Lee Branstetter, professor or economics and public policy at the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, is presenting this week at the Prospects and Challenges for Sustained Growth in Asia Conference in Seoul, South Korea. Branstetter will be presenting a paper he co-authored with Namho Kwon, a Ph.D. graduate of the Heinz College, during a session on “Invention, productivity and the evolution of East Asia’s innovation systems.” At the conference, he’ll be among some of Asia’s top policymakers and economists, as well as Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Jonathan Woetzel of McKinsey. The conference is sponsored by the Korean Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Korea, the IMF and the Peterson Institute.

Susan Polansky has been named the Athletics Department's NCAA faculty representative. Polansky, head of the Department of Modern Languages in the Dietrich College, succeeds Eric Grotzinger. “Susan is a university leader and a wonderful advocate for student experience outside of the classroom,” said Athletics Director Josh Centor. “We couldn’t be more thrilled for her to take on a significant role within the athletics community. I am looking forward to the opportunity to work more closely with Susan as we continue to move our athletics program forward.” Learn more.

Kevin Zollman, an associate professor of philosophy, will be giving short presentations on game theory as it applies to everyday life on Friday, Sept. 8 at the Carnegie Science Center, as part of the center’s 21+ night series. He also will discuss his book, “Game Theorist's Guide to Parenting.” Zollman first presented game theory to the masses in 2013, when he wrote an advice column for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, applying game theory strategies to routine dilemmas and major conflicts alike. Find out more about the book.

Head Women's Volleyball Coach Kim Kelly won her 500th career match and 250th at Carnegie Mellon last Friday (Sept. 1), when the Tartans opened the 2017 season at the Ohio Northern University Invitational. The Tartans finished play on Friday with two 3-0 victories, the first over Defiance College and the second over Thomas More College. Kelly currently ranks 28th on the Division III active win list with 501. Learn more about Kelly.

LaunchCMU Pittsburgh Is Oct. 10

The focus of this year's LaunchCMU Pittsburgh technology startup and research showcase on Tuesday, Oct. 10 is Robotics in Manufacturing. Sponsored by the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, LaunchCMU showcases entrepreneurship at CMU — cutting-edge research and innovations from students, alumni, faculty and staff — while bringing together the investment community, regional business leaders and CMU alumni.

Find out more.

TEL Projects Receive ProSEED Funding

Six technology-enhanced learning (TEL) projects designed to improve education while advancing our understanding of how humans learn have received funding from Carnegie Mellon’s ProSEED grant program. Part of the university’s Simon Initiative, the projects will leverage CMU’s learning engineering ecosystem and integrate learning research with data-driven, innovative educational practices.

ProSEED provides startup support for innovative projects that span disciplines and allow researchers and educators to complete the fundamental research needed to take their work to the next level. The Simon ProSEED projects support the university’s strategic plan by advancing and applying CMU’s world-leading research in learning science and TEL.

The six projects are:

• Scaling Maker Portfolios;
• Teaching Data Science Problem-Solving Skills at Scale;
• Evaluating TEL Tool for Personalized Learning Feedback;
• Scaffolding Active Learning for Scientific Principles;
• Creating Database Tools for Creative Storytelling With Mobile Technology; and
• Using OLI To Improve and Monitor Learning and Instruction.

Learn about the projects.

CAS Begins Narrative Initiative

From the role of public art to the evolution of media to how people use performance through social rituals, athletics and digital devices, Carnegie Mellon’s Center for the Arts in Society (CAS) has been re-framing the view of day-to-day life since 2008.

Projects from CAS’ latest mission — the Performance Initiative — were on display at the Miller Gallery recently and the focus of a special reception, complete with live music and fanfare.

“It was great to see a room packed full of people from so many different schools and departments across campus,” said James Duesing, CAS director and professor of art. “A highlight for me was seeing the project leaders present their work and the considered way Wendy Arons and Kristina Straub introduced such diverse projects in the context of contemporary performance.”

Find out more.

Alumni Award Nominations Due Oct. 2

The CMU Alumni Association is accepting nominations for its 2018 Alumni Awards.  Alumni may be nominated in the following categories: Achievement, Service, Outstanding Recent Alumni and the new Founders Medal for Outstanding Service and Exceptional Achievement. Faculty and staff may be nominated for the Faculty & Staff Impact Award. The nomination deadline is Oct. 2.

Find out more and submit a nomination.

Nominees Sought for Review, Disciplinary Boards

The Office of Community Standards & Integrity in the Division of Student Affairs is seeking nominees to serve on the Academic Review Board and the University Disciplinary Committee.

Nominations should be staff and faculty members who have shown a commitment to honesty and integrity, evidence of sound judgment, critical thinking and analysis, a commitment to consistency in their work and interactions with others, listening skills and compassion. Board members are convened to review student violations of community standards (theft, vandalism, alcohol violations, etc.) that cannot be resolved through an administrative resolution meeting or an academic integrity violation pattern (cheating, plagiarism, etc.).  This is an appointed volunteer opportunity and a way to contribute to upholding the standards and integrity of the Carnegie Mellon community.

If you are interested or know someone who may be a good fit, please fill out the nomination form by September 22.  Nominated individuals will be invited to attend a board member training session — the first opportunity will be on September 30.  Once nominated and trained, names will be passed to Faculty Senate and Staff Council respectively, for appointment.

Flu Vaccine Clinics Underway

Visit the Flu Vaccine Clinic Website for the clinic schedule and more information. To obtain your flu vaccine, you will need to present your Carnegie Mellon ID card. While walk-ins are welcome, for faster service it is recommended that you schedule an appointment.

David Stubbs’ family reunion in the early 1990s brought him from the South Bronx, New York, to Pittsburgh, where he became part of a second family as an HVAC technician at Carnegie Mellon University.

“We’re a close knit group. We help each other,” Stubbs said of his fellow craftsmen in Facilities Management and Campus Services (FMCS). “We’re related for eight hours a day, so we should have fun at what we do and leave happy.”

Stubbs said he gets great satisfaction doing his job well. A typical day for him includes handling heating and air conditioning service calls and performing preventive maintenance on air handling units, fan coils, cooling towers and chillers.

“I love to look at what I’ve accomplished at the end of the day and leave knowing things are working correctly,” he said.

Stubbs joined CMU in 1994, working in the cafeteria kitchen in Resnik Hall. He moved on to catering and then to the FMCS storeroom before becoming an HVAC apprentice. He earned his HVAC certification two years ago.

“When I first took this job I had a fear of the machinery. Now I walk up to the machines without hesitation. I’m sure of what I’m doing. I’m confident,” he said.

Stubbs is based in the Software Engineering Institute and works in the FMCS Mellon Zone, which includes several campus structures, including Mellon Institute, four buildings on and near South Craig Street, and the Pittsburgh Technology Center on Second Ave.

“I love the freedom of being able to work independently,” he said.

Stubbs spends his free time with his wife and 9-year-old daughter. He hopes his daughter will attend CMU.

“There’s a scripture in the Bible that says ‘a man who works and doesn’t leave an inheritance, lives for not.’ I hope to leave her a CMU education. That will sign her ticket for the future,” he said.

Stubbs said he is very proud of his more than 20 years working at Carnegie Mellon.

“CMU has been instrumental in my life. I came from New York and I came to CMU, and I’ve been here ever since,” he said.

Have a suggestion for the Staff Spotlight? Send it to piperweekly@andrew.cmu.edu.

Community in the Face of Hurricane and Earthquake Devastation

There will be a gathering of support for anyone in the CMU community impacted by the recent hurricanes in the Caribbean and U.S. and the earthquakes in Mexico.
 
When: 4 p.m., Friday, September 22
Where: Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion, Cohon University Center: Lower Level across from University Bookstore
 
Please join members of the CMU community in a gathering facilitated by Dr. Kurt Kumler, Executive Director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) joined by staff from the Office of International Education and The Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion.  We hope to connect and explore ways to support one another, and find resources for assistance and action. Please share this invitation broadly and we hope to see you there. 
 
Questions?  Contact The Center at csdi@andrew.cmu.edu or call 412-268-2150.

Dining Presents Taste of the Tartans, Sept. 26

Dining Services invites all members of the campus community to this tasty, annual tradition from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 26 in the Cohon Center's Rangos Ballroom. Take your taste buds on an international tour of free samples from dining vendors across campus. Pick up a ballot at the door and cast your vote for your favorite bite for the Andy Eats "Best of Taste of the Tartans!"

Celebrating Machine Learning for Social Good

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto will sit down with Brad Keywell, Uptake CEO, for a fireside chat about cities as centers of innovation and other issues as CMU celebrates the launch of the Machine Learning for Social Good fund. A reception follows the discussion. Interim Provost Laurie Weingart, Machine Learning Department Head Manuela Veloso and Professor Roni Rosenfeld of the Machine Learning Department and Language Technologies Institute also will make remarks.

Uptake, a Chicago-based predictive analytics software company, donated $1 million to start the Machine Learning for Social Good fund, which Rosenfeld oversees. The fund will provide opportunities for faculty and students to apply their expertise in data science and machine learning to initiatives that benefit the public sector. The event is open to faculty and graduate students only. Please register.

Alumni Win Emmys for Production Design

CMU alumni Andrew Leitch and Eugene Lee earned television's top prize in production design at the 2017 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Sept. 10.

Lee, a production designer and 1975 alumnus, won his second Emmy for Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Nonfiction, Reality or Reality-Competition Series for NBC's "Saturday Night Live."

Leitch, a 2012 graduate, won his first Emmy as part of a team for designing sets for the sixth season of HBO's political satire "Veep." The team won in the Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour of Less) category.

In all, 14 CMU alumni garnered 17 nominations for eight Emmy Awards. Find out more about CMU and the Emmy Awards.

Apply for "A Day in the Life" Job Shadowing Program

Staff members across the campus community dedicate themselves each day to supporting Carnegie Mellon’s mission and goals. A shadowing program, called “A Day in the Life,” is launching this October to provide an opportunity for staff to learn about how others are contributing to CMU and for staff to introduce others to their position and department contributions.

Sponsored by Staff Council and Professional Development Services, A Day in the Life is designed to provide staff with an opportunity to experience the university through a different lens and to engage in sharing ideas and forming relationships with colleagues throughout CMU. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the many ways in which all staff support and advance the mission of the university.

As a participant—either as a host or shadower—you will meet with a match for a suggested six hours over the course of six weeks, starting October 12th when the A Day in the Life Kick Off occurs.  To be considered as a host or shadower, or for more information, please visit the program's website or email ADayintheLife@andrew.cmu.edu. Apply now, as space is limited.

CMU's Flu Forecasts Prove Most Accurate

For the third year in a row, Carnegie Mellon University's forecasts of national influenza activity have proven to be the most accurate among all forecasting systems evaluated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CMU's Delphi research group fielded two forecasting systems during the flu season that ended in May. The systems ranked 1 and 2 among the 28 systems submitted to the CDC's forecasting research initiative by university and governmental research groups.

In contrast to the CDC's longstanding flu surveillance network, which measures flu activity after it occurs, the forecasting effort attempts to look into the future, much like a weather forecast, so health officials can plan ahead.

Find out more about CMU's forecasts.

CMLH Seeks Research Proposals

The Center for Machine Learning and Health (CMLH) is seeking proposals for research projects this fall. The CMLH seeks innovative, transformative research and development projects in all aspects of health care, including analytics, reasoning and prediction. Project goals should include generating systems and tools for improving the quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of health care.

This call for proposals is for one-year early stage research projects. Proposals are due Oct. 30. See the CMLH website for more details. 

Subscribe To Receive Parking News

To receive important and up-to-date parking announcements, members of the CMU community can subscribe to Parking & Transportation Services’ email news at http://eepurl.com/c3lhur.

Also new in Parking & Transportation Services is a pilot wheelchair scooter program for permit holders in the East Campus Garage. If you have a temporary disability (broken leg, foot, etc.) you can use one of Parking’s electric scooters on a daily basis. The scooters are in the East Campus Garage office.

Questions? Contact Michelle Porter at mporter@andrew.cmu.edu.

Alumni Award Nominations Due Oct. 2

The CMU Alumni Association is accepting nominations for its 2018 Alumni Awards. Alumni may be nominated in the following categories: Achievement, Service, Outstanding Recent Alumni and the new Founders Medal for Outstanding Service and Exceptional Achievement. Faculty and staff may be nominated for the Faculty & Staff Impact Award. The nomination deadline is Oct. 2.

Find out more and submit a nomination.

Nominees Sought for Review, Disciplinary Boards

The Office of Community Standards & Integrity in the Division of Student Affairs is seeking nominees to serve on the Academic Review Board and the University Disciplinary Committee.

Nominations should be staff and faculty members who have shown a commitment to honesty and integrity, evidence of sound judgment, critical thinking and analysis, a commitment to consistency in their work and interactions with others, listening skills and compassion. Board members are convened to review student violations of community standards (theft, vandalism, alcohol violations, etc.) that cannot be resolved through an administrative resolution meeting or an academic integrity violation pattern (cheating, plagiarism, etc.). This is an appointed volunteer opportunity and a way to contribute to upholding the standards and integrity of the Carnegie Mellon community.

If you are interested or know someone who may be a good fit, please fill out the nomination form by September 22. Nominated individuals will be invited to attend a board member training session — the first opportunity will be on September 30. Once nominated and trained, names will be passed to Faculty Senate and Staff Council respectively, for appointment.

Flu Vaccine Clinics Set for October, November

Once again, the university is offering flu vaccines at no cost to faculty and staff members. New this year, the flu vaccine clinics will be hosted by Human Resources and administered by Giant Eagle Pharmacy.

Upcoming clinics are:

• Oct. 4, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Cohon Center's McKenna/Peter/Wright Room
• Oct. 11, 8:30 a.m. - Noon, SEI Bakery Square A105
• Oct. 12, 8:30 a.m. - Noon, NREC Lawrenceville, 1st floor auditorium
• Oct. 23, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Cohon Center's McKenna/Peter/Wright Room
• Nov. 1, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Cohon Center's McKenna/Peter/Wrigh Room, (Benefits, Fitness Fair)
• Nov. 7, 8:30 a.m. - Noon, Mellon Institute Social Room 328
• Nov. 13, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Cohon Center's McKenna/Peter/Wright Room

Visit the Flu Vaccine Clinic Website for the clinic schedule and more information. To obtain your flu vaccine, you will need to present your Carnegie Mellon ID card. While walk-ins are welcome, for faster service it is recommended that you schedule an appointment.

Denise Rousseau, professor of organizational behavior and public policy at Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy and the Tepper School of Business, will be a keynote speaker at “Leaders Lunch: Trust at Work,” Sept. 27 in Brussels. Rousseau's work centers upon evidence-based management and workers' impact, HR strategies, changing the psychological contract and the effects of organizational culture on performance. The program will discuss why trust matters at work, how to build high-trust organizations and how to integrate trust into HR practices. The lunch program is sponsored by wiskeys: keys to the future of work, CEBMa and Balance Human Resources.

Donald K. Carter, director of the Remaking Cities Institute, is on a speaking tour of Scotland and England. He will be talking about his new book, "Remaking Post-Industrial Cities: Lessons from North America and Europe" (Routledge, 2016). The book examines the transformation of 10 post-industrial cities after the precipitous collapse of big industry in the 1980s on both sides of the Atlantic. It features in-depth case studies of five cities in North America (Buffalo, Detroit, Milwaukee, New Orleans and Pittsburgh) and five cities in Europe (Bilbao, Liverpool, Rotterdam, Ruhr Region and Turin). The book documents their recovery in the 30 years from 1985 to 2015, and concludes with "lessons learned."

Kathy M. Newman will be featured in a panel discussion, “BANNED: Art, Censorship and the First Amendment,” at 4:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 22 at the Casey Droege Cultural Productions, 937 Liberty Ave. This discussion is presented by the Arts and the Law Committee of the Allegheny County Bar Association, ACLU of Pennsylvania and City of Asylum. Newman is an associate professor of English. Joining Newman on the panel will be Tuhin Das, writer for City of Asylum, and Sara Rose, senior staff attorney for the ACLU of Pennsylvania.

Anupam Datta, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, is leading a $3 million National Science Foundation-funded project to improve automated decision-making systems, which affect everything from online advertising and health care industries to criminal justice. "A key innovation of the project is to automatically account for why an automated system with artificial intelligence components exhibits behavior that is problematic for privacy or fairness," said Datta, who is based at CMU's Silicon Valley Campus and is a part of CyLab, CMU's Security and Privacy Institute. "These explanations then inform fixes to the system to avoid future violations." Find out more.

After more than 12 years at 6555 Penn Ave. near Bakery Square, Campus Printing and Mailing Services has joined University Copy Centers to form Tartan Ink, a new storefront on the lower level of the Cohon University Center.

Tartan Ink, which is in the space previously occupied by FedEx/Kinkos, offers students, faculty and staff many printing and copying services. Customers can order business cards, flyers, large format posters, university letterhead and envelopes, passport photos and postcards. Tartan Ink also offers copying and lamination services, and is a drop-off location for shipping packages via UPS.

Printing and large copying jobs are produced at the Penn Avenue location, but orders are taken at the storefront.

“It’s nice to be back on campus because I see people I haven’t seen for a while, and that generates business,” said Dan Tyson, manager of Campus Printing and Mailing.

Campus Printing and Mailing moved to Penn Avenue due to campus construction in 2005. The Gates Center for Computer Science now occupies the space where campus printing resided.

“Despite being off campus, we actually grew the business. We kept our customers, and customer loyalty brought us new business,” said Tyson, who is optimistic that business will continue to increase.

“Tartan Ink is going to take off. It’s already been successful and it has only been open for a couple months,” he said. “We missed the student traffic before, and now we’re getting that with the storefront. Being in the Cohon Center is a very convenient location for people.”

Andrea James, associate sports information director for the Department of Athletics, likes the personal touch Tartan Ink provides.

“If I have a question about a printing project I can walk to the store and get answers easier than trying to explain what I want in an email,” she said. “In the past we’ve had campus printing do standard jobs like business cards, postcards and small booklets, but now we’re planning to add large posters thanks to the location of Tartan Ink.”

Patricia Herbster manages the copy center side of Tartan Ink. She and Tyson bring 70 years of experience to the operation.

“Many people didn’t realize the copy centers — one at Penn Avenue and one in the Tepper School of Business — still existed,” she said. “We have more of a visual presence at Tartan Ink, and there’s more walk-up business. We’re working with a lot of student groups that we had not worked with before. Business is looking good.”

Jon Beck, director of marketing for CulinArt, likes the customer service he received at the store.

“James (Ward), Jerry (Segal) and the Tartan Ink staff accommodated all of my unique and demanding needs, and produced everything from menu boards, to brochures and stickers,” Beck said. “They also are very personable and remembered all of my preferences, suggested great options and even caught my mistakes.”

Like Tyson, Herbster said she is grateful for the opportunity to return to campus.

“Special thanks should be given to our Vice President of Operations Rodney McClendon. He believed we could open the center and maintain the quality of service to our students, faculty and staff,” she said.

Tartan Ink is open from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., Monday – Friday.

Peter Stumpf, a piano technician, takes care of more than 80 pianos in Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Music.
 
Stumpf first entered the workforce as a printing press operator, but when the advent of computers sent the printing industry into a decline, he decided to try something different.
 
“I’ve always had a mechanical aptitude. Maybe it was my German upbringing,” he said. “I decided to follow my heart.”
 
As a boy, he took piano lessons and fell in love with the sound of the instrument, intrigued by how that sound was produced. Those feelings never faded. Years later, he enrolled in Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia where he earned a degree in piano technology.
 
“I knew I couldn’t make a living from this kind of work if I stayed way out in the country. So, after I graduated, I moved back to Pittsburgh where I started a business and worked hard,” he said. “Overnight success takes about 15 years, they say. That’s about how long I was on my own before CMU hired me.”
 
With so many pianos to check and tune, it takes Stumpf nearly three days to make his full rounds. He relies on texts and emails from piano students and faculty to alert him to pianos that require his attention.
 
“About half a dozen of the pianos get tuned every few weeks. Performance instruments are tuned more often. Practice instruments get attention about twice per semester,” he said.  

Stumpf listens to students honing their craft as he makes his way through the hallways.
 
“The students here at CMU are so smart. Some of them double major. They’re engineers, they’re computer scientists, and they still love music. It gives me hope for the world that there are people out there who still love the arts," he said. "Everybody at the end of the day gets in the car and turns on the radio. They go home, they watch movies. They go to Broadway. The arts are what make it worthwhile. They are what we run to.”

Stumpf enjoys mentoring those who want to follow in his footsteps. He teaches piano maintenance at CMU and occasionally fields questions from his former students who are now working as fulltime piano technicians.
 
He loves music and still tickles the ivories himself.
 
“It is such a valuable skill and such a wholesome activity,” he said. “My son is an engineering student. Sometimes I hear his math book slam shut when he gets frustrated, and he will take out his frustrations on the piano, and the piano doesn’t mind that. When my mother passed away, I would play pieces of her favorite music. It helped me to grieve.”
 
Stumpf said playing a piano is a lot like driving a car.
 
“At first you’re thinking all the time about all the things you have to remember. After a while you’re able to put all those things out of your mind and just drive, just play. And that’s where the joy of the instrument is,” he said.

Have a suggestion for the Staff Spotlight? Send it to piperweekly@andrew.cmu.edu.

Heather Keeton has your number.

As one of only two information service operators at Carnegie Mellon University, Keeton answers and directs calls made to the main university telephone line.

From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, Keeton and her colleague field an average of about 500 calls per day.

“Most calls come in between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. That’s our peak time and that’s when it might take a little time for us to get to the phone,” she said.

Keeton said the majority of calls are for the Hub, the Admission and Accounting offices, the bookstore, the Computer Science Department, and the schools of Drama and Music. She also receives many calls from people trying to contact specific faculty and staff members.

Keeton’s office receives an updated list of all CMU faculty and staff telephone numbers from the office of Human Resources each week.

“We upload the new list to our system every Monday,” she said. “When a call comes in we can search our database by first or last name, department or title.”

Keeton has been working the phone at CMU for more than 17 years. She also sets up conference calls for faculty and staff.

“I love it. I like to help people and, generally, you get nice people calling,” she said. “I’m very comfortable here. It’s a small department, and we know each other like family.”

A member of a large military family, Keeton is the youngest of eight siblings. Her father served in the Army and several of her brothers and sisters were in the Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard.

“I’ve been to all the East Coast states, from Maine to Florida, visiting my family at their bases or vacationing with them. I like to travel,” she said.

After work, Keeton likes to relax.

“I like to go out to eat and go to the movies. I like ‘me time,’” she said.

Have a suggestion for the Staff Spotlight? Send it to piperweekly@andrew.cmu.edu.

Melanie Lucht, assistant vice president for Enterprise Risk Management, has won the Business Continuity Institute’s (BCI) Continuity and Resiliency Professional of the Year Award for the private sector in the Americas. The award makes her eligible for the BCI Global Awards, which will be held in November in London. The Global Awards include other regional winners from Europe, Africa, Australia, India, Asia and the Middle East. The BCI, established in 1994, is the world’s leading institute for business continuity professionals. Learn more about Lucht.

Jessica Hodgins, professor of computer science and robotics, has been elected president of SIGGRAPH, the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. SIGGRAPH convenes the premier annual conference on computer graphics, which is attended by tens of thousands of computer professionals. The SIGGRAPH president serves a three-year term. This summer, SIGGRAPH named Hodgins the 2017 recipient of its Steven Anson Coons Award for Outstanding Creative Contributions to Computer Graphics. The group’s highest honor for computer graphics, the award recognized Hodgins for her foundational work in character animation, her support and cultivation of emerging researchers, and her extensive volunteer service to the computer graphics community.

R. Ravi was named an INFORMS fellow for the Class of 2017 “for contributions to the understanding of algorithms in combinatorial optimization, their application in business and technology, and for educational innovation in operations research.” The Fellow Award is reserved for distinguished individuals who have demonstrated outstanding and exceptional accomplishments in operations research and the management sciences. Ravi is a professor of business, operations research and computer science in the Tepper School of Business. He won the Tepper School’s George Leland Bach Award for Excellence in the MBA Classroom in 2013.

Enrollment Services Launches Updated Websites

Enrollment Services has launched updated HUB, ID Card and Student Financial Services websites. Realizing that many departments across campus link to these sites, they invite you to check them out and ask that you update any related links contained within your own sites, as some of their URLs have changed.
 
If you have any questions, contact Becky Choltco at 412-268-1906.

#AskAnArchivistDay is October 4

Join the university's archivists for #AskAnArchivistDay to view select items from the Carnegie Mellon University archives, pick up buttons using vintage CMU imagery, and test your Tartan trivia knowledge. Also celebrate the launch of the new University Archives blog, "Scotty Tales," with Scottie dog cookies!

The university’s archivists document, preserve and provide access to records documenting life at CMU and the contributions of its students and faculty. As the university prepares to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the merger of Carnegie Tech and the Mellon Institute, they have played an essential role in unearthing the images, faculty papers, and publications to bring the university’s history to life. If you can’t join us in person, tweet a question for one of our archivists to @CMULibraries.

Find out more.

Sample the Best Vegetarian Dish on Campus

October is National Vegetarian Month! Join Dining Services from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 5, in Rangos 2 and 3 for a tasting of the most delicious plant-based dishes on campus. Vote for your favorite dish for a chance to win a FitBit and learn more about campus resources for health, wellness and healthy eating, including ways you can share your voice and help us shape the future of food on campus.

Be An Engineer, Oct. 8

The College of Engineering invites your high school student to “Be An Engineer” from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 8 in the Cohon Center’s Rangos Ballroom.

The outreach event for 9th – 12th graders features a series of TED-style talks/demonstrations, lab tours and an admissions panel. Your student will get a first-hand look at a variety of engineering disciplines the College of Engineering offers and learn more about the admission process.

Register your student and find out more.

Apply for "A Day in the Life" Job Shadowing Program

Staff members across the campus community dedicate themselves each day to supporting Carnegie Mellon’s mission and goals. A shadowing program, called “A Day in the Life,” is launching this October to provide an opportunity for staff to learn about how others are contributing to CMU and for staff to introduce others to their position and department contributions.

Sponsored by Staff Council and Professional Development Services, A Day in the Life is designed to provide staff with an opportunity to experience the university through a different lens and to engage in sharing ideas and forming relationships with colleagues throughout CMU. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the many ways in which all staff support and advance the mission of the university.

As a participant — either as a host or shadower — you will meet with a match for a suggested six hours over the course of six weeks, starting October 12 when A Day in the Life kicks off. To be considered as a host or shadower, or for more information, please visit the program website or email ADayintheLife@andrew.cmu.edu. Apply now, as space is limited.

CMLH Seeks Research Proposals

The Center for Machine Learning and Health (CMLH) is seeking proposals for research projects this fall. The CMLH seeks innovative, transformative research and development projects in all aspects of health care, including analytics, reasoning and prediction. Project goals should include generating systems and tools for improving the quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of health care.

This call for proposals is for one-year early stage research projects. Proposals are due Oct. 30. See the CMLH website for more details. 

Subscribe To Receive Parking News

To receive important and up-to-date parking announcements, members of the CMU community can subscribe to Parking & Transportation Services’ email news at http://eepurl.com/c3lhur.

Also new in Parking & Transportation Services is a pilot wheelchair scooter program for permit holders in the East Campus Garage. If you have a temporary disability (broken leg, foot, etc.) you can use one of Parking’s electric scooters on a daily basis. The scooters are in the East Campus Garage office.

Questions? Contact Michelle Porter at mporter@andrew.cmu.edu.

Last Call: Alumni Award Nominations Due Oct. 2

The CMU Alumni Association is accepting nominations for its 2018 Alumni Awards. Alumni may be nominated in the following categories: Achievement, Service, Outstanding Recent Alumni and the new Founders Medal for Outstanding Service and Exceptional Achievement. Faculty and staff may be nominated for the Faculty & Staff Impact Award. The nomination deadline is Oct. 2.

Find out more and submit a nomination.

Flu Vaccine Clinics Set for October, November

Once again, the university is offering flu vaccines at no cost to faculty and staff members. New this year, the flu vaccine clinics will be hosted by Human Resources and administered by Giant Eagle Pharmacy.

Upcoming clinics are:

• Oct. 4, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Cohon Center's McKenna/Peter/Wright Room
• Oct. 11, 8:30 a.m. - Noon, SEI Bakery Square A105
• Oct. 12, 8:30 a.m. - Noon, NREC Lawrenceville, 1st floor auditorium
• Oct. 23, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Cohon Center's McKenna/Peter/Wright Room
• Nov. 1, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Cohon Center's McKenna/Peter/Wrigh Room, (Benefits, Fitness Fair)
• Nov. 7, 8:30 a.m. - Noon, Mellon Institute Social Room 328
• Nov. 13, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Cohon Center's McKenna/Peter/Wright Room

Visit the Flu Vaccine Clinic Website for the clinic schedule and more information. To obtain your flu vaccine, you will need to present your Carnegie Mellon ID card. While walk-ins are welcome, for faster service it is recommended that you schedule an appointment.

Chemistry Ph.D. candidate Tom Ribelli received the Best Poster Award at the 8th Controlled Radical Polymerization Symposium during the 2017 American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition. Selected by a panel of judges for his poster “Development of Highly Active Copper Catalyst for Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization,” the honor includes a $150 cash award. Ribelli works in the research group of Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, the J.C. Warner Professor of Natural Sciences at Carnegie Mellon. His research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of highly active copper catalysts for use in atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), with the aim of moving towards more “green” systems. Learn more.

Courtney Ehrlichman, deputy executive director for the Traffic21 Institute and Mobility21, is producing a monthly podcast series on women working in the smart transportation field. The series is called “Amplify.” Her initial podcast aired last week with PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards. The discussion with Richards ranges from Pennsylvania’s leadership in the future of transportation to her re-entry into the workforce after being a stay-at-home mother. Upcoming interviews will feature Jill Ingrassia, managing director of AAA’s Government Relations and Traffic Safety Advocacy departments, Suzanne Murtha, senior program manager with Atkins in North America, and Martha Morecock Eddy, practice leader for transportation technology for KCI Technologies, Inc. Listen to “Amplify.”

Chemist Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, with collaborators at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Akron, has come up with a methodology that fine tunes the characteristics of brush polymers to allow them to more closely mimic the characteristics of biological materials. Their technique is published as a letter in the Sept. 28 issue of Nature. In Nature, the group reports that they used controlled radical polymerization (CRP) methods to create a library of brush polymers. CRP techniques, such as atom transfer radical polymerization, which was developed by Matyjaszewski more than 20 years ago, allowed them to systematically vary the three variables for each polymer and create a well-defined reference set that researchers can use to reverse engineer a polymer architecture that will closely mimic a given biological tissue. Find out more.

Lenore Blum, Distinguished Career Professor of Computer Science, is one of 25 people named to the inaugural class of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) Fellows. The inaugural class includes past AWM presidents, AWM Lifetime Service Award winners, and AWM Humphreys Award winners. Each fellow also is at least 25 years beyond her/his terminal degree and has been a member of AWM for at least 10 years. Blum, who joined the Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science in 1999, is a founder of AWM and a past president.

Gary Aldrich, head coach of the Carnegie Mellon track and field teams, was the throws instructor at the Brazilian Olympic Committee Coaches Academy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sept. 18-22. Aldrich was asked by the academy to serve in this position following his stint as the U.S.A. Men's Throws Coach at the 2017 IAAF World Outdoor Championships that were held in London in August. The academy was an intensive learning environment in which Aldrich lectured for four hours a day as well as an additional four hours of "Learn by Doing" at the throwing area. Find out more.

Sample the Best Vegetarian Dish on Campus

October is National Vegetarian Month! Join Dining Services from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 5, in Rangos 2 and 3 for a tasting of the most delicious plant-based dishes on campus. Vote for your favorite dish for a chance to win a FitBit and learn more about campus resources for health, wellness and healthy eating, including ways you can share your voice and help us shape the future of food on campus.

Celebrating Tartan Racing's Urban Challenge Victory

Carnegie Mellon will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Tartan Racing's victory in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge, Oct. 12-14. The event will honor the accomplishments of a talented team and the passion that built a heritage of innovation thath ultimately led to the dawn of vehicle autonomy.



Highlights of the weekend include a Friday dinner at Phipps Conservatory, featuring keynote speaker Red Whittaker, world-renowned roboticist and leader of Carnegie Mellon’s Tartan Racing team. On Saturday, noteworthy pioneers in vehicle autonomy from CMU and industry will share their thoughts on autonomy, the underlying technologies, impact on society and what the future may yet have in store.

Register and fine out more.

Be An Engineer, Oct. 8

The College of Engineering invites your high school student to “Be An Engineer” from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 8 in the Cohon Center’s Rangos Ballroom.

The outreach event for 9th – 12th graders features a series of TED-style talks/demonstrations, lab tours and an admissions panel. Your student will get a first-hand look at a variety of engineering disciplines the College of Engineering offers and learn more about the admission process.

Register your student and find out more.

Apply for "A Day in the Life" Job Shadowing Program

Staff members across the campus community dedicate themselves each day to supporting Carnegie Mellon’s mission and goals. A shadowing program, called “A Day in the Life,” is launching this October to provide an opportunity for staff to learn about how others are contributing to CMU and for staff to introduce others to their position and department contributions.

Sponsored by Staff Council and Professional Development Services, A Day in the Life is designed to provide staff with an opportunity to experience the university through a different lens and to engage in sharing ideas and forming relationships with colleagues throughout CMU. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the many ways in which all staff support and advance the mission of the university.

As a participant — either as a host or shadower — you will meet with a match for a suggested six hours over the course of six weeks, starting October 12 when A Day in the Life kicks off. To be considered as a host or shadower, or for more information, please visit the program website or email ADayintheLife@andrew.cmu.edu. Apply now, as space is limited.

CMLH Seeks Research Proposals

The Center for Machine Learning and Health (CMLH) is seeking proposals for research projects this fall. The CMLH seeks innovative, transformative research and development projects in all aspects of health care, including analytics, reasoning and prediction. Project goals should include generating systems and tools for improving the quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of health care.

This call for proposals is for one-year early stage research projects. Proposals are due Oct. 30. See the CMLH website for more details.

Flu Vaccine Clinics Set for October, November

Once again, the university is offering flu vaccines at no cost to faculty and staff members. New this year, the flu vaccine clinics will be hosted by Human Resources and administered by Giant Eagle Pharmacy.

Upcoming clinics are:

• Oct. 11, 8:30 a.m. - Noon, SEI Bakery Square A105
• Oct. 12, 8:30 a.m. - Noon, NREC Lawrenceville, 1st floor auditorium
• Oct. 23, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Cohon Center's McKenna/Peter/Wright Room
• Nov. 1, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Cohon Center's McKenna/Peter/Wrigh Room, (Benefits, Fitness Fair)
• Nov. 7, 8:30 a.m. - Noon, Mellon Institute Social Room 328
• Nov. 13, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Cohon Center's McKenna/Peter/Wright Room

Visit the Flu Vaccine Clinic Website for the clinic schedule and more information. To obtain your flu vaccine, you will need to present your Carnegie Mellon ID card. While walk-ins are welcome, for faster service it is recommended that you schedule an appointment.

Tom Nuhfer, the founding director of the Materials Characterization Facility in CMU’s Materials Science and Engineering Department, was recognized for 50 years of service to the university during this year’s Andy Awards ceremony.

Nuhfer, who is counted among the inventors, makers, artists and builders that CMU is celebrating during its 50th anniversary this year, helped build the facility into a world-class electron microscopy teaching and research laboratory, where engineers can identify the structures of a material down to the atom.

“I love electron microscopy and the technique of characterization. It became quite the passion and I wanted to build the facility into something special to leave behind,” Nuhfer said.

The Materials Characterization Facility in Roberts Engineering Hall is filled with high-powered technology, including X-ray machines, computing equipment and ultra-sensitive microscopes. The crown jewel of the lab is the Titan, a high-resolution electron microscope.

“The Titan gives us major credibility as a world-class facility. That’s what attracts industry,” he said. “That’s been the focus and the pinnacle of my career — building this facility and bringing in these instruments at this level.”

To help support the lab, Nuhfer led the creation of an industrial consortium that includes the Bechtel Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory; Arconic (formerly Alcoa); U.S. Steel; PPG Paints; and Kennametal. The National Energy Technology Laboratory also uses the facility.

“Our industrial partners buy days to use our instruments. They send their engineers and scientists here. Some of them are our graduates. It’s a good relationship we’ve developed in the local industry,” he said.

The facility plays a major role in academic research.

“We have more than 200 users in the College of Engineering, and many of the published papers in materials science and engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering and biomaterials have microscopy components to them,” said Nuhfer, who has authored and co-authored more than 400 papers.

Nuhfer joined CMU’s Metallurgy Department as a technician in 1967 after serving in Vietnam as a member of the U.S. Navy. He was promoted to a technical engineer and senior scientist and eventually became director of the Materials Characterization Facility. He attended night school at CMU and earned his bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering in 1981.

“Our work has changed as the department has evolved. We’ve gone from metals to materials science, to nano-materials to biomaterials, polymers and nanotubes. But resolution is always the issue,” he said.

In 2009, Nuhfer won the Andy Award for Outstanding Dedication and the College of Engineering Staff Award for Excellence.

“I feel like I’ll leave something good behind. My hope is that the facility will maintain and grow when I retire,” he said.

Have a suggestion for the Staff Spotlight? Send it to piperweekly@andrew.cmu.edu.

Four individuals and one team received this year’s Andy Awards for their outstanding job performance and significant impact on Carnegie Mellon University.

The Andy, CMU’s top staff prize, recognizes individuals and teams in five categories. And the winners are ...

Spirit
Aaron George

Aaron George (right) with nominators Jess Klein (left) and Ashley Christ.

Aaron George is passionate about his work with students.

As a housefellow for Hamerschlag and Scobell residence halls, George attends to the needs of male student residents and seeks ways to help them mature as young men. He works with fraternities and is a member of the core group supporting the Student Center for Diversity and Inclusion. He also works with the Office of Title IX Initiatives.

“Aaron’s commitment to developing healthy ... masculinity is evidenced in both the one on one relationships that he develops with his students as well as in the types of educational programs he has worked to develop and present in the community,” said Holly Hippensteel, assistant vice president for Community Standards and Diversity Initiatives and interim director of Title IX Initiatives.

Hippensteel said George is always available when students or colleagues need help.

“He brings a positive, can-do attitude to every task. He is a ready and willing partner who will eagerly jump in to help, even if it presents a new challenge,” she said.

Ashley Christ, coordinator of Greek Life, said George inspires her.

“He is incredibly comfortable at challenging students to rethink gender norms and societal pressures,” said Christ in her nominating letter. “These topics are never easy to approach, but Aaron always engages with others in a way that invites them to think differently in a nonthreatening style.”

Jess Klein, coordinator of Gender Programs and Sexual Violence Prevention, said George sets a great example.

“Aaron is just a good guy, plain and simple. His integrity alone is something to admire. He believes in doing the right thing, even when it’s hard,” she said.

Commitment to Excellence
Jennifer Weidenhof

Jen Weidenhof (right) with her nominator Stephanie Wallach.

Magical is how several nominators and supporters described Jennifer Weidenhof’s performance in handling her many roles as program coordinator for the Undergraduate Research Office and Fellowships and Scholarships Office.

In nominating Weidenhof, Stephanie Wallach, assistant vice provost for undergraduate education, praised her colleague for effectively and efficiently managing “Meeting of the Minds,” creating new websites and apps, solving database problems, interacting with students, faculty and staff, managing the office finances and supporting new programs.

“We are a small office with a big impact on students and faculty across campus. Jen is humble. Yes, she is the person — the ‘magician’ behind the scenes — who makes much of what we do to serve students and faculty possible,” Wallach said.

Thomas Keating, a retired professor and longtime member of the Undergraduate Research Office, said Weidenhof combines the coordination skills of a project manager with the patience of a kindergarten teacher.

“She is a magician, a cajoler, a part-time psychologist, and above all, an understanding friend who has bailed out all of us when we most needed a little extra time,” Keating said.

In a supporting letter, Necia Werner, associate teaching professor of English, wrote about Weidenhof’s logistical contributions to “Speak Up!” a communications workshop series organized by undergraduate students engaged in campus research. Werner called Weidenhof “the glue” that kept everything together and the “smiling face” that made everyone relax.

Vice Provost for Education Amy Burkert said Weidenhof’s standard of service and desire to make a positive impact is unwavering.

“She defines a commitment to excellence and demonstrates it every day in her work,” Burkert said.

Teamwork and Collaboration
The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Administrative Team
(George Darakos, Barbara Fecich, Jean Harpley, Debbie Harvard, Jeff Legault, Christoph Mertz, Mark Nolan and Cheryl Wehrer)

The ARM Administrative team with Interim President Farnam Jahanian. Members pictured are (l-r): Barbara Fecich, George Darakos, Cheryl Wehrer, Jeff Legault, Christoph Mertz, Deborah Harvard and Jean Harpley.

The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Administrative Team provided the critical, yearlong administrative support for Carnegie Mellon’s winning proposal to lead an Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute in Pittsburgh. In January 2017, the Department of Defense awarded $80 million to CMU, which raised an additional $173 million from more than 220 partners.

Robotics professor and team nominator Howie Choset praised the team for their expertise and diligence.

“Simply put, we crossed the finish line in submitting and securing the cost-match because of our incredible team. The team epitomizes Carnegie Mellon — hard work, collaborative team skills and ingenuity. Because of them we were selected and we have them to thank for the opportunities it will create for Carnegie Mellon and others in the region,” Choset said.

ARM Institute CEO Gary Fedder, professor of electrical and computer engineering and robotics, called the team effort in compiling the 812-page proposal “mammoth in every measure.”

“It really did take a ‘village’ to complete the proposal … pulling together the consortium of organizations … collecting all of the necessary information in a timely manner, building the timelines, cost spreadsheets and justifications, and organizing, editing and formatting required this entire team with its array of skills,” Fedder wrote in a supporting letter.

David Bourne, principal scientist in the Robotics Institute, said the team’s work went above and beyond their “day jobs.”

“These people … define why CMU is such a special place. The principals often get fame as a reward. But these special people and others like them do it for the community and the love of others,” Bourne said.

David Holcomb (right) with fellow nominee Amy Nichols.

David Holcomb is an extraordinary instructor, mentor and adviser. The production manager in the School of Drama has played a principal role in building the curriculum for the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in stage and production management, and in molding future leaders of the industry.

In her nominating letter, Tina Shackleford, associate teaching professor, said Holcomb’s classes in production management provide students with the practical skills they need to fully manage shows at CMU.

“His heart is in the work, but so are his energies, enthusiasm and wisdom,” she said. “When I speak with faculty at other colleges, they are often surprised that we have students who fully manage our productions, since most schools do not. The difference is David Holcomb.”

Shackleford said Holcomb is always available for students.

“The chairs outside his office are constantly filled with those needing a little help,” she said.

Richard Block, associate head of the Drama School, called his work with students “nothing short of astonishing.”

“He could not be more encouraging to all of his students,” Block said. “He is particularly patient with those who struggle. His hope … is that those who were not overly successful while a student will eventually find their individual path to success.”

Master’s degree student Rachel D’Amboise said Holcomb’s classes are some of the most challenging she has taken and his guidance is exceptional.

“In helping us find the answers ourselves without simply telling us, he holds true to one of the deepest truths of education: that it is more important to teach students how to think than what to think,” she said.

Innovative and Creative Contributions
Robert Kollar

Robert Kollar (left) with his nominator Richard Pell.

Robert Kollar is a treasure in the School of Art.

For 21 years, the 1992 CMU art alumnus has been responsible for maintaining the electronic, computing and audio-visual equipment for the school. In addition to keeping things running, he has led major improvement projects, such as upgrading the media resources and designing and installing a new projection system in the Kresge Theater.

This past year, Kollar created a video projection wall that displays faculty and student works. He designed an electronic photo roster and calendar of events, and made two displays that feature publications authored by faculty. Kollar also helped to produce the new and improved school website.

Richard Pell, an associate professor of art, said Kollar goes above and beyond his job description.

“Every summer on his own initiative, he devises and suggests a project to the benefit of the school, and implements the work himself,” Pell wrote in his nominating letter. “Bob encompasses the union of the technological and the artistic that is the hallmark of the School of Art. Bob Kollar is a treasure.”

John Carson, former head of the school, said Kollar is a “wizard” in solving computer problems for faculty and praised his dedication, efficiency and willingness to go beyond his official job duties.

In a supporting letter, Golan Levin, an associate professor of electronic art, said the School of Art’s top national ranking in multimedia education is partly a result of Kollar’s efforts.

“There is simply no doubt in my mind that we have only been able to achieve this because of the tireless, quiet and exceptionally competent support of Bob Kollar,” Levin said.

Chemistry Ph.D. candidate Tom Ribelli received the Best Poster Award at the 8th Controlled Radical Polymerization Symposium during the 2017 American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition. Selected by a panel of judges for his poster “Development of Highly Active Copper Catalyst for Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization,” the honor includes a $150 cash award. Ribelli works in the research group of Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, the J.C. Warner Professor of Natural Sciences at Carnegie Mellon. His research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of highly active copper catalysts for use in atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), with the aim of moving towards more “green” systems. Learn more.

Courtney Ehrlichman, deputy executive director for the Traffic21 Institute and Mobility21, is producing a monthly podcast series on women working in the smart transportation field. The series is called “Amplify.” Her initial podcast aired last week with PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards. The discussion with Richards ranges from Pennsylvania’s leadership in the future of transportation to her re-entry into the workforce after being a stay-at-home mother. Upcoming interviews will feature Jill Ingrassia, managing director of AAA’s Government Relations and Traffic Safety Advocacy departments, Suzanne Murtha, senior program manager with Atkins in North America, and Martha Morecock Eddy, practice leader for transportation technology for KCI Technologies, Inc. Listen to “Amplify.”

Chemist Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, with collaborators at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Akron, has come up with a methodology that fine tunes the characteristics of brush polymers to allow them to more closely mimic the characteristics of biological materials. Their technique is published as a letter in the Sept. 28 issue of Nature. In Nature, the group reports that they used controlled radical polymerization (CRP) methods to create a library of brush polymers. CRP techniques, such as atom transfer radical polymerization, which was developed by Matyjaszewski more than 20 years ago, allowed them to systematically vary the three variables for each polymer and create a well-defined reference set that researchers can use to reverse engineer a polymer architecture that will closely mimic a given biological tissue. Find out more.

Lenore Blum, Distinguished Career Professor of Computer Science, is one of 25 people named to the inaugural class of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) Fellows. The inaugural class includes past AWM presidents, AWM Lifetime Service Award winners, and AWM Humphreys Award winners. Each fellow also is at least 25 years beyond her/his terminal degree and has been a member of AWM for at least 10 years. Blum, who joined the Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science in 1999, is a founder of AWM and a past president.

Gary Aldrich, head coach of the Carnegie Mellon track and field teams, was the throws instructor at the Brazilian Olympic Committee Coaches Academy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sept. 18-22. Aldrich was asked by the academy to serve in this position following his stint as the U.S.A. Men's Throws Coach at the 2017 IAAF World Outdoor Championships that were held in London in August. The academy was an intensive learning environment in which Aldrich lectured for four hours a day as well as an additional four hours of "Learn by Doing" at the throwing area. Find out more.

Sample the Best Vegetarian Dish on Campus

October is National Vegetarian Month! Join Dining Services from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 5, in Rangos 2 and 3 for a tasting of the most delicious plant-based dishes on campus. Vote for your favorite dish for a chance to win a FitBit and learn more about campus resources for health, wellness and healthy eating, including ways you can share your voice and help us shape the future of food on campus.

Celebrating Tartan Racing's Urban Challenge Victory

Carnegie Mellon will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Tartan Racing's victory in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge, Oct. 12-14. The event will honor the accomplishments of a talented team and the passion that built a heritage of innovation thath ultimately led to the dawn of vehicle autonomy.



Highlights of the weekend include a Friday dinner at Phipps Conservatory, featuring keynote speaker Red Whittaker, world-renowned roboticist and leader of Carnegie Mellon’s Tartan Racing team. On Saturday, noteworthy pioneers in vehicle autonomy from CMU and industry will share their thoughts on autonomy, the underlying technologies, impact on society and what the future may yet have in store.

Register and fine out more.

Be An Engineer, Oct. 8

The College of Engineering invites your high school student to “Be An Engineer” from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 8 in the Cohon Center’s Rangos Ballroom.

The outreach event for 9th – 12th graders features a series of TED-style talks/demonstrations, lab tours and an admissions panel. Your student will get a first-hand look at a variety of engineering disciplines the College of Engineering offers and learn more about the admission process.

Register your student and find out more.

Apply for "A Day in the Life" Job Shadowing Program

Staff members across the campus community dedicate themselves each day to supporting Carnegie Mellon’s mission and goals. A shadowing program, called “A Day in the Life,” is launching this October to provide an opportunity for staff to learn about how others are contributing to CMU and for staff to introduce others to their position and department contributions.

Sponsored by Staff Council and Professional Development Services, A Day in the Life is designed to provide staff with an opportunity to experience the university through a different lens and to engage in sharing ideas and forming relationships with colleagues throughout CMU. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the many ways in which all staff support and advance the mission of the university.

As a participant — either as a host or shadower — you will meet with a match for a suggested six hours over the course of six weeks, starting October 12 when A Day in the Life kicks off. To be considered as a host or shadower, or for more information, please visit the program website or email ADayintheLife@andrew.cmu.edu. Apply now, as space is limited.

CMLH Seeks Research Proposals

The Center for Machine Learning and Health (CMLH) is seeking proposals for research projects this fall. The CMLH seeks innovative, transformative research and development projects in all aspects of health care, including analytics, reasoning and prediction. Project goals should include generating systems and tools for improving the quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of health care.

This call for proposals is for one-year early stage research projects. Proposals are due Oct. 30. See the CMLH website for more details.

Flu Vaccine Clinics Set for October, November

Once again, the university is offering flu vaccines at no cost to faculty and staff members. New this year, the flu vaccine clinics will be hosted by Human Resources and administered by Giant Eagle Pharmacy.

Upcoming clinics are:

• Oct. 11, 8:30 a.m. - Noon, SEI Bakery Square A105
• Oct. 12, 8:30 a.m. - Noon, NREC Lawrenceville, 1st floor auditorium
• Oct. 23, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Cohon Center's McKenna/Peter/Wright Room
• Nov. 1, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Cohon Center's McKenna/Peter/Wrigh Room, (Benefits, Fitness Fair)
• Nov. 7, 8:30 a.m. - Noon, Mellon Institute Social Room 328
• Nov. 13, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Cohon Center's McKenna/Peter/Wright Room

Visit the Flu Vaccine Clinic Website for the clinic schedule and more information. To obtain your flu vaccine, you will need to present your Carnegie Mellon ID card. While walk-ins are welcome, for faster service it is recommended that you schedule an appointment.

Byron Yu, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and biomedical engineering, and Matthew Smith of the University of Pittsburgh, have received a four-year $1 million grant to use brain-computer interfaces to understand how the sensory environment and state of mind combine to affect perception and interpretation of the world around us. Their work has implications for treating psychiatric disorders. The NSF granted 19 awards to teams from all over the United States to conduct research on neural and cognitive systems. The awards will contribute to the NSF’s support of the BRAIN initiative, a research effort created to spark the development of new neurotechnologies. Find out more.

Max G’Sell, an assistant professor of statistics, and Avniel Ghuman of the University of Pittsburgh received a National Science Foundation award for brain research. G’Sell and Ghuman will work to understand how the brain perceives and understands the actions, emotions and communications of others. The three-year, $1 million grant will allow them to understand brain circuits in a real-world setting. They will record electrical brain activity in patients undergoing neurosurgical treatment for epilepsy while they have natural interactions with friends, family, doctors and hospital staff. Ultimately, they hope to provide much greater insight into neural processes that become dysfunctional in debilitating brain disorders such as autism and post-traumatic stress disorder. Learn more.

The Desert Research Institute has named chemistry graduate student Qing Ye the runner-up for the Peter B. Wagner Memorial Award for Women in Atmospheric Sciences. The award is presented to a woman pursuing a graduate degree in atmospheric sciences or a related program at a university in the United States. Ye, a fifth-year graduate student conducting research on aerosols, tiny liquid or solid particles that pervade the atmosphere, works in CMU’s Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies and is the first student in the joint Ph.D. program in chemistry and engineering and public policy. She received the second-place award for her manuscript “Mixing of secondary organic aerosols versus relative humidity.” The work showed that semi-volatile organic compounds can readily diffuse into the billions of tiny atmospheric particles that inhabit the air, easily moving among them. Find out more.

A new online management system for Carnegie Mellon University’s sponsored research proposals will enhance tracking and data collection, and eliminate the need for signature approvals on paper.

In 2016, the Office of Sponsored Programs helped facilitate the submission of 1,652 research proposals.

The new proposals module of the Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance System (SPARCS) will improve the submission and tracking process for researchers and administrators who contribute to research at CMU. The proposals module is scheduled to launch Oct. 30.

“The SPARCS proposals module will improve the workflow associated with submitting research proposals and facilitate more robust data collection about our proposal activity, in support of the strategic activities in all our schools and colleges,” said Interim Vice Provost for Research Bhagavatula Vijayakumar.

The benefits of SPARCS include:

• Electronic routing and approval for proposals;
• Improved budgeting support for future reporting;
• Accurate data collection to reduce errors in submissions;
• Centralized communications between stakeholders and the Office of Sponsored Programs;
• A centralized repository for all proposal related documentation;
• Integration with compliance modules and other university systems; and
• A standardized process support system.

“We’ll no longer need to walk around with a routing sheet to obtain signatures. SPARCS will send notifications to the appropriate approvers reducing time to obtain the necessary departmental and college approvals,” said Linda Feuster Duffy, associate vice provost for the Office of Sponsored Programs. “We want to thank the business managers and research administrators for their contributions during the design phase and for helping us move the university from a paper process to an electronic process.”

Krista McGuigan, business manager for the Language Technologies Institute, has been part of the project since its inception. She said SPARCS is a huge step toward increased transparency in the research administration process.

“The SPARCS team has sought campus input at every point of the development process and we will have improved tools and processes to support our business offices as a result. Ultimately, we all benefit from easier access to the myriad of information flowing through our research processes," McGuigan said.

The SPARCS Help Desk has expanded services to assist users in navigating through the new system. Representatives from the Office of Sponsored Programs also will be available to help.

For more information, visit the SPARCS website.

She has been doing it for eight years at Carnegie Mellon University as a registered nurse supervisor in University Health Services.

From flu season preparations to seeing patients to following up with first-year students on their immunization requirements, Lonchar said the beginning of the fall semester is her department’s busiest time of year.

“There are usually six nurses working at a time. Each of us has our own niche for the day, but that niche is not the same day after day,” Lonchar said.

“Some nurses will be providing care to students who come in for their scheduled appointments while others will be in the back doing testing. One nurse will be triaging while another handles walk-ins. It’s different for each of us every day, and that makes the job a lot more challenging, more interesting.”

Lonchar had always been interested in the sciences and decided to try the nursing path after graduating high school. Prior to CMU, she was a nurse at West Penn Hospital for 25 years. It was there she found she was able to really make a difference in people’s lives.

“I really enjoyed taking care of the patients. If I could get a patient recovering from open heart surgery through the night and know they were going to be okay — even though they were unaware — that was a really gratifying feeling,” she said.

Similarly gratifying was being able to share good news with a patient’s family.

“If we saved someone’s life doing CPR, letting the families know their loved one was going to be okay after something very traumatic like that happened was very, very gratifying,” she said.

At University Health Services, Lonchar said collaboration is key.

“We are one big team, and very well oiled, I’d say. We work very well together. We couldn’t do all the things we do here without good teamwork. We all help each other out,” she said.

Lonchar enjoys the administrative duties of her job — she plans the schedule for the nursing staff and is in charge of immunization requirement compliance — but it is the clinical interaction with the students that makes it all worthwhile.

“The patient interaction, the direct care. That’s what nursing is,” she said.

Have a suggestion for the Staff Spotlight? Send it to piperweekly@andrew.cmu.edu.