launched a new and exciting virtual series – IEEE-HKN Grad Lab – focused on the opportunities and challenges of Graduate School. Three episodes are available to watch on demand.
The role of IEEE Foundation is to translate your donations into social impact. By connecting 200+ member-led initiatives with financing, expertise and philanthropic guidance, our goal is to put efforts where philanthropy and technology intersect. Thank you for your role in the success of 2021. The philanthropic investment of your time, talent and treasure allowed us to enhance IEEE programs that invest in potential and transform lives around the globe. Thank you!