News Briefs

• Nominations for the 2012 Alumni Awards are now being accepted through Thursday, Sept. 1. Each year the Alumni Association honors alumni, students and faculty who have given outstanding service to the university, and alumni who have achieved exceptional success in their chosen professions. A nomination form, list of previous award recipients and descriptions of each award category can be found at http://www.cmu.edu/alumniawards. All nomination forms should be submitted with the nominee's vitae and at least two letters of support. For more information, contact Tim Ruff at 412-268-1253 or truff@andrew.cmu.edu.
• To increase efficiency and convenience for customers, MediaTech has lowered its price for set-up in McConomy Auditorium. Single projection will be $100 for the first hour and $50 for each additional hour, and dual projection will be $200 for the first hour and $75 for each additional hour. Panel discussions and similar events now will be billed on a per-microphone basis, and a $50 cancellation fee will be charged for any event that is cancelled within 24 hours of its scheduled time. For more information or to schedule media services, contact MediaTech at mediatech@andrew.cmu.edu or 412-268-8855, or visit http://www.cmu.edu/computing/mediatech/.
• Computing Services has increased the storage quotas for its Andrew File System (AFS) and Cyrus email services. The quota for AFS will increase to 2GB. Cyrus quotas will increase to 5GB. Each service will use the new maximum quota by default; individuals will not be required to manually set their quotas to the higher limit. Direct any questions or comments to the Computing Services Help Center at 412-268-HELP or advisor@andrew.cmu.edu) or to your departmental administrator or DSP consultant.
• "Robots Get Real," an article in the August 2011 issue of National Geographic magazine, considers how robots and humans will increasingly interact in the not-so-distant future. The article by Chris Carroll discusses Robotics Institute projects, including the Home Exploring Robotic Butler (HERB) and Snackbot, and the Entertainment Technology Center's efforts to make a Japanese robot, an Actroid android called Yume, more human-like. For more: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/08/robots/robots-photography
• Staff Council has once again teamed up with the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival to offer the campus community the opportunity to purchase discounted tickets to this year's festival. Students, faculty, and staff can purchase adult tickets for $13.45 (a $3.50 savings) and children's tickets for $7 (a $1 savings) through Sept. 23. Tickets can be ordered by fax, mail, or online at http://www.pittsburghrenfest.com/groupdiscount.html. Festival dates are Aug. 20 - Sept. 25, weekends and Labor Day only. Visit the Staff Council website at http://www.cmu.edu/staff-council for more information.
• In anticipation of its 100th anniversary celebration in 2012, the School of Music is seeking stories and photographs that illuminate the history of the school. Submissions may be included in a special centennial publication. Submissions should be sent to Robert Fallon, assistant professor of musicology, at rfallon@cmu.edu or at CMU School of Music, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Include your name (then and now), year of graduation, title or association with the School of Music, and your contact information for follow-up questions. The deadline is Nov. 1.