December 2, 2004

Vol. 15, No. 21

The "8 1/2 x 11 News" is published each week by the University Advancement Division. News of campus interest should be sent to one of the following editors:   Ed Delaney, 412-268-1609 (ed47@andrew.cmu.edu)
  Bruce Gerson, 412-268-1613 (bg02@andrew.cmu.edu)
  Susan Cribbs, 412-268-7521 (cribbs@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.

2003 Editions are available online.

Previous editions are available online.

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, a team of scientists at Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh have found differences in the activation and synchronization of brain networks between people with autism and those without it. Combined with the results of previous studies, these findings could yield strategies for treating autism, a mysterious brain disorder that impairs verbal and non-verbal communications and social interactions. The study will be published in the journal Neuroimage and is available online at http://www.sciencedirect.com.

—The research was conducted at Carnegie Mellon's Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging (CCBI) and co-authored by Marcel Just, director of the center and the D.O. Hebb Professor of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon. The lead author was Hideya Koshino, an assistant professor of psychology at California State University at San Bernardino and a former postdoctoral fellow at the CCBI.

—Further information: http://www.cmu.edu/PR/releases04/041129_autism.html

GRACE GIVES THE WEATHER ON "GOOD MORNING AMERICA"

"Good Morning America" weather forecaster Tony Perkins has had many special guests who have helped him deliver his weather reports on the popular ABC-TV program, but he never had a robot until he met Carnegie Mellon's GRACE (Graduate Robot Attending a ConferencE) on the morning of Dec. 1.

—Reporting live from the Carnegie Science Center, GRACE, the socially adept robot created in part by researchers at Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute, told Perkins that she always watches "Good Morning America" and that co-host Diane Sawyer was her idol. Looking at the national weather map, she told viewers what the current temperature was in Pittsburgh, Pa., and in Pittsburg, Kansas; Pittsburg, Texas; and Pittsburg, New Hampshire. Perkins interrupted GRACE midway through her report, saying he didn't want to lose his job to a robot.

—For more on GRACE visit http://www.palantir.swarthmore.edu/GRACE/

NEWS BRIEFS

—Copies of "Savouring the World: Carnegie Mellon's Multicultural Cookbook, Volume 2" are available in the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs, 301 Warner Hall, for $7. It has more than 100 recipes solicited from students, faculty and staff. —In the latest rankings of philosophy departments nationwide by the influential Philosophical Gourmet Report, Carnegie Mellon was ranked first overall in Mathematical Logic, first in Philosophy of Social Science, third in Decision Theory and Rational Choice, and fifth in Philosophy of Science.

PERSONAL MENTION

—To honor Physics Professor Robert Kraemer upon his retirement, the Department of Physics is holding a "roast" at 4 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 7, in Rangos 2, University Center (UC). Kraemer, a member of the department for 40 years, has conducted groundbreaking research in high energy physics at laboratories around the world. During his tenure at Carnegie Mellon, he received the university-wide Ryan Award for Meritorious Teaching and the Julius Ashkin Teaching Award from the Mellon College of Science.

—Russell Walker, principal lecturer and associate head, Department of Mathematical Sciences, will move to the Carnegie Mellon campus in Qatar this spring to teach Concepts of Mathematics. He will be joined by his wife, Dr. Susan Walker, who will offer students an elective on effective interpersonal communication.

—John Hooker, the T. Jerome Holleran Professor of Business Ethics and Social Responsibility at the Tepper School of Business, has completed teaching his first-semester course to freshmen at Qatar and will return to Pittsburgh.

—The Harvard University Press has awarded its Thomas J. Wilson Memorial Prize to Scott Sandage, associate professor of history, for his book "Born Losers: A History of Failure in America." The award is given every year to a first-time author whose book is deemed outstanding in content, style and presentation. Further information: http://www.cmu.edu/PR/releases04/041118_book.html

—The College of Engineering has named the recipients of its CIT Faculty Awards for 2004 - 2005. The professors and their awards are: Diana Marculescu, the George Tallman Ladd Research Award; Susan Finger, the Benjamin Richard Teare Award for Outstanding Teaching; Jacobo Bielak, Omar Ghattas, David O'Hallaron and Research Engineer Volkan Akcelik, the Outstanding Research Award for their work on the Quake Project; and Larry Cartwright, the Dowd Teaching Fellowship.

—Kermin Elliott Fleming, a junior in electrical and computer engineering, has won the $100,000 grand prize in the 2004 Jeopardy College Championship. Fleming, who plans to donate 10 percent of the winnings to his church in Lexington, Ky., and bank the rest for now, claims that the experience was one of the best of his life. For more, visit http://www.cmu.edu/cmnews/extra/041123_fleming.html

—Ran Ting Li, a master's student in the Department of Music, has won the Music Teachers National Association Young Artists Piano Performance Competition - State Level, held recently at Duquesne University. Ting is known among her friends as Patricia Li.

—Cristina Amon, director of the Institute for Complex Engineered Systems and the Raymond J. Lane Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering, along with Purdue University's Jayathi Murthy and Sreekant Narumanchi of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, recently won the Best Paper Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' (ASME) Journal of Electronic Packaging. Their paper, "Influence of Pulsating Submerged Liquid Jets on Chip-Level Thermal Phenomena," was the best paper published in the journal in 2003 and 2004. Amon also received the 2004 EPPD Thermal Management Award from the ASME Electronic and Photonic Packaging Division (EPPD) at the International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition meeting in Anaheim, Calif.

—Robert Dammon, professor of financial economics at the Tepper School of Business, and Chester Spatt, the Mellon Bank Professor of Finance at the Tepper School, have won the 2004 TIAA-CREF Paul A. Samuelson Award for their article "Optimal Asset Location and Allocation with Taxable and Tax-Deferred Investing." The winning article, published in the June 2004 issue of The Journal of Finance, analyzes the optimal asset allocation and location decisions for investors with taxable and tax-deferred accounts. Spatt is currently on assignment as the chief economist for the Securities and Exchange Commission.

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

—Thursday, Dec. 2: University Lecture Series. "Husbandry Was Once a Sacred Art: Environmental History and the Future of Conservation." Brian Donahue, Brandeis University. 4:30 p.m., Adamson Wing, 136A Baker Hall.

—Dec. 2 - 4 and 7 - 11: School of Drama. "The Duchess of Malfi." Philip Chosky Theater, Purnell Center for the Arts. Performances: 7:30 p.m.,Tuesday - Thursday; 8 p.m., Friday; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Saturday. To purchase tickets, call the box office at 412-268-2407.

—Friday, Dec. 3: College of Fine Arts (CFA) and School of Music annual Holiday Concert, under the direction of Robert Page. Noon, CFA Great Hall. Free. The concert will be broadcast live on WQED-FM 89.3.

—Tuesday, Dec. 7: Holiday Blood Drive. 8 a.m. - 2:45 p.m., Rangos 1, UC. The holiday season is here and unfortunately this is the time of year when blood donations decrease. To make an appointment, contact Susan Stonick (SStonick@itxm.org).

—Wednesday, Dec. 8: ICES Seminar Series."Carbon Nanotube Thermal Transport from Molecular Dynamics Simulation." Speaker: Jennifer R. Lukes. Dr. Lukes joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics at the University of Pennsylvania in September 2002 as the first William K. Gemmill Assistant Professor. 11 a.m.- Noon, 1202 Hamburg Hall. Refreshments at 10:30 a.m. Contact Christina Cowan at ccowan@andrew.cmu.edu if you would like to meet with Professor Lukes.

—Thursday, Dec. 9: Graduate Women's Gathering. 12:15 p.m., McKenna/Peter/Wright, UC. Lunch will be served. Register at http://gposerver.as.cmu.edu/registration/multiregis.html

—Thursday, Dec. 16: The Carnegie Mellon Women's Association presents "A Candlelight Evening at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens." Stroll along candlelit pathways, learn about the gardens and enjoy live musical entertainment. Tour begins at 6 p.m. (please arrive a few minutes early.) $6 per person. RSVP no later than Tuesday, Dec. 7, to Denise Fazio, 8-2820 or fazio@andrew.cmu.edu

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