
Now Streaming: Technical and Professional Development
Sessions and Special Events
- Ethernet Inventor Tells Us What His New Passion IsBob Metcalfe chats about the field he wants to explore next. Hint: It’s about energy. Watch now.
- A Father of the Internet Opens a New Lab
Len Kleinrock talks about the work he will pursue in his new space at UCLA. View now. - Celebrate Award Winners and Chapter Success
Find out who the honorees were. See how Chapters thrived during COVID-19. Find out now.
Winners of 2020 IEEE-HKN Election Announced
New Members to Take Office 1 January 2021
Dr. James M. Conrad, current IEEE-USA President and Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, was elected 2021 President-Elect of the IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu Board of Governors.
- Christopher Sanderson, Zeta Lambda Chapter, will serve a three-year term as Region 5-6 Governor. Sanderson currently serves as R5 Houston Section Chair and is the recipient of the 2020 IEEE Educational Activities Board Section Professional Development Award.
- Hulya Kirkici, Xi Chapter, will serve a three-year term as Governor at-Large. Dr. Kirkici is a Professor and the Department Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of South Alabama and a member of THE BRIDGE Editorial Board.
- Sean Haynes, Gamma Beta Chapter, will serve a three-year term as MGA Governor at-Large. Sean is a Software Engineer at Northrop Grumman Undersea Systems and was Program Chair for the 2020 IEEE-HKN Experience.
- Sandro Sartoni, Mu Nu Chapter, will serve a second term as Student Governor.
- Joseph Greene, Kappa Sigma Chapter, will serve a one-year term as Student Governor.
Keeping Our Members on Their Toes
Little Amari (left) puts a smile on the face of his grandfather, IEEE Fellow and 2016 IEEE-HKN President S.K. Ramesh, while Elizabeth (Ellie) Yuna, daughter of Purdue alumnus and Beta Member Gregory Eakins, reaches for the stars. Dad says she always points at the moon when she sees it, so her parents tell her that maybe she can go there someday.
Help Us Reach Our End-of-Year Goal and Support
the Next Generation of Engineering Leaders
COVID-19 has greatly impacted the IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu Operating Budget, and we need your help. If you are able, please consider a gift to our US$116,000 giving campaign. Whether you can give US$50, US$116 to mark our 116th anniversary, or more, all gifts will go toward developing programs and services to support our Chapters and Alumni network. We are at 89% of the goal, and have less than three weeks to reach it. end your year by investing in the people who will change our profession and the world.
Alumnus Spotlight: Marcus Huggans
Gamma Theta, 1998
Missouri S&T
Executive Director of Client Relations,
National GEM Consortium
IEEE-HKN: A Steady Rock Through Transitions
By Christina Muchmore
For Dr. Marcus Huggans, Executive Director of Client Relations at the National GEM Consortium, the best way to describe IEEE-HKN, would be “essential.” The experience and support gained from being a member of this organization is essential to students and professionals alike. Emphasizing the tenets of Scholarship, Character, and Attitude, IEEE-HKN prepares students to not just be competent professionals, but also active volunteers and community leaders. In Dr. Huggans words: “HKN gives you the framework of what you need to be successful in an Electrical Engineering academic setting, a professional setting, and also in the community setting… the framework to be successful as a student all the way to retirement.” The skills gained while young, stick with students all through their life, shaping the course of their careers and accomplishments. Through Dr. Huggans’s professional journey, IEEE-HKN membership was a steady foundation for him to rely on while making many career changes. The mentorship he received from Dr. Steve E. Watkins, 2018 IEEE-HKN President, guided and prepared him for the transition from industry to academia to non-profit organizations. During his 20 years in industry, Dr. Huggans worked with Texas Instruments, where, in the spirit of living out the HKN tenets, he took every opportunity to partake in service opportunities and mentorship of middle and high school students to encourage them to think about STEM and Electrical Engineering. Working with these students made him realize: “HKN had me take a pivot from thinking about getting the next big project or working on the latest and greatest thing; it gave me the opportunity to start thinking about and developing the next wave of Electrical Engineers, starting as early as grade school.” The desire to mentor and inspire students considering STEM led Dr. Huggans to accept a job as the Director of Student Diversity and Academic Support Program at Missouri University of Science and Technology. His background in Electrical Engineering made him a relatable and knowledgeable role model for the students he worked with to look up to and be able to ask questions about the profession. Though the transition from industry to administration in academia was difficult monetarily speaking, Dr. Huggans said: “I did enjoy it because I saw an impact in how many lives I was changing, and then once I saw that impact I actually went all-in to the nonprofit sector. I can’t put a monetary value on changing someone’s life forever by encouraging them to reach their fullest potential!” Thus, he joined The National GEM Consortium, where he encourages and helps thousands under-represented minority students annually to obtain their graduate degrees in STEM fields, helping to equip young professionals and increase diversity and inclusion in the workforce. The motivation for Dr. Huggans to keep mentoring and serving others is partly driven by his thankfulness for the professors and professionals that invested in him. Mentors like Dr. Watkins and connections within the IEEE-HKN family, helped drive his career forward and give him a foundation during many career changes. Dr. Huggans lives out the tenets of Scholarship, Character, and Attitude through his exemplary service of preparing and equipping the next generation of engineers, of which he believes HKN to be an essential piece to his mission.
IEEE-HKN Board Sets 2020-2025 Strategic Plan

Call for Memorabilia
If you are downsizing and planning to part with some of your HKN items, such as a Bridge Plaque, don’t toss them, send them to us.
If you would like to donate your Bridge Plaque, a paddle, a bronze casting, photos or other memorabilia, send it to:
IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu
Attn: Nancy Ostin
445 Hoes Lane
Piscataway, NJ 08854
Show off Your HKN Pride!
Visit our store to purchase all types of HKN-branded items, including this wool beanie.
If you need a replacement certificate, you may order one by clicking here.
Articles on this page
Now Streaming: Technical and Professional Development
Sessions and Special Events
Winners of 2020 IEEE-HKN Election Announced
Keeping Our Members on Their Toes
Help Us Reach Our End-of-Year Goal and Support
the Next Generation of Engineering Leaders
Alumnus Spotlight: Dr. Marcus Huggans