S.K. Ramesh and Francis Grosz Run for 2022 President-Elect
Photos: S.K. Ramesh; Francis Grosz THE INSTITUTE The IEEE Board of Directors has nominated Fellow S.K. Ramesh and Life Senior Member Francis Grosz as candidates for IEEE president-elect. The winner of this year's election will serve as IEEE president in 2023.
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. While dean, he established centers on renewable energy, entrepreneurship, and advanced manufacturing. He created an interdisciplinary master's degree program in assistive technology engineering to meet emerging workforce needs.
Ramesh is the founding director of the university's nationally recognized Attract, Inspire, Mentor, and Support Students program, which advances the graduation of underrepresented minorities in engineering and computer science.
He has been an IEEE volunteer for almost 40 years and has served on the IEEE Board of Directors, Awards Board, Educational Activities Board, Publication Services and Products Board, and Fellows Committee.
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.
He expanded chapters of IEEE's honor society, Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN), globally to serve all 10 regions, and he increased industry support as the society's 2016 president.
Ramesh was elevated to IEEE Fellow in 2015 for contributions to entrepreneurship in engineering education."
He serves on the board of ABET, the global accrediting organization for academic programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology, and is an experienced program evaluator.
Ramesh has served IEEE Region 6 at the section, chapter, and area levels. He currently serves on the IEEE Buenaventura (California) Section member development team, which received a 2020 Gold Award for its work.
His many recognitions include the 2004 IEEE Region 6 Community Service Award and the 2012 John J. Guarrera Engineering Educator of the Year Award from the Engineers' Council.
Grosz, who retired in 2012, was an assistant professor of engineering at the University of New Orleans for six years and an adjunct professor for two years, as well as an adjunct engineering professor at Tulane University, also in New Orleans, for two years.
Before and after his time in academia, he designed systems for defense contractors Litton Data Systems, Omni Technologies, and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. He was granted two U.S. patents-one for a method of transmitting data through a ship's bulkhead and the second for a NASA fiber-optic communication system for rocket engine testing.
Grosz has been an IEEE volunteer for more than 35 years, serving at the section, region, and institute levels. He has held almost all offices at the section level, including chair, secretary, and vice chair of the IEEE New Orleans Section, and he has been a member of the IEEE Region 5 executive committee for 18 years.
He served on the IEEE Board of Directors as the 2016-2017 Region 5 director and the 2019 vice president for IEEE Member and Geographic Activities (MGA). He was 2017 chair of the audit committee and cochair of the 2019 ad hoc committee on member engagement, which included three subcommittees examining member value and leading MGA efforts in realigning IEEE's regions.
Grosz, a member of IEEE-HKN, has received several recognitions including an IEEE Third Millennium Medal, the 2008 IEEE Region 5 Outstanding Member Award, and a 1999 NASA Space Act Award, which recognizes a technical innovation of significant value to the agency's activities.
An amateur radio operator, his call sign is K5FBG.
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