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August 14, 2003 Vol. 14, No. 6
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.
JOHN R. ANDERSON WINS PRESTIGIOUS $100,000 PSYCHOLOGY AWARD John R. Anderson, the Richard King Mellon Professor of Psychology and Computer Science, has been named the fourth recipient of the David E. Rumelhart Prize for contributions to the formal analysis of human cognition. The $100,000 prize is given annually to an individual who has contributed to the scientific understanding of the human mind through research using computational or mathematical methods. It honors the outstanding research of David E. Rumelhart, a pioneer in the use of formal methods in cognitive science. —Anderson was selected to receive the prize for research that has given rise to an integrative theory of the computational operations underlying human mental processes. His theoretical work began with a model of how we search our memory for information and evolved into a complete theory of learning, memory and problem solving. This work has led to the development of computer-based tutoring systems, known as Cognitive Tutors, that are effective in helping students learn mathematics and computer programming. His research is also being used to develop online college-level courses at Carnegie Mellon and other institutions. —"Anderson has all of the attributes we look for in a recipient of the Rumelhart Prize," said Robert Glushko, president of the Glushko-Samuelson Foundation, which sponsors the award. "He has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of the human mind, he uses quantitative and computational methods, he addresses important real-world problems and he is an outstanding teacher and scientific citizen, along with being an outstanding scientist." PRESIDENT APPROVES TITLE CHANGES FOR FACULTY Based on a recommendation of the Faculty Senate, President Jared L. Cohon has changed the titles for some of the ranks of lecture-track and research-track faculty. Effective this semester, the titles of Senior Lecturer and Principal Lecturer have been changed to Associate Teaching Professor and Teaching Professor, respectively. The title Senior Research Scientist (Engineer) has been changed to Associate Research Professor, and the title Principal Research Scientist (Engineer) has been changed to Research Professor. These are changes in title only. Appointment, review and promotion procedures have not been changed. VIRTUAL CHEMISTRY LAB WINS MERLOT AWARD Carnegie Mellon's Virtual Chemistry Laboratory has received the 2003 MERLOT Classic and Editors' Choice Awards for Exemplary Online Learning Resources. The Editors' Choice Award is the highest honor given by MERLOT, the Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching, and recognizes the lab as an exemplary model for all educational disciplines. —Developed under the leadership of David Yaron, associate professor of chemistry, the Virtual Lab is a networked laboratory simulation in which students can select from hundreds of standard chemical reagents and combine them in any way they see fit. More than 7,000 students have entered the Virtual Lab from Carnegie Mellon and at least four other universities (University of British Columbia, Florida Atlantic University, West Virginia University and Monterrey Tech in Mexico). More information is available at http://ir.chem.cmu.edu/. POETS OPEN THE 23RD ANNUAL ADAMSON VISITING WRITER SERIES Poets Lisa Fishman and Richard Meier will kick off the 2003-04 Adamson Visiting Writer Series at 8 p.m., Sept. 16 in the Adamson Wing of Baker Hall. Fishman, an assistant professor of English at Beloit College in Wisconsin, is the author of "The Deep Heart's Core is a Suitcase" and "Dear, Read." Meier's first book of poetry, "Terrain Vague," was the winner of the 2000 Verse Prize. He has worked as a poet-in-the-schools in New York City and Pittsburgh and is currently a visiting assistant professor of English at Beloit College. —Other writers scheduled to speak this year are: Oct. 1: Robert Stewart, poet and essayist; Oct. 20: Dan Chaon, short story author; Nov. 12: Virgil Suarez, poet; Jan. 29: Linda Gregerson, poet; Feb. 16: Anthony Butts, poet and assistant professor of creative writing at Carnegie Mellon; March 2: James Hall, poet and author; and March 19: Crystal Williams, poet. —All events in the Adamson Visiting Writer Series are free and open to the public. The series is sponsored by the Creative Writing program in the Department of English and is supported by the Pauline B. Adamson Fund. ANDY AWARDS CEREMONY SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER The annual Andy Awards ceremony will be held at noon on Monday, Sept. 29 in McConomy Auditorium, University Center (UC). A reception will follow in Rangos Hall, UC. The Andy Awards reward individual staff members and teams whose outstanding dedication and performance have had a significant impact on the university. Awards are given in five categories: Dedication, Innovation, Enthusiasm, Citizenship and Culture. For more information about the awards, including a list of nominees, visit www.cmu.edu/andyawards/ LADY TARTANS SPONSOR GOLF OUTING The Sixth Annual Lady Tartans Basketball Golf Outing will be held at noon on Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Murrysville Golf Club. The outing provides the primary funding for the Lady Tartans to compete in a tournament in the Bahamas during winter break every three to four years. Non-golfers can still support the team by sponsoring a hole on the course. For more information, contact the Department of Athletics at 8-2211 or Lisa (Lightner) Georgiana at ggroup@zoominternet.net. NEWS BRIEFS The Software Engineering Institute and Mellon Institute will co-sponsor a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21 in the third floor conference room of Mellon Institute. Blood supplies in Pittsburgh are at a critical low and all eligible employees are encouraged to donate. To be eligible, donors must be 17 years of age or older, weigh more than 110 pounds and be in general good health. To sign-up for a specific time, contact Francine Pugsley (fj10@andrew.cmu.edu) or Anna Mosesso (aam@sei.cmu.edu). Walk-ins are also welcome. PERSONAL MENTION Violet Ho, who received her doctorate from the Graduate School of Industrial Administration (GSIA) in 2002, won the Best Paper Based on a Dissertation Award from the Organizational Behavior Division of the Academy of Management for her paper entitled, "Evaluations of Psychological Contract Fulfillment: A Social Networks Perspective." Professor Denise Rousseau, who holds joint appointments in GSIA and the Heinz School, chaired her thesis committee. The award was given at the academy's 2003 annual meeting in Seattle, Wash. Associate Provost for Academic Administration and Research Susan Burkett has been named to the Association of American Universities Council on Government Relations Task Force. As part of the task force, Burkett will help examine the extent to which research restrictions are emerging in government contracts, subcontracts and grants. Erika C. Linke, associate university librarian for collection and user services, is one of 15 top managers of academic research libraries who have been selected as UCLA Senior Fellows for 2003. As a Senior Fellow, Linke is attending a three-week program at UCLA that runs through Aug. 29. Since its establishment in 1982, more than 165 academic library leaders have participated in the program. CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS Aug. 19 - 24: "Orientation 2003: The World is Not Enough." Activities for first-year students. The full schedule is at www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/first-year/orientation/ Aug. 25: Classes begin for the fall semester. |
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