Stars To Shine at Drama's NYC Celebration

Three award-winning alumni stars — Patina Miller (A’06), Stephen Schwartz (A’68) and Patrick Wilson (A’95) — will  the School of Drama’s 100th anniversary celebration at Steiner Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard this Monday, March 10.

The Centennial Dinner and Alumni Party will include a cabaret featuring musical performances by Miller (right), who won a 2013 Tony Award for her role in "Pippin," Schwartz, who won Oscars for his compositions in "The Prince of Egypt" and "Pocahontas," and Wilson, who has earned Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his performances on stage, television and film. Schwartz wrote "Pippin" while a student at CMU and also wrote "Wicked," which is celebrating its 10th year on Broadway.

The evening also will include remarks by College of Fine Arts Dean Dan Martin and Head of the School of Drama Peter Cooke.

The school will host a centennial celebration May 8 in Los Angeles to recognize West Coast alumni.

Related Link: View the School of Drama's Centennial Timeline 

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Social Media and the Mexican Drug Wars

The recent arrest of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán has cast the spotlight on the Mexican drug cartels and the violence associated with them. But, what is less talked about, is how over the past decade increased access to the Internet, cellphones and other digital media has drastically changed the landscape of the drug wars in Mexico.

In a new article published in "Latin American Perspectives," Paul Eiss examines how both sides of the drug war — the cartel operatives as well as government and security forces — have used and responded to digital and social media. Eiss, associate professor of anthropology and history in the Dietrich College and director of the Center for the Arts in Society, explores the nature and implications of what he calls the "narcomedia," forms of digital messaging that have become central elements of, and even motivations for, the horrific acts of violence that have become commonplace in Mexico.

Related Links: Latin American Perspectives | Paul Eiss | Center for the Arts in Society | The Narcomedia: A Reader's Guide | Read the release

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EQT Fund Created for Energy, Environmental Research

The EQT Foundation, the charitable arm of the EQT Corporation, has announced a $1 million gift over a five-year period to support innovative ideas through the newly announced ProSEED seed-funding grant program at Carnegie Mellon.

The EQT Foundation’s gift will sponsor university-wide seed grants through ProSEED for basic research, technology development, computational modeling and simulation, and energy policy in a number of closely interconnected theme areas that encompass energy exploration, extraction and use, the environment, water and related topics, particularly those dealing with natural gas.

"This inaugural gift from the EQT Foundation to support seed funding through ProSEED will enable our innovative faculty and students to develop new approaches that address important technological and societal issues," said CMU President Subra Suresh.

Related Links: ProSEED | EQT Foundation | EQT Corporation