IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - December 2023 - 36

Section's vice president. Additionally,
Naserialiabadi is the cofounder of Veebar
Tech, a significant partner in the Sound
Detection System project.
EPICS is a program that allows professionals
like Naserialiabadi to help
students make the most of every learning
experience while working hand in
hand with the community to improve
the lives of all its denizens. Having
spread across the United States since
1995 through Purdue University's
EPICS program, EPICS has found a
natural home at IEEE, where the program
started in 2009. To date, we at
IEEE have facilitated more than 180
community service projects in 30 countries,
impacting an estimated 1.5 million
people.
Although the Sound Detection
System team received a US$6,000
grant, there are always opportunities
to fund more projects with your generous
support. Through these funding
initiatives, students across the
globe can serve their communities,
learn, grow, network, and connect
with business leaders in their chosen
fields of interest.
EPICS in IEEE invites you to give
today, submit your proposals, and
share your time and expertise wherever
possible.
You can learn more about EPICS in
IEEE at epics.ieee.org or by e-mailing
epicsinieee@ieee.org.
-Patton Hunnicutt
Manga Story Contest
Lin Cai, Jenifer Castillo, Takako Hashimoto
Manga Committee Members
Manga Committee Members,
In an endeavor to bridge prevailing gender
disparity and foster gender diversity, IEEE
Women-in-Engineering (WIE), supported by the
IEEE Japan Council and by IEEE New Initiative
Committee, orchestrated a compelling narrative
competition, with a submission deadlin e of May
31, 2023. The stage was set to delve into the
narratives of Riko-Chan, a brilliant young girl
bubbling with enthusiasm for cracking everyday
challenges using the captivating tools of
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
(STEM)!
The response has been remarkable, with a
voluminous influx of submissions emanating
from diverse corners of the globe, spanning 11
countries in the span of a mere six weeks.
Now, the winners have been chosen-six great stories!
Winning Stories & and Their Authors
Riko-Chan and the Perfect Circuit by Laís Baptista
Riko-Chan-Cybersecurity Engineer by Carolyn Sher-DeCusatis
Riko-Chan-Aeronautical Engineer by Carolyn Sher-DeCusatis
Life of Our Beautiful Earth by Maira Ratnarajah
Motion Detected by Julia Griffin
Riko-Chan: The Science Solver by Devidas Kulkarni
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MWIE.2023.3315069
36
IEEE WOMEN IN ENGINEERING MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2023
The narrative does not conclude there. These
winning stories have been turned into Manga
comics, through Maruzen Yushodo Co. Anticipation
builds as these graphic renditions prepare
to take center stage, poised to captivate the community
at large through dissemination in the IEEE
WIE Newsletter and on IEEE WIE webpages.
Notably, the ambit of engagement is not
confined to exclusive IEEE membership. Rather,
these captivating manga adaptations are poised
to resonate as a compelling instrument for igniting
the imaginative faculties of global youth. This
will transpire through their integration within
IEEE WIE's extensive network of 1100+ Affinity
Groups. The underlying objective is to kindle a
profound wellspring of inspiration, particularly
among young women, thereby not only cultivating
aspirations but also actively propelling them towards a consequential
vocation within the realms of STEM.
The catalyst effect of these highly inspirational stories will continue
even after the first set of six winning stories are published. IEEE Women
in Engineering, through the conduit of these Manga stories, intends
to apprise the youth, especially females, of the importance of pursuing
STEM subjects. To make this a long-lasting program and increase its
scope, we would welcome support from organizations whose visions are
aligned with ours and encourage collaborations with other organizational
units within IEEE. The gravity of this initiative is indeed substantial, heralding
a paradigm shift with far-reaching implications.
http://epics.ieee.org
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - December 2023

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