February 6, 2003

Vol. 13, No. 28

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.

2001 Editions are available online.

2002 Editions are available online.

Previous editions are available online.

Carnegie Mellon has been approached by the Qatar Foundation about creating an undergraduate business and computer science program in Doha, Qatar. Qatar, a small, westernized Islamic nation in the Gulf Region, is attempting to create an Education City that brings the best of western education to the children and young people in that country and the surrounding region.

—The foundation has contacted a number of leading American universities to bring their high-quality educational specialties to the region. Cornell University is now operating a branch medical school and Virginia Commonwealth University is providing a design and communications program. The Rand Corporation has been working in Qatar to help improve its public education system.

—In the weeks ahead, the university will conduct a number of briefings and discussions with representatives of the university community. This early evaluation process, typical of the planning that has taken place to consider other international and off-site programs or operations, will take a number of months and will include a variety of assessments, as well as several meetings with trustees, faculty, students, staff, alumni and the administration.

UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES INCREASES IN TUITION AND ROOM & BOARD

The university has announced an 8.5 percent increase in undergraduate tuition for its incoming freshman class and an increase of 6.9 percent on tuition for students who are now sophomores, juniors and seniors.

—Tuition will be $29,190 for students who will enter the university in fall 2003, increased from last fall's tuition of $26,910. Undergraduate tuition increases from $26,910 to $28,765 for those who entered the university over the past three years. Dual undergraduate tuition was introduced at Carnegie Mellon in fall 2000.

—The university also announced that average room and board costs for all students will be $4,705 and $3,450, respectively. The university's Board of Trustees authorized the increases at its Feb. 3, 2003, meeting.

—Funds resulting from the tuition increase will enable the university to enhance academic programs, undergraduate teaching and research facilities and a number of student programs and services.

—Further information: www.cmu.edu/PR/press_releases/index.html

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND CHEMISTRY RECEIVE BAYER FELLOWSHIP

The Bayer Foundation has awarded the Chemical Engineering and Chemistry departments a $583,000 grant to be used for graduate fellowships over the next five years. These funds will be used to support two Ph.D. students doing interdisciplinary research in chemical engineering and chemistry, and one Ph.D. student doing research in process systems engineering. Two students from Chemical Engineering, Anjanette Koritnik and Maame Ya Poku, have been named Bayer Graduate Fellows.

$8 MILLION FROM GENERAL MOTORS SUPPORTS "SMART CAR" RESEARCH

Carnegie Mellon will receive $8 million over the next five years from General Motors to continue smart car research that will revolutionize the way vehicles and drivers interact. This research aims to make the vehicle of the future more aware of driver needs and preferences, road and weather conditions, and other external information available over the Internet. The vehicle will then automatically modify its own behavior accordingly.

—One of the many projects under way in the General Motors Collaboration Laboratory at Carnegie Mellon is a "gesture interface," the ability to point or wave to control a car's electronic system. "The gesture interface, being developed on a specially outfitted Pontiac mini van, is just one example of how we are changing the relationship between cars and drivers," said Ed Schlesinger, co-director of the laboratory at Carnegie Mellon.

NEWS BRIEFS

—As part of its fund-raising activities, the Carnegie Mellon Crew Team has organized a Rose Sale for Valentine's Day. Prices are $3.50 a single, $18 a half-dozen, or $29 a dozen. Free delivery. Roses can be purchased at tables in the University Center (UC) and/or outside Doherty Hall, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Feb. 3 - 7, 10 - 14.

PERSONAL MENTION

—Jeffrey Hunker, dean of the Heinz School, has announced that he will take personal leave, effective immediately. Mark Wessel, lecturer and director of health care programs and former associate dean at the Heinz School, has been appointed acting dean.

—Tim McNulty, Pennsylvania's former acting secretary of Community and Economic Development, has been named Carnegie Mellon's special assistant to the provost for strategic technology initiatives. He will focus on strategic technology-based economic development initiatives, helping to leverage the university's expertise in technology in coordination with Carnegie Mellon's Innovation Transfer Center. Before working for the state, McNulty was executive director of Carnegie Mellon's Center for Economic Development in the early 1990s.

—Steven J. Sharratt, of Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management, has been named associate dean of advancement at the Graduate School of Industrial Administration, effective March 1.

—Lynn Berard, head of the university's science libraries, has been named a fellow of the Special Libraries Association (SLA). She will be inducted at the SLA annual conference in June 2003. The designation of fellow is awarded in recognition of leadership in the field of special librarianship and for outstanding contributions and expected future service to the association.

—Alan Cramb, POSCO Professor and head of Materials Science and Engineering, has been selected to receive the Iron & Steel Society's 2003 Benjamin F. Fairless Award, which recognizes distinguished achievement in iron and steel production, and ferrous metallurgy.

—Richard J. Fruehan, US Steel Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, has been named the 2004 J. Keith Brimacombe Memorial Lecturer. The lectureship was established in 1999 by the Process Technology Division to honor Brimacombe's outstanding accomplishments in the area of process metallurgy.

—Andrea Francioni of the Carnegie Institute of Technology has been named associate director of development for the college.

—Jennifer M. Shepard joined the University Advancement team as a major gift officer on Feb. 3. She previously worked at Boston University, where she was a development officer and major gift officer since 1999.

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

—Monday, Feb. 10: African Diasporic Film Festival: Exploring the Global Black Experience. "Haiti: First Black Island Nation;" "Human Rights in Haiti" and "Profit and Nothing But." 7 p.m. Connan Room, UC.

—Monday, Feb. 10 - Friday, Feb. 21: Black History Month Quilting Exhibit featuring "Uncommon Threads." Art Gallery, UC. Opening reception: 3 - 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 10.

—Monday Feb. 10: University Lecture Series. "Factors Affecting Degree of Foreign Accent in a Second Language." James E. Flege, professor, Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Alabama. 4:30 p.m., Adamson Wing, 136A Baker Hall.

—Tuesday, Feb. 11: Book discussion and author signing. Jack Reynolds, author of "Ethiopian Woman." Books will be available for purchase. Noon - 1 p.m. Connan Room, UC. Sponsored by Black Faculty & Staff Association.

—Thursday, Feb. 13: Annual meeting of the Carnegie Mellon Federal Credit Union. Noon, Rangos 1, UC. Open to all credit union members. See official.cmu-news, Feb. 4.

—Thursday, Feb. 13: The School of Computer Science and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Joint Distinguished Lecture Series. "Confessions of a Computer Scientist Turned Policy Wonk." William Wulf, AT&T Professor of Computer Science and University Professor, National Academy of Sciences and the University of Virginia. 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., Wean Hall, Rm. 7500. Refreshments begin at 3:15 pm. The lecture is in conjunction with the A. Nico Habermann Classrooms dedication at 4:30 p.m., Wean Hall 5419.

—Thursday, Feb. 13: University Lecture Series. "A Professional Journey." State representative Jake Wheatley, Jr., D-Allegheny County, 19th District. 5 p.m., Adamson Wing, 136A Baker Hall.

—Friday, Feb. 14: MechE Seminar. "Mixing of the Ocean, and How We Can See it Happen?" Sidney Leibovich, Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University. 2:45 p.m., Scaife Hall 125.

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