What is Project Connect?
Project Connect will bring an exceptional group of undergraduate and first-year graduate students to the IEEE conference on a travel grant provided by sponsors that include the National Science Foundation and IEEE. Students from underrepresented groups will be selected based on their academic credentials and career goals, through a competitive application process.
The long-term goal of this program is to attract a diverse pool of highly motivated students to the field of microwave engineering. The technical planning committee for IMS recognizes that the future of this field depends on attracting the best and brightest from the next generation of increasingly diverse students possessing great aptitude for highly technical and innovative development.
The program is designed to create an opportunity for students to interact with practicing engineers, to learn about the exciting new technologies being developed today, and to introduce students to the variety of careers in the area of microwave engineering.
Project Connect Conference Agenda:
The program will host students at the IMS conference. Specific agenda plans include: (1) Panel sessions where speakers from industry, government and academia will share their experiences in microwave engineering with an emphasis on leveraging collaboration and current state of the art to pursue novel and innovative solutions to challenging problems; (2) Exploring the conference using the Project Connect Monopoly-like workbook to obtain exciting networking, educational, and industrial experiences of IMS; (3) IMS Connect participants will share their experience with a “Through My Eyes” multimedia presentation at the program wrap-up meeting.
Participant Selection Criteria:
Undergraduate students, first-year graduate students or other students with demonstrable experience or interest in engineering or a closely related discipline (e.g. math, physics, etc.). Candidates should be members of under-represented groups in engineering. For example, in the United States these groups include women, American Indian/Native, Native Alaskan, Native Hawaiian, African American/Black and Hispanic American/Latino.
- Participants should be over the age of 18 by the start of IMS2025, 15 June 2025
- Candidates will be selected based on their academic credentials, a recommendation letter, and their career ambitions as expressed in an application video/letter of intent. The selection committee is comprised of both academic and industry professionals.
The Project Connect team can provide assistance with internship schedule conflicts.
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Home Universities of Past IMS Project Connect Participants (listed by number of participants):
Morgan State University, Florida International University, University of South Florida, University of Texas at Dallas, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Texas Tech University, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, University of Central Florida, University of Puerto Rico, Baylor University, University of Colorado, Drexel University, Florida A&M University, Florida State University, University of Oklahoma, University of Massachusetts, University of California Davis, University of Florida, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Illinois Chicago, Texas A&M University, Auburn University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Purdue University, Tyler Junior College, University of Hawaii, University College Dublin, University of District of Columbia, University of California Berkeley, University of Texas Arlington, Valparaiso University, University of Washington, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Delaware, Arizona State University, Howard University