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May 1, 2003 Vol. 13, No. 40
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
2001 Editions are available online. 2002 Editions are available online. Previous editions are available online.
CARNEGIE MELLON HOSTS ROBOCUP'S AMERICAN OPEN More than 150 researchers from North and South America—and their soccer-playing robots—will be on campus through May 4 to compete in the first-ever RoboCup American Open, chaired by Computer Science Professor and Carnegie Mellon RoboCup team leader Manuela Veloso. During the American Open, which will include competition in the Simulation, Small-Size and Sony Legged leagues, Carnegie Mellon researchers, led by Assistant Professor of Robotics Illah Nourbakhsh, will demonstrate teams of urban search-and-rescue robots in a special "disaster arena" developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The semi-autonomous, interactive, teleoperated robots will be put through their paces in a two-level site that simulates the challenging environments robots may encounter when searching for disaster victims. —Also a part of the activities will be demonstrations of various Carnegie Mellon robots, such as GRACE, NurseBot and the autonomous helicopter. ASIMO, Honda's most advanced humanoid robot, will also be on display during several public performances. —About 1,000 school children from Western Pennsylvania are expected to attend the activities on campus. For more information see the special Carnegie Mellon News supplement or visit the Web at www.cmu.edu or www.americanopen03.org/schedule/index.html SCS ANNOUNCES CREATION OF ROBOT HALL OF FAME Building upon its leadership position in robotics research and development, and in recognition of the increasing benefits robots are bringing to society, Carnegie Mellon has established "The Robot Hall of Fame" to honor noteworthy robots, both real and fictional, along with their creators. —Experts in the School of Computer Science (SCS) and Robotics Institute will collaborate with Pittsburgh's Carnegie Science Center and the Pennsylvania Departments of Tourism and Economic Development to create a permanent, interactive exhibition involving robots that will educate and entertain a wide variety of audiences. —According to Jim Morris, dean of the School of Computer Science, who conceived the idea of the Hall of Fame, multiple categories of robots will be honored—those that work, those that entertain and those that inspire. —"In the coming decades, real robots will play increasingly important roles in our society," he said. "We want to honor robots that have served an actual or potentially useful function and demonstrated real skill, along with robots that entertain and those that have achieved worldwide fame in the context of fiction." Initially, the exhibit will be housed in the School of Computer Science. Induction of the first robots will take place in fall 2003. PRESIDENT COHON SPEAKS TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT SARS President Jared L. Cohon has distributed a message to the university community about Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). President Cohon informed the community that there have been no cases of SARS reported in Allegheny County and there was no immediate risk to members of the campus community. However, he did discourage non-essential travel to China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam and Toronto, based on guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. He said anyone traveling to these areas on university business in the immediate future should seek clearance form the Provost or Dean of Student Affairs. —President Cohon also said that SARS should not be a concern during the upcoming commencement weekend (May 16-18) given the screening procedures being used in affected areas. He said University Housing will be making efforts to secure housing for students who are from affected areas who would like to stay in Pittsburgh this summer. —For the full text of remarks see official.cmu.-news for April 28 or the Web at www.cmu.edu/ LOFTNESS AND MORGAN NAMED UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS Vivian Loftness and M. Granger Morgan have been named university professors, the highest academic distinction faculty members can achieve at Carnegie Mellon. The title is awarded on the basis of national and/or international recognition for research, artistic and literary accomplishments, and other scholarly activities. —Loftness, professor and head of the School of Architecture, has made major contributions to the definition of total building performance for a range of building types—museums, research laboratories, courthouses and offices. Her research advances the understanding of spatial quality, thermal, visual, acoustic and air quality as well as long term building integrity through effective architectural decision-making, systems integration, and improvements in the building delivery process. — M. Granger Morgan is professor and head of the Department of Engineering and Public Policy. He is also a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and in the Heinz School. His research focuses on problems in science, technology and public policy. Much of it has involved the development and demonstration of methods to characterize and treat uncertainty in quantitative analysis. He works on risk analysis, management and communication; on problems in the integrated assessment of global change; on improving health, safety and environmental regulation; on energy systems focused particularly on electric power; and other topics in technology and public policy. NEWS BRIEFS —Student Health Services is offering massage therapy for students, faculty and staff. The summer appointment time is noon - 4 p.m., Tuesdays and Fridays, beginning the week of May 5. Chair massages as well as full-body massages are available. Prices and details are posted at www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/HealthServices/news/index.html. To schedule an appointment, call 268-2157 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. A 24-hour cancellation notice must be given or you will be charged for the scheduled appointment. —Students in the Department of Modern Languages raised about $250 recently for the National Lupus Foundation at a table outside the University Center. They also distributed literature about Lupus in memory of Kanae Igarashi, 37, a doctoral student in Modern Languages who died in February as a result of a fall that exacerbated the symptoms of the disease. Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect various parts of the body. —Staff Council's PEAA Committee is selling discount tickets to the Mario Lemieux Golf Invitational. The Golf Invitational is June 5 - 8 at The Club at Nevillewood. Tickets are $8 ($10 at the gate). Make checks payable to Carnegie Mellon. Purchase tickets at the Alumni House, in the 2nd floor office of Jackie Cushion. PERSONAL MENTION —Hilary Masters, professor of English and creative writing, has won the prestigious Award for Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He is one of eight writers nationwide to win the award this year. Masters, the author of 12 books, has taught at Carnegie Mellon since 1983. "This award is well-deserved and unusual from many other awards writers receive. It is not based on a single submission but on the estimation of Hilary's peers on the body of writing he has produced," said David Kaufer, head of the Department of English. Further information: http://www.cmu.edu/PR/releases03/030422_hmasters.html —Heinz Schulte, executive director of the Carnegie Bosch Institute (CBI) at the Graduate School of Industrial Administration (GSIA), has been promoted to CEO of Bosch Mexico, effective July 1. Schulte was instrumental in expanding CBI's executive education offerings making CBI a significant force in international management education. —The winners of this year's National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships include Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) students Jennifer Morris and Brandon Salmon. Earning honorary mention were ECE students Ryan Kerekes, Tom Lauwers, and Thomas Wenisch. The NSF's Graduate Research Fellowship funds three years of graduate study, including a $27,500 stipend for the first 12-months and an annual tuition allowance of $10,500, paid to the university. This year's contest was the most competitive in recent history: 7,788 applicants vied for 900 fellowships. CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS —Friday, May 2: "ASIMO: Latest Research and Capabilities Based on Vision and Auditory Systems." Yoshiaki Sakagami, chief engineer, Sensory and Behavior Research Group, Honda Research and Development, Ltd. 4:30 p.m., McConomy Auditorium, University Center. —Thursday, May 8: ECE Distinguished Lecture Series. "Technology Trends in Mobile Multimedia and Networks." Minoru Etoh, president and CEO, DO COmmunications over the MObile Network (DoCoMo) USA Laboratories. 4 - 5 p.m., Scaife Hall Auditorium. Refreshments at 3:30 pm. See http://amp.ece.cmu.edu/ECESeminar |
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