Carnegie Mellon University

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November 19, 2015

Personal Mention

Mara HarellMara Harrell, associate teaching professor of philosophy, has been named the first Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean’s Innovation Scholar. The award was established to recognize a teaching track faculty member who is doing high quality and innovative educational research with high potential impact. Harrell’s research focuses on teaching students to analyze and construct arguments. She works to continuously improve learning outcomes, in line with the university's Simon Initiative. Learn more

Ken AndreyoAfter more than 31 years at Carnegie Mellon, photographer Ken Andreyo has retired. Andreyo joined the university in 1984 and over the years has photographed four presidents — Richard Cyert, Robert Mehrabian, Jared Cohon and Subra Suresh — and countless events and VIP visitors, including U.S. President Barack Obama on several occasions. “From standing in a studio for hours to getting up in a cherry picker to get THE shot, Ken has done it all. We’ve been lucky to have such a reliable, dedicated and talented photographer and friend in such an essential role on the Marketing & Communications team,” said Lara Steiner, senior director of Digital and Creative Services. Andreyo plans to work part-time as a freelance photographer. Photography requests should now be directed to both Carrie Chisholm, senior associate director of Digital Productions, at carriechiz@cmu.edu, and University Photographer Tim Kaulen at tkaulen@andrew.cmu.edu.

Kevin ZollmanKevin Zollman, associate professor of philosophy, recently published an op-ed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette titled “Welders vs. philosophers.” The title refers to Sen. Marco Rubio’s comment at a recent Republican presidential debate. “Welders make more money than philosophers. We need more welders and less [sic] philosophers,” Rubio said. Zollman argued that both vocations are valuable and emphasized the ways in which philosophers work in tandem with scientists, mathematicians and more to help solve our society’s most pressing political and social problems. Read “Welders vs. philosophers.” 

Jodi BakerJodi Baker, a 1998 graduate of the College of Fine Arts, has written her first young adult novel, called “Trust.” On her website, Baker describes the book as “a young adult, mythological and urban fantasy thrill ride about the darkly fantastical, supernatural Museion that has secretly protected humanity’s greatest treasures for millennia, and Anna, the 16-year-old New York girl who is the unknowing heir to it all.” USA Today called the book “a great debut novel that has the bones of being a great series. … If you're a history fan and a YA reader, the Trust world is definitely worth jumping into.” Find out more.

Gina GrossoAlumna Gina Grosso, who earned her bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and industrial management in 1986, was promoted to the grade of Lieutenant General earlier this week. She is the first female officer to hold this post since the position began in 1947, and she becomes the 31st Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services. In this role, Grosso serves as the senior Air Force officer responsible for comprehensive plans and policies covering all life cycles of military and civilian personnel management, which includes military and civilian end strength management, education and training, compensation, resource allocation and the worldwide U.S. Air Force services program. Find out more.

Adam DaviesRenee StoutAlumni Renee Stout and Adam Davies were recently honored at the 30th Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C. Stout, a 1980 graduate of the School of Art, was honored for Excellence in an Artistic Discipline. Davies, who earned his master’s degree at the School of Art in 2005, was named an Outstanding Emerging Artist. The Mayor's Arts Awards are the most prestigious honors conferred by the city on artists, teachers, nonprofit organizations and patrons of the arts.

  • Stout, a contemporary artist known for artworks dealing with her personal history and African-American heritage, currently has a one-person exhibit at Hemphill Fine Arts in D.C. titled “Wild World.” She also has a traveling exhibit titled “Renee Stout: Tales of the Conjure Woman,” which was on display at the College of Charleston and is currently at Hamilton College through mid-December. The show will subsequently travel to The Katzen Center at American University and then to the Kalamazoo Institute of the Arts.
  • Davies photographs explore points of intersection between architecture and the natural world. From 2010 to 2013, he held a full-time position as Lecturer & Media Specialist at the National Gallery of Art, and previously held teaching positions at Carnegie Mellon, Robert Morris, Catholic and Harvard universities. His photographs have appeared in a number of publications, including East City Art, Photo Review and Triple Canopy Magazine.

Ricardo CabralRicardo Cabral, a recent graduate of the dual degree doctoral program in electrical and computer engineering offered by the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) and Carnegie Mellon, won the IBM Scientific Award 2014 with his doctoral thesis "Unifying Low-rank Models for Visual Learning." Cabral's advisers were João Paulo Costeira and Alexandre Bernardino from IST/UL, and Fernando De la Torre from CMU. According to IBM, “Ricardo Cabral's thesis work may be an evolution in the field of computer vision, allowing computers to ‘see' like humans.” Find out more.