Eight staff members in the Mellon College of Science were recently honored for outstanding job performance and achievement.

Debra Nigra received this year’s Merit Award, which recognizes staff members for their outstanding job performance over an extended number of years. Nigra has been with the PSC for over 30 years, where she is an expert in preparing advanced technical user documentation for PSC’s web presence and is a valued member of the PSC's communications team.

Rozita Laghaei, a research scientist in the Biological Sciences Department, earned this year’s Rookie Award. Laghaei has worked hard to acquire and broaden an interdisciplinary skill set, and to help students with their research and prepare them for presentations at scientific conferences.

Brenda Chambers, administrative assistant in the Chemistry Department, was honored for her leading role in developing the department’s strategic plan, for representing the concerns of department staff, and for offering suggestions to improve and streamline administrative processes.

Heather Corcoran, senior academic coordinator for the Department of Physics, was commended for her work organizing the department's memorable diploma ceremony.

Iulia Dumitriu, webmaster for the Department of Mathematical Sciences, received recognition for her efforts in developing a highly sophisticated set of websites, including pages for centers, events and publications.

Christine Gilchrist, senior academic coordinator for the MCS Dean’s Office, was honored for going above and beyond expectations in a variety of roles to advance the success and influence of MCS on campus and in the Pittsburgh community.

The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center honored Thomas Maiden, who was recently promoted to manager of user services. Maiden was praised for co-developing and leading the HPC Monthly Workshop series for students using the highly innovative Wide Area Classroom technology, which he designed and implemented under his leadership.

Matthew Salyers, multimedia designer in the Biological Sciences Department, was recognized for being the driving creative force behind all of the department's multimedia projects.

Driving Toward the Intersection of 3D Printing and Machine Learning

"One of the biggest hurdles between just making a part that looks good and actually putting it on an aircraft is making sure that the part you're producing doesn't have flaws in it," said Carnegie Mellon University alumnus Luke Scime.

Scime, who graduated with a doctorate in mechanical engineering and is now a post-doctoral researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, worked with Mechanical Engineering's Jack Beuth, director of the NextManufacturing Center, to develop a machine learning algorithm that detects anomalies within a part as it's being printed — a practice known as process monitoring. The specific type of printing they worked with, laser powder bed fusion, involves spreading a thin layer of powder — 30 to 60 microns in diameter — and melting it in select areas to form a layer of the printed object. The process is then repeated for the next layer, with each build containing hundreds of thousands of layers. Many errors that can occur during a build are due to the incorrect spreading of the powder layer.

Find out more.

Tartans Post Impressive Academic Numbers

On the heels of achieving their best finish in the Division III Learfield Directors’ Cup standings, Carnegie Mellon’s student-athletes again earned high praise in the classroom. Continuing the trend that athletics and academics is not mutually exclusive at Carnegie Mellon, 71 student-athletes recorded a perfect 4.0 grade-point average (GPA) for the spring semester. Including the 71 4.0s, more than 50 percent of CMU student-athletes earned a 3.50 GPA or higher during the spring, as the entire department earned a 3.42 for the semester.

“In terms of athletic performance, this was a banner year for our program,” said Director of Athletics Josh Centor. “’But most important is the example our student-athletes set by performing at extraordinary levels in the classroom, while representing the university at the highest level of intercollegiate sport.”

Find out more.

Weight Watchers at CMU Starts July 11

Carnegie Mellon’s next installment of its Weight Watchers program begins at 12:15 p.m., Wednesday, July 11. The cost of the 12-week session is $156 and includes free digital tools, weekly on-campus meetings and 24/7 chat sessions with experts. You can pay by cash, check — made payable to Weight Watchers — or credit card.

For more information about the program and how to register contact Tara Trapani at ttrapani@andrew.cmu.edu.

CMU Offers Employee Perks and Discounts

Did you know Staff Council has negotiated special discounts for CMU faculty and staff? Check out the latest summer discounts to:

• Kennywood;
• Hershey Park;
• Idlewild and Soak Zone;
• Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival;
• Pittsburgh Passion;
• PPG Paints Arena; and
• Sandcastle.

And be sure to check out the anytime discounts as well to:

• Pittsburgh Cultural District;
• Bob O’Connor Golf Course;
• Equalli Jewelry; and
• MobilityWorks.

Nominations Now Open for 2018 Andy Awards

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2018 Andy Awards, the university-wide staff recognition program that honors individuals and teams for outstanding performance in five categories. The categories are: Commitment to Excellence; Commitment to Students; Innovative and Creative Contributions; Spirit; and Teamwork and Collaboration.

The nomination deadline is July 13. For more information, including how to submit a nomination, go to the Andy Awards website.

EH&S To Continue Building Evacuation Drills this Summer

The Environmental Health and Safety Department is conducting building evacuation drills this summer between 8 a.m. and 12 noon. The remaining schedule follows.

July 11: 8 a.m., Gates/Hillman Center; 8:30 a.m., Newell-Simon Hall; 9 a.m., Purnell Center and Miller Gallery; 9 a.m. - Noon, Cyert Hall, Cohon University Center, Bramer House and Alumni House

July 19: 8 a.m. - Noon, Pittsburgh Technology Center, Information Networking Institute, Software Engineering Institute, UTDC, Whitfield Hall and 4721 Fifth Ave.

July 27: 8 a.m. - Noon, Integrated Innovation Institute, 205 S. Craig, 300 S. Craig, 311 S. Craig, 407 S. Craig, 417 S. Craig, 6555 Penn Ave., National Robotics Engineering Center and GATF

Dates are subject to change due to weather conditions.

Kenny Blair keeps the cameras rolling, the TV monitors on and the sound turned up as Media Services’ principal equipment technician.

For 26 years, Blair has been setting up the audio-visual equipment for events on CMU’s main campus, from Board of Trustees meetings, special lectures and diploma ceremonies, to visits by President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, IBM’s Watson, former basketball star Sheryl Swoopes, and even Ben & Jerry, the ice cream moguls.

“We’re only as good as our last job,” said Blair, who knows the difficulties faulty equipment can cause. “If you can’t handle the pressure you can’t handle this job.”

Over the years, Blair has learned to make sure the equipment he needs is working before going to every event. However, sometimes he has to improvise, like the time the power went out during a trustees meeting in the Posner Center.

“I gave my phone to [Vice President and General Counsel] Mary Jo Dively so she could use the flashlight to read her notes and continue her presentation,” he said. “I raised the curtains on the windows to let some light in, too.”

Despite the high-pressure environment, Blair likes his job, especially working with students, faculty and staff.

“After you’ve been here so many years, you get to know a few people. They start sharing their lives with you. They ask how you and your family are doing. The interaction is fun,” he said.

Blair has a thirst for knowledge. He has a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s degree in public policy and management from CMU’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, and a computer information technology degree from Community College of Allegheny County. He enjoys the challenge of keeping up with the many technological advances in the audio-visual industry.

“It’s more plug and play now. Before it was more labor and hardware intensive and now it’s more software intensive. It’s become more efficient and the quality is better,” he said.

Blair and his colleagues in Media Services learn about new products by reading, taking continuing education classes and participating in webinars. They also often attend InfoComm, the largest professional audio-visual trade show in the United States, where they can talk directly with company representatives.

“Every company that sells cameras, electronics, microphones, TVs, and anything you can imagine in the audio-visual world is there. There’s SONY, Dell, Apple, LG, Samsung, Panasonic — all the major players are there. The industry is constantly changing and we’re constantly learning. This job is not boring,” he said.

In his spare time, Blair keeps busy deer hunting, fishing for trout and steelhead, and barbecuing on his 20+-year old Brinkmann Smoke’N Pit Professional grill.

“I’m a charcoal person — no gas. I like to slow cook ribs, 5 to 6 hours at 200 degrees,” he said.

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

With hundreds of copiers on campus, Cornella Ellis is like a fish in water.

Ellis is a copier technician who operates out of Tartan Ink in the basement of the Cohon University Center. He studied electronics at Gateway Technical Institute and has more than 20 years of experience working with copiers. His customers reach him by opening a ticket through the Tartan Ink website.

Ellis travels from one end of campus to the other to troubleshoot problems, replace equipment parts and remove paper jams, and helps to provide new solutions for the university’s everchanging needs.

“I really enjoy sharing what I know about the equipment with my customers in all of the different departments,” he said. “Sometimes I will get a request for a copier upgrade, so I will meet with the customer to discuss the footprint of their space, the type of machine they want, the specific qualities of the various machines, and what would be a good fit for their needs.  Other times, it’s as simple as a paper jam, or a copier is out of toner.”

While he’s on the job, Ellis sees a variety of events on campus. He particularly enjoys getting a glimpse of the Buggy races, a CMU tradition during Spring Carnival.

“I really like the atmosphere of the university,” Ellis said. “It’s energizing.”

When he is not at work, Ellis splits his time between exercising at the gym and caring for the tropical fish he has managed to breed in his 55-gallon freshwater aquarium.

“Right now, I have nine African cichlids. The most rewarding aspect is the ability to maintain a balanced, natural environment for them that replicates their native waters of Lake Malawi,” he said. “It has taken me years of patience to discover just how to accomplish this.”

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

CMWA Names New Officers

The Carnegie Mellon Women’s Association (CMWA) has announced its 2018 – 2019 leadership team. They are:

• Tris Jahanian, Honorary President;
• Jessica Corry, President;
• Jessica Zlotcavitch, Co-Vice President of Programs;
• Brianna Brewer, Co-Vice President of Programs and Marketing;
• Sarah Collins, Vice President of Membership;
• Katie Taylor, Treasurer; and
• Christa Cardone, Past President.

The CMWA was formed by a group of visionary women in 1916 and seeks to give women of the Carnegie Mellon community the opportunity to meet and interact with other women across the campus. In addition, the CMWA offers annual awards to graduating CMU senior students, which is supported through membership contributions.

Membership is open to all women associated with the university including faculty, administrators, trustees, staff or wives/partners and friends of faculty, administrators, trustees and staff. Contributions support annual scholarships for graduating senior students at Carnegie Mellon.

Contributions for membership this year are accepted from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019. Visit www.cmu.edu/cmwa/membership/index.html to join or renew your membership today!

Last Call: Andy Award Nominations Due July 13

Nominations for the 2018 Andy Awards are due Friday, July 13. The university-wide staff recognition program honors individuals and teams for outstanding performance in five categories — Commitment to Excellence; Commitment to Students; Innovative and Creative Contributions; Spirit; and Teamwork and Collaboration.

For more information, including how to submit a nomination, go to the Andy Awards website.

Staff Council Passes Resolution Supporting Parental Leave Proposal

Staff Council has passed a resolution in support of a paid parental leave policy for staff. The policy proposal, drafted by the Parental Leave Focus Group, would afford any eligible staff member who becomes a parent of a pre-school age child, through childbirth or adoption, up to 12 weeks of fully paid leave during the first 12 months following birth or adoption. Currently, only the staff birth mother is eligible for 5-7 weeks of short-term disability (60 percent salary) concurrent with the standard unpaid time off covered under the Family Medical Leave Act. CMU faculty members who are primary caregivers are eligible for one semester of full paid leave after the birth or adoption of a pre-school age child.

The Parental Leave Focus Group is continuing to work with Human Resources and other campus partners toward creating a paid parental leave policy for staff.

Rohr Commons Opens in the New Tepper School Building

Rohr Commons, featuring AVI Pure and Tazza D’Oro, opened on Monday, July 2, in the new Tepper School building. Rohr Commons is the first location of AVI’s 80 university dining programs in the country to feature “Pure,” a new standard of cuisine focused on a modern and holistic approach to food.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for us to showcase our truly innovative culinary program — one that focuses on food in its purest form,” said Chris Nelson, AVI’s executive vice president. “It’s all about natural and wholesome ingredients. Our skillfully prepared selections will be free of artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, and the use of antibiotics and growth hormones.”

A homegrown Pittsburgh institution and distinctive espresso bar and café, Tazza D’Oro has a unique partnership with Counter Culture, a coffee roaster with relationships with small farmers who are producing the finest beans in the world. Locally sourced ingredients are used to create freshly pressed paninis, salads, sides and pastries.

“Dining Services is excited to be a part of this transformative stage in Carnegie Mellon University’s history, opening a first-of-its-kind dining location in this new hub for cross-campus collaboration,” said CMU Director of Dining Services Pascal Petter. “With an open kitchen environment and a menu prepared with the highest quality ingredients, Rohr Commons, featuring Pure and Tazza D’Oro, offers an interactive and customized culinary experience, while promoting a healthy approach to food, the community and the environment.”

Find out more.

CMU Partners with Bosch Center for AI; Kolter Joins as Chief Scientist

Bosch in North America has announced the launch of the Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence Research Lab in Pittsburgh, which will be the BCAI's fourth location. In addition, Bosch will provide more than $8 million to sponsor research at Carnegie Mellon through 2023, and Zico Kolter will join Bosch as chief scientist in AI.

Kolter, an assistant professor at CMU's School of Computer Science, will direct the multimillion dollar research projects at CMU, in addition to contributing to Bosch's global R&D efforts as a principal member of the BCAI.

Find out more.

Fireworks Postponed to July 21

Carnegie Mellon's July 4th fireworks show has been rescheduled for Saturday, July 21. The show was postponed on July 4th due to the weather. The show will begin at 9:35 p.m. and can be viewed from the College of Fine Arts lawn, weather permitting.

EH&S To Continue Building Evacuation Drills

The Environmental Health and Safety Department is continuing its building evacuation drills this summer. The remaining schedule follows.

July 19: 8 a.m. - Noon, Pittsburgh Technology Center, Information Networking Institute, Software Engineering Institute, UTDC, Whitfield Hall and 4721 Fifth Ave.

July 27: 8 a.m. - Noon, Integrated Innovation Institute, 205 S. Craig, 300 S. Craig, 311 S. Craig, 407 S. Craig, 417 S. Craig, 6555 Penn Ave., National Robotics Engineering Center and GATF

Dates are subject to change due to weather conditions.

Anna Siefken has been selected as a member of the 2018 Executive Energy Leadership program by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the U.S. Department of Energy. Siefken, associate director for Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at CMU’s Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, is one of 20 participants from industry, government and nonprofit organizations who will take part in a four-month program, learning from NREL’s scientists, touring its facilities and visiting local energy installations to better inform their energy-related decisions and planning. At the end of the program, Siefken and her cohort will present feasible clean energy projects from their communities. An adjunct professor in the Heinz College, Siefken is a leader in the promotion of energy efficiency, green initiatives and environmental practices. She earned the Pittsburgh Business Time’s 2016 Women in Energy Leadership Award, a spot on the Smart Business Pittsburgh Magazine’s “Who to Watch” list in 2017, and a recent Women of Achievement Award from Cribs for Kids. Learn more.

After 20 years in the Department of English, Barbara Johnstone retired this spring. A professor of English and linguistics, Johnstone wrote the widely used textbook “Discourse Analysis,” was editor of the journal “Language in Society” and became an expert in Pittsburghese. Johnstone authored “Speaking Pittsburghese: The Story of a Dialect” in which she analyzed the origins of the city’s most iconic words, such as “yinz” and “nebby.” In her retirement, Johnstone will continue her academic research with two forthcoming papers and a book in progress. Find out more.

Tzahi Cohen-Karni, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering and materials science & engineering, has been named a 2018 Young Innovator by the Biomedical Engineering Society's journal Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering. Cohen-Karni was honored for his work on capturing heart cell data through tiny graphene sensors. The work sets the stage for deeper investigations into heart arrhythmias and disease such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. As part of the award, Cohen-Karni and his team published a research paper, "Graphene microelectrode arrays for electrical and optical measurements of human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes." The paper describes Cohen-Karni's work creating microelectrode graphene sensors, which the researchers have shown can take precise optical and electrical recordings of spontaneously beating heart cells known as cardiomyocytes. Find out more.

Michal Friedman, a visiting assistant professor of history, co-organized an international symposium to mark the centennial of the establishment of the modern Jewish community of Madrid, Spain. The symposium, held July 2-4 in Madrid, featured academics, writers and filmmakers from Spain, the U.S., Israel, Italy and Poland, and included panel discussions, roundtables, film screenings and public talks. The participants were received by the director of the Academy of the Spanish Language (Real Academia Española), who discussed the academy´s establishment of a new institute devoted to the study of Judeo-Spanish, the language of the Sephardi Jews. The academy also declared Judeo-Spanish an Hispanic language.

Thomas Scanlon, a cybersecurity researcher in the Software Engineering Institute's CERT Division, took first place in the University of PIttsburgh English Department's Tall Tales Short Story contest for his story "Phantasm 42." The fictional piece focuses on Curtis "Popeye" Harris, who played for the Pittsburgh Crawfords baseball team in the Negro League. Scanlon writes that Harris visited the 42nd floor of the Cathedral of Learning nearly every day to gaze into Forbes Field, dreaming he would one day play for the Pittsburgh PIrates. When hall of famer Jackie Robinson came to town to play in a Negro League All-Star game at Forbes Field, he was told about Harris' daily ascent atop the Cathedral of Learning. So, Robinson made the trek. The next year, he chose to wear number 42 for the Brooklyn Dodgers and tipped his cap toward the Cathedral of Learning everytime he played at Forbes Field. Read "Phantasm 42."

Ipek Ozkaya, a principal researcher in the SEI Software Solutions Division, has been chosen as editor-in-chief of IEEE Software, a leading peer-reviewed journal published bimonthly since 1983 by the IEEE Computer Society. When Ozkaya assumes editorial leadership in January 2019, she plans to focus on publishing research that provides practical guidance and help to software developers and architects. She aims to help practitioners with information that is useful, consumable and timely. Ozkaya earend her Ph.D. in computational design from CMU.

Leigh Metcalf, a senior network security research analyst in the SEI’s CERT Division, was recently named co-editor-in-chief of Digital Threats: Research and Practice, a new journal of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM). The journal grew from Metcalf's belief that cybersecurity researchers and practitioners need a vehicle to communicate with one another. This peer-reviewed journal, set to launch in early 2019, will promote the foundational development of scientific rigor in digital security by bridging the gap between academic research and industry practice. Metcalf will share editorial duties with Arun Lakhotia, a professor in the School of Computing and Informatics at University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Beth Yazemboski keeps buzzing all summer long.

As director of Conference & Events Services (CES) and Pre-College Summer Studies, Yazemboski and her staff serve as a “one-stop logistics shop” for external groups holding conferences on campus and for the six-week residential Pre-College program. The Pre-College program houses more than 500 high school students and includes offerings in architecture, art, design, drama, music, game academy and artificial intelligence, a new program this year.

Yazemboski, a 20-year member of the CMU community, works with groups across campus to take care of all the details for both CES and Pre-College — from Housing, Dining, Parking Services and Media Technology to Undergraduate Admission, Student Accounts, the University Registrar’s Office and Computing Services.

“We work with many different groups, and building relationships means a great deal to our staff and the success of the work that we deliver,” she said.

Some of the conferences and events coming this summer include the Robotics Science & Systems Conference, which will have about 800 attendees, and the North American Summer School in Logic, Language and Information, which will bring between 250 to 300 attendees. Yazemboski’s team also handles logistics for the ID Tech Camp, the Summer Academy for Math and Science, the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Sciences and the Intern Housing program.

“We have been successful in increasing participation in our Intern Housing program this summer. We’ve grown from four last year to 37 this year. The program permits students from other universities with internships in Pittsburgh to coordinate their housing needs with our office,” Yazemboski said.

When she first took the helm of Conference & Event Services 13 years ago, there were about 50 events per year. Today, she said her unit handles about 350 each year.

“We are always open to making improvements for others with our services. We are a resource for people, and it is really rewarding to see the results in what we do,” Yazemboski said.

One of the things she loves about her job is her team of five full-time staff and six summer event assistants.

“I’m very motivated by my staff. I am very fortunate to have a team that I know I can count on for anything at any time. They work extremely long and hard hours, and seeing their passion gives me a sense of pride and a feeling that we are all driving to do something great,” she said.

Off campus, Yazemboski is devoted to her family, which is enjoying a newly found hobby. Her 10-year-old daughter, 15-year-old son, and husband enjoy beekeeping.

“We’re experimenting with it, and it’s been a fun experience. We have six hives of bees in our backyard. My kids put on their bee suits, pull out the frames, and they’re loaded with honey. We’ve harvested six five-gallon containers of honey thus far. Our family, friends and neighbors have been enjoying,” she said.

Dena Haritos Tsamitis, director of the Information Networking Institute (INI), was named a 2018 Woman in IT Security Power Player by SC Magazine. The INI helps foster emerging talent in the engineering space by offering technical, interdisciplinary master's degree programs in information networking, security and mobility. Since joining the INI as its associate director in 2002, Tsamitis has spearheaded multiple programs designed to give students a head start in these fields while creating a culture of inclusion for underrepresented women and minorities. In 2005, she co-founded Women@INI, a student organization whose mission is to support women in engineering, in part through scholarship funds, networking opportunities and mentorships. Later, she established the Graduate Organization@INI and the INI Alumni Leadership Council. This past May, Carnegie Mellon issued diplomas to the first four students ever to receive the INI Director's Fellowship – a program Tsamitis founded in 2016 to help eliminate financial barriers for women and minorities.  Learn more. 

Bernhard Haeupler, Louis-Philippe Morency and Jean Yang are the latest School of Computer Science faculty members to receive the National Science Foundation’s prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award.

Haeupler, an assistant professor in the Computer Science Department, will receive $560,000 to develop a theory and methods for correcting errors in interactive communications. Haeupler joined the department in 2014, after a one-year stint as a post-doctoral researcher at Microsoft Research Silicon Valley.

Morency, assistant professor in the Language Technologies Institute and director of the Multimodal Communication and Machine Learning Lab, will receive $550,000 to develop technologies that allow computers to understand subtle nonverbal behaviors of people and to learn the inherent variability between individuals in how those behaviors are expressed. Morency joined the LTI in 2015 after serving on the research faculty at USC.

Yang, an assistant professor in the Computer Science Department and affiliated faculty in the Computational Biology Department, was awarded $550,000 to develop a new programming model that incorporates a theory of differential privacy. She joined Computer Science in 2016 after serving as a post-doctoral researcher at Harvard Medical School.

Find out more.

Ivan Bhatia and Daniel Omeiza, who are studying for their master's degrees in information technology at CMU-Africa, are among the 2018 recipients of IBM Research's Great Minds student internships. Great Minds interns spend three to six months at IBM's labs in Zurich, Nairobi or Johannesburg.

Bhatia will be working with a team on creating a data and service marketplace platform on a blockchain network. “I’m interested in IBM’s recent research in machine learning, deep learning and blockchain technology, in particular, because it has the potential to solve problems we’re facing in Africa around distributed applications," Bhatia said. “I am inspired by the many inventors in the world who have made selfless contributions to simplify people’s lives. I would like to expand this list of inventors to include more Africans solving the problems specific to the continent,” he said.

Omeiza hopes to contribute to the future of technology by finding tangible answers to two important questions: 1) Can programming languages be designed to contain machine learning primitives with lots of abstractions? 2) Will the general perception of a regular computer one day include machine learning? He plans to tackle these questions by investigating new paradigms for programming languages that will ease the implementation processes of machine learning algorithms, and also make the necessary machine learning tools available instantaneously. “I intend to work on IBM projects that revolve around building machine learning models from online user generated data in emerging markets, which could scale easily across multiple platforms,” he said.

Sara Moussawi (far right) and Jeria Quesenberry received "Best Poster Recognition" at the recent ACM Special Interest Group on Management Information Systems’ Computers and People Research Conference. Their poster was titled “Improving Student-Driven Feedback and Engagement in the Classroom: Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Speed Dating Model.” Their work is based on pedagogical research of the speed dating and traditional presentation method of learning, conducted in collaboration with the Eberly Center. Their findings demonstrate that the speed dating method of learning is a more effective alternative to a presentation format and is a useful complement to other collaborative learning methodologies. Moussawi is an associate teaching professor and Quesenberry is an assistant teaching professor in the Dietrich College's Information Systems program.

Gene Editing Technique Cures Disorders in Mice Before Birth

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon and Yale have for the first time used a gene editing technique to successfully cure a genetic condition in a mouse before birth. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, present a promising new avenue for research into treating genetic conditions during fetal development.

An estimated 8 million children are born each year with severe genetic disorders or birth defects. Genetic conditions can often be detected during pregnancy using amniocentesis, but there are no treatment options to correct these genetic conditions before birth.

"Early in embryonic development, there are a lot of stem cells dividing at a rapid pace. If we can go in and correct a genetic mutation early on, we could dramatically reduce the impact the mutation has on fetal development or even cure the condition," said Danith Ly, professor of chemistry in CMU's Mellon College of Science.

Find out more.

Fireworks This Saturday, July 21

Carnegie Mellon will host a free fireworks show beginning at 9:35 p.m., this Saturday, July 21 on the College of Fine Arts lawn, weather permitting. This show was originally scheduled for July 4, but it was postponed due to lightning and rain in the area.

Seeking Nominations for the 2019 Alumni Awards

Nominations are now being accepted for the Alumni Association’s 2019 Alumni Awards, which recognize CMU graduates for their outstanding contributions to the university and the world. Alumni are honored in the following categories: Founders Medal, Alumni Achievement, Alumni Service, Outstanding Recent Alumni and Faculty & Staff Impact.

An online nomination form, list of previous award winners and descriptions of each award category can be found online. The nomination deadline is Sept. 1.

New Procedure for Service of Alcohol at University Events

Recently, the primary dining vendor on campus transitioned to Chartwells. With the change, a new procedure is being implemented for all university events that involve the service of alcohol purchased with university funds or using university resources. There are two changes:

1. Catering will no longer procure or transport alcohol for events. Therefore, if the event does not involve the direct or indirect sale of alcohol, the recommended procedure is to use the vendors Soiree Partners/Dreadnought Wines to purchase and transport the alcohol to the event.
2. If the event involves the direct or indirect sale of alcohol, it must take place on licensed premises (e.g., a restaurant with a liquor license) or the alcohol must be purchased, transported and served by a vendor that has a liquor license and an off-premises catering permit allowing it to sell alcohol.

The procedure can be found online. Questions and/or concerns can be directed to social-host@andrew.cmu.edu, the Office of General Counsel (412-268-3747) or to university-contracts@andrew.cmu.edu.

EH&S Continues Building Evacuation Drills

The Environmental Health and Safety Department is continuing its building evacuation drills this summer. The remaining schedule follows.

July 19: 8 a.m. - Noon, Pittsburgh Technology Center, Information Networking Institute, Software Engineering Institute, UTDC, Whitfield Hall and 4721 Fifth Ave.

July 27: 8 a.m. - Noon, Integrated Innovation Institute, 205 S. Craig, 300 S. Craig, 311 S. Craig, 407 S. Craig, 417 S. Craig, 6555 Penn Ave., National Robotics Engineering Center and GATF

Dates are subject to change due to weather conditions.

Lynn DeFabio's career is linked to connecting people.

As director of Alumni Relations for campus and volunteer programs at Carnegie Mellon, DeFabio oversees key campus events for the Alumni Association, such as Spring Carnival, Homecoming and the CMU Alumni Awards.

She first joined Carnegie Mellon 24 years ago as an administrative assistant for the Andrew Carnegie Society. Within a month, she was assigned the huge task of organizing the society’s annual dinner.

“It was a quick baptism into events planning, but I had a great boss who took me around campus to meet people I needed to know,” she said. “I found it very helpful to have made those connections early, and now I try to do the same for others.”

By the end of the following academic year, her success in managing the budget and other tasks earned her a promotion to assistant director for the Faculty and Staff Campaign and Parent Fund. In 1997, she joined the alumni office and has been a director leading various programs for the past 13 years.

“What keeps me here is the people,” she said. “Everyone is just incredible — the alumni, students, faculty and staff. They have such brilliant minds!”

DeFabio especially enjoyed the years she spent planning class reunions. She forged long-lasting relationships with alumni on the various committees and was fascinated with their stories about life on campus when they were here. The tales ranged from fraternities launching water balloons across Forbes Avenue from the roof of Alumni House (formerly home to Theta Xi) and welding the wheels of a street car to the tracks to memories of military tanks on campus during the Vietnam War.

“Even though the work was similar from year to year, each class had a different personality, and in many ways, it helped me learn about Carnegie Mellon by looking at the university through their lens,” she said. “It’s rewarding to me to help people either reconnect with each other or help them stay connected. The stronger those relationships are, the stronger their relationship is to Carnegie Mellon.”

In her free time, DeFabio and her husband enjoy cooking for and connecting with family and friends. On Friday nights they often gather them around a campfire to talk, laugh and unwind from a hectic week. They have a son, Dominic, who just finished his first year at Penn State, and a daughter, Julia, who loves to ride and take care of horses.

Anne Skaja Robinson has been named head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, effective January 2019. Robinson comes to CMU from Tulane University, where she has been chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering since 2012. Robinson is an internationally recognized researcher with active programs in membrane protein expression and biophysical characterization, protein refolding and aggregation, and biopharmaceutical protein expression. She has published more than 85 journal articles, authored a chemical engineering textbook, been awarded three patents, and graduated 23 Ph.D. students who have gone on to successful careers in academia and industry. She has received several national accolades, including the National Science Foundation Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering, and has been elected a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineering. Robinson earned her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

Ryan Sullivan was named an Emerging Investigator by the Royal Society of Chemistry and was featured in a Q&A in the society’s Environmental Science: Process & Impacts blog. The Q&A highlights his work in atmospheric chemistry, the challenges he faces in his research and his advice to young scientists. It also features and links to his recent article, “Determination of biphasic core-shell droplet properties using aerosol optical tweezers.” Sullivan is an associate professor of chemistry and mechanical engineering, an associate director of the Institute for Green Science, and a faculty member in the Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies. Sullivan holds a courtesy appointment in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Find out more.

Marlene Behrmann has been selected as the recipient of the 2018 William E. Brown Outstanding Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) Mentor Award. Students in the MSTP nominated Behrmann in recognition of her extraordinary performance and achievement in mentorship. She will receive the award on Friday, Aug. 3, as part of the MSTP Annual Scientific Retreat. Behrmann is the Cowan University Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and the first female scientist from CMU inducted into the National Academy of Sciences. Her research specializes in the cognitive basis of visual perception, with a specific focus on object recognition.

Assistant Professor of Philosophy Adam Bjorndahl has received the Course Hero-Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation’s Excellence in Teaching Fellowship. Course Hero provides study aids online, and the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation administers programs that support leadership development and build organizational capacity in education. Aimed at young faculty members, the program is meant to help tenure-track professors elevate their teaching. Bjorndahl's work focuses on modal logic, game theory and decision theory and formal epistemology.

Melanie Lucht has been promoted from assistant vice president for Enterprise Risk Management to the newly established role of associate vice president and chief risk officer. Lucht will oversee the development and deployment of risk management tools and practices across the university. She also will lead a cross-functional risk working group to provide risk intelligence to executive leadership, and inform strategic decision-making. Lucht joined CMU in 2013 as senior manager for Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity, and also previously served as interim director of Environmental Health and Safety. Prior to joining CMU, she was vice president for Enterprise Business Resiliency at PNC Financial Services and has an extensive background in the insurance industry. In 2017, Lucht was recognized internationally by The Business Continuity Institute as Continuity and Resiliency Professional of the Year for the private sector. The Business Continuity Institute is the world’s leading institute for business continuity certification.

New Fitness Center Opens in Tepper Quad

The 7,200-square-foot fitness center in the new David A. Tepper Quadrangle is now open for students, faculty and staff.  

The new area includes 11 treadmills looking out floor-to-ceiling windows on the west side of the building, 13 elliptical machines, three upright bikes, two spin bikes, two recumbent bikes, two rowing machines, a stair climber, an exercise studio, a set of free weights with benches, weight machines, and men's and women's locker rooms. Towel service and locks for daily use lockers can be purchased at the Tepper Fitness Center.

Programming in the exercise studio, small group classes and other fitness activities will begin when classes start at the end of August.

Fitness center hours are 7 a.m. – 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Athletic facility hours are subject to change at any time. For the most updated information, please call the Tepper Fitness Desk at 412-268-1996.

Find out more.

CMU Achieves Reaccreditation Through 2026

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education has formally affirmed Carnegie Mellon University’s accreditation through 2026.

As part of the reaccreditation, a comprehensive process engaged the university community in rigorous self-study and analysis to highlight areas of strength, and identified specific opportunities for continuous improvement and growth. CMU also hosted visits by peer evaluators, including faculty and administrative leaders from nine other universities.

The results of this two-year process demonstrated that CMU meets or exceeds all required standards, which include more than 50 criteria. The recognition from peers in higher education indicates that CMU continues to hold its high standards in carrying out the university's mission effectively and with integrity.

CMU Police To Conduct Active Shooter Drill July 30

The CMU Police Department will conduct an active shooter exercise in the Cohon University Center between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. on Monday, July 30. The exercise will involve approximately one dozen police and security officers who will be given an evolving active shooter scenario that they will address to bring the event to resolution. The actual drill is a “walk-thru” in which officers will be directed to respond to multiple locations within the Cohon Center.

There will be NO weapons or specialized equipment involved in the drill, however, there will be a considerable number of police vehicles in the area, especially around the loading dock. Cohon Center staff have been advised and signage about the drill will be posted in the facility.

This will be the CMU Police Department’s seventh active shooter drill on campus this summer. Pittsburgh Police and University of Pittsburgh Police have expressed interest in these drills and will be sending command staff to observe this exercise.

Watch the active shooter training video.

Changes to Designated Smoking Areas on Campus Effective Aug. 1

Based on feedback from a 2018 survey of faculty and staff who smoke, the Healthy U Wellness student survey of 2016, and the recommendations of a faculty, staff and student committee, 13 of the 39 designated outdoor smoking areas on campus will be discontinued, effective Aug. 1. The remaining 26 designated outdoor smoking areas are identified by signage and can be found online.

The areas where smoking will no longer be permitted are:

• Cyert Hall;
• Wean Hall, 1st floor entrance;
• Robert Mehrabian Collaborative Innovation Center;
• Wean Hall, north side on Roberts Drive;
• Newell-Simon Hall and Hamburg Hall;
• Hamburg Hall;
• Warner Hall;
• Tennis Courts;
• East Campus Parking Garage;
• Scaife and Roberts halls;
• Baker/Porter Hall, southern portion of the patio;
• Skibo Gymnasium; and
• Mushroom Park, west of the Cut.

In addition to using the survey results, the committee moved to eliminate smoking areas outside non-residential buildings, near doorways and building entrances, and near health and athletic facilities. The committee also took into account complaints received about specific locations and the proximity of several designated areas.

Signs will be posted at the 13 discontinued locations to notify smokers and to provide information about tobacco cessation resources that are available to members of the university community. GuidanceResources, CMU’s employee assistance program, provides free personal counseling and support to help quit smoking and stay tobacco-free. You can contact GuidanceResources at 844-744-1370 for confidential assistance.

Highmark, UPMC and Aetna health plans, and the CVS/Caremark prescription program also offer tobacco cessation programs for its members. Contact your health care provider for more information.

Carnegie Mellon’s Smoke-Less Campus Policy, approved in August 2017, prohibits smoking in all university buildings and facilities, and limits smoking to designated outdoor areas.

Seeking Nominations for the 2019 Alumni Awards

Nominations are now being accepted for the Alumni Association’s 2019 Alumni Awards, which recognize CMU graduates for their outstanding contributions to the university and the world. Alumni are honored in the following categories: Founders Medal, Alumni Achievement, Alumni Service, Outstanding Recent Alumni and Faculty & Staff Impact.

An online nomination form, list of previous award winners and descriptions of each award category can be found online. The nomination deadline is Sept. 1.

New Procedure for Service of Alcohol at University Events

Recently, the primary dining vendor on campus transitioned to Chartwells. With the change, a new procedure is being implemented for all university events that involve the service of alcohol purchased with university funds or using university resources. There are two changes:

1. Catering will no longer procure or transport alcohol for events. Therefore, if the event does not involve the direct or indirect sale of alcohol, the recommended procedure is to use the vendors Soiree Partners/Dreadnought Wines to purchase and transport the alcohol to the event.
2. If the event involves the direct or indirect sale of alcohol, it must take place on licensed premises (e.g., a restaurant with a liquor license) or the alcohol must be purchased, transported and served by a vendor that has a liquor license and an off-premises catering permit allowing it to sell alcohol.

The procedure can be found online. Questions and/or concerns can be directed to social-host@andrew.cmu.edu, the Office of General Counsel (412-268-3747) or to university-contracts@andrew.cmu.edu.



Helping to create Africa’s future is not just business for Sandra Malaika, it’s personal.

Malaika was born in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since moving to Rwanda at age 12, she has regarded Kigali as her home. With an interest in education, she earned a bachelor’s degree from the Kigali Institute of Management and a master’s degree from Andrews University in Michigan.

She now uses her experience and skills to impact African youth across the continent.

“The vision for Carnegie Mellon University Africa is to educate the next generation of tech leaders of Africa, and I want to be an integral part of that,” she said.

Malaika is program manager of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at CMU-Africa, which offers master’s degrees in information technology and electrical and computer engineering. The scholars program provides quality education and leadership development to academically talented students from sub-Saharan Africa with potential for leadership and a passion to give back to their communities.

Malaika recruits scholars to the program, processes student applications, coordinates and creates content for orientation, and manages the program’s budget and expenses. She also organizes student activities and community outreach efforts and helps counsel students on their careers by coordinating workshops with industry professionals.  

“I want their experience to be enriching beyond the classroom,” Malaika said.

This year, the program reached a special milestone when the first cohort of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars graduated.

“That, for me, was one of the most fulfilling and rewarding moments I have ever had,” Malaika said. “I love working with the students, interacting with them but also being able to support them the best way I can. I love seeing them grow into outstanding leaders.”

A lover of books and travel, Malaika reads everything, from the Bible, biographies and suspense thrillers, to books on leadership, foreign aid, African politics and history, and personal growth. She is married with a 6-year-old daughter and considers herself an explorer at heart, having traveled to Morocco, Tanzania, Dubai, Europe and the United Kingdom. One day she hopes to visit the Bahamas.

“I love discovering new places!” she said.

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

As a child, Steven Rosenberg avidly read books on astronomy and the history of the cosmos. Today, his travels in space continue at the NASA Ames Research Park in Mountain View, California, as senior director of operations for CMU’s Silicon Valley campus.

“It’s a very dynamic and exciting place to be,” said Rosenberg, who connects CMU researchers with NASA scientists to work on projects, such as building smart habitats for missions to the moon and Mars.

In addition to supporting space missions, Rosenberg helps keep the campus running smoothly by ensuring the students, faculty and staff have what they need, from overseeing IT support and classroom renovations to preparing the campus’s accreditation report for the College of Engineering, the campus’s home school. He is a manager, strategist and liaison for CMU’s partnerships in Silicon Valley and Pittsburgh.

Rosenberg enjoys the entrepreneurial spirit at CMU Silicon Valley, where the global tech scene plays a major role in the academic experience. Google, Apple and Facebook headquarters are a few miles from campus, where each year more than 330 master’s degree and Ph.D. students specialize in areas of study including software, cybersecurity and entrepreneurship.

“Tech has a big impact on the university culture here. Students have ample opportunities to interact with leading companies both in and outside of the classroom,” he said.

Rosenberg earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. in cognitive psychology at CMU, studying under Nobel laureate Herbert Simon. After earning his doctorate, he had an extensive 29-year career at Hewlett Packard Laboratories, managing research and launching partner labs with several top-tier universities. He joined the Silicon Valley campus in 2009 as a visiting scientist.

“It was refreshing to come back to a university setting,” Rosenberg said. “After being at a Fortune 50 company, it was really nice to rejoin the CMU community and return to working alongside our talented faculty and students.”

When he’s not at campus, Rosenberg enjoys hiking with this family and practicing magic.

“As a cognitive scientist, I am always interested in how people think,” Rosenberg said. “I find it fascinating how simple magic tricks shed light on how we perceive and understand. It’s both fun and illuminating to fool people by ‘tricking’ their perceptions and understanding.”

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

As Carnegie Mellon’s registrar for 24 years, John Papinchak keeps a busy schedule.

His office supports more than 60 academic units, maintains over 100 classrooms and computing labs, and keeps records for more than 13,000 students each year as well as for all CMU alumni.

Papinchak and his team of 11 work with departments across the university to schedule about 2,000 classes each semester. They also oversee student registration, support the student information system for faculty, departments and administrative staff, and produce all student documents — from enrollment and degree verifications to transcripts and diplomas for students at a dozen teaching locations across the globe.

When it comes to scheduling for the fall, spring and summer sessions, Papinchak and his group use a computer program called “25 Live.”

“We put in all the parameters of when and where faculty want to teach, but there’s a lot of manual adjustments that have to be made,” he said. “It’s like putting together a 2,000-piece puzzle. You have about 2,000 class sections to put into 100 classrooms and you’re trying to fit them all in.”

Papinchak credits his team and the academic departments, especially the academic administrators, for completing the puzzle each semester.

“We have a team that’s really good at their job, but it’s really a collaborative process,” he said. “The academic administrators negotiate with the faculty and my team on times and spaces. “There are many moving parts, from registration all the way to after the first day of classes.”

Papinchak said he loves the opportunity CMU affords him to try new things to make administrative processes more efficient for students, faculty and staff. Some of those new wrinkles include faculty submitting grades to his office via a secure website, and giving students the ability to order pdfs of their transcripts and certified copies of their diplomas online.

“It’s been rewarding to do different things. CMU has supported us in trying to make some new and innovative changes,” he said.

Papinchak earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical and biomedical engineering at CMU in 1984.

“I graduated on a Monday and started working as an admission counselor and assistant director of Summer Studies the next day,” he said.

Papinchak earned a master’s degree in public policy and management from the Heinz College in 1990. He said his information systems classes have helped him as registrar.

“And my engineering degree taught me how to define problems and build solutions,” he said.

In his spare time, Papinchak, a former high school soccer referee, is an administrator for the Western Pennsylvania State Soccer Referee Committee. He also likes to fish, hunt and garden.

“Gardening is my biggest hobby. I’m growing tomatoes and peppers,” he said.

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

Architect Reveals Design of TCS Hall

The architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (BCJ) has released the design for TCS Hall, which will house computer science and mechanical engineering offices and labs when it opens in spring 2020. The 90,000-square-foot building is being funded in part by a gift from Tata Consultancy Services, a global IT and business solutions company.

Constructed on a site between 4615 Forbes Avenue and Junction Hollow, TCS Hall will serve as a gateway to campus for those entering from Forbes Avenue and as a keystone for further development north of Forbes.

The building has been redesigned to almost double its size since ground was initially broken in 2017. BCJ says the building will feature a "Student Collaboration Porch," a drone highbay, flexible makerspace and an outdoor robot yard.

Both TCS Hall and ANSYS Hall, now under construction next to Hamerschlag Hall, are projects led by BCJ's Gregory Mottola, design principal, and Kent Suhrbier, principal in charge. Mottola and Suhrbier are alumni of CMU's School of Architecture.

CMU Teams Take Top Spots in Microsoft Localization Competition

Carnegie Mellon alumni and students found their way to a first- and second-place finish in the fifth annual Microsoft Indoor Localization Competition, held in the Palácio da Bolsa in Porto, Portugal. Knowing how to pinpoint a specific location inside a building has broad applications, from rescue and recovery, augmented reality and manufacturing, to medicine, transportation and tourism.

Contestants were separated into two categories and judged by their devices' ability to report their location in either two or three dimensions. Each device traversed an area of the palace's first and second floors, as well as the large staircase connecting them, and reported their location as they followed the predetermined path. Their readings were then compared against ground truth readings from a LiDAR sensor, a method similar to radar. This was used to calculate average location error.

First place went to ECE Ph.D. candidate Niranjini Rajagopal, ECE Ph.D. student John Miller, ECE master's degree student Krishna Kumar and CyLab Postdoctoral Researcher Anh Luong.

Yodel Labs, a CMU startup spun off by ECE alumni Patrick Lazik, who earned his doctorate in 2017, and Nick Wilkerson, who earned his master's degree in 2014, finished second in the competition.

Find out more.

Libraries To Implement Food Policy Changes, Sept. 9

As a result of conversations with members of the campus community and feedback from a food survey, University Libraries are implementing changes to its food policy, effective Sept. 9. Signage announcing the new policy will begin to appear Aug. 1 and Libraries employees will begin to educate visitors about the upcoming changes. View the full food policy.

As of Sept. 9, the following changes will be implemented:
Non-alcoholic drinks in covered containers and small, contained snacks are permitted throughout Libraries spaces with the exception of:

• Hunt Library, Fine and Rare Books Room;
• Hunt Library, University Archives;
• Hunt Library, Computer Cluster in the basement;
• Mellon Institute Library, Main Reading Area; and
• The Posner Center.

Meals and food in carryout containers are permitted only in the following areas:

• Hunt Library, First floor;
• Hunt Library, Basement;
• Sorrells Library, Collaborative Work Area; and
• Mellon Institute Library Periodicals Rooms.

To ensure the physical spaces of the Libraries continue to enhance the quality of the CMU student experience, University Libraries ask that you please observe these policies, which apply to the Hunt, Sorrells and Mellon Institute locations as well as the Posner Center.

Pardon the Dust! Dining Venues Getting a Refresh

In order to refresh dining venues for the upcoming academic year, some locations will be closed Aug. 4 - 12. See what's open and what's closed, and get an up-to-date look at all the dining locations.

High School Students Learn About Careers, College Life at CMU-Q

Secondary school students from across Qatar spent three weeks learning about careers in science, technology and business during the annual Summer College Preview Program at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. This year was the largest class yet, with 79 students participating.

Throughout the program, students explored the fields taught at CMU-Q — biological sciences, business administration, computer science and information systems — and learned about college life. For many students, the program is an introduction to their future careers. Nearly 25 percent of last year's freshman class at CMU-Q attended the summer program as high school students.

"The Summer College Preview Program exposes students to college-level math and writing and encourages them to develop new skills through project work. This is an important introduction to new fields of study for many students," said Kemal Oflazer, associate dean of research at CMU-Q, who addressed students and parents at the SCPP closing ceremony.

Find out more.

Whitehead's Research Could Revolutionize Medicine 

Ribonucleic Acid is a crucial component in human gene expression, and it may have the ability to treat virtually every known disease.

Katie Whitehead, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, is leading the way with research that could one day enable personalized RNA therapies. After identifying the genes that are being over- or under-expressed in a given disease, researchers like Whitehead can introduce specific RNA molecules into the affected cells — where it is most needed — to correct the problem.

Much of Whitehead's work has focused on lipid nanoparticles — small spheres made of fat — that encase the RNA and deliver it to a target area. By altering the chemistry of the lipid nanoparticle delivery vehicles, she can control where in the body the RNA affects gene expression. So far, her group has mainly found success in achieving expression in the liver and spleen, but her long-term goal is to be able to deliver things anywhere in the body.

Find out more.

CMU Joins Mini-Grid Innovation Lab for Africa

Engineering and Public Policy Associate Professor Paulina Jaramillo and Post-doctoral Research Associate Nathan Williams aim to improve access to electricity in rural Africa via the new Mini-Grid Innovation Lab.

CrossBoundary Energy, a renewable energy investment fund for Africa, and The Rockefeller Foundation launched the lab for sub-Saharan Africa. The goal is to develop and analyze new business models for community-based, green energy systems to accelerate sustainable rural electrification. The lab is working with partners on the ground as well as Carnegie Mellon and other academic institutions.

If deployed and funded effectively, mini-grids could drastically improve electrical power distribution in rural Africa. With current technology, CrossBoundary estimated that investing $11 billion USD would connect 100 million people to mini-grids.

Learn more.

Linda Argote has received the Joseph E. McGrath Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Study of Groups from INGRoup, the interdisciplinary organization for group research. Argote’s research focuses on organizational learning and knowledge sharing within and between teams. She publishes frequently, often with fellow faculty at the Tepper School, on topics such as transactive memory, group processes and performance, social identity, and knowledge and communication networks. “It’s gratifying to see Linda recognized for her pioneering research on groups and teams as the recipient of the Joseph E. McGrath Award,” said Tepper School Dean Robert Dammon. “This prestigious award highlights Linda’s path-breaking research and demonstrates her extraordinary reputation in the field of organizational behavior.” In recent years, Argote has been recognized as a distinguished scholar by the Strategic Management Society, the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, and the Academy of Management, which also named her a fellow in 2013. As part of the award, Argote is a lifetime member of INGRoup and will present at its 2019 conference in Portugal next summer.

Angela Campbell has joined the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion as its first executive director. She will provide critical leadership for the center’s team and initiatives, and continue to build the innovative partnership between the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of the Vice Provost for Education. Campbell comes to CMU from Cabrini University, where she was assistant dean for the School of Education, assistant professor of education, and inaugural co-director of the Center for Urban Education, Equity and Improvement. In her various roles, she has led faculty development seminars on racial and ethnic identity development, micro-aggressions, racial and gender socialization and inter-cultural competency trainings. She has facilitated workshops on restorative justice, stereotype threat, inter-racial/ethnic healing, leading effective diversity and inclusion efforts, and women’s leadership and empowerment. Campbell earned her Ph.D. in urban education with an emphasis on the social context of education and gender identity development from Temple University. Find out more.

Anna J. Siefken has been named the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation's inaugural executive director. Previously, Siefken was the institute’s associate director for Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, a role in which she deepened engagements and developed an innovative partnership strategy for the Scott Institute that promotes energy-related collaboration with industry, government, nongovernmental organizations, foundations and other universities. “I am looking forward to further amplifying the Scott Institute’s role in the energy space, forging new strategic partnerships and startups and helping to drive initiatives integral to the Scott Institute’s mission and vision,” Siefken said. Siefken also is an adjunct professor in the Heinz College, where her recent work focuses on creating a “Smart Data Utility” in Pittsburgh. Working with the City of Pittsburgh and the major utilities in southwest Pennsylvania, she advised students in the Master of Science in Public Policy and Management program as they developed a deployment strategy that maps Pittsburgh’s underground infrastructure. Find out more.

Linda Babcock was featured in a special issue of the Negotiation and Conflict Management Research journal that celebrated the achievements of the International Association for Conflict Management’s Rubin Award recipients. Babcock, who received the award in 2007, was featured in a paper titled “Linda Babcock: Go‐getter and Do‐gooder,” which was written by CMU’s George Loewenstein and Harvard University’s Max H. Bazerman, Iris Bohnet and Hannah Riley Bowles. The paper highlights Babcock’s contributions to diverse lines of research, her tireless and effective efforts to put the insights of her research into practice and the impact she has had on the co-authors’ lives. Babcock is the James M. Walton Professor of Economics in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Heinz College and head of the Department of Social and Decision Sciences. Read the paper.

Associate Professor of Chemistry Maria Kurnikova is co-organizing this week's Ionotropic Glutamate Receptor Retreat in Pittsburgh. Eighty scientists from around the world will be attending this annual event for researchers who study all aspects of glutamate receptor structure, function and regulation. Commonly found on neurons, glutamate receptors play a role in learning, memory and neurodegenerative disease. Joining Kurnikova as a co-organizer of this year's conference is University of Pittsburgh Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry Jon Johnson. The conference is being co-sponsored by the CMU Chemistry Department, the joint CMU/Pitt Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition and Pitt's Department of Neuroscience and Brain Institute.

Kim Bittner has been named manager of CMU’s Coulter Welcome Center in the new Tepper building. Currently a receptionist in the Office of Undergraduate Admission, Bittner will begin her new role Aug. 20. “Kim’s role in Admission made her uniquely qualified to become the manager and work with visitors ranging from prospective undergraduate and graduate students and families, to returning alumni, corporate partners, donors, prospective employees and the many guests that will be frequenting the Tepper building,” said Beth Wiser, director of visitor experience at CMU. Bittner, who had 13 years of customer service before joining the Office of Admission, was recently the subject of a Staff Spotlight in the Piper Weekly.

Helping to create Africa’s future is not just business for Sandra Malaika, it’s personal.

Malaika was born in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since moving to Rwanda at age 12, she has regarded Kigali as her home. With an interest in education, she earned a bachelor’s degree from the Kigali Institute of Management and a master’s degree from Andrews University in Michigan.

She now uses her experience and skills to impact African youth across the continent.

“The vision for Carnegie Mellon University Africa is to educate the next generation of tech leaders of Africa, and I want to be an integral part of that,” she said.

Malaika is program manager of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at CMU-Africa, which offers master’s degrees in information technology and electrical and computer engineering. The scholars program provides quality education and leadership development to academically talented students from sub-Saharan Africa with potential for leadership and a passion to give back to their communities.

Malaika recruits scholars to the program, processes student applications, coordinates and creates content for orientation, and manages the program’s budget and expenses. She also organizes student activities and community outreach efforts and helps counsel students on their careers by coordinating workshops with industry professionals.  

“I want their experience to be enriching beyond the classroom,” Malaika said.

This year, the program reached a special milestone when the first cohort of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars graduated.

“That, for me, was one of the most fulfilling and rewarding moments I have ever had,” Malaika said. “I love working with the students, interacting with them but also being able to support them the best way I can. I love seeing them grow into outstanding leaders.”

A lover of books and travel, Malaika reads everything, from the Bible, biographies and suspense thrillers, to books on leadership, foreign aid, African politics and history, and personal growth. She is married with a 6-year-old daughter and considers herself an explorer at heart, having traveled to Morocco, Tanzania, Dubai, Europe and the United Kingdom. One day she hopes to visit the Bahamas.

“I love discovering new places!” she said.

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

Carnegie Mellon University’s Police Department hosted a ceremony last week honoring five of its officers and a university staff member for their involvement in two recent life-saving efforts in the community.

Gabriele Crytser, a research assistant in CMU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, was walking along the Schenley Bridge on her way to work when she encountered a University of Pittsburgh student on the other side of the railing preparing to jump.

“I just walked over to him and said ‘hi,’ and I asked him how he was. We had a conversation about school and life and his family. And then at some point, I asked him if he wanted to continue the conversation on the other side because it was making me a bit nervous,” Crytser said.

She persuaded the student to walk with her to Scaife Hall, where she used an emergency call box to contact CMU Police. They arrived within minutes.

“I was thoroughly impressed with their professionalism. They were able to get the young man the care he needed, and they made sure that I was okay and that I knew what was going to happen next,” she said. “Having met the officers that day, I feel safer knowing they are ready to help whenever a call comes in, and I am definitely proud to work for a university with such an amazing and professional police force.”

While honored and humbled to receive her Life-Saving Award, Crytser said she truly feels it was a team effort, and gave a lot of the credit to the young man she helped save.

“He was the one who ultimately decided to come back over to solid ground, and I am awed by the bravery it must have taken to make that decision,” she said. “Sometimes letting people help you is the bravest act of all.”

CMU Police Chief Tom Ogden praised Crytser for how she handled herself and the situation.

“Usually when people talk about community policing, it’s about how the police department fits into the community,” Ogden said. “But here is an example of a member of our community taking the initiative, caring enough, and having the courage to engage a man and, literally, save his life. It’s extraordinary.”

Also honored at the ceremony were CMU Police Sergeant Nello Bruno, Security Officer David Marchwinski, and police officers Michael Ufheil, Jeffrey Varchetto and Donald Campbell for reviving an individual who went into cardiac arrest earlier this year.

“You are nervous, of course, when you get that call,” Campbell said. “But when you are on your way, you’re thinking about what your role is going to be when you get there.”

Campbell, who announced he will retire in December after serving the CMU community for 34 years, said it’s common for many people to be involved in that type of situation.

“One person might be breathing air into the lungs while another person is doing chest compressions. It’s also very tiresome, so you may have to take over for someone at some point,” he said. “Afterward, when you learn that the person survived and see how grateful their family and loved ones are for what you did, well, it’s very rewarding.”

The family of the young man Crytser helped rescue from the bridge later contacted CMU Police asking if they could meet with her. CMU Police Lieutenant Joseph Meyers is organizing the gathering during which the family members, who reside several hundred miles from Pittsburgh, will get to express their gratitude to Crytser in person.

Children's School Attracts Generations of Families

Legacy families — those who have enrolled more than one generation — are common at Carnegie Mellon's Children's School, a laboratory school for children between the ages of 3 and 5.

"When I returned with my son, the colors of the rooms and the smell of the space were the same as when I was a child. Then I saw Jean Bird and knew she had been my teacher, and she remembered me," Ayça Akin said.

A Children's School alumna, Akin had been a designer and creative director living in New York City five years ago. She applied for her son to attend the Children's School soon after deciding to move back to Pittsburgh. Her second child will start this fall.

Paul Fireman, president of Fireman Creative, was a member of the first class when the school was established in 1968. He enrolled his two daughters in 2000 and 2004. They are now attending Brown University and Case Western Reserve University.

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Floor Marshal, Active Shooter Training Sessions Offered

Due to a number of requests from faculty and staff, Environmental Health & Safety is offering two additional sessions for the combined Floor Marshal and Active Shooter training. You do not have to be a floor marshal or facility coordinator to attend these sessions. This training is appropriate for all faculty and staff. The first hour is dedicated to fire safety topics and appropriate actions during an emergency, while the second hour specifically addresses an active shooter scenario.

The sessions are at 10 a.m. on Thursdays,  Aug. 9, Sept. 13 and Oct. 11.  Seating is limited for each session, so registration is required. Register online.

PSC-Led Conference Hosts Experts, Students in Advanced Research Computing

The recent PEARC18 conference brought more than 600 experts and students to Pittsburgh to discuss the state-of-the-art in advanced research computing and data analytics. Led by the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, the event inlcuded five days of tutorials, plenary and contributed talks, workshops, panels, poster sessions and a visualization showcase.

The annual Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing Conference — with the theme Seamless Creativity this year — stresses key objectives for those who manage, develop and use advanced research computing throughout the U.S. and the world.

“We are happy that our efforts resulted in a very strong technical program,” said the PSC's Sergiu Sanielevici, general chair of PEARC18.

Invited speakers included experts from the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health, Intel and several universities, such as the University of Illinois, the Illiinois Institute of Technology, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Colorado. A town hall was held to discuss the NSF's Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure.

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Scott Institute, DOE Hold Collaborative Subsurface Workshop

CMU's Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation recently partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory for a workshop that looked beneath the Earth’s surface.

The workshop, “Real-Time Decision-Making for the Subsurface” held July 17-18, aimed to identify the technology and data needs and capabilities required to rapidly analyze subsurface data to aid in developing real-time decision-making tools. Plenary sessions and interactive breakout groups tackled a variety of timely topics, such as improving resource recovery, developing autonomous monitoring systems and managing induced seismicity. Machine learning and data analytics played a large role in the event’s discussions and will be important in the advancements to come. Carnegie Mellon and NETL will release a public report later this year detailing identified research gaps, challenges and recommendations.

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Hezir Speaks on Manufacturing, Energy Efficiency at National Forum

Joseph Hezir, the former chief financial officer for the U.S. Department of Energy and current Professor of the Practice at Carnegie Mellon's Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, recently shared his team's latest research at the 2018 Congressional Clean Energy Expo and Policy Forum in Washington, D.C.

The event on Capitol Hill, hosted by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute and the Sustainable Energy Coalition, brought together businesses, academia and government agencies to discuss and showcase renewable energy efficiency policy and technology, and called for more federal support for the renewable energy industry.

During his talk, "Manufacturing & Energy Efficiency Policy Innovations to Advance Industry 4.0," Hezir said experts will need to approach the challenges of energy efficiency and manufacturing from "a systems-level perspective and look at energy efficiency not in isolation, but as an overall component of the manufacturing process."

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