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The Piper+ December 2008

Delving Into Details

Marian Vollmer, primary school teacher and assistant principal at the University of Pittsburgh Falk Laboratory School, looks at details in one of the GigaPan panoramas at the Artists Image Resource studio during a recent exhibit as part of the GigaPan School Exchange. Read more about the project in this month's Piper [.pdf]. Also, check out coverage on Carnegie Mellon’s first-ever Marshall scholarship winner, author and illustrator David Macaulay's visit to campus and grants to help apples and oranges production.

A Message from the President and Provost

The following memo was sent to the Heinz College community on Thursday, Dec. 18, from Carnegie Mellon President Jared L. Cohon and Provost and Senior Vice President Mark Kamlet.

Dear Faculty, Students, Staff and Alumni of the Heinz College,
 
In late August, we appointed a committee to review the allegation that a 2004 master’s degree was awarded to a Heinz School student outside of the school’s standard academic practices. Membership on this committee was comprised of distinguished academic leaders from the Heinz School and the university as well as a Heinz School alumnus.
 
The committee has completed its work and developed a report on its findings and recommendations. As set forth in the charge to the committee, the report was submitted to the acting dean of the Heinz College, Ramayya Krishnan. After thorough review of the report, Dean Krishnan presented to us the report, along with his comments. We concurred with the committee’s findings and recommendations, and reviewed them with the board of trustees earlier this week. The trustees voted to accept the report, including the rescission of the degree.
 
The committee prepared an executive summary of its report which is attached. Please be reminded that due to the confidentiality protections provided by federal privacy policies, we will not reveal the identity of the student nor any information which may lead to his/her identification.
 
We thank the committee for its thoughtful and professional work on this issue. Based on their recommendations, we will determine and implement additional policies and procedures necessary to protect more strongly against the occurrence of a similar incident in the future.
 
Sincerely,
 
Jared L. Cohon
President 

Mark Scott Kamlet
Provost and Senior Vice President

Executive summary report [.pdf].

Online Exclusives

The Way He Works
Author and Illustrator David Macaulay visited campus in December and spoke with students about his career. Below are excerpts of questions and answers from his talk.
David Macaulay explains how his first book, "Cathedral" came about, despite pitching another idea. Answer (3:05) [.mp3]	Where did the concept of using little people and the mammoth come from for illustrating concepts? Answer (0:39) [.mp3]
For "The Way We Work," how did it take for you to be comfortable with the material to begin visualizing the book? Answer (0:43) [.mp3]	Do you think there is a real demand or need for this kind of writing right now? What advice do you have for students interested in doing this type of work? Answer (2:16) [.mp3]
How do you hope the text and visuals work for your audience? Answer (2:13) [.mp3]	What is the ratio between text versus illustrations in the spreads? Answer (0:44) [.mp3]
If you were to write a book on government, how government works, how would you illustrate it? Answer (1:34) [.mp3]	How do you know how big the pictures need to be, and how what shapes are needed to structure your text to fit that? Answer (2:18) [.mp3]

Top Headlines and Featured Links		Also in this issue:
	President Cohen recently announced ways Carnegie Mellon hopes to save costs. Watch his address to staff [.mov] on Monday, Nov. 24.	• Strategic Plan Is Approved • President Cohon Announces Efforts To Help Contain Costs • Q&A: Deb Moon • Legend in the Making • Making Carnegie Mellon A Place “Where All Belong” • Senior Earns University’s First Marshall Scholarship • First Telstra Scholar Graduates • Movie Executive Offers Insights • Klugman Presented With Honorary Doctorate • Lifesavers • Ph.D. Student’s Bright Idea • Science Van Celebrates 10 Years • Franklin Named Head of Physics • Autism Symposium Draws 400 • Tartans Run Away With NCAA Regional Title • Scholarship Helps Create a Cycle of Philanthropy • College of Fine Arts Completes Strategic Plan • Michael Eric Dyson To Speak on Eve of Historic Presidential Inauguration • The Sky Is Not Falling • Doctor Offers Vetrans Program To Help Manage Stress • Anne Humphreys Will Be Remembered as Guide, Mentor
	Eric Sloss is now a Yes Man. Listen to the A6 Lab podcast [.mp3] as the activist group talks to Sloss about recent activities.
	Paralympic hockey goalie Dan Hefley led his team to victory in a recent tournament in California. Read more in the Piper. He was featured on KDKA News, search for Sled Hockey.
	Apples and Oranges. The Robotics Institue won $10M in USDA grants to help automate orchards. Check out video from recent field trips.

About Us

The Piper is a source for official Carnegie Mellon news from the Internal Communications Department. Published monthly during the academic year, the Piper is dedicated to telling the stories that make Carnegie Mellon an educational institution like no other. Each issue aims to include stories about university research, the people who make that research happen, the students we all support, and the events and activities that make this university and its branch campuses a vibrant place to live, work and learn.

Contact Us

If you have questions, story ideas or comments about the Piper, please contact Editor Bruce Gerson at bg02@andrew.cmu.edu or Managing Editor Heidi Opdyke at opdyke@andrew.cmu.edu. We hope you like what you see. And we hope you'll keep reading.

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