May 9, 2002

Vol. 12, No. 42

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.

FIVE PROMINENT PROFESSIONALS TO RECEIVE HONORARY DEGREES MAY 19

Director of Homeland Security Tom Ridge will give the keynote address at Carnegie Mellon's 105th commencement. The ceremony, at which more than 2,000 degrees will be conferred, will begin at 11 a.m., Sunday, May 19, in Gesling Stadium. It will be broadcast on the Web at www.cmu.edu/commencement. Ridge will be one of five professionals to receive honorary degrees. He will receive an honorary doctorate of public policy to recognize his exemplary record of public service as well as his support of higher education and research.

—Other honorary degree recipients are Anita Borg, founder of the nonprofit Institute for Women in Technology in Palo Alto, Calif., doctor of science and technology; William G. Bowen, president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in New York, former president of Princeton University and co-author of "The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions," doctor of humane letters; George Cowan, scientist and philanthropist who founded the Santa Fe Institute, doctor of science and technology; and John H. Seinfeld, a leading researcher and educator in air quality engineering at the California Institute of Technology, doctor of science and technology.

—The student speaker at the main commencement ceremony will be Jeff Walch, a senior in the Bachelor of Science and Arts program with concentrations in biology and architecture. Walch auditioned for the honor and was selected by a committee of faculty, staff and students.

—For more on commencement, visit www.cmu.edu/commencement

COMMENCEMENT PARKING RESTRICTIONS

On Sunday, May 19, parking will not be available on the entire first floor of the East Campus Garage. These spaces will be reserved for special invited guests/participants, the elderly and disabled guests. There will also be no parking in the University Center parking area, which is needed for special services operations.

PARKING SERVICES ANNOUNCES NEW RATES, ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS

In a campus memo, Parking Services has announced new parking rates for 2002 - 03 and the creation of an online permit application process that will begin at 11 a.m., Monday, June 17. The application must be submitted through the Parking Services Web site, www.cmu.edu/ba/parking/, by 4 p.m., Friday, July 26. The Web site will also include pertinent news and updated information regarding all aspects of parking services. If you do not have Internet access, contact Parking Services at 412-268-2052. Permit holders can again participate in the parking pre-tax payroll reduction plan.

—To make the campus a more pedestrian- and energy-friendly environment, Parking Services encourages commuters to 1) use the PAT agreement with the university which enables individuals with a valid Carnegie Mellon ID to ride PAT buses and the T at no charge; 2) identify opportunities for ride sharing, carpooling and vanpooling—the Pitt vanpool program, for example, is available to Carnegie Mellon faculty and staff; 3) bicycle to campus if you are inclined (fully enclosed and secure bike lockers are available through Parking Services; 4) consider using any or all of these options in lieu of purchasing an annual parking permit.

—More information on these options are available through the Parking Services Office and Web site.

—The full text of the campus memo with the 2002 – 03 parking rates is at www.cmu.edu/ba/parking/

STAFF PICNIC PLANNED FOR MAY 22

To celebrate the work of the Carnegie Mellon staff, President Jared L. Cohon and Provost Mark S. Kamlet are hosting a staff picnic, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 22, in the tent on the Intramural Field (on the side of Gesling Stadium). The picnic is free but picnicgoers must present a valid Carnegie Mellon ID. "The Piano Jammers" will provide the entertainment.

NEWS BRIEFS

—On April 29 – 30, Carnegie Mellon's Electricity Industry Center joined a group at Stanford University to sponsor the first-ever meeting of representatives from the nation's leading academic energy programs in Washington, D.C. The two-day meeting was held in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy's Washington office.

—The list of students whose work was honored at the May 3 Adamson Awards is posted on official.cmu-news, May 7.

—Staff Council is conducting its annual election of campus representatives. All full-time and part-time Carnegie Mellon staff not represented by Faculty Senate or a collective bargaining unit are eligible for nomination. The deadline for nominations is Friday, May 10. Further information: www.cmu.edu/staff-council

PERSONAL MENTION

—Sara Kiesler, professor of human-computer interaction, has been elected to the Computer-Human Interaction Academy, the highest recognition of advancement in that field.

—Aksel Bothner-By, emeritus professor of chemistry, was one of three recipients of the Gunther Laukien Prize for contributing to cutting-edge nuclear magnetic resonance research. He received $5,000 and a commemorative silver plate. For many years, Bothner-By held the distinction of having a high-resolution spectrometer with the highest field strength long before such magnets were commonly available. The award specifically recognized his conception and development of techniques for the measurement of residual dipolar couplings of weakly aligned molecules in solution. Residual couplings are an important data source for the study of biomolecules. The award was announced at the 43rd Experimental Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Conference in Santa Fe.

—Ignacio Grossmann, University Professor and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, has been identified as one of the top 15 most highly cited authors in journals classified in the Computer Science discipline. The Web site, Current Contents ISI (Information Science Institute), identified the top 15 researchers in the fields of engineering, physics and computer science based on citations from papers indexed from 1991 to Oct. 31, 2001.

—Lowry Burgess, professor, School of Art, and his work to preserve cultural memory was featured in "An Artist's Answer to Ruin of the Buddhas" in the May 5 Sunday edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The article is available at http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/entertainment/3201793.htm

—Alumnus Gary Chang, (A'75) is the composer of the music for "Path to War," a movie about Lyndon Johnson and the Vietnam War, which will be broadcast at 9 p.m., May 18 on HBO.

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

—Friday, May 10: Department of Chemistry/Electrical and Computer Engineering/Mechanical Engineering Joint Seminar. "Radio Frequency Identification Systems." Sanjay Sarma, director, Auto-ID Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Noon - 1 p.m., Scaife Hall Auditorium, Rm. 125. See http://amp.ece.cmu.edu

—May 10 - 11: Graduate opera performances. "Trouble in Tahiti." 8 p.m., Kresge Recital Hall.

—Friday, May 10: Carnegie Mellon Concert Choir. Ming Luke, conductor. Kresge Recital Hall. 8 p.m.

—May 3 - 19: Alan Fletcher, head of the School of Music, invites the campus community to an informal free concert to celebrate the end of the school year. Noon, Great Hall of the College of Fine Arts (bring your lunch). Works: Beethoven "Violin Concerto," Walter Morales, conductor, Jan Fiser, violin; selections from "The Marriage of Figaro," Andrés Cladera, conductor, Liam Bonner, baritone, Jason Kaminski, baritone, Eric Olden, mezzo-soprano, Nicole Taylor, soprano.

—Saturday, May 11: The River City Brass Band's final concert of the 2001-02 season. 8 p.m., Carnegie Music Hall, Oakland. The concert, "Summertime," is a musical picnic of circus and parade marches and Gershwin's "Summertime." Faculty and staff receive a $5 discount on tickets purchased with university ID. For more information or to reserve your tickets, call 412-322-7222.

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