December 14, 2006
Vol. 17, No. 22
In this issue:
Students Develop Tools To Improve Truck Drivers’ Work Environment
Carnegie Mellon engineering students enrolled in a senior design class will unveil a variety of tools and design concepts that may ultimately help the trucking industry entice more baby boomers to drive big rigs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Dec. 15 in Rangos Hall. "The senior design class is great because it gives us an opportunity to work on industry-related issues in diverse teams," said Basheer Husami, a senior mechanical engineering major. His group, one of 13 in the class, is developing a special rack that would be used to attach a mobile scooter to the truck cab. Husami said drivers could use the scooter as an alternative means of transportation as they wait to have their rigs unloaded at various locations throughout the country. Other Carnegie Mellon students are looking at ways to make the big rigs easier to access and more user-friendly for the growing number of drivers over the age of 50 who are seeking more comfortable cabs.
"There is a real need out there to entice more long-haul drivers, so any kind of creative class work to attract people to the industry, like the work under way by Carnegie Mellon engineering students, is icing on the cake," said Darrin Drollinger, vice president of technical and safety services for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.
For more on the projects, see http://cmu.edu/news/archive/2006/december/dec11_truckertools.shtml.
Pennsylvania’s Civil War Trails Available to “Virtual Tourists”
Technology developed by Carnegie Mellon's Global Connection Project for producing high-resolution panoramas will soon enable virtual tourists to immerse themselves in sites along Pennsylvania's Civil War trails. On Dec. 11, Gov. Ed Rendell announced a $285,000 grant from the commonwealth's Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority to fund the project, which will make Pennsylvania the first state to capitalize on the "explorable picture" technology. The Global Connection Project is a partnership of Carnegie Mellon, the National Geographic Society, Google Inc. and NASA's Ames Research Center and is co-directed by Illah Nourbakhsh, associate professor of robotics, and Randy Sargent, project scientist at Carnegie Mellon West. The National Civil War Museum, Ripple Effects Interactive, Public Intelligence and the Pennsylvania Tourism Office are collaborating on the project, which will also link historical, geographical and tourist information regarding the Civil War trails through Google Earth.
For more on the grant, see http://news.cs.cmu.edu/Releases/demo/259.html.
Parking Garage Schedules Set for Winter Break
Parking and Transportation Services has announced schedule changes for various parking locations during the winter break. The Dithridge Street Garage will close at 8 p.m., Dec. 21 and will reopen at 7 a.m., Dec. 26. It will close again at 8 p.m., Dec. 28 and reopen at 7 a.m., Jan. 2, 2007. The East Campus Garage will close at 10:30 p.m., Dec. 21 and will reopen at 11 p.m., Jan.1. Parking will be available in the Morewood Lot for East Campus Garage permit holders. Gates to all other lots, with the exception of Warner Hall and the College of Fine Arts, will be lifted. No attendants will be on duty in the Morewood Lot (stacked) area from Dec. 22 through Jan.1, and the parking shuttle service will be suspended during that time. Normal operations will resume Jan. 2.
The East Campus Garage parking office will be closed Dec. 26–28, but the University Center office will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on those days. In the event of an emergency during this time, contact University Police at 8-2323. Questions should be directed to Parking and Transportation Services at 8-2052.
Make Your Gift Online To Ensure 2006 Tax Deduction
Time is running out to make a donation to Carnegie Mellon that is eligible for a 2006 tax deduction. Donate online by midnight, Dec. 31 when making your year-end gift to Carnegie Mellon to ensure your eligibility for a 2006 tax deduction. Credit card donations made online are processed electronically the day the credit card transaction is posted on the Internet. Credit card gifts made through the mail or on the phone are manually entered into a credit card terminal the day they are received and are gift dated, as specified by the IRS, the day the transaction appears on the donor's credit card billing statement. To donate online, visit http://www.cmu.edu/giving/give.shtml.
News Briefs
- The schedule for the university's recreational facilities over the winter break is posted at official.cmu-news.
- The Posner Center is seeking student applications for an internship next semester. The intern will work directly with collection materials at the Posner Center and create a major exhibit on a self-selected topic. The Posner Center houses rare and historic books and art collected by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Posner Sr. It is notable for works recording the history of science and for finely bound books, classic literature and other important documents, such as one of only four extant copies of the first printing of the U.S. Bill of Rights. The 15-hour-per-week internship comes with a $2,450 stipend and class credit can be earned. To apply online, visit http://www.library.cmu.edu/Research/Arts/jws2/posner_internship_web/. Applications are due Dec. 20.
- The Wean Hall Copy Center (room 4602) will close, effective Dec. 21. Copy jobs will continue to be processed through the end of the semester at this location to accommodate final projects/classwork and exams. Wean Hall Copy Center customers are encouraged to use the Tepper School Copy Center (room 18), where Rudy Schutzeus, Barbara Silvas (8-2184) or Maureen Kowalski (8-2281) can help you with your needs. The Tepper School Copy Center has state-of-the-art equipment, several binding options and a combined 45 years of experience among its staff members. Hours of operation: 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pick-up and delivery service is available.
- Carnegie Mellon's annual food drive raised 7,367 pounds of non-perishable items and $670 in cash donations for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. The drive, annually sponsored by Staff Council, was the university's largest ever in terms of total poundage and is the food bank's largest organizational drive. This year's effort produced three times as many donations as the Steelers' drive at Heinz Field and topped the Pittsburgh Penguins' drive at Mellon Arena.
Personal Mention
- Faculty members John Lafferty, Chuck Thorpe and Tsuhan Chen have been elected 2007 fellows of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The institute represents engineers, scientists and allied professionals whose technical interests are rooted in electrical and computer sciences, engineering and related disciplines. Being named a fellow is one of the organization's most prestigious honors. Lafferty, a professor of computer science and machine learning, has been cited for his contributions to statistical pattern recognition and statistical language processing. Thorpe, a member of the Robotics Institute faculty and dean of the university's Qatar campus, is being recognized for leadership in the research and development of vision-based autonomous outdoor vehicles. Chen, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and head of CIT's Advanced Multi-Processing Laboratory, is being honored for his contributions to multidisciplinary, multimedia signal processing.
- Janet Madelle Feindel, associate professor of voice and the Alexander Technique in the School of Drama, is coaching for the productions "The Jew of Malta" and "The Merchant of Venice," starring F. Murray Abraham, renowned actor from Pittsburgh. The productions open at the Duke Theatre in New York City in February, then travel to the Royal Shakespeare Company in March. Feindel is team coaching with Cicely Berry, director of voice at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Calendar Highlights
Jan. 11–13: Summit 2007. Summit is a three-day event that occurs right before the second semester. Students have the opportunity to take a variety of extracurricular classes not offered during the academic year -- just for fun. This year's course offerings include glassblowing, sculpture, culinary arts, gun shooting, massage therapy and much more. Further information: http://www.cmu.edu/summit.
Monday, Jan. 15: Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration. The day's events will begin at noon and culminate in a keynote address by author and Homewood native John Edgar Wideman at 5 p.m. in Rangos Hall. All activities will take place in the University Center and are free and open to the public.
