2026 IEEE Women in Engineering Leadership
Find below a list of the voting members, regional and society coordinators and subcommittees and ad-hoc committees.
Voting Members
Chair- 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2026
Winnie Ye (R7)
Winnie Ye
Dr. Winnie Ye is a full Professor in the Department of Electronics at Carleton University and a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC). Her expertise is in silicon photonics and its applications in telecommunications, data communication, biophotonics, and renewable energy. Dr. Ye received her B.Eng. (Carleton), M.A.Sc. (Toronto) and Ph.D. degree (Carleton), in 2000, 2002, 2007, respectively. She won the prestigious 2021 IEEE MGA Leadership Award, and Partners In Research’s 2020 National Technology and Engineering Ambassador Award. She is the recipient of the 2018 IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Inspiring Member of the Year Award, 2018 Engineering Medal for Research and Development from the Ontario Professional Engineers (PEO), the PEO Ottawa Chapter’s Engineering Excellence Award, as well as two University Research Excellence Awards. She has been the IEEE Canada WIE elected Chair since 2021, and served as the IEEE Ottawa WIE Affinity Group Chair from 2012 to 2020.
Chair Elect– 1 January 2026 – 31 December 2026
Simay Akar Koehler (R4)
Simay Akar Koehler
Simay Akar Koehler is an award-winning sustainable energy expert, entrepreneur, and dedicated IEEE volunteer leader since 2007. She is the Founder and CEO of AKEC, a Sustainable Energy Transition & Environmental Consulting Company that empowers clean energy manufacturers and startups. With leadership experience spanning photovoltaic manufacturing, battery storage, electric vehicles, and renewable energy systems, she has held strategic commercial roles in global companies.
Having lived and worked across Türkiye, China, and the United States, and traveled to over 70 countries, Simay brings a globally connected mindset and deep appreciation for multicultural collaboration. She is a strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, reflected in her longstanding commitment to global women in STEM initiatives and cross-sector partnerships.
Since 2007, Simay has contributed at every level—from Student Branches and Sections to Regions and international committees, a passionate advocate for IEEE Women in Engineering, she has founded and led several WIE Affinity Groups, chaired WIEC subcommittees, and served in key roles including Region 8 WIE Chair, Region 10 WIE Committee commitments, WIEC Young Professional Representative, PES Women in Power Liaison, and Founder & Chair of the Women in IEEE Transportation Electrification Council.
Currently, she serves in multiple IEEE leadership roles, including IEEE-USA Representative to WIEC, Treasurer of the IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board, IEEE Entrepreneurship MGA Region 1-7 Entrepreneurship Committee Lead, and IEEE Central Indiana Section Chair, IEEE Region 4.
Her contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including the 2024 IEEE Theodore W. Hissey Outstanding Young Professional Award, IEEE MGA Diversity & Inclusion Award, IEEE Region 8 Clementina Saduwa Award, and multiple other WIE and IEEE recognitions and awards. She was also honored as the 2022 Women in New Energy Entrepreneur of the Year and listed among EMobility+ 40 Under 40 in 2023, GCPIT Global Women in Leadership Awards Winner 2022 from industry.
Simay is a graduate of Middle East Technical University (METU), Türkiye, and Stanford University’s Energy Innovation & Emerging Technologies Program.
https://www.simayakar.com/
Past Chair – 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2026
Celia Shahnaz (R10)
Celia Shahnaz
Celia Shahnaz, SMIEEE, Fellow IEB, received Ph.D. degree from Concordia University, Canada and is currently a Professor at, Department of EEE, BUET, Bangladesh since 2015.
She has published more than 150 international journal/conference papers. She is a recipient of the Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship/Fellowship and Bangladesh Academy of Science Gold Medal for her contribution in Science and Technology. Her research interests include the areas of signal processing for speech analysis and speech enhancement, audio-visual recognition for biometric security, control system, robotics, pattern recognition, machine learning and deep learning for audio, video, biomedical, power signals, multimodal emotion recognition, and humanitarian technology.
Recently, her papers have received best paper awards in IEEE BECITHCON 2019, biomedical Engineering tracks at TENCON 2017 and at IEEE WIECON-ECE 2016, in Humanitarian Challenge track at R10 HTC 2017, and the best interactive poster award at ICIVPR 2017. Her paper has been selected for the top ten best paper awards in the Student Paper Contest of the 2018 and 2014 IEEE International Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems (MWSCAS), College Station, Texas, USA and Knoxville, TN, USA, respectively. She was the winner, the Best Student Paper Award, 2008 IEEE International Conference on Neural Networks and Signal Processing (ICNNSP), Zhenjiang, China. She was selected as one of the finalists of the Student Research Presentation Competition in the 2009 SYTACOM Workshop, Montreal, QC, Canada.
She was the mentor of 1st/2nd prize winning projects in IEEE IAS CMD Contests (Robotics, Humanitarian) in 2017-2019, USA. She was the supervisor of 4th/5th rank winning teams in SPCUP competitions, ICASSP 2020 (Spain)/2015 (Australia) and 5th rank winning team in VIP CUP competition, ICIP 2020 (United Arab Emirates) .
She is the recipient of the 2021 IEEE MGA Achievement Award, 2021 Inspiring Women in Academia Award from Bangladesh brand forum, 2019 R10 Humanitarian Activities Outstanding Volunteer Award, 2016 MGA Leadership Award 2015 WIE Inspiring Member Award, 2013 R10 WIE Professional Volunteer Award.
She has been elected as 2022 IEEE WIE Committee Chair-Elect and she will serve as the 2023-2024 IEEE WIE Committee Chair. She has been appointed as 2022-23 Member, IEEE New Initiative Committee, 2021-23 Chair, IEEE SPS Women in Signal Processing, 2021-23 Liaison between IEEE SPS and IEEE WIE. She has been appointed as 2021-22 Member, IEEE History Committee, Liaison between IEEE History Committee and IEEE WIE, 2021 Chair, IEEE WIE History Subcommittee and 2021-22 Member, IEEE Educational Activities Board Faculty Resource Committee. She is 2020-21 Member, IEEE WIE Senior Member Elevation Drive, 2019-2021 Member, IEEE WIE WePower Subcommittee, 2020-22 Member, IEEE smart Village South Asian Working Group, 2017-2021 IEEE PES Women in Power (WiP) IEEE Region 10 Regional representative. She was a candidate for the 2021-22 IEEE Region 10 Director-Elect election, 2020 Member, IEEE New Initiative Committee, 2020 Chair, Women in SIGHT Working Group, , 2017, 2019 Communications Chair, IEEE SIGHT steering Committee, 2017-18 Chair, IEEE WIE Workshops Subcommittee, 2017-18 Member, IEEE Region 10 Subcommittees (WIE, Humanitarian Technology Activity, Education), and 2016 IEEE Region 10 WIE Coordinator. She has served as the 2018-6/2021Chair, IEEE Bangladesh Section.
She is the founder & Chair, IEEE SPS, IAS Bangladesh Chapters, Co-founder & Vice-Chair, IEEE RAS, SSIT Bangladesh Chapters, Founder and Advisor, WIE AG, IEEE Bangladesh Section. She has served as the General Chair, IEEE TENSYMP 2020, IEEE BECITHCON 2021, IEEE SPICSCON 2019, IEEE PEEIACON 2021 & 2019, IEEE RAAICON 2021 General Chair: IEEE WIECON-ECE 2021, 2019, 2018, 2016, General Co- Chair, IEEE Region 10 HTC 2017 and IEEE WIECON-ECE 2017, Founder and TPC Chair: IEEE SPICSCON 2021, IEEE WIECON-ECE 2015, IEEE BECITHCON 2019 & IEEE RAAIACON 2019.
She has served as an Editorial board member, IET Signal Processing From 2018 to date and 2018- 20 Member, Technical Committee, Image, Video, and Multimedia (IVM), Asia Pacific Signal and Information Processing Association (APSIPA).
She has more than 20 years of experience (20 years as an IEEE volunteer) in leading impactful Technical, Professional, Educational, Industrial, Women Empowerment and Humanitarian Technology, Power and Energy-related Projects at national/international levels.
Treasurer – 1 January 2026 – 31 December 2026
Vanessa Batista Schramm (R9)
Vanessa Battista Schramm
Vanessa Batista Schramm is an Associate Professor at the Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG), Brazil, since 2010. She teaches in the Undergraduate Program in Production Engineering and the Graduate Program in Administration at UFCG.
She is the founder and coordinator of DeSiDeS – Development of Sustainable Decision Support System, a research group focused on developing decision support models, particularly in the context of sustainable development.
She holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Production Engineering from the Federal University of Pernambuco (PPGEP/UFPE), a Specialization in Software Engineering from the UFPE Center for Informatics (CIn/UFPE), and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with an emphasis in Control and Automation from UFCG.
With over 15 years of experience, she has led research and development projects, supervised numerous master’s theses, and published in internationally indexed journals. I also have experience in consulting, especially in the field of multicriteria decision analysis. She also serves as a reviewer for several international scientific journals: Journal of Environmental Management (since 2011); Mathematical Problems in Engineering (since 2016); IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics (since 2017); and others.
Vanessa has held several leadership roles within IEEE, including: IEEE Region 9 Treasurer (2022–2025); IEEE SMS Standing Committee – Women in Engineering Chair (2020), IEEE Women in Engineering Committee – Non Voting Member (2018- 2019); IEEE WIE Northeast Brazil Chair (2023-2024); and others.
Member-at-Large – 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2026
Jeewika Ranaweera (R6)
Jeewika Ranaweera
Jeewika Ranaweera is an engineer, author, illustrator, inventor, and sustainability champion. She is an active volunteer for IEEE Future Directions, IEEE Women in Engineering, IEEE Electron Device Society, and IEEE Engineering Accreditation Activities. Her outstanding contributions led to her induction into IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu as a Professional Member of the Eta Chapter of the Board of Governors in 2023. She is a co-chair of the IEEE Metaverse initiative and also a member-at- large for IEEE Women in Engineering.
Jeewika authored an eBook chronicling her engineering journey for IEEE Women in Engineering, aiming to motivate individuals to pursue careers in STEM fields. Additionally, she illustrated the very first children's book published by IEEE. Recognized as one of the "Women Engineers You Should Know in 2023" by the Society of Women Engineers, she has also been a prominent figure in IEEE WIE Santa Clara Valley, serving as both chair and co-chair. Her dedication earned her the prestigious "Outstanding member who promoted women in engineering" award from IEEE WIE SCV in 2020.
Jeewika is devoted to eliminating bias in artificial intelligence, particularly its discriminatory impact on women and historically marginalized groups. To this end, she initiated a special IEEE Future Directions project aimed at bridging the digital divide and fostering digital equity and inclusion for all. As co-chair of the IEEE Metaverse Initiative, she actively addresses the growing digital divide arising from hardware and connectivity disparities. Her commitment is further demonstrated through her frequent tech talks, wherein she sheds light on these crucial issues.
She attained her bachelors degree in computer science and engineering from ISPJAE in Havana, Cuba, followed by her master's and PhD degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto, Canada. Throughout her academic journey, Jeewika has contributed to numerous technical journal publications and presented her research at international conferences. Her inventive spirit has resulted in the acquisition of five US Patents.
Jeewika Ranaweera dynamic skills, unwavering dedication to equality in technology, and numerous accolades serve as an inspiration to aspiring engineers worldwide. Through her pioneering work and tireless efforts, she continues to pave the way towards a more inclusive and innovative technological landscape, benefiting individuals from all walks of life.
Member-at-Large – 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2027
Prerna Gaur (R10)
Prerna Gaur
Prof. Prerna Gaur has a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering (1988), M.Tech (1996 ) with distinction, and Ph.D. (2009), in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Control. She is a Campus Director, NSUT (currently West Campus) since 2021 and a professor(since 2015).
She is the first woman to Chair the IEEE India Council. She is also the Chair of the IEEE PES-IAS Delhi Joint Chapter. Founder Head, Instrumentation and Control and Electrical Engineering Department in NSUT (2018-2021). Six years of Industry experience and 30 years of Teaching experience in Delhi College Engineering and NSUT, Delhi. More than 220 research papers in international journals and IEEE conferences. H-Index-24, I-10 index-60, total citation 2110. Electrical Proof Consultant of Western Railways 300 Cr project to speed up the tracks from 100kM/hr to 160kM/hr, for Northeastern Railways for OHE and for PWD for electrification of Hospitals. Guided 200 B.Tech, M.Tech, and 16 Ph.D. students. She is the Director & Member Secretary at the technical Business Incubator of NSUT. Coordinator NBA, NAAC, AISHE, IIC, UGC, and AIU of NSUT and instrumental in getting NBA accreditation and UGC-2f and 12B status and ARIIA 3rd and 5th rank in India in 2022-21 to the University. Member of various committees of AICTE, DST, NBA and UGC. She has organized IEEE international conferences as General Chair in TENSYMP2024, DELCON2022, INDICON2020, and IICPE-2010 at NSUT as General Chair. She is an IEEE (Senior Member), ISTE (Life Member), IETE Fellow, and IE (Fellow). Vice Chair, IEEE Asia Pacific Region, R10 Education activities(EA), India Council EA and Delhi Section EA. First woman Treasurer, IEEE India Council Jan 2021-22. Chair, IEEE Delhi Section 2019-20, Branch Counselor, IEEE NSUT Student Branch from Jan 2001 till date, Reviewer in IEEE International Journal of Power Electronics, Solar Energy, and IEI journals.
She has won many awards.
IEEE MGA Diversity and Inclusion Award 2024. Earned Outstanding Chapter Award to IEEE PES-IAS Delhi Chapter 2024 as Chair, IEEE Outstanding Branch Counselor and Branch Chapter Advisor Award 2021 for demonstrating the Institute’s commitment to the educational, personal, professional, and technical development of students in IEEE-related fields of interest from the IEEE President. Many BEST RESEARCH PAPERs in several IEEE conferences.
Outstanding Volunteer Award from IEEE India Council, 2019. The Women of the Decade in Academia award was presented at the Women Economic Forum 2018, 26th April-1st May, New Delhi. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Excellence Award in Education 2015. IEEE PES Outstanding Chapter Engineer Award for 2015 from IEEE PES and Delhi Section. Outstanding Chapter Award from IEEE PELS, NJ, USA in 2013 as Chairperson, PELS-IES Delhi Chapter, Outstanding Branch Counselor Award from IEEE Region 10 (Asia Pacific Region) in 2012, and from IEEE USA in 2009. https://Prernagaur.Wordpress.Com/
Member-at-Large – 1 January 2026 – 31 December 2026
Danielle Delgado (R9)
Danielle Delgado
Dan Danielle Delgado is professional in the STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with over 22 years of professional experience. She is an electrical engineer, lawyer, licensed in Professional and Technological Education, as well as a master and doctor in Renewable Energy. Her career stands out for her significant contributions to teaching, research, extension, and innovation, focusing on the area of Electric Power Systems.
She worked for eight years as an electrical engineer in the petrochemical industry, gaining solid practical knowledge and experience in the industrial sector. Currently, she is a professor at the Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Bahia (IFBA), where she promotes inclusion, diversity, and gender equity in technological and scientific fields through her work.
As a senior member of IEEE, she serves as the Chair of IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) for both Region 9 (Latin America and the Caribbean) and the Northeast Brazil Section, and also Treasurer and Secretary of the PES Northeast Brazil Section. Through these leadership positions, she drives impactful initiatives that foster the participation of women and underrepresented groups in science and technology across the globe.
She is a passionate advocate for social transformation through education and technology, with her work rooted in the commitment to creating more inclusive, equitable, and innovative environments, inspiring the next generation of leaders in STEM.
Technical Activities Representative - 1 January 2026 - 31 December 2026
(R)
Marisablel Rodriguez
Marisabel Rodriguez is an Electronics Engineer with a Magister’s degree in Telecommunications. She has extensive experience in the broadcast technology industry and is currently working at Google. She is a dedicated IEEE Senior Member with a 15-year membership history, having served as the Argentina Section Secretary for five years. Notably, She was part of the group that founded the Women in Engineering (WIE) affinity group for Argentina and has held Adcom member and WIE liaison roles within the Broadcast Technology Society since 2012.
Young Professional Representative - 1 January 2026 - 31 December 2026
Wafa Ben Hmida (R8)
Wafa Ben Hmida
WIE Affinity Group Representative - 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026
Prabhani Liyanage (R10)
Prabhani Liyanage
Dr. P.L.M. Prabhani is a Senior Member of IEEE and currently serves as the Head of the department and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Information and Communication Technology, Faculty of Technology, University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJP), Sri Lanka. She also serves as the Academic career guidance advisor and Faculty Staff development coordinator, where she plays a pivotal role in academic leadership, career mentoring, and faculty development.
Her research interests include Data Mining, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Image Processing, and Sustainable Technologies. With an academic background spanning a B.Sc. Business Administration (Specializing in Information Systems) from the
University of Sri Jayewardenepura, a Master’s in Information Systems from the University of Colombo, and a Doctor of Engineering from Shimane University, Japan, Dr. Prabhani has built a strong foundation in ICT, engineering, and applied research.
In addition to her academic contributions, Dr. Prabhani holds multiple leadership roles within IEEE. She is the Chair of the IEEE Women in Engineering Affinity Group Sri Lanka Section, and the Treasurer of the IEEE Computer Society Sri Lanka Chapter, and the Advisor of the IEEE
Women in Engineering Affinity Group at USJP in 2025 to 2027.
She has held several leadership and executive roles within IEEE Sri Lanka. She served as the Vice Chair of the IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Affinity Group Sri Lanka Section as an Executive Committee Member from January 2024 to January 2025, and previously as the Professional Activities Chair of the IEEE WIE Sri Lanka Section from January 2022 to January 2024. She also functioned as the Women in Computing Chair of the IEEE Computer Society Sri Lanka Chapter from April 2023 to April 2024. Within the IEEE Computer Society Sri Lanka Chapter, she served as Assistant Treasurer from April 2024 to April 2025. Her contributions further include serving as the Publication Chair of IEEE WIE Sri Lanka Section WIESYMP 2022 and as a Proctor for the IEEE Xtreme Programming Competition She actively contributes as a reviewer, track chair, session chair, judge, and organizing committee member for several international conferences, journals, and national innovation platforms. Through these roles, she actively empowers students, early-career professionals, and women in STEM, fostering leadership, research, and innovation. Her career reflects a strong commitment to advancing ICT education, promoting research excellence, supporting professional development, and driving inclusivity in engineering and technology.
WIE Student Branch Affinity Group Representative - 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2026
Duleesha Samarakoon (R10)
Duleesha Samarakoon
Her leadership journey with IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) began in 2023 as the Vice Chair of the WIE Student Branch Affinity Group of the university. During her tenure as Vice-Chair, the WIE Affinity Group won the Outstanding Affinity Group Award (Student AG Category) at the IEEE Sri Lanka Section Awards 2023. In January 2024, she was elected as the Chair of the same affinity group for the 2024/25 term. She led her team with enthusiasm, spearheading a range of impactful initiatives focused on technical development, professional growth, and community engagement. These activities reached global heights when the affinity group won the "2025 IEEE Women in Engineering Student Branch Affinity Group of the Year Award".
Driven by a strong belief in service-driven growth, she is passionate about empowering girls and women in STEM. She pursues this goal by expanding access to opportunities for her fellow undergraduates and raising awareness among young girls from rural areas through mentorship, outreach programs, and awareness initiatives.
- Region 1: Deyasini Majumdar
- Region 2: Maryam Alibeik
- Region 3: Ebonee Walker
- Region 4: Farnaz Abdollahi
- Region 5:
- Region 6: Naznin Akter
- Region 7: Maryam Davoudpour
- Region 8: Emna Amri
- Region 9: Silvana Tabata Espinoza Gomez
- Region 10: Pauline Kawamoto (North Asia)
- Region 10: Warunika Hippola (South Asia and Pacific)
- Aerospace and Electronic Society – Sevgi Gurbuz
- Antennas and Propagation Society - Claire Migliaccio
- Biometrics Council –
- Broadcast Technology Society – Marisabel Rodriguez
- Circuits and Systems Society –
- Communications Society –
- Computational Intelligence Society – Jialin Liu
- Computer Society – Ramalatha Marimuthu
- Consumer Technology Society - Marzieh Amini
- Control Systems Society – Patrícia Pena
- Council on Superconductivity –Kathleen Melanie Amm, Sasha Ishmael
- Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society – Sneha Hegde
- Education Society –
- Electromagnetic Compatibility Society –
- Electron Devices Society – Pei Wen Li
- Electronics Packaging Society - Yan Liu
- Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society – Anahita Kyani
- IEEE Council on RFID - Akram Taghavi-Burris
- Industrial Electronics Society – Jing Zhou
- Industrial Applications Society -
- Information Theory Society -
- Instrumentation and Measurement Society – Ferdinanda Ponci
- Intelligent Transportation Systems Society – Maria Laura Delle Monache
- Magnetics Society -
- Microwave Theory and Technology Society– Amelie Hagelauer
- Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society-Audrey Corbeil Therrien
- Oceanic Engineering Society –
- Photonics Society – Qin Wang
- Power & Energy Society –
- Power Electronics Society –
- Product Safety Engineering Society -
- Reliability Society –
- Robotics and Automation Society –
- Radio Frequency Identification Council (RFID) -
- Sensors Council – Shawana Tabassum
- Signal Processing Society –
- Society on Social Implications of Technology – Bozenna Pasik-Duncan
- Solid-State Circuits Society –
- Systems Council –
- Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society –
- Technology and Engineering Management Society – Mousiki Kar
- Transportation Electrification Council -
- Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Society –
- Vehicular Technology Society – Carmela Cozzo
Subcommittees:
Ambassador Program: Abir Tabarki, Naznin Aker
Awards & Recognition: Geetika Tandon, Jing Dong
Education/ Outreach: Warunika Hippola, Harivardhagini Subhadra
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- Manga: Lin Cai, Takako Hashimoto
- Podcast: Kelly Onu, Rawan Alghamdi
- STAR: Baya Bouchaala
- Reskill and Upskill: Samantha Lubaba Noor, Nujhat Tasneem
Humanitarian Technologies: Morgan Kiani
International Leadership Conference: Vickie Ozburn
Industry & Entrepreneurship: Jeewika Ranaweera, Susan Delafuente
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- Industry and Entrepreneurship Webinar Series:
- Pitch Competition: Shawana Tabassum
Magazine: Karen Panetta (Chair/Editor-in-Chief)
Membership Development & Retention: Neeli Prasad, Wafa Ben Hmida
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- WIE Day/Special Days: Windhya Rankothge, Mr. Aryan
- WIE Returnship Program: Ramalatha Marimuthu
Nominations & Appointments: Celia Shahnaz (Chair)
Regional Activities: Danielle Delgado
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- International Leadership Summits:
- Special Funding: Bozenna Pasik-Duncan, Harivardhagini Subhadra
- Affinity Group Synergy Fireside Chats: Harivardhagini Subhadra, Liang Downey
Technical Activities: Morgan Kiani
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- Distinguished Lecturers Program:
- Travel Grants: Vanessa Batista Schramm
Family Cares Grant Program: Jyothi Ramaswamy
History: Himani Saini
WIE Advancement: Maryam Davoudpour, Naznin Akter
- IEEE Standards Association – Lei Wang
- IEEE USA -
