Carnegie Mellon University

The Piper

CMU Community News

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June 13, 2013

News Briefs

CMU Board Elects New Trustees

Carnegie Mellon’s Board of Trustees has elected six new members to three-year terms, effective July 1. They are:

  • Kushagra Bajaj (TPR 1997), vice chairman, Bajaj Group, Mumbai, India;
  • Ronald Bianchini (E 1986, 1989), co-founder, president and CEO, Avere Systems, Pittsburgh;
  • Eric Giler (TPR 1977), chief executive officer, WiTricity Corporation, Watertown, Mass.;
  • Edward Grefenstette (TPR 1998), chief investment officer, Dietrich Charitable Trusts, Pittsburgh;
  • Jeffrey Housenbold (CMU 1991), president and CEO, Shutterfly, Redwood City, Calif.; and
  • Manu Narayan (A 1996), actor, singer and musician, New York City, N.Y.

Bianchini is returning to the board after being initially elected in 2006. Grefenstette is a former treasurer and chief investment officer at CMU.

New Photo ID Submissions Due June 15

If you want a new photo for your new SMART ID card, which will be issued to Pittsburgh campus faculty and staff in July, please submit your photo online by Saturday, June 15.

SMART IDs, which will track PAT ridership more efficiently, will be distributed on the lower level of the University Center beginning the week of July 15.

Read the story in the upcoming June Piper and go to http://www.cmu.edu/idplus/smart for more information.

Submit your photo online.

EH&S To Conduct Building Evacuations July 5

To comply with the City of Pittsburgh’s All Hazards Plan, Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) will conduct evacuations of CMU’s five high-rise buildings on Friday, July 5. The affected buildings and evacuation schedule is as follows:

  • Mellon Institute, 9 a.m.;
  • Gates/Hillman, 10 a.m.;
  • Doherty Hall, 11 a.m.;
  • Wean Hall, 1 p.m.; and
  • Hamerschlag Hall, 2 p.m.

An evacuation announcement will be made over the building’s public address system, followed by the sounding of the fire alarm. Once the fire alarm sounds, occupants should quickly leave the building via your nearest exit and assemble in the building’s designated assembly area, which can be found at http://www.cmu.edu/ehs/emergency-response/emergency-procedures/index.html

Failure to leave a building when the fire alarm sounds is a violation of a City of Pittsburgh ordinance and can result in a fine and court appearance.

Questions about the evacuations should be directed to Rick Caruso at 412-951-3089 or rmcaruso@andrew.cmu.edu.

Alumni Startup Gets High-Profile Spot at Apple Conference

Anki, a robotics startup founded by a trio of Robotics Institute alumni, emerged from stealth mode to announce its first product during one of the highest profile events in the tech world: the keynote of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference June 10 in San Francisco.

Boris Sofman, robotics Ph.D., led the demonstration of AnkiDrive, an immersive racing game that features motorized cars with artificial intelligence. The game will go on sale this fall. Sofman co-founded the company with fellow Ph.D. Mark Palatucci and Hanns Tappeiner, who earned a master's degree in robotics.

Coverage of Anki included such outlets as TechCrunch, CNET, and AllThingsD.

Alumni Award Nominations Now Open

The Alumni Association is accepting nominations in the Achievement and Service categories for the 2014 Alumni Awards. Each year, the Alumni Association honors alumni, students and faculty for outstanding service to the university and alumni who have achieved exceptional success in their chosen professions. 
An online nomination form and descriptions of each award category can be found on the alumni website. Complete packets may also be submitted via email (alumni-awards@andrew.cmu.edu), fax (412-268-7239), or campus mail (Attention: Alumni Award Nominations, Office of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving, PPG 6, 14th Floor). See the list of past award winners. The nomination deadline is Sunday, Sept. 1.

University Store Sale

The University Store is having a special sale in which you can take an additional 50 percent off clothing and gifts already on clearance. The sale runs through Saturday, June 22.

Hunt Library Elevator To Be Out of Service

The Hunt Library elevator will be out of service for major repair from June 25 through mid-August. A total shutdown is required to fix electrical damage sustained from flooding in the library last summer. The library will be open during the elevator shutdown. Access to the upper floors and basement will be by stairs only. The library has contingency plans and can provide some help for those unable to use stairs. Please contact Erika Linke if you have questions or concerns, linke@cmu.edu or 412-268-7800.

Oakland Farmers Market Open Every Friday

Help support local farmers by grabbing lunch and shopping for fresh produce at the Oakland Farmers Market. The market will be open from 3 to 6 p.m. every Friday this summer at Schenley Plaza, 4100 Forbes Ave.

PAT To Adjust Routes Sunday, June 16

More than 70 Port Authority bus routes will see changes effective Sunday, June 16.
 
Included in the June schedule adjustments are routing and schedule tweaks to the bus routes affected by the ongoing weight restriction on Swissvale’s Kenmawr Bridge, as well as changes to better serve Bedford Avenue in the Hill District.
 
Along with regular quarterly routing and scheduling adjustments, Port Authority also will begin the first of several phases of bus stop consolidations next month. Nearly 430 stops across 36 bus routes will be eliminated effective June 16. The stops chosen for elimination are ones that see little to no use.
 
Details on the service changes and links to new schedules are now posted at http://www.portauthority.org under “Service Changes.”

Carnegie Mellon Women's Association To Host Summer Brown Bag Lunch

The Carnegie Mellon Women's Association (CMWA) will hold a Membership Mixer from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, July 26 in Danforth Lounge. Members and newcomers are invited to bring a brown bag lunch. Water and cookies will be provided. RSVP to Alexa Hansen at achansen@cmu.edu. For more information about the CMWA visit http://www.cmu.edu/cmwa/.

Summer Camp To Focus on Science

Applications are being accepted for SUCCEED, a free summer camp from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., July 29 through Aug. 2 that aims to inspire current ninth graders to consider careers in science. The SUmmer Center for Climate, Energy and Environmental Decision-making is a five-day program run by Paul Welle and Frauke Hoss. Trips to off-campus locations are planned, and free lunches are provided. Applications are due June 1. For more information and to apply visit: cedm.epp.cmu.edu/succeed2013.php.

Athletics Offers Summer Camps for Kids

The Department of Athletics is hosting basketball, fitness, soccer and swimming camps for kids this summer.  Dates are:

  • Basketball Tartans Elite Camp: June 15-16
  • FITT Camp: June 17-21, 24-27; July 8-12, 15-18
  • Boys Soccer: July 25-27 (overnight); July 29-Aug. 2 (day camp); Aug. 5-9 (day camp)
  • Girls Soccer: July 7-10, 14-17 (overnight)
  • Swimming: June 17-21; 24-28

For more information, go to http://athletics.cmu.edu/athletics/camps-clinics.

Andy Award Nominations Due July 10

Nominations for this year’s Andy Awards, the university-wide staff recognition program, are due July 10. 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. 

For more information on the awards program, the nomination process and the nomination form, go to http://www.cmu.edu/andyawards/nomination/index.html.