Carnegie Mellon University

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CMU Community News

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November 06, 2014

News Briefs

CMU Offers Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers hosts onsite meetings at Carnegie Mellon every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. in Cyert Hall B6-A.  If you’re interested in joining there will be an open house on Wednesday, Nov. 12, when you can find out more information. There will be food samples and giveaways — bring a friend!
                                  
If you can’t make the at-work meetings, or prefer your community meeting, you can purchase your membership through Weight Watchers on a special website just for Carnegie Mellon staff, faculty and students AND their family members for only $39.95 a month (regular price is $42.95). The website is https://wellness.weightwatchers.com, the CMU ID is 21025 and the pass code is WW21025.
 
Membership includes all Weight Watchers materials, weekly meetings and e-Tools (WW online tools). Contact Rita Motor at 412-268-8071 or rita@cmu.edu with any questions. 

MBA Students Win Business Competition

Students from the Tepper School of Business took home top honors after competing against peers from top MBA programs across the country at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business 8th annual Mergers and Acquisitions Competition.

MBA candidates representing the Tepper School were Stefan Boyd, Roger Younan, Christa Johnson and Zach Buzzatto. The team captured the first-place prize of $5,000.

"I viewed the Mergers and Acquisitions Competition as a great way to get hands-on experience with the strategy and financial valuation involved in mergers and acquisitions," Johnson said.

The teams used data tools from event sponsor Standard and Poor’s Capital IQ to prepare their evaluation. The competition challenged teams to analyze a hypothetical case based on the Internet Software & Services industry.

Learn more.

Statistics Co-Hosts Hockey Analytics Workshop

Hockey fans who want to learn more about the numbers behind hockey, including goals against average, points per game, save percentage, plus/minus ratio and average puck possession time, are invited to attend Carnegie Mellon University's 2014 Pittsburgh Hockey Analytics Workshop. The workshop runs from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 8 in Doherty Hall 2315.

Hosted by CMU's top-ranked Department of Statistics and WAR-On-Ice.com, a new site for traditional and modern hockey statistics, the workshop will consist of short talks and panel discussions on a wide range of topics, from an introduction to the history of analytics in hockey and their use by teams and media, to how teams can work to collect their own data reliably, and how interested people can do their own work.

WAR-On-Ice.com was developed by Andrew C. Thomas, visiting assistant professor of statistics at CMU, and Sam Ventura, a Ph.D. candidate in the Statistics Department.

Learn more.

Henry Hornbostel Documentary Part of Napa Valley Film Festival

"Henry Hornbostel: In Architecture and Legacy," the documentary that chronicles the colorful life and career of Henry Hornbostel, the architect who first came to Pittsburgh to design the Carnegie Tech campus, will be included in the Napa Valley Film Festival, Nov. 12-16. The documentary premiered at CMU last fall.

"His Carnegie Tech story alone would make a compelling feature film," said Greg Rempel, screenwriter and associate producer of the documentary. "The most productive period of Hornbostel's life occurred while he lived in Pittsburgh."

Hornbostel won the prestigious appointment to create the campus of Carnegie Tech anonymously just a few years after leaving Paris' prestigious École des Beaux Arts. After laying the foundations of the school, he convinced Andrew Carnegie to establish a school of architecture, and he later served as its dean.

Len Caric (TPR'94), the documentary's executive producer and an adjunct instructor in the Heinz College, said he wanted to make the film because Hornbostel's story is rich, if often overlooked.

"Henry Hornbostel provided so much beauty for us. He was a larger-than-life persona," Caric said. "Yet unlike other renowned architects, he and his creations were not necessarily a household name on the national stage."

In addition to laying out the footprint of CMU's Pittsburgh campus, he designed over 200 buildings spread across the United States, many of which feature prominently in the film. The film is narrated by Tamara Tunie (A'81).

Learn more.

Changes Made to Street Parking on Schenley Drive and West Circuit Road

The new bike lane near Phipps Conservatory has prompted a shift in some local street parking rates and restrictions. A section on the south side of Schenley Drive, near the Visitors Center, with space for approximately 15 vehicles, will be designated as a 3-hour parking area. The remainder of Schenley Drive between Panther Hollow Road and campus will be designated as 10-hour parking. Street parking on Schenley Drive has been set at $1.25 per hour.
 
Parking on West Circuit Drive adjacent to the Westinghouse Memorial, which had previously been free parking, is now metered and will be included as part of the CMU Parking Study. The parking rate in this area has been set at $0.25 per two hours of parking, or $1 for 8 hours. It is important for commuters to utilize the parking pay station closest to and on the same street as where they park.

Help Feed the Hungry; Food Drive Underway

Carnegie Mellon's 21st annual food drive, sponsored by Staff Council, runs through Monday, Nov. 17. Collection containers are in many campus buildings, including the Cohon University Center (CUC). You also can bring donations to the annual Cans Across the Cut event on Nov. 17.

All donations go to the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank. Cash donations also are accepted. Make checks payable to the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank.

Toys for Tots Campaign Has Begun

The College of Engineering’s First-Year Advisory Board and the Carnegie Mellon Police Department are celebrating the 10th Anniversary of their Toys for Tots Campaign. The program is modeled after the national U.S. Marine Corps program that has been collecting toys for needy children since the early 1950s. This year’s campaign will run through Dec. 9. Donated toys must be new and unwrapped.

Here are the drop-off locations:

  • Carnegie Mellon University Police, 300 South Craig Street, Main lobby;
  • Software Engineering Institute, Main Lobby;
  • Mellon Institute, 3rd floor Security Desk;
  • UTDC, Main Lobby;
  • Morewood Gardens, Student Life Office;
  • Warner Hall, Enrollment Services;
  • Cohon University Center, Student Activities Office;
  • College of Fine Arts, Room 104;
  • Pittsburgh Technology Center, Technology Drive, Main Lobby;
  • NREC, 40th Street, Main Lobby;
  • Hunt Library, 1st Floor Lobby;
  • Tepper School of Business, 1st Floor Main Lobby; and
  • Scaife Hall, Room 110.

If anyone has toys that need to be picked up, has questions or would like to participate further, contact CMU Police Officer Donald Campbell at dktb@andrew.cmu.edu.

HCII To Celebrate 20th Anniversary

The Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) will celebrate two decades of innovation and research into engaging, life-changing interactions with technology at HCII20, Nov. 14–16. The anniversary celebration will begin with hands-on workshops and tutorial sessions during the day on Friday, Nov. 14, and a kickoff reception for all attendees that evening.

Saturday and Sunday’s schedule features keynote addresses by human-computer interaction luminaries, and panel discussions with alumni, faculty, and former and current institute leaders. Students and alumni will present posters or demos of their work during lunch on Saturday, and attendees will gather to celebrate HCII's accomplishments at a grand banquet Saturday evening.
 
Founded in 1994, the HCII works to understand and create technology that harmonizes with and improves human capabilities, goals and social environments through interdisciplinary research and education in design, computer science, and behavioral and social sciences. Housed in the School of Computer Science (SCS), the HCII includes faculty and students from SCS, the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Tepper School of Business, the College of Fine Arts, the College of Engineering and the Software Engineering Institute.
 
For more on HCII20, visit http://hcii.cmu.edu/hcii20.

Discounts Offered on Holiday Cards

Minted, the online stationery company, is offering CMU faculty and staff 10 percent off, plus free shipping on all Christmas and holiday card orders.  

Just enter the MINTEDFF2 coupon code at checkout. This discount code only applies to Christmas and holiday cards at this time.

Calls for ProSEED Grant Proposals

Three ProSEED grant programs are currently accepting proposals:

  • ProSEED/EQT Energy Proposals (due Nov. 10);
  • ProSEED/Simon Initiative Proposals (due Nov. 14); and
  • ProSEED/BrainHub Proposals (due Nov.14). 

Grants are available to students, faculty and staff to fund new initiatives, pilot projects and preliminary work in a wide range of community building activities and research areas.

For more information on ProSEED, visit http://www.cmu.edu/proseed/index.html. Email questions to proseed@andrew.cmu.edu.

MPM, MSIT Programs To Host Info Sessions for Staff

The Master of Public Management (MPM) and Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) programs are hosting information sessions for CMU employees interested in pursuing these degrees on a part-time basis at the Heinz College.

At each session, an admissions representative, the program director, and current students and alumni will speak to the benefits and challenges of completing a master’s degree while working full-time as a CMU employee.

 The MPM and MSIT programs require three years of relevant work experience at the time of enrollment.

The sessions are as follows:

Master of Science in Information Technology
Tuesday, Nov. 11
12 – 1 p.m.
Hamburg Hall, Room 1001
Lunch provided
Please RSVP.

Master of Public Management
Thursday, Nov. 13
12 – 1 p.m.
Hamburg Hall, Room 1001
Lunch provided
Please RSVP.

Questions? Call 412-268-2164

"Be the Answer"; Give to the United Way

Carnegie Mellon’s 2014 United Way Campaign runs through Thursday, Dec. 11. This year’s theme is "Be the answer."

Employees are encouraged to live this year’s campaign theme by advocating for, or volunteering with, the United Way and by pledging or donating during the campaign. Please visit www.cmu.edu/hr/unitedway to make your pledge online and learn more about featured agencies that benefit from the United Way, including CMU's current featured agency, Oakland Planning and Development Corporation (United Way agency code #300). "Be the answer" to someone in need in Allegheny County. Pledge today!

ORIC Offers Responsible Research Conduct Seminar Series

CMU's Office of Research Integrity and Compliance (ORIC) is sponsoring the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Seminar Series to provide faculty, students and staff with an overview of topics typically covered in RCR curricula. All sessions are from 12 – 1 p.m. in the Cohon University Center. Upcoming sessions are as follows:

  • Wednesday, Nov. 12: Data Security; and
  • Wednesday, Nov. 19: Lab Safety.

More information is available on the RCR website. Space is limited, so please register early.