February 7, 2008
Vol. 18, No. 27

In this issue:

• Professor Edmund Clarke Wins "Nobel Prize of Computing"
• Bill Gates To Conclude Farewell Tour at Carnegie Mellon, Feb. 21
• Tiziana DiMatteo, Robotics Institute, ETC Win Science Center Awards
• News Briefs
• Personal Mention
• Calendar Highlights

Professor Edmund Clarke Wins "Nobel Prize of Computing"

Computer Science Professor Edmund M. Clarke and two computer scientists from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Grenoble in France, are winners of the Association for Computing Machinery's 2007 A.M. Turing Award in recognition of their pioneering work on an automated method for finding design errors in computer hardware and software. The method, called Model Checking, is the most widely used technique for detecting and diagnosing errors in complex hardware and software design, and it has helped to improve the reliability of complex computer chips, systems and networks. The Turing Award is considered to be the most prestigious award in computing and is often referred to as "the Nobel Prize of computing."

Clarke, the FORE Systems Professor of Computer Science and professor of electrical and computer engineering, will share the award and its $250,000 prize with E. Allen Emerson, who worked with Clarke as a graduate student at Harvard University and later as a professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Also sharing the award is Joseph Sifakis who developed a similar technique at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique at the University of Grenoble.

"We at Carnegie Mellon take pride in solving real-world problems and few projects exemplify that quality better than Ed Clarke's work on Model Checking," said Carnegie Mellon President Jared L. Cohon. "Reliability has become critical as computer technology has grown in both complexity and ubiquity. Model Checking gives us confidence that these machines will do what we expect and need them to do."

For more: http://www.cmu.edu/news/archive/2008/February/feb4_clarketuring.shtml

Bill Gates To Conclude Farewell Tour at Carnegie Mellon, Feb. 21

Microsoft founder, chairman and former CEO Bill Gates will soon embark on a farewell lecture tour of five prominent universities as he transitions from chief software architect at Microsoft into his new role in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The tour will conclude on Thursday, Feb. 21, when Gates presents a free lecture to the Carnegie Mellon community from 4 to 5 p.m. in Rangos Hall, University Center. Gates' talk is titled "Bill Gates Unplugged: On Software, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Giving Back."

Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The admission line will open at 3 p.m., and students, faculty and staff presenting a valid Carnegie Mellon ID will be given a wristband for admittance. Doors will open at 3:15 p.m. and will close at 3:55 p.m. The overflow crowd may view a simulcast of the talk in McConomy Auditorium. Please note the following procedures and policies for admittance:

• Check-in will begin at 3 p.m.;
• No admittance after 3:55 p.m.; All attendees must have a valid Carnegie Mellon ID;
• No backpacks, cameras, laptops or cell phones;
• No recording devices (video or audio);
• No food or beverages;
• No holding or saving seats.

For more: http://www.cmu.edu/corporate/bill_gates/

Tiziana DiMatteo, Robotics Institute, ETC Win Science Center Awards

Carnegie Mellon was well represented on the list of 2008 Carnegie Science Award winners recently announced by the Carnegie Science Center. The Robotics Institute took home top honors, winning the Chairman's Award for its "reputation as the best place on Earth for robotics research." The Entertainment Technology Center earned recognition in the Information Technology category, and Tiziana DiMatteo, an associate professor of physics, was tabbed for the "Emerging Female Scientist" accolade. The Carnegie Science Center awards program said "DiMatteo has proven herself to be a revolutionary female in the field of physics. Her motivation and academic excellence have solidified her place in the world of physics research and guarantee future scientific success." The awards are sponsored by the Eaton Corporation.

News Briefs

• CyLab Japan held a ceremony for its second graduating class on Feb. 5 in Kobe, Japan. CyLab Japan was established in 2005 by Carnegie Mellon and the Hyogo Institute of Information Foundation to offer a Master of Science in Information Technology - Information Security (MSIT-IS) track in Kobe. For more: http://www.cmu.edu/news/archive/2008/February/feb4_cylabjapan.shtml
• To support the American Cancer Society's "Daffodil Days" orders and payment must be received by Tuesday, Feb. 12. Bouquets of 10 daffodils are $8, bouquets with a vase are $15 and the Bear & A Bunch Combo (special edition Boyds Bear plus a bouquet) is $25. You can also have a bouquet delivered to a local cancer patient ($10) or a Boyds Bear delivered to a child at Children's Hospital ($25). To place your order, contact one of the following: Dawn Cappelli, dmc@cert.org, 8-9136, CIC Bldg, 3rd Floor; AnnMarie Zanger, zanger@cs.cmu.edu, 8-9525, 4206 Wean Hall; Kathy Bossick, bossick@andrew.cmu.edu, 8-3172, Mellon Institute Library; ToniMcItrot, TM2L@andrew.cmu.edu, 8-3573, Doherty Hall 1105; Amy Lawrence, amy4@andrew.cmu.edu, 8-4425, 700 Technology Drive, Room 3325; Barbara Price, bp0a@andrew.cmu.edu, 8-3688, Tepper School, GSIA 12B; Kristin Sullivan, kristin@andrew.cmu.edu, 412-268-5139, 6 PPG Place, downtown.

Personal Mention

• Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Jeremy J. Michalek has received the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development Award. Michalek will use the five-year, $400,000 grant to analyze how public policy could determine the types of more efficient vehicles built in coming years and how consumers might respond to these new models. For more: http://www.cmu.edu/news/archive/2008/February/feb5_michalek.shtml
• Institute for Complex Engineered Systems (ICES) staff members Christina Cowan, Alicia Brown and Matthew Sanfilippo were recently honored at the annual College of Engineering staff awards ceremony. Cowan, executive assistant to ICES Director Gary Fedder, won the CIT Staff Award for her job performance, dedication, positive attitude and contributions as a team player. Brown, external relations and outreach coordinator, received the Timothy J. Burritt Education Award for successfully balancing her pursuit of a Ph.D. with her position at ICES. Sanfilippo, executive director of the Center for Sensed Critical Infrastructure Research (CenSCIR), received the Rookie Award for his exceptional contributions in his short time at ICES.  
• ECE Ph.D. student Amith Singhee and ECE and Computer Science Professor Rob A. Rutenbar were winners of the 2008 Best Student Paper Award at the recent 21st International Conference on VLSI Design. Their paper, "Recursive Statistical Blockade: An Enhanced Technique for Rare Event Simulation with Application to SRAM Circuit Design," extends the team's work on ultra-fast analysis of memory circuits.
• Bertrade "Betty" Mbom has been selected as one of five recipients of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's (HHMI) Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study.  The fellowship supports up to five years of graduate study towards a doctorate in the sciences. For more: http://www.cmu.edu/news/archive/2008/January/jan31_mbomhhmi.shtml
• Kiron Skinner, associate professor of history and political science, was interviewed about the presidential race in the U.S. on the BBC's Sky News this past Wednesday and will be interviewed by Sir David Frost on Al Jazeera (English) on Friday, Feb. 8.

Calendar Highlights

• Throughout February: Carnegie Mellon celebrates Black History Month with various lectures, performances and art exhibits. See: http://www.cmu.edu/news/archive/2008/February/feb4_blackhistorymonth.shtml
• Monday, Feb. 11: Staff Council presents an Open Forum with President Jared L. Cohon. Noon - 1 p.m., McKenna/Peter/Wright Rooms, University Center.
• Monday, Feb. 11: Peter Suber, research professor at Earlham College, will discuss "What is Open Access to Research?" 4:30 - 6 p.m., Adamson Wing, Baker Hall. Webcast at mms://wms.andrew.cmu.edu/pushit01.
• Monday, Feb. 11: The Athletic Department hosts Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Charlie Batch, who will discuss his experiences in the NFL and his Best of the Batch Foundation. 7:30 p.m., Skibo Gymnasium.
• Friday, Feb. 15: Mechanical Engineering seminar. "From Lotus Effect to Automotive Parts Remanufacturing - Emerging Opportunities in Sustainable Design & Manufacturing," presented by Bert Bras, professor of mechanical engineering, Georgia Tech. 10:30 a.m., Scaife Hall 125.
• For more news and events, visit http://my.cmu.edu/site/events/