Carnegie Mellon University

The Piper

CMU Community News

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January 12, 2012

News Briefs

CFA Begins Search for New Dean

The College of Fine Arts has begun a search for a permanent dean. The search committee, chaired by Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Art Susanne Slavick, represents all five schools in CFA and includes a dean outside the college. The committee will seek input from CFA faculty, staff and students. Its members include:

  • Chair, Susanne Slavick, Art
  • Wendy Arons, Drama
  • Mark Baskinger, Design
  • Don Carter, Architecture
  • Mark Cato, Staff Representative, Art
  • Doug Cooper, Architecture
  • Nancy Galbraith, Music
  • Edna Jackson, Provost’s Office
  • John Lehoczky, Dietrich College Dean

CMU Alum Endows HCII Directorship

Charles M. Geschke, who earned his Ph.D. in computer science at CMU in 1973, and his wife, Nancy, have endowed the directorship of the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII).  Under the terms of the new endowment, current director Justine Cassell and each succeeding director will receive automatic appointments as the Charles M. Geschke Director of the Human-Computer Interaction Institute. Geschke co-founded Adobe Systems in 1982 with John Warnock, creating software that helped launch the desktop publishing revolution and establishing a company that remains a leader in software and technologies for communications and collaboration. He retired as president in 2000, but he and Warnock continue to share chairmanship of the Adobe board. Read the full story.

Advocacy Group To Release Report at Electric Garage

PennEnvironment, a statewide environmental advocacy group, will be at the Electric Garage at 12:30 p.m. Thursday to release an analysis of the benefits of fuel-efficient cars written by the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Ben Brown, project scientist on the ChargeCar project housed in the former gas station on Forbes Avenue, and Aftyn Giles, City of Pittsburgh sustainability coordinator, will participate.

Copy Centers Launch Online Ordering Tool

The University Copy Centers have launched WebCopy, a new online ordering tool that makes placing orders easier for the user and the Copy Center.  WebCopy accepts most standard file formats and sizes up to 100MB. If you have hard copy files, you can still go online, complete the form and request pick up of your originals. The site is secure, so confidential matter can be safely submitted via Webcopy. To get started go to https://webcopy.campusservices.cmu.edu/ and login with your Andrew ID.  If you have questions, would like to set up a demonstration for your department, or schedule one on one instruction time, contact Pat Herbster at 412-268-5772.

Children's School Collecting Used Books

The Children's School is collecting used books during January on behalf of the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. The Children's Hospital runs a program where patients and their families adopt donated used books. All books are accepted, especially books and magazines for the parents of patients. Bring donations to the Main Office (MMC-17) or call 412-268-2199 for more information.

Cultural Trust Offers Discounted Tickets to CMU Community

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is offering students, faculty and staff discounted tickets to several performances in January, February and March. They include:

  • The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs (Jan. 21 at the Byham Theater); Suite Bill (Jan. 21 at the August Wilson Center);
  • Sean Jones Duets Generations (Jan. 26 at the August Wilson Center);
  • PMT’s Spring Awakening (Jan. 26 – Feb. 4 at the Byham);
  • Billy Elliot (Jan. 31-Feb. 12 at the Benedum Center);
  • Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole (Feb. 8 at the Byham);
  • National Geographic Live: Ocean Soul Brian Skerry (Feb. 12 at the Byham);
  • PJO Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia (Feb. 18 at the August Wilson Center);
  • Dance Works Rotterdam (Feb. 18 at the Byham);
  • Cirque Dreams Pop Goes the Rock (Feb. 21-26 at Heinz Hall);
  • Between a Ballad and a Blue (Feb. 24-25 at the August Wilson Center);
  • Bodiography Red Carpet Rollout (Feb. 24-25 at the Byham);
  • Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy (Feb. 25 at the Benedum);
  • Armitage Gone! Dance in Three Theories (March 3 at the Byham);
  • Blues Brothers Revue (March 8 at the Byham); and
  • Dynamic Women of Dance (March 9-10 at the August Wilson Center).


To order tickets, go to http://www.trustarts.org and login using the promo code CMU1112 to receive the discount.

Special Dinner and Show packages, which include dinner at Lidia’s, are available for the Feb. 9 performance of Billy Elliot. To order these packages go to http://www.trustarts.org/lidias

Tickets Now on Sale for "From the Top" Taping, Feb. 14

Tickets for the live taping of "From the Top" with host Christopher O'Riley at 8 p.m., Feb. 14 at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland are now on sale. "From the Top" is the pre-eminent showcase for young musicians heard weekly on WQED-FM 89.3. The popular NPR radio program features the amazing performances and captivating personal stories of extraordinary young classical musicians from across the country. Purchase tickets now.

Nominations Open for Graduate Student Awards

The Graduate Student Service and Teaching Award nominations are now open and will be due on Friday, Feb. 10. The committees would greatly appreciate your 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 5, at the "Innovation with Impact: Graduate Student Celebration of Research, Teaching and Service" during Graduate Student Appreciation Week. Recipients will also be recognized at the Celebration of Education on Wednesday, April 25.