June 23, 2005

Vol. 15, No. 48

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.

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A town hall meeting to discuss the fiscal year 2006 operating budget, which includes a 2 percent average salary increase for faculty and staff, was held this past Tuesday, June 21, in McConomy Auditorium. The university briefing was hosted by President Jared L. Cohon, Provost Mark Kamlet and CFO Deborah Moon.

—President Cohon informed the university community that this year's operating budget deficit is a result of a convergence of several economic factors, including rising healthcare, utility and interest rates, combined with a smaller draw from the university endowment for operations and the lowest undergraduate tuition increase in 25 years. "We're not in a crisis. We have a budgetary constraint but not a crisis," said Cohon, who noted that the university would continue to move forward and make progress in its strategic initiatives of enhancing undergraduate education, fostering interdisciplinary research and growing its international programs. "We have to pay attention to our priorities even while juggling expenses. We're not cutting back, we're moving forward," he said.

—Moon, who noted that Carnegie Mellon's assets should grow in value by $62 million next year, reported that the university's projected operating budget for fiscal year 2006 shows revenues of $713.5 million, which includes an internal loan to fund the incremental costs of the capital campaign, and expenses of $721.3 million. Moon also said that Phase I of the capital campaign has raised more than $211 million, exceeding its goal of $130 million.

UNIVERSITY SCIENTISTS CONTRIBUTE TO PHYSICS BREAKTHROUGH

A group of Carnegie Mellon researchers is among a team of nuclear physicists that has found that strange quarks contribute to the structure of a proton. The results of the research, performed at the Department of Energy's Jefferson Lab in Newport News, Va., demonstrate that strange quarks in the proton's quark-gluon sea contribute to a proton's properties. The result comes from work performed by the G-Zero collaboration, an international group of 108 physicists from 19 institutions, that was presented at a Jefferson Lab seminar June 17.

—Ten Carnegie Mellon students working under physics professors Gregg B. Franklin and Brian Quinn have participated in the G-Zero Experiment since its initiation in 1991. The Physics Department has a long-standing relationship with the Jefferson Lab in conducting ground-breaking experiments and constructing pieces of research equipment. "This experiment takes us a step closer to understanding the basic building blocks of matter," said Franklin. For more, visit http://www.cmu.edu/PR/releases05/050617_physics.html.

CYLAB TO OFFER INFORMATION SECURITY DEGREE PROGRAM IN JAPAN

Beginning this fall, Carnegie Mellon CyLab Japan, in collaboration with Japan's Hyogo Institute of Information Education Foundation, will offer a Master of Science in Information Technology—Information Security track in Kobe, Japan. Pradeep K. Khosla, co-founder of CyLab and dean of the College of Engineering, said the new venture underscores Carnegie Mellon's growing leadership in the area of Internet security research and education. The new, 16-month graduate degree program, which prepares students to become leaders in information security, will be a joint initiative of the Heinz School and the Information Networking Institute, the educational arm of CyLab. The program expects to enroll about 20 students for fall 2005 classes. For more, visit http://www.cmu.edu/PR/releases05/050607_hyogo.html.

RESEARCHERS UNVEIL BLUEPRINT TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS

Carnegie Mellon researchers Granger Morgan, Jay Apt and Lester Lave recently told federal officials in Washington, D.C., that carbon dioxide emissions from electric generation plants can be reduced and eliminated without damaging the economy. Their report, commissioned by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, also stressed that rapidly establishing a clear timetable for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants will result in lower costs than waiting to do so. In addition, the report recommended that government officials and the $250 billion electricity industry focus resources on developing "promising technologies that do not require fundamental breakthroughs," like carbon capture from new types of clean coal generators called coal gasification plants. For more, visit http://www.cmu.edu/PR/releases05/050615_greenhouse.html.

NEWS BRIEFS

—Nominations for this year's Andy Awards, the university-wide staff recognition program, are due July 8. Now in its 11th year, the Andy Awards honor individuals and/or 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 information and nomination forms, visit http://www.cmu.edu/andyawards/

—Carnegie Mellon's retail stores will be closed for inventory this week. The Art Store will be closed Wednesday, June 22, through Friday, June 24. The Bookstore and Entropy will be closed Thursday, June 23, and Friday, June 24. Purchases made through June 30 will be charged to this fiscal year's accounts. The stores will begin special Second Summer Session hours on Sunday, June 27, but will resume regular summer hours on Tuesday, July 5. For more, see official.cmu-news, June 22.

—The 16th annual Carnegie Mellon Football Alumni Golf Outing will be held Monday, Aug. 1, at Longue Vue Country Club in Verona. The $200 entry fee includes greens fees, golf cart, prizes, lunch and dinner. Registration deadline is July 15. For registration forms and more information, contact Rich Lackner at 412-268-2216.

PERSONAL MENTION

—The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette included three faculty members in its June 5 listing of the "Top 50 Creative Forces in Pittsburgh." Elizabeth Bradley, head of the School of Drama, came in at number nine for her work as artistic director of the Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts. English Professor Hilary Masters ranked 15th for publishing two books in less than one year. Andrés Cárdenes, the Dorothy and Richard Starling and Alexander C. Speyer Professor of Music, was listed 18th for his role as concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and for his musical influence throughout the region.

—Associate Professor of Robotics Howard Choset headed a team that wrote the textbook "Principles of Robot Motion, Theory, Algorithms, and Implementations," which was recently published by MIT Press. Contributors with ties to Carnegie Mellon include George Kantor, Robotics Institute project scientist; Wolfram Burgard, a former visiting scholar with the Center for Automated Learning and Discovery (CALD); Sebastian Thrun, former associate professor of CALD; and Kevin M. Lynch, who received a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon in 1996.

—Peter Boatwright, associate professor of marketing at the Tepper School, Jonathan Cagan, professor of mechanical engineering, and Craig Vogel, former professor of industrial design, co-authored "The Design of Things to Come: How Ordinary People Create Extraordinary Products" (Wharton School Press). The book argues that innovation is the strategic differentiator for today's companies and provides a process for that innovation.

—Alessandro Acquisti, assistant professor of information systems and public policy in the Heinz School, received the 2005 Award for Outstanding Research in Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PET) for his paper "Privacy in Electronic Commerce and the Economics of Immediate Gratification." The award is presented to researchers who made an outstanding contribution to the theory, design, implementation or deployment of privacy enhancing technology. Acquisti's work focuses on the social and economic impact of information technology and, in particular, the economics of privacy.

—Erin E. Boyd, a recent electrical and computer engineering graduate, received the $1,000 Judith A. Resnik Award. This award was established to recognize and encourage an outstanding female senior in the sciences or engineering who plans to attend graduate school in engineering, medicine or the sciences.

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

—Wednesday, June 22 - Friday, July 8: The Posner Center will exhibit one of only four existing copies of the original Bill of Rights distributed by Thomas Jefferson to governors of the 14 states in 1792. Other ongoing exhibits at the Posner Center include "Beautiful Books" and "Music of the Spheres." The Posner Center is open from 1 to 4 p.m. on weekdays, except holidays.

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