Dear IEEE WIE Community,
I hope you are enjoying the summer and finding inspiration in the many activities taking place across our global IEEE Women in Engineering community. Over the past month, I have been energized by the remarkable dedication of our volunteers and members, who continue to strengthen our community through collaboration, leadership, and service.
One of the highlights in June was participating in the 2026 IEEE Women in Engineering International Leadership Summit (ILS) in Chengdu, China; my first IEEE WIE ILS attended in person this year.
The summit provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen existing relationships, build new connections, and explore future collaborations across the global IEEE community. I was delighted to exchange ideas with Prof. Che Zhu, Chair of the IEEE Chengdu Section; Prof. Perry Shum, Past President of the IEEE Photonics Society; Prof. Jing Dong, IEEE WIE TA Representative; Ning Hua, Senior Director of Asia Pacific Business Operations at IEEE; and many other inspiring volunteers, researchers, and leaders. The summit also created valuable opportunities to introduce IEEE WIE to prospective members, recruit new volunteers, and identify new avenues for collaboration across IEEE organizational units. My sincere thanks to Prof. Fan Hua, the ILS Chair and the IEEE Chengdu WIE AG Chair, for her outstanding leadership in organizing a truly exceptional summit and for her warm hospitality, which made the experience both productive and memorable.
Photo: 2026 IEEE WIE ILS-Chengdu, July 11, 2026.
From left to right: Prof. Hua Fan (ILS-Chengdu Chair and IEEE Chengdu WIE AG Chair), Prof. Winnie Ye, and Prof. Yijing Liu.
We continue to make steady progress on the IEEE WIE Strategic Roadmap. The Strategic Roadmap Committee has completed the brainstorming and consolidation of ideas and is now drafting the first version of the roadmap architecture. Aligned with the IEEE Strategic Plan, the roadmap focuses on three strategic goals: fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge sharing, expanding public awareness of the impact of engineering and technology, and empowering technology professionals through education, mentoring, networking, and lifelong engagement. We look forward to sharing more as the roadmap continues to take shape.
Our community continues to grow as well. Since our June newsletter, we are pleased to welcome 35 new IEEE WIE Student Branch Affinity Groups and 1 new IEEE WIE Affinity Group since July 2026. Every new Affinity Group strengthens our global network and creates additional opportunities for connection, leadership, mentorship, and engagement. Thank you to all of the volunteers whose dedication continues to expand the reach and impact of IEEE WIE around the world.
Celebrating IEEE WIE Day 2026
One of the most exciting moments this past month was celebrating IEEE WIE Day 2026. Around the world, our WIE Affinity Groups, Student Branch Affinity Groups, Sections, and volunteers came together to celebrate, inspire, and empower women in engineering and technology through technical talks, networking events, outreach activities, mentoring programs, workshops, and community celebrations. This year’s celebration was an outstanding success, with 565 events organized across 47 countries, engaging more than 15,000 – 25,000 attendees globally participants worldwide. These celebrations showcased the passion, creativity, and commitment of our volunteers while highlighting the strength and vibrancy of our global IEEE WIE community.
A special thank you goes to Windhya Rankothge and Aryan for their exceptional leadership in coordinating this global celebration. Their vision, dedication, and tireless efforts helped make IEEE WIE Day 2026 one of our most successful celebrations to date.
To every volunteer, organizer, speaker, and participant—thank you for making IEEE WIE Day a remarkable success. Every event, whether large or small, creates opportunities to welcome new members, inspire future engineers, strengthen local communities, and demonstrate the global impact of IEEE Women in Engineering.
Registration is open for the 2026 IEEE International Leadership Conference.
Take advantage of our discounted Early-Bird pricing by registering before the deadline on 1 September 2026. Register Now
IEEE Sections Congress 2026
As we look ahead, I am excited to see many of you at IEEE Sections Congress 2026, taking place 21–23 August in Glasgow, Scotland. IEEE WIE will have a strong presence throughout the event, including our WIE Booth, Ignite Sessions, and Breakout Sessions.
If you will be attending Sections Congress, we warmly invite you to stop by the WIE Booth—and if you have some time to spare, we would greatly appreciate your support in staffing the booth, please email wie-chair@ieee.org. Volunteering at the booth is a wonderful opportunity to connect with IEEE leaders from around the world, share the impact of IEEE WIE, welcome prospective members and volunteers, and showcase the incredible work of our global community.
Finally, I am happy to announce that the WIE Volunteer of the Month is Harivardhagini Subhadra. She has diligently led the Fireside Chats.
Together, let us continue to innovate, lead, and inspire STEM professionals around the world. Thank you for being part of this remarkable global IEEE WIE community and for helping shape a more inclusive and impactful future.
Dr. Winnie Ye
2025-2026 IEEE WIE Chair
