PISCATAWAY NJ – 3 DECEMBER 2024 – IEEE Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN) is excited to announce that the IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN) Board of Governors elected six new members at its last meeting held on 23 November, 2024. The new governors’ terms will begin on January 1, 2025.
Dr. Sean Bentley, Gamma Theta Chapter, will lead the honor society in 2025 as President. Dr. Bentley currently is an Associate Professor of Physics at Adelphi University. He has previously served IEEE-HKN as the President-Elect in 2024, the Regions 1 & 2 Governor in 2018-2019 and the HKN Faculty Advisor Committee from 2018-2020. He is currently a member of THE BRIDGE magazine Editorial Board. His outstanding teaching contributions have been recognized by the American Association of Physics Teachers who awarded him with the David Halliday and Robert Resnick Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching in 2022 as well by Adelphi University where he was awarded the Tenured Teaching Excellence Award in 2013.
Jim Jefferies, Beta Psi Chapter, was elected to serve as the 2025 President-Elect.
Jim Jefferies is a retired AT&T and Lucent Technologies executive who in 33 years rose from manufacturing engineer to vice president. He was responsible for teams that transferred glass technology from Bell Telephone Laboratories and developed fiber optic cables for AT&T. He also served as logistics vice president, responsible for worldwide supply chains, Quality Assurance, and export planning. He has led teams in major technology transfers, transitions of information technology, and organizational change. More recently, he teamed with fellow Stanford Business School graduates in an entrepreneur venture in San Francisco and served as Chief Operating Officer. He was 2018 IEEE President and CEO and 2015 President of IEEE-USA supporting globalization of its policy initiatives.
Dr. Ryan Bales, Gamma Theta Chapter, led the society as President in 2024 and will serve as its 2025 Past President. He served as IEEE-HKN Governor At-Large from 2020 to 2022. Dr. Bales is a Principal Research Engineer with the Georgia Tech Research Institute’s Sensors and Electromagnetic Applications Lab and has 17 years of experience in applied research in embedded systems and electronic warfare. He has led the development of the digital signal processor for the Angry Kitten advanced electronic warfare program since its inception in 2011. He mentors junior engineers in the areas of embedded system design and signal processing and encourages service as part of their professional growth.
Melody Richardson, Eta Chapter, will serve as the Region 3-4 Governor for a three-year term. Melody is a distinguished leader in the IEEE community, renowned for her dedication to education and outreach. She is the founder and coordinator of STEM on the MOVE, a segment of IEEE’s MOVE Community Outreach program. Melody has developed engaging educational materials, including a custom STEM adventure book for children aged 5-11, which has been shared with over 10,000 students globally. Melody’s efforts include mentoring university students, organizing workshops, and facilitating industry-academia partnerships. She is committed to equipping students with essential skills in networking, resume writing, and interview preparation, ensuring they are well-prepared for their professional careers.
Kathy Herring Hayashi, Eta Chapter, was elected to serve a three-year term as a Governor At-Large. Kathy has been involved in the semiconductor industry her entire career — developing, deploying, and analyzing advanced software tools used to create computer and mobile phone chips. She has led teams in semiconductor EDA software development for Qualcomm, Unisys, Cadence Design Systems and Syntricity, a local startup. She has served as the IEEE Region 6 Director (Western Region of the United States) and as member of the IEEE Board of Directors. She is a senior member of IEEE and IEEE-HKN.
Kathy has supported the IEEE-HKN Student Leadership Summit for several years both as an individual and an industry sponsor. She has hosted IEEE-HKN alumni events with industry, been a judge at local university HKN hackathon events and always enjoys attending and congratulating new members at IEEE-HKN induction ceremonies. While serving as a Region 6 Director this year, she worked to inform and engage the region members about the value and importance of IEEE-HKN.
Serena Canavero, Mu Nu Chapter, was elected to a one-year term as Student Governor. Serena holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy, graduating in the top 5% of her class. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Turin, where she ranks in the top 1% of her class. Notably, she developed a VR exposure therapy application in collaboration with the Department of Psychology to aid patients with social anxiety phobia. In 2023, Serena was elected President of the Mu Nu Chapter, where her visionary leadership and commitment to philanthropy brought about remarkable achievements. Serena’s leadership was instrumental in organizing the chapter’s first institutional open day, securing funding, and establishing an office to support the chapter and other student organizations. Serena’s determination, thirst for knowledge, and self-discipline drive her to apply her engineering expertise for societal benefit. Her passion for leadership and her ability to build consensus are evident in her successful tenure at the Mu Nu Chapter.
Logan Wilcox, Gamma Theta Chapter, was elected to a one-year term as Student Governor. Logan is a Ph.D. candidate in electrical engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) with an anticipated graduation date of May 2027. He is also pursuing a graduate certificate in Explosives Engineering, with an anticipated completion date of May 2025. In May 2020, he received a B.S. in computer engineering from Missouri S&T and worked for 9 months as an associate engineer at Tech Electronics in St. Louis, MO. His professional involvement in recent years has been focused on societies with IEEE and mentoring within his local community. He holds the treasurer position at Gamma Theta and this position allowed him the opportunity to ensure chapter success (financially) while also providing mentorship to other officers. At Gamma Theta, he has also participated and assisted in their department picnic, networking sessions, and other volunteer opportunities. At Missouri S&T,he also mentors his local SigEp chapter where he was previously the chapter counselor and is currently the chapter advisor. His plans as a Student Governor of IEEE-HKN revolve around the idea of increasing engagement with recently-graduated members.
HKN is looking forward to the expertise and energy that these new leaders will bring to our Board of Governors in the new year. We are looking forward to another productive year of collaboration!
