Personal Mention
CMU alumnus Lt. Col. Christopher “Otis” Raible (E’95) was laid to rest with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 3. The Carnegie Mellon flag was flown at half-staff in his honor. The U.S. Marine Corps commanding officer was one of two Marines killed in September during an attack in Afghanistan. The squadron he commanded, known as "the Avengers," is the only Marine Harrier squadron in Afghanistan. He was 40. A public memorial tribute for Raible will take place at 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 13 in the Norwin High School auditorium, 251 McMahon Dr., North Huntingdon, Pa. Raible graduated from Norwin in 1990. The public is invited to attend. Read more about Raible.
Physics Professor Curtis Meyer has been appointed associate dean for faculty and graduate affairs for the Mellon College of Science. Meyer, who has been a faculty member at CMU for 19 years, succeeds Mathematical Sciences Professor Noel Walkington, who held the post since 2009. In addition to serving as associate dean, Meyer will continue teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students as well as conducting medium-energy particle physics research. His research focuses on gaining a better understanding of elementary particles called quarks and gluons — the building blocks of protons and neutrons. In 2006, Meyer received the Mellon College of Science’s Julius Ashkin Award for Excellence in Teaching and in 2008 he earned CMU's William H. and Frances S. Ryan Award for Meritorious Teaching, the university’s most prestigious teaching honor. Read more about Meyer.
English Professor David Shumway wrote an op-ed for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette titled “Let’s Hear It for the Humanities.” Shumway, who wrote the piece in part to recognize the English Department’s Literary and Cultural Studies Program’s 25th anniversary, explains how our society depends on citizens who understand the world and can adapt as the future unfolds. Read the piece.
Sharon Carver, director of the Children’s School, will be among experts on a panel to promote children’s television on Oct. 12 at WQED Multimedia in Pittsburgh. The panel is part of Prix Jeunesse “Suitcase," a free screening and discussion series built around outstanding and innovative programs from the international children’s television festival. The workshops provide an oppotunity to view award-winning children’s television from around the world, and learn about different cultures and social issues.
ETC faculty have selected Allison Sommers as the recipient of the E.A. ETC Fellowship for 2012-2013. Recipients are selected by the ETC faculty based on the quality of thought and intent regarding career goals and aspirations in relation to the videogame industry. The E.A. ETC Fellowship was established in 2005 by Electronic Arts to encourage diversity in the videogame industry. This annual fellowship has been established to support women, African-American and Hispanic students interested and intending to go into the videogame industry.
John Carson, head of the School of Art, and his band “Johnny and the Wags” will be performing at Pittsburgh Pet-Tastic from 2 to 5 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 14 at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, 6300 Fifth Ave. Called a “fancy dress picnic for dogs” and “the canine art social event of the year,” the event features dogs dressed in costumes and a parade at 4 p.m. Carson’s band includes two members from CMU, HR manager Michael Nee on drums and Director of the Master of Arts Management Program Kathryn Heidemann on bass guitar and vocals. Also participating in the event will be Max, one of Charlee Brodsky’s two West Highland White Terriers. Max stars in Brodsky’s PCA exhibit “Good Dog,” now on display through Oct. 28. Brodsky, professor of photography in the School of Design, is the PCA 2012 Artist of the Year.
Obituary:
Erwin R. Steinberg, professor of English and rhetoric, emeritus at Carnegie Mellon for 60 years who helped found the field of technical writing and held numerous administrative roles in which he worked to improve education, died Oct. 2 at age 91. Steinberg joined the English Department in 1946 and taught composition, public speaking and literature courses. In 1958, Steinberg spearheaded the department’s Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Technical Writing and Editing — one of the first of its kind — as a way to expand opportunities for students and bridge the university’s technical focus with the department’s expertise. His efforts pioneered the field of technical writing, and the program has since gained a renowned national reputation. Steinberg also helped to develop the overall curriculum for the English Department.
He became dean of the former Margaret Morrison Carnegie College in 1960 and the first dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, now the Dietrich College. He held the Thomas S. Baker Professorship of English and Interdisciplinary Studies from 1981-1993. In 1991, he was named CMU’s first vice provost for education. Steinberg continued to teach style and literary and cultural studies courses until his retirement at the end of the Spring 2007 semester.
Read the full obituary.