By Julianne Mattera

Eight graduating students participated in the #cmugrad social media ambassador project. From left to right, they are Sarah Gutekunst, Susheel Khetarpal, Nate Biggs, Roja Malligarjunan and Lauren Renaud. Students not pictured are Laura Howell, Jordon Bolden and Trevor Hadick.

Carnegie Mellon University launched a social media ambassador project to provide a window into graduating students’ experiences in each of CMU’s seven colleges. For five weeks, students shared photos from their work with student organizations, research, classwork and leisure time.

Here are their stories.

Sarah Gutekunst, Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Bachelor’s degree in professional writing, minors in linguistics and French and Francophone Studies

Gutekunst spent her last semester wrapping up her senior honors thesis, a narrative recipe collection drawing on the signature dishes of CMU students’ grandmothers. The project was inspired by Gutekunst’s Grandma Sue.

Gutekunst said her favorite moment at CMU came when she changed her major to professional writing on the advice of Tim Haggerty, director of the Humanities Scholars Program.

“Professional writing has been the perfect fit for my interest in language because it emphasizes that communication is a human tool, which cannot exist free of its context,” she said. “This major gave me the confidence to unlock my creativity.”

Gutekunst will work this summer at More Than Words Fine Papers, a specialty stationary store in Carnegie, Pa. Following that, Gutekunst plans to move to New York City.

#cmugrad social ambassador Sarah Gutekunst works on her thesis, a narrative recipe collection inspired by her Grandma Sue, in the sunshine. pic.twitter.com/teFo8JCqdz

— Carnegie Mellon (@CarnegieMellon) March 30, 2017

Sarah (@gutielicious), #cmugrad social media ambassador, resets body and mind with PiYo. ・・・ #Repost @gutielicious with @repostapp ・・・ Tonight I embraced my inner warriors one, two & three at PiYo (Pilates+Yoga) class with Hannah. When she began the class, Hannah explained to us that the key would be balance, and that spoke to the reason I tried PiYo in the first place. It's too easy to neglect your physical health as a student. But now that GroupX classes are free I have one less excuse to avoid the gym. Taking an hour out of my day to focus on my body is like pressing the reset button on my mind when it can't stop swirling with deadlines and meetings. All those things are important, but there has to be something else, something to put energy back into my body and mind. Not only does it create a sustainable balance, it's a great reminder of my #innergoddess. . . . #cmugrad #cmusocial #cmudietrich #bts #carnegiemellon #PiYo

A post shared by carnegiemellon (@carnegiemellon) on Mar 30, 2017 at 6:47pm PDT

Nate Biggs, School of Computer Science

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, minor in physics

Following graduation, Biggs is headed to Google in New York City, where he will be working as a software engineer. It is a “dream job” for Biggs, who also is interested in getting involved in Google’s education programs and bringing to them some of the lessons he learned as a teacher’s assistant and orientation leader at CMU.

Helping students find their passion at a young age is a mission close to Biggs’ heart. He said it was his interest in computer science early on that helped drive him through school.

“Even if it’s not computer science, if people find their passion at an earlier age,” Biggs said, “it provides motivation for them to work harder, and they’re more likely to succeed.”

Nate Biggs, @SCSatCMU senior & #cmugrad social media ambassador, showed some #TartanPride & supported the women's lacrosse team last night. pic.twitter.com/tX5igiK9oo

— Carnegie Mellon (@CarnegieMellon) April 4, 2017

From Nate Biggs, @scsatcmu senior and #cmugrad social media ambassador: "Having a catch on a nice day. Enjoying the beautiful weather and music on The Cut."

A post shared by carnegiemellon (@carnegiemellon) on Apr 5, 2017 at 3:21pm PDT

Laura Howell, Tepper Business School

Master of Business Administration

Howell capped off her master’s degree program with a study abroad trip to Hong Kong. It is now one of her favorite CMU memories.

“Hong Kong and China completely surprised me,” Howell said. The experience not only taught her how to do business in China, but she learned more about herself “as a person of the world.”

After graduation, Howell will be moving west for a job with Abbott Vascular in Santa Clara, Calif., where she will be working as a product manager for one of their medical devices.

Laura Howell, MBA candidate @teppercmu & #cmugrad social media ambassador, meets The Great Wall. #cmusocial pic.twitter.com/fAyXexRste

— Carnegie Mellon (@CarnegieMellon) April 4, 2017

@lauraelizabethhowell started her day with a presentation on the development of the Yantian terminal by Professor Kenneth Tse and ended it with crustaceans: "Since this is the last night in Hong Kong, we decided to get adventurous for dinner at a local seafood restaurant!" Laura, a @teppercmu MBA candidate, is one of our #cmusocial media ambassadors this week. She's been giving us a peek into her study abroad trip in China.

A post shared by carnegiemellon (@carnegiemellon) on Apr 6, 2017 at 12:51pm PDT

Lauren Renaud, Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy

Master of Science in Public Policy and Management

Renaud came to CMU in fall 2015 to develop her quantitative and data visualization skills and apply them to social justice. In the past year, she has done data analysis for the Family Independence Initiative, a nonprofit that works with low-income families to help them get out of poverty, and she recently accepted a full-time offer with them.

She also has helped build the group Students for Urban Data Systems, a collaboration of students and community members who use data for social good. Renaud said the organization helped connect her to Pittsburgh organizations such as the Alliance for Police Accountability and Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center,

“It has been great meeting people outside of my program and outside of CMU in addition to my class experiences,” she said.

Lauren Renaud (@renridescycles), @heinzcollege MPP candidate and #cmugrad social media ambassador, reflects on SUDS's beginning while looking forward to the future: ・・・ #Repost @renridescycles with @repostapp ・・・ In August 2015, Justin Cole asked me if I wanted to help start a student group interested in using data in the public sphere. This weekend we had a #SUDSretreat to transfer leadership to our new board that has tripled in size, and reflected on the many workshops, speakers, hack nights, and community projects we've done. Seems like some of our "big, hairy, audacious goals" we imagined last year are possible! So proud of what we've done in the past year and a half and I couldn't be more excited about where SUDS is going. #civictech #datanerds #CMUgrad

A post shared by carnegiemellon (@carnegiemellon) on Apr 11, 2017 at 5:18am PDT

A behind the scenes look at the homestretch of a @heinzcollege capstone course, from Lauren Renaud (@renridescycles), Heinz MPP candidate and #cmugrad social media ambassador. ・・・ #Repost @renridescycles with @repostapp ・・・ Systems! The @heinzcollege capstone. My team is analyzing 20+ gigs of data from the legal marijuana market in Washington State. Through so many whiteboard sessions, @kristakinnard's multicolor markers, much pseudo code, even more real code, ER diagrams, actual pen and paper and lots of WhatsApp chats, we are almost done. And by almost done, I mean a paper, a poster, a presentation for our client and a presentation at an international drug conference in Denmark. Our team has been amazing to work with, cheers to The Mary Janes, and thank you to Prof Jon Caulkins & the RAND team. @yuzicynthia #CMUgrad #gradschoollife

A post shared by carnegiemellon (@carnegiemellon) on Apr 15, 2017 at 12:36pm PDT

Jordon Bolden, College of Fine Arts

Bachelor’s degree in drama

Bolden plans to move to New York City following graduation. He aims to pursue acting, record pop music, and advocate for LGBTQ and biracial issues.

“The passion and drive instilled at CMU has inspired me to turn ideas into actions,” Bolden said.

Bolden said he wants to leave a mark. At CMU, his chance came during this past year’s Playground when Bolden and fellow students turned his album “Saga” into a stage production.

“For me, it was the tears of people that I thought I had nothing in common with that proved to me that we are so much more than our differences and that alone was a huge step for me at Carnegie Mellon.”

All in a day's work, for busy @cmudrama senior and #cmugrad social media ambassador @jabsinger: "Spent the afternoon tracking the last vocals for my upcoming album SAGA, an ode to biracialism and LGBTQ+ social issues. I've spent the majority of my last semester in this room collaborating with such dedicated and hard-working Tartans - to say I'm blessed would be an understatement. Plus, hearing @uhlenhopper slay on the drums ain't such a bad way to end the day. Can't wait for y'all to hear this one. Catch the album on iTunes, Spotify, and all other online stores and streaming June 6th!"

A post shared by carnegiemellon (@carnegiemellon) on Apr 10, 2017 at 4:11pm PDT

Jordon Bolden (@JABsinger), #cmugrad social media ambassador & @CMU_CFA senior, wraps up on-camera audition scenes w/classmate, Lea DiMarchi pic.twitter.com/jmb3ee3sqc

— Carnegie Mellon (@CarnegieMellon) April 12, 2017

Roja Malligarjunan, College of Engineering

Master of Science in civil and environmental engineering with a focus in advanced infrastructure systems

Malligarjunan said it has always been her dream to attend CMU, where she learned about the broad spectrum of job opportunities open to civil engineers.

“Since it’s not a conventional program, I've had more flexibility in choosing courses of my choice, giving me more job opportunities to explore,” Malligarjunan said.

Following graduation, Malligarjunan will embark on an internship with Lind Engineering in Concepción, Chile, where she will work as a building information modeling engineer.

Her time at CMU has left her with fond lifelong memories, including performing at events organized by the Indian Graduate Student Association. 

Roja Malligarjunan, @CMU_CEE #cmugrad social media ambassador, has "enjoyed every brick" (pun intended) of building CMU @ASCETweets's booth! pic.twitter.com/nmggRUNQ4c

— Carnegie Mellon (@CarnegieMellon) April 20, 2017

Roja Malligarjunan, @CMU_CEE graduate student, is signing off her week as a #cmugrad social media ambassador, with a #cmucarnival reflection: "Carnival had a colorful finale with the CMU OM Holi event where we got to celebrate the most cherished festival of India with our dear fellow Tartans. CMU certainly has never failed to make us feel at home. It's been an eventful week with loads of memories to carry away." Roja also thanked CMU for the opportunity to share snippets from one of her last weeks before graduation. #cmusocial

A post shared by carnegiemellon (@carnegiemellon) on Apr 23, 2017 at 7:31am PDT

Susheel Khetarpal, Mellon College of Science

Bachelor’s degree in biological sciences

Khetarpal will start medical school in August at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Since the summer following his first year at CMU, Khetarpal has been working on lung cancer research at the Hillman Cancer Center at UPMC Shadyside Hospital. He also has been involved in collaborative learning at CMU, as well as Bhangra, an Indian dance traditionally done while celebrating the harvest.

Khetarpal said CMU’s community can be very collaborative.

“I’ve noticed how very open people are and how friendly people are to share their ideas and their strengths and learn from others,” Khetarpal said. “Everyone’s really accepting and super engaging with each other, which is something I’ve seen in all of my clubs and activities.”

From Susheel Khetarpal, Mellon College of Science senior and #cmugrad social media ambassador: "Leading one of my last EXCEL exam reviews for my Organic Chemistry II students. EXCEL is collaborative learning sessions offered by CMU’s academic development. My students are having a fun time listening to music, eating snacks, and studying with each other for their test on Friday! As a leader, I get to help others gain more practice and confidence with their course work. Wish them luck on their exam!" #cmusocial

A post shared by carnegiemellon (@carnegiemellon) on Apr 26, 2017 at 7:11pm PDT

Here's an update from #cmugrad ambassador, Susheel Khetarpal: Went into the lab today at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center (HCC) to isolate some DNA and send samples for sequencing. I have been researching at HCC for about three years, as our lab is working to develop a targeted therapy against a particular form of lung cancer. It's been really fun applying knowledge from the classroom into translational projects that may have a big impact in the future!

A post shared by carnegiemellon (@carnegiemellon) on Apr 27, 2017 at 4:04pm PDT

Trevor Hadick, College of Engineering

Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and engineering public policy

Following graduation, Hadick is headed to Dania Beach, Florida, for an 18-month management training program with Chewy, an online pet supplies retailer.

“They’re in this really innovative space,” Hadick said. “With such a young company, there’s a lot of growth potential, both as an employee but also as a business.”

Hadick’s extracurricular involvement at CMU was instrumental in his education. He has been involved in student government, played in club soccer, served on the University Disciplinary and Academic Review Board and sat on the First-Year Advisory Board.

If he could pass on one piece of advice to incoming students, Hadick said it would be to get involved in organizations.

“It grows you as a person in ways that you might not even know,” he said.

This week's #cmugrad social media ambassador is Trevor Hadick, a @cmuengineering senior. With graduation in weeks, he made sure to squeeze in a mini road trip: "I have always been a big baseball fan, and, as it is getting closer and closer to graduation, ensuring that you check those last few things off the senior year experience bucket list are important. During my four years at Carnegie Mellon, I never took a road trip to Ohio. With only a few weekends left, I said why not? It was thrilling to watch the @indians win and makes me excited to experience one last @pittsburghpirates game with all of the seniors in two weeks."

A post shared by carnegiemellon (@carnegiemellon) on May 3, 2017 at 3:27pm PDT

Today was #cmugrad social media ambassador Trevor Hadick's last day working @CMUEngineering Dean's Office. He's thankful for all he learned! pic.twitter.com/EfUigiTWeZ

— Carnegie Mellon (@CarnegieMellon) May 5, 2017

By Ken Chiacchia

Thousands of electron microscopic images viewed on edge are combined to recreate the eye, ear, brain, nose and several vertebrae of a zebrafish.

Scientists have generated the first 3D map of a vertebrate brain that shows all the connections between nerve cells. The work, on zebrafish larva, holds promise in explaining how these comparatively simple brains work, and may offer insight into how more complex brains such as those of humans work as well. An international collaboration including the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) reported their initial results on May 10 in the journal Nature.

PSC is a joint program of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh.

Zebrafish larvae are small and transparent and have been studied by researchers to understand how their tiny brains generate behaviors, according to principal investigator David Hildebrand. Working in the laboratories of Florian Engert and Jeff Lichtman at Harvard University, Hildebrand sliced the front quarter of the zebrafish larva into more than 18,000 slices and then created electron microscopic images of these slices.

The physical process of slicing inevitably distorted some of the slices. Co-author Art Wetzel at PSC helped to recombine the distorted images to reconstruct the brain in three dimensions. Wetzel used SWiFT (Signal Whitening image Fourier Transform) software he developed as part of PSC's involvement in the National Center for Multiscale Modeling of Biological Systems. SWiFT gave the scientists the ability to handle distortions and defects stemming from tissue variations, compression of slices and image distortions caused by the electron microscope's inner workings.

Thanks to Wetzel's work, the scientists collected more than 4,900 gigabytes of data in the process and fully or partially traced the path of about 2,500 nerve cells and their axons - the long tails the cells use to connect with other nerve cells. The investigators followed 805 of these nerve cells over the entire length of their axons through the brain.

"Our goal was to develop techniques that allow researchers to examine the morphology and circuit connectivity of any neuron in the brain of a larval zebrafish at about five days after fertilization," Hildebrand said. "This is when interesting zebrafish behaviors such as hunting emerge, giving us the opportunity to ask how circuits of neurons parse incoming information from the environment to generate useful behavioral outputs."

One early finding is that certain nerve fibers on one side (left or right) of the fish brain have twin fibers on the other side. The organization of axons within these nerves on each side followed nearly mirror-image paths. While the scientists do not know exactly what this means, they suspect it may have something to do with a pre-programmed brain development process. This also could be an important clue for a number of inborn behaviors fish follow.

It is not clear whether nerve cells in the human brain, which develop slowly and change greatly throughout life, will have the same degree of left/right symmetry.

"What makes the zebrafish such a spectacular system is that the alternatives in other organisms for deriving wiring diagrams are limited to a tiny, tiny part of a much larger brain, and so don't offer the opportunity to study the full range of an organism's behavior," Engert said. "Nobody previously had dared to think of doing this kind of work in a whole brain."

"Nobody previously had dared to think of doing this kind of work in a whole brain." - Florian Engert

By Julianne Mattera

Six graduating seniors have been named 2017 Fulbright Award winners. From left to right, they are: Kayla Lee, Melanie Diaz, Philip Nantawisarakul, Timothy Gao, Rudina Morina and Emily Joyce.

Carnegie Mellon University's six Fulbright award winners for 2017 will teach and conduct research in Spain, Taiwan, Mexico, Ecuador, Switzerland and Germany.

"This year's Fulbright awardees personify the ideals of the Carnegie Mellon undergraduate experience," said Joanna Dickert, assistant director of undergraduate research in CMU's Fellowships and Scholarships Office. "They are committed scholars and citizens who have crafted distinctive paths for intellectual exploration that embraced experiential learning via undergraduate research, study abroad and service learning. We have every confidence that they will continue to learn, create, discover and inspire in their respective host countries as ambassadors for Carnegie Mellon and the United States."

The Fellowships and Scholars Office provides support to students who are interested in applying for nationally competitive fellowships and scholarships.

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs sponsors the Fulbright U.S. Student Program to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries."

This year's Fulbright winners are:

Melanie Diaz, Class of 2017, Bachelor of Arts in English and Global Studies, with a minor in Politics and Public Policy

Diaz, of East Los Angeles, is the recipient of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship award. In a position co-sponsored by the Government of La Rioja, Spain, Diaz will spend her summer teaching up to 16, 50-minute class periods a week in La Rioja. She will assist in English language classes and other subjects taught in English at an elementary or secondary school. She also hopes to volunteer with an organization focused on refugee assistance.

Timothy Gao, Class of 2017, Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences

Gao, of New York City, is headed to Yilan and Taipei, Taiwan, after being awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship. Primarily, he will teach English and science in the rural elementary schools of Yilan County. He also plans to work with grassroots non-governmental organizations on mental health awareness, an issue that Gao said "remains stigmatized" in East Asia.

Emily Joyce, Class of 2017, Bachelor of Science in International Relations and Politics; and a Bachelor of Arts in Hispanic Studies

Joyce, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, will travel to Mexico City, for the Fulbright-García Robles Binational Business Internship Program. In addition to an internship through the program, Joyce will take classes in economics.

Kayla Lee, Class of 2017, Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies and Hispanic Studies, with a minor in Politics and Public Policy

Lee, of Seattle, has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship. She will work in Ecuador at a public university or English training program where her responsibilities could include presentations on topics related to the United States and its culture, preparing classroom activities and encouraging students' communication in English. She also plans to volunteer with local non-governmental organizations.

Rudina Morina, Class of 2017, Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Morina, of Kosovo, will spend the next year in Zurich, Switzerland, after being awarded a Fulbright Study/Research Grant. She will conduct research at the Institute of Neuroinformatics, a joint institute of the University of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Morina's research will focus on using computational techniques to study the neural computations underlying cognitive processes like decision-making and attention.

Philip Nantawisarakul, Class of 2017, Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences/Neuroscience Track

Nantawisarakul, of Ellicott City, Maryland, is the recipient of a Fulbright Study/Research Grant. He will be traveling to Munich, to work at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry and study at the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich. His research will revolve around attempting to find biomarkers of stress-inflicted mood disorders through clinical fMRI studies.

By Shannon Riffe

Millennials grew up using technology at an early age, but when it comes to academic reading they prefer print materials over digital formats.

The finding comes from a study conducted by Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar Reference & Instruction Librarian A. M. Salaz, alongside researchers from Qatar University and Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia. The work builds on prior research showing that in many cases students perform better academically after working with print materials. 

Salaz does not advocate a return to print; digital is here to stay. Instead, she said there are opportunities to continue research into optimizing the use of digital formats for effective use and learning.

“Many people seem to look at this research and immediately think it’s an argument for reverting to print forever, which is not how I see it,” Salaz said. “It’s an argument for being careful and thoughtful about how and where we deploy digital resources in learning contexts and for continuing to advance research into which devices, platforms, tools, behaviors and knowledge will move us toward erasing the digital disadvantages.”

The study’s findings could influence how instructors and librarians train students to interact with course materials that are increasingly available only in digital format.

Using Tobii Pro glasses to record eye-tracking data, university students in Qatar were asked to read two chapters from an undergraduate psychology textbook, one in print and one on a tablet with a Kindle app, and then write a 100 to 150-word summary of the chapter. Salaz and the other researchers then analyzed the eye and hand movements of the participants.

They found students reading the digital format engaged less meaningfully with the text — swiping back and forth and skimming more frequently — and started to write their summary during their first reading. When reading print, however, students engaged with the entire text before beginning to summarize and recalled the material with less difficulty. The behavior observed in the study supports the results from the Academic Reading Format International Study (ARFIS) survey, which investigated print versus digital reading preferences in 31 countries.

The ARFIS survey was the subject of a recent talk by Diane Mizrachi, titled “Preferring Print in a Digital World: Studies of Students’ Academic Reading Behaviors,” at the Carnegie Mellon Qatar campus for the Gloriana St. Clair Distinguished Lecture in 21st Century Librarianship.

Mizrachi, the social sciences and undergraduate instruction librarian at the University of California, Los Angeles, discussed the importance of ensuring equity in the classroom by accommodating students who may struggle with assignments when readings are only available in digital format, but are unable to afford increasingly costly paper-based texts.

The low cost of digital-only materials means it is unlikely instructors will return to exclusively assigning print readings. But the research demonstrates that not all students are learning effectively from digital materials.

“Students in lower socioeconomic strata who do not have ready access to electronic devices and printers or cannot afford print textbooks might be settling for the least expensive format over the most optimal learning experience,” Mizrachi said. “The ARFIS survey and the Carnegie Mellon Qatar study demonstrate that an inadvertent outcome of higher education’s efforts to negate the effects of the ‘digital divide’ — the gap between those who have access to technology and those who don’t — may be the creation of a ‘print divide’ that favors students who can afford it.”

By Byron Spice

A new master's degree program at Carnegie Mellon University aims to teach computer scientists and engineers to become product managers, much sought-after specialists in technical organizations who shepherd new products to market.

A joint program of the university's School of Computer Science (SCS) and Tepper School of Business, the Master of Science in Product Management (MSPM) program will start January 2018.

The 12-month master's degree program provides the technical skills and business acumen students need to be successful in this high-demand area. A required internship and capstone project supply the practical skills students need to return to industry prepared for their new careers.

"A product manager is first and foremost the CEO of the product," said Bob Monroe, associate teaching professor in the Tepper School and co-director of the MSPM program. "They are responsible for building the right product to solve the right problem for the right customers, and selling it at the right price through the right distribution channels. They own and are responsible for the overall success of the product."

Because their roles involve technical knowhow and marketing savvy, good product managers must exhibit excellent interpersonal skills, business acumen and technical knowledge. Carnegie Mellon's MSPM degree builds on the university's global leadership in computer science and business to train these hard-to-find gems of the tech world.

"One message we consistently receive from industry is that truly good product managers are incredibly hard to find," said SCS Dean Andrew Moore). "In software companies, big and small, there is no such thing as a great product manager who doesn't combine technical excellence with passionate leadership, so SCS and Tepper School are the perfect partnership."

Carnegie Mellon has designed its MSPM program for early career professionals with an undergraduate degree in computer science, software engineering or computer engineering. Students will begin the program in January and spend one calendar year in Pittsburgh. SCS's Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) will provide technical education in courses ranging from digital service innovation to data science for product managers. The Tepper School will supply courses on management topics that include marketing for high-tech product managers, product strategy, and managing people and teams.

"The MSPM program offers a deep dive into all the skills good product managers need to have," said program co-director Jason Hong, associate professor in the HCII. "This program will help technical professionals change their career trajectory and make the leap from technologist to product manager at tech companies."

In addition to providing the hard skills product managers need, the program will focus on training students in the interpersonal and communications skills that are imperative to getting a product from concept to customer.

"Through the Tepper School's Accelerate Leadership Center, students will create a personalized program and work with an executive coach to develop the leadership and interpersonal skills they'll need to succeed," Monroe said.

Applications for the program are open, and the first application deadline is July 1. Visit the MSPM homepage for more information.

By Abby Simmons

Meg Whitman, president and chief executive officer of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, will be the speaker at Carnegie Mellon University's 120th Commencement. Whitman will receive an honorary Doctor of Business Practice degree.

More than 5,000 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees will be conferred at Carnegie Mellon's main commencement ceremony.

The student speaker is Chrystal Thomas, who will be receiving a bachelor's degree in biological sciences.

CMU's additional honorary degree recipients are:

• Mahzarin R. Banaji, the Richard Clarke Cabot Professor of Social Ethics at Harvard University and a renowned experimental psychologist, will receive a Doctor of Science and Technology degree.
• Vivian Davidson Hewitt, who has enjoyed an illustrious career as a prominent librarian and African-American art collector, will be awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters degree. She graduated from CMU in 1944.
• Michael Keaton, a critically acclaimed actor, producer, director and visiting CMU scholar will be presented with a Doctor of Fine Arts degree.
• Bernard Osher, a patron of education and the arts who has pursued a successful career in business, will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Learn more about the speakers and honorary degree recipients.

The ceremony will be webcast live at http://www.cmu.edu/commencement.

When: 11 a.m., Sunday, May 21 (rain or shine).

Where: Gesling Stadium, CMU campus.

Note: Media planning to attend Sunday's ceremony should contact Abby Simmons at 412-956-9425 or Ken Walters at 412-480-4396 for instructions on parking, photography and seating. Please wear press credentials.

Parking: Parking spaces for media will be located in the East Campus parking garage. Please contact Abby Simmons or Ken Walters if your vehicle won't fit in a parking garage.

By Shilo Rea

In a Journal of the American Medical Association Viewpoint article, Carnegie Mellon University's George Loewenstein and the University of California, Los Angeles' Ian Larkin outline the problems associated with the fee-for-service arrangements that most doctors currently operate under. Such compensation schemes, they argue, create incentives for physicians to order more, and different, services than are best for patients.

"Fee-for-service payments have adverse consequences that dwarf those of the payments from pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers that have received the lion's share of attention in the conflict of interest literature," said Loewenstein, the Herbert A. Simon University Professor of Economics and Psychology at CMU and a leading expert on conflicts of interest. "Paying doctors to do more leads to over-provision of tests and procedures, which cause harms that go beyond the monetary and time costs of getting them. Many if not most tests and procedures cause pain and discomfort, especially when they go wrong."

One commonly proposed solution to the problem involves requiring physicians to disclose their financial interest for a given procedure. However, disclosure of conflicts has been found to have limited, or even negative, effects on patients.

Loewenstein and Larkin argue the simplest and most effective way to deal with conflicts caused by fee-for-service arrangements is to pay physicians on a straight salary basis. Several health systems well-known for high-quality of care, such as the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic and the Kaiser group in California, pay physicians salaries without incentives for volume of services performed.

Moving more physicians to straight salary-based compensation might have benefits not only for patients but for physicians themselves.

"The high levels of job dissatisfaction reported by many physicians may result, in part, from the need to navigate the complexities of the fee-for-service arrangements," said Larkin, an assistant professor of strategy at UCLA's Anderson School of Management. "Instead of focusing on providing patients with the best possible medical care, physicians are forced to consider the ramifications of their decisions for their own paychecks."

Arthur L. Caplan, professor of medical ethics at New York University's Langone Medical Center, told Medscape he found Loewenstein and Larkin's piece to be "the most novel" in the May 2 JAMA issue dedicated to medical conflicts of interest.

In how they suggest using salaried compensation as a remedy for conflicts of interest that arise from fee-for-service incentives, Caplan said, "There's been a lot of talk about this, but not much had been written."

Loewenstein and Larkin also led a research study in the same issue of JAMA on how restricting pharmaceutical sales representatives' marketing tactics changes physician prescribing behavior.

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By Jocelyn Duffy

In the center of this image, taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, is the galaxy cluster SDSS J1038+4849. In this "happy face," the two eyes are very bright galaxies, and the misleading smile lines are arcs caused by an effect known as strong gravitational lensing.

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University's McWilliams Center for Cosmology has combined the university's expertise in astrophysics and machine learning to win an international strong lens-finding challenge organized by the European Space Agency's Euclid strong lensing working group.

"We were not the only team using machine learning in this challenge, but the fact that our algorithm ultimately won is a tribute to the quality of interdisciplinary research here at CMU, especially between astrophysics, computer science and statistics," said François Lanusse, a post-doctoral researcher in Carnegie Mellon's Department of Physics.

The challenge asked research groups to develop an automated method to find galaxies that were strongly bending light. In this phenomenon, called strong lensing, one large galaxy is situated directly in front of a second galaxy, causing the light from the second galaxy to bend and form an arc around the first galaxy. The shape of the arc can be used to determine how all matter, including dark matter, is distributed in the lensed galaxy.

"These rings, called Einstein rings, are a distinct feature, but can be hard to pick out of large astronomical datasets," said Rachel Mandelbaum, associate professor of physics who advised the team together with Assistant Professor of Machine Learning Barnabás Póczos. "Strongly lensed galaxies are quite rare, and we need a reliable, automated way to find them."

CMU DeepLens was able to discern between strong gravitational lenses (left) and objects that are not lenses (right).

The next generation of sky surveys, including the ground-based Large Synoptic Survey Telescope project (LSST), the space-based Euclid survey and NASA's space-based Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), will collect unprecedented amounts of data. Automated methodologies for sorting through this data to find interesting astronomical objects to study is essential. For example, there will only be a few hundred thousand to one million strongly lensed galaxies out of an estimated 20 billion galaxies in the LSST's data; finding one without the help of automation would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

For the challenge, the organizers created a simulated data set that contained information about strong-lens systems and systems that looked like they were strongly lensed, but were not. They asked competitors to create a method that could accurately identify strong lens candidates.

Lanusse and machine learning graduate student Eric Ma turned to deep learning, a field of machine learning that has had a great deal of success in image recognition problems, to attack the challenge. Their algorithm, CMU DeepLens, accurately identified the most strong lensing candidates within the data set, and had the least amount of errors. The results were especially striking given that many of the other algorithms entered in the competition had taken years to develop, and Lanusse and Ma developed their algorithm in less than two weeks.

"Our algorithm was amazingly powerful and capable of a high level of sophistication. It did a great job of discriminating between true strong lens systems and false data, and did better than human classification," Mandelbaum said.

CMU DeepLens is especially promising because it can work with cosmological data containing color information and data that does not. This is important because space-based surveys like Euclid do not collect color data, but ground-based surveys like the LSST can. The researchers have made the algorithm freely available, and hope that it will be used to analyze available and future cosmological data.

Machine learning post-doc Siamak Ravanbakhsh, machine learning graduate student Chun-Liang Li and others contributed to the development of CMU DeepLens.

By Adam Dove

Approximately one out of every 10 children born in the United States is born pre-term — prior to 37 weeks of gestation.

A team of Carnegie Mellon University decision scientists has partnered with maternal-fetal medicine specialists at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC to develop and test an app to help reduce that number.

Pre-term birth is the leading cause of neonatal death, and can lead to long-lasting health problems, from low birth weight, to apnea, to increased risk of infection and more. These risks are particularly high among specific socioeconomic groups, including African-Americans and families living in poverty.

"Mobile phone apps are a great way to engage a vulnerable population in their health care, because approximately 86 percent of American adults own a mobile phone, regardless of racial and ethnic groups," said lead researcher Tamar Krishnamurti, an assistant professor in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy. "Although hundreds of pregnancy-related apps exist, few have been developed through a scientific process that is patient-centered and grounded in behavioral decision research."

The app is designed to address some of the key risk factors that lead to poor neonatal health and pre-term birth: maternal weight gain, smoking, alcohol consumption, depression, intimate partner violence, poor attendance at prenatal appointments and more.

Researchers recruited study participants from Magee's outpatient clinic. Over three months, the app asked participants a series of questions once a day about their risk factors, then using computer algorithms, delivered patient-specific risk feedback and recommendations for the user. If it detected high-risk events such as intimate partner violence or thoughts of suicide, it sent real-time alerts to medical professionals, who would contact the women to connect them to appropriate services.

Additionally, the app provides services such as basic pregnancy education, appointment reminders, fetal health monitoring aids, quitting resources for drug and alcohol addiction and free transportation to and from prenatal appointments through Uber.

"Our goal with this app is to support women through their pregnancy," Krishnamurti said. "We hope that the app can both detect risks in a timely fashion and also reassure women that their pregnancy is progressing healthily when they are at low-risk for adverse events."

From here, the team will ramp up testing of the app, with plans for a randomized controlled trial over participants' entire pregnancy and evaluating the app's effects on behavioral and clinical outcomes.

"While we do not understand why certain socioeconomic groups are at a higher-risk for preterm birth, we do know that prenatal care that starts early in pregnancy is critical for a healthy baby and mother," said Dr. Hyagriv Simhan, professor and chief of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at UPMC and part of the research team. "This pilot shows that smartphone apps are a promising and potentially cost-saving way to provide personalized care for the highest-risk patients."

"We are excited about the possibility of being able to roll our app out on a larger scale, making it more widely available to patients on a national and even international scale, and using it to better understand patients' needs," she said.

The research team also included EPP Assistant Professor Alex Davis, EPP Assistant Research Professor Gabrielle Wong-Parodi, and the Howard Heinz University Professor in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences Baruch Fischhoff. The clinical team consisted of Simhan and Director of the Magee-Womens Research Institute Dr. Yoel Sadovsky.

By Bruce Gerson

Gloria Hill, an adviser and mentor to thousands of students at Carnegie Mellon University for more than three decades, and a champion for diversity and inclusion at the university, died on Wednesday, May 3. She was 70.

Hill's many devoted contributions to CMU were aimed at supporting students and student life, and promoting an inclusive university community.

Hill joined CMU in 1972 as an academic adviser and her rapport with students combined with her endearing personality led her to build a stellar reputation among students, faculty and staff across campus. She became director of the Carnegie Mellon Action Project (CMAP), an academic support center for under-represented minority students, and then assistant vice provost for education. From 2004-2008 she was the liaison between CMU in Pittsburgh and its newly launched campus in Doha, Qatar.

"Gloria Hill's legacy is one that will be felt for decades as we chart the meaningful connection countless alumni have to their alma mater," said Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Gina Casalegno. "Her influence on students was instrumental in cultivating a sense of belonging and mentoring student success. Gloria was one of the pillars of this community who brought her great intellect, grace and heart to the work for 35 years. She is deeply missed by all who knew and loved her."

Vice Provost for Education Amy Burkert remembers Hill as a passionate educator and tireless student advocate who taught many key lessons to her students and colleagues.

"She recognized the important role of connections and community, and served as a bridge between people, programs, cultures and campuses. Perhaps most importantly, she taught us we all have a role to play in making the community better and she challenged and partnered with all she met to do just that," Burkert said.

Professor and Vice Provost Emeritus Indira Nair said students loved Hill, and learned and thrived from her sound counsel.

"I first came to know of Gloria as students spoke of her with immense respect and love, but with a clear understanding that 'Dr. Hill' will expect the best from them," Nair said. "Gloria's advice was pragmatic — about attending class, asking questions, going to office hours, and making sure to get tutoring as needed.

"The famed Summer Boot Camp — six weeks of authentic college experience for admitted minority students was a national model, and one she adapted with great success at CMU-Qatar. Gloria trained and mentored her staff, too, to give the best, and to get the best from students. Her smile, grace and generosity will stay with me always," Nair said.

Ty Walton worked under Hill as assistant director of CMAP, and is now director of the Carnegie Mellon Advising Resource Center, CMAP's successor.

"I worked with her for over 30 years. I knew her as a student advocate and a person who made pathways for student success," Walton said. "She was a proponent for diversity before the word became popular."

Damian Dourado, director of pre-college programs at CMU-Qatar, said Hill was a "mother figure" to students and her staff.

"She was willing to celebrate the success and also have the tough conversations when necessary," said Dourado, who worked under Hill at CMAP. "She truly cared about their growth, development and overall well-being.

"I also came to find out that this was not just her approach to students, but to her staff as well. On the CMAP staff I felt like I was part of a family. Her investment in me went far beyond my job responsibilities," he said.

Bob Patterson, a 1989 CMU graduate in mechanical engineering, reaped the benefits of Hill's work. A chief strategist for IoT Data and Analytics for Hewlett Packard Enterprise, he said Hill made students feel special.

"Every single student walked away feeling that they were her favorite. That's the level of impact she had over 35 years," said Patterson, deputy director of Carnegie Mellon's Black Alumni Association.

Joseph E. Devine, associate dean for undergraduate studies in the Dietrich College, said Hill lifted him up personally and professionally.

"Gloria epitomized style, refinement, grace, wit and the unwavering dedication to the well-being of students in her charge that only the finest educators exhibit. Every day was a better day when it included Gloria. I miss her greatly and am a better person and educator for having known and worked with her," Devine said.

In 2008, Hill rose to the rank of assistant dean of the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and director of its Academic Advisory Center (AAC), which provides information, advice and counsel for students who have yet to declare a major course of study. 

Hill helped to mold the AAC into a haven, where students can turn to during their transition into college life. She encouraged students and aided them in developing realistic goals and objectives. Former Dietrich College Dean John Lehoczky said Hill transformed the center to provide excellent advising and mentorship to first- and second-year students and created a sense of unity among Dietrich students.

Eric Grotzinger, senior adviser for student success, said Hill helped him see things from the students' perspective.

"Gloria's intelligence, enthusiasm, charm, and dynamic personality made her a most treasured colleague. She was my go-to-person in helping underrepresented students achieve their maximum potential at Carnegie Mellon," said Grotzinger, former associate dean for undergraduate affairs at the Mellon College of Science. "Working with Gloria helped me to better understand some of the complex issues that students face and that in turn made me not only a better mentor but also a better person."

Hill retired from CMU in July 2015.

A university celebration honoring Hill's legacy is being planned for the fall.

By Angela Ford

Maher Khan earned degrees in both computer science and information systems from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, which celebrated graduation on May 1.

Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) celebrated its milestone 10th graduation with its largest class to date: 109 students were recognized in front of family, friends, faculty and alumni.

Ilker Baybars, dean and CEO of CMU-Q, reminded students how far they have come since arriving at the university.

"You worked hard from the start, learning to use creativity, collaboration and tenacity to solve problems," Baybars said. "You have learned that leadership cannot exist without teamwork. Every one of you has added to the Carnegie Mellon community."

This year's graduating class consists of 41 business administration students, 33 information systems students, 19 biological sciences students and 16 computer science students. This is an accomplished class academically, with 70 percent completing a minor and 53 percent received University Honors for earning a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5.

Commencement speaker and CMU President Subra Suresh, sent the students forth with a charge to participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution that involves bringing together the digital, biological and physical worlds.

"Our challenge is to continuously strive to understand the far-reaching implications of this Fourth Industrial Revolution," Suresh said. "I am confident that you are supremely prepared to take up this task and guide humanity to a more prosperous future."

The student speaker for the Class of 2017 was Ibrahim Soltan, an information systems graduate with a business administration minor.

"While it is true that individual classes taught us math and science and programming and rhetoric, and biology, the overall CMU-Q experience has taught us how to identify and solve problems," Soltan said. "From small puzzles to grand challenges like autonomous cars or robotic limbs, we are at the forefront of entrepreneurship and innovation. And that is because we are taught how to solve problems."

The class of 2017 raises the number of CMU-Q alumni to 679; they join a worldwide Carnegie Mellon network of more than 100,000 graduates.

Watch the ceremony.

Three Carnegie Mellon University faculty members, Alan Frieze, Martin Gaynor and Susan Tsu, have been named University Professors, the highest designation a faculty member can achieve. The faculty members were nominated and recommended for the title of University Professor by academic leaders and the community of CMU University Professors.

"University Professors are distinguished by international recognition and for their contributions to education, artistic creativity and/or research. Alan, Martin, and Susan each exemplify this high level of achievement and commitment to both the university and the broader academic communities," said CMU Provost Farnam Jahanian.

Alan Frieze, professor of mathematics in the Mellon College of Science, is one of the founders of the field of random discrete structures and has remained at the forefront of that field for 35 years. In 1991, he received the prestigious Fulkerson Prize for his work on computing the volume of a convex body. His contributions to graph theory led to a plenary address at the quadrennial International Congress of Mathematicians in 2014, a degree of recognition accorded to only a handful of mathematicians. A recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Frieze is a fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics and a fellow of the American Mathematical Society. He has developed innovative new curriculum at CMU, cofounding the interdisciplinary Algorithms, Combinatotics and Optimization Ph.D. program, which currently has 21 Ph.D. students across three schools and colleges

Martin Gaynor is the E.J. Barone Professor of Economics and Public Health in the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. Gaynor has devoted his research to the economics of health care, a field in which he is considered one of the preeminent scholars. One of his most important findings — that competition among hospitals lowers prices and produces better health outcomes even when consumers are heavily insured — fundamentally changed accepted wisdom about health care markets and the nature of competition. He served as the Director of the Bureau of Economics at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in 2013-2014, where he was responsible for all economic matters and advised the Commission on antitrust and consumer protection issues. Elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2016, he is the recipient of a number of awards for his research, including the Best Paper Award in Economic Policy from the American Economic Association, the Victor R. Fuchs Research Award and the Kenneth J. Arrow Award.

Susan Tsu holds the Bessie F. Anathan Professorship in the College of Fine Arts (CFA) in recognition of her outstanding career in the School of Drama. She is a leader in the field of costume design, achieving early success as the original designer for the Broadway musical "Godspell." She has designed over 100 productions, including benchmark international productions of "The Joy Luck Club" in China and "The Balcony" at the Bolshoi Theatre in Russia. A double alumna of CFA, Tsu's designs have been represented in more than a dozen books. She has served on National Endowment for the Arts granting panels, the Theatre Communications Group board of directors, and has been a curator for the Prague Quadrennial and Bakhrushin Museum in Moscow. Her awards include the NY Drama Desk, NY Drama Critics and a Kennedy Center Medal of Achievement. In 2016, she was accorded the Theatre Development Fund Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest recognition bestowed by the national professional community of costume designers.

Commencement Speaker Meg Whitman, president and chief executive officer of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, encouraged graduates at Carnegie Mellon University's 120th Commencement to stand for truth, free speech and civility.

"This country desperately needs the skills you have developed during your years at Carnegie Mellon University," Whitman told the graduates. "But it needs something more than your skills; it needs your ideals. You leave this great university as better men and women than when you arrived — more knowledgeable and better educated, I'm sure, but I trust wiser and more hopeful."

Whitman encouraged the Class of 2017 to be women and men who spend their lives in an objective reality and who have the courage to speak truth to power even when there may be a cost.

"If you do — if you are defenders of truth in an age marked by lies — it will have a liberating effect on our fellow citizens and make more possible all good things in life," Whitman said.

She also encouraged them to stand up for free speech and welcome dialogue.

"Too many of us live in intellectual silos, where we seek out people and information that simply reinforces our existing opinions. Venture out of those silos," she said. "Be the generation that embodies real tolerance, genuine inquiry and authentic open-mindedness."

Student speaker Chrystal Thomas received a bachelor's degree in biological sciences and was the first CMU student to be named a Schwarzman Scholar. Thomas attended CMU's Summer Academy for Mathematics and Science prior to college and she shared some of the challenges she overcame.

"As someone from a town where high school students thought they couldn't go to college if they didn't have money," she said. "I am immensely proud to be part of the campus and I am so proud to be able to walk with you today."

Thomas encouraged her classmates to center their lives around impacting others and to let purpose guide them.

"We should reflect on purpose because it develops us, keeps us resilient and can lead us to happiness," said Thomas, who will be pursuing a master's degree in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

She said happiness comes in three levels: from building something; when others praise what you have built; and when what you have built changes someone's life. Thomas said the third path is the most satisfying.

"That path makes you feel the most fulfilled, the path that gives you the greatest happiness — can give you insight on purpose," she said.

Alumni Association Board President Deborah Yue urged the new CMU alumni to stay true to themselves.

"Continue to be intellectually curious and continue to learn. Be supportive of each other as well as for those who are following in your footsteps. Go outside of your comfort zone and embrace your vision for the future," Yue said.

CMU President Subra Suresh told the graduates that those gathered for the day were very proud of their accomplishments.

"With a CMU degree you are well prepared to separate signal from noise, fact from fiction and evidence from a mere innuendo. As you accomplish much, we expect you to return to this campus sharing your knowledge and experiences," Suresh said. "Whatever you do, where ever you live, you will have a profound impact on the world with a CMU degree. I cannot wait to see how you change the world."

He challenged them to think about what they could accomplish and where their paths might lead.

"You were my freshman class and so you were my special class of students forever, and with whom I have bonded so much over the past four years," said Suresh, who arrived at CMU four years ago. "I will always be connected with you."

In addition to Whitman, CMU's 2017 honorary degree recipients are:

Mahzarin R. Banaji, the Richard Clarke Cabot Professor of Social Ethics at Harvard University and a renowned experimental psychologist, received a Doctor of Science and Technology degree.

Vivian Davidson Hewitt, who has enjoyed an illustrious career as a prominent librarian and African-American art collector, was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters degree. She graduated from CMU in 1944.

Michael Keaton, a critically acclaimed actor, producer, director and visiting CMU scholar was presented with a Doctor of Fine Arts degree.

Bernard Osher, a patron of education and the arts who has pursued a successful career in business, received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Learn more about the honorary degree recipients.

A total of 4,883 undergraduate and graduate degrees were conferred, which included graduates from CMU programs based in Silicon Valley, Qatar and Rwanda.

Resources for News Media

         

Watch the recorded webcast.

Carnegie Mellon Qatar Graduates Largest Class

By Emily Payne

Mellon College of Science graduate students Krista Freeman, Michael Polen and Chenjie Zeng are graduate students talk about the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.

Carnegie Mellon University graduate students Michael Polen and Chenjie Zeng will be among 400 young scientists from 76 countries who will join 31 Nobel Laureates in Lindau, Germany, June 25-30.

The annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting alternates between the natural science Nobel Prize disciplines — physiology and medicine, physics and chemistry — with an interdisciplinary meeting of all three disciplines every five years.

Topics at this year's gathering, dedicated to chemistry, will focus on molecular machines, big data, climate change and the role of science in a "post-truth" era.

Polen is particularly interested in discussing climate change and the difficulties facing the scientific and research community at the meeting.

"I'm fascinated to learn what each of these laureates and students think about our current times," Polen said. "In the United States and around the world, we have a major global crisis, specifically in climate change. I want to learn the stories of these scientists as humans and see if there are ways in which we can all work together to make the world a better place, starting within our own countries."

Polen studies atmospheric and environmental chemistry in Carnegie Mellon's Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies with his adviser, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Mechanical Engineering Ryan Sullivan.

"I am thrilled that Mike has this exceptional opportunity to share his passion for environmental chemistry with other talented chemists from around the world. He will learn powerful lessons by hearing about the varied career paths of the Nobel Laureates, direct from the source," Sullivan said. "I'm excited to share in Mike's unique experience when he returns with many new insights and energy for science that will surely inspire my students and me."

With a focus on climate change, Polen's research looks at how the emissions from biomass burning affect cloud formation. Biomass burning, which includes wood and gas burning, releases carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbonaceous particles into the atmosphere.

Zeng said she looks forward to learning the stories behind the discoveries of the Nobel Laureates. A researcher in Professor of Chemistry Rongchao Jin's lab, Zeng has made her own finds within the realm of synthetic nanoparticles. She is one of only 30 young scientists selected to present her work at a poster session during the meeting.

Her research focuses on making tiny particles that contain tens to hundreds of gold atoms and elucidating the structure of these synthetic gold nanoclusters by X-ray crystallography. Through analyzing these precise structures, Zeng is able to answer some of most fundamental questions in nanoscience, including how the atoms are packed into stable structures and how the surface molecules are arranged. These fundamental questions are important for practical applications of gold nanoparticles in catalysis, electronics and health care. In particular, Zeng established the structure of Au246, one of the largest and most complex nanoparticles to date.

"Chenjie has done stunning research in nanoscience and her achievements are simply amazing. Attending the Lindau Meeting will surely benefit her future career in scientific research," Jin said.

Krista Freeman, another graduate student in the Mellon College of Science, was one of 55 U.S. graduate students selected to attend the 2015 meeting.

Freeman is working toward her Ph.D. in physics, with a focus on physical biochemistry. She studies the mechanical and kinetic properties of viruses, and specifically the role of metastability in the lifecycle of DNA viruses. Looking at these properties — like quantifying the force necessary to punch a hole in a virus capsid, or measuring the effect of DNA pressure on rates of DNA ejection — helps Freeman identify the conditions viruses need to successfully infect and replicate. The goal of her research is to identify those conditions, which can then lead to ideas on how to disrupt the viral lifecycle to prevent or treat infections.

"I met physicists enthralled by the beauty and complexity of biology, chemists creating life-saving medical treatments and devices, biologists diving into physics and chemistry to develop quantification tools and every other permutation imaginable," Freeman said.

"It was an experience like none I've ever had in science before — I was inspired, challenged and motivated both by the laureates and by my fellow young scientists," she said. "My curiosity was sparked in so many dimensions, and I got new ideas of directions I might like to explore in my future. My advice for the two students attending the Lindau meeting this year: have fun, learn a lot and get inspired."

By Jennie Dorris

CMU's NeuroHackathon challenges students from a variety of fields to find new perspectives on data sets related to brain research.

A team of students and recent graduates of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar won the university's second annual NeuroHackathon last week by identifying a characteristic in synapses that could point to a gene associated with autism in mice.

The NeuroHackathon challenges Carnegie Mellon neuroscience, machine learning, statistics and computer science students to dig through existing neuro datasets and come up with fresh perspectives, all in 24 hours. Interest in the program has grown since last year, when five teams competed. This year's contest included 51 competitors working in 10 teams from around the globe, including teams on CMU's Pittsburgh and Rwanda campuses, and the winning team, which brought together members via Skype, from Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

The team "Vicious and Delicious" won the contest by comparing synapses of mice that carry a gene mutation associated with autism to those without. The team was looking to find how synapse distribution is altered in these mice compared to control mice in order to both characterize specific neural circuits implicated in autism and provide a metric to evaluate treatment efficacy.

The data, which was provided by Alison Barth, professor of biological sciences, included thousands of synapse images. The team studied all the individual measurements to see if there were differences in their values. They found sphericity — the roundness of the spot corresponding to a synapse — predictive of the mutation associated with autism.

Barth's data set was one of four sets gathered by Carnegie Mellon faculty and used in the competition. Sandra Kuhlman, assistant professor of biological sciences, brought data about the change in mice's neural processing from morning to night. Pulkit Grover, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Marlene Behrmann, the Cowan University Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, submitted data from EEG scans that showed mixed electrical signals representing brain activity from various brain regions. Aryn Gittis, assistant professor of biological sciences, and Steve Chase, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, shared data about testing motor learning using a split treadmill with contrasting speeds.

Each of the 10 teams selected a data set to examine during the 24-hour sprint.

Mounira Tlili, a member of "Vicious and Delicious" who just graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer science, described the challenges of competing in the NeuroHackathon with a seven-hour time difference.

"We started at 10:30 at night — we were exhausted from the time we started," Tlili said. Members of the team were also dispersed after CMU-Q's graduation ceremony in early May.

Muhammad Ahmed Shah, who also received a bachelor's degree in computer science, said the experience revealed how he could apply his degree.

"I have a machine learning background, but this data set was more about statistics. It was something totally different than what we are used to," Shah said.

The other members of "Vicious and Delicious" were computer science graduates Qasim Nadeem and Sannan Tariq, computer science senior Malath Anaya and biological sciences sophomore Muhammad Nahin Khan.

Alison Barth, interim director of BrainHub.

Barth, the interim director of BrainHub, organized the NeuroHackathon with Geoff Gordon, associate professor of machine learning, and Gerry Balbier, executive director of the university-wide initiative that focuses on how the structure and activity of the brain give rise to complex behaviors. Her goal for the contest is to connect students from machine learning and computer science backgrounds with neuroscience faculty and students.

"What we would like is to have students get interested in a particular problem and develop a long-term collaboration with faculty," Barth said.

The winning team will split a $2,500 travel stipend among its members. The grand prize also includes a semester of free tuition to further explore the research collaboration created at the NeuroHackathon.

The second prize went to the "Deep Brain Stimulation" team from the Pittsburgh campus, which analyzed data from Kuhlman. This data set included the activity of hundreds of neurons simultaneously recorded in response to mice viewing visual stimuli.

"I was struck by how thoughtful and insightful they were having only worked with the data for a few hours," Kuhlman said.

The third prize went to the Pittsburgh campus team "Random Walkers," which analyzed Barth's data and found that the area density of synapses appears to correlate with autism.

The competing teams were judged on the presentation of their code, the potential portability of their approaches to other problems, the rigor of their analytical methods and the elegance of their solutions.

The judges were Gordon; Andreas Pfenning, assistant professor of computational biology; and Bhiksha Raj, associate professor of computer science.

Raj coordinated the involvement of the teams from Carnegie Mellon University in Africa, based in Rwanda, and CMU-Q. Those teams made their presentations via videoconference at the end of the contest.

"These remote campuses feel somewhat disconnected with the main campus. They liked the idea of having this community," Raj said.

"The ingredients that made the NeuroHackathon successful include the fun of a challenge, making connections with other people, discovery in exploring new topics like brain research, and personal improvement experienced by participants," Balbier said. "These also happen to be characteristics of new hires sought by innovators like our sponsors Google and Janssen Neuroscience."

Additional sponsors included CMU's BrainHub, Machine Learning Department and the Office of the Provost.

Carnegie Mellon University President Subra Suresh will be stepping down from his post as president, Chairman of the Board of Trustees James E. Rohr announced Thursday. Rohr said that in coming weeks, the university would announce an interim president.

"I want to thank Dr. Suresh for his vision and efforts on behalf of Carnegie Mellon, at an important time in our history. With his guidance and articulation, the university's strategic plan provides a clear road map for how CMU can move forward," Rohr said. "We wish Subra the very best in his next chapter."

Suresh was appointed the ninth president of Carnegie Mellon University in 2013, after serving as director of the National Science Foundation, and before that, as dean of the School of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

As CMU's president, Suresh presided over an inclusive, campus-wide process that led to the creation of Strategic Plan 2025. He further distilled the plan's goals into three priorities: recruiting and retaining outstanding and diverse talent; enhancing the CMU experience; and building excellence across all disciplines and elements of the university's work.

In support of those goals, Suresh presided over the creation of the Presidential Fellowships and Scholarships program to support access for undergraduates and graduate students. During his tenure, CMU has undertaken an historic expansion of campus facilities, supported by more than $500 million in investments. And during that period, the university recorded several of its most successful years of fundraising.

"I knew of CMU's distinct and important role in higher education long before I arrived on campus, and I enjoyed the chance to support and experience every day the outstanding work of our faculty, students and staff," Suresh said. "I want to extend my gratitude to all of those talented and dedicated colleagues for all that we have been able to accomplish, and I wish them the best as Carnegie Mellon continues to make its mark."

"Carnegie Mellon University stands at an extraordinary time of achievement and potential," Rohr said. "The immense talent of our faculty, students and staff, together with the university's distinctive culture of creative problem-solving and unbounded ambition, position this institution well to continue building on its mission of enhancing human life through education, research and creativity."

Related:

• A Personal Message to the CMU Community
• President Suresh's Announcement

A Carnegie Mellon University professor has won an international competition for work that combines artificial intelligence and traffic theory.

Surtrac, an innovative, real-time traffic signal control technology from Carnegie Mellon University, has won the Le Monde Smart Cities Global Innovation Award in the mobility category.

Stephen Smith


Christoph Mertz

Le Monde, a Paris-based newspaper, received more than 200 entries from five continents for the competition's seven categories. Surtrac was the only U.S.-based winner selected by an international jury of 17 urban planners, sociologists, journalists and innovation experts.

"It has been a fascinating experience to select applications from all over the world," said Francis Pisani, a jury member and journalist who covers urban change and innovation for Le Monde. "We are very proud to award Surtrac's outstanding technology with the first prize in mobility. It sits well within a very balanced list of prizewinners in which the other laureates come from Nigeria, Costa Rica, India, Canada and France."

Led by Stephen Smith, a research professor in CMU's Robotics Institute, Surtrac (Scalable Urban Traffic Control) is a combination of research in artificial intelligence and traffic theory. Researchers are installing software that allows Pittsburgh traffic signals to "talk to each other" and manage congestion in real-time.

In operation, Surtrac has decreased travel times by 25 percent; reduced idling time by 40 percent; decreased vehicle stops by 30 to 40 percent; and lowered emissions by over 20 percent. With CMU's support, Smith licensed the technology and recently launched a spinoff company, Rapid Flow Technologies.

Smith accepted the award today at the National University of Singapore during a smart cities conference organized by Le Monde, Business France and the Straits Times, Singapore's most-read English language newspaper.

A special smart cities edition of Le Monde features Surtrac along with CMU spinoff RoadBotics, which was named first runner-up in the competition's urban innovation category. Robotics Institute Principal Systems Scientist Christoph Mertz, co-founder and chief scientist of RoadBotics, said the company uses smartphone-based technology to monitor and assess infrastructure and weather conditions.

Surtrac and RoadBotics, part of CMU's Metro21 Initiative, seek to research, develop and deploy solutions that improve safety, enhance mobility, promote efficiency and address pollution in urban environments.

"Our partnerships with the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and government agencies have been instrumental to the success of Surtrac, RoadBotics and other university technology," said Rick Stafford, executive director of Metro21. "Mayor Bill Peduto, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and other local leaders have created an environment in which our researchers can deploy projects that help transform urban environments and enhance quality of life."

Beginning with nine intersections in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood in 2012, the Surtrac system has expanded to 50 intersections in the city. The City of Pittsburgh has received a $10.8 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant to add an additional 150 intersections to the Surtrac deployment.

The technology is uniquely designed to allow each traffic signal to make its own timing decisions. Each traffic signal senses approaching traffic streams and in real-time generates a timing plan that optimizes movement through its intersection. Traffic signals then share plans with neighboring signals to achieve coordinated action.

The long-term vision for Surtrac is to transform the urban transportation grid by integrating smart signal control with connected vehicle technology. Because Surtrac models and optimizes actual traffic flow, it can directly take advantage of any additional information that vehicles can provide. The connected infrastructure will enhance safety and mobility, for human-driven and self-driving vehicles alike.

As a first step, Smith’s team is working to equip Port Authority of Allegheny County buses with radios that communicate with Surtrac signals to better predict arrivals and to give buses priority when appropriate.

By Pam Wigley

Students from Hood River Valley High School helped teacher Rachel Harry of Hood River, Oregon, celebrate her win as this year's Excellence in Theatre Education Award winner. 

The Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University have announced that Rachel Harry of Hood River, Oregon, has been named the third recipient of the Excellence in Theatre Education Award. Carnegie Mellon, the exclusive higher education partner of the Tony Awards, will present the award to Harry, a drama teacher at Hood River Valley High School, at the 71st Annual Tony Awards on Sunday, June 11, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. 

The Excellence in Theatre Education Award recognizes a K-12 theatre educator in the U.S. who has demonstrated monumental impact on the lives of students and who embodies the highest standards of the profession. A panel of judges from the American Theatre Wing, The Broadway League, Carnegie Mellon and other leaders from the theatre industry selected Harry from finalists across the nation. Harry will receive $10,000 for her theatre program, round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations for her and a guest to New York City, and tickets to the Tony Awards and Gala.

Harry has been teaching students theater at Hood River Valley High School for 30 years. She built the program and created performances that frequently sell out at the high school and a larger middle school theater with 1,100 seats. Among students and colleagues, she is known by her nickname, "Krum."

"I feel strongly that my teaching should be student-driven. I want my students to explore and to reach and to fail, because all of those things — especially failure — will lead to new avenues of learning. And that makes for better people, more well-rounded people, whether you go into the theater business or not," said Harry, who was an honorable mention choice for the award in 2016.

"Rachel is an inspiration not only to her current students, but also to the alumni she continues to follow as they go out into the world. Her colleagues admire her for her selfless nature and for her work with her students. She is preparing well-rounded, responsible citizens for success in whatever fields they choose. She inspired us when we heard her story, and we are honored to present the Excellence in Theatre Education Award to her," said Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League, and Heather Hitchens, president of the American Theatre Wing.

"One of the best experiences we have as the exclusive higher education partner of the Tony Awards is recognizing teachers, who inspire students every day to go out and make a difference. We think Rachel is an exemplary role model," said Dan J. Martin, dean of Carnegie Mellon's College of Fine Arts.

A former dancer, Harry is a native of northern Wisconsin. She earned her bachelor's degree in English and theatre at the University of Utah; she earned her master's degree in theater production at Central Washington University. In addition to her Hood River teaching position, she is an instructor at Columbia Gorge Community College. Her philosophy on teaching, she said, is that her students must be given the ability to fully and actively create their own successes and failures.

She credits her former mentor and high school teacher, Richard Webber, for guiding her toward the path she has taken in her career and life. "Webb opened the door to the possibility of, 'I can try anything.' And that's what I try to pass along to my students," she said.

Harry's arts influence extends to her family. She has two children: Duncan, 21, a recent magna cum laude music composition graduate of Ithaca College in New York, and Tay Camille Lynne, 25, an Austin, Texas, film student who recently presented a short documentary at South by Southwest.

Following the news that several countries have severed diplomatic ties with Qatar, Carnegie Mellon University officials are monitoring the situation and conferring with the U.S. State Department about the developments. The safety of all our students, faculty and staff is our highest priority and the university will offer any necessary assistance to any members of our community who may be affected. We’ll continue to communicate with all our Qatar students, faculty and staff and provide them with updates.

CMU has no summer sessions in Qatar, but there is a small number of students on campus who continue to attend one class and conduct research. CMU-Qatar is home to around 400 students during the regular academic year, and 24 current students are from some of the countries involved. At this time it is unclear what the long-term effects might be.

By Ken Walters

CMU alumni Josh Groban and Denée Benton star in "Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812."

For the second consecutive year, Carnegie Mellon University alumni are nominated for best leading actor and actress in the musical earning the most Tony Award nominations. This year, School of Drama alumni Denée Benton and Josh Groban are nominated for their performances in "Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812," which garnered 12 nominations.

Leslie Odom Jr. and Renée Elise Goldsberry

Last year, CMU alumni Leslie Odom, Jr. and Renée Goldsberry were nominated and won for their roles in "Hamilton," which had a record-breaking 16 Tony nominations.

The recent success of CMU alumni continues a tradition of winning Tony Awards; the university boasts a total of 44 award winners and nearly 200 nominees.

Since 2011, seven CMU alumni have won Tony Awards for their roles as leading or featured performers, including Christian Borle, who won for "Something Rotten" in 2015 and is nominated again this year for "Falsettos." Fellow drama alumnus Kevin Emrick is nominated this year as a producer for "Sweat."

Other recent winners include Judith Light, who won in 2012 ("Other Desert Cities") and 2013 ("The Assembled Parties"), Billy Porter in 2013 for "Kinky Boots," Patina Miller in 2013 for "Pippin" and Sutton Foster in 2011 for "Anything Goes."

"During the last 100 years, we in the School of Drama have built a reputation for identifying the best of the best in young talent and helping these students to become excellent performers," said Peter Cooke, head of CMU's School of Drama. "Our graduates not only have chops, but they also possess incredible work ethics and professionalism."

Perhaps best known for its top-performing onstage talent, Carnegie Mellon's School of Drama also has a stellar reputation for graduating some of the industry's most sought-after behind-the-scenes professionals. Twenty-one Tony Awards have been presented to alumni who work in areas such as producing, costume design, lighting design, scenic design and playwriting. Lighting designer Jules Fisher has won nine Tony Awards, the most among CMU alumni.

The 71st Annual Tony Awards will be broadcast live on CBS at 8 p.m. Sunday, June 11, from Radio City Music Hall in New York City. For more information, visit cmu.edu/Tony-Awards.