ISA Connections 2008

Thank You and Goodnight.

2008-12-31T10:00:00.000-08:00

I sat down to the computer to write my last ISA Connection Blog entry as Society President, thinking it would be easy…Lots of THANK YOU’s and recognition to all those that helped pave the way to what I believe has been a good year for ISA. But now as I sit hovered over the keyboard, I’m getting a little choked up at the thought of turning over the proverbial gavel. I have truly enjoyed this year. As most of my predecessors warned me, the year just flew by. There was so much I wanted to accomplish and I feel like I am only just now hitting my stride. Perhaps some day, in my dotage, I can come back and do it again!

Okay… Now for the Academy Awards thank you:

First and foremost I would like to thank every single Member of the Society for giving me the opportunity to figuratively lead this very dynamic organization. We’ve come a long way baby from the coalition of Instrument Societies that banded together in 1945. And I think we have a very promising future given the talent and passion our Members have for the profession and the organization. This became very obvious during the debate on changing ISA’s name to International Society of Automation. I think I have now had over 500 e-mails on the subject. If I didn’t respond to you, consider it an oversight or simply delayed as I have attempted to respond to each and every message received (I’m still not done!). I set out to improve communications with our Members and I think I have succeeded in a small way: sending messages directly to the Members, blogging, and pushing ISA marketing (not that they needed prodding) to put out enough material to wall paper the Great Wall of China. If you are reading this and you have an idea of how the Society could communicate with you better, let us know—we’re still looking for the proverbial silver bullet form of communication that everyone will see.

I would like to thank each and every ISA Leader I have had the honor of working with this year. During my 20+ years as an ISA Leader, I have made wonderful friends and valuable contacts and received the benefit of great mentors along the way. But the group of Leaders I had the privilege of serving with this year have been exceptional. We debated, fought, played, and worked hard over the course of the year, but at the end of it all, I think that collectively we made a difference. You should all bask in the pride of being a great team. I am not speaking of just the Executive Committee or the Executive Board, I am speaking of all the Leaders that make up the core governance of ISA, which includes hundreds of committees, sub-committees, task forces, working groups, and yes, Boards. They seem like trite words for all the work you have done but, thank you.

If I had to mention one reason why every Member should become an involved Leader in ISA it would be for the opportunity to get to know and work with ISA staff. They are tremendous! I recognize that as Society President I received somewhat special treatment and next year when I become simply a Member again, I will probably go through withdrawal (my hands are shaking at the mere thought!). It has been quite enjoyable to be the “pampered one” this year. I wish I had all 70+ names to thank and recognize individually, but suffice to say that I thank each and every member of the ISA staff from the Executive Director to the building maintenance technician. I do have to give special recognition to a few of the people I have worked with closely:

Pat Gouhin, Executive Director: Pat has been a great addition to ISA and is a great business manager for the Society. He treads that fine line of leading the staff and being led by the volunteers well. I have the privilege of working with Pat for at least one more year as the Chair of the Automation Federation, so he doesn’t get to rid himself of me yet!

Ashley Wylie: Ashley has been the editor of this blog and a few other communications that were put out under my name. She made me look smarter than I am by correcting spelling and grammar mistakes and phrasing sentences to say what I meant to say. What made our symbiotic relationship special to me is that Ashley is probably half my age. If Ashley could comprehend the meaning behind my words, hopefully I could reach all the millennium Members we have out there—the ones we need to be active in ISA.

Jennifer Infantino: Jennifer is a manager of the marketing department of ISA and has helped the marketing and graphics team responsible for many of the great collateral pieces that have been produced this past year. She also edited a few pieces that included messages from me. Sometimes she was kind enough to just write the piece for me! The great thing is (some might say frightening), she started thinking like me…She adapted to my habit of coming at a subject from a bizarre angle. So thank you Jennifer and team: You have provided great assistance in meeting my goal of communicating with the Members more!

Debbie Eby, Executive Assistant Extraordinaire: What can I say? If the truth be known, Debbie runs the Society (no offense Pat). She knows more about the history, the documentation, and the people of ISA than any other single person. Thanks for keeping me grounded, and my schedule under control. I would have never made it to all my meetings without you, Debbie!

Laura Crumpler: I have had the privilege of working with many Member services people at ISA over the years, and they have all given me nothing but great customer service; but, I always seem to rely on Laura when everyone else is busy with other Members. I think it is a very telling sign that I know her direct dial phone number when I don’t know my husband’s cell number!

Chip, Dale, Tim, Bernard, Ken, and Rick, otherwise known as Senior Staff: I appreciate all you do in your departments. It has been a pleasure working with all of you…even when we didn’t always see eye-to-eye. And I can assure each of you that the people within your departments represented you and the Society well.

Ken, Steve, Leo, John, Marcus, Jerry, Ian, Tom, and Pat, the ’07 and ’08 Executive Committee members: It’s been a pleasure to be part of the team, and I enjoyed working with each and every one of you. I cherish your friendships and your commitment to ISA.

When I think back on the year and recall some of my favorite moments, more people that deserve special recognition come to mind:

District 8,9,10, & 11 Leaders: Thanks for a very memorable Leadership Conference. May Tiki live on!

District 12: Flamenco dancing and the one of the best educational programs I’ve ever seen—a great combination!

To all those that contributed to and participated in the Members Suite at the Summer Meeting and Fall Conference: It was great fun! Special recognition to Nick Sands, Wilmington Delaware Section, for contributing his bar tending skills and assisting in the stocking of refreshments! Also, thanks to District 3 and the Andrews for stocking the refreshments and hosting the Summer Meeting Suite. And last but not least thank you Greg Lehman and the Denver Section for contributing to the suite in Houston. It was no small task assisting with the Member’s suite this past year—I insisted that it be open every night for off-line meetings, conversations, and debates. But I have to say that my favorite memory is of the Standards Dudes (as I call them) showing up though they never knew about the suite—I think I have Nick Sands to thank for making sure they were made aware. I consider this just another small step towards “one ISA.”

Mary Cannon: I think Mary has been my number one fan (At least she acts like it.)! Everyone needs a cheerleader and I thank Mary for fulfilling that role. I am hoping I get the opportunity to return the favor some day.

January Board Training: It was great taking over the lobby of the Homewood Suites for some good ole’ fashioned team building. I hope the tradition continues!

2008 Council of Society Delegates: I have to say that I went into this meeting in October thinking that I might break Howard Zinschlag’s record for having the longest CSD meeting ever. There were three potentially contentious issues on the agenda and I feared a heated debate; however, the leaders all got their issues out on the table and debated ahead of time and the meeting was quite short and sweet. You have my eternal gratitude!

I’m sure I have forgotten someone really important that deserves special recognition: Someone like my husband, mother, kids etc. Being the President of ISA is a challenging, but very rewarding experience. The largest lesson learned from this journey is the incredible support structure that a person can have when needed. I can only sum it up in three small words:

THANK YOU ALL!

Giant Steps in Singapore

2008-12-19T06:34:00.000-08:00

Giant strides can be made with baby steps. This reality was brought home last week when I attended the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the International Society of Automation (ISA) and Singapore Polytechnic. Before I fill you in on the details, allow me to set the stage...

I was headed for Singapore on business.

Tim Feldman, ISA’s illustrious world traveler and international business development guru, found out I was going and called me about one week prior to departure…“Would you be available for about a two-hour presentation with our friends in Singapore to sign a MOU?”.

I responded that I landed in Singapore on the Monday following the US Thanksgiving holiday (missing out on at least one day of yummy leftovers!) at about 1:00 p.m.

Working with K.K. Siew, Singapore Section President, we set a time—K.K. would pick me up at 2:45 p.m. at my hotel and whisk me to the signing ceremony which began at 4:00 p.m.
…

Anyone who travels regularly can sympathize that the odds of my plane landing at the scheduled 1: 00 p.m. were slim. Since my plane departed LAX about 45 minutes late, the odds looked even lower than usual. I expected, when I landed in Hong Kong, to have a leisurely 2 hours to walk, stretch, and get the kinks out of my body. Instead, I had roughly 10 minutes to catch the final leg of my flight. Meanwhile, Tim was frantically e-mailing me and K.K. and watching the airline arrival site to see if I would make it to Singapore on time. I arrived and the ride from the airport to my hotel was uneventful (thankfully) and K.K called the room just about the time I finished my 30 minute shower and shine. WHEW!

K.K. drove me to Singapore Polytechnic where the signing ceremony was slated to occur. We were met by the Director of the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Dr. Dave Chong; Deputy Director, Dr. Rong Huan Yang; and a host of other faculty from the school.

That’s Dr. Yang and Dr. Chong on the left; K.K. Siew is on the right.

I had the opportunity to chat with many of the Singapore Section Members and faculty from the school—all were so gracious and hospitable that I don’t know quite where to begin with THANK YOU’s for all the kindness they showed me!

The most memorable part of the afternoon was Dr. Chong’s remarks. He talked about the need to make Automation “cool,” and the need to attract more of the best and brightest engineers into the field…I was somewhat taken aback that this was not an issue relegated to the US!

It was also a pleasure to chat with Elaine Ang and Rachel Loh of the Singapore Economic Development Board. They would like to see ISA open an office and make Singapore ISA’s Asian hub. The enthusiasm and spirit of a positive future were palpable at this event!

Yes, it was very educational and fun for me to meet with our Singapore Section Leaders; but most importantly, ISA has taken a bold step into the Asian region. SP will be offering ISA courses beginning with some of our most popular courses currently offered at Research Triangle Park, NC (ISA Headquarters). We hope this is a stepping stone for developing a lasting relationship and a greater presence in Asia. It may well be a model we pursue in other areas of the world in our efforts to become a truly global organization.

I want to publicly thank all the leaders, faculty, students, and attendees that made the agreement signing a wonderful event. The lovely plaque presented to me is proudly displayed at ISA Global Headquarters in RTP, NC.

Too bad Tiki had to miss it!

It Has Been My Pleasure to Serve…

2008-12-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

As my term as Society President nears an end I find myself reflecting on all this year has been— extremely busy. As I became Society President I also had a job change that gave me more responsibility (read more work!) and an increase in travel. So juggling ISA, work, and family was at best a struggle.

Nonetheless, this year has been extremely rewarding. Meeting with, talking to, and communicating via e-mail with many Members about all facets of ISA has been eye-opening for me and a very enriching learning experience. This year has included many opportunities that I never dreamed of having: Going to Washington DC and engaging with legislators; traveling to many countries with varied cultures to discuss a partnership with ISA, industry, academia, and the workforce to improve the profession; meeting with executives of companies within our industry to discuss what they needed from ISA to perceive value; making friends and lasting relationships globally; and of course having my very own blog!

Yes, serving as ISA Society President has been everything I thought it would be and more. This year has put an exclamation point on all the rewards of 20+ years of Society service. I’ve mentioned all this to you because now is the time to be thinking about leaders for the future.

ISA is now accepting nominations for the following Society officers:

Society President-elect Secretary
Department Vice Presidents-elect:
o Industries & Sciences
o Image & Membership
o Professional Development
o Strategic Planning

All of these positions require individuals that want to be involved in setting the strategic vision of the Society and work towards the common goals of all Members. For detailed information regarding positions, qualifications, and nominations visit www.isa.org/nominate. ISA’s officer positions and nomination process is open to all interested people.

The Nominations Deadline is 31 January 2008.

Some of the criteria and requirements are:

To be considered for a Society Officer position, you must be a Senior, Life Senior, Fellow, Life Fellow, or Honorary Member of ISA
Evidence of devotion to the Society and acceptance of its policies and objectives
Awareness of the Society's mission in our fast-changing technological world and ability to lead the Society in the development of programs to keep pace with these changes
Enjoys the respect and confidence of colleagues and Society members involved with Society activities within the officer's areas of responsibility
Competence in the expression of the Society's views to others through public speaking and other forms of communication
Adequate time, financial and secretarial support for discharging the obligations of the office

Service as a Society Officer provides the opportunity to gain management experience, enhance career development, and network with peers on an international level. I can personally attest to the many benefits of serving as a leader in a volunteer organization. All of the benefits previously mentioned are real and enduring, but the best benefit of all is the sense of accomplishment I feel having been given the opportunity by our Members to serve as the leader of such a vibrant and forward-moving organization.

To each and every Member of ISA—I thank you for the opportunity to serve and I hope I represented you well.

ISA EXPO 2008 Wrap Up

2008-11-18T05:50:00.000-08:00

Well…I am downright embarrassed at how long it’s been since I’ve written a blog entry. My apologies!!! I don’t have a good excuse, but I have been incredibly busy. I returned from ISA Expo in Houston to a round of sales meetings and lots of e-mail traffic regarding the decisions made by the Council of Society Delegates in Houston.

It is interesting that the feedback following the passage of ISA’s new legal name (International Society of Automation) pretty much directly reflects the input I received prior to the vote, which was also reflected in the vote itself. About 85% of our membership was/is in favor of the name change and have embraced the decision. About 15% of our Members were against changing the name and they remain vehemently dissatisfied with said change. As I have indicated in many messages sent directly to people who took the time to communicate with me—whether we agree or not—I am encouraged that people care and are passionate about their membership in ISA. It is a direct indication of the strength of the organization and a good indicator of our future potential!

Some other happenings in Houston: You may have seen the press release about the meeting with the Department of Labor to develop an Automation Competency Model. Walt Boyes from Control commented on ISA’s audacity to think they could write such a model…well never fear Walt, it was actually a group representing the Automation Federation that participated in the discussion and as one of those in the room, I can assure you that discreet as well as process was taken into account. I’m not sure the competency model is intended for international consumption—after all it, was developed with the US Department of Labor—but we would certainly anticipate it being a starting point for other models globally. To be fair, Walt did have one good point: we should be pulling in other organizations to make sure we are working towards a common goal rather than working in competition with each other.

Another important event that took place in Houston was the second ISA Executive Summit. This year’s luncheon was bigger than last year’s…and I don’t mean the food! Industry leaders were well represented and shared their perspective on how ISA could work with and collaborate with them to resolve common issues and advance the automation profession. In my mind three key points were made: 1) We need to glamorize engineering. Too many young people are getting degrees in business and finance expecting to instantly become a CEO. Engineering and technology needs Hollywood to hype the career path of engineers the same way they did Wall Street Analysts and Stock Brokers in the movies Wall Street and The Firm. 2) The current American education system does not produce graduates prepared for a career in Automation. Companies are left holding the proverbial bag to provide the training and education needed to fill the gaps. This leads to my last point: 3) Many companies (and ISA) are collectively spending millions supporting various educational institutions trying to get a modicum of time and attention on Automation. Perhaps ISA should lead the way to establish an Automation University, supported by the various companies already contributing to educational institutions in the hopes of getting better graduates…let the companies duke it out for the best graduates at the end. Hmmm….It’s certainly a thought. So what should the mascot be? I vote for Tiki!

ISA also had the annual Honors and Awards Gala. What a great event! My date, Tiki (pictured above), was a big hit. Even our Honorary Member Awardee, Margaret Walker, was intrigued by the cult following of Tiki and his many escapades. But on a more serious note….Honoring our peers is one of the most important things ISA does. The pride our Members and industry leaders show when accepting their honors is truly impressive and tells me just how important the recognition is. Not to mention the great band that followed the formal presentations—those of us with the energy had a great time dancing to the tunes of 11th Hour!

Overall I would say the Society considers all events in Houston a success. There were a few speed bumps along the way, but overall things went well and the Society continues to move in a positive direction.

As many of you know, my term as Society President is rapidly coming to an end. The ceremonial passing of the gavel has already occurred and activities are winding down as January approaches. It won’t be long now, and I will no longer have this forum for expressing myself. In many ways it will be missed, but then again—considering my track record of keeping up to date—that may be for the best!

But do not despair, you can still read my musings and thoughts on the Automation Federation Chairman’s Blog, soon to be located at www.automationfederation.org.

Proposed Dues Changes for ISA

2008-09-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

Going home is always good. Last night I had the opportunity to return to my home town of Bakersfield, California, to attend the 25th Anniversary of the Southern San Joaquin Valley Section of ISA. The SSJV group is always a lot of fun to be around…You know you’re with a good group of people when they have board position titles like “Head Chef”!

Congratulations to the SSJV Section on 25 years! As with any Section, it waxes and wanes depending on the local economy (largely oil production), but the leaders always seem to keep the Section moving in a positive direction, even through downturns. Really a remarkable group!

The meeting was held at a favorite local restaurant, Luigi’s—famous for their wonderful Basque food, AND the many photos of local “celebrities.” I almost lost my appetite when I sat down to eat and staring me in the face was a rather large photo of my high school algebra teacher, Turk Eliades. Not-so-pleasant memories of mastering quadratic equations came back to me causing the hair on the back of my neck to rise! You see, Coach Eliades is legendary in Bakersfield for his sideline antics at Friday night football games. He had such a passion for the sport and coaching that he simply couldn’t contain himself. But if Turk had passion on the field, he had even more in the classroom. Eliades was (he’s retired now) one of those teachers that you hate at the time but come to realize the positive impact they have later in life. Turk never blamed a student for unwillingness or inability to learn—he blamed himself for an inability to teach and get through. I recall more than one instance of Mr. Eliades breaking down in tears of despair at not being able to get kids to understand the finer points of Trigonometry. I owe Mr. Eliades for teaching me algebra, but more importantly I owe him big time for teaching me the importance of passion.

Society Section Delegates have received their packets of information on all the agenda items which, in addition to the name change, include a dues increase and a reduction in the percentage of dues that is rebated to the Sections.

The dues increase is long overdue. The Society uses a formula (basically factoring in the cost of member benefits weighed with the CPI) to calculate when we should pull the trigger on a dues increase. According to the formula it should have been done several years ago, but the leadership of the Society was in the midst of adding some very worthwhile benefits (free standards downloads, access to all Expo and Symposia papers, etc.) and wanted the value to be present before raising dues. That was over two years ago. In addition to access to standards and papers, Division membership in two divisions will be included in the standard membership (an $18 value). By modifying our dues from $85.00 to $100.00 and including two Division memberships, many of our Members will actually pay less in the form of dues.

Currently 20% of member dues are rebated to the local Section of a Member. One quarter of this rebate is re-directed to the District a Member resides in to support regional activities and the District Vice-Presidential duties. The District funding is by choice and participation may be declined. There is a motion to reduce the percentage of the dues rebate to Sections from 20% to 15% and to eliminate the District “tax.” Please note that if the dues increase is passed, and a Section is no longer paying a quarter of that 20% to cover District funding, the actual funds that go to the section will increase:

($85 dues X 20%) – ($85 x 20%)(25%) =
$17 dues rebate - $4.25 district tax = $12.75 current dues rebate

vs.

$100 dues X 15% = $15.00 propsed dues rebate.

Districts will be funded by a standard Society budgeting process rather than having a separate pool of money. The reason for making this change is two-fold: First, we want to have our Sections (geographical entities) and Divisions (Technical/Industry Interest groups) on equal footing—both financially and with Members. Second, we want to be compliant with some of the rules and regulations that have resulted from Sarbanes-Oxley.

There has been a lot of e-mail traffic and discussion regarding the initiatives coming before the Council of Society Delegates. This is good. Even if I don’t agree with everything that is being said, I see it as a good omen for our Society that the discussions are taking place; however, I do feel the same despair as Turk Eliades when I see messages that indicate the Society has not provided leaders with adequate time to digest these issues. The information has been available since at least early June, and in most cases it dates back to January.

We may not all agree on the best path for ISA, but I do believe that we all have a passion for the success of the organization. So once again, your feedback is valued and I hope each and every member that reads this will throw in their two cents and not the proverbial towel!

Contact your Section delegate—or email me at isapresident@isa.org and I will forward your message to your delegate—to tell them your stance on the dues increase and Section rebate proposals.

For additional information about the proposed agenda items being brought before the Council of Society Delegates at EXPO this October, visit www.isa.org/mem/CSDFAQ.

Proposed ISA Name Change

2008-09-10T14:33:00.001-07:00

Silence can be deafening.

To put it in automation “techy” terms: If you provide an input signal and get no output, something is wrong. This was brought to mind this week when I observed (thanks to many friends) an electronic dialogue regarding the proposed name change for ISA that is going to be brought before the Council of Society Delegates this October, as well as a few other key agenda items.

What really distressed me was the number of people who indicated that they have seen no effort by the Society leadership to promote the name change or any of the other agenda items. Huh?

I know that I and many of my Executive Board colleagues have been out promoting, informing, discussing, and dialoguing all year…How do we miss so many of our Members?

Well…I’ll take one more stab at it here and hope that the word gets out.

First: The name change.

I realize that changing the name of our organization is highly emotional for Members, especially those who have been around for a lot of years. The name and their membership is part of their identity; however, we need to recognize the massive changes that have taken place and reshaped our Society since its inception. We are no longer just instruments. Yes, instruments are an important part of any automation scheme or operation of plants, but we are more. Aren’t we?

We are no longer just Instruments and Systems. These are also part of a grand scheme to automate a process…right? The current name is all inclusive and specific, but what happens when technology changes? What happens when science and technology advances beyond our wildest imagination? When “instruments and systems” no longer describes what we are doing? We need a name that is timeless and not tied to any specific technology or job function. Although many do not feel that automation describes what they do, does any other single term do a better job of embracing all of the members that make up our Society?

These questions are the real motivation behind changing the name. As an added bonus, the name becomes easier to explain to people “outside the inner circle” and we match up with our positioning as the voice of the automation profession and setting the standard in automation.

It is my fervent hope that when this name change is passed, ISA will not need to modify the name again until we colonize the galaxy and have to change it to the Inter-galactic Society of Automation.

Below is a FAQ sheet regarding the name change that offers even more information. I hope that everyone will take the time to read the information and make an informed decision about the future direction of the Society and its name.

PROPOSED BYLAWS CHANGE
RESOLVED: that Article I, Section 1, be amended to strikeout the words “ISA – The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society” and insert the words “International Society of Automation” and that the officers of the Society be authorized and directed to execute any and all necessary documents to affect the change of the Society name legally.

The amended bylaws would read (eliminations; new wording):

ARTICLE I - Name

1. The name of this organization is ISA – The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society International Society of Automation. The organization is a North Carolina nonprofit corporation and is hereafter referred to as the “SOCIETY” or “ISA.”

ISA PROPOSED NAME CHANGE FAQs

Q. Why is this Society name change being recommended?
This name change is being recommended to more accurately position the Society as the “Voice of the Automation Profession” worldwide. The definition of automation, as developed by the Society Leadership (see FAQ 3#), is much broader than just instrumentation and control systems.

Q. Why is the Society recommending this change after it was rejected in 2007?
The name change resolution was narrowly rejected at the 2007 Council of Society Delegates meeting. This was primarily due to an inadequate definition of the term automation and a lack of communication about the desire and need to make this name change. Since then, a major effort has been placed on creating an all-encompassing, mutually-agreed-to definition for the term automation (see FAQ #3). In addition, a further effort by the Society Executive Committee has endeavored to reach out to the Membership. Discussions on this topic were held during all District Leadership Conferences, Kim Miller Dunn has covered the name change in her BLOG, and references to the name change have been included in the summer issue of the Section Leaders Brief that is mailed to all identified Section leaders.

Q. What does the term automation mean in this context?
The Society Leadership has been focusing on defining this term since the 2007 CSD meeting. Their goal was to craft a definition that would be all-encompassing and would serve to expand the horizons of the Society. The following definition for automation is the final result that was vetted through multiple Member peer-review groups:

“Automation is the creation and application of technology to monitor and control the production of goods and services.”

Q. What does this name change mean to me as a Member of ISA?
All of the activities, services, and product offerings of the Society will continue to serve ISA Members as before, but in an expanded capacity. In addition to providing Member value, the Society will be advancing the profession of automation and providing recognition for all who serve in this field. By representing the profession to the world at large, ISA will play a critical role in leading the profession into the future, and ISA Members will be at the forefront of this effort.

Q. Will this name change have any impact on Sections?
Possibly. As separate legal corporations, a Section determines its own legal name. An ISA Section is not required to change its legal name; however, the Society recommends Sections change their legal name to “International Society of Automation – xxxx Section.”

Q. Will the Society provide funds to help with Section expenses incurred with the name change?
Yes. Society funds of $250 will be made available, upon request, to Sections to help pay for any legal name change fees. All requests should be submitted to headquarters within six months following the announcement of a formal decision by the Council of Society Delegates.

Q. How will this name change be implemented?
The Society currently uses only the logo, letters “ISA,” and tagline, “Setting the Standard for Automation,” in published material; consequently, no major changes will be made as a result of this name change. Future campaigns will establish the Society as the voice of the automation profession on a worldwide basis.

Watch my blog for further information on other important agenda items coming before the Council of Society Delegates in October.

"Automation Olympics"

2008-08-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

I love the Olympics. I love the pageantry. I love the world coming together for a positive event. I love watching heroes born and others taken down a notch. I sit mesmerized watching athletes defy gravity, speed barriers, physical limitations, and the human psyche. Summer, winter—it doesn’t matter. I save up my television viewing rights for 102 weeks just so I can monopolize the T.V. every two years during the Olympics (much to my family’s chagrin). It doesn’t matter the event…from the most commercially intriguing to the most obscure…I love the Olympics.

This year it’s been a little tough. Although events are shown “live” US East Coast time, they are delayed on West Coast time so that we can also watch them “live”—not real-time, but “live.” This means many of the medal round events are between 11 p.m. and midnight my time…long past my bed time; however, the dark circles under my eyes and occasionally dosing off during meetings at work is worth not missing events of the XXIX Olympiad!

Which brings to mind ISA’s own “Automation Olympics,” the Honors and Awards Gala—held in conjunction with EXPO every fall. If you open up the event program to the back, where you can peruse a listing of all award recipients since 1948, you come across a rather impressive list of names. Honorary members include Bailey, Behar, Rimbach, Sperry, Beckman, Draper, Packard, Hewlett, Bristol, Sprague, Hart, Fisher, Moore, Fluke, Parker, Bajek, Knight, Williams, and Gates (just to name a few). When you take a look at all 1400 award recipients from over the years, it is a very impressive list indeed. Yet, I wonder if we do enough? Do we honor enough of our colleagues? Do we promote the industry enough by recognizing the technical expertise and technology gains made by our fellow Automation professionals? Not by a long shot.

I recently received a communication from a member who expressed some concern that not enough awards are given out—that multiple recipients should be chosen in many cases. I agree. The problem is we don’t receive enough nominations. I must confess I have had little to do with our H&A program beyond making a few nominations the few times I’ve been able (serving board members are prohibited from submitting nominations). But I have been a huge supporter of the event and the program.

By definition, awards programs are long, can verge on boring, and are usually costly for attendees. But I wouldn’t miss our annual event for anything. I believe in my 20 plus years in ISA I have only missed two or three! The list of recipients is always impressive and it is nice to have an opportunity to rub shoulders with some very impressive personalities in the industry. This year is no exception. Just look at some of this year’s recipients:

http://www.isa.org/filestore/2008%20Honorees.doc

Some awards have gone unclaimed due to a lack of nomination submissions. PLEASE! If you are aware of a contributor to our industry worthy of recognition, make sure the H&A Committee receives a nomination on that person’s behalf. We have a great story to tell…we just need to tell it more often.

And now….back to the Olympics!

The Wireless Wars

2008-08-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

I must apologize for not posting something sooner. I took a much needed family vacation and returned to a mountain of work in the office…But, enough with the excuses already!

For those of us that have been around awhile, we remember the BUS wars of a few years back. Any time ISA has volunteers working on a standard addressing a major technology shift, controversy begins. This is currently happening with the ISA100 wireless standard.

I will be the first to admit that I am not an unbiased observer in the wireless wars, like I was during the BUS wars. I am employed by one of the large vendors involved in this arena. But as the President of ISA, I am disturbed by the formation of technology camps and the resulting controversy. Apparently there are times when consensus is all but impossible!

So…How do we resolve that?

The obvious answer is to let the market duke it out and for the users to ultimately decide. This happened with Beta vs. VHS. Why not allow the market to determine the right protocol for wireless? Ah, but the users don’t want to invest in a technology that may be driven out of the market place. They want a standard so they know where to invest their wireless dollars. There is the added pressure that ISA has been criticized for not getting standards to market in a timely fashion. This is not the fault of ISA per se. ISA staff depends on the volunteers to drive the standards activity—especially when the barriers to quick delivery are technical in nature.

So is there a resolution to this dilemma?

I’m not sure there is a quick and easy solution. While the ISA100 Committee and working groups continue to attempt writing a standard that meets with consensus, we (ISA, WINA, and all the vendors involved with the technology) have the opportunity to educate users on the right questions to ask before they invest in wireless instruments and networks.

There is much to be gained from wireless technology in the manufacturing arena. Wireless provides a way to make measurements that were uneconomical in the past or measurements that were all but impossible to make. I encourage users and vendors alike to not only self-educate themselves on wireless technology, but also to provide input to the technical gurus on the Standards committee. They need to hear the perspective of “outsiders” to help develop the best path forward for the standard.

Hopefully consensus will be reached soon, and a resulting standard published. But in the meantime we all get to enjoy watching the controversy develop. For those of us in automation, it ranks right up there with the political debates of an election!

The Next Generation of Automation Professionals at ISA EXPO

2008-07-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

All things “student” are my passion. People who know me recognize this fact. During my twenty-plus years with ISA much of my activity has centered on students. ISA does quite a bit for students, but as with many things, the Society receives little recognition for its efforts.

In my experience—at universities and colleges where there is an ISA Student section as well as the multitude of other engineering societies—though the other engineering societies probably have more members, the ISA section is more engaged with their senior (read that as working professional) counterparts. I have long engaged with the Cal Poly Pomona ISA Student Section and although they partner with IEEE quite a bit on campus, it is the ISA group that has connections with the professional community and it is the ISA student chapter that reaps the benefits from these connections. Many a student has been recruited from the ISA student chapter for full time positions following graduation as well as for internships while still in school! I have had many students express their appreciation for the close tie between the Los Angeles Section of ISA and the Cal Poly Student Section. Not only do the students benefit, but so does the Section. The Los Angeles Section Board has had numerous former students hold leadership chair positions. But even better than that: The students coordinate and run a beach party every summer for the entire student and senior membership. What a great way to get to know each other!

I don’t think that Cal Poly and ISA Los Angeles have a unique relationship. When I participate in the Council of Student Affairs meeting, yearly at Society Leader’s meetings, it is quite evident that this close relationship exists between many of our senior and student sections.

But having student sections is not enough…about 12 years ago some great leaders within ISA came up with the idea of holding a student competition at the annual fall conference. This prompted the formation of what is now called the International Student Games—one of ISA’s best kept secrets! Every year twelve teams of 4-6 students travel to Houston to participate in a full day of competing on their knowledge of automation technology and concepts. The competition has been well supported by industry who provides the equipment and problems. Even though the companies put a great amount of time and effort into these problems, I have never heard of one that didn’t want to come back to provide problems and equipment again after their first year of participation. I have to give public thanks to my own company, Emerson, who has provided problems and equipment every year of the competition—Thank you Emerson Education Services!

Unfortunately, the International Student games can only accommodate 60 students—so, how can ISA reach a broader group of students and young professional? Well, two years ago the Society came up with the concept of YAPFEST (Young Automation Professionals Festival). Allow me to set the scene two years ago when the first YAPFEST was held…It was raining—flooding might be the correct term—and under a tent in the parking lot at Reliant Center. About 200 young Automation Professionals and students got to participate in a great event. The rule was you had to be under 30 years of age to be allowed in the tent; however, an exception was made for the Executive Committee of ISA—I was fortunate enough at the time to be serving on the Committee and had the privilege of sharing a few beers, barbeque, and good music with some very enthusiastic and young members of our profession. It was a fantastic event! Truly a great networking opportunity!

This year, students and YAPs will be bringing their resumes to the event to share with YAPFEST sponsors. To learn more about the event or to become a sponsor, visit www.isa.org/yapfest.

But both the International Student Games and YAPFEST—as great as these events are—require the work of many volunteers and ISA staff people to pull them off. They also require donations or sponsorships from industry. Neither YAPFEST nor the International Student Games are supposed to be funded entirely by Society funds. Both events require donations from industry to make them successful and enjoyable for the students.

If you wish to be a sponsor of either of these great opportunities or would like to provide problems for the games—these would be much appreciated by our event coordinators—contact Chris Johnson at (919) 990-9230 or cjohnson@isa.org (YAPFEST) or Laura Crumpler at (919) 990-9232 or lcrumpler@isa.org (International Student Games) to learn more.

As all of our companies struggle with the issue of aging workforce and developing the new generation of automation professionals, keep in mind these great opportunities to attract and keep young people in automation. You never know where you will find the next Arnold Beckman, Kermit Fisher, Béla G. Lipták, W. Wayne Wittenberger, Hewlett and Packard, Bill Gates, Henry Ford, A.G. Bell, Edison, T. Jefferson, and the list goes on and on.

Districts 7 & 3 Joint District Leadership Conference Wrap-Up: Student Recruiting, Mascots, and More

2008-07-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Houston, Texas—a little belated! Once again I found myself sitting in an airport, waiting for a plane home. As I write this, I am on my way home from the Joint District Leadership Conference (JDLC) at South Shore Harbor Hotel and Conference Center (20-22 June) where Districts 7 & 3 (Southeast US, Texas, and Mexico) members participated in a one and one-half days of leadership training, camaraderie, and learning about best practices for ISA.

The event was largely staged and run by Mary Cannon of the Houston Section with some help from Grady and Katherine Andrews from the Atlanta Section. For those of you that have the privilege of knowing Mary—she is a paragon of ISA enthusiasm! Mary and I have quite a history in the Society, both beginning our ISA leadership careers back in the mid-nineties (at the national level). At the time we were both—relatively speaking—young, single, blonde, and some might say (depending on your perspective)the instigators of many trouble or fun-filled escapades. But the bond that has truly cemented our friendship over the years has been a passion for all things “student” with regards to ISA.

There have been many champions of student activities within the Society besides myself, including 2009 President Dr. Gerald Cockrell, Sheldon Weatherby, Mike Perron, and Don Thompson; but, Mary has been one of the stalwart contributors to students for many years now and continues to be the Society’s leading student recruiter. How Mary finds the time to balance her work schedule and the many, MANY visits she makes to schools in the Houston area to discuss ISA and the automation profession in general never ceases to amaze me. Ms. Cannon’s enthusiasm is infectious and I always feel renewed and re-energized after hanging with Mary for a few hours!

This exuberance carried over into the discussions at the JDLC, with its many highlights: a tour at NASA arranged by Zafar Taqvi, a presentation on creativity and mind mapping—an excellent tool when your boss says “think out of the box” according to Connie Harryman, a guest speaker—and a great talk on how to…as well as how not to…recruit volunteers.

Probably the most significant conversation was with Glenn Allen of Southern Polytechnic University in Atlanta, Georgia. Professor Allen has established a Mechatronics degree which will be accredited by ABET in a year when they graduate their first set of students. The degree is part electrical engineering, part chemical engineering and part computer/science/robotics—according to Professor Allen…Sound familiar? This is how most of us would describe the necessary background to be in Automation. Not only did Professor Allen establish a great program—which is growing, by the way—he is working with “Best Robots,” a program to attract young math and science types into engineering, and is working with the Georgia State government on workforce development. Professor Allen may not know it yet, but there is a huge sucking sound from a vacuum pulling him into the ISA circle. He has an interesting perspective on what is needed to match our education system to current and future societal and industry needs, instead of teaching the same degrees the same way.

The other significant conversation was around the need for a mascot for ISA. An image we can rally around, promote and use to gain recognition. Some of us (those who participated in the Districts 8, 9, 10, 11 JDLC) think that Tiki Picture should be considered. But there are numerous possibilities. If you have any bright ideas please communicate them.

Congratulations to Mary, Grady, Catherine, and all the leaders of Districts 7 & 3 for a great event. I hope to participate again next year!

Volunteers

2008-07-01T06:08:00.000-07:00

Volunteerism is alive and well. Not only is it alive and well, but what volunteers can accomplish is incredible. Most of us need look no further than our local Boy Scouts of America. This was brought home to me last week when I participated in my son’s Cub Scout day camp.

This is an amazing event. Two thousand cub scouts descend on O’Neil Park in South Orange County California—in two shifts: One thousand from 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and another thousand from 2:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Keep in mind that there is at least one adult for every four cub scouts and several hundred boy scouts earning service hours by participating as “Orange Shirts” (Counselors and assistants). In addition, there are also about hundred or so siblings in attendance at “sibling camp” as well as numerous Emergency Medical Technicians, law enforcement people, and firemen on hand to keep everyone safe. These people (including the firemen, law enforcement, and EMT’s) are volunteering their time to work for these kids…They do not get paid to participate in this event!

We participated in the afternoon shift, so our day began with trying to time our entrance into the park at the right moment: after the morning shift left but before the rest of the afternoon attendees showed up. There is about a 30 second window to accomplish this! Luckily, there are lots of Orange Shirts directing traffic and telling us where to park to drop off our little guys.

After mustering with our group we began rotating through the activities earning belt loops (Cub equivalent of merit badges) and points towards rank advancement throughout the day (and week). The activities included building bird houses (there is something about 30 or 40 little boys with saws and hammers in their hands that makes me nervous), water bottle rockets (a slightly more high tech version that the ones my son and I made a few weeks ago), Go Cart races (they just look dangerous and feel dangerous when a couple little boys are pushing and another is “behind the wheel”), archery (if 30 or 40 boys with saws frightens me, think how I felt when I saw 50 or 60 with bows and arrows), flag football, soccer, marbles, and owl pellet dissecting (just think about a hairball from a cat with the bonus of small critter bones—that is what we were dissecting…totally disgusting but very interesting!). And, if you could stomach it after the owl-pellets, solar baked apples and cub-made ice cream and last but not least a good ol’ fashioned water/mud fight.

It was hot. It was dusty. But the boys were having far too much fun to realize the important lessons they were learning: sportsmanship, being part of a team, sharing, looking out for each other, plus all the technical stuff they learned. But the biggest lesson I hope they learned is the value of giving to your community. Without hundreds of volunteers, this event would be a no go. The core team of volunteers that organizes and coordinates the event is phenomenal. They have the rotations and people control down to a science—there must be someone from Disneyland on the crew! But their single most underappreciated attribute has to be their commitment to youth. We can’t produce leaders for the future unless we take the time to show them the way: how to be leaders, how to be volunteers, and how to give back to their community.

My hat is off to the staff of Saddleback Valley Day Camp. They set the standard in volunteerism, and they do it with a staff of about 10 people. Imagine what we can do with our membership of 30,000 in ISA? The possibilities are endless.

ISA Divisions & Symposia

2008-06-18T08:47:00.001-07:00

One of the best kept secrets in ISA is our Division Symposia. Last month I attended the ISA International Instrumentation Symposium—a joint event held by the ISA Aerospace Industries, Test and Measurement, and Process Measurement & Control Divisions. Last week I participated in the ISA POWID/EPRI Symposium. Unfortunately, I missed the ISA Analysis Division Symposium, but reports are that it too, was fantastic.

In my opinion, ISA’s Division Symposia are where the proverbial rubber meets the road of our organization. Professionals dedicated to an Industry or Science within the automation profession develop a program that is geared toward a specific interest. The papers are usually timely, involving the latest technologies and techniques in use. Does it get any better than that?

ISA Divisions (and their Symposia) are great places to network with kindred spirits. We all have our own acronyms and language specific to our respective industries…Just think, you can meet and talk with people that understand your lingo without a raised eyebrow or that deer-in-the-headlights look we all get when we start talking technical on the outside!

My company sent a new employee to the Power Division Symposium (POWID/ERPI) to soak up some of the technical expertise. I was somewhat humored when he leaned over at one point and asked, “How much of this should I understand?”…My reply, “All of it in about 20 years!”

There is a proposal afoot within our organization to make ISA Division membership automatic—included in your dues, instead of a price-adder option. Since we are a technical society, it should be safe to assume that we all have our own technical bent and SHOULD belong to at least one ISA Division. Most of us should probably participate in more than one. So check out the existing ISA Divisions on the ISA website: www.isa.org/divisions.

If you don’t see one that meets your needs, consider starting a new one. Since automation is in a constant state of flux with shifting technologies and applications, ISA Divisions will need to evolve constantly to meet changing market needs. The one requirement is ISA Member involvement. Without participation, the network fails and the information sharing becomes meaningless. For those considering joining or creating an ISA Division, remember that this is an excellent opportunity to build relationships with ISA Members and potential members, find out how other companies in your technical industry are dealing with industry challenges, play an active role in planning Division events, and provide a hub for your industry’s technical audience.

So which ISA Divisions do you participate in?

Summer ISA Leaders’ Meeting a Success!

2008-06-09T10:48:00.001-07:00

I’m sitting in the airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, after completing five days of meeting with fellow leaders of ISA at the Summer Leaders’ Meeting. We had a very active week of steering the mother ship…Endorsing and continuing existing programs for our membership, considering a few new programs, and making sure the Society is on solid footing for the long haul.

I have been a leader in ISA for 20+ years. Like any organization, the Society has had its ups and down over the years and some leaders’ meetings are more inspirational than others. Though a few things didn’t go as smoothly as I would have liked, I sit in the airport re-charged and ready to tackle the remaining 6 months of my presidency.

It is always good to attend these meetings. I see friends that I don’t have the opportunity to talk with often. I get an opportunity to feel the pulse of industry and share and learn from all the other leaders present. But most importantly, the Summer Leaders’ Meeting is typically where the leadership of ISA sets our course for the coming years.

The leadership took action to fund over $1.5 million in “New Venture Investments”—all dealing with globalization, the Automation Federation, and Certification (Certified Automation Professional® (CAP®) program). Many of these programs are multi-year programs that will require roughly $5 million of investment over the coming years. It wasn’t long ago that industry pundits accused the Society of sitting on reserves while a proverbial iceberg was melting. Well, I don’t think the “iceberg” is melting any longer.

Our membership is growing. Training courses are selling out. We have invested in a sales person just to sell the CAP certification. We continue to invest in India and globalization in general. Standards, a Member benefit, are downloaded by the thousands. ISA is being consulted with by the US government for cyber-security. As a result of our efforts in Washington DC, we are in communication with the Department of Labor and getting recognition on employment web sites. We have an agreement with US World & News Report for an industry specific newsletter that will be distributed widely among our Members and InTech subscribers…This is all good and exciting stuff!

The Summer Leaders’ Meeting was successful according to people I talked with. New leaders came away informed and positive about the Society’s direction. Our seasoned leaders came away with an understanding that we want to be much more than an instrument society—in the words of Dr. Gerald Cockrell, our President Elect Secretary, “…we don’t just want the instrumentation on the plane, we want the whole plane.” From my perspective I saw more people communicating in the halls than ever at the group social event and in the evenings in the hospitality suite hosted by District 3 (Thank you Grady and Kathryn Andrews!). We even had the Standards Dudes (as I fondly referred to them) joining in the evening socials en masse which has not occurred in the past.

Yes, I came away from the meeting feeling positive and energized. It is a good time to be an ISA Member and leader. I hope that everyone that attended came away with the same positive energy, ready to move our Society forward. Putting a stake in the ground and claiming ownership of the profession will take the efforts of every single one of our 30,000 plus Members. It can’t be done by the six-member Executive Committee, the sixteen-member Executive Board, the roughly fifty members of the two Activity Boards (District and Department), or even the 150 plus leaders that attended West Palm Beach meeting. It will require all of us working together towards a common purpose.

Number 1 on My Top 5

2008-05-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

Washington DC—depending on your perspective, it is a hotbed of corruption, intrigue, and scandal or the seat of US democracy and national policy. If you listen to the media, you might think that the former is more prevalent than the latter; but, after a visit to DC on behalf of ISA and the Automation Federation, I am a little more inclined to think that our public servants in Washington work much harder and care much more than I ever thought they did before. Thirty members of the Automation Federation (AF) descended on the Capitol last week to inform our Congressional representatives that the AF is the voice of automation and we have three primary concerns: Cyber Security, Work Force Development, and the need for an Automation curriculum.

I have a list in my head of the top five things I have done during my career. The list includes:
1. Getting a VIP tour of the Kennedy Space Center when I sold equipment to go onto the Magellan Space Probe—I had the privilege of seeing my equipment loaded onto the Space Shuttle.
2. Working with the Getty Research Institute on how to preserve a 3,000 year-old mummy—and getting to actually see the mummy!
3. Flying out to an offshore oil production platform.
4. Visiting the North Slope of Alaska.
5. Touring through the Edmonston pumping plant in California (long considered the largest pumping facility in the world for the volume and head—the water is pumped from the central valley of California over the mountains to the Los Angeles basin via the California Aqueduct).

Well #5 just dropped off, the other four shifted down, and this Washington visit is at the top of the list! I really hate to lose number five…My father was the head of Mechanical Maintenance for the plant for about 20 years. Edmonston is truly an engineering marvel and I credit my father with my innate mechanical ability that prompted my becoming an engineer. But the Washington Fly-in (as we participants refer to our visit) was an extraordinary experience in the extreme. “A-a-wsome Du-u-ude” as my eight-year old would say!

But I digress…Our visit began with our arrival in Washington on a Tuesday evening. We were informed that there was a strict 10:00 p.m. curfew so that we would all be ready to go in the morning! It was a good thing time zone wasn’t specified as I was on West Coast time and had a few hours to visit with my fellow team members in the hotel lounge! The next morning we started the day with a visit to the Department of Labor for a meeting with several people who worked in various functions for the DOL. Both Work Force Development teams attended this meeting and we presented an overview of what the AF was all about and how we might be able to work with the DOL to mutual benefit. They indicated a few other organizations we should work with like Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). When we mentioned that ex-military personnel often had skills that are applicable to the automation field, they became pretty animated about some of the military websites that we should be a part of…So we have that work to do.

After the DOL, our two Work Force Development teams split up to meet with various congressional representatives. Anyone that has been to DC knows that going from office to office in the Senate office buildings and House of Representatives office buildings can require a fair amount of walking. In retrospect, I wish I had worn a pedometer to know exactly the mileage we logged during the two days—it had to be several miles—in heels for me! Of course the guys were doing there fair share of whining…several had made the mistake of getting new suits, including new shoes, for the trip!

My team’s visits with Congressional representatives were focused on Work Force Development…The concern we have for the baby boomer bust, the lack of students entering science and technology, and the slippage of American technical excellence. What I found fascinating was that in the course of our visits it became apparent to me that about 25% of our government representatives and/or staffers really understand what we’re about. About 50% sort of understand. The remaining 25% have absolutely no clue—a little frightening if you ask me! But we did find that they were all willing to listen—in fact encouraged us to remain engaged so that government knew the needs of the manufacturing sector.

Now before all of you readers outside of the US get uptight and accuse me of being partial or US-centric, keep in mind our audience. We’re trying to get the US government to work with us. We’ll talk about your country’s technical excellence and manufacturing industry needs when advocating in your country!

We concluded the first day with a relaxing dinner cruise on the Potomac. A great way to wind down after a stressful day doing something totally out of my comfort zone!

Day two began with what has to be the highlight of the visit: A meeting between all thirty AF team members with White House Staff members in the Indian Treaty Room located in the White House Eisenhower Executive Office Building to discuss Business and Commerce in general, but also Cyber Security with White House Staff security experts. The room was inspiring in its beauty and grandness, but the conversation that took place was even better! By the end of the meeting the Security Staff personnel were indicating a desire to meet again at another time to have a more in depth conversation about how we could all work together to maintain Cyber integrity.

The teams then split up again to meet with our respective Representatives and Senators, converging again in the Capitol building for a reception where all the people we had met were invited to attend along with a few corporate Government Relations people and other members from Department of Commerce, Department of Labor, and MEP.

What became apparent during the course of the two days was the pace at which our government operates. To the casual, remote observer it would appear to operate at a snail's pace; conversely, when viewed up close and personal, it would appear that the pace is much faster and almost frantic. People are constantly on the go and offices are regularly in a state of flux with people arriving and leaving. I have traditionally been a cynic of government, assuming it was just a broker of legislation for the highest bidder. I’m a lot less cynical and very enthusiastic about what we are capable of accomplishing by working as advocates for our profession in the government arena. My team even had one Senatorial staffer volunteer to implement a program in a high-school with an instrument technician curriculum if we could produce letters from thirty-plus companies saying they would hire these graduates. The Senator would make sure the program was funded and promoted. WOW!

All-in-all, a fantastic trip! You can read additional details at the AF blog at www.automationfederation.org/congressionalflyin.

Dad: I’m sorry your plant has fallen off my “top five” neat things I’ve done list…But can you blame me?

Engaging!

2008-05-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

How time flies when you’re having fun…for months many leaders of ISA and the other member organizations of the Automation Federation have been having conference calls regarding a Washington DC Fly-in this week. We have a contingency of about 30 people descending on Capitol Hill to discuss workforce development, Automation curriculum, and Cyber security. When ISA issued a press release about this event it evoked considerable response from members and the automation community in general—the Society and the Federation received numerous responses, all positive. Many moons ago, when discussion of a name change for ISA was in the forefront, industry pundits pointed out that ISA needed to look outward as opposed to inward. This Fly-in is probably our most important outwardly focused event in ISA history.

If we want to elevate the prestige and awareness of the important work automation professionals do and what automation means to industry, making our government leaders aware of our very existence is paramount. We want them to turn to us for our expertise when they are writing legislation that affects our companies and how we do business. More on this next week, after we visit “the Hill.”

On a lighter note…Have you seen Iron Man yet? What a great movie! I saw it this weekend with my kids (8 and 5). The best part for me was when my 8-year old (Cody) said he wanted to be an inventor like Tony Stark (Iron Man). He went on to ask me what kind of engineer would invent a suit like Iron Man’s. Hey! I consider it progress that he knew that Tony Stark was some sort of engineer! Of course I had to confuse him by pointing out that in the real world it would be a team of engineers coming up with the suit that Iron Man wore—Mechanical, Electrical, Computer Science, and last but not least Automation (check it out—a lot of automation involved!). This was all good until Cody decided that he wanted to get all those degrees so he could be an inventor like Tony—the dollar signs floated in front of my eyes for all that education. Not to mention I was planning on having him off my pay-roll before I was an octogenarian!

And then there was the next day at home when Cody informed his friends that he wanted to “invent” water bottle rockets using a bicycle tire pump, PVC pipe, and duct tape. Cody’s friends said he couldn’t do it, which is mom’s cue to prove them wrong (my son can do ANYTHING of course!). When Cody came in the house asking me where the pipe cutters were, I knew I was in trouble; however, being the kind of mom I am, I found the pipe-cutters and pipe glue and helped them build some pretty spectacular rockets. After much experimenting with the proper pressure to pump the bottle to, if water in the bottle was better, and at what quantity, we reached an approximate record of 150 feet with a standard one-liter bottle!

This just goes to show you that there are some very good ways to engage kids in science and technology. All you engineers and technicians out there could probably have built better rockets than we did—and probably have added features we didn’t even think of. But I had four 5-9 year old boys engaged in something other than X-Box for a good 3 hours. I fell a little behind in laundry and other mundane weekend chores…and loved every minute of it!

Now it’s off to Washington for me.

Innovation Engineers

2008-05-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

Last week I espoused on skills engineers need to be successful. Of course I was thinking of standard engineering disciplines—electrical, mechanical, chemical, civil, architectural, and industrial. But if we were to wipe the proverbial slate clean and define what “brands” of engineers are needed moving forward, what would they be? Obviously we still need some of the basics listed above, but we would also needed some of the more recent additions—biotechnology engineers, genetic engineers, programming engineers, and I’ll even include computer science/technology.

But what other technologies are crying out for engineers—with a specialty in that particular field? The obvious answer for those who would find their way to this site would be automation engineers. Most of us working as automation engineers probably have a degree in something else—if we have a degree at all—but as companies try to compete in a global market, with tapped out resources and a under-trained workforce, automation is going to become more important than ever before. Of course that assumes automation professionals can be found to do the job!

But are there others? I just read an article talking about “sustainability” engineering—designing buildings, factories, and processes that will have a minimal impact on the environment, be sustainable, and use minimal resources. Think along the lines of designing buildings that produce more energy than they consume and discharge minimal refuse. Some schools are starting to provide courses in this topic, but a degree in such a field certainly doesn’t exist that I am aware of. Then you have sciences that are emerging but would be considered boutique technologies, like nanotechnology or green fuels. When the science becomes more established there will no doubt be a need for engineers with a specialty in these disciplines. And then there are the complete unknown—technologies we haven’t even thought about yet.

Sure, you could pigeonhole just about any science into an existing engineering or science discipline, but is that the right thing to do? As information, science, and technology increases, engineers are being expected to know and do more—perhaps too much more. What really needs focus is production of a new generation of entrepreneurs, innovators, and inventors. Joe Bordogna, Dean Emeritus, the University of Pennsylvania notes: “Civilization is on the brink of a new economic world order. The big winners in this increasingly fierce global reach for leadership will not be those who simply make commodities faster or cheaper….Rather, the winners will be those who develop talent, techniques and tools so advanced, that reaching a dimension of innovation beyond competition is assured.” Reaching a dimension of innovation beyond competition is assured...it was worth repeating.

Whether you are a person, a company, or a country, if you plan to keep up in our ever changing world, innovation will be the key. So as we consider changes that need to occur in our education system, we might consider adding Innovation Engineering to the mix. The problem is, how do you teach innovation?

Skills Engineering Graduates Need

2008-05-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

Last week I participated in an Industry Advisory Committee Meeting at a local university. It was my first time being a part of the group, and I found it quite enlightening.

I often think that since my career path has been dominated by sales, marketing, and management, I have an unusual perspective on what engineers need to know when they leave school. My professors would tell you that I was not the best student—practical, but not a “scholar.” This may have had as much to do with working 20-30 hours per week while going to college—and, darn-it, having fun too! Probably too much fun, but that would be a whole other subject!

As I joined this meeting with other engineers from Boeing, Northrup Grumman, Texas Instruments, and a city agency, I realized that what I thought were must-have skills for graduating engineers were not all that different from the opinions held by the group.

First and foremost, engineers must be able to communicate. This not only means written and verbal skills, but the ability to use the electronic tools we now have like web-ex and Microsoft Meeting. Engineers must be able to communicate, not only with each other, but also the financial and business-minds that have the decision making authority at companies they work for. The CFO of an organization does not need to know how a formula was derived and used to draw a conclusion. They will just want to know the final result(s) and the logic or analysis for the technical opinion. Most importantly, the CFO will want to know the economics of a decision. One of my counterparts said it best, “I can teach new-hires the technology they need to know to be successful in our organization. It is much more difficult to teach them the art of communication. When I see a resume or have an interview with a candidate that obviously is not comfortable with written or spoken language, I know that means more work for me to mentor them towards success.”

The group also agreed that the ability to problem solve (not complex trigonometric polynomials, but simple mechanical or process problems) was imperative. This subject came up after a tour of the university labs. The university professors were concerned that their labs might be missing key equipment and technology that the graduates would need to know. It was pointed out that having dated equipment could actually be used to teach the students very real-world problem solving. What technologies could enhance the experiment? What new equipment exists that would improve the performance of their lab problem and what would be the return on investment if the equipment were purchased? These are the types of duties young engineers will have when they enter the workforce. Few companies have the latest and greatest technology. Not when technology is changing as rapidly as it does today! Young engineers will be asked to determine the right technology and at what cost it makes sense. Rarely does this require the ability to perform a La Place transform.

Understanding the math, chemistry, and physics that underlie all that engineers do is important and must be learned; however, being able to communicate and apply critical thinking will take them so much further. The challenge academia has is how to produce engineers with these skills. They are not skills that can be taught in one 3-4 month course; they are skills that need to be intertwined with every class engineers take during their entire scholastic experience.

Post DLC Presidential Interview

2008-04-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

I was remiss in writing a new article last week. What can I say…I was traveling. One of the benefits of being ISA Society President is having the opportunity to travel the world and experience many different cultures. Such was the case last week when I traveled to Spain to participate in the District 12 Leadership Conference. District 12 covers Europe—a vast geography and a true multicultural experience. This was emphasized every time I was introduced to a new person and didn’t know if it was one, two, or three kisses on the cheek for a continental greeting! I still don’t have it straight, but suffice to say that Ireland, England, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, and the Netherlands all seem to have their own custom. Perhaps we need to write a standard!

The meeting was hosted by the Spain Section of ISA centered in Madrid. A highlight of the event was an evening of traditional Spanish food and Flamenco dancing. If you’ve never seen the traditional dances of Spain, you just haven’t lived! To say that it was emotional, passionate, and provocative would be a gross understatement.

Another highlight of the conference, for me, was seeing that the members of the Spain Section have put the same passion into meeting the needs of their local Members. The Spain Section has done a remarkable job of setting up a Masters of Instruments and Controls by partnering with industry (both users and vendors) and academia to put together a program to develop automation professionals. The program, now in its third year, is still growing. Although the Masters is not accredited, it is meeting the needs of industry and is recognized and welcomed by companies throughout Spain. Other Sections in many countries have other programs equally beneficial to their local Members—the Netherlands had their very own version of YAPfest (Young Automation Professional Festival) encouraging young engineers to consider the field of automation and the Ireland and England Sections shared their series of technical meetings that held their Members interest…just to name a few.

It was very motivational to see that our Members in Europe were not near as worried about what name we call our organization or how much we pay in dues as they were about how to meet industry and Member needs at the local level…the whole purpose of local Sections. I congratulate all of the leaders I met on their efforts and results, and thank everyone, especially the Spain Section leaders, for their warm hospitality. I’ve left with great memories that already have me wanting to return to Spain!

As I was leaving the meeting I was handed a list of questions for an interview with the local version of Chemical Engineering Magazine. Here I share the questions and answers with the readers of this blog…

Interview Kim Miller Dunn, President of ISA

1) The best known activity of ISA is the production of automation standards, which for many years have helped the process industry to improve efficiency and safety. Which are the other main ISA activities or objectives?
ISA has five core competencies: Standards, Certification, Education & Training, Publishing, and Conferences & Exhibits. Through these core competencies and with some supplemental initiatives such as workforce development programs and government relations activities, we have accepted a responsibility to create a voice for automation. This will be a recurring theme you will hear more about in the future, but I would like to give a little more detail on the other four core competencies, besides standards:

Certification: ISA has created three certification programs: Certified Automation Professional (CAP), Certified Control System Technician (CCST), and Certified Industrial Maintenance Mechanic (CIMM). All three have specific educational and/or work experience requirements as well as an exam. I am pleased to say that ISA has an outstanding reputation for the value of the certifications offered. People who carry one of these certifications are recognized as being knowledgeable in their field and valued by their employers. New approaches and enhanced marketing campaigns coupled with our global efforts are bringing the values associated with professional certification to new heights. We expect our certification programs to gain a strong foothold around the world in the next several years.

Education & Training: ISA has numerous courses offered by the training department located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA, as well as courses and educational opportunities offered by local Sections. Courses offered by ISA headquarters are offered at the headquarters facility as well as “in plant,” or at the customer site. The local chapter in Spain has excellent educational opportunities for Members such as the Masters in Instrumentation and Control—a great example of a local Section partnering with industry and academia. ISA also has invested heavily in ISA CyberU, which provides training anytime, any place through interactive multimedia courses. More about these offerings can be found on at www.isa.org/training/cyberu.

ISA has several publications: InTech Magazine and ISA Transactions. InTech is a monthly periodical of industry and technology news. ISA Transactions is a peer review journal available at no charge to all Members. Both of these publications are now available with full content on-line, which is another investment ISA has made in our commitment to provide quality products and services around the world.

We also have many conference and exhibit opportunities: Again, this global organization hosts ISA EXPO each year along with many division symposia focusing on a specific industry or technology. Two of our newest offerings include the Wireless Solutions Summit and a Manufacturing IT Forum. Our local chapters also offer local exhibits and symposia geared towards meeting local needs. These networking and knowledge sharing events are held throughout the year and around the world, and involve anywhere from 50 to 15,000 attendees.

2. Going back to the ISA Standards; which new ones will we see in the near future?
ISA has been recognized as a standard developing organization around the world for more than 60 years. As such, we are constantly scanning the horizon and looking for emerging technologies and new applications where market demand warrants the development of a standard.

We have many new activities and refinements being published on existing standards, but some of the hottest areas under development include:

ISA99, Manufacturing and Control Systems Security
ISA100, Wireless Systems for Automation
ISA101, Human-Machine Interface
ISA102, High-Power Research & Development Electrical Systems
ISA103, Field Device Tools (FDT)
ISA104, Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL)

Each of these committees is at a different stage in the standard developing life cycle, but as progress is made and new releases become available, we will communicate them to the community through multiple channels. At any time anyone can check the current status of a standard by visiting www.isa.org/ and clicking on “Standards” in the left hand navigation bar.

3. How is ISA membership evolving? Is it reflecting globalization and the growth of Far East countries?
ISA is certainly growing—more so outside of North America, but we showed modest growth in the U.S. last year as well. The growth is coming from South America, India, Europe, and of course Asia. We have only recently started focusing our attention to developing a presence in Asia. ISA hired Tim Feldman, Director of Global Operations, to help establish our presence in China, Singapore, and Korea…to name a few. We have also established an office in India and hired a country manager, Nirav Sheth, to meet the needs of the 1,800 members there. South America has had an established presence for many years and we recently launched a campaign to further enhance and strengthen the ISA brand through closer collaboration between ISA Headquarters and our dedicated members throughout the continent. And then there is the Middle East, showing a strong interest in ISA training, where we are working to capitalize on the opportunities available there.

4. How do you see the future of present Ethernet and field bus standards? Will they converge into a single standard?
I don’t see the convergence occurring. Industrial users of field instruments want ease of installation and less complex wiring—Ethernet requires a minimum of 4 wires and sometimes more. Field Bus only requires two. Field instruments also require a low-power solution. In my opinion, when you hear people talking about using Ethernet industrially, they are not talking about a “field” environment of heavy industrial processes; they are referring to the more “office” or factory floor type environment, where the Ethernet already exists.

Given these differences, I don’t see the standards being merged.

5. How do you see the evolution of wireless instrumentation? Will it be a niche application or will we see full wireless refineries in the future?
There is no question in my mind that it is not a case of will there be a wireless refinery, it is a question of when. In any given industrial setting, the cost of instrumentation and controls is far exceeded by the costs involved in installation (read wires). Wireless is a very economical solution, offering the benefit of making measurements that here-to-fore were non-economically viable or impossible to make. Wireless also offers the possibility of gathering more information about processes than ever before. In the world of wireless, the more the merrier—the more points in your wireless network, the better it will most likely operate. So yes, I believe that as time progresses you will see fewer and fewer wires—they will most likely go the way of pneumatic controls. It will take a long time, but it will happen.

6. What do you see as the main future progress lines in process plant automation?
In the near future, we have wireless, cyber security, and safety issues that will prompt change in process automation. It is difficult to predict where technology will go beyond the next 5-10 years, but if I were writing science fiction I would be predicting “instrumentless plants.” Instead of hardware attached to the process (wireless or otherwise) leading to a control system, I envision the use of nanotechnology in the process environment. What if we could make all of the measurements of a process with capsules floating in the product media and communicate that to the proper controls? Not only are wires eliminated, but invasive sensors in the process are eliminated too. I also think we will see more and more integration of the plant process environment with the business systems of companies. To find out more about this, check out the recently released ISA95 Part 5 standard. The ability to modify output based on commodity (feedstock) prices and/or market demand for a product in real-time—on the fly—would dramatically affect the way plants are currently operated.

Closing remarks:
I believe ISA has successfully re-positioned itself as an organization able to meet our Member’s needs, the industry’s needs, and the universal needs of humanity. We have lots of work to do—workforce development and raising awareness and esteem of what our professional and members do—but the future looks bright and I am proud to be a Member of ISA during this dynamic time.

Global ISA

2008-04-13T17:26:00.000-07:00

ISA IS global! Not going global. Not maybe someday we’ll be global. We ARE global!

This was brought home to me this past week while I was sitting in a District Leadership Conference in New York, on a conference call with people in Canada, and getting e-mails from ISA100 people in China as well as from ISA leaders in Europe setting an agenda for later this month…All at the same time!

Quite often, this may make the most stalwart Member of the Instrument Society of America of old feel a little out of place, or left behind. After all, the founding of ISA was the joining of several local organizations within the US into one organization. The people who worked toward the coalition had the foresight to realize that individually they had value, but collectively their value was significantly greater. Fast forward 60 years—into the information age—where distance and geography don’t mean much…I’m glad that ISA Members long before me recognized the importance of expanding our reach beyond US borders and beyond North America.

Right now, roughly 20% of our membership lies outside of North America. ISA has significant numbers of Members in South America, Europe, and Asia. We have a Director of Global Operations (Tim Feldman) whose address must read C/O United Airlines since he spends more time on planes than at home. We have offices in Brazil and India and we are looking to increase our presence in the emerging markets of South East Asia and China.

Does that make me nervous? No. Am I concerned that this effort at globalization might weaken some perceived power that we as US Members have due to our legacy and location? No. Do I fear that US based support and programs may decline in favor of international activities? NO!

Like the Members back in 1942, who recognized the intrinsic value of belonging to a collective, I believe that sharing ideas, standards, and technical information globally can only improve the world we live in today and the world we will leave behind for future generations. I think about the potential of all those possible Members outside of North America—it’s not getting more members that intrigues me; it’s getting more grey matter working on challenges we see today on the plant floor and in the manufacturing environment. We are no longer limited to asking for help from people who show up to a meeting. We can throw a problem out into cyber-space and have a plethora of people offering potential solutions from anywhere in the world. Because our Members are global, there is nothing we cannot achieve.

No matter the problem—I believe that somewhere, someday there will be a person with a solution. He or she—most likely still a child—is probably on a computer somewhere in the world playing a cyber-game with kids located in different countries, time-zones, and maybe even different planets (you never know!). That “child” and those “kids” don’t get hung up on geography, culture, or time. They probably also assume that the “I” in ISA stands for International…or perhaps even Intergalactic.

Section Meeting Programming

2008-04-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

I’m sitting in upstate New York after attending the first day of a two-day ISA District Leadership Conference (DLC). This falls on the heels of another DLC held last weekend in San Diego. What I find fascinating, after reflecting on the past two weeks, is that Sections seem to struggle with meeting programming, and yet I hear so many good ideas for how and what to program that I don’t understand why this seems to be difficult. What is encouraging is that Sections take this subject so seriously—ISA is only as good as the last contact we had with an individual, and that might well be a Section publication or event, so I’m glad that leaders take this seriously.

Now on to some ideas:

Section Co-sponsored Training: Want a dynamite training course in your local area? How about working with ISA headquarters to bring their professional level training to you—this is the same in-plant training ISA offers with the same professional trainer materials and subject matter. Best of all, the sponsoring Section gets to share in the revenue. If you look around, you might find several companies interested in the same training that find themselves without enough participants for in-plant training but are not willing to send people traveling…ISA local Section to the rescue! This year ISA has 20 such co-sponsored events on the books so far. More than any previous year, so this seems to be quite successful.

Webinar/Webex Meetings: What I like about this idea is that people don’t have to travel to get to these. They can sit at their desk with their quarter-pounder with cheese and Coke and listen in. Most of our speakers use PowerPoint so implementing this is easy to do. The meeting can be in the evening, over lunch, or even in the morning (over those first three cups of coffee). If you want a catchier title call it a cyber-meeting. Some of the networking benefit is lost, but this may allow people to attend a meeting that they were not able to before. And don’t forget the archived webinars on the ISA website—these are a lifesaver when your speaker has to cancel because she went into labor a little early!

Panel Discussions: Next to plant tours these are the most popular meetings to attend. If you really want to spice it up, make sure end-users are debating the pros and cons of a particular technology. Vendors are compelled to be polite in public settings but users don’t seem to feel the same need for decorum. I’ve seen some panel discussions almost go to fisticuffs!

On a final note, find out what your Members want to learn or hear about. There are many electronic survey services available that will allow you to find out what your Members would show up for. Program it and they will come.

Defining Automation, Part 2

2008-03-30T17:20:00.000-07:00

I recently read an article in a Section newsletter basically berating me regarding the definition of automation and the proposed name change for ISA. I found it interesting that one of the key points of the article was that automation eliminates jobs, which is a bad thing—right? I’m not so sure.

For those of us working in automation, the financial justification often involves the economics of fewer employees; however, I would venture to say that there is so much more. Is it bad to allow automation to reduce the number of people and the hours they must spend in a dangerous environment? Chemical plants, refineries, and other potentially dangerous processes are trying to protect workers as much as their bottom lines when they choose to automate. Is it a bad thing to automate when facing a shortage of qualified workers? Many “craft” positions are going unclaimed from a shortage of trained personnel. A few examples are welders, pipe fitters, and mechanical operators. Newsflash to parents: It may not be glamorous, but in the 21st century you might make more money as a plumber than as a doctor or an attorney!

Another thought: Is automation really eliminating jobs? Or, is it trading one employee’s skill set for another? For every job lost because of automation, how many are created in the technology sector supporting automation?

Most companies I have worked with that were considering the automation of a manual process really didn’t consider the reduction of heads as significant. What was more interesting to management was the possibility of more consistent or better quality control, the increase in throughput, the reduction of downtime, and the elimination of the need for “tribal” knowledge to keep a plant operating. Perhaps I am Pollyanna, but I don’t believe that companies are as interested in removing humans from their plants as much as they are in removing human error.

Automation does not guarantee a “better” product but it does provide consistency. In many cases this may not be desired—like when you want something personal with character, like art. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my Ibuprofen, Splenda, or peanut butter to have “character,” I want them to be the same every time I use them!

So I want to thank all those who commented on the proposed definition of automation (especially my fellow CAPs!), your input did modify the definition slightly:

Automation is the creation and application of technology to monitor and control the production of goods and services.

We were looking for a definition that embraced ISA’s traditional (instrument) members and controls people, control systems people, as well as people in professions we do not traditionally associate with instrumentation, systems, and automation—like IT and other professions/technologies we haven’t even thought of yet. The above definition may be “soft,” as the newsletter author suggested, but we were looking for a definition that could be “timeless” and “open.” After all, there is one certainty in life and in ISA—change.

ISA Sections

2008-03-16T16:47:00.000-07:00

Occasionally I get communications that would indicate some members are concerned that ISA is forgetting about local sections. Some of the communications are very accusatory that the Society is trying to get rid of local sections. Let me assure you, nothing could be further from the truth! Sure, much of our marketing is about global and government outreach and our technical programs, but that doesn’t mean that the Society isn’t interested in the health of local sections.

Local sections are and always have been the life blood of ISA. Look at how the organization was founded—it was a group of local societies that realized they had a common interest. This was back in 1945, and a lot has changed since then. We don’t have to rely on a live meeting to exchange information. The Internet has changed that dynamic drastically. We also don’t have to attend a trade show to get product information—again, many customers let their fingers do the walking over their computer keyboard to access this information. But the Internet has not eliminated the need for human interaction. One core value of membership in any organization is the networking. Although nowadays this can be done electronically, it is much more successful when done in person.

Sections (and Divisions) are where leaders are born and raised. Many local sections produce two things that members crave most: a local newsletter and a local directory. But the real key to section health lies in programming. Build it and they will come.

Let me share an event I recently attended in Los Angeles, CA—granted this is my home section and I like to brag about some of the good things the local leaders do, but this was truly a great event. The locals call it Tech Nite but the title recently changed to Instrumentation…period. Many years ago two sections of ISA and the Southern California Measurement Association sponsored an exhibit and short course. Back in the late 1990s the event died a quiet death. The Los Angeles Section recognized a need for training opportunities and a small exhibition, so they started “Tech Nite.” The rules of engagement were that exhibiting vendors had to have something “hands-on” for the technicians to do and no ties were allowed. This was a small event—one evening, about 20 exhibitors, and a few hours of technical presentations—but, the baby has grown and Instrumentation is now a full day of technical courses covering a wide variety of subjects, important today. The exhibit had something like 75 participants and the foot traffic was busy. They even had a couple Universities on site with remote controlled vehicles on display wowing the attendees with their capabilities.

There are many events like this that occur around the world. Good technical presentations and educational events happen daily. The Society at the global level recognizes this and thanks all the volunteers that make these events happen. The Society does not want to sacrifice sections in our endeavor to increase awareness and esteem of the Automation profession, but if we are to succeed in providing the one thing members ask of the Society—recognition of the profession—then we have to look outward. Walt Boyes of Control said it best when he pointed out that we have to stop looking at the profession from our “insider” perspective and see it from an “external” view. While we work on gaining recognition for the profession at the Society level, we have faith that our section leaders will continue to represent the face of ISA at the local level in ways that their members desire. The Society will continue to pump out technical information and work on advocating for the profession to the outside world. By working together, we will all succeed.

Automation’s Image

2008-03-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

Others have said it, and I agree. We—automation professionals or even engineers in general—need the help of Hollywood to enhance our image. Most movies and television shows do technical people in general a real disservice by presenting them as geeky social outcasts, if they make note of them at all. Despite all this, there is hope!

There have been a few movies that presented engineers, scientists, and “smart” people in a positive light. One movie that did the most for aerospace engineering was Apollo 13. Disney’s Meet the Robinsons presented the smart kid in a more positive light than is typical; and my kids love the Nickelodeon show “Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius” (Jimmy is a little bit of a nerd, but he gets the girl (Cindy) in a couple of episodes). Another movie, where the scientist, or in this case the machinist, is the hero, is Chain Reaction. Yes, there is hope.

If I were to imagine a movie about technology and the people that create and apply it, what would it be about? Perhaps there is a story line in cyber security or safety. Just imagine a drama about an evil-doer breaking into a major chemical facility and changing their product from something benign to something horrific. Or perhaps a biopharm facility where Ibuprofen is turned into biological warfare material…hmmm…the possibilities are endless.

Who would be the ideal cast? When I think of some of my favorite thespians I would put Donald Sutherland, Morgan Freeman, Dame Judy Densch, Kyra Sedgwick, Matt Damon, and Danniel Day-Lewis at the top of my list. Could you imagine them collaborating as engineers and scientists? I would see the flick!

But while we wait for Hollywood to pick up the idea and type the cast, we have lots of opportunities available in our reality-show based world. “Dirty Jobs”, “How its Made”, “Modern Marvels”, “Extreme Engineering”, etc., are all looking for story lines. If you have a dirty job, a product that people might wonder how it’s made, etc.—send your ideas in. The more we get the media into our plants and operations, the more understanding the world will gain, and the more our image will be enhanced.

It can’t hurt to try!

Women in Engineering

2008-03-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

Workforce Development…You see the phrase everywhere. There are few industries and professions that aren’t facing the inevitable baby boomer bomb—departure of all those baby boomers for very long vacations called retirement. For science and technology sectors this problem is magnified, particularly in the US.

Despite this looming departure, there is hope!

There is a huge, largely untapped resource for science, engineering, and technology: Women. I like to say that Science and Technology remains the last bastion of male dominance (Enjoy it while it lasts guys!). Despite more and more women entering the field, they are still significantly outnumbered. Women have entered other “non-traditional” fields in droves (the medical and legal professions and politics, to name a few), almost surpassing their male counterparts. So, why are women slow to enter Science and Technology?

From my very American perspective, the problem is the conditioning of young girls. As long as we continue to bombard them with messages that they are princesses waiting for Prince Charming, while we tell little boys to aspire to be super-heroes and save the world, men will outnumber women in Science and Technology, and probably the Executive Suite.

But we all have an opportunity to persuade young girls that there are other options. See the information (as sent to me) below regarding a very noteworthy event: 2008 Global Marathon For, By and About Women in Engineering.

Do your part! Participate and steer a young girl into an exciting, technical profession.

24-hour Global Marathon For, By and About Women in Engineering

MEMO

To: Engineers Week Partners
From: Leslie Collins, National Engineers Week Foundation

You are invited to join your engineering, business and volunteer peers around the world for the 2008 Global Marathon For, By and About Women in Engineering. The purpose of this message is to introduce you to the regional leaders for the 2008 event. You will find them at
http://www.eweek.org/site/News/Eweek/2008_marathon/index.shtml.

The marathon is the only event of its kind and a terrific opportunity to build global collaboration. Our 2008 marathon is truly global. The participating regions, in the order we follow the sun for 24 continuous hours, are North America, Mexico/South America, China, India, Africa/Middle East, UK/Europe, and, we conclude back in North America. Each region is responsible for developing its own programming and engaging audiences. We have a wonderful group of executive volunteers and they need your support.

The regional contacts, National Engineers Week Foundation staff and leaders from Verizon Business invite you to join us right away. Please encourage your business locations, affinity and outreach partners, and members to get involved. There are opportunities to make presentations, help build audiences for the global event and join a regional planning committee.

Please contact the respective regions directly and let them know how you can help this important effort for the engineering profession. Or, feel free to contact the National Engineers Week Foundation office at 703-684-2852 or engineeringwomen@eweek.org .

Thank you.

North America – Chaired by Verizon Business
Cybelle Long
Cybelle.long@verizonbusiness.com
Norma Henry
norma.henry@verizonbusiness.com

Mexico and South America – Chaired by DuPont
Lizbeth Medina
Lizbeth.medina@mex.dupont.com
Katia Hamada
Katia.r.hamada@bra.dupont.com

China – Chaired by CIE-USA and IBM
Ray Tan
raytan@cn.ibm.com
Shou Hui "Carol" Wang
shwang@cn.ibm.com

India – Chaired by Motorola
Deepa Singhal
a15480@motorola.com
Richa Dham
a22423@motorola.com
Soumya Lakshimi
a13908@motorola.com

Africa/Middle East - Chaired by IBM
Vikki Jackson
VIKKIJ@za.ibm.com

UK/Europe – Chaired by BP
Deborah Grubbe
Deb.grubbe@uk.bp.com
Meredith Short
Meredith.short@uk.bp.com
Teresa Schofield
tmschofield@theiet.org

North America
The 24 hours conclude in North America.

Educational Endowments

2008-02-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

I think UNICEF has it right…when it comes to raising money that is! I can distinctly remember collecting coins in my bright orange UNICEF box at Halloween time years ago (more years than I care to admit!). Like most children, I probably didn’t collect more than a few dollars worth of coins, but imagine if all the children or even a fraction of the children in the US collected a few dollars. They’d add up!

ISA has had a scholarship program for a number of years, but it is sadly under-funded, limiting the number and amounts of scholarships available for promising future Automation Professionals. I have made personal efforts to grow the Education Foundation through small acts like shaking down fellow leaders at meetings for spare change. Believe it or not, this can be quite effective: One year, by the time we got done, and with a few individuals matching the change collected, we ended up with a $1,000.00 donation which in turn was matched by Society funds netting a $2,000.00 increase in the Education Foundation. All from spare change!

Putting spare change aside, it seems that sometimes large donations come from the darndest places. Three weeks ago ISA received a check and endowment agreement from the ISA Alaska Section establishing the Tom Quimby Memorial Endowment Fund in support of student scholarships. In spite of the large oil industry presence, Alaska has a fairly small section covering a huge geographic area. This presents all kinds of problems from a section planning perspective; however, this section, largely centered in Anchorage, is what the Section treasurer Bart Roberts fondly calls the “Little Section That Could.” The Alaska Section chose to send $50,000.00 (WOW!) to ISA, which is in turn matched by Society reserves (what a deal huh!) resulting in a $100,000.00 scholarship endowment (Double WOW!). This is the single largest donation made to the ISA Educational Foundation to date. Thank you Alaska Section!

This may lead you to ask the question, “What does ISA do with money from the Education Foundation?” A very good question, I might add. To date, we have been limited to offering scholarships to a select few candidates on an annual basis. So far the Society has been limited to about $40,000 in scholarships annually, a virtual drop in the bucket seeing as scholarships are offered globally. That being said, given a well funded Foundation, the possibilities become infinite. When the Foundation was originally established ideas abounded—scholarships, research grants, support of international student games, development of a K-12 program to encourage entering the field of automation, etc., etc. Given the expected shortage of workers in the foreseeable future, these programs are needed now, more than ever!

I encourage Members, Sections, Divisions, and corporate partners of ISA and the Automation Federation to consider following the lead of our friends in Alaska. You can start big (like they did) or small by collecting coins to contribute to the Educational Foundation—the smallest donation could make a difference to an individual, an industry, a profession.