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The President-Elect Candidates’ Plans to Further IEEE’s Mission
The annual IEEE election process begins this month, so be sure to check your mailbox for your ballot. To help you choose the 2025 IEEE president-elect, The Institute is publishing the official biographies and position statements of the three candidates, as approved by the IEEE Board of Directors. The candidates are IEEE Fellows Mary Ellen Randall, John Verboncoeur, and S.K. Ramesh.
In June, IEEE President Tom Coughlin moderated the Meet the 2025 IEEE President-Elect Candidates Forum, where the candidates were asked pressing questions from IEEE members.
IEEE Fellow Mary Ellen Randall
Deanna Decker Photography
Nominated by the IEEE Board of Directors
Randall founded Ascot Technologies in 2000 in Cary, N.C. Ascot develops enterprise applications using mobile data delivery technologies. She serves as the award-winning company’s CEO.
Before launching Ascot, she worked for IBM, where she held several technical and managerial positions in hardware and software development, digital video chips, and test design automation. She routinely managed international projects.
Randall has served as IEEE treasurer, director of IEEE Region 3, chair of IEEE Women in Engineering, and vice president of IEEE Member and Geographic Activities.
In 2016 she created the IEEE MOVE (Mobile Outreach VEhicle) program to assist with disaster relief efforts and for science, technology, engineering, and math educational purposes.
The IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu honor society member has received several honors including the 2020 IEEE Haraden Pratt Award, which recognizes outstanding volunteer service to IEEE.
She was named a top businesswoman in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park area, and she made the 2003 Business Leader Impact 100 list.
Candidate Statement
Aristotle said, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Certainly, when looking at IEEE, this metaphysics phrase comes to my mind. In IEEE we have engineers and technical professionals developing, standardizing and utilizing technology from diverse perspectives. IEEE members around the world:
- perform and share research, product development activities, and standard development
- network and engage with each other and their communities
- educate current and future technology professionals
- measure performance and quality
- formulate ethics choices
- and many more – these are just a few examples!
We perform these actions across a wide spectrum of in-depth subjects. It is our diversity, yet oneness, that makes me confident we have a positive future ahead. How do we execute on Aristotle’s vision? First, we need to unite on mission goals which span our areas of interest. This way we can bring multiple disciplines and perspectives together to accomplish those big goals. Our strategy will guide our actions in this regard.
Second, we need to streamline our financing of new innovations and systematize the introduction of these programs.
Third, we need to execute and support our best ideas on a continuing basis.
As President, I pledge to:
Institute innovative products and services to ensure our mutually successful future;
Engage stakeholders (members, partners and communities) to unite on a comprehensive vision;
Expand technology advancement and adoption throughout the world;
Execute with excellence, ethics, and financial responsibility.
Finally, I promise to lead by example with enthusiasm and integrity and I humbly ask for your vote.
IEEE Fellow John Verboncoeur
Steven Miller
Nominated by the IEEE Board of Directors
Verboncoeur is senior associate dean for research and graduate studies in Michigan State University’s (MSU) engineering college, in East Lansing.
In 2001 he founded the computational engineering science program at the University of California, Berkeley, chairing it until 2010.
In 2015 he cofounded the MSU computational mathematics, science, and engineering department.
His area of interest is plasma physics, with over 500 publications and over 6,800 citations.
He is on the boards of Physics of Plasmas, the American Center for Mobility, and the U.S. Department of Energy Fusion Energy Science Advisory Committee.
Verboncoeur has led startups developing digital exercise and health systems and the consumer credit report. He also had a role in developing the U.S. Postal Service’s mail-forwarding system.
His IEEE experience includes serving as 2023 vice president of Technical Activities, 2020 acting vice president of Publication Services and Products Board, 2019-2020 Division IV director, and 2015—2016 president of the Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society.
He received a Ph.D. in 1992 in nuclear engineering from UC Berkeley.
Candidate Statement
Ensure IEEE remains THE premier professional technical organization, deliver value via new participants, products and programs, including events, publications, and innovative personalized products and services, to enable our community to change the world. Key strategic programs include:
Climate Change Technologies (CCT): Existential to humanity, addressing mitigation and adaptation must include technology R&D, local relevance for practitioners, university and K-12 students, the general public, media and policymakers and local and global standards.
Smart Agrofood Systems (SmartAg): Smart technologies applied to the food supply chain from soil to consumer to compost.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Implications from technology to business to ethics. A key methodology for providing personalized IEEE products and services within our existing portfolio, and engaging new audiences such as technology decision makers in academia, government and technology finance by extracting value from our vast data to identify emerging trends.
Organizational growth opportunities include scaling and coordinating our public policy strategy worldwide, building on our credibility to inform and educate. Global communications capability is critical to coordinate and amplify our impact. Lastly, we need to enhance our ability to execute IEEE-wide programs and initiatives, from investment in transformative tools and products to mission-based education, outreach and engagement. This can be accomplished by judicious use of resources generated by business activities through creation of a strategic program to invest in our future with the goal of advancing technology for humanity.
With a passion for the nexus of technology with finance and public policy, I hope to earn your support.
IEEE Fellow S.K. Ramesh
S.K. Ramesh
Nominated by the IEEE Board of Directors
Ramesh is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at California State University Northridge’s college of engineering and computer science, where he served as dean from 2006 to 2017.
An IEEE volunteer for 42 years, he has served on the IEEE Board of Directors, the Publication Services and Products Board, Awards Board, and the Fellows Committee. Leadership positions he has held include vice president of IEEE Educational Activities, president of the IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu honor society, and chair of the IEEE Hearing Board.
As the 2016–2017 vice president of IEEE Educational Activities, he championed several successful programs including the IEEE Learning Network and the IEEE TryEngineering Summer Institute.
Ramesh served as the 2022–2023 president of ABET, the global accrediting organization for academic programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology.
He received his bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication engineering from the University of Madras in India. He earned his master’s degree in EE and Ph.D. in molecular science from Southern Illinois University, in Carbondale.
Candidate Statement
We live in an era of rapid technological development where change is constant. My leadership experiences of four decades across IEEE and ABET have taught me some timeless values in this rapidly changing world: To be Inclusive, Collaborative, Accountable, Resilient and Ethical. Connection and community make a difference. IEEE’s mission is especially important, as the pace of change accelerates with advances in AI, Robotics and Biotechnology. I offer leadership that inspires others to believe and enable that belief to become reality. “I CARE”!
My top priority is to serve our members and empower our technical communities worldwide to create and advance technologies to solve our greatest challenges.
If elected, I will focus on three strategic areas:
Member Engagement:
- Broaden participation of Students, Young Professionals (YPs), and Women in Engineering (WIE).
- Expand access to affordable continuing education programs through the IEEE Learning Network (ILN).
Volunteer Engagement:
- Nurture and support IEEE’s volunteer leaders to transform IEEE globally through a volunteer academy program that strengthens collaboration, inclusion, and recognition.
- Incentivize volunteers to improve cross-regional collaboration, engagement and communications between Chapters and Sections.
Industry Engagement:
- Transform hybrid/virtual conferences, and open access publications, to make them more relevant to engineers and technologists in industry.
- Focus on innovation, standards, and sustainable development that address skills needed for jobs of the future.
Our members are the “heart and soul” of IEEE. Let’s work together as one IEEE to attract, retain, and serve our diverse global members. Thank you for your participation and support.
