Check It OutCMU To Make Air Quality Monitors Available at Public Libraries

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

Midway on the Move

C o n t i n u e d o n p a g e s i x

o n e

CMU’S NEWS SOURCE FOR FACULTY & STAFF 4/16 ISSUE

n Byron Spice

Learningaboutthequalityoftheairyoubreatheshouldbeaseasyandinexpensive as borrowing a book from alibrary,andthat’swhyCarnegieMellon researchers plan to provide freeSpeckairqualitymonitorsto100public libraries nationwide. The Speck sensors, which detect particulate air pollution in the home, alreadyhavebeenusedbyhundredsofpatronsofCarnegieLibraryofPittsburgh.CMU’sCREATELab,which developed Speck, and spinoff companyAirviz,whichmakesandmarkets the device, are now offering three free Specks, informational materials and training to public libraries that agree to make them available to their patrons.

CMU Helps Pittsburgh Become Smart City Contender

“Wehavetoomanycommunitieswhere the air is hazardous from time to time,yetpeoplecan’treadilyfindoutwhattheyarebreathingintheirownhomes,” said Illah Nourbakhsh, professor ofroboticsandheadoftheCREATELab, which develops innovative robotic technologies for the public good. “This

istheairqualityyoucanactuallydosomethingabout—ifyouknowthatahazardevenexists.That’swhyitissoimportant that people of all income levels have access to a sensor such as Speck.” InterestedlibrariescanapplyfortheNationalSpeckLibraryProgram

2 s p i k e l e e s c r e e n s f i l m at c m u

5 s m a r t p h o n e s c a n b e y o u r r o a d t o a s m o o t h e r r i d e

7 s p e c i a l o ly m p i c s

9 n e w “k”n i g h t wat c h m a n

n Kelly Saavedra

TheU.S.DepartmentofTransporta-tionimaginesacitywheregridlockis a thing of the past. Red lights turn greenwhenyouapproach.Trafficflowssmoothlyascarstalktoeachother to avoid crashes. Andthat’snotall.Howaboutyourdriverlesstaxishowingupjustasyourtrainpullsintothestation?Orarrivinghomefromworktofindyourgrocerylistdeliveredjustintimefordinner,fromthefarmtothetable? That’stheirplan,andwithtrafficlight sensors in some local neigh-borhoodsthatarealreadyreducingcongestion and mitigating pollution, Pittsburgh,inpartnershipwithCMUandtheUniversityofPittsburgh,iswellonitswaytorealizingthevision. Building on existing work done byCMU'sTraffic21andMetro21initiatives, the Pittsburgh team applied fortheU.S.DepartmentofTranspor-tation’s“SmartCityChallenge”grant,whichwillawardthewinningcity$50milliontobuildtechnology-basedsystemsforaddressingmountingtransportation problems. In March, Pittsburgh was named oneofthetopsevenfinalists,alongwithAustin,Columbus,Denver,Kan-sasCity,PortlandandSanFrancisco. AtapressconferenceatCMU,MayorBillPedutoandCMU’sRajRajkumar, director of Metro21 and theCenterforTechnologiesforSafeandEfficientTransportation(T-SET),said Pittsburgh has a good chance at winning the challenge. PedutosaidPittsburgh’sbidisdifferent from the others because itincludescomponentsinenergy,

Spring Carnival’s Midway moves to the College of Fine Arts parking lot and lawn this year, putting all of Carnival’s main festivities in one central location on campus. Find out the details on page 3.

P H O T O B Y T I M K A U L E N

Sasha Iliev

publisher

Ken Walters

editor Bruce Gerson

t w o

writers Adam DoveJocelyn DuffyEmily Durham Chuck FinderBruce GersonKatelyn Howard

PIPER4/16 ISSUE

design & photography

Digital & Creative Services

To contact The Piper staff, call 412-268-2900 or email bg02@andrew.cmu.edu.

Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate in admission, employment, or administration of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap or disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, ancestry, belief, veteran status, or genetic information. Furthermore, Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate and is required not to discriminate in violation of federal, state, or local laws or executive orders. Inquiries concerning the application of and compliance with this statement should be directed to the vice president for campus affairs, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, telephone 412-268-2056. Carnegie Mellon University publishes an annual campus security and fire safety report describing the university’s security, alcohol and drug, sexual assault, and fire safety policies and containing statistics about the number and type of crimes committed on the campus and the number and cause of fires in campus residence facilities during the preceding three years. You can obtain a copy by contacting the Carnegie Mellon Police Department at 412-268-2323. The annual security and fire safety report is also available online at www.cmu.edu/police/annualreports. Produced by Digital & Creative Services, April 2016, 16-428.

managing editor

Kelly Saavedra

Tara MooreShilo ReaAnn Lyon Ritchie Kelly SaavedraErin Keane ScottByron Spice

Award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee attended the screening of his latest film “Chi-Raq” and also interacted with audience members at a Q&A session prior to the screening last month. Part of the 2016 CMU International Film Festival “Faces of Conflict” lineup, “Chi-Raq” is a modern-day adaptation of the ancient Greek play “Lysistrata,” set against the backdrop of gang violence in Chicago. The title combines the city’s name with Iraq, equating Chicago to a war zone. Lee, who has been nominated for two Academy Awards and won an Emmy, is known for using film to express his political beliefs and to examine race relations, the role of media in contemporary life and urban crime. “Many people associate ‘conflict’ with war, but fortunately for most Americans, war remains an abstraction. Spike Lee has never been one to shy away from conflict here, on American soil,” said Jolanta Lion, director of the film festival and assistant director of the Humanities Center in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Spike Lee Screens Film at CMU

“Fastball” Premieres in PittsburghFilm Stars CMU Scientists and Hall of Famers n Shilo Rea and Jocelyn Duffy

“Fastball,”thebaseballdocumentarythatcelebratesthesport’ssignaturepitch and aims to answer the question of who threw the fastest fastball of all time, is premiering in Pittsburgh. NarratedbyKevinCostneranddirectedbynine-timeEmmy-AwardwinnerJonathanHock,thefilmincludesinterviewswithmorethan20HallofFameplayers,includingHankAaron,JohnnyBench,GooseGossageand Bob Gibson. It also has several connections to Pittsburgh,alsoknownasTheCityofChampions.ThreeCarnegieMellonscientists—physicistGreggFranklinand neuroscientists Michael J. Tarr andTimothyVerstynen—arepromi-nentlyfeatured.CMUTrusteeandSteelersminorityownerThomasTullproducedthedocumentary.AndthePittsburghPirates’superstarcenter-fielderAndrewMcCutcheonappearsin it. Fastballspeedscanreachcloseto—andsometimessurpass—100miles per hour, requiring baseball playerstomakesplit-seconddeci-sions.TarrandVerstynentalkabouthowabatter’sbrainracestoprocessan incoming fastball. “Baseball is perhaps the ultimate test of neural abilities,” said Ver-stynen,assistantprofessorofpsychol-ogyandmemberofCMU’sBrainHubneuroscienceinitiative.“Afastballcan

travelsofastthatthebatter’sbrainmaynotevenhavethetimetomakea decision based on what he sees.” Franklintalksaboutthephysicsof the fastball, addressing some of the most controversial questions in baseball: Is there such thing as a ris-ingfastball,andwhoreallythrewthefastestpitch?Forthelatter,Franklinusesphysicscalculationstocomparethe speeds of fastballs throughout history. “Not to spoil the movie, but the fastest pitch on record might notreallybethefastestpitch,”saidFranklin,aprofessorofphysics.“Afastballisfastestimmediatelyafterbeing thrown, and it loses speed as it approaches the plate. So record-ingstakenusingtoday’stechnology,whichmeasuresapitch’sspeedcloseto the mound, will appear faster than pitches measured using older tech-nologies that recorded speeds closer to the plate.” CarnegieMellonwillscreenthedocumentaryat8p.m.,Friday,April15inKresgeTheater. Franklin,VerstynenandTarr,professor and head of the Department ofPsychology,willjoinHockandPittsburgh Pirates Director of Per-formanceChrisJohnsonforapaneldiscussion following the screening. TheeventispartofCMU’sSpringCarnivalweekend,andticketsmustbe purchased in advance.

t h r e e

n Kelly Saavedra

CARNIVAL CENTRAL: BUGGY, BOOTH & MIDWAY COME TOGETHER IN ONE LOCATION

Allbetsareonforafun-filledSpringCarnival Weekend,April14-16,withaslighttwist inthisyear’sfestivities. TheSpringCarnivalCommitteehasrolledthedice,relocatingMidwayandBoothontotheCollege ofFineArts(CFA)ParkingLotandridestothe CFALawn.ConstructionforthenewTepperQuad inMorewoodParkingLotpreventsSpringCarnivalfromoccupyingitsusualrealestate. “I think having the new venue could add a positivespinonSpringCarnival,havingonecentrallocationforalloftheweekend’sactivities,”said AndrewGreenwald,SpringCarnival’sadviser. ThethemethisyearisGameNight,requiringbooth-builders to choose a board game or video game theme on which to base their creative struc-tures.SomeofthethemesalreadyclaimedareCandyLand,Battleship,Pac-ManandMarioKart. “Twenty-fiveboothswillbeconstructedonthelot,whichisconsiderablysmallerthanMorewood.Rides will be set close to the sidewalks to minimize

foottrafficonthelawn.BuildWeek,whenorganiza-tions construct their booths, will present a number of new challenges as we work with the organizations toworkwiththelimitedspace,”saidPatrickKoenig,SpringCarnivalchair. Inpreviousyears,MidwaywasfarfromtheSweepstakes start line at the corner of Margaret MorrisonandTechSt.,thefinishlineonFrewSt.,andtheMobotRacesinfrontofWeanHall. “Hopefullyhavingeverythinginonelocationwill make visitors more aware of all the events going on during the weekend and allow them to be more engagedwithSpringCarnivalasawhole,”Koenigsaid. Checktheschedulefordatesandtimesofyourfavoritetraditions,includingBuggyandMobotraces,Scotch‘n’Sodaperformances,Kidzone,theStaffCouncilIceCreamSocial,aZeroWasteAllCampuslunchandtheUniversityStoresidewalksale. See the full schedule at www.alumni.cmu.edu.

f o u r

sustainabilityandinformationsharing.Anditalsoincorporatesaneducationcomponent that will train workers who will install the sensors throughout thecity. “Numberone,wedon’tlookatjust transportation, we are looking at transportationandenergy,”Pedutosaid.“Numbertwo,theywanttoseewayssustainabilityisafactor,andwehavethatbakedrightin.We’realsocreatingan open platform, so the information that’screatedfromthiswillbeabletobesharedwithcitiesaroundthecountry,whichwouldbeabenefittotheDepart-mentofTransportation.Andfourth,wehavethetechnology,becauseofthetal-entwehaveinthecity,tobetheleaders.” Rajkumar noted the plan will use manytypesofsensors. HesaidthePittsburghteam’splancalls for “smart spines” or corridors throughthecitythatwilluseintelligenttransportationsystemsandsmartcitytechnologies.Hesaid,amongotheraspects, these technologies will:

• maketrafficflowsmoother;

• enable vehicles to communicate with oneanotherandwithtrafficsignalstoimprovesafety;

• make travel information services available to the public so that citi-zens can be involved and engaged;

• supportvehicleelectrificationtobegin having a positive impact on the climate; and

• deploypilotstudiesofautomatedvehicles.

“TheCityofPittsburghandthemayorareveryforward-lookingandare

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

veryacceptingofusingtechnologiestohelp make Pittsburgh one of the smartest cities not just in the nation but also in the world,” Rajkumar said. Asafinalist,theteamwasawarded$100,000tofinalizeitsapplication,which is due this month. “The solutions we propose must be sustainable, scalable to larger cities andadoptablebyothersimilar-sizedcities,”Rajkumarsaid.“Activesupport

and participation from partners in the publicsector,privatesector,nonprofitfoundations and user communitis will be crucial. We expect the competition to be tough, and hope that we can rise to the top.” Nearly80citiesappliedforthechallenge.Thewinningcitywillbe announced in June. Peduto said Pittsburgh has the opportunitytocreateanewmodelfor

cities around the world. “Citiesthatstarttoadvancetheabilitytochangetransportationwillbe the ones that will be in the lead, not onlyincreatingmoreeffectiveandefficientandequitableroutesandmodesof transportation, but also in leading industryandhelpingtochangetheeconomy,”hesaid.

A top contender in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge, Pittsburgh has the opportunity to create a new model for cities around the world, said Mayor Bill Peduto.

An Amazing Ride for the PremierSouth Australian Premier Jay Weatherill recently made a visit to Carnegie Mellon to see firsthand the university’s technological innovations in autonomous vehicles, smart cities, robotics and clean energy. A highlight of his visit was a ride in CMU’s self-driving Cadillac SRX, a product of the General Motors-CMU Autonomous Vehicle program. Under the supervision of Professor Raj Rajkumar (far left), co-director of the GM-CMU program, Premier Weatherill experienced an autonomous test ride under normal traffic conditions. “At first it was a white-knuckle experience,” Premier Weatherill said, “but the whole ride went smoothly; it was amazing.”

f i v e

n Ann Lyon Ritchie

Pavement riddled with cracks. Graffitionstopsigns.Icysurfacesthat need rock salt. Municipalities must respond to road infrastructure problems that are changing constantly. “Itisessentialtogeteyesoneveryroad,everyyear,tostayahead of what could become costlyrepairs,”saidJasonA.Dailey,directorofpublicworksforCranberryTownship,Pa.“Servicesare available that have on-board tools and sensors, but these are typicallyoutofthepricerangeoftheaveragecommunity.” ChristophMertz,principalprojectscientistatCarnegieMellon’sRoboticsInstitute,isresearching how a smartphone could be the answer. Mertz’sprojectexamineswaysadeviceascommonasasmartphone can give municipalities a fast and inexpensive method forinspectingroadways.Intwobasicsteps,thetechnologycollectsimages and then examines the data toidentifyareasthatneedcare. “Datacollectionandanalysiscouldtakeamatterofdays,whereit would otherwise take months or evenyears,”Mertzsaid. Usingcomputervisionalgorithms,thesystemanalyzeshigh-resolution images of the road and categorizes them. When looking for road damage, for example, it canquicklydiscoverwheretheratioof cracked to uncracked surfaces ishigh,andflagthelocationsforrepair.Inotherinstancesitcanfindsignage that is missing or damaged, or detect snow or slush on the road.

Smartphones Can Be Your Road to a Smoother Ride

Christoph Mertz

Softwaredisplaysthedatausingeasy-to-read maps and visuals. “Mertz demonstrated a viable advancementthatmaybringinspectiontechnologyintotheeverydayoperations,makingitnotonlyaffordablebutpractical,”Daileysaid. One appealing aspect of Mertz’ssystemisthesimplicityof integrating it with existing procedures.Forexample,Mertzsuggested mounting smartphones onto garbagetruckstoroutinelyassesstheroadways.Similarly,snowplowswith smartphones could provide real-time road conditions in winter, whichMertzhasalreadypilot-testedwithPennsylvania’sDepartmentofTransportation. CarnegieMellon’sTraffic21initiative, part of Metro21, helps fund projects like this and others in smart transportation. Its goal is todesign,test,deployandevaluatetechnology-basedsolutionstoaddressthe problems facing transportation systems.Theinstitutefuelsmultidisciplinarycollaborationinthearea of transportation. Ninestudentscurrentlyparticipatein the research and specialize in different aspects, from localization to optics. The data the team collects maybeusefulforothertransportationprojects, such as research for autonomous vehicles. “The work of Mertz is an idealexampleofTraffic21’svisionof research, development and deployment,”saidStanCaldwell,executivedirectorofTraffic21. ExistingworkconductedbyTraffic21andMetro21wasusedaspartoftheCityofPittsburgh’sapplicationfortheU.S.Department

ofTransportation’s“SmartCitiesChallenge.”Pittsburghwasrecentlynamedoneofsevenfinalistsinthefederal initiative, which will provide thewinningcity$50milliontobuildtechnology-basedsystemstoaddressmounting transportation and transit challenges facing cities nationwide. “Theexcitingstageisdeployingthetechnologyinthefield,makingour region a smart transportation livinglab,”Caldwellsaid. Mertz’stechnologyhasbeendeployedbytheCityofPittsburgh,MarshallTownship,CranberryTownshipandthePennsylvaniaDepartment of Transportation. Althoughpotholeswillbeblooming along with the spring flowersastheydoeveryyear,driverscan look forward to a future with fewer bumps in the road, thanks to emerging technologies.

Carnegie Mellon’s

Traffic21 initiative,

part of Metro21, helps

fund projects in smart

transportation. Its

goal is to design, test,

deploy and evaluate

technology-based

solutions to address

the problems facing

transportation systems.

Mertz’s smartphone system for inspecting roadways can quickly identify and flag locations for repair, find missing or damaged signage and detect snow or slush on the road.

Specks To Be Available in Public Libraries

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atspecksensor.com/libraries/apply.In addition to three free Specks, participating libraries also receive a 15 percent discount on purchases of additional Specks. “Libraries are creating a culture oflearningthatextendsfarbeyondbooks,”saidTobyGreenwalt,thelibrary’sdirectorofdigitalstrategyandtechnologyintegration.“BymakingSpecksavailableinthelibraryweare helping to start a conversation around how to use data to make better decisions and be informed about home environmental health. Since introducing themtothepubliclastyear,wehaveseen an increasing demand for Speck technology.” “Wealsowanttobuildacommunityof local experts who can work with their neighbors and the libraries to use Speck,” said Bea Dias, project director fortheCREATELab. PeopleselectedfortheSpeckAirQualityAdvocateProgramwillreceivea free Speck and training in return forproviding10-20hoursofserviceannually.Individualscanapplyatspecksensor.com/advocates/apply. TheCREATELabandAirvizintroduced the Speck personal air qualitymonitorayearagoattheSXSWInteractiveFestivalinAustin,Texas.Tokeepthemonitorsaffordable—they

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

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, which loans Specks at 16 of its 19 branches, is providing advice and support for the national campaign.

EveryoneonstageisasuspectintheannualMurderMysteryDin-nerhostedbytheDepartmentofChemistry. Createdbythedepartment’sStudentAdvisoryCommitteemorethan10yearsago,sciencemajorscome together to present all-original scripts with acting, singing, dancing and audience participation. “It’sachanceforstudentstobegoofyandoutrageousinfrontof their professors,” said alumnus

Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Has Great Chemistry

retailat$149—Speckusesalow-costinfrared sensor to detect pollutants. Though such sensors tend to be imprecise,theCREATELabdevelopersemployedmachinelearningalgorithmsthat learn to recognize and compensate for spurious “noise” in each detector, boostingaccuracy.

Speck is designed for use indoors, helping users realize when polluted outside air is coming into the house, or to recognize pollution sources within the home.ItalsoisWi-Fi-connected,soairqualitydatacanbeuploadedforanalysisand shared, if desired, via the Internet. Speck was placed in the Pittsburgh librarybrancheswithsupportfromthe

HeinzEndowments,FineFoundationandPittsburghFoundation.ThenationallibrarycampaignthusfarisbeingsupportedbyCREATELabandAirvizinabidto“payitforward,”Diassaid. “Providing equitable access to monitoringtechnologyistooimportantfor us not to do this,” Nourbakhsh said.

Lukas Ronner, now a medical student at Mount Sinai in New York who wrote severalscriptswhileatCMU.“Noprioractingexperienceisneeded,andanyonewho wants a part, gets a part. I used to say,‘Thelessactingorsingingexperi-ence,thebetter.’” Oneyeartherewasacharacterrem-iniscent of Walter White from “Breaking Bad,”andanotheryearfeaturedaspin-offofDr.Panglossfrom“Candide.”Songs from “The Book of Mormon” havebeenreconfiguredwithlyricsabout

theChemistryDepartment. By2009,thetraditionhadcaughtfire.Chemistrymajorswroteoriginalscriptswhileweavinginplentyofinter-departmentalasides.Afewyearslater,singing and dancing was added. AlumnaCallieJerman,whoisnowa Ph.D. candidate in bioengineering at theUniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley,used her classical dance training to cre-ateoriginalchoreography. Thoughtheplaysareaboutcreatingfunandcommunity,studentshavefound

that the experience helps them in otherways. “Havingsomeexperiencewithacting has been useful to me as I learn how to behave in a clinical set-ting.Actingteachesyoutohaveanawarenessofyourbodyandface,andthemessagesyouconveywiththewayyouholdyourself,”Ronnersaid. KarenStump,directorofUn-dergraduate Studies and director of laboratories for the department, has actedasanunofficialringleaderforthe project. Stump sees the extracur-ricularactivityhelpfulforavarietyof reasons, including enhancing students’publicspeakingskillsanddistinguishing them from other job applicants. “I think one of the biggest ben-efitsisinbeingabletotakearisk,tostepoutsideofwhatothers,ortheythemselves, see as their persona and trysomethingthatmightbeverydifferent for them,” Stump said. “Sometimes students become too comfortable in doing the things that theyaregoodatsothatdon’tappearor feel inexpert at something new.”

Drama meets the Department of Chemistry each year thanks in part to Karen Stump.

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Olympic OpportunityCMU To Host Special Games for Athletes, Campus Community

n Bruce Gerson

WorkingwithSpecialOlympicsPennsylvania(SOPA)forthepasteightyearshasbeenalife-changingexperienceforCMUPoliceLieutenantJoeMeyers.Andnow,he’shelpingtosharethatexperience with hundreds of others intheuniversitycommunity. SpecialOlympicsbringsintellectuallyandoftenphysicallychallenged athletes, ranging in age from8to60,togethertocompeteinathleticcompetition.Meyers,alongwithAthleticDirectorJoshCentorandtheStudent-AthleteAdvisoryCouncil(SAAC),arepartneringwithSOPAtohostitsWestern Sectional Spring Games onSaturday,April30,onCMU’sPittsburgh campus. Meyersisamazedatthededication, commitment and sportsmanship he witnesses at the games. “Iwatcheda100-yarddash in which a runner fell and a competitor stops, goes back, picks him up and helps him across thefinishline.That’swhatyoutypicallysee.It’sanemotionalexperience,somethingyou’llneverexperienceanywhereelse,”Meyerssaid. “You’llwalkawayattheendofthedayandsay‘Wow!’It’ssomethingyou’llneverforget.” The Western Sectional Spring Gameswillincludeabout400-500athletesfrom15countiesinWesternPennsylvania.Eachcounty,fromGreenetoErie,willbring a team to the games. Meyersleadstheuniversity’spoliceforcesupportofSOPAthrough various annual fundraisers, including the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run and PolarPlungeefforts.CMU’sPolarPlunge team has raised more than $20,000forSOPAoverthelasttwoyears. CentorsaidNCAADivisionIII,ofwhichCMUisamember,has a partnership with Special Olympics,sothiswasanaturalfitfortheDepartmentofAthletics. “We were looking for a mean-ingfulwaytogetinvolvedbecausecommunityservicehasbeenahallmarkofourStudent-AthleteAdvisoryCouncilmission.WhenJoe came to me with the idea, I said it was perfect because our studentathletesarealwayslookingforopportunitiesandalwaysenjoyworkingwithotherathletes,”Cen-

tor said. Centorsaidhewantstogetthegeneralstudentbodyinvolvedaswell,soheisworkingwithStudentAffairsandStudentActivities. “Joshjumpedinandit’stakenoff,”Meyerssaid.“Wearereachingouttofacultyandstaffaswell.WewantthistobeaCMUcommunityevent.” TheSAAC,ledbyapairofswimmers,juniorDustinFerzaccaandsophomoreMarySt.John,isbusyrecruitingstudents,facultyandstafftovolunteer for the various aspects of the games,fromtheopeningceremonyinGesling Stadium to the competitions inbasketball,track&field,swimming,tennis, bocce and golf. About400volunteersareneeded.

“Wewillbeworkingcloselywithother campus organizations, including Greeklife,togetasmanyvolunteersas we can to ensure the event runs smoothly,”saidFerzacca,SAAC’scommunityservicechair.“Thisisa daunting task, given how large this event will be, however I cannot overstatehowreadyandwillingthestudentathletesatCMUare. “Ihavefullconfidencethatifanygroupcanpullitoff,itistheincrediblyinvolved and proactive athletes here. EveryoneIknowwhohasworkedwithSpecialOlympicshastoldmethatitisan incredible experience. I look forward tolearningthatfirsthand,”hesaid.C o n t i n u e d o n p a g e t w e l v e

St. John is looking forward

“ You’ll walk away at the

end of the day and say

‘Wow!’ It’s something

you’ll never forget.”

—Lt. Joe Meyers

Special Olympics games include track and field and bocce.

e i g h t

Facts of Life: Survey Stats Show Need for Fall-Preventing Technologiesn Tara Moore

Every13seconds,anolderadultistreatedintheemergencyroomforafall.Every20minutes,anolderadultdiesfromafall-relatedtrauma.Consideringthesestatistics,it’sunderstandablewhyarecentCollegeofEngineeringsurveyfoundthat54pecetof1,900U.S.adultsare worried about an older parent falling, andwhy81percentofrespondentsexpressed an interest in new sensor technologythatcananticipateandprevent falls. PeiZhang,associateresearchprofessor of electrical and computer engineering,andHaeyoungNoh,assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, are developing fall-prevention sensors for senior care facilities and private homes that can determine both who is in danger andwhere.Theirtechnologymonitorsanindividual’sgaitandcansendmobilealertsnotonlytonursesandcaregiversbut also to the individual themselves, if their gait becomes dangerous. While the goal is to anticipate andpreventfalls,thetechnologyalsoisprogrammedtoimmediatelynotifysomeone,whichcanincludeemergencyresponders, should an individual experi-ence a sudden fall. “Manyolderadultsinseniorcarefacilities are restricted to wheelchairs when not under the direct care of a nurse,butthistechnologycouldallowthem to regain some of their indepen-dence,” said Noh, whose sensors are currentlybeingtestedatVincentianHomeinPittsburghandLucasPhysicalTherapyandFitnessinSunnyvale,Calif. “Our sensors are designed to predict and anticipate falls so individuals can worrylessabouttheirparentswiththeknowledgethatourtechnologywilldiscover their parents are not walking thewaytheynormallydo,whetherbe-causeofmedicationorbecausethey’vebecomefatigued,”Zhangsaid. Ofthe1,900peoplesurveyed,alittleover1,000adultsareconcerned

aparentmayexperienceafall,and70percentoftheseindividualsworryatleasteveryweek,ifnoteveryday.Thefrequencyandamountthatpeopleworryisnotinfluencedbywhetherornottheparentlivesalone,althoughtheyareslightlylesstroublediftheparentlives in an assisted living or senior care facility.Sixty-twopercentofthosewith

parents in assisted living or senior care facilities,however,stillworryonceaweekoreveryday. Allofthisanxietyexplainswhy,accordingtothesurvey,peopleareveryresponsive about caring for their parents. Theyfrequentlyvisittheirparentsandalso have neighbors or staff who look afterthem.Forty-fourpercentofrespon-

dentssaidtheyorasiblingcheckinonaparentdaily,while33percentsaidtheyorasiblingcheckineveryweek.Another12percentsaidtheystopbyas needed. In addition, 56 percent of respondents reported that neighbors or staffphysicallycheckontheirparentdaily,while27percentsaidsomeonevisitseveryweek.

That’s How They RollStudents Design Filtering Water Barrel n Adam Dove

Forthosewhotakeindoorplumbingforgranted,itmightbedifficulttoimagine that there are still people on Earth without access to clean water. Forthesepeople,cleanwaterisoftenmilesawayfromtheirhomes.Theyareforcedtowalkforhours,carryingfullbasketsofwater,onlytospendafewmorehoursfilteringthatwaterbeforeitissafefortheirfamilies to drink. Researchers around the world are working hard on developing de-vicestomaketransportationeasier,andonestomakepurificationquicker. Butwhataboutasingledevicethatcoulddoboth? “Wehadalreadyseensomeideasouttherethatfilteredwater,andothers that rolled the water using barrels, but we wanted to create somethingthatfilteredwhileyourolled,”saidmechanicalengineering The above illustration depicts the potential use of a water transportation and purification

system all in one.

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New “K”night WatchmanAlum Heads Visionary Security Firm n Emily Durham

AnewsecurityguardroamingtheSiliconValleycampusiscausingsomepassersbytotakeasecondlook. At5-feettall,3-feetwideand300pounds,itshulkingphysicalpresenceand“furrowed brow” command respect, while itsroundedfigureis“cute”enoughnottoscarebabies.KnownastheK5,thisau-tonomousRobocopisjustoneofanarmyofdatamachinesbuiltbyKnightscopetopredict and prevent crime. Twenty-four-hour,360-degreedatacollection cameras and sensors gather everysoundandimageinitsradiusinrealtime,amountingtoatotalof90tera-bytesofdataperyear,permachine.Itsuniquepoweringcapabilityisscheduledaround two- to three-hour patrols with 30-minuteautonomousdockingrechargeperiods,playfullyreferredtoas“coffeebreaks.” AndtheK5isjustonemodelofmany. William Santana Li is the mastermindbehindthetechnology.Analumnus of the Department of Electrical &ComputerEngineering,LiisnowchairmanandCEOofKnightscope,Inc.,anadvancedphysicalsecuritytechnologycompanylocatedinSiliconValley.Liisimpassionedwhenhetalks crime; its impact on all of us is tremendous.Notonlydoessocietylivein constant fear of the worst, but its economictollontheUnitedStatesisstaggering. “Ifyouaddupallthemurders,allthejails,allthelawyers,andeverythingelse,”saysLi,“crimeisahiddentaxallofusarepayingeverysingleyear.” Considersomestatistics:

• Aviolentcrimeoccursevery26.2seconds;

• Every3.5seconds,apropertycrimeoccurs; and

• Theprivatesectorsecurityindustryhasanemployeeturnoverrateof 100-400percentperyear.

CMU alumnus William Santana Li, chairman and CEO of Knightscope, is the mastermind behind the new Robocop security guards roaming the Silicon Valley campus.

“Thatmeansyougetanewteameverythreemonthsorevery12monthsbecauseyoucan’tkeepthepeopleinthejob,” Li said. “Whatifyoucouldsetupawholeplethora of technologies and be able to integrate them into a solution to cut crimeby50percent?”askedLi.“Howvaluablewouldthatbetosociety?”

NotonlydotheKnightscoperobotspromisetoquellcrimebydeterringcriminals,buttheyalsomakejobssaferforhumansecuritypersonnelbytakingonthemonotonous,computationallyheavyanddangerousaspectsofthejob,leavingtheanalysisanddecisionmakingto the human professionals. “Sowhatifyoucouldactually

deliverthislevelofsafety?”asksLi. “What are the effects on housing prices?Whataretheeffectsoninsuranceratesorthestabilityoffinancialmarkets,thequalityoflife,thebusinessviabilityof a small business down the street or thesafetyofyourfamily?Itwouldbeahugegame-changerforsociety.Thisisaworthychallengetotakeon,”Lisaid.

senior Deepak Ravi. “Something better than doing the two of them separately.” RaviandclassmatesAnnaMirabella,JackKaplan,VeronicaJaime-LaraandAlexBakerputtheirheads together and designed the Water TransportationandPurificationSys-tem. “Thedesignisbasicallyabigbarrel with a smaller barrel inside of it, attached to a handle,” Mirabella said.“Asyourollthebarrelalong,therelative motion between the handle andthespinningbarrelpullsdirtywater from the outer barrel through a filterandintotheinnerbarrelwhereitstoresthenewlycleanedwater.”

Thedesignusesonlyafewsimplepartsandrequiresnopower,onlymech-anicalenergyprovidedbytherollingofthebarrel.ItusesaSawyerwaterfilter,whichneverneedstobereplaced,andrecycledindustrialbarrels — food-grade plastic barrels thatarenormallythrownaway.WithPVCpipeforthehandle,thewholeprototypecostonlyabout$200.Whenmass-produced, the team estimates the totalcostatonly$40perunit. “We’vedecidedtomakethisdesign open source,” Mirabella said. “If someone wants to manufacture our systemandgetitdowntothat$40,none of us would be upset. It would be awesome to have had a small part of

something big.” Anotherwaythisproductwillkeep costs down for the user is its instantaneousfilter.Sincethewaterisalreadypurifiedenroutehome,userscanemptythecleanwaterintoa container, then hand the device off totheirneighbor.Thatway,asingledevice can be shared among an entire community. The team developed the idea as thefinalprojectfortheirMechanical Engineering Senior Design course, taughtbyAssociateTeachingPro-fessorNoéVargasHernández.Theclass is required of all mechanical engineering majors for graduation and emphasizestheabilitytotakeaproject

fromconceptiontoprototypeoverthecourse of a semester. “Thiswasn’tjustamechanicalengineering project for us. Some of us are also design minors, so we thought abouthowitwouldbefilled,andhowit would be made. We thought about theuser.That’swhywewentwitha15-gallon tank; 15 gallons is about a weeklysupplyofwaterforafamilyinthe developing world.” Ravi said. “Ithinkthat’soneofthebestthings about being able to work here at CarnegieMellon,”hesaid.“Allofourdifferent disciplines combine to make the best outcome.”

t e n

Space Mission Real Estate Division Launches Campus-Wide Planning Initiative

n Bruce Gerson

Astheuniversityseekstoimprovesupportforstudents,facultyandstaff,administrators have undertaken an initiative to make the best use of the limited space on campus. AtatownhallmeetingMarch3,members of the Real Estate Division introduced the Space Planning Initiative to members of the campus community.Theinitiative’ssponsorsareProvostFarnamJahanianandAmirRahnamay-Azar,vicepresidentforFinanceandCFO.

Academically,newprogramsand centers have emerged, and partnershipswithindustryhavebeenforged. Over the last several months, Bush and her team have met with keystakeholdersfromacrosscampus, including deans, vice presidents, department heads and unit representatives, and will hold focus groupswithfaculty,staffandstudentsto gain an understanding of their facilityneeds. Duringthefirstphaseoftheproject,theyspentmorethan80hourstouringclassroomsandofficespacein33campusbuildingstocollect information, assess space and understand how spaces are being used. Theyevencountedtablesandchairs. The second phase of the project, set to begin this spring, will include analyzingthedata,performingbenchmarking activities, developing metricsanddiscussingthepreliminaryfindingswithcampusstakeholders. In the third stage of the project, thefindingswillbereviewedbyanexpertadvisorygroup,whichwillincludemembersofCampusDesignandFacilityDevelopment,FacilitiesManagement Services, Environmental Health&Safety,HumanResourcesandLegalAffairs. In phase four, the project team will workwithkeystakeholderstodevelopstrategiestopresenttotheuniversityspace committee for funding consideration.

The project team toured classrooms and office space in 33 campus buildings.

Over the last nine years,

the total undergraduate and

graduate student population

on the Pittsburgh campus has

increased 23 percent, from

9,841 in 2006 to 12,066

in 2015.

Sarah Bush, associate vice president for real estate, said as the universitycontinuestogrowatarapidpace,theprojectaimstoproactivelyaddress needs and implement best practices based on a comprehensive inventoryandanalysisofcurrentclassroomandofficespace. EmilyBlaze,aseniorspaceplanner, said the project is about getting more from the facilities we have. “It’snotaboutreducingeverythingto numbers, forcing folks to operate intinyspacesormandating‘domorewithless.’It’saboutgettingmoremileage out of what we have now,” she said. AlookatthenumbersrevealsCMU’sgrowingtrends.Overthelastnineyears,thetotalundergraduateandgraduate student population on the Pittsburghcampushasincreased23percent,from9,841in2006to12,066in2015.OverthatsametimeperiodfacultyandstaffonthePittsburghcampus have increased 15 percent, from4,532in2006to5,359in2015.

Bush said what will become of the officespaceinPosnerHallhasnotyetbeendetermined,andthattimeisneededtofullyunderstandhowthesespaces can be used best. FacultySenateChairToddPrzybycienandBethWhiteman,directorofAccreditationandStrategicInitiatives, encouraged the project team to solicit more input from faculty. Przybycien,aprofessorofbiomedical and chemical engineering, suggested holding another town hall meetingat4:30p.m.whenmorefacultymemberswouldbeabletoattend. Whiteman urged Bush and her stafftoconsulttheEberlyCenterforTeaching Excellence regarding new classroom designs that would enhance teaching. “We’llbeaskingfacultyandstaff to be part of focus groups thatweconveneandwe’realsoengagingfacultyandstaffasunitrepresentatives,” said Bush, who promised to schedule the next town hallmeetingwhenmorefacultycouldattend. She also stated that the team is interested in meeting with other facultymemberswhohaveexpertisein this area. YoucanfindoutmoreabouttheSpace Planning Initiative and contact the team online at www.cmu.edu/finance/real-estate/space-planning/.

BushandBlazesaidsome“earlywins”toenhancespacemaybeassimple as “thoughtful furniture plans, storage solutions and new tools to enhance how peple use their space.” Phasefivewillmonitorandtrack progress and explore areas for additionalstudyinfutureprojectcycles. “We have no preconceived notions. This is an open and iterative process,” said Bush, who encouraged those at the town hall meeting to reach out to the project team with their ideas and suggestions. “We don’tknowwhatwedon’tknow,” she said. In a question and answer session followingtheteam’spresentation,a question was raised about the classroomsinPosnerHalloncetheTepperQuadwascompleted. Bush said the 16 classrooms in Posner would be turned over to Enrollment Services, which will increasethenumberoftheregistrar’sclassroomstomorethan100in2018. “NotonlywillthePosnerclassroomsaddhigh-qualityinstructional space to campus, but theyalsowilladdressacriticalneedforadditionalclassroomcapacityandavailability—aneedthatisregularlyidentifiedbyfacultyandstudentsacross the campus landscape,” said LisaKrieg,associatevicepresidentforCampusAffairsanddirectorofEnrollment Services.

Students Go Digital To Improve Public Safety

e l e v e n

n Katelyn Howard and Chuck Finder

There’snothinglikealittlecompeti-tion to bring out the best in people. InMarch,MBAcandidateLizaTresserchallengedthecommunitytodemonstratehowtechnology,roboticsand innovation can bring new ideas togunsafetyinCMU’ssecondIdeaSpaceCompetition. The challenge was embraced byCMU,thePittsburghPolice,theUniversityofPittsburgh,theTepperSchool of Business and others around thecommunity. The winning team included Tresser’sTepperclassmatesRandyCohenandAdrianWest;RyanFarkas,(HNZ2016);andEricDuffy,aCarlowUniversitystudentandart teacher in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. Theiridea—theCRODigitalCommunityPlatform—providesdynamicthree-waycommunica-tionsbetweencommunityresourceofficers,communitygroupsandcom-munitymemberstoimprovepolicingefforts and build trust. The Digital CommunityPlatformcollatescom-munications,surveys,data,produc-tivitytoolsandforumsamongthesegroups,makingcommunitymembersmore aware of events and initiatives, and helping them voice their concerns. Thesystemcanprovidesup-porttocommunityresourceofficersandimprovetheirproductivity.Theinterface — hosted via mobile ap-plications, websites, cloud services and existing standard messaging platforms — also can be customized tomeetthesafetyneedsofschooldistricts, universities or large corpora-tions. The weekend-long competition impressedofficialsfromsponsorZeroEightSixsomuchthattheyultimatelydecidedtoextendtheirof-fertoincubatenotonlythefirst-placeteam in the competition, but also the second. The second-place team, which included Tepper students Jameel Francis,NikhilJain,MallikaKhanna,andBXAstudentandUniversityofPittsburghstudentsAndrewWellsandDrewBrumbaugh,usedtechnologyto address the issue of lost and stolen firearms.TheyintroducedtheconceptofGuntrac_rtechnology,whichin-corporates a chip that can be attached toafirearmthatwilltransmitsignalsthrough a connected wire. This al-lows owners to access GPS tracking of their gun, including mobile alerts ofthegun’slocation,andtheabilitytolocktheweaponremotely.

“The fact that we were working onpotentiallylife-savingideasmadethis feel much different from other competitions that I have been a part of,” Tresser said. Remarks from former Pittsburgh SteelerCharlieBatch,founderoftheBestoftheBatchFoundation,and Bill Valenta, assistant dean at theUniversityofPittsburghKatzGraduate School of Business and formerPittsburghPoliceCommander,opened the event. “HavingCharlieBatchandBillValenta there to kick off the event brought both an emotional, inspiring sidetoit,aswellasaveryexperi-enced side,” Tresser said. “Both of them infused the place with a great dealofenergy.” Batchspokecandidlyaboutwhyhestartedhischarity—topaytributetohissister,DanylLynnSettles,wholost her life to gun violence in 1996 in their Pittsburgh area neighbor-hoodofHomestead,Pa.TheBestoftheBatchFoundationisanonprofitorganization that offers scholarships, educational assistance and mentoring,

as well as programming that couples sports with learning. Valenta,whoserved22yearsonPittsburgh’spoliceforce,sharedstories about how he used critical problem-solvingtoaddresssafetyissuesinthecity.Hetoldthepartici-pants about being tasked with cutting backondrugactivityinPittsburgh’sHillDistrict.Valentaandhisteamspent several weeks observing what factorsmadetheHillDistrictsuchahigh-trafficareafordruguse,andthen came up with innovative solu-tions to eliminate these factors, such asturningabusythoroughfareintoaone-waystreetheadingtheoppositedirection.

“ You could feel throughout

the weekend that the

participants were really

focused. And the judges

and coaches have all

said that they were

really impressed with

the quality of the work

and the feasibility of the

ideas that came out of

the competition.”

— Liza Tresser

“You could feel throughout the weekend that the participants were reallyfocused,”Tressersaid.“Andthe judges and coaches have all said thattheywerereallyimpressedwiththequalityoftheworkandthefeasi-bilityoftheideasthatcameoutofthecompetition.” TheCMUIdeaSpacecompeti-tion,foundedlastyearbyalumnusAlexBrown,isintentoncraftingsolutions to social issues via innova-tivetechnologyideas.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Charlie Batch spoke to the participants about his sister who lost her life to gun violence.

t w e l v e

Drama Closes Curtain With “The Plague in Venice”Sasha Iliev Directs Performance

n Erin Keane Scott

Sasha Iliev, a Bulgarian movement, mime and mask expert, has had an impressive, record-breaking career. In1992,hewonhisfirstentryintothe “Guinness Book of World Re-cords”byperformingasamimefor24hours straight, a record he later broke in1994.HissecondGuinnessentrycame in 1996, after performing in the highest, staged mime concert near Mt. Everest, 17,618 feet above sea level. HereatCarnegieMellonhe’snotgunning for another world record. Rather,he’sdirectinghis203rdmove-ment-based production, “The Plague in Venice,” at the School of Drama. The play,whichrunsthroughApril23,is

The cast of stock char-acters embodied familiar tropes and fell into three categories: the lovers (innamorati), the elders (vecchi) and the servants (zanni). “‘The Plague in Venice’willbeamoderntakeonCommedia,” Ilievsaid.“BeforeCom-mediawasplayedonthesquares. Now, we bring it to theater and we use a few more words as wellasmanyothertoolsincluding pantomime, dance,battles,storytell-ing and music.” Despite being set hundredsofyearsago,thepremiseoftheplaysometimes parallels cur-rent international politics. Theaudiencewillfindthemselves in a Venice that is made susceptible toanearlytypeofbiologicalwarfarebyits corrupt leader, Sasha Iliev, the Doge. DuringCarnivale,itsweaknessisex-ploited when the leader, of the Ottoman Empire plants a plague-infested rat to infectthecity. In addition to bringing this Italian artformtotheChoskyTheater,Ilievalsohasbroughtwithhimanewwayof working with the students to produce “The Plague in Venice.” “Ifellinlovewiththewayofwork-inghere,becauseit’sarealmutualprocess,” Iliev said. Indeed, he and a cast of senior actors created or “devised” the piece in the rehearsal room. “Hegivesustheoutlineandwe justgo,”saidCarolinePluta(A2016),theactressplayingthecharacterofPlague. “We improvise to see what worksandwhatdoesn’t.It’sterrifying,

butalsojustahugeopportunityandit’sinspiringtoworkwithsomeonewho’sso experienced.” Havingtheopportunitytoworkwith an expert such as Iliev is a boon to the students of the School of Drama. Beyonddirecting“ThePlagueInVen-ice,”he’sspentthesemesterteachingmovement classes covering topics from clowning to improvisation. “Movement is at the core of an ac-tor’sprofession,becausetoactistodosomethingwithyourbody,”Ilievsaid.“This art of movement is international. Everyonecanunderstandwhat’shap-peningonstagebecauseI’mworkingwith the universal language of human beings.” Pluta echoes this sentiment. “I think that, a lot of times, when peoplethinkofacting,theythinkofjustsayinglines,”shesaid.“Movementisan

approachfromtheoutsidein;youcanreallyfindacharacterthroughmove-mentandtheirphysicallife.” Working outside of a set script on “The Plague in Venice” has proven to beaworthychallengeforPlutaandherclassmates,whoareessentiallycreatedtheproductionthemselvesunderIliev’sguidance. “It’sadifferentwayofcommunicat-ing,” she said. “It has to be so precise, it hastobejustaspreciseasanylanguage.Youcansaysomuchwithouthavingtoopenyourmouth.Weliveinaworldwhereeveryonewantstogethisorhervoiceheard.I’vealwaysbeenonewholikestolistenfirstandmovementisawaytobeintune.It’sanothersense, youhavetolistenwithadifferentpart ofyourselftounderstandit.” Visithttp://drama.cmu.edu/50/ box-officetopurchasetickets.

“ Movement is at the core of an

actor’s profession, because

to act is to do something with

your body. This art of movement

is international. Everyone can

understand what’s happening

onstage because I’m working

with the universal language

of human beings.”

— Sasha Iliev

basedona16thcenturyscenariowrittenbyFlaminioScalaandperformedintheCommediadell’artetradition. Commediadell’arteisaformoftheaterthatstartedin15thCenturyItalyas a reaction to political corruption. Per-formancesprimarilytookplaceintownsquares or other public places, and were based on familiar plot lines or scenarios that allowed performers to improvise and tailor their dialogue to the audience.

to meeting and interacting with the competitors and volunteers. “I got involved with the event because I know large events like this bringthecommunitiestogether.Asstudentswithheavyworkloads,it’seasytogettrappedintheCMUcommunity,and we miss events like this happening in Pittsburgh,” she said. “Since this is happening on campus, it’sagreatwayforusasstudentstomeetandinteractwithpeoplewemayneverhavegottentheopportunitytomeet otherwise.”

Jessica DiVito, director of developmentforSOPA,isimpressedwithCMU’sstudentparticipationandthe athletic facilities on campus. “Everyonehasbeensoaccommodating and willing to support thiseffort.Weareincrediblyluckytohave the chance to work with this group. “We have toured the campus and it’scompletelyimpressive.Notonlybeautiful,buteverythingisincrediblyaccessible, which is most important for our athletes,” DiVito said. Meyerssaidthe30-minuteopeningceremonywillbeginat9:30a.m.

Games will follow until a noon lunch break.Followinglunch,whichisbeingprovidedbySheetz,thegameswillresume through the afternoon until around 6 p.m. Olympic-styleawardceremoniesfor individual and team events will be ongoingthroughouttheday. ThiswillbethefirsttimeCMUhosts this event, but all involved hope it won’tbethelast. “Myhopeisthatthisbecomesa regular occurrence and tradition at CMU,partofwhatweare,andalsoanimportantexperienceandopportunity

forourstudents,”Centorsaid. “I’mexcited.CMUistheright typeofplacetobehometosomethinglikethis.Ourfacilities,theCohonCenter,thestadium,thepool;ifit’sanicedaywe’retailor-madeforaneventlike this.” “Itcan’tbemoreperfect,”Meyerssaid. Students,facultyandstaffwhowould like to volunteer should contact theSAACatSpecialOlympicsCMU@gmail.com.

C o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e s e v e nOlympic Opportunity

Sasha Iliev