New Year Greetings from the UK & Ireland Section Life Members Affinity Group (LMAG) Committee

The past year has been another frustrating experience for IEEE members, denied the customary opportunities for attending technical events and meeting socially.

Your LMAG Committee has been meeting via Zoom throughout the year, preparing Milestone proposals and planning the unveiling ceremonies. The Covid pandemic has forced the postponement of the dedication of the IEEE Milestone plaques awarded to Siemens at their Eynsham factory, near Oxford, (The Active Shielding of Superconducting Magnets) and to Manchester University (The Ferranti ‘Baby’ Computer, and the Atlas Computer/Invention of Virtual Memory). All three dedications are now planned for June 2022: further details will be published on the LMAG pages of the UK & Ireland website as soon as possible. Approval for the proposed Milestone for the EMI CT Scanner is currently under consideration by the IEEE History Committee.

Other Milestone proposals currently being prepared by the Committee include the LEO Computer, the Cavity Magnetron, and the First Transatlantic Radio Broadcast in 1925. Each proposal involves a significant amount of work. The capacity to deal with new proposals is limited by the number of volunteers willing to help. That is why the Committee is appealing for new recruits. One advantage of the current Covid restrictions is that all activities are conducted using Zoom: long-distance travel is therefore not necessary. This should help the Committee to avoid being too London-centric in its membership.

If you are interested in offering your services please get in touch. The Committee is also hoping that within the Section’s 400-strong Life member community members with some experience of the workings of IEEE might be willing to act as Chair for the next couple of years. We would also like to receive suggestions for new activities or issues that they would like the Committee to pursue on behalf of Life members.

Best wishes for a happy and successful 2022.

Charles Turner (Chair UK & Ireland Section LMAG Committee)