Personal Mention

Three faculty members in the Computer Science Department — Lenore Blum, Manuela Veloso and Department Head Jeannette Wing — are among 55 women in an initial list of "Famous Women in Computer Science" compiled by the Anita Borg Center for Women and Technology. The list includes computer scientists who are technological pioneers, as well as those who are leaders or founders of technical companies, and who have achieved success and recognition beyond their home organizations. Read more.

Senior captain Nick Gianopoulos of CMU’s men’s soccer team has been awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Gianopoulos will receive a a $7,500 grant to be used for postgraduate study. The scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. The mechanical engineering major carries a 3.91 GPA and is working with Professor Red Whittaker and his team to design and implement part of the propulsion system of the lunar lander for the Google Lunar X Prize Team. Read more about Gianopoulos at http://www.cmu.edu/athletics/sports/msoccer/news/2011/postgrad.html

Yona Harvey, assistant teaching professor of English and director of the English Department’s Creative Writing Program, kicked off the Silk Road Reading Series on March 21 with poet Leslie "Erza" Smith. The series is a venue for Pittsburgh artists to share work in a judgment-free, open-mic setting. Harvey’s forthcoming book of poetry is titled "Heming the Water."

George Loewenstein, the Herbert A. Simon University Professor of Economics and Psychology, co-authored a new study that found that mentoring provides health benefits for African-American veterans with diabetes. Read more at http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-03/uops-prf031912.php.

"Other Sun," a CD featuring the work of Nancy Galbraith, professor of composition and theory, was recently reviewed in Fanfare magazine by Walter Simmons. This is an extremely favorable review that provides national exposure, not only for Galbraith, but also for CMU faculty and alumni, including Professor Stephen Schultz, cellists Barney Culver, Simon Cummings and Nicole Myers, percussionists Brandon Schantz and Marcus Kim, pianist William Yanesh, conductor Walter Morales and the Carnegie Mellon Contemporary Ensemble, and recording engineers Sang Mok Lee and Riccardo Schultz. Two of the four works were recorded at CMU: "Other Sun" (the title track) was recorded and mixed in CMU's recording studio by Lee, and "Traverso Mistico" was recorded live in Kresge Theater by Schultz and his crew.