May 22, 2014

News Briefs

Astrobotic, NASA Sign Small Business Innovation Research Contract

Robotics Institute spin-off Astrobotic Technology will develop the capability to perform autonomous, controlled landings on the Moon, Mars and asteroids under the terms of a new Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The work under this SBIR will drive innovations in safe, precise navigation for autonomous landings during sample return missions. The technology suite developed will be packaged as a product — the Astrobotic Autolanding System (AAS) — and will include sensors, computing and software. Astrobotic will demonstrate the AAS on its first mission to a suspected skylight, or lava tube cave entrance, in the Moon’s Lacus Mortis region.

Queer History Project Presents First Exhibit

The Pittsburgh Queer History Project, an oral history and media preservation initiative directed by Carnegie Mellon's Harrison Apple and Tim Haggerty, will present its first exhibit, "Lucky After Dark: Gay and Lesbian Nightlife in Pittsburgh, 1960-1990," from May 30 through June 29 at Future Tenant Gallery.

"Lucky After Dark" will explore the role after-hours nightlife in postwar Pittsburgh played in establishing and shaping gay and lesbian identities. Apple, CMU's Center for the Arts in Society (CAS) artist-in-residence and a 2013 graduate of the BXA Intercollege Degree Programs, is the exhibit's curator. He founded the Pittsburgh Queer History Project after uncovering a wealth of information during his undergraduate research into queer urban archeology.

Paul Eiss, CAS director and associate professor of anthropology and history in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, called the work "one of the most impressive oral historical projects I've witnessed."

Learn more.

Call for Library Excellence Award Nominees

From now until June 20, the Library Awards Committee is accepting nominations from the CMU community for its Library Excellence Awards.

The annual awards program recognizes library employees’ excellence in any of five areas: Citizenship, Customer Satisfaction, Innovation, Outreach, or Productivity. The Transformation Award recognizes library employees for activities that have dramatically changed thought or action within the Libraries.

Learn more about the program and nomination process.

Summer Hours Set for Rec and Fitness Facilities

The Athletics Department has posted its summer hours for the recreation and fitness areas in the Cohon University Center (CUC) and Skibo Gym. Hours, which went into effect this week, are as follows:

CUC:
6:30 a.m. – 9 p.m., Monday – Friday
10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday

Lap Pool and Dive Pool/CUC:
7 – 8 a.m., 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., 5 – 7 p.m., Monday – Friday
1 – 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Skibo Gymnasium:
6:30 a.m. – 9 p.m., Monday – Friday
10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday

Hear Me 101 Project Public Screening is Today

Students from five local high schools focused their cameras on classmates, teachers and communities to produce documentary videos addressing such topics as bullying, the role of technology in education and school rankings. The videos, produced through the Hear Me 101 project run by Carnegie Mellon and three other community organizations, will be screened for the public at 6 p.m., today (May 22) at Pittsburgh Filmmakers Melwood Screening Room, 477 Melwood Ave., North Oakland.

The Hear Me 101 project included about 50 students from Clairton High School, McKeesport Technology Center, Steel Valley High School and the F.U.S.E. after school program, which includes students from Wilkinsburg High School and Imani Christian Academy. The project is a partnership between CMU's CREATE Lab, Pittsburgh Filmmakers Youth Media Program, the Consortium for Public Education and The Western Pennsylvania Writing Project.

Learn more.

Bicycles To Be Removed Today and Tomorrow

University Police and Facilities Management Services will be removing abandoned bicycles from the main Pittsburgh campus today (Thursday, May 22).

Abandoned bikes are those that are in poor condition from not being used. Bikes in poor condition are identified by such features that include, but not limited to, two flat tires, missing major parts, frozen brakes and rusted chains that make the bike unusable.

In addition, all bicycles, regardless of condition, must be removed from bike racks located at residence halls by today (Thursday, May 22). All remaining bikes will be removed by University Police and Housing Facilities personnel tomorrow (Friday, May 23).

Those that are deemed to be operational will be stored on campus for six months. Owners seeking to claim their bikes should contact University Police at 412-268-2323. Non-operational bikes and bike parts will be donated to Free Ride, http://freeridepgh.org/donate/bikes-and-parts/.

Andy Award Nominations Now Being Accepted

The nomination period for the 2014 Andy Awards is now underway through July 9.

The Andy Awards, named for Andrew Carnegie and Andrew Mellon, are a tribute to the spirit of teamwork and dedication embodied by the staff at Carnegie Mellon. Individual staff members and teams of colleagues whose work has had a significant impact on the university are recognized for their outstanding performance and commitment to excellence through the Andy Awards program.

Awards are given in six categories: Commitment to Students, Community Contributions, Culture, Dedication, Innovation and University Citizenship.

For more information on the awards and the nomination process, go to http://www.cmu.edu/andyawards/.

Kennywood Picnic is Saturday, June 14

Carnegie Mellon's Employee Picnic at Kennywood Park, presented by Staff Council, will be held Saturday, June 14. Pavilion 14 will be reserved all day for CMU employees and their families. A prize giveaway for children 10 years of age and younger will be held at 4 p.m. followed by an adult raffle at 4:15 p.m. You must present your CMU ID to claim a prize. Ice cream will be given away to everyone beginning at 4 p.m.

Employees can purchase one ticket for $10 with their CMU ID (valid on the June 14 picnic day only), up to four additional tickets for $17 each, and up to five more tickets for $22 each. Sandcastle ($22) and Idlewild ($25.99) tickets also will be available. Please note, the $10 and $17 ticket is available to Carnegie Mellon Employee's only. All individuals with a sponsored ID can purchase the $22 funday tickets.

The following are dates, times and locations for the ticket sales. Tickets must be purchased with cash only.

June 2, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., University Center
June 3, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., University Center
June 4, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., Mellon Institute
June 4, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m., University Center
June 10, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., University Center
June 11, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., University Center
June 13, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., University Center

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Cavlovich at sharonw@cmu.edu or Nicole Stenger at nstenger@cs.cmu.edu.

Leadership and Negotiation Academy for Women Opens Enrollment

The Carnegie Mellon Leadership and Negotiation Academy for Women, which consists of six two-day modules, is now enrolling students for its fall cohort, which will begin study in September 2014 and end in March 2015.

"Companies and institutions that are interested in developing their competitive advantage through investing in diverse talent will find this program immeasurably valuable," said Linda Babcock, academy co-founder and faculty director. "Our goal is to help women embrace opportunities to negotiate successful strategic initiatives and deals on behalf of their organizations and stakeholders — and for themselves."

Babcock, the James Mellon Walton Professor of Economics at the Heinz College, co-wrote two influential books with fellow academy instructor Sara Laschever: "Women Don't Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation — and Positive Strategies for Change" and "Ask For It: How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Really Want."

The academy — the first program of its kind to look at critical leadership skills through a negotiation lens — is now offered through Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business Executive Education program in partnership with the Heinz College. Learn more.

Staff Council Offers Tickets to Hershey Park

Staff Council is offering discount tickets to Hershey Park this summer. Purchase your tickets via http://tinyurl.com/cmu2014 using promo code 85214. If you purchase tickets before July 6, you will receive an extra savings on the regular 1-day pass and tickets can be used ALL summer long.

Purchases made before July 6

Regular 1-day pass (ages 9-54) - $39.95
Regular 1-day pass (ages 9-54) - $46.95 (rate for purchases beginning July 7)
Jr/Sr 1-day pass (ages 3-8; 55-69) - $34.95
Senior+ 1-day pass (ages 70+) - $22.95
Regular 2-day pass (ages 9-54) - $78.20
Jr/Sr 2-day pass (ages 3-8; 55-69) - $57.50

The gate rate for regular passes is $60.80 and the Jr/Sr rate is $38.30. Each ticket is subject to a $.75 processing fee. If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Cavlovich at sharonw@cmu.edu or Nicole Stenger at nstenger@cs.cmu.edu. For more information on Hershey Park, visit http://www.hersheypark.com/.

Cedar Point Tickets Available, Too

Staff Council also is offering discounted tickets to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. You can access the discounted ticket offers at http://www.CedarPoint.com/affiliates. The user name is CARNEGIEMU and the password is cmu2014. The user name and password are case sensitive.

Ticket prices are:

Ride & Refresh: $49.99 (not available at the gate)
Cedar Point: $45 ($14.99 off the gate price)
Soak City: $28 ($5 off the gate price)
Ride & Slide: $79.99 ($8 off the gate price)