Disable to Possible : Understanding Special Needs through Technology by Dr. Ramalatha Marimuthu
Dr. Ramalatha Marimuthu is a senior member of IEEE and founder chair of Madras IEEE WIE Affinity group (2007 – 2014). She was Region10 WIE Coordinator for 2008-2010 and Chair, the IEEE WIE Committee for 2011 and 2012.
She launched an exclusive project “Sangamam” for the transfer of technology to rural areas. Dr. Marimuthu was awarded the “IEEE MGA Achievement Award” in 2008 and the Government of Tamilnadu in 2009, IEEE MGA Leadership Award 2012 and ABI change agent award 2012 based on her work to improve the quality of life for the rural society.
She was awarded the “Systers Pass it on Award 2014” by the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology. Recently she won the “WIE Inspiring Member of the Year of the year Award 2016” from IEEE WIE Committee.
Dr. Ramalatha Marimuthu’s Visit to WIE UAE Section group
Dr. Ramalatha Marimuthu has visited WIE UAE Section in Dubai in April 2018 at RIT Dubai – Rochester Institute of Technology to deliver her inspiring speech about how to transform the disable into possible.
She has started the speech by explaining what are special needs that she has focused on when working on her development projects. Then, she showed the areas of social innovation her research worked on which are the education, energy and electricity, environment and healthcare.
She has targeted the students, women, elderly, people with special needs, children, poor people and more. Finally, she ended her speech with a wisdom that “If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room”.
WIE UAE Section 2018
Eng. Balqees Al Daghar – Chair of WIE UAE Section has started the seminar by welcoming Dr. Ramalatha Marimuthu in UAE, and then she introduced WIE UAE Section group to the attendees. She has showed its progress in the last few years and presented the plans of the group in 2018.
Year of Zayed
After that and in the occasion of Year of Zayed, Eng. Balqees has presented the support was given to the women in UAE by His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the last President of the United Arab Emirates. He supported women in all ages to work beside the men in all fields, specially in the highly recognized professions like engineering.
At the end of the seminar, Dr. Marimuthu has answered the questions raised by attendees and a group photo was taken for all with her.