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Dear Colleagues,
I am welcoming you as the 2022 President of the IEEE Nanotechnology Council (NTC)! The Council is a multi-disciplinary group supporting the theory, design, and development of nanotechnology and its scientific, engineering, and industrial applications.
The NTC provides you with opportunities to keep technically up to date through our publications and conferences, network with like-minded colleagues, and take advantage of our educational materials.
The Council sponsors five publications and eleven well-recognized conferences, in addition to the Bimonthly newsletter. For a full list of NTC’s activities, sponsored publications and conferences, please visit the IEEE Nanotechnology Council website.
I am humbled and honored by the trust that the NTC leadership has placed on me for the next two years. Moreover, I am proud of the past accomplishments of the Council and look forward to continuing the growth of the NTC in both qualitative and quantitative terms. The IEEE NTC is one of the oldest Council of IEEE; the IEEE approved the formation of the IEEE NT on February 17, 2002, so 2022 is its 21st year of operation. The IEEE NTC focuses on the advancement and coordination of work in the field of nanotechnology; so, it is a multi-disciplinary professional group supporting the theory, design, and development of nanotechnology and its scientific, engineering, and industrial applications. I would like to point out that there are no membership requirements (inclusive of IEEE) to join, i.e., participation in the NTC is free and open to everyone.
As a council unit of the IEEE, NTC is part of the IEEE Division I – Circuits and Devices and is made up of several member societies. Let me clarify that by its statutory regulations. an IEEE council has only participants (not members as a society); as measured by the number of participants (nearly 19,000), the NTC is the second largest IEEE Council. Moreover, the number of participants continues to grow every year; the NTC has a very strong presence on different social media to connect its activities with our participating community.
Specifically, the NTC currently sponsors five impressively peer-reviewed publications, namely the IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology (TNANO), IEEE Nanotechnology Magazine (INM), IEEE Transactions on NanoBioscience, IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics and the IEEE Open Journal on Nanotechnology (OJ-Nano). The first four publications operate under a hybrid publication model (TNANO and INM are also directly managed by the NTC), while OJ-Nano is a fully-compliant open access publication, also directly managed by the NTC. NTC also sponsors several yearly events such as professional conferences and symposia; together with its flagship event (the IEEE International Conference on Nanotechnology (NANO)), meetings such as the IEEE Nanotechnology Materials and Devices Conference (NMDC), the IEEE International Conference on Nano/Micro Engineered and Molecular Systems (NEMS) and the IEEE International Conference on Nano/Molecular Medicine and Engineering (NANOMED), IEEE International Conference on Nanomaterials: Applications & Properties (NAP) and IEEE International Conference on Manipulation, Manufacturing and Measurement on the Nanoscale (3M-NANO)), contribute to an exciting series of sponsored technical events, in which participants can publish and collaborate on research, network with colleagues, stay current on news and events, introduce standards, and start educational activities.
More details on the IEEE NTC (inclusive of social network presence and other activities such as fellows and awards) can be found at https://ieeenano.org/; I encourage you to visit this site.
Next, let me outline the initiatives that we will be undertaking in 2022. After more than 2 years of pandemic, the IEEE NTC is moving ahead to fully restart our activities, subject to compliance with health regulations. As far as the NTC, we will continue to satisfy and empower our participants, wherever geographically located, whichever language is spoken, and beyond gender or nationality, while fostering the highest technical excellence. The growth of the NTC as a technical community is the focus of all activities— publications, conferences, standards, educational products and services, and geographical activities—through which the professional growth of each and every member can be advanced. Also in 2022, the Council will continue to anticipate and meet the technical interests of its members and capitalize on a broad set of technical fields. This will be achieved by continuing to attract highly qualified members from both academia and industry to our committees, thus providing a long-term and expert technical vision. During my tenure as President, there will be a very simple mantra in the operations of the IEEE NTC: the IEEE NTC will be focused on its participant and volunteer base. Everything that will be proposed and pursued, must satisfy this simple mantra, because the success of our community is the success of the NTC.
As a step toward meeting these goals, let me introduce the following technical experts and leaders to serve as Vice Presidents for 2022 in the following capacities. All these exceptional volunteers are part of the remarkable group elected to constitute the 2022 Executive Committee, as the guiding body of the IEEE NTC.
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Prof. Malgorzata Chrzanowska-Jeske, NTC VP for Finance: The VP for Finance oversees the Council’s yearly budgets, its financial reserves, and financial aspects of all NTC activities. Such activities include; special projects, strategic initiatives carried yearly using 50% and 3% rule support funds, budgets of NTC-financially-sponsored conferences, technically-sponsored conferences, NTC fully-sponsored journals, magazine, partially-sponsored publications, professional and student chapter activities, awards, and travel activities of officers, distinguished lecturers, and volunteers. The NTC Financial Committee chaired by the NTC VP for Finances includes three members with extensive combined expertise in NTC activities and their financial aspects.
Continuous efforts are directed toward close communication with IEEE financial leaders and staff and keeping up with budgetary due dates and timelines established by IEEE. This year much effort is dedicated to becoming familiar with the new financial software, NextGen, introduced by IEEE at the beginning of Summer 2021. It is also highly important to maintain very close communication and cooperation with the NTC President, all VPs, chairs of NTC Committees, conference chairs, journal editors, and other volunteers to ensure that all aspects of financial activities of the Council are conducted according to IEEE rules and regulations.
There will be more effort directed toward closer monitoring of Council expenses and revenues to ensure that we have resources to support our yearly activities as well as for projects supporting our strategic goals. Efforts are underway to establish long-term strategic goals and create a list of projects that would enlarge our community and increase visibility, effectiveness, and influence of the Nanotechnology Council on the future of nanotechnology.
Prof. Xiaoning Jiang NTC VP, Technical Activities: The VP Technical Activities (TA) oversees the NTC Chapters and the Technical Committees. Professional and student NTC chapters established across multiple regions in several countries actively serve the local community with technical activities dissemination and nanotechnology education. Continuous efforts will be directed to form more NTC chapters in underrepresented regions. The NTC Technical Activities Committee (TAC) chaired by the NTC VP TA includes the Chairs of all TCs and the Chair of the Chapters and Regional Interest Groups. Working with the other NTC boards, the TAC closely follows nanotechnology research and development, and promotes nanotechnology innovations, education, and applications. TCs form the core of NTC task forces for Publications, Conferences and Educational programs, and hence, close coordination is expected between TAC and other NTC boards.
Several TA initiatives are expected to support the continuous growth of NTC. With the support of TA initiative funds, new TCs reflecting emerging nanotechnology technical activities will be formed with the assistance from NTC members including representatives from member societies, and existing TCs can grow continuously by recruiting and mentoring new active TC members. Industrial technical activities will be well represented in NTC by impactful and active members from the nanotechnology industry. Women in nanotechnology (WIN), young professionals and members from underrepresented regions will be actively recruited and mentored for TCs and TAC. Trainings and workshops will be arranged so that TC chairs and active members can more effectively support NTC conferences, special issues in NTC journals and magazine, and NTC education programs, further promoting NTC impact in nanotechnology community.
Prof. Lixin Dong NTC VP, Education Activities: The VP for Educational Activities (EA) will work with NTC, and the Education Committee (EC), to see through the actual global impacts of all IEEE educational activities in related areas and continue the efforts of NTC on finding strategies for further improvement on both impact and broadness. As a platform to stimulate the public interests, TryNano.org offers broad and updated resources for those interested in exploring or participating in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology. NTC supports this initiative and maintains these resources to encourage professionals, students, and others to be informed about the latest research, trends, and educational opportunities. The VP EA will work with the Editorial Board to update and complete TryNano website and introduce and enhance the dissemination of nanotechnology in other media platforms such as WeChat. Leading nanotechnology scientists and engineers from both member IEEE societies and non-IEEE ones will be invited to write tutorials, views, and perspectives for these medias. The VP EA will also seek support for these types of publications in NTC journals and other medias.
NTC EC coordinates the organization of Summer Schools. Summer Schools are excellent stages to stimulate students’ first interest in nano via hands-on devices, tutorial workshops, and competitions, and to encourage senior undergraduate and graduate students to join the NTC as members. The involvement of TAC, Chapters, and other NTC boards in education activities will also be enhanced in soliciting distinguished lecturers (DLs) jointly. The selection of DLs will give priority to current NTC members, emphasizing the engineering aspects and emerging fields such as neuromorphic computation and quantum devices and systems for information, communication, and computing. Considering the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the life-style change of scientists and students, a part of DL lectures will be presented online, and virtual camps or online Summer Schools will be attempted in the coming years.
Prof. Supriyo Bandyopadhyay NTC VP, Publication Activities: IEEE NTC has three publications that it sponsors: IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology, the Open Journal of Nanotechnology and the Nano Magazine. These journals rely on our members who provide an excellent pool to draw the Editors-in-Chief, Senior Editors and Associate Editors from. The members are also our authors and referees. The journals need the patronage of members now more than ever.
The journals and the magazine will take on a new look. In the future, we will be publishing more focus issues on special topics that are suggested by the seventeen technical committees (TC) in NTC. Many of the TC members will serve as guest editors for these issues. Of course, all members are welcome to propose focus issues and perhaps volunteer to serve as guest editors. Such proposals should be sent to the Editor-in-Chief of the targeted journal – Prof. Sorin Cotofana for the Transactions, Prof. Wen J Li for the Open Journal and Prof. Bing Sheu for the Magazine. We also wish to publish material of a different flavor, such as roadmap articles (by invitation only) from a group of authors working on a topic of current interest, perspective articles in the nature of IEEE Access and occasionally debate articles on a controversial topic where both the protagonist and the antagonist will be invited by the journal based on their past work.
We celebrate our member’s successes, and the Nano Magazine will frequently highlight important work done by our members and others engaged in the practice of nanotechnology. Sometimes they will be brought to our attention by the Technical Committees, but members are also free to bring them to our attention. In all cases, the Editor-in-Chief is the final arbiter when it comes to inviting authors and choosing what work to highlight. Last but not least, IEEE aspires to have geographical, ethnic and gender diversity in the editorial boards. Region 9 is under-represented, and we are not close to achieving a 50-50 balance in terms of gender. The Publications Committee will truly appreciate our members bringing qualified individuals from under-represented groups to our notice for inclusion in our editorial boards.
Prof. Jin-Woo Kim NTC VP, Conference Activities: The VP for Conferences oversees NTC-sponsored conferences and workshops. IEEE-NTC has two flagship conferences that it sponsors, i.e., IEEE-NANO and IEEE-NMDC, and co-sponsors several conferences, including IEEE-NANOMED, IEEE-NEMS, 3M-NANO, IEEE-NAP, etc. NTC also sponsors workshops with focused themes that are usually organized by NTC Chapters in different regions. These conferences and workshops bring together engineers and scientists from all over the world and various sectors of academy and industry, enabling the exchange of the latest advances in basic and applied research in the field of nanotechnology.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the world, disrupting work and home life on an unprecedented scale. Among the dramatic changes, the pandemic abruptly shut down conferences, including those sponsored by NTC, due to safety concerns, forcing nearly all conferences cancelled or offered in virtual platforms. Heading into 2022, the conference landscape could start to pivot back toward the pre-pandemic; however, it may not go back to the way it was. Physical conferences will still play an important role, but many in scientific communities like to have a remote option, even after COVID is over. To meet the challenges in a post-COVID world, the NTC Conference Committee chaired by the VP for Conferences will explore new and emerging platforms for NTC conferences by integrating valuable lessons learned from retooling in-person meetings to virtual formats over the past one and half years, and will work with other NTC boards to develop strategies to meet changing demands of NTC communities, all in the effort to make NTC conferences sustainable and expand their positive brand identity in a post-pandemic world.
As an IEEE organization, NTC is run by volunteers, from the editors of the periodicals to the conference and technical committee chairs, to the chapter chairs, so ensuring our contributors and volunteers have a voice—and be known that they have a very strong voice—in shaping and influencing the offerings and overall direction of the NTC. We are always looking for ways to spark interest in the Council participants, so they can be engaged in, supported and lead our activities. In 2022, we plan to explore relationships with external organizations and other IEEE Societies and Councils to pursue new initiatives and strengthen existing activities. I look forward to continuing the work undertaken by my predecessors together with the NTC leadership and other contributors to advance these projects and more.
To conclude, the objectives of my presidency are to better serve the NTC community and move the technical distinction of our Council to higher pinnacles, in all activities and across the world. I am confident that, with the constructive collaboration of all current and future volunteers, we will achieve these goals together.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with suggestions and feedback. You can reach me by email at lombardi@ece.neu.edu.
Fabrizio Lombardi