Saturday Sessions
8:50 A.M. – 9:40 A.M.
Leading Without Losing Your Technical Edge – with Y.C. Wang from Digikey and Logan Wilcox from IEEE-IMS, moderated by Ryan Bales
It’s easy to worry that leadership means stepping away from the technical work that brought you into engineering in the first place. This session shows how you can stay technically engaged while taking on greater responsibility. You’ll learn practical ways to keep your skills sharp, build credibility, and stay hands‑on as you lead teams, projects, and communities.
Your Professional Edge: The Strategic Value of IEEE Societies & Affinity Groups – with John McDonald
This fireside chat with John McDonald offers real‑world insight into how IEEE societies and affinity groups spark technical growth, professional identity, and leadership development. Drawing on his experience, John will show how these communities create depth, mentorship, and global connection that expand opportunities far beyond the classroom or chapter.
Making Waves: The Importance of Semiconductors and Technical Policy – with Kathy Herring Hayashi and A. Matt Francis
You already know you want a career in tech. The bigger question is what else you’ll lead. Leadership in technology is often about more than the tech itself, and HKN members are perfectly poised to run companies, serve in public office, advise lawmakers, and represent their country on the world stage. Using semiconductors as the lens, Kathy and Matt will show how technical decisions shape public policy, why technical people need a seat at the table, and how to grow as a leader in your community, your state, your nation, and the world.
Leadership Lessons Beyond the Job Description.- with Jim Jefferies and Marcus Huggans
Being President isn’t just about running meetings, managing events, or overseeing a chapter. It’s about learning how to lead people, navigate uncertainty, make difficult decisions, and build something that lasts. Join the current HKN President and President-Elect for an honest conversation about the leadership lessons they learned that weren’t written in any handbook. Through stories of successes, setbacks, and unexpected challenges, attendees will gain insights they can apply to their own chapters, careers, and leadership journeys
The HKN Treasurers’ Playbook: Successful Financial Management for Your Chapter – with Kyle Lady and Michael Benson
Bring your questions, ideas, and real-world challenges to an interactive Treasurer Town Hall, where you will learn best practices, brainstorm alongside fellow officers, troubleshoot roadblocks, and swap fundraising strategies
9:50 A.M. – 10:40 A.M.
Unexpected Career Paths: Embracing Detours on the Road to Success – with Adam Greenberg from IEEE-Solid State Circuit Society , Biju Cherian from IEEE PES and C.J. Reddy from IEEE-AP-S, moderated by Jim Jefferies
This panel gives students an honest look at the twists, turns, and unexpected opportunities that can shape a career. Panelists share stories of unconventional choices, career pivots, and experiences that helped them discover their expertise and purpose. Students gain practical insight into embracing uncertainty, recognizing transferable skills, building meaningful connections, and turning unexpected opportunities into pathways for leadership and success.
IEEE-USA, the U.S. Midterm Elections, and Your Career – with Ryan Cunius and Kayla Henneberry from IEEE-USA
The 2026 U.S. Midterm Elections represent a pivotal, high-stakes turning point that will reshape congressional leadership, federal R&D budgets, and regulatory policy over the next two years, ahead of the 2028 Presidential Elections. With legislative decisions on artificial intelligence governance, semiconductor manufacturing, energy grid modernization, and STEM workforce immigration hanging in the balance, shifting political dynamics on Capitol Hill will directly dictate the research grants, career options, and regulatory environments for early-career technologists. This presentation delivers an urgent look at how IEEE-USA serves as the nonpartisan voice of U.S. engineers, mobilizing policy briefings, Congressional Visits Days, and voter resources to ensure technical expertise drives national decision-making. Beyond legislative advocacy, participants will explore how IEEE-USA supports early-career success through targeted career resources, leadership access, and civic fellowship programs. Ultimately, attendees will gain actionable strategies to leverage the broader IEEE-USA ecosystem, enabling them to elevate their professional trajectories while actively shaping the policies governing future industries.
Engineering a Sustainable Future: Where Technology, Innovation, and Business Meet – with Bhushan Joshi from IEEE ComSoc
As artificial intelligence, next-generation wireless connectivity and emerging digital technologies reshape our world, engineers have an extraordinary opportunity to shape what comes next. But as our digital world expands, so does the demand for energy, resources, and resilient infrastructure. How can we continue pushing the boundaries of innovation while building a more sustainable future? In this keynote, Bhushan Joshi, Head of Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility for Ericsson Americas, will share insights from his career at the intersection of technology, energy, and sustainability. Drawing on real-world examples and innovations from across the telecommunications industry, he will explore how engineers are developing energy-efficient technologies, reducing environmental impact, and building resilient digital infrastructure all while creating business value. The session will highlight why sustainability must be a fundamental consideration in how we design and develop technology, not an afterthought. It aims to inspire engineers to embrace sustainability as a driver of innovation and an opportunity to shape a more connected, resilient, and sustainable future.
What’s In Your Practice?® – with Aaron Wright from LEAP Association
In this session, you are invited to examine how daily thoughts, actions, and habits shape leadership and culture. Through awareness and intentional practice, you will be encouraged to approach growth with focus, patience and responsibility. Be prepared to be challenged to consider how you are practicing leadership today and what you want to cultivate for the opportunities ahead.
A Year in the Life of an HKN Chapter – with Matteo Alasio
Don’t miss this opportunity to explore what a typical year looks like for an HKN chapter, from planning activities to engaging members and keeping the chapter active. Participants will share experiences, ideas, and challenges from their own chapters.
1:50 P.M. – 2:40 P.M.
Think Beyond Your Field: What Tech, Finance, and Coaching Can Teach Us About Leadership in Unique Ways – with Morgan Kiani from IEEE-WIE, Rakesh Kumar from IEEE Future Directions and Scott Douglas from IEEE-SPS, Moderator: Sean Bentley
This panel brings together experts from technology, finance, and coaching to show students how different fields approach the same challenges in unique ways. Panelists share how their industries shape problem-solving, decision-making, communication, and leadership. Students gain new perspectives for thinking creatively, learning across disciplines, and applying ideas from unexpected places to become more adaptable and effective leaders.
Getting Published 101 – with Dr. Jim Conrad and Dr. Dave Towey
Publishing as a student strengthens your academic profile and amplifies your impact as a developing leader. This session breaks down how to turn class projects, research, and leadership initiatives into publishable work. Attendees will learn how to choose the right venue, shape a clear manuscript, work with mentors, and navigate peer review. Learn the HKN 2027 Papers Conference plan, so your work can be included!
What I Wish Had Been in the Employee Handbook or The Career Playbook Nobody Handed Me – with Serena Canavero, Logan M. Wilcox, and Joe Greene, moderated by Kathy Hayashi
Join a panel of professionals from diverse industries as they share the advice they wish someone had given them when they were just starting out. From navigating workplace culture and building professional relationships to managing setbacks, finding mentors, and recognizing opportunities for growth, panelists will offer candid insights and practical lessons learned along the way.
Engineers Make the World a Better Place: IEEE Can Help You Serve Your Community – with Debra Gulick
IEEE advances technology for the benefit of humanity. Is there a problem in your community that you know how to solve? Are there children in local schools that would be inspired by engineering alongside you? This session will introduce you to some of the ways IEEE supports its members in their efforts to give back to their communities. Learn how EPICS in IEEE can provide funding for projects that solve engineering problems in your community. In addition, learn about funding and resources available from TryEngineering and HKN to support your STEM Outreach efforts.
HKN Advisor Roundtable – with Steve Watkins and Colleen Bailey
Calling all HKN Chapter Advisors! This session provides an opportunity to network and discuss issues relevant to guiding IEEE-HKN Chapters. Using the Key Chapter Checklist as a template, we will explore successful advising practices followed by participant-guided conversation. Be sure to bring your questions and suggestions!
2:50 P.M. – 3:40 P.M.
Engineering Your Next Step: Charting Your Path Through Graduate School – with Shawana Tabassum from IEEE Sensors Council, Steve Watkins from Missouri S&T, Charise Bell from Johns Hopkins, and Peter Seiler from University of Michigan, moderated by John McDonald
This panel gives emerging engineers a clear, candid look at what graduate school can unlock. Panelists share how advanced study deepens technical expertise, strengthens leadership potential, and opens doors to research, innovation, and specialized career paths. Students gain practical insight into evaluating programs, weighing tradeoffs, and aligning graduate education with long‑term goals.
The Data Center Challenge: Can the Power Grid Keep Up with AI? – with Payman Dehghanian from IEEE-IAS
The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) is driving an unprecedented expansion of data centers, and with it, a rapidly growing demand for electricity. Once viewed primarily as digital infrastructure, data centers are increasingly becoming major energy consumers with significant implications for power system planning, grid operations, reliability, emissions, and sustainability. In many regions, the availability of electricity and grid infrastructure is emerging as a critical constraint on the pace at which new data center capacity can be deployed. This talk provides an introduction to modern data centers, their evolving architectures, and the technologies driving their rapidly increasing energy requirements. We will examine key trends and statistics surrounding data center electricity consumption and discuss the emerging challenges at the intersection of data centers and the power grid, including generation adequacy, transmission and distribution constraints, peak demand, renewable integration, and carbon emissions. Beyond viewing data centers solely as large electricity loads, the talk will explore the concept of grid-interactive data centers: data centers capable of responding intelligently to grid conditions through flexible computing workloads, energy storage, on-site generation, and advanced control strategies.
Quantum Engineering: A Crash-Course for Your Future – with Sean Bentley
Quantum technologies have the potential to transform computing, communications, sensing, and cybersecurity. This session will explore fundamentals of quantum science from qubits to entanglement, as well as the challenges of building practical quantum systems and the opportunities emerging in this rapidly evolving field. Attendees will gain insight into current applications, future possibilities, and the skills needed to contribute to the next generation of technological innovation.
HKN Elevator Pitch – Recruitment & Value Proposition – with Matteo Alasio
This session will show you the best practices for attracting new members and explaining the value of joining HKN. Participants will exchange recruitment ideas and consider how to communicate what makes the HKN experience meaningful.
