IEEE Signal Processing Society 75th Anniversary During ICASSP 2023: Remembering the past, engaging with the present, and building the future

The ICASSP 2023 conference in Rhodes, Greece, was remarkable from multiple perspectives. Notably, this was the first fully in-person ICASSP after three consecutive virtual conferences, which were necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendees fully embraced the opportunity to engage in live interactions and reestablish their networks.

Moreover, this conference held special significance as it coincided with the 75th anniversary of the IEEE Signal Processing Society (SPS), established on 2 June, 1948.

During the opening ceremony, Petros Maragos, general chair of ICASSP23, discussed the unprecedented growth of ICASSP, evidence of a vibrant and growing Signal Processing (SP) community. He also presented the technical program, announced several innovative features, and an abundance of social events, emphasizing the significance of the SPS 75th anniversary. Subsequently, Athina Petropulu, president of the SPS, reviewed the significant milestones that marked the incredible growth of SP over the past seven decades, starting from its inception in 1948. She highlighted the strong interconnections between advancements in microelectronics, computer science, industrial and personal applications and provided insights gained from signal and image processing, all of which have shaped the evolution of the SPS. Further details regarding this historical journey can be found in the article “Empowering the Growth of Signal Processing: The Evolution of the IEEE Signal Processing Society”, which she coauthored and published in the June issue of IEEE Signal Processing Magazine (SPM).