Personal Mention

Allen Robinson, the David and Susan Coulter Head of Mechanical Engineering, is the recipient of the David Sinclair Award from the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR). The award celebrates Robinson's sustained excellence in aerosol research and technology, and recognizes the lasting impact of his research. Robinson’s work examines technical and policy issues related to the impact of emissions from energy systems on air quality and climate. His activities include process-oriented field and laboratory experiments, development and evaluation of mathematical models to describe atmospheric processes, exposure characterization, and the application of models for policy analysis and decision-making. He teaches courses on thermodynamics, atmospheric chemistry, air pollution control, climate change mitigation, combustion and air quality engineering. Robinson is also the Raymond J. Lane Distinguished University Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Professor of Engineering and Public Policy. He directs the EPA-funded, multi-institutional Center for Air, Climate and Energy Solutions.

Artist Lecturer in Trombone Rebecca Cherian, who is also the co-principal trombone in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO), gave a TEDxCMU talk titled “Sexism in the Symphony: The Uphill Battle for Female Trombonists.” Classical music is riddled with a sexist history, and the brass section has remained one of the most male dominated sections in the orchestra. In her talk, Cherian breaks down the experiences of professional female trombonists, highlighting the need for a major cultural change. Cherian was awarded the position of co-principal trombone of the PSO by Lorin Maazel in 1989. She has been a trombone instructor at Carnegie Mellon since 1993. Cherian was a founding member of the International Women’s Brass Conference (IWBC) in 1994 and served as the IWBC newsletter editor for five years. Cherian holds degrees from the California Institute of the Arts and the Yale School of Music. In September 1993, Cherian performed at the White House in Washington, D.C., for the opening reception of the Annual International Women’s Forum. Cherian has recorded two solo CDs, “Water Awakening” and “L’Invitation au Voyage,” and multiple recordings with the PSO. Watch her talk.

Michael Rivera, a Ph.D. student in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute, is one of just six recipients of a dissertation fellowship sponsored by Google Research and the Center for Minorities and People With Disabilities in Information Technology (CMD-IT). The fellowship, established in 2019, supports students from groups that traditionally have been underrepresented in computer science. The Google CMD-IT FLIP Fellowships are to be used in a recipient's final year for completing their dissertation requirements. Rivera's research combines human-computer interaction, materials science and digital fabrication. His dissertation work addresses how soft materials can be integrated into 3D printing processes to create personalized and interactive objects. After completing his Ph.D., Rivera plans to become a university professor. The FLIP Alliance is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and aims to increase the diversity of the computer science faculty at research universities. The alliance includes the 11 universities that produce the largest numbers of computer science research faculty, including Carnegie Mellon.