APEC reaches out to the next generation of designers & engineers

Article By : Steve Taranovich

One of the most important groups are students, most of whom can’t afford the costs of the trip and other expenses. We need this next generation to see what Power Management is all about, out here in the real world.

The annual Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) is a wonderful event for designers who need to design their own power electronics—that’s the great majority of most of us. I thoroughly enjoy the updates regarding power solutions that are new and innovative at this conference as well as catching up with the many former colleagues and mentors that I see there every year.

There are designers and enthusiasts of all ages that attend this conference. One of the most important groups are students, most of whom can’t afford the costs of the trip and other expenses. We need this next generation to see what power management is all about, out here in the real world.

 

Students can meet such mentors and icons in the power industry such as Bob Mammano (left) at APEC. Mammano designed the first PWM controller IC, the SG1524, in 1974. (Image courtesy of Loretta Taranovich)

Well, the APEC joint sponsors, initiated by the Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA), which is now underwritten by PSMA and the other co-sponsors of the APEC conference: the IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) and the IEEE Industry Applications society (IAS), have risen to the occasion once again as they announced the continuation of the popular student attendance travel support program.

These sponsors will award up to $1,000 per student to cover a portion of their travel and conference expenses and disperses up to $60,000 to as many as 60 students who are participating in APEC 2019, which will be held in Anaheim, CA, March 17-21, 2019.

How do students apply?
Interested students must apply by Oct. 26, 2018.

Recipients will be chosen by the APEC 2019 Student Travel Support Committee. Application forms are available at on the PSMA website. The application criteria are:

  • The applicant must be an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in a power electronics program at an accredited institution
  • Only students who have not received travel support in the past will be considered
  • The recipients must be an author or co-author of a paper that was accepted for presentation at APEC 2019
  • The recipient must attend APEC 2019 and submit expense receipts to the Committee for reimbursement
  • Applications must be made and received by the Committee by October 26, 2018
  • The recipients will be notified by the Committee by November 16, 2018

As part of the application process, students must provide information about their educational institution, degree program, the name of their faculty advisor and a brief description of their career interest and reasons for planning to attend APEC. The application also requires the title and ID number of their accepted APEC paper, as well as the name(s) of the co-author(s).

More information about the program may be found at the PSMA’s Education Forum page.

Join me at APEC next March and help give these young, aspiring engineers some mentoring that is much needed to let them know what we do in today’s industry as designers, engineers, technicians, and scientists.

Steve Taranovich is a senior technical editor at EDN with 45 years of experience in the electronics industry.

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