piper2/08 Issue

3 Relationships La b

5 Q&A w i t h Professor Edmund Clarke Wins Sh a r o n Bu r k s

8 Od y s s e y Pr o g r a m “Nobel Prize of Computing”

12 Le c t u r e Sp o t l i g h t n Byron Spice first Model Checker, called EMC. “I never would have guessed it would The A.M. Turing Award is win a Turing Award. But when you considered the Nobel Prize of realize that you have accomplished Carnegie Mellon the computing field, and this something that is truly important, year’s winner, Computer Science there’s just no better feeling.” Wins Three Professor Edmund M. Clarke, It would take years for the rest couldn’t be more excited. Or of the world to catch on, but today Carnegie Science could he? Model Checking is the most widely Actually, Clarke has been used form of verification in the Center Awards more excited at least once before – computer hardware and software back in the fall of 1982. That was industries. Engineers routinely use n Piper Staff his first semester as a Carnegie it to improve reliability by spotting They’re the grand prizes in Pittsburgh sci- Mellon faculty member and the design errors before computer ence. And Carnegie Mellon hit the jackpot, semester he implemented his first products go to market. Model Checker. But until 1982, it was just an

winning three Carnegie Science Awards. of E d m und C larke Photo courtesy The Robotics Institute took home top Model Checking is a idea. Clarke and his graduate student, C o mp u t e r Sc i e n c e Pr o f e s s o r honors, winning the Chairman’s Award. technique for verifying that E. Allen Emerson, began working on E dm u n d Cl a r k e r e c e n t l y w a s n a m e d computer circuitry or software it in 1981 when both were at Harvard Tiziana DiMatteo, an associate profes- a c o - r e c i p i e n t o f t h e 2 0 0 7 A . M . does what it was designed to University. At the time, engineers sor in the Department of Physics, won the T u r i n g Aw a r d , w h i c h is w i d e l y do. It is the invention of Model checked for logic errors by running “Emerging Female Scientist” accolade, r e g a r d e d a s t h e “No b e l Pr i z e o f Checking that the Association for simulations to test performance of while the Entertainment Technology Center c o mp u t i n g .” earned recognition in the Information Computing Machinery (ACM) new circuit designs or by manually Technology category. Award winners were is recognizing by bestowing the the University of Grenoble in France. checking each line of software announced Jan. 31. $250,000 Turing Award on Clarke “When I realized myself that code. But computers already were The Robotics Institute’s award is not and two computer scientists at the this worked, that was really the high C o n t i n u e d o n p a g e t w e l v e necessarily given on an annual basis, but University of Texas at Austin and point,” Clarke said as he recalled that

C o n t i n u e d o n p a g e e i g h t

Microsoft Founder Bill Gates To Visit Campus

M i c r o s o f t f o u n d e r , c h a i r m a n a n d f o r m e r CEO Bi l l Ga t e s w i l l g i v e a l e c t u r e

t o t h e Ca r n e g i e Me l l o n c o mm u n i t y f r o m 4 t o 5 p . m ., Th u r s d a y , Fe b . 21 in

R a n g o s Ha l l , Un i v e r s i t y Ce n t e r . His t a l k is t i t l e d “Bi l l Ga t e s Un p l u g g e d :

O n So f t w a r e , In n o v a t i o n , En t r e p r e n e u r s h i p a n d Giving Ba c k .”

th e t a l k c o n c l u d e s h i s f a r e w e l l l e c t u r e t o u r o f f i v e p r o m i n e n t

universities a s h e transitions f r o m Mi c r o s o f t i n t o h i s n e w r o l e in t h e

B i l l a n d Me l i n d a Ga t e s Fo u n d a t i o n .

In f o r m a t i o n r e g a r d i n g t h e l e c t u r e is a v a i l a b l e a t www . c m u . e d u /

c o r p o r a t e / b i l l _ g a t e s

Photo by ken andreyo O n e Researcher’s Earthquake Simulations May Reduce piper Risk to Buildings, Infrastructure 2/08 Issue n Chriss Swaney large-scale simulations possible is the P u b l i s h e r ability to create extremely large models of Teresa Thomas People who live in southern California, earthquake-prone areas like the Los An- E d i t o r where earthquakes often make backyards Bruce Gerson geles basin. This new grant will give us shake like a bowl full of Jell-O, may find the resources to create three-dimensional M a n a g i n g Ed i t o r some comfort in the latest research under Kelli McElhinny models that can simulate how earthquakes way at Carnegie Mellon. W r i t e r s impact buildings, bridges and other critical Jacobo Bielak, a professor in civil and Cindy Carroll Byron Spice urban infrastructures,” said Bielak. Actual Joceyln Duffy Chriss Swaney environmental engineering, was recently Abby Houck Ken Walters buildings can then be classified based on Eric Sloss awarded a four-year grant to improve the predictions of no damage, nonstructural university’s earthquake simulations to D e s i g n e r damage, structural damage or collapse. Melissa Stoebe better predict the impact quakes of various Over the past decade, Bielak, Communications Design Group sizes will have on urban areas. The goal is O’Hallaron and their students have suc- P h o t o g r a p h y simple — to save lives, buildings, infra- Ken Andreyo cessfully collaborated with researchers structure and transportation systems. Communications Design Group at the Southern California Earthquake Because of his extensive earthquake of the C ollege E ngineering Im age courtesy To contact The Piper staff, call 412-268-2900 Center (SCEC) on a series of increasingly E a r t h q u a k e s i m u l a t i o n s c r e a t e d b y or email [email protected]. work, Bielak was awarded $1.6 million ambitious and influential computer models J a c o b o Bi e l a k , a civil a n d e n v i r o n - Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate and Carnegie from the prestigious National Science m e n t a l engineering p r o f e s s o r m a y Mellon University is required not to discriminate in admission, of earthquake behavior, creating fully , employment, or administration of its programs or activities Foundation (NSF) PetaApps program to on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or handicap in realistic three-dimensional representations h e l p r e d u c e s e i s m i c r i s k s in h e a v i l y violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of develop earthquake computer simulations the Educational Amendments of 1972 and Section 504 of the p o p u l a t e d , e a r t h q u a k e - p r o n e a r e a s Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or other federal, state, of complex basin geology, earthquake or local laws or executive orders. that play an important role in reducing s u c h a s s o u t h e r n California. In addition, Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate sources and earthquake ground motion. in admission, employment or administration of its programs on seismic risks affecting the Los Angeles the basis of religion, creed, ancestry, belief, age, veteran status, But Bielak reports that this new sexual orientation or gender identity. Carnegie Mellon does not basin and other large coastal cities. discriminate in violation of federal, state, or local laws or execu- earthquake research is designed to push Department of Civil and Environmental tive orders. However, in the judgment of the Carnegie Mellon Bielak leads a team that also includes Human Relations Commission, the Presidential Executive Order directing the Department of Defense to follow a policy of, “Don’t the capability of existing hardware and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon, noted ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue,” excludes openly gay, lesbian and David R. O’Hallaron, associate professor bisexual students from receiving ROTC scholarships or serving software programs. It will give Bielak and that the NSF research award is another in the military. Nevertheless, all ROTC classes at Carnegie Mel- of computer science and electrical and lon University are available to all students. his team the opportunity to integrate the example of the university’s successful Inquiries concerning application of these statements should computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon, be directed to the Provost, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 ground motion of large sedimentary basins problem-solving environment. “The proj- Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, telephone 412-268-6684 along with researchers from several cam- or the Vice President for Enrollment, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, telephone 412- like the Los Angeles area with a variety ect draws upon our expertise in earthquake 268-2056. puses of the University of California. Carnegie Mellon University publishes an annual campus of large databases, such as entire build- engineering, computer and computational security report describing the university’s security, alcohol and “These simulations will provide drug, and sexual assault policies and containing statistics about ing inventories, to study the impacts of science and seismology,” Garrett said. the number and type of crimes committed on the campus unprecedented detailed knowledge of how during the preceding three years. You can obtain a copy by large magnitude earthquakes on buildings, Bielak and his team also will col- contacting the Carnegie Mellon Police Department at 412-268- an urban system performs in a large earth- 2323. The security report is available through the World Wide Web at www.cmu.edu/police/statistics.htm. transportation systems and other impor- laborate extensively with the Pittsburgh Obtain general information about Carnegie Mellon quake and what is needed for improving University by calling 412-268-2000. tant underground infrastructure. Urban Supercomputing Center to test some of Produced for Media Relations by the Communications disaster planning and preparation,” said Design Group, October 2007, 08-202. planners, emergency personnel and people the special algorithms and simulation Bielak, who was recently elected to the establishing building codes can use the structures that will allow them to generate Mexican Academy of Engineering. model to assess risks and set policy. a more accurate picture of how to improve “One of the keys to making such James H. Garrett Jr., head of the public safety during an earthquake. New Method Determines Where Thoughts Originate in Brain

n Piper Staff

For a team of Carnegie Mellon computer According to Just and Mitchell, for additional research in this area from scientists and cognitive neuroscientists, this is the first study to report the ability the W. M. Keck Foundation, which was the question wasn’t only “What were to identify the thought process associ- partially responsible for the first study’s you thinking?” It was also “Where were ated with a single object. Earlier work funding as well. you thinking?” showed it is possible to distinguish Based on these results of the re- Led by Cognitive Neuroscience broad categories of objects such as search published in PLoS One, Just and Professor Marcel Just and Computer “tools” versus “buildings,” but this new Mitchell will now seek to develop the Science Professor Tom M. Mitchell, research shows that it is possible to dis- first scientific theory ever conceived for a research team combined methods of tinguish between items with very similar producing testable detailed predictions machine learning and brain imaging to meanings, like two different tools. of observable fMRI neural representa- find a way to identify where people’s Just, who directs the Center for Cogni- tions for every concrete noun in com- thoughts and perceptions of familiar objects originate in the brain. They did “Th e n e x t st e p i s t o l e a r n h o w t h e b r a i n t h i n k s a b o u t so by identifying the patterns of brain neural activation patterns. To make the activity associated with the objects. task more challenging for themselves, a b st r a c t s u b j e c ts , l i k e a r t , b e a u t y o r t r u t h .” — Co m p u t e r

An article in the Jan. 2 issue of PLoS the researchers excluded information S c i e n c e Pr o f e ss o r To m Mi t c h e l l One discusses this new method, which in the brain’s visual cortex, where raw was developed over two years under visual information is available, and tive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon, mon English, as well as many abstract Just’s and Mitchell’s leadership. focused more on the “thinking” parts of noted that one application the team is nouns and verbs. Study participants enveloped in an the brain. excited about is comparing the activa- “We’ve learned how the brain MRI scanner were shown line draw- The scientists found that the activa- tion patterns of people with neurological represents concepts that we describe ings of 10 different objects — five tools tion pattern evoked by an object wasn’t disorders, such as autism. “We are look- by concrete words,” said Mitchell, who and five dwellings — one at a time and located in just one place in the brain. For ing forward to determining how people heads the Machine Learning Department asked to think about their properties. instance, thinking about a hammer acti- with autism neurally represent social in the School of Computer Science. Just and Mitchell’s method was able vated many locations. Swinging a ham- concepts such as friend and happy,” he “The next step is to learn how the brain to accurately determine which of the mer activated the motor area, while what said. thinks about abstract subjects, like art, 10 drawings a participant was viewing a hammer is used for, and the shape of a Just and Mitchell also recently beauty or truth.” based on their characteristic whole-brain hammer activated other areas. received a three-year, $1.1 million grant T w o Romance Becomes Research Material in Relationships Laboratory n Kelli McElhinny

A comfortable “den” tucked away on the ences that counter the negative ones this data to identify behavioral patterns, third floor of Baker Hall has some sofas, that you’ve had, then they’re open to personality characteristics, and relation- a coffee table and bookcases, and it change.” ship dynamics that predict personal and often provides a space for romantic part- Feeney’s work focuses largely on relationship well-being. An important ners or spouses to hash out the details of the interpersonal dynamics surrounding long-term goal of this work is to develop their relationships. It also has two video caregiving in relationships. Her work interventions for faltering relationships. cameras so deftly hidden that most of centers around the idea that relationship Feeney also recently applied for the couples whose exchanges are being partners should serve two major care- funding to study the relationships of the recorded aren’t even aware that they’re giving functions for one another. They elderly. She hopes to identify the rela- there. should provide a safe haven to which tional dynamics that predict health, well- Brooke Feeney, associate professor a partner can “come in” for comfort being, and longevity of aging individuals of psychology in the College of Human- and support in times of stress, and they — as well as their adjustment to the aging ities and Social Sciences, uses this cozy should provide a secure base from which process. Another goal of this work is to living-room setup to study how couples a partner can “go out” to explore, learn, determine if and how relationship dynam- interact with each other in various discover, and strive to meet important ics change throughout the lifespan. scenarios. personal goals. Feeney’s research ex- The Relationships Lab may seem to During graduate school, Feeney of- amines the extent to which the presence have a decidedly romantic slant, but its ten had to use uncomfortable offices or or absence of each type of caregiving work has applications for platonic rela- conference rooms for observing couples’ predicts important relational outcomes tionships and family interactions as well. communications. But she believed that (such as relationship satisfaction and sta- In fact, one of Feeney’s earlier studies the relationship dynamics she was try- bility) and personal outcomes (such as looked at the dynamics between parents ing to study would be more authentic if self-esteem and goal accomplishment). and teenagers and how their pre-existing she could replicate couples’ everyday Photo by kelli m celhinny A major project under way in the positive or negative expectations led them environments rather than watch them A s s o c i a t e Pr o f e s s o r Br o o k e Fe e n e y lab is a newlywed study involving 200 to misremember or reconstruct relation- c o n d u c t s r e s e a r c h in relationshi p interact in an unnatural setting. So, when couples. Funded by the National Science ship events that happened months earlier. d y n a m i c s . He r l a b , w h i c h is o n t h e she came to Carnegie Mellon, she set up Foundation, this project aims to follow Feeney’s work in the Relationships t h i r d f l o o r o f Ba k e r Ha l l , is s e t the Relationships Laboratory. newlyweds over the early years of their Lab recently earned her an esteemed rec- u p l i k e a living r o o m t o r e c r e a t e “We want to make research partici- marriages to identify specific caregiving ognition. In December, she was honored a f a m i l i a r e n v i r o n m e n t f o r s t u d y pants feel comfortable, as comfortable dynamics that foretell stable, growing with the Estella Loomis McCandless s u b j e c t s . as they would feel if they were interact- relationships versus ones that predict re- professorship, one of two McCandless ing in their own living room,” Feeney lationship dissolution. Initially, couples Chairs given every three years to Carn- said. those expectations become self-fulfilling are being followed over the first two egie Mellon junior faculty members who Much of this research is based on prophecies. years of their marriages. have shown great promise in their field. the idea that people enter relationships While established beliefs and At a number of visits in those two “I feel very honored and grateful that with characteristic beliefs, expecta- expectations bear heavy influence on years, couples complete questionnaires my work has been recognized in that way. tions and behavioral patterns developed one’s behavior in romantic relationships, about their relationship history and I’m deeply appreciative of the McCand- from prior experiences with significant Feeney notes that the patterns are not set personality characteristics, they are less family for establishing the professor- others that influence the course of their in stone. videotaped as they engage in interac- ships and of Carnegie Mellon for provid- relationships throughout the lifespan. “It just takes effort,” she said. “If tions in the living room lab, particularly ing such a supportive and stimulating In some of her research, Feeney has you go back and really examine these interactions about goals and stressors. environment in which I can do my work,” examined individual differences in expectations and beliefs and where They also provide reports of their daily she said. expectations that people bring into their they’re coming from, and also have interactions and life events at home on relationships and the extent to which more positive relationship experi- a PDA. The researchers then examine

Carnegie Mellon Athletes Make Their Marks

L e f t : Fr e s h m a n Mo l l y Ev a n s s e t

f o u r individual s c h o o l r e c o r d s

a n d is a m e m b e r o f t w o r e c o r d -

s e t t i n g r e l a y t e a m s t h i s y e a r .

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E v a n s b r o k e h e r o w n s c h o o l

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R i g h t : Se n i o r Gr e g Go n z a l e z ,

s h o w n h e r e in a g a m e e a r l i e r

t h i s s e a s o n a g a i n s t Br a n d e i s ,

s c o r e d a g a m e - h i g h 20 p o i n t s

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A t h l e t i c As s o c i a t i o n At h l e t e o f

t h e We e k h o n o r s . Photos by Martin S antek Photogra p hy Photos by Martin

T h r e e Former NASA Project Manager To Lead Carnegie Mellon’s Lunar X-Prize Team

n Byron Spice mounting its own mission to the moon. Another part of it is the mission outlined Tony Spear wants to put the “wow” back by Whittaker: landing a rover in the Sea into space exploration, to once again of Tranquility on the 40th anniversary of spark the excitement of the Apollo 11 Apollo 11. The plan is for the rover to moon landing in 1969 or of the astound- visit the site where Neil Armstrong set ing Red Planet images transmitted by foot on the moon and beam back high- the Mars Pathfinder mission’s Sojourner resolution images of whatever remains robot in 1997. — simultaneously capturing both the

“Th e Ca r n e g i e Me l l o n a p p r o a c h i s a g e l e ss — t o u s e y o u r

b r a i n t o u n d e r st a n d t h e p r o b l e m a n d t h e n c o m e u p w i t h

a p l a n .” — To n y Sp e a r , Lu n a r X-Pr i z e t e a m p r o j e c t m a n a g e r

As project manager for Pathfinder X-Prize and the imaginations of millions. Photo by ken andreyo at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory “This is going to get worldwide T o n y Sp e a r , s h o w n h e r e w i t h a m o c k - u p o f t h e r o v e r t h a t Ca r n e g i e (JPL), Spear already has stoked that sort acclaim,” Spear said. M e l l o n ’ s Lu n a r X-Pr i z e t e a m h o p e s t o l a n d o n t h e m o o n , w a s r e c e n t l y of fervor. He sees the same potential in A number of teams have organized n a m e d p r o g r a m m a n a g e r o f t h e X-Pr i z e t e a m . Sp e a r w a s p r e v i o u s l y a the Google Lunar X-Prize, which will or have begun organizing since the p r o j e c t m a n a g e r f o r NASA’s Ma r s Pa t h f i n d e r . award $20 million or more to the first Google Lunar X-Prize was announced private group to operate a robot on the in September. “We all scrambled to lunar-landing technology and the in Tucson and his home in Pasadena, moon by 2012. As the program manager get Tony on board,” said Whittaker, University of Arizona will provide Calif., as he begins “an unbelievably for the X-Prize team being assembled by professor of robotics and director of the mission control, cameras and spacecraft difficult challenge.” The team still must William “Red” Whittaker, Spear once Field Robotics Center. “The experience integration. obtain such basics as a launch vehicle, more is in a position to make history in Tony amassed during his 36 years at JPL Spear, 71, a consultant since retir- while operating on a projected budget outer space. would give any team a huge advantage. ing from JPL in 1998, met with several of less than $100 million. “We have the opportunity to go to We couldn’t be happier to have him with potential teams this fall. He came away But his Carnegie Tech training the moon and gain that ‘wow factor’ us on this adventure.” from a December meeting with Whit- serves him well in this new endeavor, again,” said Spear, who graduated from Whittaker has formed a company, taker’s nascent team convinced that it just as it did when he was at NASA. Carnegie Tech in 1962 with an electrical Astrobotic Technology Inc., headed by potentially could be the best of the lot. “The Carnegie Mellon approach is age- engineering degree. “I think the X-Prize Carnegie Mellon alum and technology “It’s a very talented team,” he said. less— to use your brain to understand is going to be a big deal.” entrepreneur Mitchell London (E 1997), “Do they have a lot of space experience? the problem and then come up with a Part of its appeal is the size of to pursue the Google Lunar X-Prize. No, but I do.” plan,” he said. “That’s what Carnegie the monetary prize, but a larger part is Plans and partners are still evolving, but Spear now splits his time between Tech taught me and that’s the same the sheer audacity of a private group thus far Raytheon has agreed to provide Pittsburgh, the University of Arizona process we’re using now.”

Grad Students Lead Phase II Development Of New Emergency Communications System

I n t e r a c t i v e Pr o d u c ts Wi l l Ho u s e SMART Ra d i o Te c h n o l o g y

n Bruce Gerson munications system. The SMART sys- Dave Hochendoner, chief technol- Department, University Police, Com- tem broadcast technology, developed by ogy officer for SIMA, said he’s looking puting Services and Internal Commu- Three students in the Masters of Product SIMA, uses a combination of wireless for a product that uses text, lights and nications to understand how Carnegie Development Program are engaged in an technologies to deliver emergency mes- voice to optimize effectiveness. Another Mellon responds in an emergency independent study this semester that ulti- sages to devices placed in various loca- goal is that the product be able to be situation and how emergency messages mately could help improve campus safety tions on campus. Messages can be sent manufactured at a reasonable cost. are crafted and disseminated. They will at colleges and universities worldwide. campus-wide and can also be targeted to The graduate student trio’s work also be working in faculty and staff of- Under the guidance of Associate specific locations, including buildings, will focus on how people interact with fices and classrooms in Wean Hall to test Design Professor Eric Anderson and As- floors of buildings and individual rooms. a device to receive information. Further product usability. sistant Human-Computer Interaction Pro- In the event of power and/or phone out- development could result in the device Anderson and Zimmerman said the fessor John Zimmerman, Matt LaGran- ages, the system is backed-up by battery being used as a means for two-way com- students have many issues to consider, deur, Tiffany Yang and Sid Butalia will power. munication. such as what lighting, graphics, audio build upon the work of 17 junior design A small box-like device with a “Understanding how this product and visual indicators to use, as well as students who last fall created conceptual message screen and audio component, will be used is crucial to the success of visibility and location. For example designs for devices that could carry emer- conceived by Zoe Bridges, was the the project,” said Butalia, who earned in a hallway the device has to be high gency messages to people in hallways, student design selected by SIMA last fall his undergraduate degree in mechanical enough to be visible, but also low classrooms, offices and dorm rooms. The to test the SMART technology. Bridges’ engineering at Carnegie Mellon. “We enough to comply with ADA require- product designs included everything from design was a better fit for the working have to determine what’s needed to ments, Anderson said. lighted baseboards to signage that also components than the other concepts, optimize interaction and deter chaos.” Zimmerman said by the end of Feb- served as message boards. but LaGrandeur, Yang and Butalia are Yang, who earned her bachelor’s ruary the students should have a product Last fall’s Junior Product Develop- charged with “exploring the issues more degree in mechanical engineering from model to present and by the end of the ment course served as phase one of a deeply and creating a product that re- MIT, LaGrandeur, a computer science semester a working prototype that houses collaborative effort between Carnegie sponds to clarified environmental, physi- and product development grad from the technology developed by SIMA. Mellon and SIMA Products Corporation cal and interactive needs,” say Anderson Stanford, and Butalia are working with “We have a pretty aggressive sched- to develop a Scalable Mesh Alert Radio and Zimmerman. the Environmental Health and Safety ule,” Zimmerman said. F o u r Transmission (SMART) emergency com- Lazarus Award Is a Just Reward for Sharon Burks n Bruce Gerson Sharon Burks is going out on top. After it. And that’s how I grew. I kept getting three decades in the Computer Science new challenges. Everything I did was a Department, Burks — who’s done just new learning experience. about everything except teach — is As the Computer Science Depart- retiring on Friday, Feb. 15. As she walks ment got larger I added more responsi- out of her fourth floor Wean Hall office bilities and when the School of Com- for the last time, she’ll be clutching the puter Science came along I added even 2007 Barbara Lazarus Award for Culture more responsibilities. and Climate, the prestigious honor she received at last month’s MLK Day cel- Q: You worked very closely with ebration recognizing her as one who has many Ph.D. students from around helped make this campus a caring place. the world. How did you form a bond so easily with everyone? The prestigious Lazarus Award is a A: By just being nice to them. Interna- validation of sorts for Burks, who’s held tional students have nobody. One of our myriad roles helping students, faculty students — she was the only female in and staff since joining computer science a Ph.D. class of about 17 — wanted to in 1977. In fact, she’s held so many roles know what to buy when you have a sore that her job is being distributed among throat and your ear aches. We talked several existing staff and four new hires. about it. She just wanted somebody “This award says to me that there to listen and to help with those small are people who recognize that I did more things. She left me a little sticky note than my job,” says the associate dean that read “Wherever I go, I hope there’s of the School of Computer Science and always a Sharon.” I think that’s the way assistant head of the Computer Science you relate to students. Every department Department. “I did something I really has to have somebody that students can loved, and people were helped by my go to when they have a question or need having done that.” to know what to do. It was easy working As she neared the end of her with people who needed you. Carnegie Mellon career, the Piper sat You get to know Ph.D. students down with Burks to gain a little insight

very well. They’re here a long time. On Photo by ste p hen baden into the person who’s made a living average about 6 to 6.5 years. Some are S h a r o n Bu r k s , w h o is r e t i r i n g Fe b . 15 a f t e r t h r e e d e c a d e s a t t h e Sc h o o l giving. here 8 years or more. There are students o f Co mp u t e r Sc i e n c e , r e c e n t l y w o n Ca r n e g i e Me l l o n ’ s Ba r b a r a La z a r u s I got to know in the ’80s that I am still A w a r d f o r Cu l t u r e a n d Cl i m a t e . Q: How did you feel when President Cohon called your name as the La- very close with. zarus Award winner? A: Shocked. I really was shocked. At Q: Having been here for 30 years, everything with everybody. That makes friends. He’s been to my house to hit first, I wasn’t sure I heard my name you obviously loved your job. What it a pleasant environment. baseballs in our batting cage. He’s really made it so right for you? right. They had just introduced all these an amazing fellow. He is everything A: Well, I think I’m a people person. people and I knew what wonderful jobs Q: Who are some of the most memo- everybody thinks he is and more. If I have a skill it’s talking with people they do. I felt unfit to be in their com- rable faculty? and being impartial, unbiased and fair. A: Allen Newell just because he was munity in some ways, but honored. I did Q: What are your retirement plans? I think people know that about me Allen. He was such an important person work with Barbara on some committees A: We’re going on an Alaskan cruise on so they’re willing to talk to me about but he always took the time to come and I feel so honored to have an award May 30, compliments of the Computer things. and talk to those of us who were not that carries her name. Science Department. This has been the You know this is not rocket science important. I think people who work with most generous department. We expect a that we do here, or at least that I do, John Bentley was one of my fa- students a lot are doing it because we lot of people, but we give a lot in return. anyway. It’s all just common sense. It’s vorite faculty members. He came here love to do it, not because it’s a job. So I haven’t figured out the rest yet, but about treating people the way you’d like with a Ph.D. at 21. He was an assistant therefore you don’t feel like it’s some- I want to do the things I’ve never had to be treated. It goes back to that child- professor. He rode a skateboard up and thing you should be rewarded for. You the time to do before. We want to travel. hood Golden Rule that we’re taught. down the hallways. He had toys. He was get your rewards everyday when you We have a whole list of places we want That’s all I’ve ever tried to do. growing up as a professor in our depart- work with the students. to go. We want to take some driving ment. He was fun to be around. trips to see a lot of the U.S. I’ve done the Q: Speaking of rocket science, this Q: By all accounts, you’ve done it I had a unique opportunity to work East Coast, I’ve done the West Coast, must’ve been an exciting environ- all in computer science. What have with Jeannette Wing because she’s just and I’ve done most of the South. But ment in which to work. your major duties been over the such an amazing lady. She’s a bundle of I’ve never seen what’s in the middle. A: Absolutely, exciting. And frustrating past 30 years? energy and it was nice to see women in at the same time. You did feel like there A: When I came here there were 15 an environment where they are treated Q: You’ve undoubtedly given stu- was always something new to learn. I’ve professors and fewer than 50 Ph.D. equally and their ideas are treated dents, faculty and staff a lot of good grown up with the computer age. I was students. It was a very small department equally. advice. What advice do you have for here when Allen Newell was here. We and we didn’t have many staff, so you Carnegie Mellon? used to talk about cookies and not com- really did do a little bit of everything. Q: Were you close with Randy A: Realize that if you want to continue puters. I remember meeting Grace Hop- When I came I did everything from Pausch? In his last lecture he said to have good people you have to treat per. She was just an amazing person. I planning the faculty meeting and serving that if you weren’t going to be here them well. People who are respected feel like I was there at the beginning and life wasn’t worth living. the food to handling all the re-appoint- well and treated well will give you so have seen so many changes. A: That’s just Randy. I don’t think of ment and promotion cases and dealing much back. I’ve always felt respected It’s been a very exciting place to Randy as a professor because he was with all the students on a daily basis. I here. be. It’s always exciting being around one of my students. He was one of those also edited the Computer Science Re- people who are so intelligent. I cannot students in the ’80s that are still dear search Review that was published every imagine a place where the faculty, who year. It was sort of well, whatever needs are so intelligent and out there on the to be done, let’s see if Sharon will do cutting edge, are always willing to share

F i v e Carnegie Mellon Honors Dr. Martin Luther King’s Legacy

Carnegie Mellon recognized the work of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 21 with an afternoon of special events, some of which are pictured below. A writing contest was part of the celebration, and three Carnegie Mellon students earned prizes for their poetry. Here are the winning entries.

Sally Mao Zeb Girouard Joella Still Freedom Poll Legacy Six Purple Grapes Let Freedom Ring, says the windwhipped banner, 1673-2007 Sit the words themselves like grinning teeth Layer of ice forms on powder, the green grass under the white whiter than bone or ash or cigarette paper. below a shadow, implied. I remember leaves. We are confused: what does that ringing when field and pasture stretched. Stone walls Color sound like? A telephone? A gong? A cry? cordoned off property and historic nature trails. the air. Suspicious, we investigate. We ask the flightless birds Old lady picked one up: trespassers deserve brain hemorrhage. H what freedom sounds like, and they respond: Death on brilliant grass. a Quite simply, the sashay of falling nuts. The dandelions hid the secret. n Fruits rolling, windless, an aria of leaves. g Property values low in the next town over, why live here? We ask the monk burning alive in the forest, Here we blend in with the snow. on the vine. and he says: Freedom doesn’t ring. It is soundless, White, black, spots cover nothing but cattle, Tomatoes emotionless. raised here among the freshest grass. or raisins It perishes at the first sign of desire. It leaves Truth is, no one really asked permission. in the sun. the warm body chilled, vaporous. Beautiful, the grass can stretch for miles. We’ll take it. To a twelve-year-old boy in the thimble factory, From you, or you, anyone that stands in our way. Say goodbye to freedom the croaking of cicadas & bullfrogs; Push everyone out into the snow. Du Bois and To a graffiti artist in Paris, freedom the sputter They shiver, rejected, docile, cattle. Dr. King of aerosol over tarmac; with the swivel Blankets make everything better. Cover the of a pen. To a homesick saxophonist, Miles Davis’s land with tall grass and stone walls. Godchild exhaling on the record player; Keep out everything but the snow. Bic used to be cute. To wild horses, freedom the echoes on tall Blue vs. Black. bright grasses; To my great-grandfather, freedom the radio Books vs. drugs. before static electricity swallowed all sound the day each of his sons were murdered. Birth vs. death Lose testosterone or To my father, freedom the cough of foghorns get it back on a parting the river’s mouth, the path to Shanghai, $100,000 then America, the eyelashes & laughs of strangers. bail. And he tells me no freedom is a scream, a burning, a symphony of suffering—No freedom is as eloquent Don’t speak. & absolute as death. How can a whole country kill Let Mr. Gibney, for this, when each sound of freedom is as small Mrs. Flower, and the school & specific as a dewdrop, a particle, a single intonation nurse feed the judge. in this carnival of noise? Let the judge help you join your brother, father, uncle, and cousin. Add to pie charts and graphs.

Let them lift every voice and sing

A b o v e r i g h t : St u d e n t s p e a k e r As h l e y Re n e e Br o w n d i s c u s s e d h e r e x p e r i e n c e s s t u d y i n g a b r o a d in Qu i t o , Ec u a d o r .

A b o v e : St u d e n t s , f a c u l t y , s t a ff a n d c o mm u n i t y m e m b e r s p a r t i c i p a t e d in a c a n d l e l i g h t p r o c e s s i o n t o h o n o r Dr . Ki n g ’ s w o r k f o r civil r i g h t s . Th e p r o c e s s i o n b e g a n in t h e Pu r n e l l C e n t e r f o r t h e Ar t s l o b b y a n d e n d e d in Ra n g o s Ha l l .

R i g h t : A c h o r a l t r i b u t e t o Dr . Ki n g in Ki r r Co mm o n s , Un i v e r s i t y C e n t e r , k i c k e d o ff t h e Dr . Ma r t i n Lu t h e r Ki n g Jr . Ce l e b r a t i o n .

S i x Upcoming Events

Learning and Assessing Your Feb 18, 4:30 p.m., School of Art Lectures Black History Month Events Development Classes Emotional Intelligence Adamson Wing, Baker Hall 136A All lectures are at 5 p.m., in the Presenter: Lola Mason, Manager Sponsored by the Institute for Kresge Theater, College of Fine Arts Opening Night: Fati’s Last Dance Time Planning and Goal Setting of Organizational Development Social Innovation Thursday, Feb. 14, 8 p.m. Presenter: Gloria Gruber, Feb. 28, 9 a.m.-noon, University Steve Kurtz is a founding member of Wells Theatre, Purnell Center for the University Advancement Center, McKenna/Peter/Wright “Contaminants and the the internationally acclaimed Critical Art Arts Feb. 19, 9 a.m.-noon, Rangos 1, UC Developing Reproductive System: Ensemble, a collective of tactical media * Playing February 14- 23 Student Psychological Issues Lessons from Wildlife” practitioners of various specializations TMS Position Module Training (For Faculty Only) Lou Guillette, Department of Zoology, who explore the intersections between The Willie Lynch Letter and its The TMS is used to enter and edit Presenter: Cynthia Valley, Counseling University of Florida art, critical theory, technology and Effects on Modern Society position descriptions and post job and Psychological Services Feb.18, 4:30 p.m., Rangos 3, political activism. Wednesday, Feb. 20, 6:30-8:30 p.m. openings to the Career opportunities March 4, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., University Center Tuesday, Feb. 19 Doherty Hall 1112 Web site. Connan Room, UC Hosted by SPIRIT Presenter: Toni Betsill, Topic- TBA Paul DeMarinis, an associate professor Human Resource Pittsburghese Alejandro García-Rivera, Jesuit of art at Stanford, is one of the first The Piano Lesson by August Wilson Systems Help Desk Analyst Presenter: Professor Barbara School of Theology at Berkeley artists to use microcomputers. He Thursday, Feb. 21 Feb. 19, 9 a.m.-noon, Johnstone, English Department Feb. 21, 4:30 p.m., has worked since the late 1970s in CFA School of Drama Hearth Room, Whitfield Hall March 5, Noon-1:30 p.m., Adamson Wing, 136A Baker Hall the areas of interactive software, Playing February 21-March 1, 2008 McKenna/Peter/Wright, UC Sponsored by Carnegie Mellon’s synthetic speech, noise and obsolete Philip Chosky Theater Buyer Introductory Training Phi Beta Kappa Chapter or impossible media. ® Performance Times: Tuesday through This program will educate buyers Write It Right Workshop Tuesday, March 4 Friday on the university purchasing policy Presenter: Hank Walshank, “U.S., Syria and the New Old Middle at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and their responsibilities and Walshank Communications East: Confrontation or Cooperation?” Joshua Mosley’s work in animation, obligations when purchasing March 5, 9 a.m.-noon, Imad Moustapha, Syrian Ambassador sculpture and drawing integrates his Soul Food Sampler on behalf of the university. Connan Room, UC to the United States interests in poetry, philosophy, film, Monday, Feb. 25, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Presenter: Jean Smarto Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m., McConomy and music. Connan Room, University Center (UC) Feb. 19, 9-11:30 a.m., Oracle Chart of Accounts Auditorium, University Center Tuesday, March 18 Club Room, Whitfield Hall Presenter: Liz Cooke, (Sponsored by the Arab Student Speak Your Mind: Campus Culture Financial Systems Manager Organization (ASO) Center for Arts in Society B.Y.O. Tuesday, Feb. 26, 4-7:30 p.m. Saving and Investing \March 13, 9 a.m.-noon, Brain Brown Bag Series Connan Room, UC Presenter: Jean Schnatterly, Hearth Room, Whitfield Hall “Local Economy Saving the “Art, History, and Images of the PNC Workplace Banking World by Eating Locally: Feminine in Baudelaire’s Paris” Between the Lines Productions Feb. 20, Noon-1:30 p.m., HREM Training The Small-Mart Revolution” B e r y l S c h l o s s m a n , F r e n c h P r o f e s s o r Presents From Auction Block to Connan Room, UC HREM is used to enter employee Michael Shuman, Feb. 20, Noon - 1 p.m., Hip-Hop appointment, salary, demographic Author of The Small-Mart Revolution College of Fine Arts, Room 303 Wednesday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m. Interactive Theater “The Fix” and biographic information. Feb. 26, 5 p.m., Rangos 3, McConomy Auditorium, University Presented by Carnegie Mellon’s Toni Betsill, Human Resource University Center Sports Center Interactive Theater Systems Help Desk Analyst Post-Lecture Breakfast with Sponsored by SPIRIT, BGSO, CAUSE, Feb. 26, 10-11 a.m., March 11, 9 a.m.-noon, guests from Pittsburgh’s urban Women’s Basketball Student Development, Student Senate, McKenna/Peter/Wright, UC Hearth Room, Whitfield Hall farming community All games at Skibo Gymnasium and the Department of History Feb. 27, 9-10:20 a.m., Feb. 22, 6 p.m., vs. Emory Procurement Card Training Leading Change R a n g o s 2 , U n i v e r s i t y C e n t e r Feb. 24, 2 p.m., vs. Case Western This program will review the policies Presenter: Ron Placone, Director Tickets required, RSVP by Feb.22 Reserve and procedures to use when purchas- of Learning and Development March 1, 2 p.m., vs. Rochester ing goods/services with the procure- March 12, 9 a.m.-noon, “Spirits, Sex and Wealth: ment card on behalf of the university. Connan Room, UC Lore and Fox Worship in China” Men’s Basketball Presenter: April Bell Xiaofei Kang, Modern Languages, All games at Skibo Gymnasium Feb. 26, 9 a.m.-noon, Hearth Room, Lectures Carnegie Mellon Feb. 24, 8 p.m., vs. Case Western Whitfield Hall Feb. 28, 4:30 p.m., Reserve University Lecture Series Adamson Wing, 136A Baker Hall March 1, 4 p.m., vs. Rochester Transitioning From Peer “Transforming the Culture of to Manager “The Fire Retardant Dilemma: For more events, visit Aging in America” Presenter: Freida Williams, Balancing Fire Prevention, Human http://my.cmu.edu/site/events/ Barry Barkan, founder of the HR Services Representative Health and Environmental Protection” Living Oaks Institute Feb. 27, Noon-1:30 p.m., Arlene Blum, UC Berkeley University Center, Rangos 1 March 3, 4:30 p.m., Adamson Wing, 136A Baker Hall

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Di s p a t c h e s Dr. Pausch Goes to Washington

CyLab Japan Honors Its Second Graduating Class Carnegie Mellon’s Pradeep K. Khosla and Dena Haritos Tsamitis were joined by Gov. Toshizo Ido of Hyogo Prefecture in presiding over a Feb. 5 ceremony in Kobe, Japan, honoring the second graduating class of Carnegie Mellon CyLab Japan, a program designed to make Japan a hub for information security. Khosla is the dean of Carnegie Mellon’s College of Engineering and co-founder of Carnegie Mellon CyLab. Tsamitis, is the director of the College of Engineering’s Information Net- working Institute and director of education, training and outreach for Carnegie Mellon CyLab. Established in 2005 as a collaboration between Carnegie Mellon and the Hyogo Institute of Information foundation to offer a Master of Science in Information Technology — Information Security (MSIT-IS) track in Kobe, CyLab Japan offers a 16-month graduate degree program that prepares students to become leaders in information security. CyLab Japan is an initiative of INI — the education partner of Carnegie Mellon CyLab — and the Heinz School. Its MSIT-IS program blends information security technology with management and policy.

ETC, Korean Institute Sign Agreement Photo courtesy of R andy Pausch Photo courtesy Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center and The Korean Advanced Institute for Co mp u t e r Sc i e n c e Pr o f e s s o r Ra n d y Pa u s c h r e c e n t l y v i s i t e d Wa s h i n g t o n , D.C., Science and Technology’s (KAIST) Graduate School of Culture Technology in Daejon and t o u r g e legislators t o i n c r e a s e t h e i r s u pp o r t o f p a n c r e a t i c c a n c e r r e s e a r c h . Seoul, Korea, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for joint research, development Ab o v e , Pa u s c h (s e c o n d f r o m l e f t ) p o s e s w i t h (l-r) Me g a n Go r d o n Do n , d i r e c - and personnel exchange. This development comes on the heels of the ETC’s very successful t o r o f g o v e r n m e n t a ff a i r s f o r t h e Pa n c r e a t i c Ca n c e r Ac t i o n Ne t w o r k (Pa n - first appearance this past fall at the G-Star Gaming Conference in Seoul. The agreement will CAN), Ho u s e Ma j o r i t y Le a d e r St e n y Ho y e r a n d Pa n CAN Pr e s i d e n t a n d CEO allow KAIST and ETC faculty and students to participate in semester-long exchange programs Ju l i e Fl e s h m a n . “Co n g r e s s n e e d s t o t a k e a t r e m e n d o u s s t e p u p a n d p r o v i d e t h e while also setting the stage for joint projects between the two schools. The student exchange f u n d i n g r e q u i r e d t o c o n d u c t t h e r e s e a r c h t h a t w i l l l e a d t o e a r l y d e t e c t i o n program began in January when two KAIST doctoral students traveled to Pittsburgh to be in m e t h o d s , e ff e c t i v e t r e a t m e n t s a n d u l t i m a t e l y a c u r e f o r p a n c r e a t i c c a n c e r ,” residence during the spring semester. s a i d Pa u s c h , w h o is b a t t l i n g t h e t e r m i n a l d i s e a s e . Fo r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o n Pa n CAN, visit www .p a n c a n .o r g .

S e v e n Students Journey Through Odyssey With Faculty, Staff and Alumni Mentors S u mm i t Ex p a n d s S t u d e n ts ’ Ho r i z o n s Many colleges and universities across the United n Abby Houck States offer a J-Term, an intense session of More than 70 sophomore students devoted the last Students learned to frame issues and define coursework spread over just a couple of weeks three days of their winter break to personal devel- research questions as part of the second day of the during winter break. For the past four years, opment through Carnegie Mellon’s inaugural Odys- program, titled “Definition of Problem.” They also Carnegie Mellon has offered students its own take sey program created by Stephanie Wallach, director split into mock research teams and crafted propos- on the J-Term with a program called “Summit,” of the Fellowships and Scholarships Office and als, which were evaluated and discussed on the last which provides nontraditional learning opportuni- day of Odyssey. Faculty who presented on research Indira Nair, vice provost of education and professor ties to students just prior to the spring semester. of engineering and public policy. skills included Bruce Armitage, professor in the “I think it gives the students something In her opening remarks, Nair explained that Chemistry and Biological Sciences departments; that they desperately need here at Carnegie Mellon Odyssey, named after Homer’s epic poem, was de- Roberto Weber, associate professor of social and signed to assist students in their personal, academic decision sciences; and Carey Morewedge, assistant — an opportunity to learn something for the simple and professional journeys. professor of social and decision sciences. sake of wanting to learn it,” said Thomas Witholt, Students from a variety of disciplines took President Jared Cohon kicked off the final day coordinator of student development and house- advantage of the opportunity to interact with one of Odyssey by sharing his personal journey through fellow for Hamerschlag House. “While most of another. In addition, five students from Carnegie his early academic career, highlighting the mentors the classes are ‘hobby’ classes and not standard Mellon Qatar’s campus participated in the program and factors that influenced his decision-making intellectual fare, they still offer a new way of learn- processes. The final session, titled “Future Plans for while visiting Pittsburgh for the first time. ing that is likely to benefit students in their future “I like to get to know about different ideas. I a Global Citizen,” featured a panel of alumni from lives.” learned that people can have different and similar New York City, Baltimore, Washington D.C., and This year, nearly 200 students chose from opinions about the same issue,” said Fatma Al- Pittsburgh. Alumni panelists included Chris Kasa- Fakhri, a business administration major from Qatar. bach (CFA 1991); Justin Hakuta (H&SS ’04); Brian among more than 40 Summit workshops. Partici- The first day of the program focused on the Namey (H&SS ’03); Tara Suntoke (MCS 1997); pants had the opportunity to learn Israeli danc- “Definition of the Person” and featured self-reflec- Andress Appolon (H&SS/CFA ’02); and Daniel ing, celebrate coffee and its social significance, tion and self-awareness exercises led by Denise Gilman (H&SS ’04). and network during a class titled “How to Work a Rousseau, the H.J. Heinz II Professor of Organiza- Because this was the program’s first year, coor- Room.” tional Behavior; David Kaufer, professor and head dinators conducted pre- and post-surveys to gauge Summit was first conceived as a Fifth-Year student expectations and knowledge. The post- of the Department of English; and Emily Stark, Scholar project. It now is a student-run organiza- associate teaching professor in the Department of survey also provided a forum for student feedback. tion with event sponsorship from Student Senate, Biological Sciences. “Student response has been gratifying,” Wal- Student Dormitory Council, Student Affairs and Ryan Handerhan, an information systems lach said. “The students learned things they hadn’t and Japanese double major, noted that Odyssey thought about as systematically before — about the Student Development Office. More information strengthened his ability to write about himself and writing, research, experiential learning opportuni- about Summit is available at www.cmu.edu/summit/. his future plans. “You should use words that signify ties, fellowships and scholarships. They showed —Abby Houck transformation and growth. Rather than using ‘I real enthusiasm about taking charge of their educa- am,’ I plan to use ‘I have’ and ‘I will,’” he said. tion, both at Carnegie Mellon and beyond.”

Carnegie Mellon Honored With Three Science Awards

C o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e o n e

instead it is only conferred when an indi- She earned her teo is perhaps best The Entertainment Technology Cen- vidual’s or organization’s achievements award not only known for devel- ter (ETC) was honored for its leadership warrant exceptional recognition. That for her past ac- oping the most in its field and its status as the only pro- was the case this year. complishments, detailed computer gram to offer a two-year master’s degree The Carnegie Science Center noted but for her simulations of gal- in entertainment technology. the institute’s “reputation as the best future potential axy formation. In particular, Don Marinelli, Scott place on Earth for robotics research,” and as well. These simulations Stevens and Michael Christel were credited its students, faculty and staff for “When I are giving scientists acknowledged for their work on Informe- their work to maintain the region’s stand- heard about deeper understand- dia, a project that works toward machine ing as a center of the robotics industry. the award I ing into how galax- comprehension of video and film media. The Science Center specifically cited the was extremely ies evolve over Marinelli is the ETC’s director, and institute’s 15 spin-off companies located pleased, as time and have the Stevens is an adjunct professor there. age courtesy of T i z iana D iMatteo. Im age courtesy in the area and its creation of the National although I have potential to unravel Christel is a senior systems scientist in T h i s i m a g e , w h i c h s h o w s a c o l l i s i o n o f Robotics Engineering Consortium. only lived and the mysteries of the the Computer Science Department. t w o s p i r a l g a l a x i e s w i t h b l a c k h o l e s a t Robotics Institute Director Matt worked here universe. “This is a testament to a dynamic t h e i r c e n t e r , is a n e x a mp l e o f As s o c i - Mason valued the unusual recognition of for a few years, In addition to faculty and staff and a well-deserved a t e Pr o f e s s o r Tiziana Di M a t t e o ’ s w o r k .

the institute as a whole, rather than just the institutions D i M a t t e o w a s o n e o f Ca r n e g i e Me l l o n ’ s her work on cos- accolade for an amazing student body

particular researchers. and people of C a r n e g i e Sc i e n c e Aw a r d w i n n e r s . mological simula- encompassing the best and brightest in “The Robotics Institute is a commu- Pittsburgh have tions, DiMatteo is the arts and technology,” Marinelli said. nity of collaborators who share ideas and been very sup- collaborating with The Carnegie Science Awards technology,” Mason said. “Usually the portive of my research. I’ve had the sense astrophysicists worldwide to detect a nar- are presented by the Carnegie Science superstars receive the recognition, but we that people here are genuinely interested row band of cosmic radiation that reveals Center, which established the program in owe our success to a much larger group in what I have been doing, even though “the epoch of reionization,” a time 100 1997 to recognize and promote outstand- of people who generally go unrecog- it involves studying fairly unusual things million to 1 billion years ago when the ing science and technology achievements nized.” like supermassive black holes, and get- earliest stars were formed. She also is in western Pennsylvania. The program DiMatteo quickly made her mark in ting this award is a wonderful culmina- working on collaborations to understand is sponsored by Eaton Corporation. All the fields of cosmology and astrophys- tion of that,” DiMatteo said. the origins of gamma-ray bursts from awardees will be formally recognized at a ics as one of just a few women studying A pivotal part of Carnegie Mellon’s black holes using Chandra Satellite and May 9 banquet. the skies for the origins of the universe. growing cosmology program, DiMat- XMM-Newton observations. E i g h t Engineering Undergrads’ Design Takes Breathalyzer to New Heights

n Chriss Swaney Carnegie Mellon undergraduate The Carnegie Mellon team designed students mixed a pinch of innovation its “BreathAir” competition entry to help with common sense to place second flight attendants monitor passengers’ in a national engineering competition blood alcohol content. Through the main for a handheld device they designed to components of a breathalyzer and a PDA, help monitor airline passengers’ blood the device could help prevent discomfort alcohol levels. and delays during the flight as well as “The competition was an amazing prevent potential incidents of driving opportunity to showcase the skills we under the influence after leaving the have built at Carnegie Mellon. Our airport. six-member team came together with “The most challenging part was great teamwork to create an innovative working with a device so unfamiliar to us product,” said Steven Ramirez, a senior as a breathalyzer,’’ said Ramirez, external mechanical engineering student who vice president of SHPE at Carnegie

served as the team leader. Mellon. of S teven R a m ire z Photo courtesy Team members will share $2,500 In addition to Ramirez, who is E n g i n e e r i n g s t u d e n t s (L t o R) Sh a m e e r Bo l a n o s , Mi c h a e l Sa l a m e , after placing second in the AHETEMS from Powell, Ohio, the other Carnegie S t e v e n Ra m i r e z , Lu i s Be r m u d e z a n d Re y e s Fl e t e e a r n e d s e c o n d p l a c e a t Design Competition at the 31st national Mellon team members included a n a t i o n a l engineering c o mp e t i t i o n w i t h t h e i r d e s i g n o f a breathalyzer conference of the Society of Hispanic Shameer Bolanos, a junior electrical and t h a t c a n b e u s e d t o m o n i t o r airline p a s s e n g e r s ’ a l c o h o l c o n t e n t . Professional Engineers (SHPE) in computer engineering major from Culver Philadelphia last November. AHTEMS City, Calif.; Reyes Flete, a freshman engineering major who is also from Hispanics represented 13.1 percent (Advancing Hispanic Excellence in mechanical engineering major from Powell, Ohio. of the total U.S. labor force in 2005, Technology, Engineering, Math and Bronx, N.Y.; Michael Salame, a senior The design competition’s other but only 5.8 percent of engineers in Science) is the educational foundation of mechanical engineering major from top winners were teams from Stanford professional jobs nationwide during SHPE. Norwich, Conn.; and Jorge Villarreal, University (first place) and San that same year, according to the U.S. a junior chemical and biomedical Francisco State University (third place). Department of Labor.

Biological Sciences Student Receives Prestigious HHMI Fellowship

At age nine, Bertrade “Betty” Mbom degree in biological sciences. She’ll parents always told her, “If you think In graduate school, Mbom plans to moved with her family to the United continue her studies thanks to the How- there’s something that needs to be study a group of compounds called Eg-5 States from Cameroon. Her parents ard Hughes Medical Institute, which changed, don’t wait for someone else inhibitors. These chemicals stop cell organized the move because they wanted named Mbom one of five recipients of to do it.” So in 2007, she worked with division by disrupting the creation of the a better education for their five children, the prestigious Gilliam Fellowships for Rea Freeland, associate dean for Special mitotic spindle — the weblike construc- and they got it. Mbom, 21 — the young- Advanced Study. The fellowship will Projects at the Mellon College of Sci- tion that holds the chromosomes in the est of those children, all of whom went fully support up to five years of Mbom’s ence, to start COaching Minority Prog- center of the cell and then pulls them to college — will graduate from Carn- doctoral studies. ress and Academic Success in Science apart into two daughter cells. Cells with egie Mellon in May with a bachelor’s During her first year of college, (COMPASS), a mentoring program for disrupted spindles die prematurely. Mbom saw some- minority freshmen. COMPASS provides This research will build on her thing at Carnegie students with mentors, informs them experience in the HHMI Exceptional Mellon that needed about Carnegie Mellon resources and Research Opportunities Program changing — the way gives them opportunities to get to know (EXROP), which provides talented un- minority science one another. Participants have reported dergraduates from disadvantaged back- students experi- such a positive influence on their college grounds with summer research experi- ence their first year experience that other colleges at Carn- ences in the labs of HHMI investigators of college life. “I egie Mellon are contemplating adopting and HHMI professors. Through EXROP, had a really hard the program. Mbom spent time in HHMI Professor time my first year,” Mbom also mentors students in Timothy Stearns’ laboratory at Stanford, she said. “There’s local schools and has volunteered as where she worked to understand the work being done [at a judge for science fairs. She has also significance of the abnormal spindles. “I Carnegie Mellon and spent time organizing disaster relief want to go further with this project and across the country] work during college breaks in Mexico see if Eg-5 inhibitors could be used as to recruit minor- and New Orleans. cancer therapy,” she said. ity students into the Mbom’s love for research began as The importance of education sciences, but not as a high school senior, when she partici- remains a strong refrain in Mbom’s much attention is pated in MIT’s Minority Introduction to life. Her career plans include becoming paid to keeping them Technology and Science (MITES) pro- a professor, and she hopes that when there.” gram. She worked on a genomics project minority students see her teaching in Working in in the lab of the Whitehead Institute’s the classroom, they will know that their Biological Sci- Eric Lander. career aspirations are possible. She ences Professor John “I remember being fascinated by all also hopes to expand COMPASS into a Woolford’s yeast of the questions that were still unan- national organization to guide minority genetics laboratory swered in biology, and the tools that students who aim for research careers, eill Photo by A nnie O ’ N eill during her first year could be used to answer those ques- as well as help younger students see the

B e t t y Mb o m , a s e n i o r b i o l o g i c a l s c i e n c e s m a j o r , helped her adjust to tions and discover new ones along the wonder and fun of science. w a s o n e o f j u s t f i v e s t u d e n t s n a t i o n w i d e t o r e c e i v e the rigors of college way,” she said. Her experience of doing a Gi l l i a m Fe l l o w s h i p f o r Ad v a n c e d St u d y f r o m t h e life, and she regained undergraduate research for four years in H o w a r d Hu g h e s Me d i c a l In s t i t u t e . Th e f e l l o w s h i p her confidence. Woolford’s lab solidified her desire to w i l l f u l l y s u pp o r t u p t o f i v e y e a r s o f Mb o m ’ s d o c - Mbom said her pursue a research career. t o r a l s t u d i e s . N i n e Interactive Video Game Puts Storytelling in the Hands of Children

n Eric Sloss

Many of the children scattered throughout the three rooms of the Children’s Books section in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Oakland branch sit quietly next to their parents, who read from the colorful hardbound books, fueling the youngsters’ vivid imaginations. But others stare bright-eyed at computer screens that help them channel their creativity. My StoryMaker, a computer program developed at Carnegie Mellon’s Enter- tainment Technology Center (ETC) with support from The Grable Foundation, is an interactive video game that allows children like kindergartener Lucas Ritz p hotos by eric sloss A b o v e : Ki n d e r g a r t e n e r Lu c a s Ri t z r e c e n t l y u s e d t h e My to create their own scenes, characters and S t o r y M a k e r p r o g r a m d e v e l o p e d a t t h e En t e r t a i n m e n t Te c h n o l - stories, like “The Fox and the Genie Have o g y Ce n t e r t o c r e a t e a n d p u b l i s h h i s o w n c h i l d r e n ’ s b o o k . Lunch.” “The game allows children to be L e f t : Th e My St o r y M a k e r k i o s k in t h e Ca r n e g i e Li b r a r y o f P i t t s b u r g h ’ s Oa k l a n d b r a n c h h e l p s c h i l d r e n t o c r e a t e t h e i r their creative selves,” said Alyson Szy- o w n s h o r t s t o r i e s . manski, project manager for My Story- including a lion, pirate, dinosaur, fox create the compelling animations and simply by clicking on the “end” button. Maker. “All children are story machines and even a witch. When a new author allow children to connect with a lifelike The book is also digitally published and — they make up scenarios and play clicks on characters, they appear neatly being.” Szymanski said. “They also can be viewed and read on the screen of imaginary games all the time. This tool on the screen, ready to be instructed how drive the story action and provide the a purple kiosk near the reference desk. gives them a chance to do this in a public to interact with one another. The child main focus for the children.” The Sunday afternoon that young forum to demonstrate that learning and authors can make a witch and pirate ETC student Brad McKinley was Ritz found his way on to the computer literacy can be a part of that.” have lunch in a cave, for example. The the character designer. He worked with and started My StoryMaker, he took fan- Children can log on to one of the cy to the fox and the genie. He thought many computers in the cluster and create “Al l c h i l d r e n a r e st o r y m a c h i n e s .” — Al y s o n Sz y m a n s k i , p r o j e c t they should have lunch in a castle and their own stories. The program begins by smiled while clicking on the castle icon having children type in their name and m a n a g e r f o r My St o r y M a k e r and a black iron pot to cook the feast. then prompts them to plot out the story characters have many dispositions and six other team members on My Story- His mom, Amy, helped with some of the they want to create. Screens encourage activities. They can be happy, eating, Maker. typing, but this was Ritz’s creation — children to select various characters, dancing — or all three. Children can create as many pages his first published book and he’s only in backgrounds and props that are important “The characters are important be- as they like for their stories, and when kindergarten. to the development of a story. The char- cause they provide the key interactions, they are finished, they publish their work acters are adorable cartoon-like figures,

N e w s Br i e f s Drummond • Carnegie Mellon on YouTube: www.you- replication process, so detecting differences was chosen for tube.com/carnegiemellonu. Be sure to tag in cell cycle gene activation in normal and Faculty Member, Student BEYA’s Student new videos with “Carnegie Mellon” to be malignant cells provides important clues about Honored with BEYA Awards Leadership Award. considered for a favorite on the channel; how cancers develop. These genes also are Carnegie Mellon will be well represented at She works with • Carnegie Mellon’s Facebook page: www. potential targets for drug therapy. this year’s Black Engineer of the Year Award Carnegie Mellon facebook.com/pages/Pittsburgh-PA/Carne- (BEYA) Confer- researchers on gie-Mellon-University/7133766387; Sciannameo, Dombrosky Named New Directors ence, with Assistant a pediatric heart • Carnegie Mellon Multimedia: www.cmu.edu/ D r u mm o n d Vice Provost for pump project. multimedia; Franco Sciannameo was named director of Education in Qatar When the 32nd annual National Society of • Carnegie Mellon RSS Feeds: www.cmu. the Bachelor of Humanities and Arts (BHA) Gloria Hill and bio- Black Engineers Conference was held in Pitts- edu/homepage/rss.shtml and Bachelor of Science and Arts (BSA) medical engineering burgh two years ago, Drummond helped plan Ideas for homepage stories and photos programs, and David Dombrosky was tabbed doctoral student some of the conference’s graduate student can be submitted by visiting www.cmu.edu/ to lead the Center for Arts Management and Arielle Drummond events. homepage/submit. Technology. receiving two of the Sciannameo, who previously served Carnegie Mellon Goes Abnormal Gene Patterns H i l l five national awards as the programs’ interim director, has a long Web 2.0 Can Lead to Cancer that will be presented. The conference, which history with Carnegie Mellon as a College of will be held this month in Baltimore, recognizes Social networking, user-generated content, Carnegie Mellon computational biologist Ziv Fine Arts Distinguished Scholar in Multidis- a select group of African-Americans for their RSS feeds and podcasts are all important Bar-Joseph led a team of U.S., Israeli and ciplinary Studies and an active member of contributions to engineering education and parts of the Web 2.0 revolution. With 84 per- German scientists that discovered 480 genes the university’s Center for Arts in Society. He research. cent of college students on YouTube and 57 that play a role in human cell division and also created the Laboratory for the Study of Hill, who has served in her current role million active Facebook users, it has become identified more than 100 of those genes that Environmental Sounds and developed an since 2004, was selected to receive BEYA’s critical for Carnegie Mellon to integrate these have an abnormal pattern of activation in introductory course and research project Educational Leadership Award. She has an and other Web tools into its online presence. cancer cells. called “The Sound of Carnegie Mellon” in extensive history working with minority under- In recent months, Carnegie Mellon Unlike many cancer studies, which seek to conjunction with the Steinbrenner Institute for graduate students in engineering as well as online has journeyed beyond www.cmu.edu. identify “missing” genes that might cause Environmental Education and Research. other disciplines at Carnegie Mellon, where she Students, alumni, faculty and staff are encour- cancer, this new research shows that genes An Atlanta native, Dombrosky comes to played an important role in the CMAP program, aged to subscribe to the new feeds. Each can contribute to cancer in less obvious ways. Carnegie Mellon from the Southern Arts Foun- now known as the Carnegie Mellon Advising area listed below will be updated with videos, The findings were reported last month in the dation, where he was the program director Resource Center. Hill also started the Summer events and stories — keeping readers up-to- online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the for contemporary arts and new initiatives. He Academy of Mathematics and Science and the date on what’s happening, no matter where National Academy of Science. sits on the board of directors for the National Qatar Summer College Preview. they are on the Web. Malignant cells have lost control of the Alliance for Media Arts and Culture and serves T e n Carnegie Mellon Hosts Open Library Hits Classification Learning Symposium

Project Milestone n Ken Walters

n Cindy Carroll For the first time, researchers who study sciences field interacting with open the science of learning and course de- educational resource developers. The Transformation 2007, a massive • Alice Bright, Sue Collins, Linda velopers will come together from across presentations at the symposium will be project to migrate library collections Dujmic, Missy Harvey, Kristin the country to share ideas, discuss issues shaped by the interactions people had at from Dewey subject classification to Heath, Terry Hurlbert, Nancy and identify new research areas at Open- the preliminary meetings. Library of Congress (LC) classifica- Koelbler, Erika Linke, Melanie ing Learning Interplay, a symposium for The symposium will explore a tion, has reached an important plateau, Myers, Denise Novak and Ona the open educational resource field, from broad range of perspectives on the na- according to Gloriana St. Clair, dean Taylor, who made up the reclassifi- March 10-12 at the University Center. ture of learning, including: of University Libraries. cation task force; Carnegie Mellon’s Open Learning • the practice of applying results from Staff members have completed • Nancy Koelbler and Jackie Cipa, Initiative (OLI) will host the sympo- the learning sciences to the design the re-classification of a large majority who hired and scheduled the sium. A leader in its field, the OLI works of open educational resources, to of the collections of the Engineering Transformation crew, coordi- to achieve the Web’s full potential for increase the likelihood of having a & Science Library and Hunt Library, nated day-to-day operations, and online learning by developing scientifi- positive impact on learning out- with only the Hunt Library’s arts col- implemented the project at E&S cally based, cognitively informed online comes; lection remaining to be migrated to Library; courses in fields ranging from chemis- LC. Work on that final portion of the • the role of current research, the roles • Alice Bright and Sue Collins, who try to statistics. The initiative’s efforts, project will begin in May, after Com- of technology and virtual environ- coordinated day-to-day operations which draw on the expertise of cognitive mencement. ments, and new areas of research; and supervised the project at Hunt, scientists and specialists in human- “They’ve moved mountains, and • fostering dialogue between develop- and Ona Taylor, who coordinated computer interactions, among others, not the mountains will be still now until ers and learning scientists to better hiring and scheduling the Trans- only enhance the specific courses that after school is out, when they will understand research and voice issues formation crew at Hunt; the OLI offers, but they also have value move the last peak,” St. Clair said. within development projects that for online learning programs in general. A total of approximately 500,000 • Library employees who spared seem to conflict; “Both the learning science and books in Engineering & Science hours from their regular work to course developer communities have • examples of existing collaborations Library and Hunt Library will have assist with the project; valuable resources that can benefit each between learning scientists and been reclassified, relabeled, sorted • Transformation 2007 assistants, other,” said OLI Project Director Can- developers — showing how both and reshelved when the project finally who did most of the heavy lifting. dace Thille. “Interplay will bring exper- communities can work together to ends this summer. St. Clair also noted appreciation for tise from both groups to create the next open learning. St. Clair noted that several staff Carnegie Mellon students and faculty evolution in developing and delivering members made important contribu- for their patience throughout the trans- online courses.” To learn more or to register for the tions to the project, particularly: formation process, and their good use The symposium is the outcome of symposium, which is sponsored by The • Terry Hurlbert, head of catalog- of staff to help them track down books a year-long process, which included a William and Flora Hewlett Foundation ing, who had overall responsibility as they were being rearranged. series of three small workshop-style, and the Pittsburgh Science of Learning for planning and managing the multi-day meetings with leading think- Center (PSLC), please visit http://www. project; ers and researchers in the learning cmu.edu/oli/symposium2008.

as chair of the Americans for the Arts Emerg- investigator and Touretzky as director of robot- described the film as “reminiscent of the recent PSC Contracts for SGI ing Leaders Council. In June, he received the ics education, also will provide professional Sundance hit ‘The Squid and the Whale’ in its Shared Memory Systems Emerging Leader Award from Americans for development activities for HBCU faculty teach- depiction of a burned-out academic and off- The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center has the Arts. ing computer science and robotics courses. campus family disruptions.” contracted with computer vendor SGI to acquire The movie, which is scheduled to hit two SGI Altix 4700 systems, the most powerful SCS Partners With Black “Smart People” Debuts at theaters April 11, earned a standing ovation at systems in SGI’s product line. One of the new Colleges, Universities on Sundance; Here April 11 its premiere, and People Magazine noted the systems will be integrated into the TeraGrid, Robotics Education movie’s potential in an otherwise lackluster field It was just a little the National Science Foundation program of at this year’s festival. Carnegie Mellon and six other research univer- more than two comprehensive cyberinfrastructure, substantially sities have joined forces with eight historically years ago when increasing the “shared memory” capability avail- College Prowler Grades black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in a Carnegie Mellon able through the National Science Foundation for Student Experiences collaborative project to promote robotics and was awash in U.S. science and engineering research. computer science education for African-Amer- movie cameras College Prowler, which publishes 250 college In computer hardware, “shared memory” ican students. and Hollywood guidebooks and was founded by Carnegie means that a system’s memory can be ac- Funded by a three-year, $2 million grant star sightings. Mellon alum Luke Skurman, annually asks cessed from all of its processors, as opposed to from the National Science Foundation, the University stu- current students to grade their own schools in distributed memory (in which each processor’s Advancing Robotics Technology for Societal dents were used 20 categories, and the 2008 grades have been memory is accessed only by that processor). Impact (ARTSI) Alliance will develop outreach as extras, production assistants and interns, posted. Because all processors share a single view of programs to encourage African-American and campus buildings provided a picturesque Carnegie Mellon earned an A+ in the data, shared-memory systems are easier to pro- students at both the K-12 and college levels backdrop for the story of a widowed Carnegie computers category, putting it in the top 2 per- gram, an important factor in evaluations of cost to pursue careers in computer science and Mellon English professor, his children, his cent of colleges in that category. The university versus productivity of high-end systems. Through robotics and will provide mentoring programs ne’er-do-well brother and his former student- also got an A for off-campus housing and A the TeraGrid, PSC’s Altix will help to meet rising for undergraduates. turned love interest. minuses in academics, off-campus dining, demand for shared-memory computation. ARTSI grew out of a previous collabo- Finally, “Smart People” is ready for public diversity and strictness. It got a B+ for safety, PSC’s other new SGI Altix system, acquired ration between Andrew Williams, associate consumption. The major motion picture from nightlife and transportation. with support from NIH’s National Center for Re- professor of computer and information science Miramax starring Dennis Quaid as the English There is room for improvement in some search Resources for PSC’s biomedical program, at Spelman College in Atlanta, and David professor and Sarah Jessica Parker as his categories, though, according to College the National Resource for Biomedical Supercom- Touretzky, research professor of computer former student — was recently shown at the Prowler. The university managed just a C- puting (NRBSC), will be devoted exclusively to science at Carnegie Mellon, which established Sundance Film Festival. minus for weather and a D-minus for parking. biomedical research, making it the first system of robotics education labs at Spelman and three According to a Miramax spokesperson, this scale dedicated to U.S. biomedical research. other HBCUs. Carnegie Mellon fares well in the movie — The alliance, with Williams as principal “looking both smart and hip.” A Reuters review E l e v e n Le c t u r e Sp o t l i g h t : Je a n M. J. Fr é c h e t Wi n s Di c k s o n Pr i z e

n Jocelyn Duffy

What do polymer chemistry, organic Fréchet’s research focuses on organic Fréchet is still exploring the ap- chemistry, modern computers, solar synthesis and polymer chemistry as ap- plication of polymer chemistry to both power and gene therapy have in com- plied to nanoscience and nanotechnol- electronics and biotechnology, leading mon? Seemingly nothing, but each of ogy, specifically the design, fundamental projects that touch on the divergent these elements have benefited understanding, synthesis and fields that have defined his career. Cur- from the research of Jean application of functional mac- rent projects include using photovoltaics M.J. Fréchet, this year’s romolecules. to efficiently harvest solar energy and winner of the presti- Early in his career, using endosomal nanoparticles to deliver gious Dickson Prize in Fréchet developed gene therapy via intracellular delivery of Science. chemical amplification in proteins, plasmid DNA and oligionucle- Fréchet will re- high resolution imaging otides. ceive the award, which systems, a method that Fréchet holds the Henry Rapoport includes $50,000 and a enabled the production of Chair of Organic Chemistry at the Uni- medal, and present the Dick- modern photoresists and inte- versity of California, Berkeley, where he son Prize Lecture, titled “Poly- grated circuits, key components in is a professor of chemical engineering. mer Science: From Plastic Electronics to the development of the modern computer He also is the director of the Organic Therapeutics,” on Wednesday, March 19. and other electronics. and Macromolecular Facility for the Lecture details, including time and loca- In later research, Fréceht developed Molecular Foundry at the Lawrence tion, will be announced at a later date. a new, convergent route to synthesize Berkeley National Laboratory. A mem- “Very rarely has one individual influ- branched molecules called dendrimers, ber of the National Academy of Sciences of Jean M.J. F réchet Photo courtesy enced so many areas of science and engi- allowing the molecules to be applied to a and National Academy of Engineering, neering,” said Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, number of therapeutic applications. In his Fréchet holds more than 70 U.S. patents son Prize in Science in 1969. Carnegie the J.C. Warner University Professor of work, Fréchet accomplished successful and has co-authored about 750 papers in Mellon awards it annually to individuals Natural Sciences in the Mellon College of targeted delivery of an anticancer agent scientific literature. in the United States who make outstand- Science’s Department of Chemistry, who to leaky blood vessels in tumor cells, The late Pittsburgh physician ing contributions to science. Among its nominated Fréchet for this award. successfully killing the tumors without Joseph Z. Dickson and his wife, Agnes past winners are the Nobel laureates Lee harming surrounding healthy cells. Fisher Dickson, established the Dick- Hartwell and the late Paul Lauterbur.

Clarke Receives Campus Flashback: Turing Award C o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e o n e The Thistle – 1919 Edition

so complex that these methods fell S i n c e 1906, Ca r n e g i e Me l l o n ’ s y e a r b o o k , Th e Th i s t l e , h a s short. Clarke and Emerson envisioned c a p t u r e d a n d r e c o r d e d t h e e s s e n c e o f l i f e o n c a mp u s . Th e an automated alternative, a method of c o v e r p a g e f r o m t h e 1919 Th i s t l e is s h o w n h e r e . Th e c e n t u r y - formal verification that analyzes the o l d p u b l i c a t i o n h a s d o c u m e n t e d e v e r y t h i n g f r o m s p o r t s a n d logic underlying a design much as a s t u d e n t g r o u p s t o s p e c i a l e v e n t s o v e r t h e y e a r s . Wh i l e t h e mathematician uses a proof to determine T h i s t l e ’ s e a r l y editions w e r e v a l u a b l e u n i v e r s i t y h i s t o r i c a l that a theorem is correct. r e c o r d s , t h e p u b l i c a t i o n ’ s q u a l i t y b e g a n t o d e c l i n e in t h e They developed a theoretical 1950’s , a n d i t s p o p u l a r i t y h a s l a g g e d in r e c e n t d e c a d e s . T h i s y e a r , h o w e v e r , a d e d i c a t e d g r o u p o f s t u d e n t s is technique for determining whether an w o r k i n g t o r e s t o r e t h e Th i s t l e ’ s g l o r y . abstract model of a hardware or software Fo r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o n t h e Th i s t l e ’ s h i s t o r y design satisfies a formal specification. a n d i t s revitalization , p l e a s e l o o k f o r t h e s t o r y in n e x t Moreover, when the system under m o n t h ’ s Pi p e r . scrutiny failed the specification, the

method could identify a counterexample of the U niversity A rchives Im age C ourtesy C redit: to show the source of the problem. Clarke left Harvard to join Carnegie Mellon in the summer of 1982. As a was going to be important.” of billions of states, new faculty member, he had a free Unlike the old hit-or-miss test making it relevant semester ahead of him so he decided regimes, the Model Checker could to commercial to implement his theory, writing the analyze all the possible states of a given computer design computer code for his first Model circuit or system. But it was limited problems and Checker. “I started the last week of to designs much smaller than those of leading to its August and I had really finished it by interest to computer makers. widespread adoption. Christmas,” including the first paper In 1987, another of Clarke’s “Ed Clarke and his students have Clarke will share the 2007 Turing about it, he said. graduate students, Kenneth McMillan, been able to apply abstract logical Award with Emerson, now a professor He knew he was on to something found a solution. He realized that theories to the real-world problem of at the University of Texas at Austin, when he began testing EMC with Model Checking could be implemented making sure our computer systems will and with Joseph Sifakis who, working example problems. “I would often get an by a series of operations on binary really work,” said Bryant, now dean of independently, developed a similar answer different than what I expected,” decision diagrams (BDDs), a method the School of Computer Science. “His technique at the Centre National de la he recalled. He suspected bugs in of representing symbolic information work has been very influential on mine, Recherche Scientifique at the University his program. Over time, however, he that had been developed by computer and I consider it a privilege to have of Grenoble. They will receive the realized the problems weren’t in the scientist Randal E. Bryant. This new served and worked with him at Carnegie award at an ACM awards banquet in Model Checker, but in the examples system, called Symbolic Model Mellon.” San Francisco on June 21. themselves. “That’s when I knew this Checking, was able to analyze billions

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