Carnegie Mellon University

The Piper

CMU Community News

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December 12, 2013

News Briefs

Build Your Dreams: TechShop Offers Discounts to CMU Community

Do you have a project in mind that you want to create? Do you need equipment, software or simply a physical space where you can work on it?

TechShop is offering some great membership packages exclusively to the Carnegie Mellon community through a new partnership with the university.

Billed as a prototyping studio, a hacker space and a learning center, TechShop can provide laser cutters, plastics and electronics labs, a machine shop, a wood shop, welding stations and more. Classes are even available to learn how to use the equipment.

The partnership is one of many being forged through Carnegie Mellon's new Integrative Design, Arts and Technology Network (IDeATe), which is building on the connections already thriving between the world-class technology and arts units at the university.

TechShop has several locations including one in Pittsburgh at 192 Bakery Square on the ground floor, immediately below Urban Active, and three near Carnegie Mellon's campus in Silicon Valley, in San Carlos, San Francisco and San Jose.

For more information on the IDeATe Network and discounts, visit http://www.cmu.edu/ideate/people-and-partners/community-partners.html.

Soccer Stars Earn Academic All-America Honors

For the third straight year and fifth time under six-year head coach Arron Lujan, Carnegie Mellon's men's soccer players have received national accolades for their achievements in the classroom and on the field. Seniors Matt Sarett and Ben Bryant have been selected to the Capital One Academic All-America team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for the second year with senior Christopher Madden earning the honor for the first time. Sarett, a midfielder who also was an All-University Athletic Association selection, holds a 4.0 GPA while majoring in both electrical and computer engineering and biomedical engineering. Bryant, a defender, carries a 3.65 GPA while majoring in chemistry and Hispanic Studies. Madden, the team's goalkeeper, led the Tartans to a 10-3-3 record and six shutouts this year. He's a business administration major with a 3.9 GPA. Read more.

C-MITES Offers Programs for Gifted Students

C-MITES offers weekend and summer classes for gifted students in kindergarten through 10th grade. Eligible students in 3rd-6th grade may register to take the EXPLORE test and become a member. C-MITES members receive first priority consideration and discounted tuition for our competitive Summer Program, as well as early access to program registrations. Testing is available at many sites throughout Pennsylvania. Financial aid is available for all C-MITES programs. For more information, visit www.cmites.org or contact C-MITES at 412-268-1629 x1 or cmites@cmu.edu.

Campus Street Parking Rates Have Changed

Hourly parking rates on several streets adjacent to the CMU campus changed Dec. 1 as part of an ongoing study being conducted by two CMU faculty members, Stephen Spear and Mark Fichman, in cooperation with the City of Pittsburgh. 
 
Premium parking rates will be reduced to $1.75 per hour on Tech Street and the 4000 block of Frew Street, adjacent to Hunt Library. Economy parking rates will be set at $1.25 per hour on Margaret Morrison Street and Schenley Drive between Tech Street and Panther Hollow Road. Additionally, the rate for the 5000 block of Frew Street, adjacent to Skibo Gym, will be lowered to $1 per hour.
 
The research, which began in January 2013 and has been extended to continue through 2014, adjusts the monthly rates on these streets based on daily usage. The objective of the study is to allow the marketplace to identify the optimum parking rates on these streets, balancing parking revenue with availability.

Nominations Now Open for Graduate Student Awards

The nomination period for the Graduate Student Service and Teaching Awards is now open and nominations are due on Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. The committees would greatly appreciate your support in soliciting and submitting nominations of graduate students who have excelled in teaching or service so that their efforts can be recognized by the university community. Nomination information can be found at http://www.cmu.edu/celebration-of-education/graduate-student/index.html

The awards will be presented on Thursday, April 3, 2014, at "Innovation with Impact: Graduate Student Celebration of Research, Teaching and Service" during Graduate Student Appreciation Week. Recipients also will be recognized at the Celebration of Education on Tuesday, April 22, 2014.

Heinz Club Collecting Flash Drives for Students in Need

During the month of December the Heinz College Education Policy Club will be collecting flash drives for students in need. From Dec. 6 until the end of the month there will be a box in the University Center recycling center where anyone can donate new or gently used, working flash drives. These will be collected and donated to The Education Partnership (http://www.theeducationpartnership.org/).

The club encourages everyone to donate their extra flash drives or to purchase flash drives for donation. There are no size or space requirements. Students will typically use these to help with basic Microsoft Office files and do not need much storage space.

For more information contact Andrea Zimmer at azimmer@andrew.cmu.edu.

Last Call: Review Your Payroll Data

Payroll Services is beginning a year-end review of employee payroll data and is asking CMU employees to validate all personal and tax information on pay stubs no later than tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 13. Particularly, you will want to review your address and social security number. The accuracy of this information is critical to ensure correct information on your 2013 W2 form. Incorrect information will result in a corrected W2, and may require you to file an amended return if you have already prepared and filed your 2013 taxes.

To review and update your personal information:

  • Log into HRConnection
  • Select Demographics on the left hand navigation
  • Click Next to continue
  • On the Demographics Information screen, validate your “mailing address” – this is where your W-2 will be mailed
  • Should you find any of the information to be incorrect, please make the necessary address corrections in the HRConnection screens.
  • The system will prompt you to complete a new Local Earned Income Tax Residency Certification Form. The form will identify both your residence location and taxation (PSD) and EIT rate along with the same info for your employment location. This is the basis for how your earned income tax is withheld.

If your Social Security Number is incorrect, please contact your HREM Administrator. Payroll Services thanks you in advance for your efforts in helping us achieve a successful 2013 - W2 season.

Make Your Pledge to United Way Today

Carnegie Mellon's annual United Way Campaign to help the health and human service organizations United Way supports has received more than $112,000 in pledges thus far from nearly 200 donors, but it is still behind last year's total of more than $175,000. The good news is there's still time to make your donation as the campaign ends Friday, Dec. 13.

One way to contribute is to support relief efforts in response to the Typhoon Haiyan disaster in the Philippines. United Way Worldwide has set up a fund for disaster relief, and donors can give to the United Way Worldwide/Philippines Typhoon fund, at no fee, using code number 11480944. You can give to this fund through CMU’s United Way campaign at http://www.cmu.edu/hr/unitedway.

To learn more about the campaign, and to make your pledge, visit http://www.cmu.edu/hr/unitedway.

University Store To Renew Reading Series

The University Store is renewing its Faculty and Staff Reading Series. If you have recently published a book and would like to give a reading or short talk, please RSVP to Katie Charles-McGrath at katiec@andrew.cmu.edu. Presentations will be scheduled from 5:30 – 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month beginning in January and running through April (Jan. 21, Feb. 18, March 18 and April 15). Please RSVP by Jan. 2. (Overstock books must be returnable to the publisher without penalty after the event.)

Purchase Discounted Tickets to Kennywood’s Holiday Lights

Staff Council is offering discounted tickets to Kennywood Park’s Holiday Lights, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 22. Tickets for CMU staff are $13 ($16.99 regular price). Children 2 years old and younger are free. The park is open from 5 – 9 p.m. those days, weather permitting. There is a limit of 12 tickets per person. For more information on Kennywood’s Holiday Lights, visit http://www.kennywood.com. For discounted tickets contact Nicole Stenger at nstenger@cs.cmu.edu.

Spring Textbook Adoptions Due

Faculty and departmental administrators are reminded to submit Spring course material adoptions as soon as possible via cmu.verbacollect.com or by email to Matt Senvisky at msenvisk@andrew.cmu.edu. Early adoptions mean more rental textbooks, more used books and better textbook pricing for students.