Carnegie Mellon University

The Piper

CMU Community News

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April 05, 2012

News Briefs

LTI Spinoff Earns NSF Small Business Innovation Grant

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $500,000 Phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant to Safaba Translation Solutions LLC, a company spun out of the Language Technologies Institute. Safaba will use the funding to gear up for its upcoming product launch. Founded by Alon Lavie, LTI associate research professor, and Robert Olszewski, who earned his Ph.D. in computer science at CMU, the company is developing a software-as-a-service model that enables small- and medium-size language translation firms to take advantage of automated translation programs. Safaba software will help those companies expand their services and increase their productivity by incorporating machine translation tools that are customized to their needs. Read more about the company.

Holocaust Memorial and Remembrance Day Seeks Readers

Carnegie Mellon's annual Holocaust Memorial and Remembrance Day is Tuesday, April 17, when volunteers from the university community will read names of Holocaust victims from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Fence. Each volunteer will read names during 10-minute periods. If you'd like to participate, sign up online at http://signupschedule.com/danischles. Contact Danielle Schlesinger at drschles@andrew.cmu.edu with questions or for more information.

WRCT Looks at Public Transit: Commuters, Communities and Costs

CMU's student radio station, WRCT-88.3FM, has published part two of its two-part series on public transportation in Pittsburgh. The program looks at how the proposed Port Authority Transit service cuts may affect those with disabilities, and how other cities are handling reductions in public transportation.  Listen to part two, and part one (Public Transit: Past, present and future...") if you haven't already, at http://www.transitradiopgh.wordpress.com/

Applications Sought for Libraries' Posner Center Internship

Applications are being accepted through Monday, April 30, for one 15-week, $3,000 research and exhibit internship for the fall 2012 semester. Any CMU undergraduate or graduate student may apply by submitting a proposal for individual research in the Posner Collection of fine and rare books, culminating in a public exhibit at the Posner Center. Students who wish to earn academic credit must gain permission from their academic department and/or school before the internship begins. The intern should have a faculty adviser. The internship is sponsored by the University Libraries and funded by the Posner Fine Arts Foundation. For more information and to apply, go to http://www.cmu.edu/posner-center/internship/

Wall Street Journal To Remember Jeff Zaslow, April 29

The Wall Street Journal will hold a memorial gathering for CMU Alumnus Jeff Zaslow (DC'80) on Sunday, April 29 at Columbia University’s Faculty House in New York from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. A longtime Wall Street Journal columnist, Zaslow majored in Creative Writing and may be best remembered at Carnegie Mellon for co-authoring "The Last Lecture" with the late CMU Computer Science Professor Randy Pausch. Zaslow was killed in a car accident in February. The Journal is hosting the memorial as an opportunity for Zaslow's friends and colleagues at the Journal and elsewhere to share stories about the his life and work. In a message to the Journal's staff, Zaslow was called "one of the WSJ's greatest journalists, who inspired literally millions of readers around the world." Zaslow's family will be in attendance. For directions to the memorial, visit http://facultyhouse.columbia.edu/content/contact-us-new-york-event-and-reception-venue#Directions.

Tartans Abroad Showcases Planned

Student groups who received financial support from the Tartans Abroad Group trip fund will offer presentations on their travels next week. Members of the Orphanage Outreach group who traveled to the Dominican Republic and the Alternative Spring Break Costa Rica group will present at 4:30 p.m., Monday, April 9 in the Wright Room, University Center (UC). Students from the SIFE Panama and Global Medical Brigades Honduras, will present at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, April 12, in Rangos 3, UC.

Buggy Push Practice Announced

Through Thursday, April 19, Buggy has been granted permits to hold their annual push practice from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Sunday through Friday (weather permitting). Push practice occurs on Tech and Frew streets. Roads are not closed, but there will be barricades and Buggy team members to help direct traffic. Vehicles traveling through the area should look for directions from Buggy team members. Buggy teams will need to take their buggy and driver off the road to the sidewalk to let vehicles pass. For any questions or concerns, contact buggy@andrew.cmu.edu.

CMU To Host Ultimate Frisbee Camp

This summer, CMU will again play host to Camp Spirit of the Game, Pittsburgh’s Ultimate Frisbee camp for kids.  Professionally run by Andy Norman of CMU’s Philosophy Department, Camp Spirit features an introduction to this exciting sport, a fun assortment of swimming, games and lessons in constructive conflict resolution. For boys and girls between the ages of 7 and 14, Camp Spirit has sessions that run from June 18 to July 27. To sign up or learn more click www.campsog.com or call 412-242-7117.

New Ticket Offers From the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is offering students, faculty and staff discounted tickets to several performances in March, April and May. They include:

  • Beauty and the Beast (Through April 8 at Heinz Hall);
  • Menopause The Musical (April 9 – 11 at the Byham);
  • Anoushka Shankar (April 12 at the Byham);
  • PJO NEA Jazz Masters (April 21 at the August Wilson Center);
  • National Geographic Live: A Camera, Two Kids and a Camera – Annie Griffiths (April 22 at the Byham);
  • Lar Lubovitch Dance Company (April 28 at the Byham);
  • PMT’s Legally Blonde (May 3 – 13 at the Byham).
To order tickets, go to http://www.trustarts.org and login using the promo code CMU1112 to receive the discount.