Signal Processing - May 2016 - 5

learn more about SP. Once we pique
interest, we must support and empower
these young people to carve a professional path and make their own contributions to benefit the field and society
at large. This underscores the necessity
that our Society provides continuing
education to our SPS members-a new
effort that SPS is now taking serious
steps to address.
Another goal is to enhance the
SPS's value for current and potential
members. I'd like to go above and
beyond our current services, which
include our highly respected conferences and workshops, our newsletter, and
our highly acclaimed magazine and
publications. We should also include
the needs of potential members in our
planning. Our SP community is much
larger than twice the number of our
members, encompassing nonmembers
who attend our conferences, follow our
publications, author articles in our journals, etc. Identifying these nonmembers and assessing and meeting their
needs should be a future priority.
The SPS has already started several great initiatives to provide services
to members and to the SP community
at large. SigPort and SigView are two
such great initiatives. SigPort allows
researchers to post and archive their
manuscripts, reports, theses, and supporting materials. We must assess the
utility of this system and find out
from members how to make it more
valuable to all of our authors. For
example, how can we kick-start a
lively comments section alongside our
members' published papers? Can it be
more interactive? Is "crowd reviewing" possible? Is it useful? SigView is
already attracting the interest of graduate students and practitioners. We
need to hear from users regarding
ways that we can build on its current
success to further serve their needs
and expand the circle of benefits.
We've launched such initiatives, so
let's monitor and assess them on a
continual basis, fine-tuning them as
necessary to ensure their value, success, and user friendliness.
We already have a few platforms
in place that could stimulate interest

becoming an even more powerful meca mong you ng p e ople. Su m m e r
hanism of comm unication between
schools are one such venue. Another
researchers and practitioners.
medium is our very successful outMy fifth goal for the SPS is to
reach: IEEE Signal Processing Magaimprove the administrative and financial
zine. Should we use it to reach a
efficiency of the Society. As we continue
wider audience, beyond our commuto strategize methods for adding value to
nities, as IEEE Spectrum has already
our core mission initiatives, we must
done? Is the use of social media chanensure that we have a reliable, efficient,
nels and our website the most effectransparent infrastructure supporting
tive way to interact with our members
our operations. This includes ongoing
and to reach a broader audience? The
improvement of our online presence
Student Cup is proving to be a very
(including smartp ower f u l to ol to
phone applications
engage young stuThe SPS has already
and other mechadents in SP. What
started several great
nisms for continuous
are the best approachinitiatives to provide
member feedback),
es to define challengservices to members
controlling and re es for the Cup that
and to the SP community
ducing our publicawould attract even a
at large.
tion costs, preparing
much wider pool of
solutions to counterp a r t ic ip a nt s a n d
act possible impact on our finances from
inspire them to find innovative soluopen access and alternative publishing
tions? What would it take for the
archives, and, last but not least, conStudent Cup to become the premier
tinuing to be the best custodians of all
"filter" to identify SP future leaders?
our financial affairs.
Can students help educate others, perEach and every one of the aforehaps by creating and publishing "SP for
mentioned initiatives builds on the
Dummies"-style videos?
contributions of previous SPS staff
Another priority is to create a culand volunteers, and they cannot be
t u re of mea n i ngf ul pa r t nersh ip
fulfilled without the continued efforts
between academic and industrial SP
of our various committees, including
communities. It's an ideal way for us
our technical committees, our various
to reach our stated goal of harnessing
boards, including our Board of GoverSP as an enabling technology to
nors, our Society officers, and current
address society's critical challenges.
staff and volunteers. I am genuinely
We have a much better opportunity
grateful to my predecessors for havto meet this goal with mutually
ing left the Society in great shape. I
beneficial partnerships between the
am also grateful to all of the voluninnovators at the cutting edge and the
teers for their dedication and commitindustries and organizations with
ment. I'm ever-mindful of the fact
first-hand knowledge and underthat SPS will only grow through the
standing of these social issues and
direct engagement of its members. We
challenges. We've done a lot of talkon the governing boards are commiting about the need to build bridges.
ted to doing our best, but we need you
Let's start making these partnerships
with us to help us ensure that SPS
happen. The SPS's Chapters, conprovides the greatest value to its
ferences, and technical committees
members, to the field of SP, and to the
are in an ideal position to reach out
public. I know that together we can
to indust r y a nd ensure ongoing
address and solve the Society's critidialogues so that industry can share
cal challenges.
its va r ious needs and goals and
researchers can share their recent
discoveries and novel ideas-a collaborative process that will motivate
and benefit everyone. This will also
SP
enhance the magazine's efforts in
IEEE SIgnal ProcESSIng MagazInE

May 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signal Processing - May 2016