Carnegie Mellon University

The Piper

CMU Community News

Piper Logo
November 15, 2012

Personal Mention

University Professor of Music Composition Leonardo Balada will have his “Symphony n.6-(Symphony of Sorrows)” performed by the Galician Symphony Orchestra in Northern Spain Nov. 23-24. The work also will be recorded for Naxos Records, conducted by the internationally renowned conductor Jesus Lopez-Cobos. “Symphony n. 6” describes musically the psychological and human tragedy of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39).

Neil Donahue, a professor of chemical engineering, chemistry and engineering and public policy, has been selected a fellow of the American Geophysical Union. Fellows are selected for exceptional scientific contributions and major breakthroughs and discoveries. The prestigious designation is conferred upon not more than 0.1 percent of all AGU members in any given year. Donahue will be made a fellow at the AGU meeting Dec. 3-7 in San Francisco.

Chemical Engineering Professor Spyros Pandis has been selected a fellow of the American Association for Aerosol Research. Pandis was selected for his fundamental and applied research on air quality and climate, for his contributions to education, both in the classroom and worldwide through his classic textbook, and for his service to the aerosol community as conference chair and AAAR president.

Sue-mei Wu, teaching professor of Chinese Studies in the Dietrich College’s Department of Modern Languages, is serving as conference chair for the 2012 Chinese Language Teachers Association (CLTA) annual conference (http://clta-us.org), Nov. 15-18 at the Philadelphia convention center. CLTA is a professional organization devoted to the study of Chinese language, culture and pedagogy. With approximately 1,000 regular members and 800 additional affiliated members through seven regional associations, CLTA is the largest organization for teachers of Chinese outside China. Wu is on the CLTA’s Board of Directors and also has served as CLTA fundraising chair for two years.

Media Relations Administrative Associate Alyssa Mayfield will be leaving Carnegie Mellon on Nov. 27 to become a public relations and marketing coordinator for Jacob’s Pillow Dance, an internationally acclaimed dance center, school and performance center in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. Mayfield will help to support press relations, coordinate marketing and community outreach, and assist with the development of Web content. She also will manage social media outreach and e-communications efforts for The School at Jacob's Pillow, one of the most prestigious dance training centers in the U.S. Jacob’s Pillow Dance annually hosts a world renowned dance festival with more than 50 dance companies and 200 free performances, talks and events.

Victorria Wytcherley has joined University Advancement as its new director of Online Strategies. She succeeds Jay Brown, who left CMU earlier this year. Wytcherley has 14 years of experience in multiple areas of marketing, including strategic planning, consumer insight development and team building to meet defined business goals. Her expertise in online marketing includes social media, online advertising and website development. Her projects have spanned national and international markets, and her clients have included major brands, such as Pfizer, DelMonte, Heinz, New York Life and the Cancer Research Institute. Wytcherley comes to CMU from Smith Bros Agency. Previously she was a senior director at Brunner, Inc., where she did consulting work for CMU’s Red Team.

In addition to her duties as director of Enrollment Services, Lisa Krieg will serve in a newly reformulated role as director of Risk Initiatives, assuming the general risk management responsibilities previously held by Lorina Wise. Reporting to the Vice President for Campus Affairs, the director of Risk Initiatives will work with Carnegie Mellon colleagues in maintaining appropriate risk management strategies and practices, and will create an infrastructure to support ongoing departmental and individual efforts for mitigating risk and maximizing impact through awareness, knowledge and best-practice strategies. "This initiative will benefit from Lisa's extraordinary commitment to the university, her deep understanding of our mission and vision, and her commitment to the vibrant and fast-moving climate on which our greatest success is founded, making her the ideal person to guide this effort," said Vice President for Campus Affairs Michael Murphy. "The great respect she has earned throughout the campus for her leadership of our Office of International Education and, more recently, Enrollment Services, has been predicated on an active partnership with administrative and academic leaders that will serve us all extremely well in this new role." Murphy said a search for a coordinator of Risk Initiatives, who will report to Krieg, will begin soon.