October 26, 2006

Vol. 17, No. 16

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.

2004 Editions are available online.

2005 Editions are available online.

Previous editions are available online.

George Loewenstein, one of Carnegie Mellon's most innovative researchers, has been named the Herbert A. Simon Professor of Economics and Psychology. Loewenstein, who teaches in the Department of Social and Decision Sciences, is among the founding fathers of decision science, a field that was pioneered at Carnegie Mellon by the late Herbert A. Simon. Loewenstein's groundbreaking research examines the influence that emotions and other psychological factors have on economic decision-making. "Simon was a pioneer in the field of behavioral economics, and was the first psychologist to win the Nobel Prize in economics," Loewenstein said. "[He] was the reason why I dreamed of coming to Carnegie Mellon long before I ever knew it might actually be a possibility." Further information: http://www.cmu.edu/PR/releases06/061020_loewenstein.html/.

NOV. 1 SUMMIT TO PRESENT LATEST IN CYBER SECURITY

Computing Services' Information Security Office in partnership with Carnegie Mellon CyLab is sponsoring its first Cyber Security Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 1. Registration is free to Carnegie Mellon faculty, staff and students. Nationwide security experts from the FBI, CERT Coordination Center, Carnegie Mellon, CyLab, SEI, PNC Bank, Microsoft, Apple, VigilantMinds, i-SAFE and many more will present the latest in cyber security. You may attend one or multiple sessions. Breakfast, lunch and a pizza dinner will be provided.

—For more information and to register, visit: http://www.cmu.edu/iso/summit/.

NINE STAFF MEMBERS HONORED WITH ANDY AWARDS

Carnegie Mellon recognized the outstanding dedication and performance of its staff members at the annual Andy Awards ceremony on Oct. 19 in McConomy Auditorium. The awards, which are open to all non-faculty university employees, honor teams and individuals in five categories: enthusiasm, innovation, dedication, culture and citizenship. This year's winners are: Enthusiasm: John Sengenberger, director of Alumni Relations for the Tepper School of Business; Innovation: The Oracle 11i E-Learning Initiative Team, which included Renee Fisher, e-learning and systems support specialist; Amanda Perkins, university card manager; Brett Rebischke-Smith, Oracle help desk analyst; Leonard Stellitano, business training specialist; and Noel Ross Strader III, scientific/technical specialist; Dedication: Lori Bell, benefits specialist in Human Resources; Culture: Leslie Rhodes, pre-award administrator in the Office of Sponsored Programs; Citizenship: Pat Roach, assistant manager, Property and Space Accounting.

WEB PORTAL IDENTIFIES WAYS TO COMBAT ONLINE DANGERS

Carnegie Mellon researchers have created the MySecureCyberspace portal to help the public better understand the dangers of surfing the Web. The portal (www.mysecurecyberspace.com) offers a cyberencyclopedia of information and tools to combat cyberbullying, identity theft and the dangers of online predators. The portal is a welcome ally for parents, according to Dena Haritos Tsamitis, head of the Information Networking Institute (INI) and director of education, training and outreach for Carnegie Mellon Cylab. "A 2006 survey conducted by Carnegie Mellon University and marketing research firm Campos Inc. found that 97 percent of the 500 Allegheny County residents interviewed not only wanted to know more about cybersafety, but they want simpler tools to monitor their child's online activities," Tsamitis said.

—Further information: http://www.cmu.edu/PR/releases06/061020_cybersafety.html/.

HEALTH BENEFITS AND FITNESS FAIR TO BE HELD NOV. 2

Dozens of vendors will be on hand to provide benefit information and to conduct demonstrations and health screenings at the annual Benefits and Fitness Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 2 in the Rangos Ballroom, University Center. This year, the fair is offered in partnership with the 2006 International Festival "Body, Mind & Spirit: Prescriptions for Global Health." Bring your postcard invitation for easy entry into several raffles.

—Free flu shots will be given to employees who have their ID+ card and a completed Flu Shot Authorization form. To access the form go to http://hr.web.cmu.edu/forms/FluForm.pdf. If demand exceeds supply, attendees can sign up to receive the shot when additional vaccine is received.

NEWS BRIEFS

—To improve cellular coverage on campus, Carnegie Mellon has signed a lease agreement with Cingular Wireless to install a cell site on the roof of Warner Hall. The site will be installed on Oct. 28. During the installation, the Warner Hall parking lot will be closed to accommodate the crane required for the project.

—Carnegie Mellon's Society of Women Engineers (SWE) received the 2006 Outstanding Collegiate Activities Certificate at the SWE National Conference in Kansas City for their re-establishment of E-Week Activities at the university. "E" stands for engineering. Hilda Diamond is the group's advisor.

—The University Copy Centers remind the campus that there are three centers to serve your copying and binding needs: Tepper School-Basement Rm. 18 (8-2184, Rudy Schutzeus; and 8-2281, Maureen Kowalski); Wean Hall 4602 (8-3729, Barbara Silvas); and SEI A-420 (8-6325, Jim Main). All centers provide black and white services. The Tepper Copy Center also provides binding services, as well as scanning black and white documents to be saved as PDF files. The Wean Hall Copy Center offers one-color bannerprints in a variety of color inks and several eye-catching papers. Course packets may be handled through Pat Herbster (8-5772). Additional information is posted at http://www.cmu.edu/upgs/ucc.

—Carnegie Mellon hosts the University Athletic Association Volleyball Championships Friday and Saturday, Nov. 3 - 4 in the University Center and Skibo Gymnasium. The weekend will be filled with athletic events as the football team hosts Bethany College at 1 p.m., Nov. 4; the swimming and diving teams host their annual invitational Nov. 4 - 5, and the men's and women's soccer teams host Emory University at noon and 2:30 p.m., Nov. 5.

—The Faces of Democracy Film Festival, sponsored by the Humanities Center, is seeking entries for its Student Short International Film Competition. The competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in an accredited school at the time of the festival. Deadline for submissions is Oct. 30. Competition winners will have their films screened at Carnegie Mellon and the SouthSide Works Cinema. The festival runs from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10. For more information, call 412-445-6292 or email festival director Jolanta Lion at jola@andrew.cmu.edu or visit www.cmu.edu/faces/. For information specific to the short film competition, email Danielle Griswold at dgriswol@andrew.cmu.edu.

PERSONAL MENTION

—Robert Atwan, who edits the annual Best American Essays anthologies, has placed Hilary Masters' essay "In Rooms of Memory," originally published in the winter issue of The Prairie Schooner, in the list of Notable Essays of 2005. Masters is a professor in the Department of English.

—Physics Professor Sara Majetich has been invited to become a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE Magnetics Society for 2007. The Distinguished Lecturer program celebrates achievements in magnetics, honors the finest researchers and communicators in the field, and provides outreach to the wider community by delivering inspiring and exciting lectures, especially to young researchers entering careers in magnetics. Majetich is one of four distinguished lecturers chosen this year to deliver lectures by invitation of individual institutions or chapters.

—The work of Tiziana Di Matteo, associate professor of physics, will be featured on the NOVA special "Monster of the Milky Way" on PBS stations at 8 p.m.,Tuesday, Oct. 31. Supermassive black holes, whose activities Di Matteo simulates as part of her research, are considered among the most impressive cosmic phenomena.

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

—Saturday, Oct. 28: Memorial Service for the late Preston Covey, associate professor of philosophy. 4 p.m., Adamson Wing, 136A Baker Hall. Open to all members of the campus community.

—Oct. 30 - Nov. 10: Carnegie Mellon's 13th Annual Food Drive, sponsored by Staff Council. Look for a Food Drive drop box located in a building near you. Proceeds benefit the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

—Thursday, Nov. 2 - Saturday, Nov. 4: International Festival. The University Center will be transformed into a world of exploration with workshops, lectures, discussions and performances. For a full calendar of events, see www.cmu.edu/internationalfestival/.

—Sunday, Nov. 5: A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. in the Rachel Mellon Walton Room of Posner Hall for Wei Wei Wang, the Tepper School student who died on April 12 from injuries sustained in an accident at Forbes and Margaret Morrison Street. For additional information, contact the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs at x8-2075.

-Back to the top-