Perry Grady - ISA past president's message

Greetings to all the ISA Student Members in District 12! I want to take this opportunity to share some thoughts with you on how ISA can enhance its programs that are aimed at its student members. And I would like to hear your thoughts on these ideas, as well as other ideas that you may have.

There's a big emphasis today in engineering schools on design - solving real industry problems. I know this is true in the USA, and I believe it to be true in many parts of the world as well. In response to this emphasis, ISA could sponsor student competitions - not the quiz kind, but design competitions for finding solutions for real problems.

ISA can assist in advising schools on course and curriculum development in our areas of interest. I think these would be very good areas to invest some of our resources, and I think that ISA's Divisions might consider taking on those types of projects.

District 12 - Europe - has the most diverse student program of any District in the Society. Alex Bobovitch, St. Petersburg, Russia, has provided an excellent model for others to follow. As student members in District 12, you have the opportunity to:

Participate in the District 12 Student Competition - January 25, 2001
Provide content for the student issue of EuroXchange
                 January 2001                  April 15, 2001

Enter the student paper competition in airspace instrumentation:
                 Level 8 - May 31, 2001
                 Level 9 - December 31, 2001
Take part in the EISDP (Educational informatics and sustainable development problems)
                 Via the internet - April 2001

Be involved in the District 12 Students Sites Competition - December 31, 2001

Become a member of the District 12 team participating in the ISA International Student

Competition in Houston, Texas, USA - September 2001
Start an ISA Student Section at your school.

Full information about all these activities and contact information for other Student Sections and for District 12 Student Activities Chairman, Alex Bobovitch, can be found on the web at http://www.aanet.ru/isa/. Select "District 12 Students".

ISA is changing to keep pace with our rapidly shifting environment. The theme selected by ISA 2001 President Bob Bailliet is "Reinventing ISA for the 21st Century." Electronic communications and disappearing borders are shrinking our world and enabling communications and opportunities never before available. Building a strong international network of peers is possible and advantageous as you prepare yourself for a career in instrumentation, systems, and automation. The District 12 Student Program provides many opportunities for meeting others and learning more about this field. It's up to you to get involved. I strongly encourage you to do so, and to help the ISA leadership reinvent the ISA student programs to be of even greater value to you and the students who will follow you.

Perry L. Grady, PhD., P.E
ISA President 1999-2000