Carnegie Mellon University

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CMU Community News

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December 18, 2014

News Briefs

CMU Press Publishes "The Collected Stories of Gladys Schmitt"

Carnegie Mellon University Press has published "The Collected Stories of Gladys Schmitt," 19 stories that the late master storyteller and English professor authored between 1929 and 1969.

"Those of us who knew and worked with Gladys thought of her as a novelist. She wrote some of the best prose I've ever read. The rediscovery and compilation of her stories reveals her to have been a master in that form as well," said Gerald Costanzo, professor of English and founder and director of CMU Press.

Schmitt was a member of CMU's faculty for 30 years and held the position of Thomas Stockham Baker Professor of Literature. She founded CMU's Creative Writing Program, one of the oldest undergraduate programs of its kind. Among other honors, she was awarded Carnegie Mellon's Ryan Award for Meritorious Teaching. She died in 1972.

Learn more.

ETC Joins PA Interactive Media Consortium

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett has awarded $750,000 to Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center, Drexel University and Harrisburg University to establish the PA Interactive Media Consortium, a collaboration of education and industry professionals to grow the digital entertainment and video gaming industry in Pennsylvania, and to create new educational and job opportunities for students. The consortium will unite various stakeholders around a strategic marketing and recruitment campaign promoting Pennsylvania to interactive media companies and potential entrepreneurs, while enabling the universities to expand education, applied research and entrepreneurship programs targeting interactive media and gaming.

Learn more.

Change in Custodial Services Coming Soon

After a comprehensive procurement process, the university will be switching custodial service providers on Jan. 1 to elevate the overall campus experience with more effective, “greener” and safer cleaning services. As part of the transition in January, you’ll see more than 100 service workers in uniforms that read "Carnegie Mellon University Custodial Services" instead of promoting their cleaning company corporate logo. Changing the name is intended to remind the campus community of their service to the university.
 
FMS hosted three Open House meetings in November to introduce the new service provider to the campus community. Additional meetings are planned for January after the transition. Stay tuned for more details.
 
For questions regarding custodial service issues or to report missed work, please contact the FMS Service Response Center at 412-268-2910 or fixit@andrew.cmu.edu. If you need to contact Custodial Services directly, please email cleanit@andrew.cmu.edu or call 412-268-2036.
 
You can contact Keri Schultheis at keris@andrew.cmu.edu with any questions about the plan for Custodial Services.

Seeking Volunteers for Asthma Research

The University of Pittsburgh Asthma Institute is seeking volunteers to help discover new and better treatments for children, teens and adults with asthma. Participants are needed for asthma research studies at UPMC Montefiore Hospital in Oakland and Children’s Hospital in Lawrenceville.  All ages and all types of asthmatics (mild, moderate and severe) are needed.  All studies provide financial compensation along with parking or bus fare.  To learn more, call 1-866-804-5278, email asthmainstitute@upmc.edu or visit www.asthmainstitute.pitt.edu.

Discounts at HoneyBaked Ham Company

Staff Council has teamed up with the HoneyBaked Ham Company to offer faculty and staff a 15 percent discount off any purchase. Print and complete the flier and present it at any participating location. The offer is good through Dec. 31, 2015.

Participating locations include Monroeville (4025 William Penn Highway), North Hills (4780 McKnight Road) and South Hills (1630 Washington Road). For more information on available staff discounts go to http://www.cmu.edu/staff-council/discounts/index.html.

CAS Accepting Proposals for Performance Initiative

The Center for the Arts in Society (CAS) is accepting project proposals for its Performance Initiative (2014-2017), coordinated by Wendy Arons of the Drama School and Kristina Straub of the English Department. The center plans to approach performance as an expansive form, from the traditional relationship between an audience and an actor to the constructions of political protest or how we frame our lives through social rituals, athletics, digital capture devices and everyday acts.

A close examination of human performance has begun to define most fields, from politics to robotics and from entertainment to art and literature. It is a topic that has the possibility to bring together many fields of exploration between the arts and humanities with potentially potent results.

For this initiative, CAS will undertake three faculty-led projects that involve analysis and production in their events and activities. Two of the three projects were announced at the presentation on Sept. 3. “Performing Peace” will be directed by John Carson (School of Art) and Jennifer Keating-Miller (Undergraduate Research Office.) Larry Shea (School of Drama) will direct “Ghosts in the Machines.” A third project will be selected in February after a review of the proposals. Learn more.

“'Twas the Night Before Christmas” Exhibit on Display

An exhibit for “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” with examples from The Anne Lyon Haight Collection of 300 editions of Clement Clark Moore’s poem, is on display through Jan. 6 in Special Collections, Hunt Library, 4th floor.

Find out if Santa is really elf-sized and the types of toys he brings. Discover if Santa uses technology like telephones and skywriting or why nostalgia seems important to the illustrators.

Hours are 1 - 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, or by appointment with Mary Kay Johnsen, mj0g@andrew.cmu.edu or 412-268-6622.

Attention Ph.D.s: Seeking Participants for Three Minute Thesis Competition

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) challenges Ph.D. students to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance in just 3 minutes, in language appropriate for a general audience. 3MT is not an exercise in trivializing or "dumbing-down" research but forces students to consolidate their ideas and crystallize their research discoveries.

Any currently enrolled CMU Ph.D. candidate may sign up to compete. Register online. Registration deadline is Jan. 18.

Qualifying rounds will be held January through March and the championship round will be held in April. Heat winners will receive iPads or the equivalent value as a research/travel grant. Championship winners will receive $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 research/travel grants.

Learn more about Three Minute Thesis.

Credit Union Offers Holiday Loan Specials

The Carnegie Mellon Credit Union is offering special personal loan rates just in time for the holidays. Annual percentage rates as low as 5.99 percent are available now through Dec. 19. 

Loans of $500 to $1,000 are available for 12 months and $1,001 to $2,000 are available for 18 months. Actual APR received is based on credit approval and score at the time of application.

Apply online at www.cmufcu.org or at the Credit Union Office.

Kennywood Holiday Lights Tickets Available

Staff Council has arranged for CMU faculty, staff and students to purchase tickets to Kennywood Park's annual Holiday Lights extravaganza from 5-9 p.m., Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 21. The discounted rate is $14, $3.99 off the regular price of $17.99. Children 2 years of age and younger are free.

For discounted tickets, contact Cleah Schlueter at cleah@cs.cmu.edu. Limit 12 tickets per person. Learn more about CMU discounts.