2025 IEEE History Week

At the IEEE Region 9 Student Branch Regional Meeting in Uruguay, Ana Karen Reyes, IEEE Photonics Society Associate VP of Global Member Outreach, delivered an engaging keynote highlighting the Society’s 60th anniversary milestones and the transformative impact of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Karen showcased the historical significance of photonics, from its roots in quantum electronics to its leadership in photonics innovation, and emphasized the growing role of quantum technologies in shaping the next wave of scientific research, within her work & Latin America.

The IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT) organized on September 17, 2024, a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) WORKSHOP which was held at the premises of the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE) with the participation of almost 3000 individuals. In connection with this event, SSIT held its flagship event the International Symposium of Technology and Society (ISTAS) 2024 subsequently, on the 18th, 19th and 20th of September at the Universidad de las Américas de Puebla.

In this thirty-minute webinar, IEEE History Committee Chair David Michelson shares the secrets behind a successful IEEE Milestone proposal.

Silicon Valley is commonly acknowledged as the tech capital of the world. How did Silicon Valley come into being, and what can we learn for our own startups and tech hubs? How has Silicon Valley directly affected the IEEE? The story goes back to local Hams trying to break RCA's tube patents, Stanford "angel" investors, the sinking of the Titanic, WW II and radar, and the SF Bay Area infrastructure that developed – these factors pretty much determined that the semiconductor and IC industries would be located in the Santa Clara Valley, and that the Valley would remain the world’s innovation center as new technologies emerge, and be the model for innovation worldwide. Join highly decorated Silicon Valley veteran and IEEE Life Fellow Paul Wesling for this non-technical talk giving an exciting and colorful history of development and innovation that began in Palo Alto in 1909. You'll meet some of the colorful characters – Cyril Elwell, Lee De Forest, Bill Eitel, Charles Litton, Fred Terman, David Packard, Bill Hewlett, Bill Shockley and others – who came to define our worldwide electronics industries through their inventions and process development. We will profile four IEEE presidents from Silicon Valley: Fred Terman and his son Lew Terman; Bill Hewlett; and Charles (“Bud”) Eldon. You'll understand some of the novel management approaches that have become the hallmarks of its tech startups.

Join us on 9 October at 1:00 pm ET (5:00 pm UTC) for an exclusive virtual presentation celebrating IEEE History Week! The IEEE Foundation is hosting this insightful webinar, which will highlight artifacts from the past. Professor Allison Marsh, a renowned historian and writer for IEEE Spectrum, will discuss her favorite historical artifacts from her ongoing series titled "Past Forward." This series explores historical objects that highlight the limitless potential of technology. Register here: https://www.ieeefoundation.org/virtual-event/

During 2025 IEEE History Week, Dr. Mary Ann Hellrigel, will offer on-line oral history training for IEEE members on Friday, 10 October 2025, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm (EDT). To register please send an email to Mary Ann: Once you have registered Mary Ann will send you an invitation to the WebEx meeting and material to review before the training session. Registration is limited to the first twenty-five persons, so please register by 5:00 PM (EDT) on Monday, 6 October 2025. This virtual seminar is an overview of the IEEE oral history collection, the field of oral history, and best practices for conducting IEEE life story oral histories. It is the first stage of training in the peer-to-peer program (IEEE members are trained as interviewers, and working with Mary Ann, record the life story oral history of another IEEE member, potentially in their field of expertise). Advanced training stages include silent observer during one of Mary Ann’s oral history recording sessions; Mary Ann observing the interviewee in training recording an oral history; and one-on-one transcript editing tutorials. For additional information about the training session as well as the IEEE’s Oral History Collection, please email Mary Ann.

Attleboro Area Industrial Museum, 42 Union St. #2, Attleboro, MA 02703 Saturday October 11, 2025, 2pm-5pm This inspiring traveling exhibit explores how microchips function and the vital roles they play in electronic technology. Interactive components, such as a magnifier rail and a gesture screen, offer visitors a rare chance to look inside a microchip and engage with a rich world of rivalries, gambits, and grand designs hidden behind the plastic packaging and metal contacts. The exhibit will remain on display at the Attleboro Area Industrial Museum until December 27, 2025. IEEE members and ASML employees receive free entry. An identical copy of the exhibit will go on private display at the ASML site in Wilton, CT between September 29 and November 17, 2025. “Microchips That Shook the World” is a highly mobile, interactive exhibit from the IEEE Global Museum in partnership with IEEE Spectrum and IEEE Foundation. Philanthropic support was provided by ASML, the IEEE Electronics Packaging Society, the Bill and Dianne Mensch Foundation, and other generous donors.

As part of a professional development event in Torino, Italy, the IEEE Photonics President-Elect will present “The Importance of IEEE Photonics History: Six Decades of Innovation, Growth, and Leadership.” The presentation will trace the Society’s evolution from its origins in quantum electronics in the 1960s to its role today as a global leader in photonics tech. This historical overview highlights key milestones, such as the invention of the laser, the birth of fiber optic communications, the establishment of cornerstone conferences like OFC and CLEO, the creation of pioneering journals.

Since its founding in 1925, the IEEE Buffalo Section has played a vital role in advancing and supporting professionals in Western New York. This milestone marks a century of innovation, collaboration, and dedication by generations of engineers, researchers, students, and industry leaders. Please join us for an evening of reflection, recognition, and connection as we honor our past and future of engineering in our region. The dinner will feature distinguished speakers and historical highlights. Learn More: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/498686

In this 30-minute webinar, IEEE Vehicular Technology History Committee Chair David Michelson presents a brief history of the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society

In celebration of the UNESCO IYQ, "Quantum Century" will be a small-scale display located within the museum’s permanent exhibitions, offering an intimate space to explore the evolution of quantum science from its early 20th-century origins to its modern applications, with a special focus on Japan’s contributions. Visitors will encounter historical artifacts, interactive displays, and multimedia installations that reveal both the foundational breakthroughs and cutting-edge innovations shaping our world. Learn More: https://quantum2025.org/iyq-event/special-exhibition-quantum-century/

Title: “The Pioneering Women of Electrical Engineering” Date: Wed., 22 October 2025 Time: 10:00 am – 11:00 am ET (New York Time) Speaker, Allison Marsh, Ph.D., Senior Member of IEEE Description: Historian Allison Marsh has spent the past year going page by page through the journals of the IEEE and its predecessor societies to uncover the name of the pioneering women from the early decades of electrical engineering. Hear the stories of Edith Clarke, Mabel MacFerran Rockwell, and many other lesser known women who helped shape the discipline.  Along the way, consider what it means to be an electrical engineer, and who does or does not count in that category. Speaker: Allison Marsh, Ph.D., is a senior member of the IEEE and a contributing editor to IEEE Spectrum.  She is an associate professor in the Department of Women and Gender Studies at the University of South Carolina and the co-director of the Ann Johnson Institute for Science, Technology & Society.  During the 2024-25 academic year, she had an NEH fellowship at the Linda Hall Library in Kansas City where she researched women in the early decades of the AIEE, the IRE, and the IEEE.