August 24, 2006

Vol. 17, No. 7

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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Carnegie Mellon has maintained its stature as a top national and international university, according to new rankings published by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. Kaplan/Newsweek's annual "How To Get Into College" Guide also named Carnegie Mellon among the "New Ivies," which the magazine defines as "schools with exceptional academic programs and campus offerings that have seen a rise in stature to rival the Ivy League and other traditional academic powerhouses in competing for the nation's top students." The university was one of 25 schools selected as a "New Ivy" based on admissions statistics and interviews with administrators, students, faculty and alumni. Newsweek also listed Carnegie Mellon as a top 100 global university.

—In U.S. News & World Report's annual survey, Carnegie Mellon ranked 21st overall and its undergraduate business and engineering programs were ranked eighth overall. In business specialty offerings, Carnegie Mellon ranked second in management information systems and quantitative analysis, and third in production and operations management. In engineering specialties, Carnegie Mellon ranked third best in computer engineering and eighth in electrical engineering. In other recent surveys, the Princeton Review listed Carnegie Mellon among its "Best 361 Colleges" and ranked the university seventh in the category "Their Students Never Stop Studying."

—Further information: http://www.cmu.edu/cmnews/extra/060821_newsweek.html and http://www.cmu.edu/clips/rankings.html

CARNEGIE MELLON NAMED A PITTSBURGH SAVIOR

In a report recently published by the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) titled "Saviors of Our Cities," Carnegie Mellon was listed among the nation's 25 "best-neighbor" universities for dramatically strengthening the economy and quality of life in Pittsburgh. "The extraordinary efforts of these and other colleges have made higher education one of the great growth industries in America and have given a sense of confidence and hope as well as stability to cities that would otherwise be struggling in a world of mergers, downsizing and global outsourcing that has eroded the traditional urban economic base," said Evan Dobelle, president of the NEBHE. Other Pennsylvania universities listed among the 25 saviors are the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pennsylvania.

GATES UPDATE: DEMOLITION PROJECTS COMPLETE, UTILITY WORK BEGINS

Campus Design and Facility Development (CDFD) reports that the demolition projects necessary for the construction of the new Gates Center for Computer Science have been completed. Structures razed this summer include the Old Student Center, the Campus Printing and Publications Building, the Row Garages and the Planetary Robotics Building. Work to relocate and run new utility lines has begun and will continue through October. Utility work will be followed by mass excavation and shoring of existing facilities nearby (Sept.-Nov.). Work on the concrete foundation and structure of the new building will begin in December and steel erection is slated to begin in June 2007. CDFD representatives will present building plans to several local groups and organizations in September before meeting with the City Planning Commission.

—For updates on the project's progress, visit the Gates Blog at http://gatescenter.blog.cs.cmu.edu/. The Web site contains drawings, renderings and images of the new Gates Center as well as a Webcam where you can view time-lapsed photography of the demolition projects.

UNIVERSITY HELPED SPIN OFF 14 COMPANIES IN FISCAL YEAR 2006

Carnegie Mellon's Center for Technology Transfer and Enterprise Creation (CTTEC) helped establish 14 companies based on university technology in fiscal year 2006. This year's spin-offs from Carnegie Mellon represent a range of industries and technology areas, from the green chemistry firm GreenOx and the training-simulation game developer SimOps to the industrial control firm Industrial Learning Systems. "We're definitely on the right track, and this year's success demonstrates all of the combined efforts of Carnegie Mellon's world-class faculty and researchers and CTTEC's business development managers," said Robert Lowe, Carnegie Mellon director of Enterprise Creation, which provides a variety of support services for faculty starting companies.

—Further information: http://www.cmu.edu/PR/releases06/060821_spinoff.html

NEWS BRIEFS

—The University Center (UC) will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Friday, Sept. 1, with activities that begin at 7 a.m. with a workout at a free fitness class. (All fitness classes are free that day.) From 8 to 10 a.m., free breakfast and commuting information for those who bike to campus will be available at the Merson Courtyard. Beginning at 11:30 a.m., enjoy luncheon specials in the newly remodeled dining outlets and free cookies in the UC courtyard, where WRCT will broadcast beginning at 4:30 p.m. At 8, 10 p.m. and midnight enjoy free popcorn in McConomy Auditorium at the AB Films presentations of "Thank You For Smoking." From 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., the Activities Board will present the semester premiere of "UC Late Night," featuring live music. Raffles for prizes, refreshments and entertainment will be provided during the day at the UC's retail outlets and offices, including FedExKinko's, PNC Bank, the Carnegie Mellon Credit Union, the new Parking and Transportation Office, the Conference and Events Office, the Catering Office, the Post Office and Career Center.

—The results from the Summer Two and Summer All 2006 Faculty Course Evaluations are now available. Go to http://www.cmu.edu/fce and select "View FCE Results."

PERSONAL MENTION

—Denise Rousseau, the H.J. Heinz II Professor of Organizational Behavior and Public Policy at the Heinz School and the Tepper School of Business, has won her second Best Book in Management Award from the Academy of Management. She is the only person to win the award twice in the history of the academy. She received the 2006 George R. Terry Book Award at this year's Academy of Management meetings in Atlanta for "I-deals: Idiosyncratic Deals Workers Bargain for Themselves." In 1996, she received the Terry Book Award for "Psychological Contracts in Organizations: Understanding Written and Unwritten Agreement."

—Franco Sciannameo has been named interim director of the Bachelor of Humanities and Arts (BHA) and Bachelor of Science and Arts (BSA) programs. He succeeds Patricia Maurides, who has stepped down after seven years as director. Sciannameo has a notable history as a College of Fine Arts Distinguished Scholar in Multidisciplinary Studies. Further information: http://www.cmu.edu/PR/releases06/060821_bha.html

—John H. Miller, professor of economics and decision sciences, has been named head of the Department of Social and Decision Sciences (SDS). He has been acting head of SDS since 2002, a duty he shared with Paul Fischbeck, professor of social and decision sciences and engineering and public policy. Further information: http://www.cmu.edu/PR/releases06/060821_sds.html.

—Statistics Professor Chris Genovese has been named a fellow of the Institute for Mathematical Statistics. He received the award for important contributions to statistical theory and methodology, bringing modern statistical methods to bear on scientific problems, and using scientific problems to inspire new statistical theory.

—Stephanie Wallach has been appointed director of the Undergraduate Research Office and the Fellowship Resources Advising Center. She succeeds Janet Stocks, who left the university this past spring. Wallach was previously undergraduate advisor for the International Relations program and internship coordinator in the Department of History. Prior to coming to Carnegie Mellon in 1998, Wallach was an administrator and researcher at the University of Chicago, Mills College and Simmons College, and a consultant for WQED and the RAND Corporation.

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

—Aug. 25 through Oct. 15: Carnegie Mellon's Regina Gouger Miller Gallery presents an exhibition of various cartography images by Joyce Kozloff (A'64) that address world politics The exhibition features drawings, collages, prints, paintings and sculptures. Opening reception: 5 to 8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 25. All events and exhibitions at the gallery are free and open to the public.

—Friday, Sept. 8: The Center for Africanamerican Urban Studies and the Economy (CAUSE) in the Department of History will hold its annual fall reception at 4:30 p.m. in Hamburg Hall 100. Refreshments will be served from 4:30 to 6 p.m., followed by a presentation and discussion. The event will feature "Stacks of Obits," a one-woman show by Stephanie L. Batiste, assistant professor of literary and cultural studies in the Department of English. "Stacks of Obits" is a rhythmic contemplation of the street murder of young people of color in Los Angeles, based on obituaries contained in a young woman's scrapbook. Free and open to the public.

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