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Carnegie Mellon University

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File:CarnegieMellonSeal.jpg
© Carnegie Mellon University

Motto: My heart is in the work
President Jared Cohon
School type Private
Religious affiliation NONE
Founded 1900
Location Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Enrollment 5200 undergrad., 3200 grad.
Faculty 1048 full-time, 206 part-time faculty
Endowment Approximately $756 million
Campus surroundings URBAN
Campus size 103 acres, plus off-campus research areas
Sports teams The Tartans
Mascot Scottie the Dog

Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was formed in 1967 by the union of the Carnegie Institute of Technology (which was "Carnegie Technical Schools" until 1912), founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie, and the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research, founded in 1917 by Richard Beatty Mellon. It has about 7,500 students and 3,000 faculty, research and administrative staff. The school is often referred to as CMU (not to be confused with Central Michigan University).

Campus

Carnegie Mellon's 103-acre campus is five miles from downtown Pittsburgh, in the Oakland part of the city. A large grassy area known as the Cut forms the backbone of the campus, with a separate grassy area known as the Mall running perpendicular to it.

History

The institution was founded in 1900 in Pittsburgh by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who wrote the time-honored words, "My heart is in the work," when he donated the funds to create Carnegie Technical Schools. Carnegie's vision was to open a vocational training school for the sons and daughters of working-class Pittsburghers. The name was changed to the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1912. In 1967 it merged with the Mellon Institute to become Carnegie Mellon University.

File:CarnegieMellonDownCut.jpg
A view down the Cut, with the Purnell Center on the left, the University Center on the right

Organization

The university today consists of seven colleges and schools:

The university has two branch campuses in Silicon Valley and Qatar.

The university houses famous research centers such as the Robotics Institute, which is the first of its kind in the world and currently considered a leader in the field of robotics, and the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) which undertakes projects relating to software security, code re-use, and development models and is largely funded by the United States Department of Defense.


People

The university has 5200 undergraduate students, 3200 graduate students, 1048 full-time faculty, and 206 part-time faculty. The male-to-female ratio is 3:2. The student body is comprised of students from 48 different states and 40 countries.

Sports and clubs

Carnegie Mellon's sports teams are called the Tartans. They participate in the University Athletic Association in NCAA Division III. Carnegie Mellon's marching and concert band is the Kiltie Band.


There are many clubs on-campus. One of the largest is the Activities Board, which organizes a number of student activities on campus. The Films Committee of the Activities Board is notable for showing films (often recent) in the on-campus McConomy Auditorium four nights a week, with 2-4 showings per night.

Traditions

The Fence

The Fence is a repeatedly painted-over object on campus. It can be painted only at night, and must be painted in its entirety. It often has witty and/or poignant messages written on it.

Spring Carnival

The Spring Carnival is the biggest event of the CMU school year. Usually held in April, a lot of students work really hard all year to make this event a success. The community comes for this event, too. Alumni generally come back for this, and reunion coincides with this weekend. For Carnival Weekend, the Morewood Parking Lot is turned into "midway." This has all thestandard carnival attractions. Many organizations across campus construct a booth for Carnival. Some of the games are free and the booths are intricate. Judges decide on winners.

Buggy races

Buggy, officially called Sweepstakes, is a race around Schenley Park. Entrants must submit a vehicle that is pushed uphill and then driven downhill. The driver sits inside the vehicle, and must be a student of CMU.

Mobot

A mobot approaches the end of the course, with Hamerschlag Hall in the background

"Mobot," short for mobile robot, is a robot that passes through gates, in order, to the finish line. There is a white line on the pavement connecting the gates, and the line is normally used to find the gates. Towards the end of the course, the lines split and merge randomly and knowledge of which line leads to the next gate is needed to consistently finish the course. The current undergraduate mobot course record is held by Alok Ladsariya and Anthony Rowe, whose mobot used the CMUCam for capturing images of the racetrack. Their second robot, "Barney," is the only finishing mobot on record to pull into question whether the gate must be passed forwards or backwards.

Midway

For Carnival Weekend, the Morewood Parking Lot is turned into "midway." This has all your standard carnival attractions. Booths with games. Rides. The works.

Booth
File:CarnegieMellonBooth.jpg
Delta Upsilon's "Peter Pan" booth from Spring Carnival 2004

Many organizations across campus construct a booth for Carnival. Some of the games are free and the booths are intricate. Judges decide on winners.

Rides

Carnival rides, need I say more?

Fiesta de Primavera

End of the year event is the Fiesta de Primavera, held on the last day of classes. The Student Dormitory Council (SDC) gets a bunch of inflatable bounce equipment and other soft fun toys and sets it up outside (weather permitting). Equipment varies from year to year, but typically includes: bouncy volleyball, jousting, sumo outfits, slides, flypaper, big punching gloves, etc...

Bagpipers

The sound of bagpipes is a common presence at Carnegie Mellon. The university is the only one in the United States to offer bagpiping as a major. Carnegie Mellon's Pipe Band plays at major university events, such as convocation and commencement.

cmu.misc.market

Campus community forum for anything and everything.

Notable Carnegie Mellon students and alumni

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