Distinguished or Otherwise [Hosting a Guest Lecture]

One of the simplest, most versatile, enjoyable, and rewarding membership activities is hosting a guest lecture—as a standalone event, an ongoing series, a highlight of a membership drive, an addition to a monthly meeting, or part of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) Distinguished Lecturer (DL) Program. A guest lecture appeals to both academia and industry, can take place throughout the day or during an evening, can be either informal or formal, and requires minimal organization and maximal promotion. The guest lecture is also a fantastic way of gathering EMBS Members (past, present, and future) and keeping them informed and involved. The following describes the steps required to be an ultimate host or hostess—and is, in fact, a revised version of an article written by this author from IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, vol. 24, no. 1, January–February 2005.