Carnegie Mellon University

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February 14, 2013

Personal Mention

Carnegie Mellon President Jared L. Cohon will be the keynote speaker at the University of Pittsburgh’s 36th annual Honors Convocation at 3 p.m., Friday, Feb. 22 in Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. The Honors Convocation recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of Pitt alumni, faculty, staff and students. University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg will preside and present Cohon with an honorary doctoral degree. “Jerry Cohon has been an outstanding leader for Carnegie Mellon, a committed citizen of Pittsburgh, a devoted partner of Pitt, and a wonderful friend to me,” Nordenberg said. “Among many other accomplishments, he helped create an institutional culture that fostered levels of collaboration between Pitt and CMU that are unique in the world of higher education. That spirit of cooperation has made both institutions stronger and has provided a distinctive form of strength to the region.” Read more.

Jendayi Frazer will participate in a panel discussion on the upcoming presidential election in Kenya from 1 – 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 20 at the Brookings Institution. The panel, titled "Elections in Kenya: Pathways for Progress," will be moderated by Voice of America’s Vincent Makori. Additional panelists include Mwangi Kimenyi, director of Brookings Africa Growth Initiative, and Karuit Kaninga from the University of Nairobi. Frazer, a distinguished service professor in CMU’s Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Heinz College, was a leading architect of U.S.-Africa policy over the last decade, most recently serving as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from August 2005 to January 2009. Previously she was senior director and special assistant to President George W. Bush at the National Security Council. As the lead U.S. envoy to Africa, Frazer was instrumental in resolving the crisis following Kenya’s 2007 presidential election. Read the full story.

Alberto Almarza, associate professor of flute, was profiled on WQED-TV, the Pittsburgh PBS affiliate, because of his world-class collection of flutes. Almarza has one of the largest private collection of flutes (nearly 400) and has spent his life discovering ancient flutes from around the globe. The episode of Horizons that he was featured on aired Tuesday, Feb 5, and is online at http://www.wqed.org/tv/horizons/index.php.

Timothy X. Brown, a professor in computer and energy engineering, has joined the faculty at Carnegie Mellon in Rwanda. His research interests include adaptive network control, machine learning and wireless communication systems. Brown’s projects include the role of mobility in network control of unmanned aircraft, denial of service vulnerabilities in wireless protocols, spectrum policy frameworks for cognitive radios, and indoor wireless network performance. He is a recipient of an NSF CAREER Award, and the GWEC Wireless Educator of the Year Award. Previously, he was director of the Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He received his bachelor’s degree in physics from Penn State and his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from California Institute of Technology in 1990.

Joyce Moore, senior principal software engineer for Administrative Computing, has announced her retirement after 27 years at Carnegie Mellon. Moore has worked on computer applications for several Carnegie Mellon units, including Telecommunications, Human Resources, Finance and University Advancement. She is married to Bruce Golightly, who is now retired after serving CMU as a principal software engineer with Computing Services. Two of their children, Liz and Eleanor, are CMU alumni. Moore’s last day at CMU will be March 1.

Dan Barnett, CMU's director of Campus Programs for Alumni Relations since 2007, will be leaving CMU to become director of Alumni Relations at Loyola University Maryland. In his Alumni Relations role, Barnett oversaw Ceilidh Weekend/Homecoming and Spring Carnival & Reunion Weekend. Previously he worked for Student Affairs. “His understanding of the student experience at CMU, combined with his attention to the needs and interests of alumni, have made these signature events successful,” said Andy Shaindlin, associate vice president for Alumni Relations and Annual Giving.  “Furthermore, his strong partnerships with students, faculty, staff members, and of course, with alumni across the university have enabled our office to forge a variety of strong, productive relationships. Finally, his work ethic and ability to handle any curve thrown his way in the inherently unpredictable world of university events, have become hallmarks of Dan's identity and role here,” Shaindlin said. Barnett will earn his master’s degree in public management from the Heinz College this May. His last day in the office will be March 8.