IEEE UHCL Student Branch wins three awards
Chelsea Dennard
The Signal
The UHCL student branch of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) won three awards from the IEEE.
IEEE defines itself as “the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity.”
The IEEE is comprised of nearly 400,000 members – of which more than 107,000 are students – and has 333 individual sections on 10 geographical regions worldwide. Also, it has 2,173 student branches at colleges and universities in 80 countries, including UHCL.
Pronounced “Eye-triple-E,” the IEEE and its members strive to provide a global community through the organization’s different publications, conferences, standards of technology, and various educational and professional activities.
The IEEE gives awards for its members’ contributions of propelling areas of interest that the IEEE bases its premise. Accomplishments in education, as well as other categories, receive awards.
Listed below are the three awards presented to the IEEE UHCL Student Branch at the IEEE Region 5 at IEEE R5 Annual Meeting, held Saturday, April 21 in Tulsa, Okla.:
• Outstanding Small Student Branch: IEEE UHCL Student Branch
• Outstanding Student Member: Jose Alfredo Nava, chair of IEEE Student Branch
• Outstanding Student Branch Counselor: Hakduran Koc, counselor of IEEE UHCL Student Branch, IEEE Galveston Bay Section and assistant professor in computing engineering
“I can say that it is a great feeling to see the result of hard work and dedication,” Koc said. “However, I should emphasize that this is the result of a collective effort. Without my students’ and other university organizations’ contributions, I would not be able to win this award. This award gives me more enthusiasm to continue.”
The awards section on the IEEE website states that “each award has a unique mission and criteria, and offers the opportunity to honor distinguished colleagues, inspiring teachers and corporate leaders.”
The Outstanding Small Student Branch award is won by the most active and progressive student branch based on the amount of meetings, the type of programs held such as technical and professional programs, and special projects that advance the objectives of the IEEE.
The Outstanding Student Member award is presented to a student member who has given outstanding contributions of time and effort to their specific student branch.
“It is a great accomplishment that I did not know would be recognized on a regional level, and I am very proud of it,” Nava said. “It brings a great feeling of reward because all the hard effort and time that was put in over this last year into this organization and school was noticed by those around me.”
The Outstanding Student Branch Counselor award is awarded to the student branch counselor who has best supported their student branch, as well as promoted the objectives of the IEEE.
“I am excited for Dr. Koc since he’s also won the teacher Piper Award at UHCL, and he is an outstanding teacher,” Nava said. “He helped stay encouraged and on the right path with his guidance and proficient mentorship.”
One word to describe the IEEE UHCL Student Branch’s overall emotion from winning the awards would be “proud.”
“At the various meetings and at the award banquet, I was very proud to hear our university’s name many times for its branch activities and the awards,” Koc said. “I cannot think of any better advertisement for our university among more than 300 distinguished attendees in the fields of engineering and science.”
In addition, the IEEE Galveston Bay Section (the IEEE UHCL Student Branch is an entity under this section) won the Outstanding Small Section award. Koc is currently chair of this section.
For information on how to join the IEEE UHCL Student Branch, contact Hakduran Koc at 281-283-3877 or by email at kochakduran@uhcl.edu.
