Greetings Chicago Section Members:
Welcome back to the second edition of the “Meet the Fellows” series. I had the pleasure of interviewing the Chair of the Fellows Pilot Program, Mr. Gary Johnson, IEEE Fellow and CEO of MortarNet Solutions.
Vickie: Gary, first congratulations on being inducted as one of the newest IEEE Fellows for 2014 and the appointment as Chair of the first IEEE Fellows Pilot Program sponsored by the Chicago Section. What inspired you to create a program specifically for the Fellows?
Gary: I think the Fellows have reached a level of achievement and experience in the industry. This would be a worthwhile endeavor to come up with a way of working within the IEEE professional society to use the benefits that the Fellows can bring.
Vickie: Would you expand on the long term goals for the program?
Gary: Well, in a way that is going to be up to the committee to decide. I think it will be a collaborative effort among the committee members and me. Perhaps broadly speaking and thinking of some of the ideas that I would bring to the table, would revolve around the idea of defining a mission for the Fellows group with ways that we can contribute. Some of the ideas would be working with the Senior Members who desire to be Fellows. As you know, the Fellows process requires that a person is nominated and more or less sponsored by a Fellow, and then recommended by a certain number of Fellows. I think it is between 5 and 8. I think even looking further back; we could serve in the role of mentors or champions for people early in their careers. Perhaps further along those lines we could focus specifically on some of the diversity goals that IEEE has as an international organization. There are the issues of racial diversity, and gender diversity. I think this is something the Fellows can help with in advancing the career of people from diverse segments of society that have already found their way to the profession. We can also look for people that are considering entering the profession and perhaps serving as role models to stimulate additional diversity.
I think about an experience of my own when I was in high school and working on the Westinghouse Science Talent Search that I believe is called Intel now. My Physics teacher teamed me up with an IBM engineer that lived in Chicago. He helped me with a project back in 1966 or 1967 that had to do with Computers and the languages. So that was pretty early stuff and was largely made possible by being teamed up with a practicing engineer. I think those are some areas where we might look to contribute to overall IEEE goals and Society.
Vickie: Please share your vision with us.
Gary: Well I think if we could realize some of the goals that were just mentioned, they could become a model for other IEEE sections around the country. Everybody has a Fellows Section so I think that if we can establish that there is a positive role for Fellows and provide a roadmap for Fellows to contribute in other Sections on issues relevant to their sections. If we could create an example and demonstrate what is possible would be a good vision. We would be looked upon as pioneers in establishing a role for Fellows in the various sections around the country.
Vickie: What inspiring words would you give to a member who wishes to become an IEEE Fellow?
Gary: I think there is a lot in it. Meaning, think about the importance of your work and write it down, think it through, why was it important, how did it contribute to society? In other words, like a lot of inspiration…it is more perspiration. There is lot of really worthy work that exists out there that may not be recognized. I think that if you wait for someone else to do it, it probably is not going to happen. In my particular case, the Fellow that was my main sponsor was Don Malocha a professor at the University of Central Florida (and , by the way, a Chicago native) whom I had known for 20 years and was involved at the top level of Frequency Control. I had worked with him on many committees. He was the President of the Ultrasonics Ferro Electrics and Frequency Control Society and was the former Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.. I pulled him aside at a conference and said, “Don, what would you think about sponsoring me to become a Fellow?” And he looked at me and said, “You’re not?” And that is a good example of someone who was a Fellow with whom I felt comfortable with raising the issue. If we can serve as examples and have those kinds of relationships, I think it will be important to those seeking to become. It seems like a formidable process when undertaken, and it is.
Vickie: Is there anything that you would like to convey specifically to the Fellows?
Gary: Well, we hope to have people become involved with what we are trying to do as the committee reaches out and seeks input from the Fellows in the Chicago Section. I think are approximately 80 in number which is a relatively small group of distinguished people. I know that everyone is busy. Nevertheless, take a few minutes to share some of your thoughts about what we might accomplish as a group of Fellows and how we might return to the organization some of the benefits that we have enjoyed. Obviously there is a benefit to being recognized for your work so I believe that when you receive something of that magnitude from an organization, it is also good to recognize an obligation and contribute back. There are a lot of ways to do this. We will be seeking input and participation from the entire cadre of Fellows in the Chicago Section to become part of what we are trying to accomplish.
Vickie: Well Gary, good luck in your endeavors as Chair of the Fellows Pilot Program. I am sure that the Chicago Section Fellows are excited and are looking forward to the event. I know that I sure am. Is there anything more that you would like to add?
Gary: I would just like to thank you for being open to the suggestion when I first called you and your enthusiastic support to kick it off and to keep it going as we go thru the initial organizational steps and try to define a mission and try to get the word out and that the committee exists.
On an end note, thank you Gary for a great and innovative idea that only a Fellow could have come up with. And I truly enjoyed the crash course on birefringence.
Vickie L. Peters
Chicago Section Chair