Questions and Answers with the UFFC-S President
Q: How is Covid-19 impacting UFFC?
A: The UFFC leadership have been working consistently for the last few weeks to try to deal with this rapidly evolving situation as best we can. While our flagship conferences ISAF, IFCS, and IUS are the largest effort there are many other meetings such as the Special Topic Schools where students gather and are immersed in a subject for days. Distinguished Lecturer and Star Ambassador programs where our most senior members and rising stars travel to different locations to discuss their work, as well as the organizational meetings for the society overall called AdCom. Each has its own unique challenges but our lead concern in all of them is health and safety.
There are also many aspects of UFFC that have not been impacted – our Transactions has essentially been online-only for years and we’re seeing strong Impact Factor and low sub-to-pub times there as a result. Longer term developments such as planning for symposia years out, technical area and society awards, mentoring and development of our younger members, and encouraging an ethical, diverse, and inclusive society continue as normal.
Q: What actions have been taken so far?
A: This is an evolving situation and we want to err on the side of caution. I have stopped all in-person UFFC meetings until at least the end of July, they are either to be conducted online or postponed. We will re-evaluate that as we get more information. As always, no volunteer will be financially out of pocket for any actions taken in carrying out their UFFC role, we will fully cover such expenses.
While we have made every effort to maintain physical presence conferences, at this time, we’ve had to consider that it is likely that the ISAF/IFCS joint conference in July in Keystone, CO will become all-online. Even under best case scenarios, there simply is not enough time for people to plan travel, and there may still be safety questions which are unacceptable to risk. Should this be our decision we will find ways for members to participate effectively, and alter the format from the traditional format to take advantage of online presence.
The IUS in September in Las Vegas is still scheduled to go ahead as a hybrid conference, with options for online attendance. As the situation evolves we continue to evaluate this and will update accordingly.
We're also very concerned with the impact this will have on upcoming and recent graduates - the job market is likely to be weak and have significant consequences for their careers. The society is looking at ways to help them find jobs, mentors to guide them, and other assistance including a possible hardship fund. We're in discussions with IEEE as to how such a fund could be setup in a legal manner consistent with IEEE rules, and we'll announce on all of this as soon as we are able.
To summarize:
- ISAF/IFCS 2020 will be planning for online-only options
- IUS 2020 is currently scheduled to go ahead, but with additional online options planned
Q: What are the priorities for UFFC in its response?
A: During all of our meetings, I’ve stressed the following three things in order of importance:
- The health and safety of our members and the general public, without compromise
- Delivering on IEEE’s mission – Technology for Humanity
- Financial impact on the society
Only when the first priority is met do we think about the second, and only when the second has been met do we think about the third. In this exceptional situation, finances are much less of a consideration.
Q: Are you seeing an impact on attendance or abstract submission for the upcoming symposia?
A: Our abstract numbers were initially lower than expected pre-virus by about 30%, however extended deadlines and abstracts from other cancelled conferences boosted this - IUS is now actually slightly up on the record number from 2019. In all cases the quality of the submitted abstracts is very high, so we’re looking forward to seeing the full programs in each, no matter the format.
Q: What about future accommodations for authors and attendees, given the fluid environment?
A: We understand the many reasons that could impede both gathering data for presentation and also attendance, so we're making sure there will be no downsides for authors. We let authors know that if they are concerned their results are weak for an abstract due to lab-time restrictions, but feel they will meet standards by September, they should submit with speculation as to the outcome. We will not penalize for changing later. If results still cannot be obtained by presentation time we will support null-thesis presentations, change to review talks, or if they do not meet the high standards we and authors expect withdrawals without consequence. We will be finding ways for someone to attend or present online if they cannot travel, and will fully refund a registration if COVID-19 prevents attendance.
Q: What’s happening with the Special Topic Schools?
A: The schools are focused on in-person learning and networking and will not be viable in an online-only setting, so we have decided to postpone the upcoming Ultrasonics schools to later in the year. The Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control Schools were already set for the fall, and so are currently not affected. As noted though, we will monitor the situation and adapt if necessary.
In short:
- Ultrasonics Special Topic Schools have been postponed to a later date, currently unspecified
- Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control schools are currently unaffected
Q: What about the financial consequences?
A: That is our last consideration and lowest priority. Safety is paramount. The society is in a financially sound position, this is the time to be spending on services and support, and I have communicated to our leadership that I expect to take a financial impact this year, but it is not to be a concern – just do the right thing for their area of responsibility and I will support their actions. Our VP Finance, Debra Coler, and President-Elect, Mark Schafer, have been working with me to make sure this is always sustainable, but so far we have supported every request made to deal with this situation.
Our goal is to use this to accelerate our plans for more online options at our conferences and meetings. We will learn from those who are going through this ahead of us, implement as best we can, and iterate to improve. This is exactly the time to be spending to protect our members and build a better future, and we’re confident the decisions we are making today fit into our long term fiscal strategy.
Q: How do you see this affecting the future of UFFC?
A: In the same way the world is not going to be the same in six months, UFFC will not be either. We will have to adapt to the circumstances, and it is too early to say for certain. We will have much more in the way of online presence and attendance, and I think at a minimum all our meetings and conferences will be a hybrid of in-person and remote. It’s also an opportunity to reach out to our traditionally underserved regions which are not as heavily represented at our conferences, We have considered options such as smaller regional satellite conferences as well, however it is too early to say.
I also see this as something that is really bringing home what IEEE UFFC is – we are an international society, and one where race, gender, nationality, geographical location, sexual orientation or identity, and age are not things that separate us, but that we are better off working together than being apart. This impacts us all, and we have to look out for each other. Similarly we are not U, F, and FC, but UFFC – it’s a united response across all our technical areas.
Q: How should people look after their health and respond otherwise to COVID-19?
A: I’m not the person to answer that - Listen to the experts, those who have spent their careers working on this, and are free to speak without interference or penalty. To paraphrase Dr. McCoy “I’m an engineer, dammit, not a doctor”.
Part of the reason that much of the world is in this situation is that experts have not been listened to, and despite our educations this is not our role. You can see the places that listened to them and acted early, and those who did not. I think it’s a lesson for us as a society and individuals, and we should strive to show the professionalism in our own area as we’ve seen from so many in the medical community these last few weeks.
Most importantly, we’re all in this together, let’s look out for one another.