The big dig has been completed, and now the installation of four massive storm water tanks under the Mall, between the College of Fine Arts lawn and Hamerschlag Hall, is underway.

Four concrete, waterproof sectioned tanks, 80-feet long, 16-feet wide and 10-feet tall, will help to mitigate flooding in that area during severe storms by collecting water runoff from the downspouts and catch basins at Wean, Doherty, Porter and Baker halls. The underground tanks can collect up to 275,000 gallons of water, which may be reused for the campus chilled water cooling systems. Excess water will be diverted to the city storm water system.

That area of the campus was hit hard by flooding during major storms in 2004, 2009 and 2011.

A 550-ton crane has been erected on the Mall to install the tanks. During the delivery of the tanks and installation process, parking and deliveries on Frew Street will be impacted for short intervals from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Once the tanks are in place, backfilling will begin, followed by work to restore the Mall back to its original state.

The project is expected to be completed by early August.

FDA Approves Robot for Surgical Procedures

CMU spinoff company Medrobotics Corp. received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market its Flex® Robotic System, which is based on the research of CMU Robotics Institute Professor Howie Choset. A flexible endoscopic system that enables surgeons to access and visualize hard-to-reach anatomical locations, the system extends the benefits of minimally invasive surgery — shorter hospital stays and recovery times — to a broader population of patients.

CMU Wins Fifth World RoboCup

Carnegie Mellon’s robot soccer team, led by University Professor Manuela Veloso, took home its fifth world championship without allowing a single goal at the 2015 RoboCup in China. The CMDragons outscored their opponents 48-0, winning the final 5-0 over a team from Qazvin Islamic Azad University in Iran.

Education Bus Tour Stopped Here

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan brought his back-to-school “Ready for Success” national bus tour to CMU, where he held a town hall meeting on community-based STEM initiatives and improving students’ readiness for college. Duncan said he admired CMU for its commitment to bringing more women into the field of computer science and for increasing the number of PELL recipients it serves. “It’s an example for other universities to follow,” he said.

Gift Supports Entrepreneurship

Alumnus James Swartz (TPR 1966), founding partner of the global venture capital firm Accel Parnters, announced a gift of $31 million to create the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship. The center will serve as a hub for the university’s entrepreneurship activities, connecting the ongoing efforts of several centers, programs, competitions, funds and workshops.

CMU Hosts Showcase in India

Recognizing its significant ties to India (1,800+ alumni), Carnegie Mellon hosted a July 4 event in New Delhi, India, focusing on “Integrated Intelligence” — how CMU is creating and leveraging technology to improve the human condition. The daylong event for alumni, parents, students and friends featured university leaders and international business executives, and included networking opportunities and panel discussions on “Smart Cities” and the “Transformative Impact of Big Data.”

Gift To Support New Facility, Scholarships

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the fastest growing global IT and consulting company, donated $35 million to Carnegie Mellon to fully fund a new facility and support students through CMU’s Presidential Fellowships and Scholarships program. The gift is the largest corporate donation in CMU history, the largest international gift to CMU and the largest gift to a university by TCS. The facility will focus on education and research and provide collaborative space for faculty, students and TCS staff.

Tepper Quad Gets Underway

Carnegie Mellon broke ground for the Tepper Quadrangle, the largest expansion on campus since the university’s founding in 1900, on Oct. 30. The Tepper Quad, made possible by a $67 million lead gift from the charitable foundation of alumnus David Tepper, will be the new centerpiece of campus, bringing the community together and advancing research, education, entrepreneurship and campus life. It will include a new home for the Tepper School of Business.

Groundbreaking Puts CMU in National Spotlight

The Tepper Quad groundbreaking ceremony brought the financial news cable network CNBC to campus to interview several university leaders throughout
the day, including David Tepper, President Subra Suresh, Tepper School Dean Robert Dammon (below) and Chairman of the Board James Rohr.

CMU Among World Leaders at Summer Davos

With 15 faculty members, several robots and Big Data demos, Carnegie Mellon had one of the largest delegations of any university at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, China. Discussion topics included machine learning for health, visually exploring large databases and robotics. The World Economic Forum brings together global leaders in academia, business and government to shape economic and industry agendas.

Wilson Returns To Make Directing Debut

Patrick Wilson (A 1995), fresh off his Golden Globe nomination for his role as Lou Solverson on the FX hit series “Fargo,” returned to Carnegie Mellon to direct the School of Drama’s production of “The Full Monty.” Wilson knew the play well, having earned a Tony nomination for best
actor for his role in the hit musical.

CMU Takes Off With Boeing

Carnegie Mellon has joined the Boeing Company to establish the Boeing/Carnegie Mellon Aerospace Data Analytics Lab, a new effort to capitalize on the enormous amount of data generated by the aircraft industry to create safer, more reliable and more efficient aircraft operations.

Community Has Hunger To Serve

More than 700 students, faculty, staff, alumni and family members packaged more than 125,000 meals in a Stop Hunger Now event on campus. The event was organized by CMU’s Partners Allied in Civic Engagement and the Kraft Heinz Company.

Tartans Advance to Sweet 16

The women’s basketball team won two tournament games and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Basketball Championships for the first time in school history. The Tartans ended the year with a 21-7 record, tying the 1990-91 team for the most wins in a season.

CMU Writes the Book on Women in Computing

“Kicking Butt in Computer Science: Women in Computing at Carnegie Mellon University,” a new book written by CMU’s Carol Frieze and Jeria Quesenberry, outlines the cultural makeover that took place in CMU’s School of Computer Science, a top-ranked program that consistently attracts and graduates a higher percentage of female computer scientists than the national average.

“Birdman” Michael Keaton Lands at ETC

Michael Keaton, perhaps best known for his roles as “Batman” and “Birdman,” made his first trip to CMU’s Entertainment Technology Center as a visiting scholar. Keaton experienced several student virtual reality projects and provided feedback before hosting a Q&A in which he shared anecdotes from movie sets and offered advice.

Spike Lee Attends Film Screening

Award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee attended the screening of his film "Chi-Raq” during CMU’s International Film Festival. Prior to the film, Lee hosted a Q&A session with audience members. “Chi-Raq” is set against the backdrop of gang violence in Chicago. The cast includes Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Samuel L. Jackson, John Cusack and Jennifer Hudson.

Fastball Pitches CMU Scientists

The baseball documentary “Fastball,” which aims to answer the question of who threw the fastest pitch of all-time, premiered in Pittsburgh in April. Narrated by Kevin Costner and directed by nine-time Emmy-Award winner Jonathan Hock, the film includes interviews with more than 20  Hall of Fame players as well as CMU scientists Gregg Franklin, Michael Tarr and Timothy Verstynen. Fastball speeds can reach close to — and sometimes surpass — 100 miles per hour, requiring baseball players to make split-second decisions. Tarr and Verstynen talk about how a batter’s brain races to process an incoming fastball.

Improved Database Searches for DNA Sequencing

Database searches for DNA sequences that can take biologists and medical researchers days can now be completed in a matter of minutes, thanks to a new search method developed by computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon. The method was developed by Carl Kingsford, associate professor of computational biology, and Brad Solomon, a Ph.D. student in the Computational Biology Department, and described in a report published online by the journal Nature Biotechnology.

Building Connections

The Sherman and Joyce Bowie Scott Hall, dedicated on April 30, provides both visual and intellectual stimulation, enhancing the College of Engineering’s innovative culture and fostering interdisciplinary research. Engineering always has had a “maker culture” of creating cutting-edge tools and products to benefit the modern world. With new lab space and new technologies, researchers and students can take that environment to a new level. Like a puzzle piece, the building and its amenities connect fields of study and expand collaboration across CMU. Researchers and students have easier access to advanced technologies for turning ideas into reality.

Jaycox Named Churchill Scholar

Senior biological sciences major Jillian Jaycox, a student-athlete from West Chester, Pa., was one of 15 individuals nationwide to receive a 2016 Churchill Scholarship, one of the most prestigious awards for study abroad in the United Kingdom. Jaycox is the 12th CMU student to receive the scholarship, which funds a year of postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge. The Churchill Scholarship is Jaycox’s first international award. She received two national awards in 2015: the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and the Lupus Foundation of America’s Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Fellowship. Jaycox was one of 17 students to earn major scholarships in 2015-16 for their academic achievement, leadership and service.

Training Next Olympic Champions ... in Math

Olympic hopefuls have arrived at CMU to begin final training for the summer games, not in Rio but rather the International Mathematical Olympiad in Hong Kong. Seventy of the best high school mathematicians from around the world, including a team of six from the U.S., are embarking on a three-week program
to become better problem solvers.

The much-anticipated addition to the Jared L. Cohon University Center officially opened in mid-May, and a university-wide grand opening celebration is being planned for the fall.

The new 62,000 square-foot multipurpose space will enhance campus life for students, faculty and staff. A new entrance along Forbes Avenue is bright and inviting and features a stunning Dale Chihuly chandelier suspended over the central lobby space. The colorful glass sculpture was a gift from trustee and alumnus Edward Frank and his wife, alumna Sarah Ratchye.

The two-story addition houses two exercise studios, a cycling studio and the Maureen B. Cohon Cardio Fitness Center on the second floor. The first floor includes men’s and women’s locker rooms, an equipment desk and a fitness center that includes free weights and weight machines.

New office space and conference rooms are on both floors. A new studio theater will serve a wide range of student performance groups.

"The Cohon Center expansion will be transformative for the Carnegie Mellon community in many domains, and will especially impact student life on campus,” said Director of Athletics Josh Centor. “We are grateful for the opportunity to provide first-class programming within our new fitness center that will invite students, staff and faculty to prioritize their health and wellness.”

Summer hours for the new fitness facility are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
on weekends.

The new multi-purpose space in the Cohon Center will enhance campus life for faculty and staff.

Brian Swearingen of Construction Junction examines the striking three-story staircase in the old Cardinal Dearden Center.

Moving forward with a nod to the past. That’s the spirit of the latest building project at the former Cardinal Dearden Center at 4721 Fifth Ave. in Pittsburgh.

The renovation and reclamation project that is turning the historic structure into office space is being led by Carnegie Mellon University’s Campus Design and Facility Development (CDFD) and CMU’s PROJECT RE_, a partnership between CMU’s Urban Design Build Studio in the School of Architecture, the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh (TIP) and Construction Junction.

PROJECT RE_’s mission is to reuse materials, rebuild communities by strengthening capacity of local residents, and restore lives by teaching people trade skills to secure a living wage.

4721 Fifth Avenue

“We always intended to retain the historic nature of the building,” said Bob Reppe, director of design for CDFD, who noted the facility’s architectural prominence and significant value to the neighborhood.

Built in 1918, the building once housed the all-female Winchester Thurston School. About 40 years later, the space was transformed into the Cardinal Dearden Center, a home for retired Roman Catholic priests. Carnegie Mellon acquired the property in 2012.

CDFD is working with Turner Construction Company and GBBN Architects to create an efficient workspace for CMU’s Marketing and Communications Division currently housed at 6 PPG Place in downtown Pittsburgh. Construction is expected to be completed next spring.

One striking element of the building that will remain is a winding staircase connecting all three floors.

“It was really important to us how we treated that stairway,” said Jan Held, project manager for CDFD. “We’re bringing it back to its full glory.”

Carpeting will be removed from the stairway to expose the original hardwood.

The building has a lot to offer.

“The difference between deconstruction and demolition is deconstruction is the process of taking a building apart piece by piece to harvest things that are of value,” said Architecture Professor John Folan, founder and executive director of PROJECT RE_ and director of the Urban Design Build Studio.

Bill Sutliff removes door trim, which will be given new life.

Construction Junction has removed items such as light fixtures, radiators and slate chalkboards, and false ceiling beams will soon be removed for resale.

PROJECT RE_ is taking window and door trim, and solid core doors that will be given new life.

“The solid core slab doors are flat, plain doors that probably nobody would pay attention to,” Folan said, “Beneath the veneers, they are made of staved lumber, a process that isn’t utilized anymore. Once processed properly, they end up looking like a butcher block — they’re extraordinarily beautiful.”

“The entire interior of the door is cedar,” said Brian Swearingen, deconstruction manager at Construction Junction. “Once it’s been run through a planer and we’ve taken the veneer off, it’ll be a nice block of reusable cedar.”

“The coolest projects are when our guys who have just come out of incarceration or halfway houses get to work right alongside the CMU students,” said Steve Shelton, TIP founder and executive director. “You don’t get to see that too often.”

Like other university projects, the renovation is pursuing a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Held said LED lighting, natural lighting, efficient mechanical systems, and carpeting and paint that emit low VOCs (volatile organic compounds) will be used. Covered bicycle storage space and showers will be added for those who prefer to bike to work, and an elevator will be installed for accessibility.

by Bruce Gerson / 412-268-1613 / bgerson@cmu.edu

Heinz College Dean Ramayya Krishnan (left) celebrates with Alfred Blumstein during a reception in Blumstein's honor last April.

Alfred Blumstein, the J. Erik Jonsson University Professor of Urban Systems and Operations Research, emeritus, at Carnegie Mellon University, is the 2016 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Division of Developmental/Life-Course Criminology (DLC) of the American Society of Criminology.

The award recognizes an individual who has a record of sustained and outstanding contributions to scholarly knowledge on developmental and life-course criminology. Blumstein will receive the award at the DLC’s annual meeting, Nov. 17 in New Orleans.

“I am deeply honored to receive this award from such an important group,” Blumstein said. “I’ve dedicated the better part of my life to conducting research to deal with crime and to improve the criminal justice system, so this citation is very gratifying to me. It’s been especially satisfying because I’ve been an ‘immigrant’ to criminology, having come from a prior background in engineering and operations research.”

Blumstein is a renowned criminologist known for his analytical, data-driven research into violence, criminal careers and public policy. His work has investigated nearly every aspect of the criminal justice system, from modeling of criminal careers, sentencing and prison populations, to the impact of demographic trends and drug-enforcement policy analysis. His research and analytical approach has had great influence on criminal justice policies and practices in the United States.

“Professor Blumstein was selected because he is widely recognized as the scholar who has made the greatest advances in knowledge about criminal career research,” said David Farrington, chair of the DLC and chair of the Awards Committee.

Blumstein was nominated for the award by Lia Ahonen, a visiting research scholar in the Department of Psychiatry at UPMC and an assistant professor of criminology at Orebro University in Sweden. She cited his contributions as chair of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences’ panels on deterrence and incapacitation, and criminal careers, and his service as chair of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the state Commission on Sentencing, and as chair of the Department of Justice’s Science Advisory Board.

“Very few criminologists or researchers in any related discipline really, have accomplished so many things that have led to policy changes,” she wrote.

Prior to joining the university’s H. John Heinz III College as a founding faculty member in 1969, Blumstein served as director of the Office of Urban Research, a member of the Research Council at the Institute for Defense Analysis. He was linked to criminology when he was asked to lead the Science and Technology Task Force for President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice.

A former dean of the Heinz College (1986-93), Blumstein has earned numerous awards for his work, including being elected into the National Academy of Engineering, and winning the American Society of Criminology’s Sutherland Award for his contributions to research and the Wolfgang Award for Distinguished Achievement in Criminology.

In 2007, he received the Stockholm Prize in Criminology for significant contributions to criminological research or practices that combat crime and promote human rights. From 2011-2015, he served as chair of the Science Advisory Board for the Office of Justice Programs in the U.S. Department of Justice.

This past April, the Heinz College honored Blumstein’s career with a two-day symposium involving a number of his former students and colleagues.

By Bruce Gerson / bgerson@cmu.edu

At 45, Vince Sonson made his fortune in the software industry and walked away. Now, the Carnegie Mellon University alumnus and former Tartan football player is paying it forward, focusing on the mental wellbeing of student-athletes everywhere.

Sonson is the founder of Balance Position, a startup that is developing a mobile app, mindfulness training programs and an educational outreach speaker series to help college athletes maintain a healthy balance.

“Our goal is our mission, which is to empower student-athletes to achieve and maintain optimal mental health so they can perform their best on the field, in the classroom and in life,” Sonson said.

In an online article introducing the NCAA Sport Science Institute’s mental health guide, “Mind, Body and Sport,” NCAA Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brian Hainline says mental health and wellness is a top concern among the hundreds of college athletes he’s spoken to since joining the NCAA in 2013.

Sonson played three years as a safety for the Tartans.

A Personal Story

A star student-athlete at the prestigious Shady Side Academy near Pittsburgh, Sonson was recruited to play football and baseball by many schools before deciding to enroll at Yale University. During one practice in his freshman football season, Sonson was put in the lineup as a fullback and required to block an All-Ivy League linebacker during a goal-line drill. The play was run 10 times in a row.

“I remember feeling like my head was in a different place. It was about that time that I started to get into this depression,” he recalled.

Sonson said he knew something was wrong, as did his teammates, coaches and trainers, but he didn’t want to admit it and those around him didn’t know what to do.

“I internalized everything, and it quickly spiraled,” he said.

Diagnosed with severe depression, Sonson left Yale in his sophomore year and returned home. Two years later he enrolled at CMU, where he played three years as a safety for the Tartans. He graduated in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in history and policy.

“My ability to open up with folks at CMU really made it possible for me to excel. CMU was no walk in the park in terms of demands and stress, but it was my ability to manage my depression that made a difference,” he said.

Seizing the Opportunity

Sonson is now working to make a difference for others.

“Twenty-three years later I’m still reading stories about student-athletes struggling with depression, manifested by drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence and self-harm. It’s bothered me for a long time. I often felt that if and when I get the opportunity to do something, I ought to,” he said.

The timing seemed right last summer. Sonson felt ready for a career change.

“It was a confluence of things that put me in a position to say, ‘it’s time to really make a run at this thing,’” he recalled.

Sonson formed Balance Position in October 2015. He and his partner — childhood friend and Cornell University alumnus Michael Bolanis — are working with their team to develop a free mobile app that tracks behaviors, such as sleep and diet, identifies behavioral trends, provides mindfulness training exercises, and connects users with family, friends and colleagues in their support network.

“We want to be able to identify symptoms early on and intercept them before they become big problems,” Sonson said.

One of the many interactive screens of the app,
which will be available this fall.

Balance Position is working with a focus group of about 40 student-athletes from NCAA Division I schools to design and test the app along with former University of Michigan football star Will Heininger. They recently added two key team members: Kara Stroup, a two-time captain of the Temple University women’s lacrosse team and prominent advocate for student-athlete mental health, and Kat Longshore, a mental performance coach who has worked with England’s national teams in lacrosse and softball, and Temple’s women’s lacrosse squad.

“We’re extremely fortunate to have such bright and passionate people in the huddle with us,” Sonson said.

The feedback from Sonson’s focus group has been positive and some CMU student-athletes are optimistic.

“This app could potentially provide a way for struggling student-athletes to seek help for their concerns without feeling judged or overwhelmed,” said Marissa Dominick, a junior defender on the women’s soccer team and a member of “The Plaidvocates,” a health and wellness committee of CMU student-athletes who provide support to their peers on health-related topics.

“It’s never easy to seek help for mental health concerns since there is often a negative stigma attached to these issues. Hopefully, this app will create a private avenue for student-athletes to be alerted of symptoms that could be caused by depression, concussion or other mental issues, and encourage them to seek professional help if needed,” said Dominick, a neuroscience major and pre-med student.

Dominick is no stranger to innovative sports technology. Over the past two summers she has worked with a startup in developing a “smart” mouth guard that would track blows to the head and identify early concussion symptoms.

“As a Plaidvocate, we have discussed that optimal performance on the field and in the classroom begins with a healthy lifestyle achieved through proper diet, sleep, relaxation techniques and social and mental health. If this app addresses those topics and offers tips for minimizing stress, especially at a rigorous university such as CMU, I think this app would be incredibly helpful for my peers, teammates, and even me,” Dominick said.

Jonathan Dyer, a senior defensive back on the Tartans’ football team and president of The Plaidvocates, said the app has great potential. He said he could see using the app as a communications tool with teammates and other athletes.

“We’ve found that the best tools we have for preventing or helping with mental health issues in the athletic community are communication and education,” Dyer said.

Alex Pomerantz is a senior golfer and a Plaidvocate member. He said the app could be a valuable resource during an athlete’s season when student-athletes feel the most pressure.

“When we are balancing team practices, traveling that affects class attendance, heavy class loads, and extracurricular activities, it is easy to lose sight of our own wellbeing,” said Pomerantz, who is applying to medical schools.

Sonson hopes to have the app available by early fall. He credits CMU for helping him in his career and his latest pursuit.

“There’s so much energy around innovation and entrepreneurship that it’s as if there’s a responsibility among the students to innovate, build and create things that have value in the community. That feeling permeates me. It certainly is a big reason why I made this decision to create Balance Position,” he said.

“Plaidvocating” for Health and Wellness

The Plaidvocates is a volunteer, peer-to-peer health and wellness committee that works to support the physical and mental wellbeing of Carnegie Mellon’s student-athletes.

Members mentor and provide support for their fellow student-athletes. They are educated and trained throughout the year by representatives from CMU’s University Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Ph.D. candidates in psychology.

“This kind of support program within athletics is not common,” said Kurt Kumler, director of CAPS. “The SMART team is leading the industry with this program and I think it’s a great thing.”

“Plaidvocates” are trained to listen to their colleagues and to provide support and information on stress and time management, nutrition, alcohol, drug use and other health-related topics.

The organization, now in its second year, is part of Carnegie Mellon’s SMART (Sports Medicine Assessment of Risk Tendencies) Program, which provides student-athletes with the services they need to remain healthy, such as sports medicine and training, physical health services and counseling and psychological services.

By Kelly Saavedra

Fans of William Shakespeare have a rare opportunity this year to view the first collected edition of his plays, known as the First Folio.

The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., has sent copies of the First Folio on the road to a number of U.S. cities in commemoration of the 400^th anniversary of the playwright’s death. But as a member of the Carnegie Mellon community, you only have to travel as far as Posner Center to see the First Folio. The university has its own copy, and it is on exhibit in the Posner Center from 1 - 7 p.m., Monday through Friday through Nov. 30.

At roughly 900 pages, the First Folio — one of the most valuable books in the world — was quite a large printing project. Seven years after Shakespeare’s death, a five-man syndicate of publisher/printers and actors gathered 36 of his plays into a collection they titled “Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories & Tragedies.” About 750 copies were printed. The book sold so well that a second folio was printed in 1632 and a third in 1663. The fourth and final folio was published in 1685.

“If you lived in the 19^th century and were middle class, you might not have had any other books in the house, but on your parlor table you had the Bible, and you had Shakespeare,” said Mary Catharine Johnsen, the special collections librarian (above) in the Hunt Library at Carnegie Mellon.

The First Folio came to the university from Charles J. Rosenbloom in 1974. Rosenbloom was a Pittsburgh connoisseur, collector and art patron. When he died, his rare book collection was divided among four beneficiaries including Yale University (his alma mater) and Carnegie Mellon, where he was a Life Trustee Emeritus. The deal was that if Yale had a book, then the book would go to Carnegie Mellon. Yale already had Shakespeare, so Rosenbloom’s four folios came to Pittsburgh.

The Posner Center’s exhibit, “Carnegie Mellon’s Shakespeare,” showcases the role that Shakespeare has played in Carnegie Mellon’s history, as well as the role that Carnegie Mellon has played in the promotion of Shakespeare as a cultural icon, world-renowned poet and enduring source for theatrical performance.

“At first, many of our conservatory actors are reticent to commit to the complex and poetic texts in Shakespeare’s plays,” said Don Wadsworth, professor of voice and speech in the School of Drama. “But when they can access the personal meaning of the extravagant language, they seem to adore the idea of speaking the world’s greatest English-speaking dialogue, painting word-pictures with unique and startling imagery and developing vibrant, larger-than-life characters from the most well-known and well revered classical playwrights ever known.”

The exhibit also features a collection of prints from the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, artifacts of Shakespearean performances from the School of Drama’s archives (1914-1970), and photographs and costumes on loan from the School of Drama from its recent productions of “Macbeth,” “King Lear,” “As You Like It,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Richard III.” 

In conjunction with the exhibit, the Posner Center will host a series of social and educational events to celebrate Shakespeare and his works.

On Nov. 4 at the Posner Center, the Department of English will host “Teaching Shakespeare at Carnegie Mellon,” a conversation between Professor Michael Witmore, former CMU faculty member who is director of the Folger Shakespeare Library, and Professor Peggy Knapp of the English Department. These scholars will reflect on their experiences teaching Shakespeare at Carnegie Mellon. They’ll discuss how students reacted to the privilege of seeing and touching a First Folio, what impact the School of Drama has on students of Shakespeare, and how Carnegie Mellon has shaped the ways in which scholars think about Shakespeare. The dialogue will include a Q&A session.

On Nov. 5, there will be a calligraphy workshop on Shakespeare’s handwriting style, called “secretary hand,” by renowned Shakespearean handwriting expert Myrna Rosen of the School of Design.

By Katelyn Howard

Julie and John Surma, graduates of the Tepper School's Part-Time
Online Hybrid MBA Program, on their wedding day.

When Julie Sfanos and John Surma enrolled in the Tepper School’s Part-Time Online Hybrid MBA Program three years ago, they hoped they’d be able to form bonds with their classmates despite the primarily online delivery mode.

And they did. Sfanos and Surma, who met during their class’ first in-person Access Weekend on campus, were married on July 16 — two months after John graduated, and one month before Julie would.

“My expectation was that I wouldn’t achieve that level of closeness with classmates simply because we were all located in different cities and doing much of class remotely, but I was wrong,” Julie Surma explained. “There is so much interaction … Everyone was eager to share knowledge and work together.”

“Tepper also made an effort to make sure we didn’t miss out on experiences that might typically be considered ‘on-campus’ activities,” John Surma added.

The Part-Time Online Hybrid MBA through the Tepper School of Business provides working professionals with the advantage of an education from a top-ranked program delivered through a flexible format that emphasizes rigorous curriculum, team-based projects, and exceptional leadership and career preparation. Students in the program have the same opportunities as full-time students and part-time on-campus students: the same coursework, the same professors, the same degree.

One of the prime benefits of the program is that it allows students to get to know their classmates through immersive, in-person Access Weekends, which occur in different cities every other month. This blend of online and on-site learning makes the program unique and sets it apart from standard online-only programs.

 “When we started the program, John was living in Akron, Ohio, and I was living in Pittsburgh. We met at the very first Access Weekend in August 2013,” she said. “He asked me out to lunch on the Sunday of that first Access Weekend when class had concluded.”

The two studied together over the next few months, and went on their first date later that fall.

“It was the best decision I ever made!” she added.

One thing the pair had in common right off the bat was a motivation to expand upon their education, combined with dedication to their full-time jobs: Julie at Johnson & Johnson, John at Lockheed Martin. The hybrid program was the perfect fit that allowed them to combine work and school.

“The benefit to me is all in the flexibility. I really wanted a top-tier MBA, but other part-time programs were nowhere near as flexible,” John said. “I could do all my schoolwork at once if I knew I had a busy week coming, or space it out if my job was light.”

“I travel quite a bit for my job at Johnson & Johnson, and my hours can be unpredictable. But I didn’t want that to restrict me from pursuing an MBA,” Julie added. “I was drawn to Tepper’s online program because I found it was the exact same curriculum as the part-time on-campus and full- time programs, but offered the flexibility that I could be anywhere in the country, and essentially the world, and complete my coursework and attend classes.”

The newlyweds were married this summer before jetting off to Italy for their honeymoon. From here, the pair is eager to see how their recent MBA degrees will help to advance their careers.

“At Johnson & Johnson, I’ve been able to apply much of my MBA learning to internal projects and different aspects of the business that I hadn’t been exposed to prior,” she said. “I pursued my MBA for career advancement … I hope to advance within the organization and take on a challenging new role.”

And the new groom, who is continuing to work with Lockheed Martin as a manufacturing program manager, hopes that his education will aid him in starting his own venture.

“In all of my spare time I am exploring my entrepreneurial side, with my eyes on owning my own business in the near future,” he said.

Their advice for those mulling over the prospect of an MBA degree: consider things such as your “fit” within a program, your financial situation and your future goals. The new bride advises potential students to think carefully when choosing between various delivery modes and select one that makes them feel challenged by the work, yet comfortable with the program and people.

By Julianne Mattera

Darian Cohen and his father, Graeme, turned a school
bus from Tennessee into a fully functioning home.

Many students hop a bus to school, but few can say they rode across the United States in one they helped convert into a home.

But Darian Cohen can.

In the months leading up to the start of his freshman year at Carnegie Mellon, Darian worked with his father, Graeme Cohen, to turn a school bus from Tennessee into a functional home, complete with composting toilet, refrigerator, kitchenette, bed and other amenities.

Then they took it on a drive from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh, where Darian, a Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences student and new middle linebacker on CMU’s football team, dropped off his belongings and met up with teammates.

“Before this bus was even a reality, I knew that Carnegie Mellon was the place where I wanted to be,” Darian said, adding that riding in the bus to college enhanced that experience. “Carnegie Mellon — you can’t top this university.”

Graeme said the bus started with a vision of “micro-sizing” his lifestyle.

“I really jumped at the chance to get a school bus from Tennessee,” Graeme said. “I drove it from Tennessee to Los Angeles in December, tore it down, converted it, and the goal was to get it completed by the time I had to bring him to college.”

Darian helped promote the bus on social media. Graeme is working to market the same kind of lifestyle and home to others through his business, School Bus Homes. The bus that they arrived in has already been sold.

Darian Cohen and his father show the interior features of the school bus they renovated.

“This is kind of a launching pad for School Bus Homes as a business to take decommissioned school buses that are essentially sitting and rotting in the earth to repurpose them and give them new life,” Graeme said. “It’s a totally viable option because the engines in these buses and the chassis are very, very solid and sound.”

For the father and son, the journey helped cement their bond. Darian said he learned some life lessons he will carry through his college years. Darian said his father’s motto, “never say can’t,” which Graeme has tattooed on his upper arm, is a mantra he’s tried to live by.

“The one thing I can really take away from this is don’t let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do,” Darian said, in reference to naysayers they ran into during the trip. “If it’s possible, you can do it.”

By Erin Keane Scott

The School of Drama kicks off its 2016-2017 season with a mixture of old and new plays that reflect on gender politics and social systems through several distinct lenses.

“This year’s productions will use humor as a primary device to shed light on the human condition,” said Peter Cooke, head of the School of Drama. “From Irish politics to a feminist 17th century classic, these plays prove the adage that ‘laughter is the best medicine.’”

“The Playboy of the Western World” by Irish playwright laureate John Millington Synge will be the first production of the season, running from Oct. 6-15 in the Philip Chosky Theater. The play is notorious for causing riots after it opened in 1907 because it revealed a much less idyllic Ireland than Dubliners wanted to see.

“We can always use a beautiful romance,” said director Don Wadsworth, “but at its heart this play explores the idea that we may not really know the true nature of those we love. There is a universal mystery to the show.”

Theatergoers will delve into the complicated territory of gender and sexuality with an adaptation of the 2015 book, “I’m Very Into You: Correspondence 1995-1996” by Kathy Acker and Mackenzie Wark. Director and adaptor Sara Lyons seeks to explore how intimacy and relationships are redefined online — underscored by these writers’ radicalism, lust and desire to be together. “I’m Very Into You” will run from Nov. 9-11 in the Helen Wayne Rauh Studio Theater.

The exploration of gender politics continues with “The Rover” by Aphra Behn, adapted by John Barton. The first known female playwright penned this 17th century restoration comedy and guest director David Bond of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama has chosen to put her point of view center stage.

“‘The Rover’ is not typical of plays of this period,” Bond said. “The characters are not recognizable from other plays of the time — they are not the familiar parade of fops, cuckolds, naive country maidens and predatory men. The politics are complex.”

This spirit of bringing a period piece into the contemporary zeitgeist has been pervasive in the creative team’s discussions.

“It's been liberating. The designers are very much aware of the gender politics and how bold we might be with set and costume, sound and light,” Bond said. “We all think we can go for the big picture — and there IS a big picture — and still preserve the complex psychology and social relationships.”

“The Rover” will run from Nov. 17-19 and Nov. 29–Dec. 3 in the Philip Chosky Theater.

The fall season wraps up with magical realist playwright Noah Haidle’s “Mr. Marmalade,” which runs Nov. 30–Dec. 3 in the Rauh Studio Theater. The play is about a 4-year-old girl named Lucy and her imaginary friend, Mr. Marmalade. Mr. Marmalade represents Lucy’s very dismal ideas about adulthood in a darkly comic fashion.

“This play comes at a time when we are questioning the social systems at the bedrock of our country's founding and prosperity,” said director Terrence I. Mosley.

“There are a lot of people seeking change but there are more people who don't understand the systems they are a part of because they are too young. Mr. Marmalade is fecund ground for the exploration of these social systems.”

In addition to these plays, the School of Drama will host the New Works Series from Oct. 26-29, and the Playground Festival from Dec. 8-10. The New Works Series is a presentation of three new plays, each by a graduate student playwright in their final year at CMU.

The Playground Festival is an independent, student-run event featuring work from traditional plays to installation pieces to performance art. Playground is a time when students test the limits of their creativity, often to fantastic result.

By Ken Walters / walters1@andrew.cmu.edu

Carnegie Mellon University’s Dining Services has selected AVI Foodsystems Inc. as the food service provider for the new David. A. Tepper Quadrangle, which is scheduled to open in summer 2018.

The Tepper Quad will be the first of AVI’s 80 university dining programs in the U.S. to feature AVI Pure, a standard of cuisine focused on a modern and holistic approach to food.

“This innovative dining concept emphasizes sourcing the most natural ingredients and following a preparation process that ensures minimal impact to the environment,” said John Coker, AVI’s chief creative officer. “AVI will feature foods in the Tepper Quad marketplace that are free of artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, and the use of antibiotics and growth hormones.”

After a thorough review and vetting process, AVI rose to the top as the campus community’s first choice for the dining vendor and food service provider in the Tepper Quad, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to university-wide collaboration and the new home to the Tepper School of Business.

AVI has served Carnegie Mellon’s dining program since 1996 with a robust vending and beverage program. With the award to operate the Tepper Quad’s 3,200 square-foot culinary marketplace, AVI will craft and execute a revolutionary culinary program designed specifically to meet the needs of a highly diverse university community of students, faculty, staff, alumni and guests.

The multiple retail venues planned within the Tepper Quad marketplace will include AVI’s exclusive concepts, including:

• Trattoria, featuring specialty hand-crafted pastas and hand-tossed pizzas;
• Carvery, showcasing made-to-order sandwiches with house-roasted meats and fresh-baked artisan breads;
• Sprout, a modern, all-organic fruits and vegetables bar focused on procurement of in-season fruits and vegetables from local farms and a custom-developed menu of sprouted grains, beans and seeds; and
• Met Grill, a contemporary concept that features grilled favorites including locally sourced bison burgers and a number of healthy sides.

In keeping with its local commitment, AVI will partner with Tazza D’Oro to serve coffee and other beverages at the Tepper Quad marketplace. A Carnegie Mellon Dining Services partner since 2010 and one of the best espresso bars in Pittsburgh, Tazza D’Oro is known for its artisan coffees, commitment to sustainable coffee farming and its highly trained baristas.

“Carnegie Mellon University strives to enhance and elevate the health, wellness and satisfaction of our campus by offering a best-in-class dining program,” said CMU Director of Dining Services Pascal Petter. “The Tepper Quad offers Dining Services the opportunity to create a marketplace that is social, collaborative and healthy in its approach to food, the community and the environment. With AVI at the helm of the dining marketplace in this visionary new facility, our dining program will achieve culinary innovation in taste, wellness and variety.”

By Bruce Gerson / bgerson@cmu.edu

Carnegie Mellon and PennDOT have rolled out an improvement plan for Forbes Avenue that will benefit pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and public transit riders traveling through the CMU campus.

The project, announced at a public meeting in late August, will transform the major Pittsburgh artery through the heart of the university into a calmer, more efficient and aesthetically appealing roadway, enhancing travel for everyone. The work also will help connect CMU’s main campus to the David. A. Tepper Quadrangle and other destinations to the north and west, as it will provide for a safer and easier commute across Forbes.

Specifically, the Forbes Corridor Improvement Project will rebuild the intersections between S. Craig Street and Margaret Morrison Street with new technology-enhanced, adaptive traffic signals and dedicated turning lanes to help regulate traffic flow. Countdown timers, audible signals for the visually impaired and highly visible “piano key” crosswalks will be painted at pedestrian crossings.

The existing light at Hamburg Hall will be moved east to Cyert Drive and a new intersection with turning lanes will be added at the new Tepper Quad location, opposite the Collaborative Innovation Center Drive.

The project also calls for new bicycle lanes in each direction on Forbes between S. Craig and Beeler Street, “pull offs” or curb “bump outs” to give buses room to pull over to pick up and drop off passengers enabling better traffic flow, and planting strips between the curb and roadway for pedestrian safety.

Bike lanes drew much of the attention at the meeting.

Safety and connectivity were the primary concerns of David White, executive director of Pittsburgh Bike Share, which owns and operates the city’s Healthy Ride bike-sharing program. He said he wanted to see bicycle lanes physically protected from motor vehicles as well as a connected network of bicycle lanes through Oakland into Squirrel Hill.

He said other cities have been innovative in protecting bicyclists.

“Many people have traveled to other cities and have seen more progressive, more creative uses of engineering. There’s elevation changes, bike lanes with a small curb that prevents vehicles from going into bike lanes. There are planter boxes, signage, street furniture, things that physically separate the driving lane from the bike lane and pedestrian lane,” he said.

Extending the bicycle network from the Birmingham Bridge through the Oakland business district is dependent on the Port Authority’s Bus Rapid Transit plan between Downtown and Oakland, which is in development, said Dan Cessna, PennDOT District 11 executive.

Others at the meeting from Bike Pittsburgh expressed concern over busses crossing the bike lane when entering and exiting the bump-out zones.

“We hear all your concerns,” said Pittsburgh Planning Director Ray Gastil.

The project team would be meeting with Pittsburgh officials to refine the details, according to CMU Associate Vice President for Campus Design and Facility Development Ralph Horgan and Director of Campus Design Bob Reppe, who have led efforts to improve Forbes Avenue safety for several years as part of CMU’s Master Plan.

“There will be ongoing meetings with the city and PennDOT over the next two-plus years through design and construction,” Reppe said.

Architecture Professor Don Carter, head of CMU’s Remaking Cities Institute, said the project is still in the preliminary stage.

“We weren’t showing final designs, we were showing conceptual designs. The concept is we want to put bike lanes on either side of Forbes and we’re going to work out the details with the city. I am a biker and I bike all the time. I know what the safety issues are,” Carter said.

The project should comply with Pittsburgh’s newly adopted Complete Streets Policy, which requires all new projects to consider improvements that make the street more accommodating to all users, said Mary Shaw, the A.J. Perlis University Professor who described herself as a bicyclist, pedestrian, public transit user and automobile driver.

The policy was adopted to oversee improvements, such as adding bike lanes, bump outs, curb ramps, signage, street furniture, high visibility crosswalks and audible signals, many of which are components of the Forbes plan.

“I understand this is early, but I also understand that when projects like this get designed, you need to get input before you get past the 10 percent design stage. The tradeoff is there’s less detail when you get to it early, but the good side is if you get to it early there’s a chance to perfect the details. That’s what I hope will happen,” Shaw said.

Additional public meetings will be held to discuss progress. Work is scheduled to begin in fall 2017 and continue through fall 2018.

By Kelly Saavedra

Each year, Carnegie Mellon’s staff recognition program honors individuals and teams who go the extra mile to make a real and lasting impact at the university. This year’s Andy Award winners have made a significant difference not just in their departments, but also on Broadway and beyond.

From helping to establish CMU’s partnership with the Tony Awards, to migrating the School of Computer Science’s data network, to relentlessly supporting students, to ensuring everyone finds CMU to be a warm, welcoming and inclusive place, the following individuals are working to take the university to a higher level.

And this year’s Andys go to …

Christina Cowan

Commitment to Excellence

From creative and innovative service to outstanding leadership, Christina Cowan’s impact throughout the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) runs the gamut. Her novel approach to ensuring everyone around her feels valued has won over students, faculty, and staff.

“It is amazing how the efforts of one person, one particular person, can truly make a difference in departmental morale,” said Jelena Kovačević, the David Edward Schramm University Professor and head of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

Kovačević said Cowan is constantly evaluating things and adjusting course to make the department as vital, successful and exciting as possible. From students to the dean, she treats everyone with the same level of courtesy and professionalism.

Meighan Harding, director of operations, said Cowan created a handbook for all visitors to the department and bios for the entire ECE faculty — all 75 of them — so that administrative coordinators can easily access them on Box and visitors know exactly where to go and with whom they are meeting.

“Moreover, she created a handbook for the coordinators from scratch so there are never any questions about who does what and how to do it,” Harding said. “Her motto is, ‘we should all know.’”

Cowan, nominated by the ECE Administrative Services Team, has instituted a number of initiatives for the department, from streamlining processes to providing training classes to saving $17,000 in 2015 alone by negotiating better prices for the faculty annual retreat.

Harding said she also knows how to make the department fun.

“Christina not only puts a smile on everyone’s face, but she makes them want to visit more often,” Harding said. “Staff and faculty who are extremely busy always make it a point to stop by to say hello if they are in the neighborhood. She makes people forget their worries, even if only briefly, and she finds something in common with everyone.”

Kevin Collins

Commitment to Students

Kevin Collins has gone above and beyond the call to create programming and events that meet his students’ unique needs.

As a career consultant in the School of Computer Science, he is a strong advocate for its student population and consistently goes out of his way to meet with them and provide assistance.

“I frequently see him squeeze in student meetings during the day, giving up his own time to meet their needs,” said his nominator and colleague Jennifer Frick, a career consultant for Tepper School students. “He is a wonderful resource to both students and employers and a beloved part of the Carnegie Mellon community.”

During each of the last three years, Collins completed more than 600 student appointments including special drop-in hours in the Gates Center where he could be closer to the students who were pressed for time. Last year, he facilitated 25 workshops for both undergraduate and graduate students — including eight orientation workshops in a 10-day time period — to help students acclimate to the university and the job search process.

Many of his advisees are international students, Frick noted, so Collins recently created a video — recorded entirely in Mandarin — that features Chinese alumni sharing tips on securing U.S. jobs and internships.  He also worked with a former senior software engineer in Silicon Valley to produce a video on technical interviewing tips.

He has been integral in the planning and running of the annual Spark job fair for startup companies to recruit CMU students. He also helps the department create online student resume books, which he then distributes to his many corporate contacts.

“Kevin realizes that our students have broad interests for their careers, and he meets with many companies both large and small to help develop successful partnerships that ultimately result in student jobs,” Frick said.

Pam Wigley

Innovative and Creative Contributions

Party tents and birthday cake were not what Pam Wigley had in mind to celebrate the School of Drama’s centennial in 2013. She had her eyes on the Tony Awards. With a desire to do something decidedly different, she set out to turn the red carpet “CMU red” and succeeded.

Leveraging internal and external resources, Wigley helped to secure CMU’s inaugural meeting with the producers of the Tony Awards, The Broadway League. They proposed a three-tiered partnership that was accepted: CMU would be the first, exclusive higher education partner of the Tony Awards, the presenter of the Excellence in Theatre Education Award and the exclusive sponsor of the Tony Awards press room. 

From CMU’s first prime-time 30-second television commercial, to branded press kits for 250 global entertainment media, to alumni presenters, Wigley’s efforts elevated the visibility of the School of Drama to a new level, promoting arts education in general and distinguishing the CMU brand from competitors.

“The robust public relations and marketing program that established the partnership earned CMU its first-ever Silver Anvil, which is the Public Relations Society of America’s highest honor,” said nominator Sue Tolmer, advancement director for the schools of Architecture, Art and the Office of the Dean. “Pam’s dedication to finding creative solutions has created a tangible benefit in the School of Drama, increasing application volume by 43 percent.”

Erin Keane Scott, director of marketing and communications for the School of Drama, added that Wigley elicits goodwill among everyone she meets.

“I’ve watched her interview countless Broadway professionals, and the interest she takes in their lives is genuine,” Scott said. “With both CMU alumni and others, she creates a positive connection that reflects back on our institution favorably.”

Patti Steranchak

Spirit

Patti Steranchak has made improving and promoting the Department of Engineering and Public Policy her life’s ambition, and colleagues say her spirit shines brightly in the hearts of former affiliates, alumni, faculty, staff and students.

She has helped to develop rising professors, encouraged many College of Engineering graduates through their academic careers, and has mentored staff members through the ranks and across the university.

“Patti has created an environment within EPP where all students and staff feel respected and included,” said professors Granger Morgan and Doug Sicker in their nomination letter. “With no doubt, this has helped EPP become one of the most diverse and inclusive departments within the College of Engineering.”

In addition to being competent, careful and meticulous in her work, Morgan and Sicker said she anticipates what could go wrong or require follow-up thereby heading off potential problems.

She’s also played a critical role in creating and sustaining the tone of the work environment across the department into a “friendly, collaborative environment in which most everyone is prepared to pitch in when there is something urgent that needs to be done, and in which everyone respects each other as a friends,” Morgan and Sicker said.

Adam Loucks, an administrative coordinator, said, “Her legacy at Carnegie Mellon has been well established for years, but Patti is ever looking forward, ever looking to put a little more shine on her work, and ever looking to guide a fresh-faced student to greatness.”

The Network Convergence Team
Josh Emerson, Steve Snodgrass, Matt Nickerson & Ronald Zack

Teamwork and Collaboration

Migrating the School of Computer Science from its own independent data network to the network-based telephony system required not just a thoughtful plan but the right team to pull it off.

The right team turned out to be Computing Services’ Josh Emerson and Steve Snodgrass and SCS’ Matt Nickerson and Ronald Zack. Setting aside organizational boundaries they attacked the situation from all angles as a single cohesive unit, consumed with “the spirit of partnership,” according to Scott Ambrose, director of Network and Communication Services, who nominated them for the award.

“They have been open-minded and inquisitive while seeking solutions, and thoughtful and assertive about pursuing their plan, resulting in a smart and elegant transition,” Ambrose said.

Ambrose called the end result “a smashing success” for the university in that the project was completed well before it needed to be and saved the university hundreds of thousands of dollars.

David Baisley, interim chief information officer, noted that bringing together teams charged with similar responsibilities to work on issues such as these could be fraught with peril.

“There can be a sense of territoriality, defensiveness and outright conflict. But not with these guys,” Baisley said. “They were solely focused on solving this complex problem and their love for the work rose above all other potential concerns.”

The team not only succeeded at their primary goals but also reduced network complexity, improved the delivery of network services and reduced university costs. The reduction in duplicate network hardware resulted in approximately $700,000 in savings. By eliminating leases for duplicate fiber runs to off-campus buildings, their intelligent network design contributed to another $100,000 in savings.

By Kelly Saavedra

Each year, Carnegie Mellon’s staff recognition program honors individuals and teams who go the extra mile to make a real and lasting impact at the university. This year’s Andy Award winners have made a significant difference not just in their departments, but also on Broadway and beyond.

From helping to establish CMU’s partnership with the Tony Awards, to migrating the School of Computer Science’s data network, to relentlessly supporting students, to ensuring everyone finds CMU to be a warm, welcoming and inclusive place, the following individuals are working to take the university to a higher level.

And this year’s Andys go to …

Christina Cowan

Commitment to Excellence

From creative and innovative service to outstanding leadership, Christina Cowan’s impact throughout the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) runs the gamut. Her novel approach to ensuring everyone around her feels valued has won over students, faculty, and staff.

“It is amazing how the efforts of one person, one particular person, can truly make a difference in departmental morale,” said Jelena Kovačević, the David Edward Schramm University Professor and head of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

Kovačević said Cowan is constantly evaluating things and adjusting course to make the department as vital, successful and exciting as possible. From students to the dean, she treats everyone with the same level of courtesy and professionalism.

Meighan Harding, director of operations, said Cowan created a handbook for all visitors to the department and bios for the entire ECE faculty — all 75 of them — so that administrative coordinators can easily access them on Box and visitors know exactly where to go and with whom they are meeting.

“Moreover, she created a handbook for the coordinators from scratch so there are never any questions about who does what and how to do it,” Harding said. “Her motto is, ‘we should all know.’”

Cowan, nominated by the ECE Administrative Services Team, has instituted a number of initiatives for the department, from streamlining processes to providing training classes to saving $17,000 in 2015 alone by negotiating better prices for the faculty annual retreat.

Harding said she also knows how to make the department fun.

“Christina not only puts a smile on everyone’s face, but she makes them want to visit more often,” Harding said. “Staff and faculty who are extremely busy always make it a point to stop by to say hello if they are in the neighborhood. She makes people forget their worries, even if only briefly, and she finds something in common with everyone.”

Christina Cowan (above left) poses for a photo with one of her nominators, Jelena Kovačević, head of ECE.

Kevin Collins

Commitment to Students

Kevin Collins has gone above and beyond the call to create programming and events that meet his students’ unique needs.

As a career consultant in the School of Computer Science, he is a strong advocate for its student population and consistently goes out of his way to meet with them and provide assistance.

“I frequently see him squeeze in student meetings during the day, giving up his own time to meet their needs,” said his nominator and colleague Jennifer Frick, a career consultant for Tepper School students. “He is a wonderful resource to both students and employers and a beloved part of the Carnegie Mellon community.”

During each of the last three years, Collins completed more than 600 student appointments including special drop-in hours in the Gates Center where he could be closer to the students who were pressed for time. Last year, he facilitated 25 workshops for both undergraduate and graduate students — including eight orientation workshops in a 10-day time period — to help students acclimate to the university and the job search process.

Many of his advisees are international students, Frick noted, so Collins recently created a video — recorded entirely in Mandarin — that features Chinese alumni sharing tips on securing U.S. jobs and internships.  He also worked with a former senior software engineer in Silicon Valley to produce a video on technical interviewing tips.

He has been integral in the planning and running of the annual Spark job fair for startup companies to recruit CMU students. He also helps the department create online student resume books, which he then distributes to his many corporate contacts.

“Kevin realizes that our students have broad interests for their careers, and he meets with many companies both large and small to help develop successful partnerships that ultimately result in student jobs,” Frick said.

Vice President of Student Affairs Gina Casalegno (above, left) and President Subra Suresh (rt.) congratulate Kevin Collins on winning his Andy Award.

Pam Wigley

Innovative and Creative Contributions

Party tents and birthday cake were not what Pam Wigley had in mind to celebrate the School of Drama’s centennial in 2013. She had her eyes on the Tony Awards. With a desire to do something decidedly different, she set out to turn the red carpet “CMU red” and succeeded.

Leveraging internal and external resources, Wigley helped to secure CMU’s inaugural meeting with the producers of the Tony Awards, The Broadway League. They proposed a three-tiered partnership that was accepted: CMU would be the first, exclusive higher education partner of the Tony Awards, the presenter of the Excellence in Theatre Education Award and the exclusive sponsor of the Tony Awards press room. 

From CMU’s first prime-time 30-second television commercial, to branded press kits for 250 global entertainment media, to alumni presenters, Wigley’s efforts elevated the visibility of the School of Drama to a new level, promoting arts education in general and distinguishing the CMU brand from competitors.

“The robust public relations and marketing program that established the partnership earned CMU its first-ever Silver Anvil, which is the Public Relations Society of America’s highest honor,” said nominator Sue Tolmer, advancement director for the schools of Architecture, Art and the Office of the Dean. “Pam’s dedication to finding creative solutions has created a tangible benefit in the School of Drama, increasing application volume by 43 percent.”

Erin Keane Scott, director of marketing and communications for the School of Drama, added that Wigley elicits goodwill among everyone she meets.

“I’ve watched her interview countless Broadway professionals, and the interest she takes in their lives is genuine,” Scott said. “With both CMU alumni and others, she creates a positive connection that reflects back on our institution favorably.”

Above, Pam Wigley (center) celebrates her Andy Award win with two of her colleagues, Kara Kessler (l.) and Sue Tolmer.

Patti Steranchak

Spirit

Patti Steranchak has made improving and promoting the Department of Engineering and Public Policy her life’s ambition, and colleagues say her spirit shines brightly in the hearts of former affiliates, alumni, faculty, staff and students.

She has helped to develop rising professors, encouraged many College of Engineering graduates through their academic careers, and has mentored staff members through the ranks and across the university.

“Patti has created an environment within EPP where all students and staff feel respected and included,” said professors Granger Morgan and Doug Sicker in their nomination letter. “With no doubt, this has helped EPP become one of the most diverse and inclusive departments within the College of Engineering.”

In addition to being competent, careful and meticulous in her work, Morgan and Sicker said she anticipates what could go wrong or require follow-up thereby heading off potential problems.

She’s also played a critical role in creating and sustaining the tone of the work environment across the department into a “friendly, collaborative environment in which most everyone is prepared to pitch in when there is something urgent that needs to be done, and in which everyone respects each other as a friends,” Morgan and Sicker said.

Adam Loucks, an administrative coordinator, said, “Her legacy at Carnegie Mellon has been well established for years, but Patti is ever looking forward, ever looking to put a little more shine on her work, and ever looking to guide a fresh-faced student to greatness.”

Above, Patti Steranchak (front row, rt.) celebrates with her colleagues from the Department of Engineering and Public Policy.

The Network Convergence Team
Josh Emerson, Steve Snodgrass, Matt Nickerson & Ronald Zack

Teamwork and Collaboration

Migrating the School of Computer Science from its own independent data network to the network-based telephony system required not just a thoughtful plan but the right team to pull it off.

The right team turned out to be Computing Services’ Josh Emerson and Steve Snodgrass and SCS’ Matt Nickerson and Ronald Zack. Setting aside organizational boundaries they attacked the situation from all angles as a single cohesive unit, consumed with “the spirit of partnership,” according to Scott Ambrose, director of Network and Communication Services, who nominated them for the award.

“They have been open-minded and inquisitive while seeking solutions, and thoughtful and assertive about pursuing their plan, resulting in a smart and elegant transition,” Ambrose said.

Ambrose called the end result “a smashing success” for the university in that the project was completed well before it needed to be and saved the university hundreds of thousands of dollars.

David Baisley, interim chief information officer, noted that bringing together teams charged with similar responsibilities to work on issues such as these could be fraught with peril.

“There can be a sense of territoriality, defensiveness and outright conflict. But not with these guys,” Baisley said. “They were solely focused on solving this complex problem and their love for the work rose above all other potential concerns.”

The team not only succeeded at their primary goals but also reduced network complexity, improved the delivery of network services and reduced university costs. The reduction in duplicate network hardware resulted in approximately $700,000 in savings. By eliminating leases for duplicate fiber runs to off-campus buildings, their intelligent network design contributed to another $100,000 in savings.

Pictured above, (l. to rt.) are Andy Award winners Josh Emerson, Steve Snodgrass, Matt Nickerson and Ronald Zack.

To prepare for the event, access to nearby streets and campus buildings will be temporarily restricted, and the following closures will take place.

• Tech Street will be closed to vehicular traffic through 5 p.m. today.
  
  
• Margaret Morrison Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from Tech Street to Donner Hall — reopening to vehicles at 5 p.m. The same section of Margaret Morrison Street will close to pedestrian traffic from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The College of Fine Arts parking lot also will close from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today.
  
  
• From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., access to Posner Hall will be limited to the Frew Street entrance and access to Skibo Gymnasium will be limited to the gymnasium entrance near the corner of Tech and Frew streets.
  
  
• From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Margaret Morrison Carnegie Hall will be accessible solely from the East/West Walkway, and access to The Kraus Campo from the College of Fine Arts building will be closed.

Those interested in attending the event can RSVP and find more information on the campaign website.

As a 501©3 nonprofit corporation Carnegie Mellon University does not support or oppose any particular candidate.

By Bruce Gerson

Maggie Braun will discuss an inventive seminar course that helps students’ personal development by focusing on the scientist rather than science.

Carnegie Mellon University's inaugural Teaching & Learning Summit will be an opportunity for faculty, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students and staff to discuss and exchange teaching strategies and explore how educational research at the university can be applied in classrooms.

Organized by the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation in collaboration with an advisory committee of faculty and graduate students from all seven CMU schools and colleges, the summit will be held from 1 – 5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 14, in the Cohon University Center’s Rangos Ballroom.

The highly interactive, five-part program will get underway with a keynote talk by Daniel Willingham, a renowned cognitive psychologist, author, and debunker of educational myths. He will be speaking on “Critical Thinking: Why is it so hard to teach?”

“Dan Willingham is famous for translating research results from learning science to education — that is, making them easier for instructors to understand and use in their teaching. And that research-based approach is what makes his keynote a particularly good fit for the Teaching and Learning Summit,” said Marsha Lovett, director of the Eberly Center, co-coordinator of the Simon Initiative and teaching professor of psychology.

Participants can help shape the agenda when they register and indicate their preference for joining roundtable discussions on a variety of teaching and learning challenges. Topics include motivating students, teaching and grading creativity, implementing active learning or “flipped” classrooms, teaching communication skills, or implementing technology-enhanced learning strategies. These discussions will provide informal opportunities to strategize with colleagues within and across disciplines and exchange experiences and perspectives.

Poster sessions will feature 50 CMU course designs, classroom research and learning science research projects.

Several “networking walls” will provide venues where participants can identify potential teaching or research collaborators and build community by connecting colleagues who share similar teaching interests and wish to continue discussions after the event.

Fifteen “quick-fire talks,” akin to a short film festival experience, will rapidly expose attendees to a potpourri of innovative and effective course designs and teaching approaches employed by CMU faculty and graduate student instructors. Talks will focus on concrete strategies for effectively designing interdisciplinary team-taught courses, leveraging readily available technology-enhanced learning approaches, designing team service learning projects, and integrating active learning techniques.

The summit is co-sponsored by the Provost, the Office of the Vice Provost for Education, the Simon Initiative and the Eberly Center. The Simon Initiative is a learning research lab that supports data-driven, continuous educational improvement. Faculty, students and staff can register for the summit online.

A Quick Look at Five “Quick Fires”

Teaching a Broad Spectrum: The Art and Science of Color

Chemistry Professor Catalina Achim and Art Professor Clayton Merrell will give a talk on their approach to teaching students with different disciplinary backgrounds and skill levels.

Achim and Merrell use a variety of teaching methods — lectures, demos, group work, labs, studios and field trips — in “The Art and Science of Color,” a course that brings together art and chemistry majors. They’ve found teamwork works best.

“Throughout the course students work in teams so they can learn from each other and help each other with unfamiliar material,” Merrell said. “The chemistry students have to paint and the art students have to do the laboratory work, but they can rely on each other for guidance.

“I think it is the richness of experience that give the class its impact,” he said.

Tackling Diverse Student Backgrounds Before, During and After Class

Lauren Cook, a third-year Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering, uses just-in-time teaching (JITT) in assisting Professor Jared Cohon in his Water Resources Systems class. The class comprises a wide range of students — juniors, seniors, master’s degree students and Ph.Ds.

JITT is an active learning technique in which students are asked to complete and submit a quiz or homework assignment online before the class.

“You’ll get the results the night before or the morning of the class and then you can apply what they know or don’t know into your next lesson. It allows you to adapt your teaching to what they need help in or what they need clarified,” Cook said.

Eureka! Educating the Whole Student

Associate Biological Sciences Teaching Professor Maggie Braun will discuss an inventive seminar course that helps students’ personal development by focusing on the scientist rather than science.

“EUREKA! Discovery and Its Impact” in the Mellon College of Science aids students making the transition from high school to college by teaching them communication skills, how to collaborate, and strategies for a healthy student-life balance. In large and small group sessions, faculty, alumni, students and staff share their insights on personal, academic and professional development.

“After one year, we’ve seen changes in the academic performance of the student as well as their investment in the community,” said Braun, associate dean for Undergraduate Affairs in MCS.

Strategies for Teaching Group Work That Works

“Group work doesn’t work by mistake, it takes upfront planning to organize the teaching context and then scaffolding the group work process throughout the course,” said Jeria Quesenberry, who draws on her experiences from the service-learning course she helps teach with Joe Mertz that places juniors with a community partner to solve information systems problems.

“We want to share some insights into how we form the teams and want to share teaching examples of the requirements we ask of the students,” she said.

The IDeATe Gallery

Daragh Byrne will feature the IDeATe Gallery, an online platform he created in 2014 to help students share their hands-on projects, document the work process and facilitate critical feedback from instructors and peers.

“One of the reasons we built the Gallery is to help students become more mindful, reflective and critical about the work they were making,” said Byrne, Intel Special Faculty in IDeATe.

“It grew out of a need to help students get more experience with critical feedback and critical reflection on outcomes. They can talk to each other about ways to improve their work and give actionable feedback on ways to make it better,” he said.

Carnegie Mellon University will host President Barack Obama during the White House Frontiers Conference this Thursday, Oct. 13. The national conference will bring together some of the world’s leading innovators to discuss building U.S. capacity in science, technology and innovation, and the new technologies, challenges and goals that will shape the 21st century and beyond.

The conference will require restrictions and limited access in and around the Cohon University Center, including the East-West Walkway and East Campus Garage.

Cohon University Center

Most parts of the Cohon University Center will be closed from 4 a.m. – 6 p.m., Thursday, including all fitness facilities. Au Bon Pain will be closed ALL DAY.

Employees who work in the Cohon Center should consult with their supervisors regarding their work schedules and alternative work locations. Campus dining options are available online.

While most of the Cohon Center will be closed during the day, a few areas will remain open. They are:

• The third-floor student organization offices will be open with access only through the exterior doorway off Forbes Avenue, just west of the main entrance. This entrance is sometimes referred to as the “Skibo Staircase.”

• The seating area, or Skibo lounge, adjacent to Au Bon Pain will remain open.

• The bookstore will be open during regular business hours, but closed from 1:30 - 6 p.m. When open, both levels of the bookstore will be accessible only through its exterior doorway adjacent to the Cut.

East-West Walkway

The East-West Walkway between Margaret Morrison Carnegie Hall and the Purnell Center for the Performing Arts will be closed to pedestrians from approximately 2 – 3:30 p.m., Thursday.

East Campus Garage

• Motorists must enter and exit the East Campus Garage from the intersection of Forbes and Beeler Street on Thursday.

• Parking will be limited along the west side of the garage.

• Some permit holders will be relocated to alternate parking areas. Parking and Transportation Services will communicate with permit holders who will be affected.

• Visitor parking will be available only for guests attending the conference.

For more information on the White House Frontiers Conference, go to http://frontiersconference.org/.

Carnegie Mellon's homepage and some of the most popular pages such as "Academics," "About Us" and "Research" have launched with a new look and new content.

The new pages are responsive, meaning that the designs respond to fit on mobile devices. Pages include new features such as slideshows and new graphic layouts.

Reporter Challenge to Just, Mitchell Leads to Mind Reading 2.0

New Bicycle Racks:

• Hamburg Hall (right of the high bay door)
• Doherty Hall (back entrance)
• Hammerschlag Hall (side entrance) - 2 racks
• Porter Hall (Frew Street side entrance)
• Tepper School (near Frew Street overhang)
• Purnell Center (porch area, Warner Hall Side) - 2 racks
• Gates Garage (first floor) - 2 racks
• Mellon Institute (down the hallway to the right off the Bellefield Street entrance)

New Maintenance Stations:

• East Campus Garage - 2 stations
• Gates Garage (first floor)
• Mellon Institute

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