IEEE Boston Section Elections: A New Cycle Begins

This editorial was featured in the August 1, 2026 edition of The Reflector. You probably got an email from me not long ago, in which I said the IEEE Boston Section Elections are open. Many people are part of IEEE but are involved in the technical part of IEEE (TAB). IEEE also has a geographical part (MGA), and both have elections, committees, and work to foster community. IEEE Boston is the part of IEEE that wants to connect everyone who is local; all areas of IEEE, all societies. We host awards, social events, leadership events, courses; we could definitely do more, do you want to help, be part of the Boston Section! The Boston Section has elections every year, but since a year is not a long time, some top positions of the section are not up for election every year. Usually, volunteers start as secretary/treasurer, and it is expected that in the following years they will be vice-chair and chair. This way, we can train our new volunteers; they learn with others, and policies and programs can be continued smoothly. If you want to start your journey with us, nominate yourself for treasurer or secretary. What do you need to be eligible to be an officer in the Boston Section? You need to be in good standing with IEEE, live in the Boston geographical area, be an IEEE full member (not a student member or a graduate student member), and have previous experience as an officer within any IEEE section, societies, or affinity group. Do you fit the criteria? Nominate yourself; the deadline for nominations is August 22. After that date, we will publish the first slate of candidates; if you miss that deadline, you can add your name to the ballot through a petition. To have your name added in a petition, you will need Boston Section members to agree to your petition (2% of eligible Boston voting members). Then, on September 24, we will publish the final slate of candidates, and the elections will start on October 9 and will end on November 9. Nomination Process Dates 2026 Call for Nominations — July 27 Nominations Deadline — August 22 First Slate of Candidates — August 24 Petition Deadline — September 24 Election Begins — October 9 Are you interested in being part of the Boston Section, but you do not meet the criteria? Be a part of one of the committees we have: Awards Committee, Senior Member Elevation Committee, Student Chapters Liaison Committee, and others. Have questions? Write to me: mairasamary@ieee.org Maira Marques Samary is an Assistant Professor of the Practice at Boston College, where she teaches CS1, CS2, SE and CS Principles. Her research interests include computer science education, collaborative work and software engineering education. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Chile, and has an M.Ed. from Boston College. Maira is the Past Chair of the IEEE Boston Section, the Chair of the Boston Chapter of Women in Engineering, and serves on the Boston Section Election Committee in addition to her many other contributions to IEEE leadership. In her free time, Maira runs marathons and completed the Boston Marathon again this spring.