What is Project Connect?
Project Connect, will bring an exceptional group of undergraduate and first-year graduate students to the IEEE conference on a travel grant provided by NSF and IEEE. Approximately thirty students from underrepresented groups will be carefully selected based on their academic credentials and career goals, through a competitive application process.
The long term goal of this program is to attract a diverse pool of highly motivated students to the field of microwave engineering. The technical planning committee for IMS recognizes that the future of this field depends on attracting the best and brightest from our increasingly diverse young generations.
The program is designed to create an opportunity for students to interact with practicing engineers, to learn about the exciting new technologies being developed today, and to introduce students to the variety of careers in the area of microwave engineering.
Project Connect Conference Agenda:
The program will host students at the IMS conference for three days. Specific agenda plans include: (1) Panel sessions where speakers from industry, government and academia will share their experiences in microwave engineering with a special focus on entrepreneurship; (2) A session for IMS Connect participants to learn about applying to graduate school and writing effective resumes; (3) Exploring the conference using the Connect Monopoly™ workbook to obtain exciting networking, educational, and industrial experiences of IMS2016; (4) IMS Connect participants will share their experience with a “Through My Eyes” multimedia presentation at the program wrap-up meeting.
Participant Selection Criteria:
Undergraduate junior or senior level and first-year graduate students in engineering or a closely related discipline (e.g. math, physics, etc.). Candidates should be members of under-represented groups in engineering. For example, in the United States these groups include women, American Indian/Native, African American/Black and Hispanic American/Latino.
- Candidates should be over the age of 18.
- Candidates will be selected based on their academic credentials, a faculty recommendation letter, and their career ambitions as expressed in an application video. The selection committee is comprised of both academic and industry professionals.