2023 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 2023 – 31 December 2024
Celia Shahnaz (R10), SMIEEE, Fellow IEB, received a Ph.D. degree from Concordia University, Canada, and is currently a Professor at the Department of EEE, BUET, Bangladesh since 2015.
Past Chair – 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2024
Jenifer P. Castillo Rodriguez (R9)
Jenifer P. Castillo Rodriguez (R9)
Jenifer Castillo, IEEE Senior Member and volunteer for 18 years, is the 2021-2022 IEEE WIE Committee Chair, IEEE Region R9 Director Elect, and the IEEE Puerto Rico and Caribbean (PR&C) Section Past Chair. Jen has also been involved in Humanitarian Activities Committee (HAC) projects, and is currently part of the MOVE community outreach initiative. She is also a Red Cross volunteer and very active with projects related to disaster response.
Jenifer is a B.S. Mechatronics Engineer and holds a MBA in International Business. She currently works for Parker Hannifin Corp., a Fortune 250 company, where she is Project Specifications Manager for Latin America, at Instrumentation group, focused on Business Development of different Parker Hannifin technologies in the region.
Treasurer – 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2023
Jyothi Ramaswamy (R10)
Jyothi Ramaswamy (R10)
Jyothi Ramaswamy, Cyber Security Lead for Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, is an SME in the field of InfoSec and Cyber Security with more than 20 years of experience. Her areas of interests are Information Security, Governance, Risk Management and Compliance domains. Her association with IEEE started during her undergraduate student days. After a break, she joined IEEE in 2000 and is very active in the local section and WIE affinity Group. As the founder chair of WIE Kerala Section, she was part of the WIE committee, for 2 terms – 2003 to 2006. She is also very active in other professional organizations, and holds key executive management leadership positions. She was the treasurer for IEEE Kerala Section and has supported various international conferences in Kerala. An Electronics and Communication Engineer from Kerala University, her passion is in Risk and Compliance in various Industry Standards, Geography Regulations and Business Standards. She enjoys working with a diverse group of people at organizations which are inclusive and innovative. She is an avid reader of fiction during her free time, and loves traveling across different locations to learn about various cultures.
Member-at-Large – 1 January 2022 – 31 December 2024
Lin Cai (R7)
Lin Cai (R7)
Lin Cai (S’00-M’06-SM’10-F’20) she has been with the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Victoria since 2005, and she is currently a Professor. She is an NSERC E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellow, an Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) Fellow, and an IEEE Fellow. In 2020, she was elected as a Member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, and a 2020 “Star in Computer Networking and Communications” by N2Women. Her research interests span several areas in communications and networking, with a focus on network protocol and architecture design supporting emerging multimedia traffic and the Internet of Things. She has co-founded and chaired the IEEE Victoria Section Vehicular Technology and Communications Joint Societies Chapter. She has been elected to serve the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society Board of Governors, 2019 – 2024, and served its VP Mobile Radio, 2023. She has been a voting member of IEEE Women in Engineering (2022-23). She has served as an Associate Editor-in-Chief for IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, a member of the Steering Committee of the IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing, IEEE Transactions on Big Data and IEEE Transactions on Cloud Computing, an Associate Editor of the IEEE Internet of Things Journal, IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, IEEE Transactions on Communications, etc., and as the Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE VTS Society and the IEEE Communications Society.
Member-at-Large – 1 January 2021 – 31 December 2023
Samina Husain (R8)
Samina Husain (R8)
Samina Husain received her Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree in 1987 from Concordia University, Montreal, and her executive MBA in “Management of Technology” in 2008 from University of Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. She brings 25+ years of industry experience in various technology domains: from standards development, satellite systems, software products, telecom infrastructure, broadcast solutions, and consumer electronics. Her industry roles vary from customer operations to project management in North and South America and Europe. She is an IEEE Senior member; Broadcast Technology Society (BTS) Secretary; committee member for the Future Directions Committee (FDC); and a BTS liaison to the Women in Engineering committee.
Member-at-Large – 1 January 2021 – 31 December 2023
Mini Ulanat (R10)
Mini Ulanat (R10)
Dr. Mini Ulanat, Systems Manager of Cochin University of Science & Technology, is a technology leader for more than 3 decades of experience in Information Management with a doctorate in Computer Science. Her areas of interests are Information Security, Information Retrieval, Ontology and SNA. Her association with IEEE started during her undergraduate student days. Professionally she is active and engaged in many ways and has held key technology and executive management leadership positions in other professional organizations also. She was the organizing chair of WIE-ILS-Kochi 2018. Dr. Ulanat has many awards and accolades to her credit. She was a Chevening Fellow in CyberSecurity and Information assurance at Defence Academy, U.K. She was a Fulbright scholar at Virginia Tech. She has received CICC Scholarship,Japan. An information scientist by profession,networker of grassroots and formal knowledge by passion, she is a leader and an equity activist in her community, who enjoys working with diverse group of people at organizations which are inclusive and innovative. She is a huge fan of travel and the outdoors.
Technical Activities Representative – 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2023
Anastassia Gharib (R8)
Anastassia Gharib (R8)
Anastassia Gharib (Member, IEEE) received the M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical and computer engineering from Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada, in 2018 and 2023, respectively. She has been awarded a Senate Medal for Outstanding Academic Achievement for her work entitled “Cluster-Based Information-Centric Wireless Sensor Networks Management for Enhanced User Security Satisfaction in the Internet of Things”. She has been a Research Assistant with the Internet of Things Laboratory at Carleton University, and a contract instructor at Carleton University and German-Jordanian University. Her research interests are in the field of the Internet of Things and include sensor networks and resource management, security-and-privacy-by-design, user security satisfaction, horizontal Internet of Things standards, platforms, and policies, spectrum sensing, and graph-powered optimization and machine learning techniques. Dr. Gharib is the first person to receive the IEEE WIEC Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award in 2021. Previously, she has been a Chair of IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Ottawa, which under her leadership received the global IEEE WIE Affinity Group of the Year Award, IEEE WIE Canada Group of the Year Award for Large Sections, and IEEE Ottawa Outstanding Affinity Group Award for the first time in the history, all in 2020. She has further been a Secretary and a Co-Chair of IEEE Young Professionals (YP) Ottawa in 2018 and 2019, respectively. In 2019, she received the IEEE Canada WIE Prize and the Carleton University Student Association Teaching Excellence Award. She has been featured in the June 2022 issue of the IEEE WIE Magazine in an article titled “Myriad Applications: Gharib Finds Her Calling [Women to Watch].” Dr. Gharib is a Technical Activities Board Representative and a Voting Member on the IEEE Women in Engineering Committee (WIEC). She is a reviewer for multiple IEEE journals and magazines. Finally, Dr. Gharib is an Organizing Committee Member and a WIE Co-Chair for the 2024 IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference (WCNC).
Young Professional Representative – 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2023
Katherine Rasley (R4)
Katherine Rasley (R4)
Katherine Rasley graduated from Minnesota State University-Mankato’s Iron Range Engineering (IRE) Program in 2016. While at IRE, she completed an Undergraduate Thesis in Hybrid Renewable Power Systems. Recognized as an Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher, Katherine presented at various events including: Students in St. Paul, Minnesota State Undergraduate Research Symposium, Minnesota State Undergraduate Scholars Conference, and the National Conference of Undergraduate Research.
After graduation, she worked for over five years in substation engineering, working in SCADA, P&C, and preventative maintenance and asset management. In addition to her substation work, Katherine supported regulatory filings, supplier diversity initiatives, and created a women’s employee resource group (ERG) which she facilitated for over three years. In December 2021, she transitioned to the renewable energy sector and works as a Grid Connection Specialist for Enel North America, supporting the interconnection process of grid-scale wind, solar, and battery storage across North America. She serves as Enel’s women ERG membership coordinator, as well as supports other ERG group initiatives.
A prolific volunteer, Katherine has received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award and was a Don Shippar Community Leadership Award finalist, volunteering primarily in STEM outreach and IEEE. With her fellow students, she started an IEEE student chapter for IRE. In her section, she has served in various roles including professional activities, membership, treasurer, student liaison, and president and started a WIE affinity group. In 2019, she graduated from the IEEE VoLT program and was an IEEE brand sponsor. She keeps herself grounded on the trails of Northeastern Minnesota, loves gardening, podcasts, and exploring new places.
WIE Affinity Group Representative – 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2023
Susana Lau (R9)
Susana Lau (R9)
Susana Lau is a consultant in information technology with more than ten years of experience. Founder and Director of EtyaLab, a company focused on agile software development. She is also a consultant in e-commerce and entrepreneurship.
She currently serves as president of the IEEE Panama Section (2023-2024) and volunteers at IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE). As an advocate of women in STEM and entrepreneurship, Susana has been a mentor in several educational events and supports universities as a speaker in panels and conferences.
Lau co-founded a non-profit Fundación CREEA, to execute social programs in education and entrepreneurship. She is a board member of a company in the insurance and banking industry.
Susana Lau is a Telecommunications Engineer. She holds a Master of Science degree in Information Technology from Carnegie Mellon University, USA, through a Fulbright fellowship.
Susana is a 2023 Vice-Chair & the Latin America Region Team Lead on the 2023 IEEE Entrepreneurship Steering Committee and was an Affinity Groups: WiE Liaison on the 2021 IEEE Entrepreneurship Steering Committee.
WIE Student Branch Affinity Group Representative – (1 July 2023-30 June 2024)
Baya Bouchaala (R8)
Baya Bouchaala (R8)
Baya Bouchaala is a passionate Tunisian telecommunications engineering student at ENET’Com (National School of Electronics and Telecommunications, Sfax, Tunisia). As the 2022 Chairwoman of IEEE WIE ENET’Com, she ignited innovation and collaboration, taking the student affinity group to new heights.
Co-Event Manager of the first ever Women in Engineering Annual Congress of Tunisia, Baya linked aspiring Tunisian female engineers and STEM students, promoting equality and diversity.
Her strategic leadership secured first place in the Star Program 2022 competition in the IEEE Tunisian students and young professional congress in Tunisia.
Celebrating 25 years of WIE, Baya actively participated in gatherings of IEEE WIE Africa Chairs, embodying dedication to empowering women in engineering and driving positive change.
Under her guidance, the Student Affinity Group earned the prestigious “2023 Women in Engineering Student Affinity Group of the Year” award and the “2023 Region 8 Women in Engineering Student Affinity Group of the Year Award,”. These awards are a testament to her trailblazing efforts and commitment to her team for empowering the future of women in engineering.
Currently pursuing a Telecommunications Engineering degree at the National School of Electronics and Telecommunications Sfax, Baya’s role as a manager for the Telecommunications Engineering Day underscores her commitment to promoting the profession locally. Her membership in various chapters and other professional organizations showcases her continuous learning and innovation pursuit, particularly in the DevOps and cloud field.
Baya’s passion for volunteering work is not only evident through her dedicated efforts but has also been recognized with great distinction. Her remarkable commitment to making a positive impact has led her to achieve the prestigious “2023 Region 8 Women in Engineering Section Student Volunteer Award.” This remarkable accomplishment stands as a testament to her unwavering dedication and outstanding contributions to her community.
She relishes teamwork and embraces the opportunity to connect with people and learn from them worldwide.
- Region 1: Denise Griffin
- Region 2: Maryam Alibeik
- Region 3: Evelyn Licona
- Region 4: Liang Downey
- Region 5: Yuanrui Sang
- Region 6: Peijung Tsai
- Region 7: Winnie Ye
- Region 8: Wafa Ben Hmida
- Region 9: Ana Salazar
- Region 10: Khanita Duangchaemkarn
- Aerospace and Electronic Society – Kathleen Kramer
- Antennas and Propagation Society -Dan Jiao
- Biometrics Council – Maneet Singh
- Broadcast Technology Society – Marisabel Rodriguez
- Circuits and Systems Society – Dr. Manisha Guduri
- Communications Society – Baek-Young Choi
- Computational Intelligence Society – Nelishia Pillay
- Computer Society – Geetika Tandon
- Control Systems Society – Bonnie H. Ferri
- Council on Superconductivity – Kathleen Amm, Sasha Ishmael
- Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society – Sneha Hegde
- Education Society – Huettel, Lisa G
- Electromagnetic Compatibility Society – Antyufeyeva, Mariya S
- Electron Devices Society – P Susthitha Menon
- Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society – Natalie Mrachacz-Kersting
- Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society – Qian Song
- Industrial Electronics Society – Ya-Jun Pan
- Industry Applications Society – Pia Torres
- Information Theory Society – Lele, Wang
- Instrumentation and Measurement Society – Ferdinanda Ponci
- Intelligent Transportation Systems Society – Cristina Olaverri-Monreal
- IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society– Sherry Hess
- Nanotechnology Council – Kanika Singh
- Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society– Audrey Corbeil Therrien
- Oceanic Engineering Society – Giulia De Masi
- Photonics Society – Arti Agrawal
- Power & Energy Society – Khayakazi Dioka
- Power Electronics Society – Lauren Elizabeth Kegley
- Professional Communication Society – Sean Moseley
- Product Safety Engineering Society – Silvia L Diaz Monnier
- Robotics and Automation Society – Karinne Ramirez-Amaro
- Sensors Council – Saakshi Dhanekar
- Signal Processing Society – Ozlem Kalinli & Behnaz Ghoraani
- Society on Social Implications of Technology – Bozenna Pasik-Duncan
- Solid-State Circuits Society – Zeynep Toprak
- Systems Council – Holly Handley
- Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society – Jing Bi
- Technology and Engineering Management Society – Boutheina Kzadri
- Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Society – Dana Weinstein
- Vehicular Technology Society – Carmela Cozzo
Awards & Recognition: Jyotika Athavale, Jing Dong
Education/ Outreach: Keeley Crockett, Connie Kelly
International Leadership Conference: Jennifer Blain Christen (Chair)
International Leadership Summits: Sadhana Attavar
Industry & Entrepreneurship: Samina Husain, Kumudhini Ravindra, Susana Lau, Lei Wang
Magazine: Karen Panetta (Chair/Editor-in-Chief)
Membership Development & Retention: Sunitha Beevi.K, Mahsa Bataghva Shahbaz
Nominations & Appointments: Jenifer Castillo (Chair)
Regional Activities: Hala As’ad, Raisa Fabiha
Technical Activities: Ljiljana Trajkovic, Anastassia Gharib, Baek-Young Choi
Ad Hocs –
Special Funding Ad Hoc: Bozenna Pasik-Duncan, Jyothi Ramaswamy, Lin Cai
Travel Grants Ad Hoc: Anne Costolanski, Mini Ulanat, Ana Salazar
Diversity and Inclusion: Mini Ulanat
Climate Change and Sustainability: Sulekha Chattopadhya, Rushali Thakkar, Raneena Raoof, Faith Karimi, Larissa Paredes Muse
History: Margaretha Eriksson
WIE Philanthropic initiatives: Abigail C Teron, Morgan Kiani
WIE Advancement: Sushmita Mitra
WIE Partnerships: Norliza Noor, Jeewika Ranaweera, Neeli Prasad
WIE Mentorship: Dewi Liliana
WePOWER Initiative: Bozenna Pasik-Duncan
- IEEE Standards Association – Lei Wang
- History Committee – Celia Shahnaz