Personal Mention
English Professor David S. Kaufer has been selected as one of two 2014 Fellows of the Rhetoric Society of America (RSA). RSA is the national academic association for scholars of rhetoric, the art of effective communication. Fellows are designated by the society to honor outstanding and long-lasting scholarship in rhetorical studies as well as to recognize those who "have worked to increase the visibility and influence of rhetorical studies through public lectures, teaching, advocacy or other activities." Kaufer joins 20 current RSA Fellows and will be celebrated at the 2014 RSA Conference in San Antonio, May 22-26. "Professor Kaufer has established himself as a leader in the field through his wide-ranging, innovative, interdisciplinary scholarship on important research questions in communication," said Chris Neuwirth, head of the Department of English. Learn more.
Scott Fahlman, research professor in the Language Technologies Institute and founder of the Smiley emoticon (:-), will be featured on CBS Sunday Morning this Sunday, May 18. CBS correspondent Mo Rocca recently visited campus to speak with Fahlman about his invention in 1982. The CBS news magazine airs at 9 a.m. in Pittsburgh. Check your local listings for the time in your area.
Baruch Fischhoff wrote an opinion piece on the dangers of exaggerated research findings for the Institute for Research on Public Policy, an independent think tank that seeks to improve public policy in Canada. Fischhoff is the Howard Heinz University Professor of Social and Decision Sciences and Engineering and Public Policy. Read "From the lab to the real world: Behavioural science risks leading decision-makers astray if its findings are overhyped.”
Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s Charles E. Thorpe Distinguished Service Award winners for 2014 were recently announced. The awards program, named after CMU-Q’s founding dean, is a tribute to the teamwork and dedication of the university’s staff members. Each year, the community nominates staff in five categories, with the winners announced at the end of the school year. The 2014 winners are:
- Sindu Velsar, library associate and textbooks coordinator, received the Outstanding Innovation Award;
- Aliesha Jones, academic assistant for writing, was presented with the Outstanding Newcomer Award;
- Syed Faizan Nihal, senior systems engineer in the Information Technology Department, received the Outstanding Service to Students Award;
- Damian Dourado, manager of the pre-college programs, earned the Outstanding Dedication Award; and
- Tariq Rafiq, director of the Project Management Office in the Information Technology Department, received the Outstanding Commitment to Community Award.
The Leonard Gelfand Center awarded the Gelfand Student Service Award to three students earlier this month: Niharika Singh, a master's degree student in electrical and computer engineering; Jeff Cooper, a senior in computer science; and Ada Zhang, a Ph.D. candidate in robotics. The award recognizes students for their commitment to society through participation in service learning courses and educational outreach activities that positively impact the community.