Carnegie Mellon University

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August 29, 2013

News Briefs

University Seeks New Vice President for Research

In response to input from the academic leadership at the university, President Subra Suresh has launched a national search to fill the position of Vice President for Research (VPR) at CMU.

“We are seeking an individual who will have the administrative experience and stature to make an effective case for CMU’s research priorities to federal agencies, to policy makers, to foundations, to current and potential international partners, and to a broad base of industry collaborators,” President Suresh wrote in an email to faculty. “The VPR will also provide oversight of the Office of Sponsored Projects and Research Compliance, among other related operations at the university.”

A search committee has been established, co-chaired by College of Engineering Dean Jim Garrett and Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Amir Rahnamay-Azar. In addition to the co-chairs, committee members include:

  • Matt Mason, Head, Robotics Institute, School of Computer Science;
  • Nathan Urban, Head, Biological Sciences, Mellon College of Science;
  • Linda Argote, Organizational Behavior, Tepper School of Business;
  • Robert Siegler, Psychology, Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences;
  • Rich Randall, School of Music, College of Fine Arts;
  • Keith Webster, Dean of Libraries;
  • Alessandro Acquisti, Information Technology and Public Policy, Heinz College;
  • Tim McNulty, Associate Vice President, Government Relations;
  • Bill Swisher, Corporate Relations, University Advancement;
  • Sandra Brown, General Counsel, Software Engineering Institute.

A dedicated email address (VPRSearch@andrew.cmu.edu) has been created to facilitate confidential input, suggestions, recommendations and comments to the committee co-chairs from the university community.

Swimming Team Offers Lessons for Kids

As a fundraiser, Carnegie Mellon's swimming team is offering private one-on-one swimming lessons for children of ages 3 and up this September. Half-hour lessons will be offered from 4:30 - 5, 5 - 5:30, 5:30 - 6 and 6 - 6:30 p.m. on the following days.

  • Tuesday, Sept. 3
  • Thursday, Sept. 5
  • Tuesday, Sept. 10
  • Thursday, Sept. 12

The half-hour lessons are $20 each; four lessons can be purchased for $70. Registration deadline is Monday, Sept. 2. Contact Assistant Swimming Coach Kellie Ayres at klayres@andrew.cmu.edu or 610-406-1417 for more information, including the registration form and waiver release form.

Computer Science Prizes Go Hollywood 

Stanford University's Pat Hanrahan and Cornell University's Doug L. James, computer scientists whose innovations in computer graphics have enhanced such movies as "Avatar," "Hugo," "The Dark Knight," "Finding Nemo" and "Star Trek," are each recipients this year of Katayanagi Prizes in Computer Science. Hanrahan and James have won Academy Awards for their innovative work. 

The individual prizes honor the best and the brightest in the field of computer science and are presented by Carnegie Mellon in cooperation with the Tokyo University of Technology (TUT).

James, an associate professor of computer science at Cornell and a former assistant professor of computer science and robotics at Carnegie Mellon, will receive the Katayanagi Emerging Leadership Prize and deliver a public lecture at 4 p.m., Sept. 12 in Rashid Auditorium in the Gates and Hillman centers.

Hanrahan, the Canon USA Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Stanford, will receive the Katayanagi Prize for Research Excellence and present a public lecture at 4 p.m., Sept. 26 in  Rashid Auditorium.

Read the full announcement.

EH&S Sponsors Emergency Awareness Day, Sept. 3

Emergency Awareness DayEnvironmental Health & Safety will sponsor its annual Emergency Awareness Day from 1 - 5 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 3. Emergency response organizations will set up on the sidewalk in front of the CFA Lawn between Doherty and Baker halls to explain their roles in emergencies and answer questions. Organizations scheduled to attend include the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), Allegheny County Emergency Services, City of Pittsburgh Emergency Management, American Red Cross, City of Pittsburgh Emergency Medical Services, Carnegie Mellon Student EMS, and CMU Environmental Health and Safety.
 
The City of Pittsburgh K-9 Unit will have dogs on site and explain how they are trained. They will demonstrate how the dogs conduct drug and weapon searches, and how they pursue and capture individuals.
 
The city also will have its “Command 200”  mobile command post on site for visitation.
 
EH&S has obtained the rights to show the powerful film “After the Fire,” the true story of the unexpected and inspirational survival and recovery of Alvaro Lianos and Shawn Simons, two students who were badly burned in an arson fire at Seton Hall University in January 2000.  Screenings will take place at 9 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 4 in McConomy Auditorium and 9 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 5 in Doherty Hall Room 1212. This acclaimed film is in high demand at college campuses across the country. Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ7vBKPQLAY&feature=youtu.be

Proposals for Dietrich College Undergraduate Colloquium Due Sept. 15

Abstract presentation proposals for the first Dietrich College Undergraduate Colloquium (DUC) are due by Sept. 15. The DUC, which will be held Nov. 1-Nov. 2, is a new opportunity in which Dietrich College majors and minors can share their ideas, class projects, creative works and research projects. Presentations can be in the form of a 15-minute oral presentation followed by a Q&A or a poster presentation. Proposal and submission guidelines as well as general information can be found at https://sites.google.com/site/cmuduc2013/about.
 
The DUC committee is looking for student volunteers to organize the colloquium and faculty mentors to guide presenters through their preparations. Students can contact Catharine Youngs at cqy@andrew.cmu.edu and faculty can contact Bonnie Youngs at byoungs@cmu.edu for more information.

Applications Due Sept. 9 for Swartz Entrepreneurial Fellows Program

Applications are now being accepted for the campus-wide James R. Swartz Entrepreneurial Fellows Program, which fast-tracks the careers of Carnegie Mellon graduate students who are passionate about entrepreneurship in the technology arena. This highly selective program, directed by the Carnegie Mellon Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), is designed to develop each fellow’s entrepreneurial potential and leadership skills through coursework in entrepreneurship, mentoring, hands-on experiences and networking.

The core of the program is a mentored summer internship with a top tier, venture-backed startup within the high-tech, high-growth environment of California’s Silicon Valley. Mentoring from faculty, staff, alumni and members of the business community, cohort and community building, and two networking trips help to shape each fellow’s guided internship and career search.

The application deadline is 11:59 p.m., Monday, Sept. 9. Applications must be submitted to Emily Stark at vestark@andrew.cmu.edu

Applications must include a one-page resume and a personal statement no longer than two pages. The statement should include:

  • Entrepreneurial interests;
  • Goals (internship, immediately post-graduation, long-term);
  • Entrepreneurial successes and failures;
  • Plans to contribute to the evolution of CMU's entrepreneurial ecosystem;
  • Role of the Swartz Entrepreneurial Fellows program in achieving your goals.

The applicant also must have two letters of recommendation sent directly to Emily Stark at vestark@andrew.cmu.edu

Successful candidates will be notified by Sept. 23.

For more information, go to http://www.cmu.edu/cie/for-students/james-r.-swartz-entrepreneurial-fellows-program/index.html

This program is made possible by James R. Swartz (TPR ’66), founder and managing partner of Accel Partners, a Palo Alto-based venture capital firm with more than $6B under management.

New Online System Created for Research Conflict of Interest Disclosures

A new online system, SPARCS COI, became available to CMU researchers on July 15.  A team involving many campus affiliates created this secure system to comply with Conflict of Interest regulatory requirements and meet the needs of CMU’s research community. 

During the rollout of SPARCS COI, anyone who has Public Health Service (PHS) funding or expects to seek such funding in the next year is asked to complete an Annual Disclosure in SPARCS.

Researchers that have already submitted an annual disclosure using a paper form, will still need to create a new online disclosure during this six-week window. Paper forms are being phased out over time. 

The Office of Research Integrity and Compliance (ORIC) is holding a series of workshops to provide assistance with SPARCS COI.  Registration for training (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SPARCStraining) is not required but is preferred. Researchers can complete their annual disclosures during a training session.  Please bring the financial information necessary to do this.

All training sessions will be held in Cyert Hall’s first-floor cluster in room 100-D. Dates and times are as follows:

  • Thursday, Sept. 5: 10 – 11 a.m.
  • Friday, Sept. 13: 12  – 1 p.m.
  • Monday, Sept. 16: 1 – 2 p.m.
  • Monday, Sept. 23: 10 – 11 a.m.

For more information as well as guidance, please visit: http://www.cmu.edu/research-compliance/conflict-of-interest/index.html