News Briefs
Eco-Friendly Landscapers Coming to CMU
For the fifth time, goats from Allegheny GoatScape will be coming to CMU to eat the overgrown vegetation on the hillside adjacent to the Gates Center and the Purnell Center for the Arts. The goats are expected to arrive around 10 a.m., Wednesday, September 22, and depart after 4 p.m., Friday, September 24.
The goats manage vegetation without herbicides, reduce the need for fuels and expensive machinery, naturally fertilize the soil and are a demonstration of the university's Sustainability Initiative. They also eliminate the danger involved for humans working on the steep hillside.
“Considering the pandemic environment, outdoor activities are relatively safer, so come to the Gates Hillman green space and enjoy a natural outdoor experience,” said University Engineer Steve Guenther, assistant vice president for Facilities Management and Campus Services. “It is easy to feel stressed out these days, and the goats are one way to take a break to support your mindfulness goals.”
Allegheny GoatScape is a nonprofit organization working in and around Pittsburgh to reduce invasive and unwanted vegetation in public and private spaces and vacant lots.
CAUSE Looks to the Past and Future in Silver Anniversary Celebration
The Center for Africanamerican Urban Studies and the Economy (CAUSE) is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a virtual conference stretching over five Fridays from September 17 to October 15. The conference is titled “African American Urban History from Past to Future Tense: Thoughts on the State of the Field.” The first two Fridays will pay tribute to the scholarship and professional career of Earl Lewis, a renowned social historian, author and fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Weeks three through five will explore transformations in African American urban life, politics, and history from the advent of the transatlantic slave trade through the late 20th century.
Lewis is no stranger to CMU. He delivered the opening address for CAUSE’s 20th anniversary conference and presented the keynote address for the center’s opening in 1995. He received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from CMU in 2016.
The opening event, which begins at 4:30 p.m., September 17, is titled “In Their Own Interest and Beyond: Reflections on the Impact of a Classic.” The inaugural session will be chaired by CMU’s Giant Eagle University Professor of History and CAUSE Director Joe Trotter, and will include remarks by Lewis, the Thomas C. Holt Distinguished University Professor and director of the Center for Social Solutions at the University of Michigan. Joining Trotter and Lewis will be:
- James Grossman, executive director of the American Historical Association and associate faculty in history at the University of Chicago;
- Deborah Gray White, Board of Governor’s Distinguished Professor of History at Rutgers University; and
- Thomas Guglielmo, associate professor of American Studies at George Washington University.
Learn more about CAUSE’s 25th anniversary conference.
Is Your Bike Ready? Bike to Campus Week is September 20-24
Want to start riding around campus but not sure where to start? Looking to meet other bike-riding enthusiasts? Next week’s your chance.
Get set with everything you need during Bike to Campus Week, Monday, September 20 through Friday, September 24. This year, there will be both in-person and virtual events, including seminars on how to buy a bike, what to wear when riding, basic bike maintenance and more. Also on the schedule are campus bike tours and social rides, a Confident City Cycling on-street traffic skills class, and other fun and informative sessions. Capping the week off will be a Friday Bike Fair from 12-4 p.m., featuring bikes and accessories for sale, tune-ups, e-bike demos, anti-theft bike registration, information on biking resources and more.
See the complete schedule and share the event on Facebook. Questions? Send email to Karen Brooks at kbr00ks@andrew.cmu.edu.
Weekend Buggy Practices Begin Saturday
Sweepstakes (Buggy) Freeroll practices begin this Saturday, September 18, and will continue every weekend, weather permitting, through September, October, November, December, February, March and April. The 100th year of Buggy will be celebrated during Spring Carnival, April 8-9.
Practices will be held Saturdays and Sundays from 5 - 9 a.m. on Tech Street, Frew Street and Schenley Drive. During these times, vehicles will not be able to access or park on these roads. Margaret Morrison Street will be closed at the stop sign in front of Donner House. Vehicles parked on the above streets during practice time will be towed.
The necessary permits from the City of Pittsburgh have been obtained. Signage and safety precautions will be put into place each weekend.
Contact Kaycee Palko, senior coordinator of SLICE and Sweepstakes advisor, at kpalko@andrew.cmu.edu or 412-268-8704 with any issues or concerns.
TIAA Presents Financial Essentials Webinars for CMU
The Office of Human Resources invites you to join TIAA for a series of webinars. These live programs are for Carnegie Mellon only and are not part of TIAA’s regular webinar programming. TIAA has experience helping people save and invest since 1918, and they are proud to share that knowledge with the CMU community during these fun and informative webinars.
How to Turn Your Retirement Savings into a “Paycheck” for Life
You diversify your investment portfolio before retirement to help offset risk. A similar strategy can help see you through retirement. Learn how creating a diversified income plan — one that uses a combination of income sources and includes annuity income that’s guaranteed for life — can help reduce the risks you may face in retirement and ensure you have income that never runs out.
Wednesday, October 6, noon – 1 p.m. ET; Register now.
Halfway There: A Retirement Checkpoint
Give yourself a mid-career financial checkup to evaluate your current savings, formulate a plan to help pursue your savings goals and manage competing financial priorities.
Tuesday, November 9; noon–1 p.m. ET; Register now.
Diversified Income in Retirement
Retirees face four major risks in retirement. This seminar will discuss and explain those risks, and show how a simple approach using different income sources can help address those risks while still allowing for flexibility and a potential estate bequest.
Thursday, February 10, 2022; time TBD; Registration coming soon.
September is Campus Fire Safety Awareness Month
The Environmental Health and Safety Organization's Fire Safety Team is committed to fire prevention and risk reduction through the delivery of fire safety education, prevention, assessment and preparedness. Their commitment extends all the way to the Governor’s Office.
“Back in July, I wrote to the Office of the Governor and requested Governor Tom Wolf to declare a proclamation to promote fire safety awareness at Carnegie Mellon University,” said John Guerra, CMU’s fire safety manager. “I have since received a signed proclamation and pan on championing fire safety educational opportunities to heighten awareness around campus throughout September.”
Guerra and CMU’s fire safety team will be tabling outside at several campus locations this month to educate the campus community about fire safety. The team will have its fire extinguisher simulator present to teach students, faculty and staff about fire extinguishers and how to use them. The proper use of smoke detectors and electrical outlets also will be discussed and handouts on fire safety will be available.
Look for the fire safety team at these times and locations:
- Sept. 20, 11 a.m. – 2 pm., 3rd floor, Mellon Institute; and
- Sept. 30, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., outside the Cohon University Center.
Learn about fire safety online.
Provost Announces Office Hours for Fall 2021
Provost Jim Garrett will continue to host office hours for students, faculty and staff this fall. Office hours vary to accommodate the variety in our community members’ schedules and will be held at the dates and times below:
- Wednesday, September 22 from 1 - 2:30 p.m.;
- Wednesday, October 20 from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.; and
- Thursday, November 18 from 3 - 4:30 p.m.
Appointments will be made in person on a first-come, first-served basis. All office hours will be held in CCR East in Warner Hall, unless otherwise noted.
Deadline Extended: Swartz Center Seeking Teams for Fall 2021 I-Corps Training Program
The Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship is currently recruiting teams for its fall 2021 NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) customer discovery training program. CMU faculty, staff, students and alumni graduated within the past year are eligible to participate in the program. Teams can be reimbursed up to $3,000 for eligible customer discovery expenses to assess the commercialization potential for their STEM technology.
Further details on the I-Corps program and eligibility can be found on its website. There have been 195 teams in the program since fall 2014 and they have received more than $66 million in additional funding for their ideas. The deadline for teams to apply has been extended to Monday, September 20 at https://bit.ly/fall2021NSF
Who's New at CMU?
Carnegie Mellon welcomes the following new staff members this week.
Amanda Bisesi, Academic Service Coordinator, ECE: Electrical & Computer Engineering;
Brennen Hydzik, CDFD Sr. Project Manager, Campus Design and Facility Development;
Duy Nhat Phan, Systems/Software Associate, SDS: Social and Decision Sciences; and
Rishikesh Vanarse, Research Associate I, Robotics Institute - Campus.