I begin this two-year term both excited by the opportunities ahead and mindful of the unexpected challenges that may arise. UFFC has successfully navigated several such challenges in recent years, and I would like to thank our past presidents for the skill and flexibility they demonstrated while guiding the Society through tumultuous times. I especially want to acknowledge Mark Schafer and Dragan Damjanovic for their insight and dedication during the post-pandemic era, which required us to re-imagine conference culture in fundamental ways.

Over the past two years, Dragan has expertly guided us through the political changes surrounding the termination of all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts, and he has skillfully restructured our activities to align with IEEE guidelines. Our Society Bylaws and website remain under review, and we anticipate further reorganization as this work continues. Dragan also led the transition in our Society’s publications: beginning in 2026, the former IEEE Transactions on UFFC (T-UFFC) will be replaced by the IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics (T-USON). T-USON will continue to publish work spanning all aspects of ultrasound science and technology—including topics that intersect with frequency control and ferroelectrics—while OJ-UFFC will continue to serve the full breadth of the UFFC community.

All the successes of UFFC are made possible through the dedication of our volunteers who lead our committees and manage our many activities. Thank you to our outgoing volunteers, and welcome to all who are joining us. I look forward to working with you and encourage anyone interested in contributing to UFFC to get involved. Our committees—spanning Education, Women in Engineering, Young Professionals, History, Student Representatives, Sustainability, Standards, Publications, Conferences, Chapters, Finance, Industry, Volunteer Engagement, and several workshops and working groups—offer many opportunities to serve. I invite you to explore these opportunities and share new ideas for strengthening and expanding our Society.

In the next two years, our flagship conferences will take us across North America in 2026, with IFCS in Tampa, Florida; ISAF in Montreal, Canada; and IUS in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 2027, the rotation moves primarily to Asia, with ISAF in South Korea and IUS in Singapore, and IFCS will be held jointly with EFTF in Munich, Germany. Our outreach conferences in underserved regions also continue to grow, with upcoming events in India, Latvia, Poland, and Brazil, as well as plans for the Middle East and North Africa. These outreach conferences provide invaluable opportunities—especially for students—to participate in a rich learning and networking environment that might otherwise be inaccessible.

Looking ahead, in addition to implementing new ideas and processes across our conferences, outreach programs, schools, and publications, I hope we can advance several key goals:

• Partner with IEEE TryEngineering to deliver high-quality STEM resources for students aged 4–18. An ad hoc committee will begin planning shortly.

• Launch the UFFC Joint AI Congress, bringing together all three technical areas—Ultrasonics (IUS), Ferroelectrics (ISAF), and Frequency Control (IFCS)—to focus on AI-driven developments across our fields. This initiative offers strong potential for collaboration with other IEEE Societies and Councils, particularly smaller ones.

• Develop an Operational Plan in accordance with recommendations from the 2024 UFFC Five-Year Review. IEEE is currently revising its operational documents and will provide a template for our plan, which we aim to complete this year.

Our Society’s finances remain stable and strong. IEEE is revising aspects of the budgeting process, including the management of special initiative funding. We hope these changes will allow reserves to be deployed more readily for strategic projects and initiatives.

As we begin 2026—a new stretch of the road on our shared journey—I look forward to what lies ahead. Even when we encounter obstacles, one thing I have learned after many years on AdCom is that we are creative, imaginative, and resilient.