Carnegie Mellon University

The Piper

CMU Community News

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December 13, 2012

News Briefs

Make an Impact: Give to the United Way

It's not too late to support Carnegie Mellon's United Way Campaign, which runs through Dec. 21. Your gift can be directed to specific health and human services organizations supported by the United Way or you can choose to give to the Impact Fund, which addresses the most critical needs in the community. You can search for an organization's United Way agency code or make your pledge at http://www.cmu.edu/hr/unitedway.

A contribution of any size makes an impact to those in need. For more information about CMU's United Way Campaign, contact Megan Worbs at mworbs@andrew.cmu.edu.

Jim Daniels' Film Makes TV Premiere Dec. 22

“Mr.Pleasant,” the film written and produced by Jim Daniels, will make its television debut on WQED at 10 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 22 as part of the station’s “Filmmaker’s Corner.” The film tackles how middle-class college students aspire to “get out” and break away from their roots to make it big. Daniels, the Thomas Stockham Baker Professor of English, shot the film mostly in Pittsburgh and tells the story of “Red,” a college student from a working-class Detroit family who mistakenly thinks that simply escaping his hometown is enough to fix his life and open opportunities for him. Read more about Daniels and the film.

Tiramisu App Wins FCC Chairman's Award

The Carnegie Mellon research team that created Tiramisu, a smartphone app that enables transit riders to create real-time information about bus schedules and seating, has won this year’s Federal Communications Commission Chairman’s Award for Advancement in Accessibility in the Geo-Location Services category.

Tiramisu Transit was developed by researchers in the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Accessible Public Transportation (RERC-APT), funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The work also is supported in part by CMU’s Traffic21 initiative and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The Tiramisu team is led by Aaron Steinfeld, co-director of RERC-APT and associate research professor in the Robotics Institute; Anthony Tomasic, senior systems scientist in the Institute for Software Research; John Zimmerman, associate professor in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute and the School of Design; and Charlie Garrod, assistant teaching professor in the Institute for Software Research. Read the full announcement.
 

Miller Gallery Holiday Sale Runs Through Dec. 23

The Miller Gallery Store holiday sale offers t-shirts, videos, stuffed toys, booklets and more by The Yes Men, Justseeds, subRosa and others. Enjoy 20 percent off games, stationery and select publications and posters from previous exhibitions, featuring Dee Briggs, Nancy Crow, Joyce Kozloff, Patricia Maurides, George Nakashima and more. In store and online stock vary slightly. Browse online at http://millergallery.cfa.cmu.edu/store.php. The Miller Gallery is open from noon – 6 p.m., Tuesday – Sunday through Dec. 23. The current exhibition is Imperfect Health: The Medicalization of Architecture. Read about it at http://millergallery.cfa.cmu.edu/.

Tartans Rank 13th in Directors’ Cup Standings

The Carnegie Mellon Department of Athletics ranks 13th in the 2012-13 Division III Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup fall standings with 213 points, less than 100 points behind first-place Calvin College. The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup was developed by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on an institution's finish in nine women’s and nine men’s sports.

The Tartans received their points from scoring in four of the fall championships that have been completed to date — men’s and women’s soccer and men’s and women’s cross country. The women’s soccer team advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship Tournament while the men’s team advanced to the second round. The men’s cross country program finished 17th at the NCAA Championship and the women’s team received points for finishing in the top five of its NCAA Regional meet. The final fall standings will be released Dec. 19. Read more about the Directors’ Cup.

Soccer Stars Earn Accolades

Women’s soccer head coach Yon Struble, sophomore forward Savina Reid and sophomore defender Lauren Simicich were named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s 2012 NCAA Division III Women’s All-Great Lakes Region Team. Reid, who led the team with nine goals and 21 points, and Simicich were first-team selections. The Tartans, who advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Championship in their first post-season appearance in program history, finished the season ranked 6th in the nation and set team records for most wins in a season with 14, fewest losses in a season with one, and most shutouts in a season with 13. Read more about the women’s team.

Four men’s soccer players were named to the Men’s All-Great Lakes Region Team. Junior Max Tassano, who led the team with 11 goals, five assists and 27 points, was a first-team pick and junior midfielder Matt Sarett was a second-team selection. Senior defender Ben Bryant and senior midfielder John Crenshaw were named to the third-team. The men finished the 2012 campaign in the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship with an overall mark of 13-4-1. They were ranked 18th in the nation. Read more about the men’s team.

Roberts Road and Sidewalk Closed During Construction Project

Two separate sections of sidewalk along Roberts Road will be removed, closing the sidewalk and center door along the road to Roberts Hall through Jan. 6. The center door will be available for emergency exit only.  Detour signs will be posted at the south and north ends of the sidewalk.
 
Robert Roads will be closed on weekends throughout December. The schedule for closings is as follows:

  • 7 a.m., Saturday to 5 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 15 - 16, Dec. 22 - 23, Dec. 29 - 30 and Jan. 5-6.

The contractor will trench across Roberts Road for a new duct bank and steel plating will be installed for weekday traffic.

Graduate Student Service and Teaching Award Nominations Open

The Graduate Student Service and Teaching Award nominations are now open and will be due on Friday, Feb. 8. The committees greatly appreciate support in soliciting and submitting nominations of graduate students who have excelled in teaching or service so that their efforts can be recognized by the university community.  Nomination information can be found at http://www.cmu.edu/celebration-of-education/graduate-student/index.html. Awards will be presented on Thursday, April 4, at the "Innovation with Impact: Graduate Student Celebration of Research, Teaching and Service" during Graduate Student Appreciation Week. Recipients also will be recognized at the Celebration of Education on Tuesday, April 30.

Pittsburgh Parking Authority Seeks Your Feedback

The Pittsburgh Parking Authority is interested in your feedback on the new multi-space pay by license plate meters. Visit the Oakland Transportation Management Association website to take the survey. The new system has been installed in Oakland, the South Side and North Shore, with installation downtown slated in a few weeks. For more information, please contact Anthony Boule at 412-560-2514 or ABoule@pittsburghparking.com.