Maurizio Bozzi
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Welcome to 2024! We are at the beginning of a new year, filled with high hopes and exciting plans for the microwave community. After leaving behind the most challenging phase of the pandemic, we are delighted to return to fully in-person events, which offer us the pleasure of meeting people, exchanging ideas, and discussing projects for the future.
Looking back at the past year, I would like to extend my gratitude and heartfelt congratulations to our 2023 IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society (MTT-S) President Prof. Nuno Borges Carvalho for his leadership and dedication, which steered the MTT-S toward significant achievements across various domains. Our Society membership has increased to unprecedented numbers (the largest of the past 20 years). The IEEE International Microwave Symposium (IMS 2023) in San Diego, CA, USA, proved to be a resounding success, boasting an outstanding technical program, record-breaking attendee turnout, and an impressive exhibition. The creation of two new ad-hoc committees in the MTT-S Administrative Committee (AdCom) (devoted to diversity and inclusion and industry engagement) was instrumental in increasing the inclusivity of the MTT-S, especially toward female members and young professionals, while strengthening our connections with the industrial microwave community. Working with Prof. Carvalho has always been a genuine pleasure for me and provided a valuable learning experience.
In this new year, we will strive to make the MTT-S an even more inclusive community. We have launched several new initiatives aimed at membership development, social media presence, new conferences, and educational activities. I look forward to a year of growth, collaboration, and progress for our Society.
It is an honor and a privilege for me to serve as the 2024 MTT-S president. In addition to my role as professor at the University of Pavia, Italy, I have been involved with MTT-S activities for several years, contributing in various volunteer capacities such as conference organization and journal editorial activities as well as serving several roles within different AdCom committees. I was the secretary in 2016, chair of the Meetings and Symposia Committee in 2018 and 2019, the treasurer from 2020 to 2022, and the Budget Committee chair in 2023. In these roles, I had the privilege of working with extraordinary people who showed tireless commitment and deep competence.
My warmest congratulations to 2024 MTT-S President-Elect Dr. Goutam Chattopadhyay from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CA, USA (Figure 1). Goutam has been an elected AdCom member for six years: he served in various committees and chaired the Meetings and Symposia Committee from 2020 to 2021 and the Member and Geographic Activities Committee the past two years, significantly contributing to membership growth and the creation of numerous Chapters.
Figure 1. Goutam Chattopadhyay.
I also wish to thank new AdCom Secretary Prof. Anthony Ghiotto (Figure 2) for accepting this important role. Anthony is a professor at the University of Bordeaux, France, and has been active in MTT-S as webmaster of the Technical Coordination and Future Directions Committee, vice-chair of the Technical Committee MTT-4 on Microwave Passive Components and Transmission Line Structures from 2022 to 2023, and chair of the MTT-S French Chapter from 2017 to 2023.
Figure 2. Anthony Ghiotto.
Prof. Kamran Ghorbani (Figure 3), from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Melbourne, Australia, will continue to serve the MTT-S as treasurer for the second year after expediently navigating the responsibilities of this position in 2023. Prior to his tenure as treasurer, Kamran became an elected AdCom member in 2017, chaired the Member and Geographic Activities Committee from 2018 to 2019, and was an assistant treasurer from 2021 to 2022.
Figure 3. Kamran Ghorbani.
Moreover, I also want to congratulate the seven newly elected members of the AdCom who will serve for the 2024–2026 term. According to the MTT-S’s rules, every year, two AdCom members are elected “at-large” by the entire MTT-S membership and five members are elected by the AdCom. This year, we are happy to welcome Malgorzata Celuch and Zhizhang (David) Chen, who were elected “at-large” and join the AdCom for the first time. Congratulations also to Wenquan (Cherry) Che, Kamran Ghorbani, Xun Gong, Sridhar Kanamaluru, and Valentina Palazzi, who were elected by the AdCom. Among them, Valentina Palazzi serves on the AdCom for the first time after being secretary in 2023.
In 2024, we are committed to making a substantial effort to expand MTT-S membership and to increase the value it offers to our community.
Under the auspices of the Diversity and Inclusion Ad-Hoc Committee, we will organize mentoring sessions for students and young professionals to be scheduled both during international conferences and at the level of local Chapters to empower the younger generations of members to actively participate in the Society while providing guidance and recommendations for their professional development.
To further this goal, we will also establish a new subcommittee to be focused on encouraging and supporting the formation of new student Chapters worldwide. These Chapters will serve as local venues for the microwave community to grow, allowing student members to engage with the MTT-S and develop their leadership skills.
Expanding our membership in Africa is another priority for 2024. Building on the success of the inaugural IEEE International Microwave and Antennas Symposium (IMAS), held in Egypt in 2023, we are excited to announce the second year of this conference to be held in Morocco and to be organized by the MTT-S in conjunction with the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society. Additionally, a team of MTT-S AdCom members will visit several African countries with the aim to foster the development of local activities in our field of interest and facilitate the creation of new Chapters.
Because we strive to connect with a broader audience, particularly those who are active in the field of microwaves but who may not regularly attend our conferences or read our journals, we will undertake an extensive action to boost the MTT-S’s social media presence, especially on LinkedIn. This initiative intends to extend outreach efforts to individuals who might otherwise miss out on valuable information about the MTT-S.
In 2024, we will continue working to improve our portfolio of conferences and publications. Currently, MTT-S sponsors (either financially or technically) more than 30 conferences per year and publishes nine journals.
The MTT-S flagship conference, IMS 2024, will return to Washington, D.C. after many years, and we eagerly anticipate an unforgettable experience for all attendees. We are also excited to introduce a new online conference, the World Microwave Congress, which will be a fully virtual event that brings together speakers from industry, academia, and government agencies to discuss technology road maps, business opportunities, and recent advances. This virtual conference presents a unique opportunity for members of those parts of the world where physical participation in MTT-S conferences may pose challenges.
Concerning MTT-S publications, we are dedicated to upholding the tradition of delivering top-quality journals in the field of microwaves. In addition to our longstanding publications such as IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques and IEEE Microwave and Wireless Technology Letters, our recent open access journal, IEEE Journal of Microwaves, is gaining significant traction. We are committed to maintaining and enhancing the caliber of our publications to serve the diverse needs of our community.
In the area of education, the MTT-S aims to provide educational content for all members, ranging from introductory topics for undergraduate students to application-oriented materials for practitioners and industry professionals.
One of our recent initiatives is the Distinguished Microwave Instructor program, which is designed to engage undergraduate students and ignite their interest in the microwave field by offering them accessible, clear presentations on cutting-edge microwave technologies and the evolution of modern microwave systems.
The Distinguished Microwave Lecturer program has a long tradition: it selects internationally renowned experts and technical leaders in various fields of interest of the MTT-S and affords them the resources to travel to deliver in-person presentations and technical lectures at local Chapters and international conferences. This format offers scientists and practitioners the opportunity to interact with the most eminent members of our Society, increasing their interest in MTT-S activities and increasing our visibility across the world.
Our monthly webinar series covers a wide range of topics, including device modeling, circuit design, 5G systems and biosensors, and many more. Each webinar is recorded and made available on the MTT-S website, ensuring that a broad audience can derive benefit from this fountain of information.
Looking ahead to 2024, we are planning to introduce new online courses, specifically targeting industrial participation. These will be live courses, with the possibility to interact directly with the speakers, and will complement the existing database of educational content that we offer.
In conclusion, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions regarding the MTT-S, or should you wish to become involved as a volunteer in our Society. I also encourage you to visit our website at https://www.mtt.org to stay informed about MTT-S activities. Your engagement with the Society is appreciated and the work of our volunteers is highly valued. We look forward to spending 2024 making the MTT-S an even more dynamic, enriching, and welcoming community for all.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MMM.2023.3321222
Mauizio Bozzi (bozzi@ieee.org), 2024 MTT-S President, is with the Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy.