Hope for Resuming Our In-Person Events [President’s Message]

The hybrid format of IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC) 2022, held 20–24 March in Houston, Tx, USA, was a refreshing change from the virtual conferences of the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the tremendous efforts of hundreds of organizers and volunteers, APEC 2022 signals the return to our in-person events. It was a joyful reunion of IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) members, volunteers and exhibitors. The breakfast event of “WiE, YP, and You: How to become involved with PELS and PSMA too” was a huge success, the fruit of the tireless work of the PELS Women in Engineering (WiE) and Young Professionals (YP) Committees. You can find detailed materials including FAQs of many programs of the PELS, prepared by dozens of PELS volunteers on the WiE events website:
https://www.ieee-pels.org/membership/wie/wie-events
. The “YP Reception at APEC 2022” cosponsored by PELS and Industry Applications Society (IAS) attracted over 100 young professionals and students to a social gathering at The Grotto, Houston. Our hybrid Spring Administrative Committee (AdCom) Meeting and several PELS standing committee meetings held during APEC 2022 presented a venue for our volunteers and friends to catch up.