They include humanitarian initiatives and STEM education programs
Kathy Pretz is the editor in chief of The Institute, IEEE's member publication
IEEE MOVE, EPICS in IEEE, the IEEE Global Museum, and the TryEngineering Summer Institute, were some of the projects showcased in the 2025 Social Impact Report.
Advancing technology for the benefit of humanity isn’t just the tagline for IEEE’s mission as a public charity. It’s something that the organization’s more than 500,000 members strive to do all the time. IEEE’s recently released 2025 Social Impact Report showcases a variety of programs volunteers worked on to increase public awareness of technology’s impact on society, many of which The Institute covered.
Here is a selection of the programs from the report, with links to our related articles:
“The IEEE global community of more than 500,000 members and volunteers demonstrates what is possible when expertise is mobilized for the public good,” Sophia Muirhead, IEEE executive director and chief operating officer, said in a news release about the Social Impact Report. “Technology has the power to expand opportunity, strengthen communities and improve lives, and IEEE’s mission is to ensure that this power is used responsibly, ethically, and in service of humanity. The 2025 report shows how IEEE members and volunteers are advancing solutions that make a real difference in people’s lives around the world.”
Engagement research shows that members increasingly cited “giving back to my profession and the world community” as a reason for joining IEEE and renewing their membership, IEEE President Mary Ellen Randall said in her September column about the report.
“Humanitarian programs are not only meaningful,” she wrote. “They also are magnetic. They attract younger engineers, keep them engaged, and help them build a professional identity rooted in purpose and impact.
“IEEE has the opportunity to become the world’s leading convening force for developing interdisciplinary technology solutions to solve humanity’s most important challenges. Our future relevance will be defined not only by the technologies we advance but also by the problems we choose to help solve.”
Kathy Pretz is editor in chief for The Institute, which covers all aspects of IEEE, its members, and the technology they're involved in. She has a bachelor's degree in applied communication from Rider University, in Lawrenceville, N.J., and holds a master's degree in corporate and public communication from Monmouth University, in West Long Branch, N.J.
Source: IEEE Spectrum
