The Bridge - Issue 1, 2021 - 34

Director Letter

Donor Profile

Letter from the Director

Supporting a Bright Future
for Engineering Students

Dear HKN Community,

Nancy Ostin
Director,
IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu

We have 30
million reasons
to be inspired.
Thanks to all who made an
impact through the
Realize the Full Potential of
IEEE Campaign

Realize Your Impact
Learn how at:
ieeefoundation.org/
campaign

As we transition into 2021, I am reflecting on just how grateful I am for
this network. HKN members are some of the brightest minds in electrical
engineering and the allied fields, and despite the hurdles we faced over the
last year, we adapted and found new ways to connect with one another.

Joseph
L. A. Hughes

As we look to the potential of 2021, we are excited for all that is to come.
Over the last two years, our organization has been focused on what we can
do to both enhance the HKN experience and position our organization for a
strong future. Today, we have a vision for maximizing our impact - creating
opportunities for each and every member to experience HKN at its best and
to grow as leaders.

IEEE Fellow
Delta Chapter
Illinois Institute
of Technology

Members like you play an important role in this work. We know that HKN
is the difference that develops promising young professionals into the
engineering and technical leaders our world needs, and as we shaped plans
to explore what's possible for HKN we knew it was important to engage our
members in the process. Dozens of members participated in interviews and
focus groups spanning young alumni, long-time members, and Eminent
Members to help us set our priorities for elevating the HKN experience.
Through this process we identified three priorities:
* Launching a Chapter
Support Fund, giving
every HKN student
member the chance
to be part of a strong,
well-supported Chapter;

* Supporting the Student
Leadership Conference,
growing Chapter
participation to 100
percent every year and
expanding digital access to
this important event, and;

By investing in these areas, we'll create the best possible HKN experience
for members everywhere. Member support will determine how far we can
reach and how fast we can go toward our vision for HKN's future, and we look
forward to sharing more developments with you soon.
Thank you for all that you do for HKN. It is a privilege to serve such a brilliant
network of engineering and technical leaders in our fields!
Sincerely,
Nancy Ostin
Director, IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu

THE BRIDGE

* Investing in a robust
Alumni Network that
allows members to
maintain their connection
to HKN throughout
their careers.

Joseph L. A. Hughes' association with IEEE made an indelible mark on his
life and career-so much so that he's now helping to provide opportunities
in engineering education for others. After joining IEEE and the Delta Chapter
of Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN) as a student at Illinois Institute of Technology,
Chicago, IL, US, Hughes joined the faculty of Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA, US in 1986 and became actively involved in IEEE and the
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
Among other milestones, Hughes went on to serve as President of the IEEE
Education Society, as well as serving as a member of the IEEE Technical
Activities and IEEE Educational Activities boards. Both involvements
enhanced his professional development and widened his network of
industry colleagues and friends.
Upon his recent retirement from Georgia Tech after 34 years, Hughes
opted to include the IEEE Foundation in his estate plan as an esteemed
member of the IEEE Goldsmith Legacy League, through which members can
leave a legacy gift to benefit future generations of engineers. He directed
his bequest to IEEE-HKN and IEEE educational programs designed for
pre-university and university students. " I've become more attentive to the
concept of legacy -- not because I worry about how I'll be remembered,
but because I want to ensure the future of things that matter to me, "
he explained.
Hughes encourages other IEEE members to pay tribute to those who helped
them by helping others coming up in the field. " If someone spends their
career in one or more IEEE fields of interest, an estate gift is a way to pay
back those who came before you and created your opportunities as well
as a way to pay it forward to ensure that opportunities will be there for the
next generation, " he said. " Supporting the IEEE Foundation with an estate gift
accomplishes these objectives while allowing for the inevitable changes that
will occur within our profession in the coming decades. "

You can choose to directly support IEEE-HKN or any of the strategically identified IEEE initiatives that
help meet the world's most pressing challenges and help us to realize the full potential of IEEE.

HKN.ORG

https://www.ieeefoundation.org/ieee_hkn http://www.ieeefoundation.org/campaing http://www.ieeefoundation.org/campaing http://www.ieeefoundation.org/ieee_hkn https://hkn.ieee.org/ https://hkn.ieee.org/

The Bridge - Issue 1, 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Bridge - Issue 1, 2021