CMU’S NEWS SOURCE FOR FACULTY & STAFF 5/15 ISSUE cmu.edu/piper

Read about Carnegie Mellon’s 118th Commencement New Business Plan activities in a special pullout section. Pages 5-8

Awards Honor Magnificent Mentors, Terrific Teachers n Kelly Saavedra

You always remember the teachers or advisers who helped shape who you are today. They saw your potential before you did, and nurtured it without fail. They listened patiently and offered expert guidance. They made recommendations that expanded your career possibilities. They helped pick up the pieces when everything seemed to be falling apart. D e s i g n s f o r t h e n e w T e pp e r S c h o o l o f B u s i n e s s , t h e f i r s t b u i l d i n g i n t h e T e pp e r Q u a d , w e r e u n v e i l e d a t a t o w n At this year’s Celebration of h a l l m e e t i n g i n e a r ly A p r i l . T e pp e r S c h o o l D e a n R o b e r t D a m m o n s a i d t h e n e w b u i l d i n g , f a c i n g F o r b e s A v e n u e , Education, CMU paid tribute to the w i l l m a r k a n e w v i s i o n f o r t h e b u s i n e s s s c h o o l o f t h e f u t u r e . R e a d m o r e o n pa g e n i n e . extraordinary efforts and achievements of four distinguished educators for their unparalleled commitment to helping others succeed. 40,000 and Counting And this year’s winners are: Steidel Marks Enrollment Milestone The William H. and Frances S. Ryan Award n Mike Yeomans A weary tension was written on the As many times as he’s had to say no, staffers’ faces as they awaited Steidel’s Steidel has had plenty of opportunities to for Meritorious Teaching March was fading fast. Only a week feedback: thumbs up for two, thumbs say yes. Rebecca Nugent remained before the eagerly awaited down for one. Sometime before the May 1 dead- “Fat Letters” were to be mailed to the se- “This is the hardest thing for us. line for enrollment, one of the 4,863 Rebecca Nugent is a demanding instruc- lect high school students from around the You hate to turn down good kids,” prospective Tartans offered admission tor and mentor known for her high stan- world vying for admission to Carnegie Steidel said. C o n t i n u e d o n pa g e t h r e e dards and profound impact on students. Mellon, from a record 20,560 applica- She is co-director of the fast-grow- tions. ing undergraduate program in the Depart- Two staff burst through Director ment of Statistics, where she has helped of Admission Mike Steidel’s doorway shepherd the growth of the undergraduate and began peppering him with details statistics major and advised innumerable of three applicants on the fence. Seven- students toward careers in the field. teen full-time admission staff and 23 Nugent teaches a wide variety of part-time readers had been poring over statistical methodology classes at CMU applications without a day off since the but is probably most famous for forcing beginning of January. They had painstak- everyone to rewrite their data analysis ingly shaped the acceptance lists for each reports several times. Students flock to of the university’s six undergraduate her for advice and write about her ability schools and colleges, and were down to C o n t i n u e d o n pa g e t e n the final few spots. O n e Artfully Done Alumna Paints Broad Impact on Cultural Scene

n Kelly Saavedra

When you’re a kid growing up abroad, pushed to a whole new level with regard moving from country to country, the arts to data-driven within the can come in handy. arts,” she said. Music, dancing, visual arts — even That’s when she decided to move to culinary arts — were universal languages and enroll in ’s that helped Kathryn Heidemann accli- MAM program. The Pittsburgh Cultural mate to every new culture she lived in, Trust hired her when she graduated, and from Venezuela to Germany to the Land for eight years her list of professional Down Under. successes grew by leaps and bounds. “There were times when I was She founded and managed 200 arts uprooted right in the middle of a school master’s degree programs in conjunction year. Sometimes I had to learn to speak with the Dance Council, PNC Broadway a whole new language. The arts were Across America and TrustPresents se- my means of universal communication ries. She produced 30 of the city’s popu- and social survival,” said Heidemann, lar Gallery Crawls, which are quarterly director of the Heinz College’s Master showcases of arts entertainment. And of Arts Management (MAM) program. she oversaw three First Night Pittsburgh They also were the foundation festivals, the region’s largest single night for a career that enables her to support arts festival that takes place on New the arts in ways that help ensure their Year’s Eve, breaking attendance records survival. and reaching millions of students, teach-

Heidemann studied dance and arts ers and community members during her BRAIDIC PHOTO BY MATTE management in Chicago and enjoyed tenure. P i t t s b u r g h M ay o r B i l l P e d u t o app o i n t e d c m u ’ s K at h r y n H e i d e m a n n t o t h e working at various arts During that time, she also took two c i t y ’ s a r t c o m m i s s i o n . there and in and Detroit, working sabbaticals to assume leader- but something was missing. ship roles abroad and domestically as “As a creative person I was re- a venue manager for the Edinburgh “W h at i mp r e s s e s m e mo s t a b o u t CMU i s t h e s t u d e n t s . ally looking for a rigorous academic Festival Fringe, the world’s largest arts M a n y o f t h e m com e f r om a rt s b a c k g r o u n d s b u t l e a r n to program that would unify my right and festival, and as an operations manager ‘ s p e a k d ata ’ v e ry q u i c k ly . T h e y q u i c k ly a d a pt to n e w way s left brain, while giving my left brain a for Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in the ‘boost’ of sorts with quantitative man- Berkshires. o f t h i n k i n g , n e w way s o f s e e i n g t h e w o r l d a n d n e w way s o f agement skills. I had worked in the field Consider Mayor Bill Peduto among s o lv i n g p r o b l e m s .” — K at h ry n H e i d e m a n n for a number of years and I wanted to be the people on whom she left a lasting impression. He recently appointed her to the City of Pittsburgh’s Art Commission, which works to improve the aesthetic festivals before, but her affiliation with ‘speak data’ very quickly. They quickly quality of the city’s public spaces. CMU has enabled her to work on inter- adapt to new ways of thinking, new “Mayor Peduto is, was and always national partnerships. She leads the dual ways of seeing the world and new ways will be a very strong advocate for the degree partnership with the University of solving problems,” she said. “Many arts. I am honored and humbled to have of Bologna’s GIOCA (Graduate Degree of them have specific goals in mind PIPER been chosen as an art commissioner in Innovation and of when they arrive here, but may quickly 5/15 Issue under his leadership, and hope that Culture and the Arts) program in Italy. find a whole new course to chart and a P u b l i s h e r my background in arts management, She enjoys working with international whole new part of themselves that they Ken Walters understanding of arts policy issues, and students and arts performers, attends didn’t know was there. I love to see E d i to r M a n a g i n g E d i to r Bruce Gerson Kelly Saavedra passion for the arts and our communities many international performances and what they do, where they end up. They will help me be the best servant to this speaks at arts administration conferences just continue to surprise me.” W r i t e r s Cindy Carroll city that I can be,” she said. around the globe. And sometimes, she surprises her Bruce Gerson Heidemann feels the arts can play a Kelly Saavedra “Due to the nature of my job and students. Heidemann has often been Erin Keane Scott big role in fostering innovation and cre- the diversity of my students’ interests, I found playing bass guitar in local and Mike Yeomans ativity, both within ourselves and within have to have my finger on the pulse of national rock, punk and classic country the community. every facet of the arts industry — what’s bands. D e s i g n & P h oto g r a p h y Digital & Creative Services “There are ways you can do that happening in the museum, gallery, sym- An active member of her commu- which don’t necessarily mean you have phony, opera, theater and dance com- nity, Heidemann was recently named by To contact The Piper staff, call 412-268-2900 or email [email protected]. to be an artist for a living. The arts are pany worlds. Certainly my favorite part Pittsburgh Magazine as one of the city’s Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate in a right, not a privilege. If we all tap into about the job is not just about breadth “40 Under 40” honorees for her passion, admission, employment, or administration of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, out inner artist, we can learn to better of access to the arts, but also about the commitment and overall impact on the sex, handicap or disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, ancestry, belief, veteran status, or engage in creative problem-solving and people. The students and the alumni are Pittsburgh region. genetic information. Furthermore, Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate and is required not to discriminate in contribute better to what we’re doing such a rich part of what I do and make “Certainly, it’s a labor of love,” she violation of federal, state, or local laws or executive orders. in our own respective fields — science, Inquiries concerning the application of and compliance me love coming to work every day.” said. “It’s so wonderful to find myself in with this statement should be directed to the vice president technology, business and other areas.” While other universities have this cycle where I was a student of this for campus affairs, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, telephone 412-268-2056. As director of the MAM program, master of arts management programs, program that I am now managing. The Carnegie Mellon University publishes an annual campus security and fire safety report describing the university’s Heidemann says she has been able to Heidemann says CMU’s program is in a passion for what I did informs my new security, alcohol and drug, sexual assault, and fire safety policies and containing statistics about the number and stay more connected, especially at the class all its own. passion, which is really helping the next type of crimes committed on the campus and the number and cause of fires in campus residence facilities during the global level, to the arts than she has in “What impresses me most about generation discover this exciting field of preceding three years. You can obtain a copy by contacting the Carnegie Mellon Police Department at 412-268-2323. any other job. CMU is the students. Many of them arts management and make a difference The annual security and fire safety report is also available online at www.cmu.edu/police/annualreports. She has worked at international come from arts backgrounds but learn to in the arts in a different kind of way.” Produced by Marketing & Communications, May 2015, 15-497.

T w o 40,000 and Counting C o n t i n u e d f r o m pa g e o n e this year became the 40,000th student to management science, Elliott offered him enroll at CMU during Steidel’s 29-year a full-time job in the admission office. tenure as admission director. “I thought that would be a good “That’s hard to comprehend. It re- thing to do for a few years to get some ally hasn’t felt that long,” he said. experience,” Steidel said. Steidel has been extolling the vir- But by the 1980s, CMU was in tues of CMU since he arrived as a fresh- his blood. When Elliott and then CMU man in 1974, a mere seven years after President Richard Cyert learned he’d the merger of Carnegie Tech and Mellon received an offer to leave the university, Institute that established Carnegie Mel- they promoted him to director of admis- lon as a full-fledged university. sion. He was 28 years old. Steidel said he had never heard of In the nearly 30 years since, CMU CMU growing up in Allentown, Pa. and Pittsburgh have transformed them- As the first generation of his family to selves and Steidel. attend college, his boyhood universe “CMU has sent me around the was limited to a narrow triangle between world two dozen times,” he said. “It has Philadelphia, New York and Harrisburg. changed my life. I love how this place His high school guidance counselor through all its changes remains commit- knew the CMU admission director at the ted to being the best it can be.” time, Bill Elliott, and recommended that Steidel’s staff say his willingness to Steidel apply, saying it would be a good share his experience makes him a popu- fit based on his interests in science and lar draw for the road. engineering. “Mike Steidel and Carnegie Mellon PHOTO BY TIM KAULEN D i r e c t o r o f A d m i s s i o n M i k e S t e i d e l h a s e n r o l l e d 4 0 , 0 0 0 s t u d e n t s . “It’s good I applied back then, be- are synonymous,” said Greg Edleman, cause I would probably be inadmissible associate director of admission. “When- Once the admission letters go financial aid, which his office also han- today,” he joked. ever I travel with him to professional out, prospective students are invited to dles. This is where he comes up against So he packed his bags and crossed conferences, there are always two lines: campus for April visits, which gives his his biggest challenge: competing for the Allegheny Mountains, arriving in one to talk about Carnegie Mellon and office one last chance to sell the CMU top students from diverse backgrounds a city full of belching smokestacks not one to talk to Mike. Frankly, I’m not experience, although meeting enrollment against other elite institutions that have unlike his hometown. He had to pay his sure which line is usually longer.” goals is not a concern. formidable endowments. own way through college, so Steidel One of the biggest changes he has “We could admit an entire class Looking ahead, Steidel said he is took a job working for Elliott as one presided over is the number of interna- from our waiting list and in most cases encouraged by President Subra Suresh’s of four freshman tour guides, a job he tional students admitted, which has held not see a significant decrease in the qual- presidential scholarship fundraising found thoroughly enjoyable. steady at 15 percent of applicants this ity of students,” he said. initiative, which aims to level the playing Upon graduating in 1978 with a year over last but was only a few percent After the new class is enrolled, there field for CMU. degree in chemistry and administration in his early years in the job. is no downtime. Steidel’s focus turns to Building Blocks Mondor Is Putting Sustainability into Practice for Pittsburgh n Bruce Gerson An architecture professor at CMU national committee developing standards heads the eight-member commission. for the last 15 years, she teaches her for the EcoDistricts Protocol. The group, which includes CMU alumna Involved to evolve. students the principles of sustainability And as chair of the Pittsburgh Plan- Jennifer Askey of Perkins Eastman, In a nutshell that’s the role Christine and design, and engages them in projects ning Commission for the past year, she’s is charged with guiding land use and Mondor is taking — threefold — to to improve the design of communities, working to support a larger agenda. development in the city, making recom- help continue to improve Pittsburgh and helping people and organizations envi- “I think I speak broadly for the mendations to City Council concerning its surrounding communities. sion new futures. design community when I say it’s great zoning ordinances and zoning maps, and As principal of her to have a mayor who sees sustainability reviewing major development proposals own firm, appropriately titled and design as key strategies to improv- and redevelopment plans. “evolve environment: archi- ing our communities and quality of life,” One such redevelopment plan is tecture,” Mondor focuses said Mondor, a 1993 graduate of the the Lower Hill District project, which on bringing sustainability to School of Architecture. “It is a remark- aims to transform the former Mellon practice. She’s worked on able time to be a designer, or a design Arena site into 28 acres of residential and the Center for Sustainable student, in the City of Pittsburgh.” commercial space. Designs for the initial Landscapes for the Phipps Steve Lee, professor and head of structure on the site, a new office build- Conservatory and Botanical the School of Architecture, said he was ing that will serve as headquarters for Gardens, and collaborated genuinely pleased when Mondor was U.S. Steel, recently came under scrutiny. on a two-year environmental named to the Planning Commission. Mondor said one of the discussion performance study for the “She was a great student, her firm points focused on the scale of the build- David L. Lawrence Conven- is transforming Pittsburgh, students love ing and the fact that the Preliminary Land tion Center. her, and she’s smart and wonderful in Development Plan (PLDP) called for evolveEA works with every way,” said Lee, who taught Mon- multiple buildings in this specific space. communities in the region dor in the early 1990s and employed her The PLDP was authored by the Pitts- and across the country to cre- for five years as an intern at his firm, burgh Penguins, the Sports & Exhibition atively connect high perform- TAI+LEE Architects. “She’s making a Authority and the Urban Redevelopment

PHOTO BY JOSH FRANZOS ing places with the culture real impact in our Advanced Options Authority of Pittsburgh. of the community. She was studios.” “There’s a scale to downtown. When C h r i s t i n e M o n d o r l e a d s a s e s s i o n d u r i n g t h e instrumental in starting Pitts- Appointed to the position about a you have a large area of vacant land, r e c e n t P l a n t , P e o p l e , P l a c e a n d P e r f o r m a n c e burgh’s first two ecodistrict year ago by Mayor Bill Peduto, Mon- there’s no sense of scale. What you build ( P 4 ) C o n f e r e n c e a i m e d at t r a n s f o r m i n g planning efforts and chairs a dor, a native of the city’s South Hills, C o n t i n u e d o n pa g e f o u r P i t t s b u r g h i n t o a s u s ta i n a b l e c i t y . T h r e e Abel Development CMU Recognized for Helping People Thrive

n Bruce Gerson provide consistency. Her staff includes instructional technology specialists Professional Development Services has Mike Bernesser and Adam Marks, staff undergone some professional develop- development specialist Jason Schneider, ment of its own. program coordinator Autumn Secrest and Since taking the helm of the information specialist Heather Wainer. program two years ago, Kim Abel “We take a practitioner’s perspec- has transformed staff development at tive. Our goal is to have folks come into CMU into a model program for human the session, spend focused time on the resources. It was recently honored as one topic and then have the ability to immedi- of 10 finalists for “The People Do Matter ately apply what they’ve learned to their Awards,” presented by the Pittsburgh work. Association. CMU “It’s not just about theory. We want was recognized in the Helping People you to leave with a new tool in your Thrive category. toolbox,” she said. The turnaround began with reflec- Each session also includes a reflec- tion and a very thorough nine-month tion period and provides participants with assessment process.

additional resources on the topic, such PHOTO BY TIM KAULEN “We worked with Institutional as reading materials, online courses or Research and Analysis to develop a practice exercises. K i m A b e l l e a d s a r e c e n t p r o f e s s i o n a l d e v e l o p m e n t w o r k s h o p . survey and provided all staff with an “Reflection is a significant part of opportunity to participate. We looked professional development. We’re moving at what staff would be interested in and so fast that we often don’t stop, analyze are also fortunate to have the support of In addition to providing a curri- what they thought they needed to be and spend the time to think through Dan McNulty, associate vice president culum of staff development courses in successful at CMU,” Abel explained. competency skills, Professional Devel- Feedback from 1,150 survey re- opment creates customized content for sponses and 124 one-on-one interviews ONLINE: to register for upcoming programs, groups. Some of the custom clients have gave Abel the information she needed to see www.cmu.edu/hr/professional-development/. included Campus Affairs, Enrollment move forward effectively. Services and SCS Computing Facilities. “We listened to folks,” she said. Strength Through Change was a What she heard were topics of what’s been successful, how I can for Human Resources, and Mary Jo tailor-made program attended by about interest and ways in which staff wanted improve and how I can validate what Dively, vice president and general 35 members of Enrollment Services. to receive enrichment opportunities. The I’ve learned,” Abel said. counsel,” Abel said. Brian Fernandes said the session was most popular subject areas among staff The new program has been a smash- Pattye Stragar, fitness operations one of the most well-received programs were competency skills, such as how to ing success. Participation has increased manager and current chair of Staff Coun- they have hosted. supervise, communicate, resolve con- from 153 staff in fiscal year 2013, to cil, has taken several classes, including “Kim’s delivery of the program flict, conduct business effectively and 2,075 in FY 2014, and to 5,034 in FY Conflict Resolution, Get Up and Go: and the way she engaged and interacted work with others. The preferred method 2015 as of early April. Abel said some Self-Motivation, Efficiency Matters: with the participants were what made for learning was “getting out of their of that increase is a result of workshops Administrative Strategies that Work, the presentation so successful. We will own context and sharing with others,” associated with the implementation of and Enhancing Your Decision-Making absolutely be bringing Kim’s group back Abel said. Workday, the new HR, benefits and Habits. to present on other areas of interest to With feedback in hand, the Pro- payroll management system. “What I enjoy most is the way our division,” said Fernandes, associate fessional Development Services staff “Each member of our staff contrib- Professional Development has made the director of Enrollment Services. designed appropriate courses and utes to our success and really understands workshops so interactive,” Stragar said. Making the Most of Your Perfor- a framework for each workshop to the importance of the work we do. We “I think it is important to be green and growing — always trying to have an mance Review was a session developed open mind and learn new ways to specifically for the SCS Computing approach things. Facilities group of nearly 50 employees, Building Blocks C o n t i n u e d f r o m pa g e t h r e e “The collaboration with peers in the who had recently collaborated to imple- workshop has been extremely beneficial. ment a new performance review process. first creates a sense of scale for the next Mondor is one of many from CMU I enjoy being able to listen and comment Department Director Tom Cullen said project. If this was to be a single build- who are joining forces with city and on the different ways to approach a situa- the workshop provided a guide for both staff and managers on how to participate ing, we at least wanted the scale to honor county government agencies to improve tion. It is nice to hear that others might be effectively. the site master plan, knowing that it will Pittsburgh in many aspects. She’s among experiencing the same issues,” she said. Abel also periodically brings to- influence the next block,” she explained. CMU leaders like Lee, University Pro- Sylvia Smith, manager of business gether nearly 50 colleagues from across The Planning Commission also fessor Vivian Loftness, and Don Carter services for computing facilities in the campus who have staff development asked for more developed landscape and Steve Quick of the Remaking Cities School of Computer Science (SCS), has responsibilities in their own departments planning in the rear of the facility. Institute. taken workshops in Providing Great or divisions. Called Learning Partners, “You see projects that are very well “CMU’s knowledge and resources Customer Service, Performance Review the group meets four times a year to developed and finished even before they contribute to the larger conversation, Guide, Supervision: Optimal Perfor- share best practices. come to us, and this one had some parts and whether it’s through individuals or mance, Supervision: It’s a Group Thing, As a former women’s soccer coach, that needed more work,” said Mondor, projects, or through long-term strategy, and Leading Change: What’s a Leader physical education instructor, child who expects that the revised design CMU is a powerful asset. To Do? care center director, director of housing will begin construction by the end of “When I travel to other places, “Kim [Abel] is phenomenal! She has and dining, and now as a professional the year. people always comment on how lucky a handle on training in a way that has one development director, Abel’s desire has “I think it’s wonderful that some- Pittsburgh is to have Carnegie Mellon. feeling as though they can do anything remained constant. thing is happening on the site quickly My goal is to make sure our students and when they walk out of the training ses- “My purpose has been to build com- because the PLDP was just approved city make the most of that relationship,” sion,” Smith said. “She answers the hard munity, to help create a sense of place a few months ago. I look forward to she said. questions when the answer is sometimes where everyone has a sense of belong- seeing future excellence on this site,” not what one may want to hear. I love ing, and challenge people to be their she said. her honesty!” best. That’s been the core of who I am,”

F o u r she said. , the “Perfect Choice” for Keynote Speaker

as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV “Carnegie Mellon is uniquely “The Aviator,” Alda has starred in many series “M*A*S*H” and as positioned at the intersection of arts and other films, including “Same Time Next Arnold Vinick in “The West technology, which makes Alan Alda a Year,” “ Suite,” “Crimes and Wing.” perfect choice as our commencement Misdemeanors,” and “The Seduction As a science enthusiast, speaker,” said CMU President Subra of Joe Tynan,” which he wrote. He also Alda hosted “Scientific Suresh. “His outstanding career in film starred in, wrote and directed “The Four American Frontiers” on PBS and television and his passion for the Seasons,” “Sweet Liberty,” “A New for 11 years, interview- arts, science and technology serve as Life” and “Betsy’s Wedding.” ing leading scientists from shining examples to our 2015 class. We He has the distinction of being around the world. He has are pleased to welcome Alan Alda to nominated for an Oscar, a Tony and worked on award-winning CMU as our commencement speaker.” an Emmy, and publishing a bestselling PBS programs such as Nominated for an Academy Award book, all in the same year (2005). “The Human Spark,” which for his supporting role in the 2004 film explored what makes us human, and “Brains on Trial,” which focused on the implication of contemporary brain science for the U.S. Alan Alda justice system and included Actor, Writer, Director an interview with CMU’s renowned neuroscientist Marcel Just. Alan Alda, an acclaimed actor, writer He helped found the Alan Alda and director who has a passion for Center for Communicating Science at science and technology, will be the Stony Brook University, where he is a keynote speaker at Carnegie Mellon’s visiting professor, and since 2008, he 118th Commencement at 11 a.m., has worked with physicist Brian Greene Sunday, May 17 in Gesling Stadium. on presenting the annual World Science Alda, who exemplifies Carnegie Festival in New York City. He received Mellon’s interdisciplinary strengths in the 2013 Scientific American Lifetime the arts, science and technology, also Achievement Award and was recently will receive an honorary Doctor of Fine elected a fellow of the American Arts degree. Physical Society in recognition of his A l a n A l d a i n t e r v i e w e d c m u ’ s M a r c e l J u s t f o r t h e P b s p r o g r a m A seven-time Emmy Award winner, work in advancing the communication “ B r a i n s o n T r i a l .” Alda is best known for his starring roles of science.

Graduation “Just the Beginning” for Class of 2015

Uncertainty can be daunting, but it also “We have all grown a lot since com- the campus community, serving as a can be exciting, encouraging, inspiring ing here, each in our respective ways, teaching assistant for physics classes and filled with endless possibilities. and I want everyone to be proud of their and as a mentor for the physics out- That’s the outlook Brooke Kuei accomplishments — as well as those of reach program. prefers and the one she’ll relay to her their fellow graduates — and to feel con- She was a founding member of classmates as this year’s Commence- fident and ready for life after Carnegie CMU’s women’s varsity golf team, ment student speaker. Mellon,” she said. and used her writing skills to be “I feel like a lot of people see gradu- A physics major with a minor in Science and Technology editor of the ation as the end of something, but I want professional writing, Kuei will receive Tartan, and managing editor of the to remind them that this is just the begin- her bachelor’s degree with University Dossier Literary and Arts Magazine. ning,” she said, “that we have our entire Honors, a distinction earned by gradu- Kuei will be headed to Penn lives to keep reaching for our dreams.” ates with a 3.5 grade-point average or State in the fall to pursue a Ph.D. Kuei also wants her classmates to higher. in materials science and engineer- recall how CMU has made them better In addition to excelling academi- ing and to advance her research in and stronger. cally, Kuei was an active member of energy science.

B r o o k e K u e i F i v e Honorary Degrees Awarded to Leaders in Art, Business and Science

Kai-Fu Lee (CS’88 and Joyce Kozloff (A’64) Judea Pearl Stephen Schwartz (A’68) Past Faculty) Artist Chancellor’s Professor of Computer Composer and Lyricist Chairman and CEO, Innovation Works Doctor of Fine Arts Science, UCLA Doctor of Fine Arts Doctor of Business Practice Doctor of Science and Technology Joyce Kozloff is a major American Stephen Schwartz is one of the most Kai-Fu Lee is a prominent computer visual artist, whose work fuses pattern Judea Pearl is the Chancellor’s Profes- successful songwriters in the history of scientist, venture capitalist, corporate and movement with social engagement. sor of Computer Science and director the American musical theater, winning leader and writer now based in Beijing. She earned her bachelor’s degree in fine of the Cognitive Systems Laboratory three Academy awards, four Grammy He received his Ph.D. from Carnegie arts at Carnegie Mellon in 1964 and at UCLA. He is internationally known awards, four Drama Desk awards and Mellon in 1988. went on to earn a master’s degree from for his contributions to artificial intel- garnering six Tony Award nominations. At Carnegie Mellon, Lee worked on Columbia University. ligence, human reasoning, causality and He graduated from Carnegie Mellon in topics in machine learning and pattern Kozloff has described her art as the philosophy of science. 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in drama. recognition. He and Sanjoy Mahajan blending “a love for widespread artistic The Association for Computing While a student at CMU, he wrote “Pip- pin,” which later opened on Broadway. developed “Bill,” a Bayesian learning- traditions with an activist temperament.” Machinery (ACM) described Pearl’s In 1971, Schwartz wrote the music based system for playing the board game She has worked in glass mosaics, ceram- work as “revolutionizing the understand- and new lyrics for “Godspell,” a show “Othello” that defeated the human world ic tiles, frescoes, books, prints, water- ing of causality in statistics, psychology, that also began at CMU and for which champion in 1989. For his doctoral dis- colors and photography. Most recently, medicine and the social sciences.” The he won his first two Grammys. The sertation, he developed Sphinx, the first she has been making art from antique ACM honored him with both the Allen next year, he collaborated with Leonard large-vocabulary, speaker-independent, maps, navigational and aerial charts, and Newell Award in 2003 and the Alan Bernstein on Bernstein’s “Mass,” which continuous speech recognition system. globes. Her walk-in globe, “Targets,” Turing Award in 2011. In 2011, he also opened the Kennedy Center for the After completing his Ph.D., he is painted on the inside with maps of received the David Rumelheart Prize for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. In served on the computer science faculty all the sites the United States bombed contributions to understanding human 1974, “Pippin” opened on Broadway, between 1945-2000; a large installa- cognition, and the Harvey Prize for at CMU until 1990, when he joined and at one point, three of his musicals — tion at the Venice Arsenale, “Voyages,” scientific achievement from the Tech- Apple as a principal scientist. He was “Godspell,” “Pippin” and “The Magic described European explorations during nion. Pearl was elected to the National promoted to vice president in 1995, and Show” — were all running on Broad- the age of discovery. later held executive leadership positions Academy of Sciences in 2014. way simultaneously, an unprecedented Kozloff’s work is exhibited in mu- at SGI, Microsoft and Google. Pearl is the author of three influen- achievement for a young composer. Lee moved to Beijing in 1998 to seums and galleries across the country. tial books in his field: Heuristics (1984), Schwartz also has worked exten- establish an office for Microsoft Re- She has won numerous commissions Probabilistic Reasoning in Intelligent sively in film. He collaborated on the search Asia, which became a renowned for such venues as the United States Systems (1988) and Causality: Models, scores for the 1995 Disney feature research institution in computer sci- Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, and the Reasoning, and Inference (2000). “Pocahontas,” for which he received two ence. In 2005, he was named founding International Terminal at San Francisco His current interests are artificial Academy awards and another Grammy, president of Google China. In 2009, he International Airport. She traces her intelligence and knowledge representa- and for “The Hunchback of Notre left Google to found Innovation Works, interest in public art to Carnegie Mellon tion, probabilistic and causal reasoning, Dame” in 1996. He won another Oscar an early-stage investment company that instructor Robert Lepper, who assigned nonstandard logics and learning strate- for the song “When You Believe,” from supports the creation of the next wave of students to document the buildings and gies. the 1998 animated film “The Prince of Chinese high-tech companies. people in the Oakland neighborhood. Pearl is the father of the late Wall Egypt.” He has written several best-selling In 2013, Kozloff returned to CMU Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, Schwartz’s musical “Wicked,” books, including two that have sold as an artist-in-residence at the Digital who was kidnapped and murdered in which opened in 2003, is currently over one million copies. His writings Arts Studio, where she made a body Pakistan in February 2002. In Daniel’s running on Broadway and in touring and speeches have inspired millions of work titled “Social Studies,” using memory, Pearl and his family founded productions around the world. In 2008, of young people to pursue technology 1950s classroom world maps that she the Daniel Pearl Foundation “to con- “Wicked” reached its 1,900th perfor- careers. He is one of the most followed found in a Paris flea market, to which tinue Daniel’s life-work of dialogue and mance on Broadway, making Schwartz micro-bloggers in China, in particular she digitally added political and social understanding and to address the root the only songwriter in Broadway history on Sina Weibo, where he has more than imagery not usually taught in history or causes of his tragedy.” to have three shows with more than 50 million followers. geography classes. 1,900 performances. He was named one of the 100 most She lives and works in New York Schwartz gives regular workshops influential people in the world by TIME City. and talks about his craft for CMU’s drama and musical theater students. S i x magazine in 2013. Schedule of Events Commencement weekend at Carnegie Mellon involves much more than the ceremony itself. Below is a list of events for May 16-17.

Saturday, May 16 11:30 a.m.- 1 p.m. Sunday, May 17

Human-Computer Interaction 8 - 9 a.m. 8 - 11 a.m. Institute (HCII) Undergraduate Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society Cap & Gown Distribution Open Commencement Presentation Initiation Ceremony McKenna/Peter/Wright Room, second Room 7500, Wean Hall McConomy Auditorium, first floor, CUC floor, CUC A presentation for HCII graduates to Caps and gowns are required. their families and peers. 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. An optional, complimentary breakfast Commencement Welcome Area will precede the ceremony at 7:15 a.m. 4 - 6 p.m. Wean Commons, first floor, CUC in the Connan Room, first floor, CUC. CMU 2015 Graduating Student 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Reception 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Cap & Gown Distribution Open Alumni House University Store Open McKenna/Peter/Wright Room, The CMU Alumni Association will host First floor, CUC a reception for all graduating students second floor, CUC 8:30 - 10 a.m. and their families. Snacks and non- Carl E. Wieman SCS Breakfasts 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. alcoholic beverages will be provided. Professor, Department of Physics Commencement Welcome Area SCS Undergraduate Breakfast & Graduate School of Education, 5 - 7 p.m. Wean Commons, first floor, CUC Perlis Atrium, third floor, Stanford University Carnegie Mellon Advising Resource Newell-Simon Hall Doctor of Science and Technology 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Center (CMARC) Reception SCS Graduate Breakfast University Store Open Singleton Room, fourth floor, Collaborative Commons, sixth floor, Carl E. Wieman is a professor of physics First floor, CUC Roberts Engineering Hall and education at Stanford University. He Gates & Hillman Centers 9:30 a.m. Sponsors will send invitations directly shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics to invitees. 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Navy ROTC Commissioning (with Eric Allin Cornell and Wolfgang University Store Sidewalk Sale Ketterle) for fundamental studies of the Ceremony 7 p.m. Outside Store Entrance Bose-Einstein condensate, work that has Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall Robing for Doctor’s Hooding had enormous influence on subsequent (off campus) Ceremony Participants 10 a.m. research in atomic physics. 4141 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Rangos Hall, second floor, CUC Robing for Commencement Wieman’s main intellectual pursuit 10 a.m. Robing is for doctor’s candidates and Participants faculty hooders. Guests should proceed in recent years has been on improv- Honors Ceremonies Various locations across campus. ing undergraduate physics and science directly to the ceremony. Various locations across campus. 10:15 a.m. education. He has pioneered the use of 8 p.m. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Procession of Graduates experimental techniques to evaluate the Doctor’s Hooding Ceremony effectiveness of various teaching strate- University Store Sidewalk Sale 11 a.m. Wiegand Gym, first floor, CUC gies for physics and other sciences. Outside Store Entrance Main Commencement Ceremony He has been widely recognized for Gesling Stadium his advocacy of teaching approaches that engage students more actively, improv- Noon - 5 p.m. ing learning of attitudes about science. Cap & Gown Return Open He believes that faculty members should McKenna/Peter/Wright Room, second CUC= Cohon University Center “approach the teaching of science like a floor, CUC science. That means applying to science teaching the practices that are essential components of scientific research, col- lect data and use it to guide conclusions and practice.” In 2004, he was named Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Founda- tion for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Wieman served as founding chair of the Board of Science Education of the National Academy of Sciences and was the founder of PhET which provides online interactive simu- lations that are used 45 million times per year to learn science. From 2010-2012, he served as as- sociate director for science in the White House Office of Science and Technol- ogy Policy. Wieman is a member of the Global Learning Council, chaired by A t commencement , t h e C a r n e g i e M e l l o n P i p e s a n d D r u m s B a n d w i l l l e a d t h e p r o c e s s i o n o f f a c u l t y a n d p l a t f o r m g r o u p m e m b e r s i n t o G e s l i n g S t a d i u m . CMU President Subra Suresh. S e v e n Diploma Ceremonies Graduates will receive their diplomas at department diploma ceremonies. Caps and gowns are required.

Architecture Chemistry + Entertainment Technology Center Music Saturday, May 16 Sunday, May 17 Sunday, May 17 Sunday, May 17 Ceremony: 2 p.m. Ceremony: 2 p.m. Reception, followed by dinner: 4 p.m. Ceremony: 12:30 p.m. Philip Chosky Theater, Purnell Center Auditorium, Mellon Institute Ceremony: following dinner Great Hall, CFA Reception: following ceremony 4400 Fifth Ave. East Club Lounge, Heinz Field Reception: following ceremony Great Hall, CFA Reception: following ceremony 100 Art Rooney Ave. Alumni Concert Hall, CFA Social & Conference Rooms, Art Mellon Institute Heinz College Philosophy Sunday, May 17 Saturday, May 16 Sunday, May 17 Reception: 12:30 p.m. Civil & Environmental Engineering + Ceremony: 2 p.m. Breakfast Reception: 8 a.m. Regina Gouger Miller Gallery, Sunday, May 17 Reception: following ceremony Ceremony: 9 a.m. Purnell Center Ceremony: 1:30 p.m. Petersen Events Center Greg Hall/Room 100, Porter Hall Ceremony: 3 p.m. Reception: following ceremony 3719 Terrace Center Philip Chosky Theater, Purnell Center University of Pittsburgh Alumni Hall Physics 4227 Fifth Ave. History Sunday, May 17 Bachelor of Humanities & Arts/ Sunday, May 17 Ceremony: 12:30 p.m. Bachelor of Science & Arts/ Design Breakfast Reception: 8 a.m. Reception: following ceremony Bachelor of Computer Science Saturday, May 16 Lower Level Coffee Lounge, Baker Hall Room 7500, Wean Hall & Arts Ceremony & Reception: 3 p.m. Ceremony: 9 a.m. Sunday, May 17 Rangos Hall, CUC Giant Eagle Auditorium, Baker Hall Psychology Ceremony: 8:30 a.m. Sunday, May 17 Kresge Theater, CFA Drama Information Networking Institute Ceremony & Reception: 12:30 p.m. Reception: 9:30 a.m. Sunday, May 17 Sunday, May 17 Rangos Hall, CUC Alumni Concert Hall, CFA Ceremony: 1 p.m. Ceremony: 3:30 p.m. Philip Chosky Theater, Purnell Center Reception: 4:30 p.m. School of Computer Science + Biological Sciences * Reception: following ceremony Rodef Shalom Congregation Sunday, May 17 Saturday, May 16 Lobby, Purnell Center 4905 Fifth Ave. Ceremony: 1:30 p.m. Ceremony: 2 p.m. Reception: following ceremony Auditorium, Mellon Institute Economics + Information Systems Carnegie Music Hall, Carnegie Museum 4400 Fifth Ave. Sunday, May 17 (Dietrich College) * 4400 Forbes Ave. Reception: following ceremony Reception: 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16 Social & Conference Rooms, Ceremony: 2 p.m. Ceremony: 6 p.m. Silicon Valley Mellon Institute Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall Philip Chosky Theater, Purnell Center The diploma ceremony will take place in 4141 Fifth Ave. Reception: following ceremony August on the Silicon Valley campus. Biomedical Engineering Lobby, Purnell Center Saturday, May 16 Electrical & Computer Engineering * Social & Decision Sciences Ceremony: Noon Sunday, May 17 Integrated Innovation for Product Sunday, May 17 McConomy Auditorium, CUC Ceremony: 1:30 p.m. & Services * Breakfast Reception: 7:30 a.m. Reception: 1 p.m. Reception: following ceremony Saturday, May 16 Schatz Dining Room, CUC Tartans Pavilion, Resnik House Petersen Events Center Ceremony: 4:30 p.m. Ceremony: 8:30 a.m. 3719 Terrace Street Reception: following ceremony McConomy Auditorium, CUC Gregg Hall/Room 100, Porter Hall (Bachelor’s) + Energy Science, Technology & Statistics + Sunday, May 17 Policy * Materials Science & Engineering + Sunday, May 17 Reception: 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 17 Sunday, May 17 Ceremony: 1:30 p.m. Ceremony: 2 p.m. Ceremony & Reception: 8 a.m. Ceremony: 1 p.m. Reception: following ceremony Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall Singleton Room, Reception: following ceremony Winchester Thurston School Auditorium 4141 Fifth Ave. Roberts Engineering Hall The Twentieth Century Club 555 Morewood Avenue 4201 Bigelow Boulevard Business Administration Engineering & Public Policy * Student-Defined Majors (Master’s & Doctor’s) Sunday, May 17 Mathematical Sciences (Dietrich College) Saturday, May 16 Ceremony & Reception: 7:30 a.m. Sunday, May 17 Sunday, May 17 Ceremony: 2 p.m. Rangos 2 and 3, CUC Ceremony: 1 p.m. Ceremony: 9 a.m. Reception: following ceremony McConomy Auditorium, CUC Reception: following ceremony Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall Engineering & Technology Reception: following ceremony Adamson Wing, Room 136A 4141 Fifth Ave. Innovation Management * Perlis Atrium, Newell-Simon Hall (upper level lobby), Baker Hall Sunday, May 17 Chemical Engineering Ceremony & Reception: 7:30 a.m. Mechanical Engineering * Saturday, May 16 Rangos 2 and 3, CUC Saturday, May 16 Ceremony: 3 p.m. Ceremony: 3 p.m. Carnegie Music Hall, Carnegie Museum English Wiegand Gymnasium, CUC 4400 Forbes Ave. Saturday, May 16 Reception: following ceremony Reception: following ceremony Ceremony: 2:30 p.m. Tartans Pavilion, Resnik House * Guests are limited. Contact the department or Carnegie Music Hall Foyer McConomy Auditorium, CUC see cmu.edu/commencement for details. Modern Languages + Complimentary shuttle service will be available Reception: following ceremony to transport guests to the ceremony. Schatz Dining Room, CUC Sunday, May 17 Ceremony: 8:30 a.m. Walking and driving directions to off-campus sites will be available at the Commencement Welcome Rangos 1, CUC Area. Reception: following ceremony CUC = Cohon University Center Skibo Coffeehouse, CUC CFA = College of Fine Arts Building

E i g h t New Building, New Vision Tepper School To Move Front and Center n Bruce Gerson Exciting. Cool. Interconnected. Entre- Beautiful computer-generated Provost for Campus Design and Facility be grand and intimate, lively and quiet, preneurial. Engaging. And how about, renderings for the 295,000 square-foot, Development Ralph Horgan, and Direc- public and private. amazing! five-story marvel with underground tor of Design Bob Reppe. “A rich ecology is one that is Those were just some of the words parking — yes, parking for 200 — were But, before the stunning images diverse and changing,” he said. used to describe designs for the new recently unveiled by the project team, were revealed, Dammon reflected on The attractive sculptured exterior of home of the Tepper School of Business, including Tepper School Dean Robert the significance and impact the new the building will consist of the Hornbos- the first project slated for the Tepper Dammon, faculty rep Bryan Routledge, building and location will have for the tel cream-colored brick and glass with Quad on the Morewood parking lot site. architect Buzz Yudell, Associate Vice business school. porches and bays. “It’s much more than a building, it’s “We wanted to use the original a new vision for the business school of palette and push it forward,” Yudell said the future,” said Dammon, who noted of the yellow brick. “We can use the that business schools are usually built prevailing materials in a new way to on the edge of campus to keep their connect to the history and still push it students focused on strictly business. forward.” “We want to create an environment He said by using the architectural that will bring all of campus together history of the university, the building so we can collaborate on problems that speaks to visitors, in a way, telling them really matter to the world,” he said. “We that they’re in a beautiful setting and have great strengths across campus and entering into the CMU district. we want to be connected to that as a Interior spaces will be flooded with business school.” natural light, warm fabric furnishings Dammon said the b-school also and wood to promote collaboration and

V i e w L o o k i n g N o r t h w e s t f r o m t h e “ C u t ” must be a better asset to the campus. interaction. Yudell said the inside would “We’re moving from the edge [of be lively, even the stairways. He called campus] to the center, not just physi- the wide ergonomically sound stairways, cally, but intellectually as well,” he said. “social stairs” that encourage people to Yudell called the project, which be active. aims to set the stage for future campus “Sitting is the new smoking,” growth to the north, an extraordinary op- he said. portunity. Yudell is a principal of Moore The ground floor and first level off Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners of of Forbes Avenue will include an 18-foot Santa Monica, Calif. high atrium inside the front door, a 600- “As a design team, there’s nothing seat auditorium that can be reconfigured more exciting than to make a physi- into different sizes, a Technology-En- cal place that supports, enhances and hanced Learning Center, a fitness center nurtures the ongoing vision and mission with locker rooms and showers, and a for the school and the university. We’re welcome center. A t r i u m a t E n t r y designing for today, and 10, 20 years The second floor, accessible from from now,” he said. the entrance facing the Cut, will include Yudell outlined several key prin- several dining options, such as grab & go ciples the team used to shape their work. and various cooking stations. Among them were creating a hub for “Food is central to the life of a campus; enlivening campus life with building,” Yudell said. mixed uses; energizing collaboration Levels two and three will contain and innovation; creating domains for 18 classrooms and flexible academic undergraduate and graduate students; support spaces, an undergraduate and and integrating technology to support graduate student commons area, break- the delivery of curricula. out rooms and collaborative areas, and He said this “Tepper School Plus” an Entrepreneurship Center. Classrooms would be welcoming, “green,” flexible, will be equipped with technology for adaptable and sustainable, providing production and linking to CMU cam-

G r a d u a t e C o m m o n s diverse, rich, multi-program experiences puses around the globe. with many choices. He said it would The fourth and fifth floors will be used for faculty, Ph.D. and staff offices and meeting space. Yudell said there T e pp e r Q u a d S i t e P r e p B e g i n s M ay 19 would be a “faculty neighborhood” instead of a faculty lounge. Site preparation for the Tepper tive Innovation Center (RMCIC) and The utility work will be completed “Faculty have given up having a Quad project is scheduled to begin Morewood Avenue. Vehicles must before the start of Orientation in late faculty lounge in favor of having spaces two days after commencement on turn right from Forbes to enter the August. between offices to become part of a Tuesday, May 19. The work will entail Morewood lot; left-hand turns into The Tepper Quad construction digging a 28-foot-deep trench across the lot will be prohibited. Pedestrian project will cause about 345 of the mixing bowl to generate interaction and Forbes Avenue to bring utility lines detours will be in effect as well. 640 Morewood Lot spaces to be make it a unique place,” he said. from main campus to the Tepper Bus stops will be affected. The reassigned during this spring’s park- Dammon said the space would draw Quad site at the Morewood parking westbound bus stop across from Cy- ing allocation process. Those spaces the campus community in. lot. ert Hall will remain, however the west- will be compensated by new surface “We hope people come over to col- The work will last through the bound stop across from Hamburg lots on Filmore Street and S. Neville laborate on research and education, for summer and reduce traffic to one Hall will be removed. The eastbound Street, and additional spaces in the social reasons, to eat, to workout. We lane in each direction between stop near Hamburg Hall will move lot located south of Forbes at Craig want them to come and never leave,” the Robert Mehrabian Collabora- westward toward the RMCIC drive. Street and the RMCIC lot. he said. N i n e CMU Honors Magnificent Mentors, Terrific Teachers C o n t i n u e d f r o m pa g e o n e

The Award for Outstanding abroad programs, expanding opportuni- VanBriesen helped her to reach that Contributions to Academic ties for students and also streamlining the decision. Advising and Mentoring process for them. “Having been outside of the full- Since Olson was hired, the mechani- time student world for almost 10 years Bonnie Olson cal engineering undergraduate program when I began my Ph.D. work, I found has doubled in size, and student-reported it challenging to completely understand satisfaction with advising has notice- and meet expectations,” Isovitch said. ably risen. Mechanical engineering “As my adviser, Jeanne provided me consistently ranks first or second among with support and inspiration while also CMU’s engineering departments in the letting me find my own way. This often annual Undergraduate Advising Survey, times meant I had to struggle to find an- and is well above other departments of swers, but I was better for it in the end.” R e b e c c a N u g e n t comparable size. VanBriesen has an intensive, The college’s Senior Engineering student-centered mentoring style that to engage them both in and out of the Exit Assessment added a section on ad- ensures the individual develops both classroom. vising in 2014, and graduating mechani- personally and professionally. She helps “Rebecca’s classroom teaching is cal engineering students rated advising her students develop their abilities to the simply inspirational,” wrote her nomina- B o n n i e O l s o n performance at 95 percent, the highest of fullest and then guides them in deciding tors, professors Joel Greenhouse, Brian all the engineering departments. how to align their talents with their own Junker and Mark Schervish. She’s the glue that holds the mechani- “It’s hard to imagine our department goals. Nugent actively tries to incorpo- cal engineering undergraduate program operating without Bonnie,” Robinson She continues to offer support rate challenges and contests into every together, according to colleagues who said. and mentorship to a number of junior course she teaches and encourages stu- nominated Bonnie Olson for the Aca- women in engineering and science at dents to try to surprise her. She expects demic Advising Award. The Barbara Lazarus Award CMU, generally through informal coffee all her students to try their best and to Before Olson joined the Department for Graduate Student and and lunch meetings to discuss research, contribute, and she sincerely believes of Mechanical Engineering in 2003, the promotion and tenure process, and that every student has something to Junior Faculty Mentoring faculty members were responsible for balancing the competing demands for offer. This kind of personal interaction all undergraduate advising. But as the Jeanne VanBriesen time that are so common during the pre- contributes to the overall sense of com- department grew, it had become increas- tenure years for faculty. munity that she builds in her classroom. ingly clear that students would be better VanBriesen frequently presents to Nugent is fearless when it comes served if someone solely dedicated to groups of women on the topics of life in to revising courses to meet the diverse advising helped carry the load. graduate school, advising and mentor- needs of her students. She has changed Olson was the right person at the ing, the academic job search, and jug- exam formats to accommodate her right time, her colleagues said, and she gling work and family. students’ varying levels of programming quickly exceeded expectations, develop- The Untenured Women Faculty in skills, leveling the playing field and, ing the position far beyond the original Engineering lunch meeting VanBriesen rewarding preparation. plan. co-organized 15 years ago is still going She revised and renamed the Some describe her ability to serve strong at CMU today, although she and Modern Regression capstone course, students as “uncanny.” all of the original members have techni- introducing modern statistical meth- “Walking across campus with her is cally “graduated” from the group by ods with an emphasis on experiential to experience an impressive display of J e a n n e V a n B r i e s e n attaining their tenure at the university. learning and balancing the practice of memory. She remembers who has had statistics with theory. In fall 2006, when what experience and can make connec- From the moment she arrived at CMU Mark Gelfand Service Award she first taught the course, there were 25 tions between students. She has a large in 1999, Jeanne VanBriesen has been for Educational Outreach students. In fall 2014, 131 students were number of advisees, but it seems like she networking. enrolled. knows them all by name,” said Depart- While advancing through the profes- Carol Frieze “We are all familiar with, not to ment Head Allen Robinson, Professor sorial ranks, she has mentored a growing With a record-breaking number of mention intimidated by, the challenges Alan McGaughey and Business Manager number of junior faculty members both women in its freshman class this year, of teaching large introductory courses,” Keri Baker, who nominated her for the inside and outside the university, and Andrew Moore, dean of the School of her nominators wrote. “Few of us, how- award. transformed the academic experience for Computer Science, and several col- ever, have had to confront the unique Olson treats each student as an in- graduate students who seek her advice leagues of Carol Frieze thought it was challenges of teaching large upper level dividual, listening to and understanding and counsel. the perfect time to nominate her for the courses. Rebecca has done this repeat- their goals and interests and then helping “Jeanne is generous with her time Mark Gelfand Award for Educational edly and makes it look easy.” them effectively plan their coursework and sensitive to the challenges junior Outreach. She recognizes the importance of and other activities — quite the juggling faculty face in the competitive funding Over the past 15 years, Frieze has interacting with real data for training. act, as it can include double majors, self- arena, as well as in their efforts to build worked to create and encourage academ- As a result, almost all of her courses defined majors, minors and study abroad. meaningful professional and personal ic, social and professional opportunities involve writing exams or projects that Olson is an active member of the success,” wrote Hamerschlag University for underrepresented groups in computer use large data sets from real research undergraduate education committee, and Professor and Civil and Environmental science through Women@SCS, which projects. is a voice for the students she serves. She Engineering Department Head David she directs, and SCS4ALL, which she Every semester she searches for ap- spearheaded a student trip to China in Dzombak, who nominated her for the co-founded last year. propriate data sets, cleans and analyzes 2013, putting in many hours outside of award. “Carol engages and encourages the data, does the background research her normal day to make sure everything VanBriesen has mentored 15 civil the many students of these organiza- on the problem, and writes a structured went as planned. And it did. and environmental engineering Ph.D. tions through her extensive knowledge, exam/project based on the data. She She leads the process of nominating students through the completion of their experience, gentle guidance, availabil- writes at least 10 of these a year and students for internal and external awards. degrees; 12 were women. When Van- ity and patient listening,” Moore said. rarely uses the same data set twice. She And last year, she further reduced the Briesen initially met Shannon Isovitch, “Under her guidance, the students grow has collected these research problems/ load on faculty by developing an online one of her former Ph.D. students who is into teachers, speakers, leaders, orga- data sets into an easily searchable library system to assist with awards-related now manager of innovation initiatives at nizers and mentors — professionals in that is quickly becoming a fantastic decision-making. Alcoa, Isovitch was working full-time as technology who, in turn, pay it forward resource for other instructors to use both Olson has developed an advising an engineering consultant, finishing her to others.” at CMU and at other universities. manual based on her experience and has master’s degree on a part-time basis and One of Frieze’s signature strengths is

been an advocate and pioneer for study- considering pursuing a doctoral degree. her insistence that things are student-run. T e n “She guides students rather than Frieze and her students regu- Her 10 publications with doing things for them,” Moore added. larly disperse to share computer science Lenore Blum, Bernardine Dias, Jeria “She offers them leadership positions “roadshows” in schools, coffee shops and Quesenberry and others present and guides them to shine. When asked other venues. Frieze recruits and trains groundbreaking work in how to to speak or present, Carol often gives CMU student volunteers in response to understand and increase women’s the opportunity to a graduate student requests from schools or programs at participation in computer science. instead.” museums. Recently, she co-authored a book At the request of a graduate student Every other year Frieze brings about with Quesenberry called “From Differ- 10 years ago, Frieze started TechNights 20 graduate and undergraduate CMU ence to Diversity: Women in Computing to introduce middle school girls to com- students to the Grace Hopper Celebration at Carnegie Mellon University,” in which puter science. Hundreds of middle school of Women in Computing Conference. her primary objective was to share the girls have since discovered and explored Often Frieze and her students present at success stories at CMU in the hope that computer science while having fun, and Grace Hopper, sharing what they have other institutions and schools seeking through the program girls meet others accomplished at CMU. to improve the underrepresentation of interested in technology, sometimes for women in computing will have tried and C a r o l F r i e z e the first time. true tools to leverage.

College Teaching Awards Below are the 2015 recipients.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Benjamin Richard Teare Jr. Teaching Award Donald E. Thomas Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS Henry Hornbostel Teaching Award Bruce M. Hanington Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, School of Design

DIETRICH COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES Elliott Dunlap Smith Award for Teaching and Educational Service T h e E d u c at i o n A w a r d W i n n e r s p o s e w i t h t h e i r m e d a l s ( l - r ) : R e b e c c a N u g e n t , J e a n n e V a n B r i e s e n , Yasufumi Iwasaki C a r o l F r i e z e a n d B o n n i e O l s o n . Associate Teaching Professor of Japanese Studies, Department of Modern Languages

H. JOHN HEINZ III COLLEGE Martcia Wade Teaching Award David Lassman Distinguished Service Professor

MELLON COLLEGE OF SCIENCE Julius Ashkin Teaching Award Susan T. Graul Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Chemistry

The Richard Moore Education Award J e a n n e V a n B r i e s e n a n d E v e r e t t T a d e m y Helmut Vogel Professor, Department of Physics

SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE Herbert A. Simon Award for Teaching Excellence Robert J. Simmons C a r o l F r i e z e a n d s t u d e n t J e n L i a o Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Computer Science

TEPPER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Gerald L. Thompson Teaching Award in the B.S. Business Administration Program Mustafa Akan Associate Professor of Operations Management

Richard M. Cyert Teaching Award in the B.S. Economics Program Chris Sleet Professor of Economics

MBA Geroge Leland Bach Excellence in Teaching Award Sevin Yeltekin PHOTOS BY ERICA DILCER Associate Professor of Economics B o n n i e O l s o n a n d S t e v e P a j e w s k i R e b e c c a N u g e n t a n d h e r m o t h e r , C o n n i e READ MORE ONLINE AT CMU.EDU/PIPER

E l e v e n Oscar Winner Returns To Share Virtues of CMU Drama Education

n Erin Keane Scott

Academy Award-winning actress Holly Hunter (A’80) returned to the School of Drama the first week of April to talk with students about the craft of acting and her own career trajectory. The actress is known for such diverse roles as Ed in “Raising ” and the voice of Elastigirl in “The In- credibles.” She is the only CMU gradu-

ate to have won an Academy Award for PHOTOS BY LOUIS STEIN acting; she won for her role as a mute woman named Ada in “The Piano.” Hunter got her start as an actress in A c a d e m y A w a r d - w i n n i n g a c t r e s s a n d S c h o o l o f D r a m a a l u m n a H o l ly H u n t e r d i s c u s s e s h e r c r a f t , h e r c m u high school plays in her hometown in t r a i n i n g a n d h e r c a r e e r t r a j e c t o r y w i t h d r a m a s t u d e n t s . Georgia. When she traveled to upstate New York for summer stock, the older, seeing yourself as an instrument that you When answering a student’s ques- stake for you,’” she said. “I’ve learned professional actors told her that Carn- learn to play.” tion about the transition between theater to make friends with my fear and use it egie Mellon was the place to become a Though some of Hunter’s most and film she had great experiences to for the character.” trained actress. She recalls her audition visible work has been in film, she’s also share. Not everyone will experience the to the School of Drama as a two-day an accomplished thespian. She recently “When I do a movie or TV, I memo- same fear or the same career path, and process, taking place in the Kresge closed an off-Broadway revival of the rize the whole script,” she said. “It’s she said she’s careful not to give advice Theater and Margaret Morrison Hall. 1971 play “Sticks and Bones” by David a takeaway from Carnegie. That way to students. Rather, she prefers to tell “Going to school at Carnegie Rabe, co-starring Bill Pullman. when the weather’s bad and we have to them, “This is what I did. It worked for [Mellon] gave me incredible confidence She still employs techniques she shoot another scene indoors, I’m ready.” me. You have to travel your own path, and a sense of entitlement to act, which learned as a CMU student when she She also recounted an experience because everyone is different.” was a total advantage when I went to plays a role — notably, vocal warmups. on the set of 1988’s “Broadcast News” Hunter plays the role of a U.S. New York to start my career,” Hunter “There are things I do every day in which lead actor William Hurt took senator in the 3-D movie “Batman v said in a southern accent punctuated by when I’m performing that I learned at her hand and told her he could tell she Superman: Dawn of Justice,” starring several decades of life in the Big Apple. Carnegie. Sometimes you’re the only was afraid of the camera, but that it was Ben Affleck and scheduled for release “You leave here knowing how to work. one doing it and it feels lonely,” she okay, because he was, too. in 2016. You’re confident; training here gives you said. “But then you start to feel that it’s “He told me, ‘It’s okay to be afraid an orientation to yourself — almost like something that makes you special.” because it means that something is at

On the Clock: Ph.D. Students Embrace 3-Minute Thesis Challenge

n Cindy Carroll Keith Webster, dean of University logical match.” fun and has the capability to really help Summarizing your research and “selling” Libraries at CMU, was working at the Webster introduced the competition to people,” Arnold said. its importance to a general audience in as University of Queensland at the time, CMU in 2014, and students, faculty and Michael Craig, a first-year student in little as three minutes can be a tall order and he saw firsthand the value in the staff have embraced it. engineering and public policy who is for any scientist. competition as well as its impact. He says the entire competition, researching the impact of climate change That’s the challenge of the 3-Minute “It was an opportunity for students to from qualifying rounds through the on electrical power generation, won Thesis (3MT) competition for Ph.D. strengthen their communication skills final championship, demonstrates the second place in the competition. students, which began in 2008 at the and a vehicle to showcase the depth and exceptional caliber of CMU’s research “Condensing everything to three University of Queensland and quickly breadth of talent amongst early career re- students and gives them the opportunity minutes is tough, but it’s even harder to expanded to hundreds of universities in searchers,” Webster said. “With CMU’s to share their work with an audience find the right balance between complex- 18 countries. incredibly talented Ph.D. pool, it was a outside their disciplines. ity and simplicity,” he said. “I didn’t “To engage a non-specialist audi- want to talk down to the audience, but ence, students must convey the big I knew if I assumed knowledge of my picture of their research, a skill they will discipline, or used too much lingo from depend on to gain support for their work the power sector, I would lose them.” throughout their careers,” he said. Sam Ventura, a fifth-year candidate in Contestants are allowed just one static statistics took third place. Vincent De- slide to accompany their presentation. A George, who studies materials science panel of judges selected first, second and and engineering, won over the audience third place while the audience selected to take the People’s Choice title. a People’s Choice winner. All winners Craig encourages other doctoral received cash prizes up to $3,000 sup- students to accept the challenge for the porting research or travel. benefits it brings. This year’s first-place winner was “Stop hesitating and do it. It’s great Annie Arnold, a first-year doctoral presentation practice and there are solid candidate in chemistry who is working rewards to be had,” he said. to develop a biodegradable bone implant “Everyone should have the type of that will promote the natural growth of narrative that’s required in 3MT. If you PHOTO BY DON WRIGHT bone tissue to mend injuries. don’t, it’s going to be much harder to V i c e P r e s i d e n t o f R e s e a r c h a n d P r o v o s t - d e s i g n a t e F a r n a m J a h a n i a n “3MT gave me the opportunity not write future grant or fellowship applica- ( r i g h t ) p r e s e n t s A n n i e A r n o l d ( c e n t e r ) w i t h t h e f i r s t - p l a c e p r i z e f o r only to share how exciting my research tions,” Craig said. t h e 3 - M i n u t e T h e s i s c o m p e t i t i o n , a s l a s t y e a r ’ s w i n n e r D av i d R o l l i n s o n is, but also to convey that chemistry is ( l e f t ) a n d D e a n o f L i b r a r i e s K e i t h W e b s t e r l o o k o n . T w e l v e