IEEE Awards Booklet - 2020 - 7

2020 IEEE MEDALS

IEEE Richard M. Emberson Award

IEEE Haraden Pratt Award

Sponsored by the IEEE Technical Activities
Board

Sponsored by the IEEE Foundation

John Vig

Mary Ellen Randall

For leadership, entrepreneurship, and
perseverance in founding the IEEE
Sensors Council and associated
technical journals

For advocacy of member engagement
through projects, social networking,
awards, service to humanity, inclusion,
and outreach in support of IEEE goals

John Vig has notably advanced the technical objectives of IEEE
through continuously serving in numerous IEEE volunteer assignments for over 35 years, with accomplishments including establishing IEEE as a leader in publishing sensors research.Vig was
the driving force in the founding of the IEEE Sensors Council.
As an author, researcher, and manager of a group working on
specific sensors,Vig felt that current IEEE journals didn't have any
cohesive sensor focus. At this time, the IEEE did not have a journal or major conference devoted specifically to sensors. Papers
on sensors went into the existing journals associated with their
specific application (e.g., IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science).This
poorly supported the sensor community as a whole because it
was difficult for researchers to find papers outside of their specific
application area.Vig proposed the idea of the council and, despite
initial opposition, he was able to shepherd it through the approval
process and was named its first president. He then went on to develop the IEEE Sensors Journal, which launched in 2001 and now
publishes over 10,000 refereed pages a year. He also oversaw the
development of the Council's IEEE Internet of Things Journal and
IEEE Sensors Letters. The IEEE Sensors Council now contains
over two dozen societies and sponsors the annual IEEE SENSORS Conference. Vig has also contributed to IEEE in many
other capacities. As IEEE President and CEO in 2009, he initiated
and led efforts to improve conference quality and strengthen conference approval processes. He has also served as president of the
IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Society;
as IEEE Division Director; as Vice President of IEEE Technical
Activities; and as journal editor, conference chair, member of the
Investment Committee, and chair of a Standards Coordinating
Committee.
An IEEE Life Fellow and member of the IEEE Technical Activities Board Hall of Honor (2014), Vig is a consultant for the
DARPA Microsystems Technology Office and resides in Colts
Neck, NJ, USA.

Representing the very essence of "volunteerism in action" within
IEEE, Mary Ellen Randall leads by example in inspiring IEEE
members to advance technology for the benefit of humanity. A
long-term volunteer who has served IEEE in many capacities,
Randall has been dedicated to increasing member participation
and engagement within the Institute through collaborative design,
coaching, and leadership. One of her most well-known initiatives
is the IEEE MOVE (mobile outreach vehicle) program. MOVE
involves a disaster assistance vehicle and a team of IEEE volunteers who respond to crises throughout the United States. She
and a team of volunteers have personally assisted the Red Cross
and other organizations by providing power, cell phone charging
capabilities, communications, networking, and other services to
both disaster victims and relief workers. A prime example of IEEE
member engagement in action, the vehicle itself was designed, is
maintained, and operated by IEEE members. MOVE allows IEEE
members to volunteer in areas that resonated with their passions
to keep them engaged in IEEE activities. She was the leader in
bringing the IEEE MOVE concept forward and bringing it to
reality. The MOVE truck has been used at science expos to show
students and parents how engineering and science can be used to
better the communities around them. Randall was also a leader in
IEEE's Women in Engineering (WIE) program. Her leadership in
developing WIE groups at the local levels to foster engagement
and instilling a spirit of inclusion and diversity have led to WIE's
success. Other initiatives that reinforce a culture of engagement
include the Senior Member Roundup, which has been successful in helping elevating IEEE members to the Senior Member
grade. Randall is currently a member of the IEEE Member and
Geographic Activities Board and director of the IEEE MOVE
Community Outreach Program.
An IEEE Fellow and recipient of the IEEE-USA George F.
McClure Citation of Honor (2016) and IEEE MGA Innovation
Award (2018), Randall is the founder and chief executive officer
of Ascot Technologies, Inc., Cary, NC, USA.

Scope: For distinguished service advancing the technical objectives of the IEEE.

Scope: For outstanding volunteer service to the IEEE.

7 | 2020 IEEE AWARDS BOOKLET

IEEE Awards Booklet - 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Awards Booklet - 2020