May 2, 2002

Vol. 12, No. 41

The "8 1/2 x 11 News" is published each week by the Department of Public Relations. News of campus interest should be sent to
Ed Delaney, 412-268-1609 (ed47@andrew.cmu.edu) or Bruce Gerson, 412-268-1613 (bg02@andrew.cmu.edu). The newsletter is available on the official.cmu-news and cmu.misc.news bulletin boards.

Last year's editions are available online.

Previous editions are available online.

"HARASSMENT IN ANY FORM WILL NOT BE TOLERATED ON THIS CAMPUS"

On Friday, April 26, President Jared Cohon sent a letter to the university community about "a matter of considerable importance to all of us." He noted that "within the past two weeks, we have had many activities relating to the Middle East hosted by a variety of sponsors. Some have been intended to draw together various viewpoints, while others have been more directly one-sided. Both types of events have an important place in our community. Unfortunately, there have been a few incidents where the level of discourse has been, at best, uncivil. We must all work individually and collectively to ensure that we do not engage in­or condone­such behavior....

—"Most disturbingly, there was a blatantly hateful incident last night at the Jewish University Center on Forbes Avenue where an individual marked a swastika on the front of the building. The use of symbols or words to foster hatred is the one of the most unacceptable violations of our values and standards. While we have no reason to believe that this incident involved university members, there is even more reason to be a model of community. Local and university police are investigating this incident and the individual involved.

—"Let me close by making a more broad and fundamental point underscored by these recent events and a harassing email sent to members of our Black Graduate Student Organization some months ago. Harassment in any form will not be tolerated on this campus."

—The complete text of President Cohon's letter is posted on official.cmu-news, April 26.

MANUEL BLUM ELECTED TO NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

Manuel Blum, the Bruce Nelson professor of computer science and a leader in the world of theoretical computing, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors that can be accorded to a U.S. scientist or engineer. Blum is one of the founders of computational complexity theory, work that has also had applications to cryptography and program checking. He came to Carnegie Mellon as a visiting professor in 1999 after a distinguished career at the University of California at Berkeley where in 1995 he received the A.M. Turing Award, the highest honor in computing. He received Carnegie Mellon's Nelson Chair in the fall of 2001.

—His work has developed around a single unifying theme­finding positive, practical consequences of living in a world where all computational resources are bounded. He showed that secure business transactions and pseudo-random number generation are possible because all computational devices have finite resources. Today he is working on the Completely Automated Public Turing Test, which is used by Yahoo to ensure that registrants to Web sites are humans and not robots.

—Blum's election to the academy brings the number of Carnegie Mellon members to seven. The others are John R. Anderson, Stephen E. Fienberg, James McClelland, Dana Scott, Robert Griffiths and Lincoln Wolfenstein.

MELLON COLLEGE OF SCIENCE HONORS THREE FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE

At its annual awards ceremony on May 1, the Mellon College of Science (MCS) honored David Yaron, William Brown and Aris Winger. Yaron, professor of chemistry, received the Julius Ashkin Teaching Award for extraordinary devotion and effectiveness in teaching undergraduate students. Brown, professor of biological sciences, received the Richard Moore Education Award, which recognizes faculty who made substantial contributions to the college's educational mission, particularly those whose contributions have extended over a substantial portion of their academic careers. Winger, teaching assistant for mathematical sciences, received the Hugh Young Graduate Student Teaching Award, which recognizes graduate students for excellent teaching ability.

MEETING OF MINDS: UNDERGRADS PRESENT THEIR RESEARCH

"The Meeting of the Minds­think Out LOUD­Undergraduate Research Symposium" will take place from 7 - 11 p.m. Tuesday, May 7 and from 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. Wednesday, May 8 in the University Center. More than 500 undergraduate research projects representing every discipline on campus will be presented through posters, oral presentations, visual arts and performances. The awards ceremony is at 5 p.m., Wednesday, May 8 in McConomy Auditorium. Further information: www.cmu.edu/thinkoutloud

ANDY AWARDS NOMINATIONS DUE JULY 2

Nominations for this year's Andy Awards are due July 2. The university-wide staff recognition program honors staff for innovation, enthusiasm, citizenship and dedication. Nomination forms will soon be available on the Web at www.cmu.edu/andyawards and bepublished in the next issue of the Carnegie Mellon News. Each nomination form must be accompanied by two statements of support. Each supporting statement should not be more than one page.

NEWS BRIEFS

—The Faculty Club Management Committee has announced that the Schatz Dining Room will be closed to the university community over the summer months. During previous summers there have not been enough customers to sustain the dining room's financial viability. The room will be used for summer programs and conferences.

PERSONAL MENTION

—Janet Stocks, director of undergraduate research, has been elected to the Board of Governors of the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.

—Carl Dahl, senior, Department of Physics, has won a Phi Kappa Award of Excellence for 2002 - 03. He will receive $1,500 to aid in his effort toward gaining a Ph.D. in physics.

—A symposium honoring Chemistry Professor Guy Berry will be held May 3 - 4 in the Mellon Institute Auditorium. Entitled "From Structured Fluids to Complex Nanostructures," the symposium will provide an overview of the history and future trends in the field of structured fluids and complex nanostructures. Information: www.chem.cmu.edu/

—Robert J. Cavalier, senior lecturer, Department of Philosophy, has won the 2001 - 02 Elliott Dunlap Smith Award for Distinguished Teaching and Educational Service in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Dean John Lehoczky said the quality of Cavalier's teaching, as well as his many achievements in his field and at Carnegie Mellon, have marked him as an innovative and accomplished lecturer. See official.cmu-news, May 1.

—Leonardo Balada, professor of composition, School of Music, and the Pittsburgh Symphony have received a Heinz Endowment Creative Heights grant to create a new orchestral work using School of Music students and software engineers. The piece will premiere in September 2003.

—David Sholl, assistant professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, has received the prestigious Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award for 2002 in recognition of his "commitment to education and an independent body of scholarship that has the promise of continuing outstanding contributions to both research and teaching."

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

—May 1 - 4: Drama. "Orpheus" by Jean Cocteau. Directed by Allison Bergman, master's student, Drama. 8 p.m., May 1 - 4, and 2 p.m., May 4, Helen Wayne Rauh Studio Theater, Purnell Center. Ticket info: 412-268-2407.

—Friday, May 3: James Crumley, author of six crime novels and most recently, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, "The Final Country," will be the guest speaker for Carnegie Mellon's annual Adamson Awards for student writers. 8 p.m., Adamson Wing, Baker Hall. Open to the public.

—Friday, May 3: Carnegie Mellon Concert Choir. Ming Luke, conductor. Kresge Recital Hall. 8 p.m.

—May 3 - 19: Senior Art Show. Opening reception: 5 - 7 p.m., May 3. Miller Art Gallery. Closing reception: 12:30 - 2:30 p. m. , May 19. The names of the student artists are posted on official.cmu-news, April 30.

—May 3 - 4: "From Structured Fluids to Complex Nanostructures," symposium organized by the Department of Chemistry and Mellon College of Science to honor the career of Guy C. Berry, renowned for his outstanding contributions to the field of physical chemistry of macromolecules. The symposium will provide a "unique overview" of the history and future trends in the field of structured fluids and complex nanostructures. Information: www.chem.cmu.edu/

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