MOVE began with one idea. Mary Ellen Randall envisioned IEEE helping disaster victims. That single idea sparked a MOVEment. She built a team, and that team utilized STEM expertise to create specialized trucks and kits to help survivors of natural disasters. Almost a decade later, that one idea has grown into a global program with 2 trucks, 2 vans, and 2 modular teams (one in Jamaica and one in Puerto Rico). Together we have helped nearly one million survivors of natural disasters.
IEEE MOVE is more than a disaster relief initiative—it’s a hands-on demonstration of how STEM skills impact lives and serve communities. This program leverages computing, communications, and engineering expertise to provide emergency power, satellite internet, and technical support to areas impacted by natural disasters. Volunteers apply real-world problem-solving to bring connectivity, comfort, and care when it’s needed most.
- MOVE uses Signal & Communication Scientists to detect, locate, and secure digital signals for the MOVE trucks
- Automotive Scientists & Engineer transformed the MOVE trucks into disaster recovery vehicles
- Industrial Engineers design, develop, implement, and evaluate all the systems on the MOVE trucks
- MOVE uses Web Developers design, develop, and maintain the MOVE website
- System Architects code, test, implement and improve all the software used by the MOVE trucks
- Radio Engineers install, maintain, and repair the radio and transmission equipment on the MOVE trucks
- MOVE uses Mechanical Engineers to design, analyze, and maintain the solar panels and frame that secures and deploys the satellite dishes on the MOVE trucks.
- MOVE uses satellites designed by Aerospace Engineers to stay connected, forecast the weather, and get to and from deployments.
- MOVE works with Electrical Engineers in restoring and enhancing critical infrastructure, ensuring rapid recovery and resilience in affected communities.
How MOVE Uses Math STEM Skills
- MOVE uses Accountants to manage financial documents, keep track of spending, and forecast budgets.
- MOVE uses Atmospheric Scientists who utilize math to predict the weather. MOVE utilizes those forecasts to ensure safe travel and allocate resources.
- MOVE uses Resource Managers to calculate everything from how long it will take to arrive at a destination to how much the truck weighs.