August 7, 2017
Dear Members of the Pittsburgh Campus Community:
I am thrilled to report on the success of the inaugural UPLift Challenge, a pilot program that offered students, faculty and staff the chance to submit creative ideas for infrastructure projects that are modest in scope, but high-impact, anywhere on the Pittsburgh campus.
Born from the work of the Task Force on the CMU Experience, the UPLift Challenge celebrates the power of our community to suggest meaningful place-making projects that benefit the entire campus, corresponding to three thematic categories: Health and Wellness; Crossroads of the Mind; and Recognizably CMU.
I am excited – and impressed – by the five proposals approved for funding and implementation by the university. Each of these projects reflect the thoughtful creativity that defines a CMU problem-solver:
- “Dodo” Hammock Cluster and Nap Map (Health and Wellness) – Proposed by Stefan Gruber, faculty, School of Architecture, College of Fine Arts (CFA); and Yidan Gong and Chun Zheng, graduate students, School of Architecture, CFA;
- Enhancement of Gates Outdoor Space (Health and Wellness) – Proposed by Angela Lusk and Elizabeth Rappaport, Division of Student Affairs (DOSA); and James Skees, Dean’s Office, School of Computer Science (SCS);
- Games for Health (Health and Wellness) – Proposed by Michael Arnold Mages and Francis Carter, graduate students, School of Design, CFA;
- Campus Swingset (Health and Wellness) – Proposed by Ariana Weinstock, Class of 2017, SCS; and
- Wean Stairwell Installation (Crossroads of the Mind) – Proposed by Geoffrey McGovern, faculty, Institute for Politics and Strategy.
Work will begin on these projects this summer and will be completed during the 2017-18 academic year. I want to express my sincere thanks to all the community members who submitted close to 60 UPLift proposals.
This grassroots initiative complements other recent projects to improve our shared campus home, including the recently announced learning spaces renovation project, the transformation of the Sorrells Library, and the donation of 25 Adirondack chairs by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CMU. (Thank you, Osher!)
I would like to acknowledge the members of the UPLift Review Committee for their work to select these projects: Sarika Bajaj, undergraduate student, College of Engineering; Daragh Byrne, assistant teaching professor, School of Architecture; Jill Chisnell, librarian, University Libraries; Kristen Kurland, faculty, College of Fine Arts and Heinz College; Marsha Lovett, director, The Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation; Bob Reppe, director of design, Campus Design and Facility Development; Rick Siger, director, Strategic Initiatives and Engagement; and Beth Wiser, director, Visitor Experience. I want to thank the entire Task Force for their incredible work over the past year, especially vice chairs Marlene Behrmann, faculty in the Dietrich College, and Gina Casalegno, vice president and dean of Student Affairs. I am also grateful to Rick Siger for his skillful leadership and coordination.
I look forward to the opening of these spaces and to the announcement of the next round of the UPLift Challenge in the coming months. Enjoy the remainder of your summer and see you all soon.
Warm regards,
Farnam Jahanian
Interim President