IEEE ComSoc DLT, DSP, and VDL Programs: A Summary Report from a Webinar Training in March 2026

By Fabricio Carvalho - Member Services Board, IEEE Communication Society, Ricardo Veiga - Member Services Board, IEEE Communication Society and Tamseel Syed - Member Services Board, IEEE Communication Society

The Distinguished Lecturer Program (DLP) is a valuable resource for IEEE members affiliated with Technical Societies. The IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc) strongly supports its DLP to offer high-quality lectures to its members worldwide. The ComSoc Distinguished Lecturer Program also helps attract new students and professional members to the ComSoc community, allowing them to take advantage of membership benefits. Additionally, it serves not only as an effective member retention tool but also as a source of technical and professional value to IEEE ComSoc membership.

Given the importance of the DL Program to ComSoc, the IEEE Communications Society’s Member Services Board organized a webinar in March 2026. The goal was to engage current Distinguished Lecturers and ComSoc Chapter Chairs worldwide to foster a better understanding of the DL Program, particularly the characteristics of the DLT, DSP, and VDL initiatives.

The following main topics were discussed during the webinar.

Overview of the ComSoc Distinguished Lecturer Program (DLP) Program

The Distinguished Lecturer Program promotes collaboration between IEEE ComSoc chapters and renowned communications experts. IEEE ComSoc features a diverse and world-class roster of Distinguished Lecturers. The complete list of lecturers is available at https://www.comsoc.org/engagement-community/distinguished-lecturers. In 2026, 74 speakers from around the globe will discuss several topics in depth in the field of communications. In-person or virtual DL presentations cover recent research trends in 6G, machine learning, Industry 4.0, edge computing, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT), as well as longstanding topics such as information theory, digital communications, satellite networks, and antennas.

Hosting Formats and Requirements: DLT, DSP, and VDL

The webinar explained the different formats offered by the DL program. During a Distinguished Lecturer Tour (DLT), DL speakers share their knowledge, expertise, and insights into the future of communications with at least three ComSoc Chapter groups, preferably in three distinct locations within reasonable geographic proximity to one another. The Distinguished Speaker Program (DSP) connects past Distinguished Lecturers — as well as ComSoc officers, IEEE Fellows, and prominent speakers — so they can schedule lectures while on business travel.

Members can also participate in a DLT or DSP virtually if the Chapter chooses such a format. The Virtual Distinguished Lecturer (VDL) Program is a valuable alternative when in-person lectures cannot be organized due to logistical constraints. A key benefit of the VDL Program is its potential to reach a larger audience, as the lectures are offered free of charge.

In addition to the talks, Distinguished Lecturers also have the valuable opportunity to network face-to-face with local ComSoc volunteers, undergraduate and graduate students, faculty members, and industry representatives across various locations. The remarkable interaction enabled by the DLP fosters enhanced research and academic cooperation between these renowned speakers and local technical communities worldwide, including connections with local Chapter volunteers and IEEE Student Branch Chapters.

ComSoc Regions and Organizational Structure

IEEE ComSoc aggregates some IEEE Regions into four regions worldwide. ComSoc NA (North America) spans Regions 1-6 (United States) and Region 7 (Canada). ComSoc EMEA corresponds to Region 8 and comprises Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. ComSoc LA (Latin America) encompasses all Latin American countries in Region 9. ComSoc Region 10 (APAC) refers to the countries of Asia and the Pacific.

Key Contacts, Roles, and Responsibilities

Each ComSoc region (NA, LA, EMEA, APAC) is governed by a regional board led by the Region Director. Furthermore, each region also has one DL Coordinator. The Regional Director and DL Coordinator, together with ComSoc staff, directly support ComSoc Chapter Chairs in proposing and organizing DLT, DSP, or VDL presentations.

How to Request, Schedule, and Promote a DL Session

Chapter Chairs are strongly encouraged to propose hosting a DL, and it is recommended to contact the regional DL Coordinator at the beginning of processing a DLT, DSP, or VDL request. The goal is to maintain reliable, established communication channels with DLs and to quickly confirm their availability, interest, and feasibility for a specific lecture or tour. The DL Coordinator helps improve request quality by ensuring that DLs are informed and willing before a form is submitted; this helps Chapter Chairs prepare complete, viable, and properly structured requests. This strengthens the program’s overall success, leading to more well-executed tours and lectures.

The pre-event steps to request a Distinguished Lecturer Tour are:

  • Identify the Distinguished Lecturer and preferred topics (available at https://www.comsoc.org/engagement-community/distinguished-lecturers)

  • Coordinate early with the DL and Region DLT Coordinator to align expectations and tour feasibility

  • Submit the DLT Intake Form

  • Chapter Chair and DL await approval notification from ComSoc staff

  • Once all tour details are confirmed, send a coordination email outlining the coordination and planned tour stops

  • The Region DLT Coordinator will review the information and guide the application process

The pre-event steps to request a Distinguished Speaker lecture are summarized below:

  • The Distinguished Speaker Program (DSP) is used when the DL is already local or traveling nearby and can give a lecture within a reasonable distance (maximum budget allowed: USD 500)

  • Once the Chapter Chair and DL agree to proceed, the Chapter Chair should submit the request

  • Submit the DSP Intake Form

  • Chapter Chair and DL await the approval notification

The pre-event steps to request a Virtual Distinguished Lecture are:

  • Once the Chapter Chair and the DL agree to proceed, they should notify the Regional DLT/VDL Coordinator

  • Submit the VDL Intake Form

  • Await the approval process

The Chapter Chair should complete and submit the application form; however, Regional Directors, the Director of Member Services, and the VP-MGA may also initiate DLT/DSP/VDL requests to ensure opportunities are not missed simply because a Chapter has not contacted a DL. Submission by the Chapter Chair maintains ownership and keeps responsibility centered with the Chapter hosting the DL, including control over organization details and logistics.

The workflow for an effective Distinguished Lecturer application (summarizing the above topics) is shown in the figure.

After final approval of the DLT, DSP, or VDL initiative, Chapter Chairs must take additional steps to register and advertise the event properly. Instructions for creating the event registration in vTools (https://events.vtools.ieee.org/) were presented in the webinar, including designating a lead Chapter (when applicable) to manage pre-event logistics, participant registration, event promotion (publishing in vTools, announcing via eNotice and targeted lists), and marketing strategies across social media platforms (such as YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X), personal networks, and other ComSoc and IEEE Society chapters in the Section.

Event logistics (for both in-person and virtual sessions) were detailed in the webinar, covering how to assign organizational roles and manage coordination (including hotel bookings, airport pickups, transportation to venues, hosting speakers for meals, and setting up multimedia/local equipment when necessary).

After the event, the Chapter Chair should follow up with the post-event activities (sending the Meeting Feedback Survey with a response deadline; reporting attendance in L31 and IEEE vTools; preparing a DLT/DSP summary report, as well as other best practices recommended by ComSoc).

Policies and Procedures Updates

The DLT Program sets specific expectations for DLs: every DL must record at least one virtual lecture in the first year of their term, and every DL must offer at least one virtual lecture overall during their term. Additionally, ComSoc encourages every DL to record 1–2 virtual lectures with Student Branch Chapters.

These requirements expand access for Chapters with limited resources, ensuring equitable access across all regions while building a sustainable archive of high-quality online content. They also improve reliability and predictability in DL availability by removing travel constraints and narrow calendar windows. Furthermore, these requirements provide a balanced, workable approach for those serving as ComSoc Distinguished Lecturers. Ultimately, this provides a valuable benefit to ComSoc Chapters, leading to more predictable planning windows for organizing DL sessions and facilitating approval management for coordinators and staff.

The webinar recording and presentation slides are available at https://www.comsoc.org/engagement-community/distinguished-lecturers/resources#request, along with resources and templates to support every step of a DLT/DSP/VDL session (including the Meeting Feedback Survey, VTOOLS - WebEx Request Form, Registration Form, and Speaker Release Form, among others). These materials, provided by ComSoc, are valuable tools for IEEE ComSoc Chapter Chairs and Distinguished Lecturers to plan and organize future events. Additionally, the slides include a list of current Regional Directors, DL Coordinators, and ComSoc staff available to support DL lecture requests.

Support is always available to ensure effective DL presentations can be organized. If further assistance is needed to take advantage of this program’s benefits, please feel free to contact the IEEE ComSoc Member Services Board or ComSoc staff with any questions.

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