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September 04, 2014

Personal Mention

Douglas Sicker has joined Carnegie Mellon as head of its Department of Engineering and Public Policy (EPP). Sicker, who assumed the post on Aug. 1, also has a joint appointment as a professor in the School of Computer Science. He succeeds EPP's founding department head, University and Lord Professor of Engineering M. Granger Morgan, who has stepped down after leading the department for 38 years. Sicker, former DBC Endowed Professor in the Department of Computer Science and director of the Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program at the University of Colorado at Boulder, has spent time in academia, government and industry, allowing him to bring a unique and balanced view to EPP. Recently, Sicker was involved in federal government as the chief technology officer and senior adviser for spectrum at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). He also served as the chief technology officer of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Previously, he was the senior adviser on the FCC National Broadband Plan. Before his time in academia and government, he was director of Network Architecture at Level 3 Communications. "I tend to work on applied industry problems and think of them from the perspective of what policy decisions might mean for industry and consumers going forward," he said. Learn more.


Rick Siger
, former chief of staff to presidential science adviser and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy John Holdren, is joining Carnegie Mellon as director of Strategic Initiatives and Engagement, effective Sept. 8. "Rick’s experience in national and state government and his recent intense focus on America’s science, technology, and innovation policies mesh exceptionally well with Carnegie Mellon’s areas of focus and current priorities," said Interim Executive Vice President John Lehoczky. "Working both within Carnegie Mellon to connect university-wide initiatives and externally across the public and private sectors, Rick is ideally prepared to expand the university’s relationships locally, nationally and globally." Siger, who was raised in Pittsburgh, earned his undergraduate degree at Columbia University. He served as deputy secretary of Commerce and Trade in Virginia before joining the Obama administration in 2009 as a senior official at the U.S. Department of Commerce.  He was with the Office of Science and Technology Policy from 2011-2014.


Lauren Shapiro
, adjunct professor of English, won the 2014 Late Night Library's Debut-litzer Award in poetry for her book "Easy Math." Debut books first published in North America between January 1 and December 31 of the previous calendar year are eligible in creative nonfiction, fiction and poetry categories. Marcus Jackson, a creative writing professor at Rutgers University, whose poetry has appeared in The New Yorker, The Harvard Review and many other publications, was the poetry judge. Learn more about “Easy Math.” 


Terry Irwin
, head of the School of Design, and Steve Lee, head of the School of Architecture, have been re-appointed to five-year terms. "Carnegie Mellon is fortunate to have two such tireless and dedicated heads working with their faculty and staff to create life-changing educational, research and creative opportunities within the schools,” said College of Fine Arts Dean Dan Martin.

  • Irwin, who joined Carnegie Mellon in August 2009, is interested in design for sustainability, and her research explores how living principles can inform traditional design process. She has been teaching sustainable design, holistic science, typography, systems and communication design, drawing, corporate identity and branding, and information and interaction design at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She has lectured widely on pertinent design topics and is a member of the American Institute of Graphic Artists (AIGA). She served on the AIGA board of directors from 2001-2004. 
  • Lee, an alumnus (A’75, ’77), began teaching in the School of Architecture in 1981. He served as interim head during the 2008-09 academic year and began his first five-year term in 2009. He is the track chair of the CMU Master of Science in Sustainable Design degree. His practice and teaching focus on issues of systems integration, material innovation, renewable energy and the integrated design process for high-performance commercial and residential architecture. He is a LEED-accredited professional and provides sustainable design consulting services for institutional and commercial clients in Europe, Asia, Canada and the United States. Lee has been the faculty adviser for the School of Architecture’s three Solar Decathlon teams, and his teaching integrates design, environment, materials, structures and construction.