President’s Column INCE-USA (Dec 2017)

Changes Coming to INCE-USA!

The year 2017 has been another active one for INCE-USA. NOISE-CON 2017 was held in Grand Rapids, MI as a co-conference with the Society of Automotive Engineers 2017 Noise & Vibration Conference. This was our first co-conference with SAE and, by all indications, a most successful one. Another co-conference with SAE is already in the planning stages for 2023.

We’ve also had some changes in 2017 including a changing of the guard in our publications domain. Jim Thompson has taken the reins from Courtney Burroughs as Editor of the Noise Control Engineering Journal. Eoin King has in turn relieved Jim as Editor of Noise News International.

We have been in the process of reviewing the INCE Bylaws primarily to keep them current relative to the laws that govern organizations like INCE-USA. This has led to two significant changes being made to Board Certification. The first will be to open INCE Board Certification (BC) to non-members of INCE-USA. A second change will be to make the entire certification process autonomous and conducted by a new, independent Certification Board. Candidates still need to meet the requirements and pass the INCE Professional Exam, but will no longer need to be approved by the INCE Board of Directors. Rather, that approval will come from the Certification Board. And recertification will also be administered by the Certification Board.

Another big change to Board Certification relates to the process of becoming Board Certified. This change allows the option to take and successfully complete three intensive, semester-long, online courses in Noise Control Engineering in lieu of taking the 8-hour Professional Exam. A candidate who otherwise meets the BC requirements can opt to take the three NCE courses and, upon successful completion, will bypass the INCE Professional Exam. These courses will also fulfill the current BC requirement that an applicant must have taken (and passed with a grade of B or better) at least two courses directly related to NCE. Actually, this change is already in place and the first round of courses is being instructed by Courtney Burroughs. The inaugural offering of these courses has attracted 41 candidates! This is 7 to 10 times the number of candidates that typically sit for the INCE Professional Exam each year. This alternate avenue to Board Certification plus the change that allows non–INCE-USA members to become INCE Board Certified now makes it particularly attractive to those working in NCE but living outside of the United States of America.

In August 2018, INCE-USA will host INTER-NOISE 2018 in Chicago, IL. This INTER-NOISE will feature a special session dedicated to the many contributions of Bill Lang, one of INCE’s founding fathers.

Come join us in the windy city. It’ll be worth the trip even if only for the warm breeze off of Lake Michigan, the tremendous downtown with shopping, restaurants, museums, and Chicago’s famous jazz and blues nightclubs. It’s my kind of town!

For questions or more information on any of the above, contact the INCE Business Office or me at the email address below.

This will be my last column as INCE-USA President and it has been an honor to serve the NCE community for what will be two swift years come March. While I look forward to the title of INCE-USA Past President, I will miss the flurry of teleconferences, meetings, and variety of interesting challenges that are presented to the President of this fine Institute. I have been blessed to have a wide body of support from numerous INCE officers and directors, past presidents, a prolific Executive Director, and a most helpful IBO. My thanks to all of you.

Richard A. Kolano, P.E., INCE Board Certified
INCE-USA President
president@inceusa.org