Carnegie Mellon University

The Piper

CMU Community News

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June 14, 2012

News Briefs

Transportation Committee To Host Commuting Conversations

Carnegie Mellon's Transportation Committee invites people commuting from the suburbs to attend one of four meetings to discuss current and potential transportation issues. Topics of conversation will include car sharing, van pooling, satellite parking lots and Port Authority options. Each meeting will focus on a specific geographical location.

The meetings are:

  •     Western communities: 4-5:30 p.m., Thursday, June 21, UC-McKenna/Peter
  •     Southern communities: 9-10:30 a.m., Friday, June 22, UC-McKenna/Peter
  •     Eastern communities: 9-10:30 a.m., Monday, June 25, UC-McKenna/Peter
  •     Northern communities: 4-5:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 27, UC-Connan.

SEI Names AJ Staff Award Winners

The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) recently presented its AJ Staff Awards, named in honor of University Professor Emeritus Angel Jordan, a founding father and former acting director of the SEI.

  • James Ivers (Research, Technology, and System Solutions [RTSS] Program), Richard Nolan (CERT Program), and Ipek Ozkaya (RTSS Program) received Director's Office Awards for Excellence.
  • Daniel Plakosh (CERT Program) was presented with the AJ Award for Create.
  • The Bursatec Team consisting of Felix Bachmann (RTSS Program), John Klein (RTSS Program), James McHale (Software Engineering Process Management Program), Gabriel Moreno (RTSS Program) and Robert Nord (RTSS Program) received the AJ Award for Apply.
  • Winning the AJ Award for Amplify was Lisa Masciantonio (Program Development and Transition Division).
  • The AJ Award for Contribute went to Grace Lewis (RTSS Program).

Urban Active Fitness Offers Discounts for CMU Employees

Staff Council has teamed up with Urban Active Fitness in Bakery Square to offer discounted gym memberships to Carnegie Mellon employees and their immediate family members. There are two types of discounts available.
 
In the monthly option, subscribers can join by paying $94.90, which includes a one-time enrollment fee of $54.95 and the monthly fee of $39.95.  (Current regular rates are $99 down and $49.99 per month). The annual option allows you to buy a one-year membership for $550 and get a second year free.
 
For more information and to reserve your discounted rate, call 412-204-0055 and ask for Shelby Pope.

Qatar Campus Joins Weill Cornell Med School To Create Life Science Educators Network

Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar and Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar have teamed to establish a network of primary and secondary school life science educators (LiScEN), which will work toward achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030 by developing an infrastructure for cutting-edge research in the life sciences for Qatar and the region.

Since its inception this past spring, more than 50 science instructors from around the region have joined the network, learning new ways to incorporate into their curricula information about scientific discoveries and experimental design. Read the full story.

Access Free Online Software Training

Carnegie Mellon has partnered with lynda.com, an online training company, to provide all staff, faculty and students with access to its online training library. The lynda.com training library provides 24/7 access to training on more than 900 software and design topics, with a library of more than 55,000 video tutorials. You can access the lynda.com training library simply by going to www.cmu.edu/lynda from any computer or mobile device and logging in with your Andrew userID and password. For more information, visit http://www.cmu.edu/lynda/. Direct questions or comments to your DSP consultant or the Computing Services Help Center at 412-268-4357 or advisor@andrew.cmu.edu.

Clearance Sale Scheduled at University Store

Carnegie Mellon's University Store will be holding a clearance sale featuring 50 percent off already reduced merchandise through June 22. Store hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Work Begins on Serpentine Walkway Behind Gates

Facilities Management Services reports that work to widen the asphalt serpentine walkway behind the Gates Building will take place through the end of June. The initial work will be excavation and re-routing irrigation mains that are in the vicinity of the widening as well as the lower concrete curbs near the Doherty loading dock drive.  There will also be work at the rear of Gates Level 3 that has been damaged by carts. Once the excavation begins the serpentine will be closed to all traffic including pedestrians as there will be a one-foot drop off on the edges of the walkway. If you have any questions, contact Kyle Tomer at 412-268-6332 or kt2n@andrew.cmu.edu or Ron Cunningham at 412-508-9575 or rcunning@andrew.cmu.edu.

Concrete Repair Work Begins Along Forbes and East/West Walkway

The sidewalk along the Cyert Hall side of Forbes Avenue, from Hamburg Hall to Morewood Avenue, will be closed for repairs through June 25. Please follow signage. This work is expected to be completed by June 25, weather permitting.
 
The East/West Walkway from the Purnell Center to West Wing and Resnik Hall also will be repaired. Half of the sidewalk will be closed at a time to permit pedestrian traffic through the area. Please pay attention to areas that are closed. This work will continue through the end of July, weather permitting.
 
If you have any questions, contact Kyle Tomer at 412-268-6332 or kt2n@andrew.cmu.edu.

Join Weight Watchers at CMU

Weight Watchers is offered at Carnegie Mellon for $39.95 per month. Meetings are held at 11:30 a.m. every Wednesday in Cyert Hall B6-A. Membership includes all Weight Watchers material, weekly meetings and e-Tools. Contact Rita Motor at 412-268-8071 or rita@cmu.edu with any questions. You can sign up online at https://wellness.weightwatchers.com. Use the Carnegie Mellon ID (21025) and pass code (WW21025).

Kennywood Picnic is July 7

The annual CMU Employee Kennywood Picnic, presented by Staff Council, is Saturday, July 7. Employees can purchase one ticket ($37.99 value) for $10 (valid only on July 7) and four additional tickets for $15 each. Additional tickets (limit 5) can be purchased for $20 each.  Tickets must be purchased with cash only and employees must present their own CMU ID. Ticket sales will begin June 26. You can download the Kennywood flyer, which includes the ticket sale dates, times and locations, from the Staff Council website, http://www.cmu.edu/staff-council/.  Look for the flyer link in the red box featuring upcoming events.

Staff Council is also offering tickets to Idlewild Park ($22.99) and Sandcastle ($19), which are good for the entire 2012 season. Idlewild and Sandcastle tickets can be purchased with cash only (exact change, please) by contacting Barb Price at bp0a@andrew.cmu.edu or 412-268-3688.

Seeking 2012 Andy Award Nominations

Nominations for the 2012 Andy Awards are now being accepted. The Andy Awards, named for Andrew Carnegie and Andrew Mellon, are a tribute to the spirit of teamwork and dedication embodied by the staff at Carnegie Mellon. Individual staff members and teams of colleagues whose work has had a significant impact on the university are recognized for their outstanding performance and commitment to excellence through the Andy Awards program. Awards are given in six categories: Dedication, Commitment to Students, Innovation, Culture, University Citizenship and Community Contributions. All nominations must be submitted by July 10. For more information and for nomination and statement of support forms visit http://www.cmu.edu/andyawards/nomination/index.html.

CMU Co-Sponsors Conference on International Research

Carnegie Mellon is co-sponsoring a one day conference on international research titled “BUILDING BRIDGES: Research Around the World,” June 22 at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel in Pittsburgh. In addition to CMU, co-sponsors include The Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) Research Community Forum (RCF), the University of Pittsburgh and the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. The goal of the conference is to raise awareness of diverse global interests and to strengthen collaborations between U.S. investigators and those abroad. The program is quite innovative in the sense that this is the first program in the OHRP RCF series to focus solely on international research. A group of nationally and internationally recognized experts will address the regulatory and ethical underpinnings of conducting research with human subjects in international settings.  Read more about the conference at http://www.irb.pitt.edu/2012conf.aspx.  Questions can be directed to Teri Reiche in the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance at treiche@andrew.cmu.edu.

3-D Facial Study Seeks Participants

The Department of Oral Biology at the University of Pittsburgh is seeking individuals between the ages of 3 and 40 who are in good overall health for a study on the genetic basis of facial appearance. You or your child may be eligible if you are of 100 percent Caucasian ancestry, have not had facial plastic or reconstructive surgery, and have no history of facial birth defects in your family. Participants will have a 3-D photograph taken of their face, have hand and head measurements taken, and must provide a saliva sample and basic personal information. The procedures will take less than one half-hour. Participants will be compensated. For more information, call 1-866-681-7570 or e-mail faces3d@pitt.edu.