Though the event was livestreamed for those who couldn’t attend in person, the Rangos Ballroom filled with colleagues from across the Pittsburgh campus who gathered to hear Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Janahian deliver the 2023 State of the University address to faculty and staff. Jahanian was introduced by Laurie Weingart, a senior faculty member in the Tepper School of Business and the vice chair of the Faculty Senate.

Over the course of his address, the president illustrated how CMU is transforming society through innovation, education and research. He provided updates on the university’s enrollment, admissions, finances and what he called “our incredible people.” Highlights included the growing demand for a CMU education, new talent in senior leadership and success in faculty and staff recruitment. He also provided details about how the university’s HR team has advanced support for staff and faculty in recent years.

Jahanian shared positive news about the university’s continued financial support of its central mission and strategic priorities including student health and wellness, financial aid, and improved learning spaces. He also articulated the impact and overall strength of the university’s research enterprise.

Looking forward, the president identified four strategic priorities for university leadership, focused on elevating Carnegie Mellon’s role in:

• Driving the future of education.
• Enhancing the CMU experience for all.
• Leading at the nexus of science, technology and society.
• Broadening our societal, cultural and economic impact.

Jahanian emphasized that leveraging CMU resources is necessary to achieve these strategic priorities. Funds raised through Make Possible: The Campaign for Carnegie Mellon University, the university’s most ambitious fundraising campaign in its history, will help support the education and research mission of the university for decades to come. Since 2019, when the campaign was publicly launched, supporters have made critical investments that have benefitted every college, school and part of the university.

Attendees could ask questions in advance or electronically during the event; after the address, President Jahanian spoke to many of them. The president ended with a focus on gratitude: “Our faculty and staff are at the heart of our growing leadership … thank you for the passion you bring to your work every day and for your dedication to this institution.”

Senior David You, CEO of the Capital Grains student-run eatery in the Tepper building on campus, was named one of the nation's top 100 best and brightest business students by Poets & Quants. David’s leadership on campus has stretched far beyond the Tepper School as he served as a Head Orientation Counselor for fall 2022, and led key elements of first-year orientation. He wanted to expand his entrepreneurial efforts and so led a project to open CMU’s first student-run restaurant on the weekends in response to student demand which involved everything from marketing, recipe creation, profit and loss weekly review, and employee recruitment and onboarding. Read the profile.

Melanie Lucht, associate vice president and chief risk officer at CMU, was selected to serve as a judge for the Business Continuity Institute (BCI) annual awards. An international non-profit headquartered in the U.K., BCI has been the world’s leading institute for business continuity and resilience professionals since 1994. At CMU, Lucht oversees Environmental Health and Safety, Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity, Emergency Preparedness and Risk Operations. Her teams work to sustain and enhance a safe and healthy campus environment and to support resiliency across the university. She oversees the development and deployment of risk management tools and practices and leads a cross-functional group to provide risk intelligence to university leadership and inform strategic decision-making. Lucht joined the university in 2013 as senior manager for Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Services. She was appointed assistant vice president for the newly formed Enterprise Risk Management Department in 2017. That same year, Lucht was recognized internationally by the Business Continuity Institute as Continuity and Resiliency Professional of the Year for the private sector. In 2018, she was promoted to associate vice president and chief risk officer. Lucht won the 2020 Andy Award in the Community Champion category for helping to lead the university’s response and recovery from COVID-19. Learn more about Lucht.

The era of smart devices, otherwise known as the Internet of Things (IoT), all began with humble origins: a vending machine in the Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science. In the early 1980s, David Nichols, a computer science graduate student now working at Microsoft, enjoyed having a Coca Cola from the vending machine in the department. But because the machine was four minutes from his office and would occasionally be out of stock, Nichols wanted a way to check whether the walk would be worth it or end in disappointment. Along with some other students, Nichols was able to wire things up so that you could find out whether there were cokes in the various columns of the coke machine. The wires attached to the in-stock light indicators in each button and through some coding and work with network packets, eventually anyone could sit at any computer in the computer science department and find out the status of the machine — whether the drinks were stocked, and if they were cold or not. As Nichols said, "we didn't think we were doing anything that amazing. it was just like, 'great, now I can find out whether I have a coke.'" Internet-connected appliances have come a long way since then. CNN's Anna Stewart recently investigated how the Internet of Things began with Nichols and is still changing the way we live on her show "Decoded." Watch the segment.

Who's New at CMU?

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this week.

• Vivek Kumar, CEE Postdoctoral Associate/Fellow, Civil & Environmental Engineering;

• Morgan Grover, Sponsored Research Accountant, Sponsored Project Accounting, Finance Division;

• Ashley Barnes, Washington Program Manager, Institute for Politics and Strategy;

• Brett Redshaw, Senior IT Support Consultant, Heinz College;

• Chuck Carney, Senior Director, Reputation and Issues Management, University Communications and Marketing;

• Doug Washabaugh, Additive Manufacturing Technician - NextManufacturing Center, Engineering Research Accelerator;

• Emily Shank, PhD Advisor, Mechanical Engineering;

• Jessica Jeffers, Sr. Administrative Coordinator, Information Networking Institute;

• Jimmy Zackal, Digital Marketing Specialist, University Communications and Marketing;

• Rachel Clement, HR Specialist, HR Operations; and

• Wendy Wei Qi Kua, Finance and Research Administrator, Mechanical Engineering

Sara Liang can throw a huck, flick and scoober with some of the best ultimate frisbee players out there. Liang, a senior in biological sciences in the Mellon College of Science at Carnegie Mellon, will represent the United States as part of the mixed team at the 2023 World Flying Disc Federation World Under 24 Championships this July. Liang has played since she first attended a local ultimate frisbee camp held on Carnegie Mellon's campus in 2008. She continued her passion for frisbee through camps and high school to now serve as the captain of CMU's collegiate women's team The Money Mellons. "Sara was, and still is, a game changer," said coach Bridget McCoy. "All skill aside, Sara is also a fantastic leader, and I've had the privilege of seeing her turn into the captain she is today." Liang also plays for Pittsburgh Parcha, a women's club team that went to USA Ultimate's national championships in 2021 and 2022, and the world championships in Mason, Ohio, in 2022. Read the story.

Dietrich College alumna Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello has accrued a wealth of success over the years, including The Literature Translation Institute of Korea’s 2022 Translation Grand Prize. In January 2021, Cancio-Bello published "The World’s Lightest Motorcycle" with co-translator E.J. Koh. The two collaborated on translating this collection of poems by Yi Won from Korean to English. The translation was a finalist for the 2021 Big Other Book Award for Translation and has now won The Literature Translation Institute of Korea’s 2022 Translation Grand Prize. Cancio-Bello credits part of her success to her CMU degree in English and Creative Writing. “I am proud to be an alumna and would not thrive half as exuberantly without the many encouragements I received both in and out of the classroom,” she stated. “CMU is part of my every success.” Read the story..

Shinji Watanabe, a professor in the Language Technologies Institute, has been named a fellow of the International Speech Communication Association (ISCA) "for wide-ranging, fundamental contributions to research and leadership in speech recognition technologies." Founded in 2007, the ISCA Fellows Program recognizes and honors outstanding ISCA members who have made significant contributions to the science and technology of speech communication. Fellows are nominated by association members and selected by a committee of their peers. Since its inception, the program has recognized nearly 100 fellows from countries around the globe. Watanabe studies automatic speech recognition, speech enhancement, spoken language understanding, and machine learning for speech and language processing. Last fall, he earned an Amazon Research Award for his work to improve non-autoregressive end-to-end speech recognition with pretrained acoustic and language models, and was named an IEEE fellow for his contributions to speech recognition technology. He is also part of a team that hopes to expand the number of languages with automatic speech recognition tools available to them from around 200 to potentially 2,000 by developing models that use shared phones instead of the traditional phonemes. Read the story.

Who's New at CMU?

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this week.

• Yigit Menguc, Project Scientist, Robotics Institute;

• Adam Fohl, Carpenter I, Facilities Management Services;

• Alyson Jarnagin, Senior Director of Academic Services and Advising, Heinz College;

• Christos Linardakis, Export Compliance Manager, Office of the Vice President for Research;

• Jacquelyn Hopkins, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations;

• Michelle Hyde, Project Leader, Robotics Institute

• Namrata Kulkarni, Web Developer, Enterprise Information Systems, Computing Services

• Patrick Connelly, Senior CMS Developer, Digital and Creative Services, University Marketing & Communications;

• La Monte Yarroll, Senior Research Programmer, Robotics Institute;

• Tammy DeBruce, Project Coordinator, College of Engineering;

• Suzanne Fleischel, GSA Financial Assistant, Student Organizations, Campus Engagement;

• Mariko Sorzano, IRB Analyst, Office of the Vice President for Research; and

• Andrew Stackhouse, Associate DevOps Engineer, Software Engineering Institute

Theresa Anderson, a professor of mathematical sciences, received a Faculty Early Career Award (CAREER) from the National Science Foundation to build bridges between number theory and harmonic analysis, two areas of mathematics often viewed as separate. One of the most prestigious awards for young faculty, CAREER awards recognize and support those who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through their outstanding research and teaching. "In my work, I tend to connect areas of mathematics, pulling techniques from a variety of fields to go out of my comfort zone and explore new things," Anderson said. Under the grant, Anderson will explore areas broadly in analysis or number theory. First, she is working to develop the infrastructure to travel between number theory and analysis in order to analyze discrete sets that encode curved surfaces. She also plans to explore hidden number theoretic properties in the building blocks of harmonic analysis. And, as a third bridge across the two fields, Anderson will be integrating Fourier analysis to better predict the behavior of a random object of algebraic interest. The award will also support Anderson's teaching and mentoring. She is creating a class on a topic involving analysis and number theory, where she will develop the needed number theory along the way. Read the story.

Sayeed Choudhury, director of the Open Source Programs Office, is the featured speaker for the 2023 Copley Library's Digital Initiatives Symposium. His talk is titled "How Open Scholarship will Help Reboot the World." It examines the role of libraries and other cultural heritage institutions in expanding access to open scholarship, to empower people and profoundly benefit global society — especially in the wake of the unprecedented change of the last three years. Read the story.

Jinding Xing, a Ph.D. candidate in civil and environmental engineering, has been awarded the prestigious Robert E. Uhrig Graduate Scholarship by the Human Factors, Instrumentation, and Controls Division (HFICD) of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) for her research using augmented reality on mitigating human error in dynamic contexts, particularly in the operation of nuclear power plants. Xing's research focuses on mitigating human error in dynamic contexts, particularly in the operation of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). To achieve this, she employs advanced techniques such as Digital Twin, Augmented Reality, and Machine Learning. Xing's passion for the nuclear industry was sparked by her PhD project, which is funded by the Department of Energy and aims to develop context-aware augmented reality glasses for nuclear field workers. "I am deeply honored to receive the Robert E. Uhrig Graduate Scholarship and would like to extend my appreciation to my project collaborators for their support and guidance on the DOE project. Special thanks go to my advisor, Professor Pingbo Tang, for his continuous guidance and support throughout my academic journey," she said. Read the story.

Who's New at CMU?

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this week.

• Rachel Burress, Administrative Assistant II, Cylab;

• Ananya Srivastava, Research Assistant, Robotics Institute – Campus;

• Clark Jackson, Help Center Consultant, Client Experience (Comp Services);

• Joshua Bitler, Recruiting & Student Services Manager, Online Education Unit, CMU Online Operating Unit Administration;

• Anna DeFilippis, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations;

• Arshveen Gadhok, Art Director, Tepper School of Business;

• Andrea Goeringer, Project Manager, Digital Operations, University Communications & Marketing;

• Daniel Brady, Integrated Security Technician, University Police;

• Mario Toniolo, Laborer I, Facilities Management Services; and

• Justin Wasserman, Research Assistant, Robotics Institute

Graduate student Henry Scavone was named University Athletic Association (UAA) Men's Golf Athlete of the Week following his performance at the Western Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Competition. Scavone helped the Tartans win the 36-hole competition. He carded the lowest individual round in the program's history with a seven-under par 63 over the final round. The graduate student was tied atop the individual leaderboard with a 141 following 36 holes. He then claimed the individual medalist after winning a seven-hole playoff draining a 25-foot putt for birdie. In 22 rounds this season, Scavone has an average 73.8. Read the story.

Baruch Fischhoff, the Howard Heinz University Professor in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy and the Institute for Politics and Strategy, has been selected to give this year's prestigious Clarendon Lectures in Management Studies at the University of Oxford. The Clarendon Lectures in Management Studies are jointly organized by Oxford University Press and the Saïd Business School. Every year a leading international academic is invited to give a series of lectures on a topic related to management education and research, broadly defined. The lectures form the basis of a book subsequently published by Oxford University Press. In his series of lectures, Fischhoff will explore how the studied myopia of our academic disciplines both provides unique insights and impedes our wisdom, usefulness, and social acceptability.  Read the story.

Senior Ajunie Virk was selected for a residency at Skowhegan, one of the most prestigious and important residency programs in the United States. Virk is pursuing a degree in the Bachelor of Humanities and Arts (BHA) program. It is exceptionally rare for a graduting undergraduate student to be selected for the program. Skowhegan seeks each year to bring together a diverse group of individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to artmaking and inquiry, creating the most stimulating and rigorous environment possible for a concentrated period of artistic creation, interaction and growth. Founded by artists, and still governed by artists, the program provides an atmosphere in which participants are encouraged to work free of the expectations of the marketplace and academia. In order to allow others entry, no participant is allowed to return for a second summer. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Read the story.

The Cohon University Center is saying a fond farewell to a longtime employee who is retiring.

          Stanley Krowitz is retiring on May 6 after 23 years as the Events and Facilities Coordinator in the Cohon University Center. Nicknamed by alum Peter Masters as "The Guardian of the UC," Stan's passion for Carnegie Mellon has spanned decades. He won the 2011 Andy Award for "Community Contributions" in recognition for his efforts in ensuring that all CUC events occur seamlessly and without a hitch, all with an enduring smile.
          Stanley has been an indespensable part of the community, recognized by students, faculty and staff alike for his dedication. A commitment that extended to saving the life of faculty member Zack Rubinstein who suffered cardiac arrest while playing in a lunchtime basketball game in the Wiegand Gymnasium. Alongside CMU police officer Brant Waugaman who initiated CPR, Stan quickly pulled an AED machine off the wall outside the gym, and twice administered shocks that restarted Rubinstein's heart.
          Growing up in the shadow of the Carnegie Tech as a child, Stan says it has been an honor and privilege working at Carnegie Mellon amongst brilliant faculty, hardworking, dedicated staff, the absolute "best, brightest and nicest students" and especially his wonderful CUC "family" which included Director Marcia Gerwig, Associate Director Jesse Koch and colleagues Judy Robinson, Katie Robertson, Liz Weiss, Angie Joliceur and Shannon Mominee.
          And best of all along the way, Stan was blessed to meet and marry the "love of his life" Louise Krowitz, who works in Enrollment Services and is currently in her 43rd year at Carnegie Mellon.
          Stanely will be missed by his friends and colleagues. He is wished much happiness as he pursues this next chapter in his life.

Who's New at CMU?

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this week.

• Ciara OConnor, Senior Marketing Strategist, CMU Online Operating Unit Administration;

• Dany Ricci, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations;

• Kel-Lisa Sebwe, Administrative Assistant to the Head, Department of Psychology;

• Margaret Sperling, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations;

• Taylor Zahairagunn, Business Process Consultant, Business Innovation Office, Computing Services;

• Alexander Nunley, Senior Windows Systems Administrator, Software Engineering Institute;

• Gail Follador, Accounting Assistant II, Sponsored Project Accounting, Finance Division;

• Mana Masuda, Research Associate I, Robotics Institute;

• Nicholas Ennulat, Temporary IT Support Associate, Software Engineering Institute;

• Or Patashnik, Research Assistant, Robotics Institute;

• Oleg Sopel, Linux Systems Administrator, Software Engineering Institute;

• Sherry Pipchok, Supervisor, Central Warehouse and Distribution, Facilities Management Services; and

• Kevin Hyekang Joo, Research Associate I, Robotics Institute

   

   

Fifth-year chemistry Ph.D. candidate Manami Kawakami has received the Kwolek Fellowship in Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University for her work in conjugated polymers and macrocycles. Kawakami's research involves designing new organic electronic materials, building up structures into either long chains or into large ring systems. She has created novel structures based on thiophene and furan building blocks, compounds which can be found in pharmaceuticals or roasted coffee beans. Kawakami plans on using the fellowship to focus more on her research. After her graduation, she hopes to move into industry, continuing her work developing novel polymers. Created by chemistry alumna and Kevlar inventor Stephanie Kwolek, the Kwolek Fellowship provides partial funding for an academic year to support a female chemistry graduate student's research and academic expenses. Read the story.

Andrew Li, assistant professor of operations research at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, has earned a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for his work on developing blood tests to detect early-stage cancer. The award, part of the Faculty Early Career Development Program, is given to individuals early in their careers who play an integral role in furthering their area of science. In addition to his work on blood tests and early-stage cancer detection, Li’s other research interests include statistics, optimization and machine learning, with applications to operations management and medicine. The award will support Li’s development of algorithms designed precisely for these optimization problems as well as interdisciplinary work with medical researchers and practitioners to apply the algorithms. The award also supports a plan for integrating research with education, which will aid in disseminating this work to students, the academic medical community and private companies. Read the story.

Daniel Nagin, Teresa and H. John Heinz III University Professor of Public Policy and Statistics in the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Nagin is one of nearly 270 members elected this year from academia, the arts, industry, policy, research, and science. Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences honors excellence and convenes leaders from multiple fields to examine new ideas, address issues of importance to the nation and the world, and work together to cultivate art and science that may advance the interest, honor, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people. “I am honored to be elected to the Academy, an organization that for more than two centuries has encouraged individuals in academia and elsewhere to address the challenges facing our nation,” said Nagin. In his research, Nagin focuses on the evolution of criminal and antisocial behaviors over the life course, the deterrent effect of criminal and non-criminal penalties on illegal behaviors, and the development of statistical methods for analyzing longitudinal data. Read the story.

Who's New at CMU?

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this week.

• Ann-Marie Floresca, Director, University Stores;

• Alexander Jones, ORIC Triage Coordinator, Office of the Vice President for Research;

• Paul Bennett, Assistant Director, Part-time & Online MBA Programs, Tepper School of Business;

• Benjamin Fozard, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations;

• Emily Spencer, Administrative Assistant II, Computer Science Department;

• Emily Toal, Development Associate - I, Mellon College of Science;

• Mohammad Ashraf Alimi, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations;

• Michael Stanley, Administrative Assistant II, Computer Science Department; and

• Tapajit Dey, Software Architecture Researcher, Software Engineering Institute 

Did You Know?

Stephanie Kwolek receiving her honorary degree from CMU in 2001.

At different points in her life, Stephanie Kwolek wanted to be a fashion designer and a doctor. Ultimately, her career had elements of both: she invented a fiber used in clothing that saves lives.

A 1946 Margaret Morrison chemistry major, Kwolek went to work for DuPont. One day in 1965 she was dissolving a polymer, patiently trying solvent after solvent. Nothing worked—so she tried a solvent not normally used. It produced a thin, cloudy liquid that behaved differently from any other; when Kwolek tried to shake it off the spatula, it held together.

She had to work hard to persuade her male colleagues to run the liquid through a spinneret, a device that forces dissolved polymers through tiny holes, extruding stringlike fibers. To everyone’s surprise, the fiber from Kwolek’s liquid couldn’t be broken. This was something altogether new—and astonishingly strong.

A DuPont team developed the new fiber into Kevlar, which of course is the fabric used in bulletproof vests. Kwolek smiled as she recalled being at the White House in 1996 to receive the National Medal of Technology: she was treated indifferently by security forces until someone recognized her name. Suddenly, she was surrounded by guards and police clamoring to tell her how her invention had kept them safe.

Kwolek believed that Kevlar probably couldn’t be invented in the modern day, because corporate America focuses more on near-term profits than on longer-term outcomes. “Productive research requires an investment of time and money,” she said. “It’s not like inventing a gadget in your garage.”

Today, Kevlar has more than 200 applications, and Stephanie Kwolek’s name appears on 17 patents. She has received innumerable awards and honors, and has even been an answer to a question on the popular game show Jeopardy.

After retiring in 1986, she worked as a consultant in polymer chemistry and completed a term on the Liquid Crystalline Polymer Committee of the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences.
Kwolek was active in mentoring other women scientists and participating in programs for school children. One of Kwolek's most cited papers, written with Paul W. Morgan, is "The Nylon Rope Trick," which describes how to demonstrate condensation polymerization in a beaker at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. This experiment is used in classrooms across America. She authored or co-authored more than 30 publications.

Kwolek was the fourth woman inducted into the then 113-member National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1994. She was awarded the National Medal of Technology in 1996, the Society of Chemical Industry Perkin Medal in 1997 and was inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame in 1997. She received a Carnegie Mellon Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award in 1998 and was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2001.

She is a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemists, the Sigma Xi and Phi Kappa Phi honorary societies and the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia.

In addition to her honorary degree from CMU, Kwolek received honorary degrees from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Clarkson University.

Howie Choset, a professor of robotics, has been named the 2023 Inventor of the Year by the Pittsburgh Intellectual Property Law Association (PIPLA). The award is given to a scientist whose patented developments have been economically significant and/or made positive contributions to society. PIPLA is one of the nation’s oldest organizations dedicated to fostering collegial exchanges regarding the nuances and importance of intellectual property. Choset’s research group has produced over 60 journal papers, 180 conference papers, 72 invention disclosures, and more than 60 issued patents. Choset also functions as a public ambassador to the field of robotics, having appeared everywhere from the Crazy Hard Robots Podcast to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Choset’s expertise in snake robots and motion planning has been instrumental in advancing the field of robotics as well as the robotics-based economy. The breakthrough technologies he has developed over his career have enabled robots to perform tasks that were once considered impossible. From navigating treacherous terrain for search and rescue operations to performing minimally invasive surgeries with dexterity and precision, Choset’s innovations have had a profound impact in a wide array of environments – from factories to disaster zones to operating rooms. Read the story.

Senior Lauren Janicke, has received the Judith A. Resnik Award for her exceptional academic and reseaarch accomplishments. Lauren is pursuing a civil and environmental engineering major and a statistics minor. She has already gained significant research experience during her undergraduate studies, and her academic performance is outstanding. She has excelled in challenging statistics, computation, and data science courses. Named after Carnegie Mellon alumna and space shuttle Challenger astronaut Dr. Judith A. Resnik, the awaard is presented annually to an exceptional woman graduating in the sciences or engineering who plans to attend graduate school. The recipient's academic performance, creativity, and vision illustrate potential for high academic achievement in her field. Read the story.

Daniel Schaffer, a recent graduate of the undergraduate program in Computational Biology in the School of Computer Science, was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) fellowship as part of their Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). The NSF GRFP was established to acknowledge and provide assistance to exceptional graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. It is the oldest fellowship program that directly supports graduate students in this field. Schaffer is interested in many topics in the field of comparative genomics, particularly in the evolution of traits and cellular systems that, in extreme forms, manifest as or influence human diseases. During his time at CMU, he worked on a method for studying the role of genomic regulatory elements in mammalian evolution, applied principally to the evolution of brain size. Read the story.

Who's New at CMU?

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this week.

• Kimber Lovell, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations;

• Adam Bahus, Assistant Director, Alumni and Constituent Engagement;

• Ann Kearney, Technical Writer & Content Strategist, SCS Computing;

• Chelsea Lee, Administrative Coordinator, Chemical Engineering;

• David Weber, Statistical Developer, Machine Learning Department;

• Dhruv Srikanth, Research Programmer, Robotics Institute;

• Ivan Figueroa, Project Manager, Enterprise Information Systems, Computing Services;

• James Richardson, Distinguished Executive In Residence, Provost Office Operations;

• Paul Livingston, Institutional Research Designer and Analyst, Institutional Research and Analysis;

• Matthew Gruber, Technical Physical Security Specialist, SEI OCOS Security Services;

• Maxwell Trdina, Assistant Software Engineer, SEI Cyber Security Foundations;

• Natalie Ross, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations;

• Ryan Slater, PC Engineering Manager, SCS Computing;

• Stacy de las Alas, Systems/Software Engineer, Enrollment Services; and

• Sterling Davis, Senior Student Programs Coordinator, International Education.

Howie Choset, a professor of robotics, has been named the 2023 Inventor of the Year by the Pittsburgh Intellectual Property Law Association (PIPLA). The award is given to a scientist whose patented developments have been economically significant and/or made positive contributions to society. PIPLA is one of the nation’s oldest organizations dedicated to fostering collegial exchanges regarding the nuances and importance of intellectual property. Choset’s research group has produced over 60 journal papers, 180 conference papers, 72 invention disclosures, and more than 60 issued patents. Choset also functions as a public ambassador to the field of robotics, having appeared everywhere from the Crazy Hard Robots Podcast to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Choset’s expertise in snake robots and motion planning has been instrumental in advancing the field of robotics as well as the robotics-based economy. The breakthrough technologies he has developed over his career have enabled robots to perform tasks that were once considered impossible. From navigating treacherous terrain for search and rescue operations to performing minimally invasive surgeries with dexterity and precision, Choset’s innovations have had a profound impact in a wide array of environments – from factories to disaster zones to operating rooms. Read the story.

Senior Lauren Janicke, has received the Judith A. Resnik Award for her exceptional academic and reseaarch accomplishments. Lauren is pursuing a civil and environmental engineering major and a statistics minor. She has already gained significant research experience during her undergraduate studies, and her academic performance is outstanding. She has excelled in challenging statistics, computation, and data science courses. Named after Carnegie Mellon alumna and space shuttle Challenger astronaut Dr. Judith A. Resnik, the awaard is presented annually to an exceptional woman graduating in the sciences or engineering who plans to attend graduate school. The recipient's academic performance, creativity, and vision illustrate potential for high academic achievement in her field. Read the story.

Daniel Schaffer, a recent graduate of the undergraduate program in Computational Biology in the School of Computer Science, was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) fellowship as part of their Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). The NSF GRFP was established to acknowledge and provide assistance to exceptional graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. It is the oldest fellowship program that directly supports graduate students in this field. Schaffer is interested in many topics in the field of comparative genomics, particularly in the evolution of traits and cellular systems that, in extreme forms, manifest as or influence human diseases. During his time at CMU, he worked on a method for studying the role of genomic regulatory elements in mammalian evolution, applied principally to the evolution of brain size. Read the story.

Who's New at CMU?

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this week.

• Kimber Lovell, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations;

• Adam Bahus, Assistant Director, Alumni and Constituent Engagement;

• Ann Kearney, Technical Writer & Content Strategist, SCS Computing;

• Chelsea Lee, Administrative Coordinator, Chemical Engineering;

• David Weber, Statistical Developer, Machine Learning Department;

• Dhruv Srikanth, Research Programmer, Robotics Institute;

• Ivan Figueroa, Project Manager, Enterprise Information Systems, Computing Services;

• James Richardson, Distinguished Executive In Residence, Provost Office Operations;

• Paul Livingston, Institutional Research Designer and Analyst, Institutional Research and Analysis;

• Matthew Gruber, Technical Physical Security Specialist, SEI OCOS Security Services;

• Maxwell Trdina, Assistant Software Engineer, SEI Cyber Security Foundations;

• Natalie Ross, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations;

• Ryan Slater, PC Engineering Manager, SCS Computing;

• Stacy de las Alas, Systems/Software Engineer, Enrollment Services; and

• Sterling Davis, Senior Student Programs Coordinator, International Education.

Liam Dugan, a doctoral student, recently received the American Chemical Society's Summer Graduate Fellowship for his work expanding the future of science in the field of mass spectrometry. A key part of chemical innovation, mass spectrometry has applications in drug testing, discovery and clinical research, as well as testing drinking water and protein identification. "We want to investigate the durability, strength and cargo-loading availability and viability of drug carriers," Dugan said of his work with chemistry professor Mark Bier's research group. The Division of Analytical Chemistry Graduate Fellowship Program is designed to encourage basic research in the field of analytical chemistry, to promote the growth of analytical chemistry in academic institutions and industry, and to provide recognition of future leaders in the field. Read the story.

Aaditya Ramdas, a professor of statistics and data science, has received the Institute of Mathematical Statistics’ Peter Gavin Hall Early Career Prize "for significant contributions in the areas of reproducibility in science and technology; active, sequential decision-making; and assumption-light uncertainty quantification.” This award is bestowed to one researcher annually who is within the first eight years of completing their doctoral degree. Ramdas' research spans algorithms, theory, and applications of statistical inference and machine learning. His work delves into fundamental questions in statistics, data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, when applied towards solving basic problems in science and technology. The Peter Gavin Hall IMS Early Career Prize recognizes Ramdas' potential to shape the future of statistics. His dedication and expertise have positioned him as an emerging leader in the field, and his innovative contributions continue to push the boundaries of statistical research. Read more.

Barbara Shinn-Cunningham, director of the Neuroscience Institute and professor of auditory neuroscience, has been named the President-Elect of Acoustical Society of America (ASA), which promotes the knowledge and practical application of the field of acoustics. Known for her work in auditory attention, Shinn-Cunningham has been involved with ASA for most of her career. "The Acoustical Society is the scientific society in which I grew up," she said. "All of my advisers and mentors came through ASA. I have very deep roots here and am proud to help lead." Shinn-Cunningham has served as vice president of ASA and as a member of its executive council. She is also a fellow of the society and received a silver medal(opens in new window) from the society in 2019 for her work in the cognitive and neural bases of speech perception in complex acoustic environments. She said she is excited to champion its recent diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. "I'm so excited to work with VP-elect Tyrone Porter to bring more people into the society. We want to ensure everyone is supported, encouraged and given opportunities to succeed," Shinn-Cunningham said. ASA was established in 1929 and has approximately 6,000 members. Read the story.

Who's New at CMU?

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this and last week.

• Stone Schaldenbrand, Research Administrator - The Engineering Research Accelerator, Engineering Business Operations Office;

• Anne Ransom, Building Coordinator, University Center Administration;

• Justin Pearl, Assistant Director of SLICE for Leadership Development, Campus Engagement;

• Charles Runyan, Director, Tartan Scholars Program, Student Academic Success Center;

• Elias Miller, Assistant Solutions Engineer, Software Engineering Institute;

• Jingtian Yan, Research Assistant, Robotics Institute;

• Nicole Auerbach, Research Administrator, Computational Biology Department;

• Samara Khan, Administrative Assistant, Modern Languages;

• Stephanie Grzenia, Associate DevOps Engineer, Software Engineering Institute;

• Shambwaditya Saha, Assurance Researcher, Software Engineering Institute;

• Sheila Davis, Associate Director, Media Relations, Tepper School of Business;

• Scott Kleinberg, Director for Social Media, University Communications & Marketing;

• Tessa Matulis, International Cash Accountant, International Finance;

• Amedea Baldoni, Financial Analyst, Financial Planning & Analysis;

• Katie Chuahong, HR Coordinator - Student Worker Services, HR Operations;

• Kari Galensky, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations;

• Maresa Vaccarello, Contracts Analyst, Associate Vice President for Research & Academic Admin; and

• Mark Werle, Design Director, Communications Design and Photography, University Communications & Marketing.

   

Liam Dugan, a doctoral student, recently received the American Chemical Society's Summer Graduate Fellowship for his work expanding the future of science in the field of mass spectrometry. A key part of chemical innovation, mass spectrometry has applications in drug testing, discovery and clinical research, as well as testing drinking water and protein identification. "We want to investigate the durability, strength and cargo-loading availability and viability of drug carriers," Dugan said of his work with chemistry professor Mark Bier's research group. The Division of Analytical Chemistry Graduate Fellowship Program is designed to encourage basic research in the field of analytical chemistry, to promote the growth of analytical chemistry in academic institutions and industry, and to provide recognition of future leaders in the field. Read the story.

Aaditya Ramdas, a professor of statistics and data science, has received the Institute of Mathematical Statistics’ Peter Gavin Hall Early Career Prize "for significant contributions in the areas of reproducibility in science and technology; active, sequential decision-making; and assumption-light uncertainty quantification.” This award is bestowed to one researcher annually who is within the first eight years of completing their doctoral degree. Ramdas' research spans algorithms, theory, and applications of statistical inference and machine learning. His work delves into fundamental questions in statistics, data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, when applied towards solving basic problems in science and technology. The Peter Gavin Hall IMS Early Career Prize recognizes Ramdas' potential to shape the future of statistics. His dedication and expertise have positioned him as an emerging leader in the field, and his innovative contributions continue to push the boundaries of statistical research. Read more.

Barbara Shinn-Cunningham, director of the Neuroscience Institute and professor of auditory neuroscience, has been named the President-Elect of Acoustical Society of America (ASA), which promotes the knowledge and practical application of the field of acoustics. Known for her work in auditory attention, Shinn-Cunningham has been involved with ASA for most of her career. "The Acoustical Society is the scientific society in which I grew up," she said. "All of my advisers and mentors came through ASA. I have very deep roots here and am proud to help lead." Shinn-Cunningham has served as vice president of ASA and as a member of its executive council. She is also a fellow of the society and received a silver medal from the society in 2019 for her work in the cognitive and neural bases of speech perception in complex acoustic environments. She said she is excited to champion its recent diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. "I'm so excited to work with VP-elect Tyrone Porter to bring more people into the society. We want to ensure everyone is supported, encouraged and given opportunities to succeed," Shinn-Cunningham said. ASA was established in 1929 and has approximately 6,000 members. Read the story.

Who's New at CMU?

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this and last week.

• Stone Schaldenbrand, Research Administrator - The Engineering Research Accelerator, Engineering Business Operations Office;

• Anne Ransom, Building Coordinator, University Center Administration;

• Justin Pearl, Assistant Director of SLICE for Leadership Development, Campus Engagement;

• Charles Runyan, Director, Tartan Scholars Program, Student Academic Success Center;

• Elias Miller, Assistant Solutions Engineer, Software Engineering Institute;

• Jingtian Yan, Research Assistant, Robotics Institute;

• Nicole Auerbach, Research Administrator, Computational Biology Department;

• Samara Khan, Administrative Assistant, Modern Languages;

• Stephanie Grzenia, Associate DevOps Engineer, Software Engineering Institute;

• Shambwaditya Saha, Assurance Researcher, Software Engineering Institute;

• Sheila Davis, Associate Director, Media Relations, Tepper School of Business;

• Scott Kleinberg, Director for Social Media, University Communications & Marketing;

• Tessa Matulis, International Cash Accountant, International Finance;

• Amedea Baldoni, Financial Analyst, Financial Planning & Analysis;

• Katie Chuahong, HR Coordinator - Student Worker Services, HR Operations;

• Kari Galensky, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations;

• Maresa Vaccarello, Contracts Analyst, Associate Vice President for Research & Academic Admin; and

• Mark Werle, Design Director, Communications Design and Photography, University Communications & Marketing.

   

Ezelle Sanford III, assistant professor of history, has received the 2023-2024 Innovations in Pedagogy and Teaching Fellowship from HistoryMakers, the nation’s largest African American video oral history archive. Sanford shared this honor with 12 scholars across the country. Sanford was recognized for the course he developed, “Introduction to African American History: Black Americans and the World.” During the course, students will use The HistoryMakers Digital Archive to review the history of Black Americans from a global perspective. The HistoryMakers Innovations in Pedagogy and Teaching Fellowship aims to foster classroom innovation and teaching and to diversify curricula while furthering student learning and research skills during the upcoming academic year.

Ph.D. candidate Sofia Martinez has been awarded the prestigious Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Graduate Fellowship by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. Martinez earned her Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the University of Portland in Oregon.
Co-advised by professors Costa Samaras and Corey Harper, she is focused on the electrification of the U.S. public transportation sector to reduce carbon emissions. “I am grateful to receive this wonderful distinction and even more grateful to those who have helped me along the way,” says Martinez. The Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP) was founded to attract the most talented individuals in the country to the transportation field and promote the development of the transportation workforce. Managed by the Technology Partnership Program, Federal Highway Administration, the DDETFP covers a wide range of transportation modes. It grants fellowships to students who are pursuing degrees in disciplines related to transportation. The DDETFP is inclusive of all modes of transportation. Read the story.

Tricia O'Reilly has been announced as the chief of staff to CMU President Farnam Jahanian. O’Reilly has been serving as interim chief of staff since January 2023. “Tricia has been one of my key advisors since she joined the university in 2016, having previously served as senior director for executive communications,” said CMU President Farnam Jahanian. “Her work on behalf of my office, including engaging with partners across campus and beyond, has already had significant impact, and I am delighted to be able to rely on her continued leadership.” As chief of staff, O’Reilly works with partners across campus to advance the university’s strategic priorities on behalf of the president. She is a key advisor to the president and to the executive management team and plays a critical role in planning and decision-making, providing leadership for a broad set of university-wide initiatives. “I am excited to support and advance university priorities and President Jahanian’s leadership during this time of tremendous opportunity for CMU,” O’Reilly said. “I look forward to working alongside the leadership team and with faculty, staff, students and external partners in support of our shared vision for the future.” Read the story.

SEI Announces 2023 AJ Awards Recipients

SEI Director Paul Nielsen, center, presents the team AJ Award for serving the customer to members of the Missile Defense Agency Team, Matthew Milazzo, left, and Ryan Karl, right.

The Software Engineering Institute recently announced the recipients of the 21st annual AJ Awards, which recognize outstanding staff accomplishments. The AJ Awards are named in honor of Angel Jordan, former university provost, who is considered the founding father of the SEI.

The recipients of AJ Awards are:

Director’s Office Awards for Excellence
Christopher Fairfax, Ipek Ozkaya, and SEI Trade Show Team of Connie Sapienza and Leslie Chovan

Inspiring Leadership
Grace Lewis

Leading and Advancing — Individual
James Wessel

Leading and Advancing — Team
FEMA Disaster Scenario Team — Stephen Beck, Sebastian Echeverria, Jeffery Hansen, Gabriel Moreno, Dan Plakosh, Jason Popowski, David Walbeck

Living our Shared Values
David Biber

Newcomer of the Year
Shen Zhang

Operational Excellence — Individual
Melissa Ludwick

Operational Excellence — Team
Long Range Stand Off Weapon Team—Stephen Beck, Natalie Chronister, Alan Cohn, Harold Ennulat, Tom Merendino, Bryce Meyer, Dan Plakosh, Jason Popowski, Michael Riley, John Robert, Doug Schmidt, David Walbeck, Jim Wessel

Serving the Customer — Individual
Kevin Pitstick

Serving the Customer — Team
Missile Defense Agency Team—Luiz Antunes, Stephen Beck, Jordan Britton, Peter Capell, Alan Cohn, Patrick Earl, Jeffrey Hamed, Ryan Karl, Mena Kostial, Rich Malina, Jay Marchetti, Bryce Meyer, Matt Milazzo, Dan Plakosh, Jason Popowski, Nicholas Reimer, Doug Reynolds, Michael Riley, David Svoboda, Jim Wessel, Hasan Yasar

Who's New at CMU?

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this and last week.

• Azra Sharaf, Senior Systems Analyst, Enrollment Systems;

• Jonathan Walkush, Director of Finance and Operations, Biomedical Engineering;

• Vijaya Sambhavi Inapuri, Salesforce Marketing Cloud Developer, Info Services, University Advancement;

• Evariste Nsengumuremyi, Academic Program Manager, Rwanda — Information and Communication Technology;

• Abigail Medvic, Research Assistant MacWhinney Lab, Psychology;

• Ali Petrisek, Research Associate I, Biological Sciences;

• Ariane Seymour, Junior Java Developer, Enterprise Information Systems, Computing Services;

• Christopher Nichols, Laborer I, Facilities Management Services;

• AnaBella Lassiter, Academic Coordinator, Heinz College;

• Carissa Falcone, Group Exercise Fitness Instructor, Athletics & Physical Education;

• Douglas Elliott, Technical Lead, Application Management, Enterprise Application Support, Computing Services;

• Michael Garbett, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations;

• Minh Khue Le, DevOps Engineer, Machine Learning Department;

• Yuanlin Wu, Research Associate, Computational Biology Department;

• Yuhang Li, Research Assistant II — LiMN Laboratory, Neuroscience Institute;

• Zoe Nehrer, Academic Program Manager, Student Academic Success Center;

• Ted Keim, Receiver FMS, Operations - Storeroom/inventory, Facilities Management Services;

• Esther Hylva, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations;

• Leanne Rosso, Outreach Associate, School of Architecture; and

• Yuchen Wu, Research Assistant, Robotics Institute.

Ph.D. student Colin Martin recently participated in the Duluth, Minnesota Grandma's Marathon, where he placed 23rd out of a total of 6,689 runners. He finished the marathon in 2 hours, 17 minutes and 28 seconds, a time that qualified him for the 2024 Olympic trials in February. Martin is a third-year graduate student currently pursuing a doctorate in chemistry with the Armitage Group. He is currently conducting research related to peptide nucleic acid synthesis and its applications to human disease therapies. Read more.

Alaine Allen,associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, and distinguished service professor in Engineering and Public Policy, has been named one of the Pittsburgh Business Times' 2023 Women of Influence. In her position as associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion at Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering, her focus is on student, staff and faculty inclusion, and finding ways for colleagues to work together to mentor and teach all populations. At CMU, the initiatives Allen has been involved in are numerous. As team leader of a group of engineering educators from CMU, Johns Hopkins University and New York University, she helped secure a $3 million National Science Foundation Project ELEVATE grant to promote equitable advancement and support early career faculty in the Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) populations for those in underrepresented groups. She also serves as the campus representative for The National GEM Consortium – a program that provides a fellowship community for underrepresented groups at the master’s and doctoral levels in engineering and science. She leads efforts to provide professional development and social opportunities for CMU’s 140 GEM fellows to connect with each other and staff mentors. Read more.

Yan Huang, a professor of business technologies, won an Amazon Science research award for her work exploring the human-algorithmic bias and improving fairness from managerial and technical perspectives. Huang joins nearly 80 other recipients of the award, which offers unrestricted funds and promotional credits to support research in multiple disciplines at academic institutions and nonprofit organizations. The awardees represent 54 universities in 14 countries. “I am deeply honored to receive this award from Amazon for my work on bias in AI,” said Huang. “Algorithmic bias is a growing concern. Since algorithms are often trained using data generated by humans, we need to determine how machine learning inherits different types of human bias and how to improve fairness from managerial and technical perspectives.” Read the story.

Who's New at CMU?

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this and last week.

• Adel Akhavanmalayeri, Surgical Research Fellow, Biomedical Engineering;

• Angelica Perez-Johnston, CFA Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, College of Fine Arts;

• Shuqi Ke, Research Associate, Electrical & Computer Engineering;

• Louise Aravich, Associate Director, Student Services, Tepper School of Business Masters Program;

• Phillip Kim, Early Childhood Educator, HR Operations;

• Robert Simon, Executive Director, Master of Science in Computational Finance Program, Tepper School of Business;

• Wooten Gough, Associate Director, Student Services, Tepper School of Business Masters Program;

• Keltin Grimes, MTS Assistant Engineer, Ai-4M, Software Engineering Institute;

• Lauren Moran, Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Director of First-Year Orientation and Family Engagement, First-Year Orientation and Family Engagement;

• Lisa Price, Security Officer, University Police;

• Robin Yeman, Space Domain Lead, Ssd Program Development and Satellite Office, Software Engineering Institute;

• Shawn Baum, Steamfitter I, Facilities Management Services.;

• Steven Brewer, Machine Learning Engineer, Ai-4M, Software Engineering Institute;

• Amy Troppman, Procurement Specialist, CMU Cloud Lab, Mellon College of Science; and

• Matthew Kotyuk, Gardener I, Facilities Management Services.

Dan Rodgers, head coach of the Carnegie Mellon University men's golf team, has been named the 2023 Division III Dave Williams National Coach of the Year presented by Golf Pride Grips as announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). In May, Rodgers coached the Tartans to the first team NCAA Division III Championship in university history. The team trailed by eight strokes heading into the final round and then recorded the lowest round of the tournament by any team of nine-under par on the last day. "Dan is a tremendous coach and educator, and is incredibly deserving of this honor," said Director of Athletics Josh Centor. "Dan strives to provide the best possible experience for his students in every domain, and we are beyond fortunate that he calls Carnegie Mellon home." The honor is the second overall for Rodgers, as he received the same accolade in 2020 from the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) after he guided the Tartan women's program to the top position in the final Division III national rankings by Golfstat. Read the story.

Anthony Karahalios, a doctoral student in operations research at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, has won Best Student Paper at the 20th International Conference on the Integration of Constraint Programming, Artificial Intelligence, and Operations Research (CPAIOR 2023). The paper, which was co-authored by his adviser Willem-Jan van Hoeve, the Carnegie Bosch Professor of Operations Research at Tepper, is titled “Column Elimination for Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problems,” and will be published in the proceedings of the conference. In the paper, Karahalios and van Hoeve introduce a column elimination procedure for the capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP). This problem has become increasingly important in the last decade due to the increase in last mile delivery applications: the often most expensive, inefficient and time-consuming part of the delivery process. The research outlined in the paper was supported, in part, by the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation. It is also based on work supported by the National Science Foundation (Graduate Research Fellowship). The award was presented to Karahalios at the conference, which took place from May 29 through June 1, 2023, in Nice, France. Read the story.

Rashmi Vinayak, a professor of computer science, was named the 2023 Goldsmith Lecturer by the IEEE Information Theory Society for her professional and technical achievements in data systems. The Goldsmith Lecturer Program highlights the technical achievements of early-career researchers and helps build their professional career and recognition. The program contributes to the public visibility of the chosen lecturer and seeks to increase the diversity of IEEE. Vinayak, an assistant professor in the Computer Science Department, studies information and coding theory, computer and networked systems, and where these fields intersect. She currently focuses on robustness and resource efficiency in data systems, including storage and caching systems, systems for machine learning, and live-streaming communication. Vinayak will deliver a lecture at one of the IEEE Information Theory Society’s Schools of Information Theory. These short workshops introduce students to new research frontiers in information theory. More information is available in the IEEE Information Theory Society’s newsletter. Read the story.

Who's New at CMU?

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this and last week.

• Hunter Akridge, Research Associate, Human Computer Interaction Institute;

• Ariyana Bonam, Accounting Assistant, FMS Operations;

• Eric Gordon, Frontline Retail Sales Consultant, University Stores Administration;

• Justina Cincotti, Assistant Director of Constituent Relations, Development and Govt Relations;

• Jacquelynn Jordan, Tutor Supervisor - Sponsored Projects, Human Computer Interaction Institute;

• Jesse Kreutzberger, System Software Engineer, Enterprise Information Systems, Computing Services;

• Jocelyn Ralutz, Assistant Director, Analytics, Info Services, University Advancement;

• Michael Herzog, Library Specialist (NE), Administration, Planning & Assessment;

• Sandro Campos, Systems Software Engineer, Physics;

• Sarah Jacobsen, Outreach Coordinator, College of Engineering;

• Swati Rallapalli, Senior Machine Learning Research Scientist, Software Engineering Institute;

• Shadeia Sheridan, Coordinator for Student Engagement & Support, The Center for Student Diversity Inclusion;

• Valerie Rossi, Training Coordinator & Instructional Specialist, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center;

• Yannick Wiley, Jr. CMS Developer, University Communications and Marketing, Computing Services;

• Zoe Schneider, Research Associate II, Psychology;

• Collin Zoeller, Pre-Doctoral Research Associate, Tepper School of Business;

• Jana Abdelmaguid, Outreach Assistant, Miscellaneous Research Awards, Qatar;

• Oscar Portis, IT Support Associate, Dietrich Computing;

• Chethan Chinder Chandrappa, Research Programmer/Analyst, Robotics Institute;

• Jingwen Zheng, Research Analyst, Tepper School of Business;

• Laura Beth Fulton, Adjunct Instructor, Integrated Innovation for Products and Services, Integrated Innovation Institute;

• Leslie Garvin, Associate Director of Clinical Services, CAPS, Community Health & Well-Being;

• Moises Padilla, Executive Director of the CMU Rales Fellows Program;

• Megan Yawman, Assistant Women's Basketball Coach, Athletics & Physical Education;

• Ryan Dibble, Computational Specialist, Psychology;

• Sarai Burch, Temporary Employment Service, Annual Giving, University Advancement;

• Stephen Beck III, Security Officer, University Police; and

• Sun-Hwan Chu, Director, Network Services, Network Design, Computing Services.

Sarah Mendelson, a professor of public policy, recently convened international senior human rights scholars and practitioners to explore how to teach and train human rights differently using the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. For the last several years, Amb. Mendelson, together with teams of students and a few faculty members from the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, has been researching the impact of Covid relief and recovery funds on social justice issues in a handful of North American cities. These efforts, supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, are part of her work on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Last year, with support from the Packard Foundation, the team took their findings to the World Justice Forum in The Hague to reflect on what they had learned and what more was needed to drive positive outcomes. Related to this work, growing out of the Brookings Institution and Rockefeller Foundation’s flagship 17 Rooms exercise, Mendelson, Distinguished Service Professor of Public Policy and Head of Heinz College in Washington, D.C., has since 2020 convened senior human rights scholars and practitioners to explore how to teach and train human rights differently using the SDGs. Those combined work streams led recently to an in-person meeting by Mendelson to co-create a community of practice dedicated to growing the next generation of human rights experts, activists, practitioners, and scholars through education about and research on the SDGs. Another purpose was to co-create a plan to accelerate action on this nexus of human rights and the SDGs. Read the story.

Ethan Meitz, a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering, was awarded the selective U.S. Department of Energy’s Computational Science Graduate Fellowship for his work in creating predictive nanoscale models for the thermophysical properties of liquids. Meitz is the first student from the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in 25 years to be awarded the fellowship; fewer than 40 people across the nation receive it each year. He said he was very excited to have received the award and is looking forward to how the fellowship will support his research, such as attending the ACM/IEEE Supercomputing Conference in the fall. “I find it really interesting when you have to understand both the physics and the computer itself to solve your problem,” Meitz said. Read the story.

R. Ravi, a professor of operations research, was honored with the Test of Time award from the Association for Computing Machinery for his influential 1991 work on algorithms to create efficient networks at a low cost. The 1991 paper, titled "When trees collide: An approximation algorithm for the generalized Steiner problem on networks," presented the influential AKR algorithm; named after the initials of the three inventors. "Working on this award-winning paper jump-started my research career," said Ravi. "It added a new tool to the algorithm design palette." Ravi added that the primal-dual method it enhanced is squarely in the intersection of optimization, algorithms, and graph theory for which Carnegie Mellon and its prestigious Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization doctoral program are known. "I have worked on derivatives of the method over the past three decades and am currently working on one with a doctoral student," he said. The impact of Ravi's research extends beyond the specific problem addressed in the paper. The AKR algorithm pioneered a methodology that has influenced the design and analysis of various approximation algorithms in different domains. This shaped the landscape of facility location, prize-collecting traveling salesman, and feedback vertex set problems. Read the story.

Who's New at CMU?

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this week.

• Mark Gardner, Graduate Program Manager, CM Institute for Security and Technology;

• David Gunyon, Security Officer, University Police;

• Jacob Morton-Black, Coordinator, Office of Community Standards & Integrity and Housefellow, Community Standards & Diversity Initiatives;

• Varun Rambhala, Director of Strategy, University Communications & Marketing;

• Jacquelyn Stubenraugh, Coordinator of Community Standards & Integrity and Housefellow, Community Standards & Diversity Initiatives;

• Vincent Varsalona, Director of Visual Storytelling, Communications Design and Photography Group, University Communications & Marketing;

• Gloria Viveros, Administrative Coordinator, The Center for Student Diversity Inclusion; and

• Roxxanne White, Assistant Machine Learning Researcher, SEI Cyber Security Foundations.

On September 11, 2023, Carnegie Mellon University Provost James H. Garret Jr. led a panel of fellow provosts and chief academic officers from across the country at the Association of American Universities (AAU) Chief Academic Officers Meeting in Washington, D.C. Provost Garrett was joined by panelists Charles Lee Isbell, Jr., provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Beverly Wendland, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at Washington University in St. Louis.

"Carnegie Mellon is a leader in the AI field and we were so pleased to have Provost Garrett lead a discussion with peer institutions on this critical topic that all universities are grappling with," shared Ken Goldstein, senior vice president for Survey Research and Institutional Policy at AAU. "The discussion was very fruitful and I think our academic leaders definitely left it feeling more equipped to consider AI’s impacts on their own institutions."

The panel, "Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Higher Education," explored the unique role of artificial intelligence across the industry. Provosts Garrett, Isbell and Wendlend guided a robust conversation on how academic leaders are finding ways to accentuate the positive and mitigate the negative impacts of AI in the classroom and on campuses. The panel explored the challenges and opportunities AI poses to policy, curriculum, operations and infrastructure. Attendees shared experiences from their own schools during the conversation and discussed best practices for the future as AI tools and technologies, as well as how we use them, evolve.

Provost Garrett shared, "I always find it beneficial to have these types of conversations with our peers about the same challenges we are all facing. Being a part of discussions like the ones facilitated at AAU meetings is rewarding and helps me understand other perspectives and approaches that may help inform our own here at CMU."

Founded in 1900, the AAU is composed of America’s leading research universities. CMU has been an AAU member since 1982.

Today, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) received the 2023 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. As a recipient of the annual HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — Carnegie Mellon University will be featured, along with 108 other recipients, in the November/December 2023 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

"I am truly honored and excited that CMU is being recognized for their commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) with the 2023 HEED Award," said Wanda Heading-Grant, vice provost for diversity, equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer. "This is a well-deserved moment for CMU’s inaugural Office of the Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, our entire campus community and for the people who have been advancing this work at CMU for years. I am so proud that we received this prominent industry award and for this special milestone that we can joyfully embrace and collectively celebrate."

"The HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both — leadership support for diversity, campus culture and climate, supplier diversity, and many other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion," said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. "We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus."

For more information about the 2023 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.

Six staff members and two teams were recognized for their meaningful contributions at Carnegie Mellon University’s 29th Annual Andy Awards ceremony, held Wednesday, Oct. 18, in McConomy Auditorium. In addition, Staff Council presented Staff Service Awards to individuals celebrating 30, 35, 40 and 45 years of service to the university.

The Andy Awards, named for Andrew Carnegie and Andrew Mellon, recognize the legacy that CMU staff members forge through their hard work. Individual staff members and teams of colleagues whose work has had a significant impact on the university are recognized in six categories: Commitment to Excellence, Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Commitment to Students, Innovative and Creative Contributions, Spirit, and Teamwork and Collaboration.

This year’s nominees included 47 individuals and eight teams representing a diverse array of departments, functions and responsibilities across the university. The 2023 Andy Award Winners are:

• Phoebe Cook, Commitment to Excellence — Rookie*
• Robert Rosenstein, Commitment to Excellence — Veteran**
• Leia Delabahan, Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
• Correy Dandoy, Commitment to Students
• Justin Dawber, Innovative & Creative Contributions
• Timothy Angert, Spirit
• Mechanical Engineering DEI Committee, Teamwork and Collaboration — Standing Team
• Winter Storm Elliott Response Crew, Teamwork and Collaboration — Special Projects

*recognizes staff who have been at CMU for less than three years
**recognizes staff who have been at CMU for greater than three years

Earlier this week, Carnegie Mellon University was recognized by the City of Pittsburgh for its sweeping contributions to the city and the region’s economy, ecosystem, workforce and the next generation of leaders, and to positioning Pittsburgh as a global hub for innovation, robotics and STEM education.

In a proclamation sponsored by City Council President Theresa Kail-Smith, the council declared Tuesday, October 31, 2023, to be "Carnegie Mellon Forging the Future Day" in the City of Pittsburgh.

A group of 21 CMU community members accompanied President Farnam Jahanian to the City Council meeting on Tuesday to receive the proclamation. The group included three high school students from the Girls of Steel robotics program co-founded by CMU faculty members George Kantor and Patti Rote.

In his remarks, Jahanian highlighted the university’s longstanding partnership with the city, noting that "CMU’s history is inextricably linked to our hometown of Pittsburgh. In fact, in recent decades, the city's revival has actually paralleled the rise of Carnegie Mellon as a global institution. And we're so proud of this special symbiotic relationship that we have with the city and the region. Without any doubt our futures are also very much intertwined."

The council’s proclamation specifically recognized the university’s enhanced student experience, its transformational educational opportunities for K-12 students, its technological and workforce advances in manufacturing, its faculty expertise in energy innovation, the economic impact of its groundbreaking work in robotics, and its public-private partnerships that are cultivating a diverse workforce.

President Jahanian noted that the proclamation is truly an honor, saying "We share in the work of catalyzing economic growth, attracting new talent and bolstering opportunities and educational experience for all of Pittsburghers. We're all very deeply invested in Pittsburgh, and we're so delighted to have a strong partnership with both the public and the private sector again."

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this week.

• Goutam Balla, Academic Advisor - Academic Advising, Heinz College

• Alyssa Bernens, Academic Program Manager, Materials Science & Engineering

• Taylor Boyle, Ensemble and Events Coordinator, Music

• Alexandra Garnhart-Bushakra, Academic Program Manager, History

• Victoria Hegedus, Front End Developer, Robotics Inst: NREC National Robotics Engineering Center

• Monica Andrea Herrera Garces, Senior Administrative Program Coordinator, Tepper School of Business

• Riaz Khatri, Project Manager, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center

• Georgina Linuesa, Research Associate I, Robotics Institute

• Christine Martik, Administrative Assistant, Machine Learning Department

• Bethany Miga, Senior Director, Executive Communications, Office of the President

• ChanYoung Park, Research Assistant, Mechanical Engineering

• Ernestina Rankin, Administrative Coordinator, Chemistry

• Jessica Regan, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, Institute for Security and Technology

• Marc Ruiz, Research Associate I, Robotics Institute

• David Bozigar Simonetti, Security Officer, University Police

• Shashank Swarup, Staff Accountant, Enrollment Services

• Rebecca Tabor, User Interface Software Engineer, Robotics Inst: NREC National Robotics Engineering Center

• Chi-En Teh, Research Programmer, Robotics Institute

• Selena Walsh, Assistant Director of Admissions, Heinz General & Administrative

CMU at SXSW

Community voting for SXSW proposed presentations and panels is open and runs through Sunday. Consider voting for these CMU proposals via the SXSW PanelPicker website.

Maarten Sap - Promises and Challenges of Making Cutting Edge AI Inclusive
Lining Yao - How Self-Burying Seed Carriers Can Help Rebuild Biomes
Matthew Johnson-Roberson - Dude, Where's My Driverless Car? What's Next in Robotics
Sofia De Jesus/CS Academy -  Language-Inclusive & Accessible Computer Science Classrooms
John Zimmerman - Designing Successful AI Products and Services
Center for Transformational Play/Remake Learning - Monsters of Appalachia: A Game About Building Networks
Dan Saffer - AI by Design
Philip Koopman - Are Automated Vehicles Ready For Deployment?
Michael Smith - Remaking Higher Education for a Digital World

Who's New at CMU?

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this week.

• Marlee Bandish, Administrative Assistant, Machine Learning Department

• Madeline Myers, Consulting Therapist & Case Manager, Community Health & Well-Being

• Marie Rickrode, Educational Coordinator, HR Operations

• Xin Zhang, Associate Director, Alumni and Constituent Engagement, Alumni and Constituent Engagement

Anna Mayo, a professor of organizational behavior, a professor of organizational behavior, has received the 2023 Early Career Award from the Interdisciplinary Network for Group Research. Mayo was recognized for "distinguished contributions and [demonstrating] a clear commitment to advancing the interdisciplinary science of team or small group behavior, dynamics, and outcomes." Mayo’s research examines what characterizes and supports effective teamwork in modern organizations, where teamwork is made more difficult by the complex and dynamic team forms used relative to those in traditional settings (from individuals working on multiple teams at once, to the fleeting nature of some collaborations, to flux in team membership over time as schedules and task demands shift).

Who's New at CMU?

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this week.

• Caitlyn Abt, Senior Marketing Manager, Tepper School of Business

• Aidan Beatty, Senior Academic Advisor and Lecturer, History

• Markita Briggs, Academic Program Manager, Student Academic Success Center

• Leah Buffington, PhD Program Coordinator, Human Computer Interaction Institute

• Bel Burrows, Early Child Educator, HR Operations

• Jeff Campbell, Embedded Software Engineer, Software Engineering Institute

• Stefan Cecil, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations

• Hunter Christopher, Research Associate I, Biological Sciences

• Jennifer Clark, Administrative Coordinator, Language Technologies Institute

• Peter DePasquale, Assistant Director/Career Consultant for the College of Fine Arts, Career Center

• Matt Hale, Associate Design Researcher, Software Engineering Institute

• Eliza McCarthy, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations

• Kyla Purnell, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations

• Justin Rupert, Access Control Technician, Facilities Management Services

• David Schulker, Senior Data Scientist, Cyber Security Foundations, Software Engineering Institute

• Shambhavi Singh, Research Assistant, Robotics Institute

• Sasank Vishnubhatla, Associate Software Engineer, Cyber Security Foundations, Software Engineering Institute

• Eric Wharton, Fire Safety Specialist, Environmental Health & Safety, Enterprise Risk Management Services

• Jessi Znosko, Academic Advisor - Academic Advising, Heinz College

Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this week.

• Corinne Branquet, Early Childhood Associate Teacher - CS (NE), Childrens School

• Cole Gessner, Project Administrator II, Heinz College

• Elizabeth Glyptis, Benefits Administrator, HR Benefits

• Julie Jones, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations

• Ash Ledgerwood, Early Child Educator (NE), HR Operations

• Joanna Linares, Early Child Educator (NE), HR Operations

• Chelsea Long, Multi-media Designer, CMU Online Operating Unit Administration

• Drew Lund, Part-time Project Administrator/Manager, Software Engineering Institute

• Jesse Montgomery, Director of Operations, School of Music

• Sawyer Nash, Senior IT Support Consultant, Executive IT Support, Computing Services

• Nichelle Phillips, Education Associate, MLD: Machine Learning Department

• Navjeet Randhawa, Early Childhood Associate Teacher - CS (NE), Childrens School

• Samantha Rivet, Project Administrator I, Tepper School of Business

• Renae Swanson, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations

• Jason Thomas, Temporary Employment Service, HR Operations

• Brandi Underwood, Senior Marketing Manager, University Communications & Marketing