UFFC-S 2023-2025 Elected AdCom Slate

Ultrasonics Candidates

Aqsa Patel

I am writing to apply for the position of UFFC-S Elected Adcom Member for the term 2023-2025. I believe that my leadership experiences, IEEE service, and professional background are a good match for this role. 



I have been working in the field of ultrasonics, specifically medical ultrasound for over 7 years. Initially at GE Research in Albany NY and now as a Senior Clinical Scientist in Medical Ultrasound Imaging at Philips Healthcare in the Seattle area. I have been an active member of the Ultrasonics society and contributing by publishing articles, reviewing peer-reviewed journals, and participating in symposia.



Throughout my career, I have held several volunteer positions at various organizations including IEEE, the University of Kansas, and GE Research. For the last 3 years with IEEE, I have been serving as the Chair of the Industrial Engagement Ad hoc UFFC-S committee.  The committee comprises of 3-5 full members and 2 student members. This committee has worked on several initiatives to address the needs of industry members within UFFC-S. For example, we partnered with IEEE strategic research to conduct an industry survey to understand member needs to enhance the products and services available to industry members. From the survey feedback, we identified key actions such as adding roundtable/panel events to our symposia, and implemented them. Another initiative was to set up a standard working group to explore ideas to foster industry engagement via standards endeavor. This working group discussed came up with a list of proposed ideas to form a standards group and we plan to select topic(s) to initiate a standards group. Lastly, for the past couple of years, we have consistently strived to add more industry events to our symposia and within our society and have received positive feedback regarding these events.



Before that, I served as an awards chair and membership vice-chair for the region 1 IEEE Schenectady section for a two-year term. As an awards chair, I was responsible for recognizing volunteering and technical accomplishments. I brought back information and resources regarding various awards available to the section and sought nominations for selected awards. As membership chair, I planned membership meetings and looked after logistics, speaker selections, and communication with the members. 



When I heard about the Elected Adcom member role, I became excited about it the opportunity. Given my experience and exposure to IEEE and UFFC-S, I am positive that I would be a natural fit and could contribute to UFFC-S at a broader level. 



Thank you for your time and consideration.

Tali Ilovitsh

I would like to apply for serving as an AdCom member of the UFFC society. I am an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Israel. I hold a B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Bar Ilan University, Israel. Between 2016-2019 I was a postdoctoral researcher at Professor Katherine Ferrara's lab, both at the University of California Davis and at Stanford University, where I was working in the field of medical ultrasound.



My Ph.D. research was in the field of optical imaging, where I developed techniques to overcome the difficulties associated with microscopy and live-cell imaging. While working on the development of super-resolution microscopy techniques, I came across a paper that implemented a similar super-resolution concept for ultrasound imaging. My interest in ultrasound imaging led me to join the lab of Professor Katherine Ferrara (currently at Stanford University, USA), a world leader and expert in the field of molecular imaging and ultrasound, where I was a postdoc between 2016-2019. My initial aim was to utilize my expertise in optical imaging, super-resolution, and optical-beam shaping to apply these concepts to the field of ultrasound imaging. I developed a method to manipulate the emitted acoustic field using an optically inspired holographic algorithm and then used this as tool to enhance ultrasound imaging capabilities beyond what was feasible in the past. During my postdoctoral research, I was also exposed to the therapeutic capabilities of ultrasound. In particular, the unique ability of low-frequency ultrasonic waves to penetrate through an intact skull opens the door to innovative and noninvasive brain therapies.

In 2019 I established my research lab that is focused on the development of noninvasive medical ultrasound technologies for therapy and diagnostics. Our research interests include acoustical beam shaping, super-resolution, blood-brain barrier opening, cavitation, histotripsy, and drug and gene delivery. Recently, I received an ERC starting grant.



I see myself as a bioengineer with a multidisciplinary approach to science. I believe that excellence comes from passion and dedication to the goal, and I believe in leading by example. Therefore, I would like to get more involved with the UFFC community, and I strongly believe that being an AdCom member is a major milestone toward this goal. Over the course of my scientific career, I have trained in different fields and have produced highly impactful scientific research. These achievements demonstrate that I have the ability to quickly gain expertise in new fields and to integrate my knowledge across diverse domains. In my current position, I also serve as the head of the dual-degree program in Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience. In addition, I am in charge of the MSc program in the department, and I have vast experience in conference organizing and being in charge of the University Open Day. This set of skills is likely to be useful as an AdCom member.



I would also like to point out that the COVID pandemic has significantly affected new faculty members. For me, since I am relatively new in the field of ultrasound, being an AdCom member will provide me with the opportunity to get more involved with the community, meet other members, and make new connections. I am willing to invest time and effort to perform the tasks that I will be in charge of, and I am very enthusiastic about this opportunity. I strongly believe that all of the above makes me uniquely qualified to serve as an AdCom member.



Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yook-Kong Yong

The structure of our symposia is changing to a hybrid mode, that is, we now have symposia that are concurrently in-person and virtual. This is new, and it brings about unusual problems regarding the merits of in-person versus virtual attendance and presentations. We also have difficulties with judging the merits of in-person versus virtual paper presentations in student paper competitions. I would like to participate in discussions and debates at the AdCom meetings on these new topics.

Frequency Control Candidates

Andrey Matsko

I have been involved with the fields of frequency generation and control, timing, and distribution for the last two decades and was an active member of the Society for nearly all this time. My current interests are related to the development of advanced frequency and timing systems and their space applications. I got some experience organizing technical meetings as well as volunteering for IEEE in other ways and would be honored to serve on the UFFC AdCom Committee.

Rodolphe Boudot

I am pleased to be nominated as a candidate to become an elected AdCom member, Frequency Control section, of the IEEE UFFC Society.

I served as a member of the EFTF Technical Committee in 2012 in Göteborg (Sweden), Group 2 “Oscillators, synthesizers, noise, and circuit techniques”, and of the IFCS-EFTF Joint Technical Program Committee (JTPC), Group 2 in 2011 (San Francisco, USA), and Group 3 “Microwave frequency standards, in 2019 (Orlando, USA). I have served as a Group 3 co-chair of the IFCS-EFTF 2022 JTPC (Paris, France) and will also serve in this position for IFCS-EFTF 2023 in Toyama, Japan. IFCS-EFTF conferences constitute an exquisite opportunity for me to present my scientific results, recently awarded the EFTF2020 Young Scientist Award. In addition, I am a regular reviewer for manuscripts submitted to IEEE Transactions on UFFC, but also for other various international scientific journals.

With this experience, I would be pleased and motivated to serve the UFFC-S AdCom and making the committee benefit from my expertise and experience. I believe that I could contribute to strengthening the representation of Europe and of the cooperation with EFTF in the UFFC committee, reinforce the ties between EFTF and IFCS while keeping in mind to diffuse the importance to support greatly the development of next-generation ultra-precise integrated quantum devices (clocks, sensors or instruments) for a wide spectrum of applications and society.

Bo Wang

Professor Wang is interested in becoming an elected AdCom member to represent the Frequency Control and Region 10 Asia/Pacific communities. 

Ferroelectrics Candidates

Astri Bjørnetun Haugen

With this letter, I wish to formalize my interest in becoming a member of the UFFC-S Administration Committee.



As many past and present AdCom members will know, I have been an active member of the ferroelectrics community. I realize I have benefited greatly from its activities and camaraderie, and now wish to reciprocate by contributing to its main organizing body.

Starting with a postdoc grant in 2016, I have continuously spearheaded the growth of ferroelectrics research in Denmark. As well as establishing and leading a group in the field, I have actively encouraged complementary projects across the country that span academia and industry. During this year’s ISAF, Denmark contributed at least 14 participants – significant for a country of 5.5 million. I also have a track record of establishing and administering scientific initiatives and societies. These activities range from initiating a mentoring scheme within my department to organizing a national workshop on ferroelectric, piezoelectric and dielectric materials to coincide with a visit from the IEEE Distinguished Lecturer (Paul Muralt). In addition to attending nearly every ISAF since 2013, I have also served as a judge and chair for its student competitions. As a ceramicist, I am also active in the Danish Ceramic Society, of which I currently serve as president.

In joining AdCom, I hope to contribute to nurturing UFFC-S’ collaborative and friendly atmosphere in an otherwise increasingly competitive work environment.

Fei Li

I would like to provide this statement to highlight my accomplishments and my enthusiasm for serving our UFFC society as an elected AdCom member.

I’m a professor of Electronic Science and Engineering at Xi’an Jiaotong University. My research focuses on ferroelectric materials and devices. My research leads to more than 100 peer-reviewed papers in high-ranking journals with over 11000 citation times from Google Scholar and 15 patents. I have presented 3 plenary talks and more than 30 invited and oral talks at national and international academic conferences. My current research activities include mentoring graduate students, teaching, and researching. I’m now mentoring 17 graduate students. I have active collaborations with many institutes around the world, e.g., The Pennsylvania State University, the University of Southern California, The University of Warwick, Simon Fraser University, the University of Wollongong, etc.

I have been actively involved with the IEEE UFFC society for 15 years. I’m a senior member of IEEE and was selected as the Chair of the IEEE ferroelectrics awards committee in the year of 2022. I have been a member of the Technical Program Committee for the ISAF conference from the year of 2017. I have served as an associate editor for IEEE T UFFC, since January 2020. As a leading guest editor, I organized a special issue for IEEE T UFFC, entitled “Recent advances in piezoelectric materials for electromechanical transducer applications”, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Ferroelectrics.

I received the IEEE Ferroelectric Young Investigator Award from IEEE UFFC in 2020. I’m now the IEEE UFFC Star Ambassador, even during the period of the COVID-19 epidemic, I delivered several talks on ferroelectric materials and devices through webinars, zoom, and WeChat, and received very good feedback. I will continue this role even after the completion of the IEEE UFFC Star Ambassador.

As a volunteer AdCom member, I would like to make strong contributions to the IEEE UFFC community and establish a stronger connection among the ferroelectric material society, ultrasonic society, and frequency control society, to promote the development of numerous electromechanical applications and in turn contribute to the society. I will actively participate in policy-making and conference organization, and try to attract more young scientists, engineers, and students with diverse backgrounds and genders to join the IEEE UFFC-S, especially from the academies and industries in Asian countries where I have lots of collaborations. I will also organize local activities and chapters related to the IEEE UFFC, e.g., local conferences, workshops, tutorials, ferroelectric schools, technical training events, etc., to expand the impact of IEEE UFFC-S.

All in all, I’m ready to serve our society as an AdCom member and confident that I could promote the development of IEEE UFFC-S.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Glen Fox

Dr. Glen Fox would like to be elected to the UFFC ADCOM to represent the Ferroelectrics Technical Committee (Ferrocomm). Dr. Fox is a senior member of the IEEE and has previously served on the UFFC ADCOM from 2009 to 2016 as both an elected member representing Ferroelectrics and as the ADCOM historian. He has been a member of the Ferroelectrics Technical Committee since 2004 and has served in roles including the ISAF Technical Program Committee and Co-Chair of the IEEE Standards Committee for Ferroelectrics and Related Materials. Dr. Fox would like to use his 35+ years of experience in the field of ferroelectrics to serve again on the ADCOM committee. His interests include promoting relationships between industry, academia, and government institutions that manufacture, develop, and investigate ferroelectric devices, materials, and fundamental phenomena. He also supports collaboration between IEEE and other professional organizations involved with the development of ferroelectric and piezoelectric science and technology. In addition, he is interested in the history of ferroelectrics and developing standards for integrated ferroelectric materials and devices. Dr. Fox has international experience working in the US, Europe, and Asia with industry, academic, and government institutions. Directing the development and manufacturing of non-volatile ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), development of piezoelectric MEMS, and studies of the fundamental properties of ferroelectrics are included in his successes as an engineer, scientist, and technical manager. He has held appointments and joint development positions with The Pennsylvania State University, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Ramtron International Corp., Texas Instruments, Fujitsu, US Army Research Laboratory, DARPA, and other companies and organizations. Dr. Fox has been the President of Fox Materials Consulting, LLC since 2007 and has consulted with 30+ companies and organizations that develop and manufacture ferroelectric devices and materials.

Region 8-10 Representative Candidates

Marc Lethiecq

As a member of UFFC-S AdCom, I would like to participate in the development of publication activities, on the one hand, to increase the ranking and diffusion of our current journals and on the other hand to explore the possibilities of setting up new ones in cooperation with other IEEE societies.  This should be done however in a way that new publications do not compete with our current Trans. on UFFC.  I would also like to continue my recent efforts to attract new members, particularly from region 8. Indeed, there are a number of academic and industry organizations involved in ultrasonic activities that we could reach out to. Finally, having been active both in the fields of ultrasonics and ferroelectrics, mainly through my work on transducers, I would like to participate in the organization of future IUS and ISAF conferences.

Yang Liu

This is Yang Liu from Tianjin University, China. I am currently a full professor at TJU with a research focus on the physics of ultrasound, transducer development, and AI-enhanced inversion algorithms for super-resolution imaging.  Before joining TJU, I was an associate professor at the University of Wyoming and a senior research scientist at Schlumberger-Doll Research in Boston. I received my Ph. D. in Engineering Science and Mechanics from Penn State University.

I have been involved with UFFC-S for many years and publish many research papers on IEEE-UFFC. I wish I have the opportunity to serve the society of UFFC and help to make the organization more influential in China.

João Carlos Machado

My name is João Carlos Machado, a Member of the IEEE/UFFC since 1988 and mainly involved with the Ultrasonics community. I am willinging to serve the AdCom of the UFFC-S for the next three years and, therefore, I am self-nominating myself to run for the position of the UFFC-S Elected AdCom Members and to represent the IEEE Region 9 (Latin America). If elected, I plan to attend, in person or virtually, the annual AdCom meetings and to serve within one of the AdCom Standing or appropriate Ad Hoc Committees. Additionally, I plan to help the UFFC-S in solving all the discussion issues related to the UFFC-S objectives: promotion of ultrasound research and application in all areas of interest.