IEEE Signal Processing Society: State of the Society

As we enter the new year, I would like to take a moment to reflect on our achievements from the past year and celebrate our successes. I am naming this “President’s Message” column the “State of the Society,” which will serve as a platform to share updates about our Society, including our activities, successes, and challenges.

Traditionally, the State of the Society address is delivered during the opening ceremonies of ICASSP, reaching only a fraction of our Society’s membership. In contrast, this column will reach all members through our magazine, making it the primary communication channel to highlight our accomplishments and generate interest in our programs and plans. I will present the spring State of the Society address during the opening ceremonies of ICASSP 2025 and provide the fall State of the Society address during the opening ceremonies of ICIP 2025.

In 2024, we achieved several significant milestones, including hosting record-breaking conferences and adopting innovative approaches to adapt to technological changes within our field. Notably, our publications thrived, and we addressed emerging technologies through special issues in IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing and IEEE Signal Processing Magazine. Our strategic initiatives and operational programs addressed the inclusion of all members of our signal-processing community. Our programs received recognition with an IEEE Technical Activities Board Award for Society/Council Impact in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Additionally, the Society established an Industry Board to serve our members better. This newly established Industry Board reports directly to the Society’s Board of Governors, ensuring an industry perspective is reflected in all Society operations, including technical directions, conferences, publications, membership, education, and awards. The desired outcome is to increase industry participation, membership, partnerships, and sponsorship for the Society.