By: Celia Desmond, World Class Telecommunications
Time: 7:00 pm, Wednesday, November 10, 2004. (dinner starts at 7:00 pm; talk starts at 7:45 pm)
Place: School of Architecture Gallery, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Newark NJ. Directions

Abstract

Celia Desmond will review her own career in industry, and also her career in IEEE. She will give an overview of the present environment of voice, data and multimedia communications industry. The current state of industry, the market environment, and the regulatory environment for basic services, the Internet and emerging services is briefly discussed.  Celia will comment on what graduates need today to have a successful career in telecommunications engineering, and on the value that IEEE involvement can bring to a career. All information is presented at a high level so that background in telecommunications is not necessary to understand the material. The attendee will gain a view of the overall industry, and the direction it is moving, and what is required to stay afloat in this industry.

Biography

Celia Desmond is President of World Class - Telecommunications. Celia provides training in management skills in business and telecommunications engineering environments. She was instrumental in creating a Masters Program and a Certificate Program at University of Toronto. She has lectured internationally on Programs for Success in Today’s Changing Environment. At Stentor Resource Centre Inc. she was instrumental in establishing the Stentor culture and processes, and in obtaining buy-in from the employees to adopt and grow the new organization. She developed and implemented processes for service/product development and for project governance within SRCI. As Director - Industry Liaison, she was the external technical linkage to the Stentor owner companies, their customers, and the international technical community. In various positions at Bell Canada, Celia provided strategic direction to corporate planners, ran technology and service trials, standardized equipment, and issued guidelines for the member companies. In Celia's previous line positions, her groups provided technical and project management support to large business clients.

Celia was the 2002-2003 President of IEEE Communications Society. She is the 2004 Chair of the IEEE Transnational Committee which serves as a resource for IEEE in serving members around the world. For 2000-2001 Celia was President of IEEE Canada, and served her second term on the Board of Directors of IEEE. She was 1997-1998 Division III Director. She has twice served in the IEEE Audit Committee, and actively participated in numerous other TAB, RAB, IEEE and Society committees. Celia was awarded the Donald J. McLellan Award for meritorious service to IEEE Communications Society, the Engineering Institute of Canada John B. Sterling Medal in May 2000, and the IEEE Millennium award. In 1993, she was made a Senior Member of IEEE.

Celia holds a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Carleton University, a B.Sc. in Mathematics & Psychology from Queens University, an Ontario Teaching Certificate and a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. Celia has taught kindergarten, high school, and graduate courses at three universities, Ryerson School of Business, Stevens Institute of Technology, and University of Toronto.

Sponsors

 IEEE Communications Society North Jersey Chapter

IEEE Engineering Management Society North Jersey Chapter

IEEE NJIT Student Chapter

NJIT Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

For Further Information: Contact Nirwan Ansari (973) 596-3670, or check http://web.njit.edu/~ieeenj for latest updates.