October 31, 2002

Vol. 13, No. 17

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.

"Groundhog," a mine-mapping robot created this semester by graduate students in Carnegie Mellon's Mobile Robot Development class, made a successful trial run into an abandoned coal mine near Burgettstown, Pa., on Oct. 27. The four-wheeled, ATV-sized robot used laser rangefinders to create an accurate map of about 100 feet of the mine, which had been filled with water since the 1920s.

—William "Red" Whittaker, the Fredkin Research Professor in the Robotics Institute, and Systems Scientist Scott Thayer, the instructors for the course, said Goundhog had to maneuver through a thick orange mud in the mine during its one-hour excursion.

—"Mine subsidence is a big issue in Pennsylvania and nationally," Whittaker said. "We believe this kind of prototype robot has enormous potential in helping many organizations understand what's beneath the ground we stand on. We've been successfully creating technologies for exploring hazardous environments for years now. Accidents like Quecreek are compelling motivation for a safe, robotic solution to mapping mines."

—Additional information: official.cmu-news, Oct. 29

ANGUAGE TECHNOLOGIES EXPERTS RECEIVE $650,000 NSF GRANT

Language Technologies Institute (LTI) Systems Scientist Maxine Eskenazi and Research Computer Scientist Alan Black will use a $650,000, three-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to help the Pittsburgh Port Authority make its phone-based information services more accessible to elderly and non-native speakers.

—Eskenazi and Black received the grant from NSF's Universal Access Program to study the use of phone dialog systems by elderly and non-native speakers. They will work with the Port Authority to build a scheduling information system that will enable these users and others to call and ask for bus and "T" times any time, day or night.

—The project, called "Let's Go," will explore how to make telephone messages more understandable to the elderly while also looking at how to better understand non-natives when they speak. Eskenazi and Black will be working with Port Authority officials, LTI colleagues, Senior Research Scientist Lori Levin, Visiting Scientist Rita Singh and graduate students Antoine Raux and Brian Langner.

BENEFITS & FITNESS FAIR OFFERS FREE FLU SHOTS FOR FACULTY & STAFF

The 2003 Benefits and Fitness Fair, cosponsored by Human Resources and Athletics, will be held from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6, in the University Center's Rangos Ballroom. Among this year's highlights are free flu shots for faculty and staff (download and complete the authorization form in advance from hr.web.cmu.edu) as well as free information, giveaways and raffles. Learn more about wellness issues and talk with the carriers of your benefit plans. The fair is an opportunity to get the details to make the right choices for you and your family during Open Enrollment, Nov. 4 - 15. Bring your Carnegie Mellon ID card and don't forget a can of food for the "One Day-One Can" Food Drive, Wednesday, Nov. 6.

—Flu shots at a cost of $12 will also be available from 8:30 a.m. - noon on Nov. 14 and 19 at Student Health Services, Morewood Gardens, and 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., Nov. 22, Class of '87 Room, UC. Carnegie Mellon ID required.

STAFF COUNCIL'S ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE STARTS NOV. 4

The Annual Staff Council Food Drive begins on Monday, Nov. 4 and continues through Friday, Nov. 15. Most needed are nonperishable items, such as soup, canned fruit and vegetables, pasta, diapers, pancake mix, cleaning supplies, health & beauty aids and baby food. Protein items such as tuna fish, Spam and peanut butter are also desperately needed. Unopened bags of Halloween candy are also welcome. Please be generous and help feed the needy in our region. Further info: official.cmu-news, Oct. 30.

NEWS BRIEFS

—The Bookstore has announced new book purchasing opportunities and is offering some special incentive prices effective Nov. 1. Information is posted on official.cmu-news, Oct. 25.

—You can help support the Carnegie Mellon Children's School when you shop at Giant Eagle. Each time your card is scanned between Nov. 3 and March 22, your purchase will count toward free equipment for the school. To register, call 1-800-474-4777 and enter the school's ID# 0151.

PERSONAL MENTION

—The National Association of Graduate and Professional Students (NAGPS) has announced that Associate Provost Barbara Lazarus has received its 2002 Friend of Graduate & Professional Students Award for her "extraordinary assistance to graduate and professional students on a national level." She will be recognized with a presentation at the NAGPS Annual Awards Dinner, Saturday, Nov. 9, at Washington University.

—Rea Freeland has been appointed associate dean for special projects at the Mellon College of Science. She will also retain her position as associate head of chemistry.

—Edith Balas, professor, art history, has published her fifth book, "The Mother Goddess in Italian Renaissance Art." This year, she also released "The Holocaust in the Painting of Valentin Lustig." In 2003, she will curate two shows in the Frick Museum. Balas has been teaching at Carnegie Mellon since 1977. She is also a research associate at the University of Pittsburgh.

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

—Nov. 1 - 3: Family Weekend. A variety of tours, lectures, International Festival programs and athletic events.

—Monday, Nov. 4: Lecture. "Back to the Future: The Secret History of Figuring Out How the Environment Shapes Life, Death and Sex." Devra Lee Davis, epidemiologist and Heinz School visiting professor. 4:30 p.m., Adamson Wing, Baker Hall. Her book, "When Smoke Ran Like Water: Tales of Environmental Deception and the Battle Against Pollution," is among the nominees for the National Book Award in the non-fiction category.

—Monday, Nov. 4: Verizon Foundation Distinguished Lecture. Eric Schmidt, chief executive officer of the Internet search and navigation technology company Google, Inc., 12:30 p.m., McConomy Auditorium, UC. Free.

—Wednesday, Nov. 6: Staff Council invites university staff to the annual President's Address, noon - 1 p.m., McConomy Auditorium. President Cohon's talk will center on issues submitted by staff.

—Wednesday, Nov. 6: In conjunction with the Regina Gouger Miller Gallery exhibit, "Paradise Now," an exploration of the implications of biotechnology on science, humanity and art, the Center for the Arts in Society and the gallery are co-hosting a panel discussion to explore the artistic, scientific and social implications raised by the exhibit. Panelists include science, art, religion and biotechnology specialists. 4:30 p.m., Singleton Room, Roberts Engineering Hall.

—Thursday, Nov. 7: University Lecture Series. "Covering Hillary Clinton on the Campaign Trail." Associated Press journalist Beth Harpaz will recount stories from two years on the road during Hillary Clinton's senatorial campaign. Harpaz is the author of "The Girls in the Van" whose title comes from the fact that Clinton's staff was mostly female. 4:30 p.m., Adamson Wing.

—Thursday, Nov. 7: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Seminar Series. "Toward Wireless Single-Chip Systems: Challenges in RF Integration for SoC." Sanjay Raman, Virginia Tech. 4 - 5 p.m., Scaife Hall Auditorium, Rm. 125. Refreshments at 3:30 p.m. Further info: http://amp.ece.cmu.edu

—Thursday, Nov. 7: Carnegie Mellon Explorers Club presents "Wild Utah: America's Redrock Wilderness," a multi-media program produced by Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance to show off Utah's desert and canyon wilderness areas and encourage citizen support for protection of wilderness areas across the country. 7 p.m., Carnegie Museum Lecture Hall. Free.

—Thursday, Nov. 7: School of Computer Science Distinguished Lecture. "Learning Energy-Based Models of High-Dimensional Data." Geoffrey Hinton, professor, computer science, University of Toronto. 4 p.m., Wean 7500. Donuts at 3:45 p.m.

—Friday, Nov. 8: MechE seminar. "Simulation of Inhalation Therapy Sprays in the Human Throat." Tevfik Gemci. visiting researcher, Spray Systems Technology Center, Mechanical Engineering. 2:45 p.m., Scaife Hall 125.

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