A BALANCING ACT
Lost in translation:
employees learning Arabic
Well rounded:
students take learning outside
the classroom
Student profile:
Basit Iqbal
APRIL 2005
akhbar APRIL 06
contents
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A WORD
FROM THE
DEAN....
Lost in translation
Well rounded
Research update
Student profile
Connections
6
10
4
10
11
12
13
14
Poster session
New building
Focus on fitness
Math program
Black and Gold mania
Brown bag series
New faculty & staff
Faculty news, Marion Oliver
Nine out of ten students we asked when
we started the spring classes were happy to be
back from break – they had a wonderful break,
but were starting to get bored, and wanted to get
back to Carnegie Mellon, to their friends and to
their studies. That’s great.
Campus is very quiet when our students
are on break; it’s not nearly as interesting as
when classes are in session. Just to complete
the record keeping, the tenth student surveyed
wanted even more time to catch up on sleep.
I sympathize with that as well. I know
how hard students work at Carnegie Mellon
– remember, I was one myself many years ago,
so I understand sleep deprivation. But we’re not
letting up anytime soon.
One of the things we’re most excited
about is our “meta-curricular” activities. Carnegie
Mellon students are becoming world-class
computer scientists and business leaders. We
also want them to become world-class people.
Students who went to Pittsburgh for the
Summit program had a great adventure – skiing,
taking seminars and hanging out with Pittsburgh
students. One of the most dramatic moments
of the trip was when students who had been in
the US Arab encounters course together – but
on opposite sides of the video link – recognized
one another on the Pittsburgh campus. What a
moment to commemorate the culturally-enriching
experience of the class.
I’m especially interested in the
opportunities students are starting to create for
charitable organizations and for bridge-building
across cultures. Nine of our students headed to
Pittsburgh over spring break to work on a variety
of service projects, everything from working
with animals at the Animal Rescue League
to repacking food at the Greater Pittsburgh
Community Food Bank.
I hope we all aspire to reach out to others
in different economic situations or from different
religious and cultural backgrounds. Creating
those connections is fun and enriching; it’s also
important for our world.
My best wishes to you all
Charles E. Thorpe, Dean
akhbar APRIL 2005
APRIL 2005
akhbar Lost in translation
Carnegie Mellon employees learning the language
The old adage that ‘the older
you are, the more difficult it is to learn a
new language’ may be true, but it’s not
stopping the employees of Carnegie
Mellon University in Qatar from trying.
Several dozen students enrolled in Reading, Speaking
and Writing Arabic Level 1 in the fall of 2005 when the class
was first offered. In fact, the response was so overwhelming
that Conversational Arabic was added this term and those who
graduated from RSW-Level 1 have continued onto RSW-Level 2.
Lanny Duke, orientation administrator, says both
classes are being offered because people want to learn different
things. “Some want to learn how to read it and write it, and
others just want to learn how to speak it,” she says.
Both classes are offered on campus, free of charge,
through a partnership with Qatar Centre for the Presentation of
Islam. QCPI provides the instructor and the materials, all Duke
has to do is reserve the classrooms and encourage people to
sign up.
Keith Marsh, student services specialist, enrolled in
Conversational Arabic classes at VCU during the fall term for
both personal enrichment and as a way to show respect for
Qatari culture. Having not tried his hand at another language in
a few decades, he was inspired by the progress he was able to
make.
“At the end of the class I actually knew more than
when I started,” he says with a bit of surprise. So he decided to
stay with it and is now enrolled in RSW-Level 2, which is proving
even more of a challenge.
Class instructor Hamdi Blekic says Marsh’s reaction
is to be expected. “You are basically starting from zero. Arabic
reads right to left, there are letters that don’t exist in the English
alphabet and the articulation points are different,” he says.
“It’s very difficult to begin a new language when you have no
basics.” akhbar APRIL 2005
When English speakers learn languages such
as Spanish or French they already know the letters and
the sounds they make, so they can limp their way through
pronunciation. Then it’s just a matter of learning what the
words mean.
Since the Arabic alphabet has 28 letters, students
must learn to identify and pronounce each letter, then each
word and finally identify what the word means. Plus as with all
languages there are irregularities and special circumstances
such as a letter being written differently depending on
whether it falls at the beginning, middle or end of a word.
Blekic, a native of Slovenia, says when he starts
teaching a new group of students most of them think learning
Arabic is impossible. Then after a few classes it slowly begins
to click. First it’s learning the letters of the alphabet, then it’s
recognizing a few words and before long the class is reading
complete sentences.
The key to mastering Arabic, according to Blekic, is
to stick with it and try to learn something new each day. After
all, Arabic is like most other challenges of life, he says. “If you
want to learn it, you can. No matter how hard it is.”
To enroll: Conversational Arabic classes are from
8 to 9 a.m., Mondays and Wednesdays. Reading, Speaking
and Writing – Level 2 is held from 8 to 9 a.m. Tuesdays and
Thursdays. To enroll in RSW-Level 2 you must first take
RSW-Level 1.
All classes are held in room A156B. Classes will
continue each semester and will be dictated by student
demand and skill level.
APRIL 2005
akhbar WELL
ROUNDED
Students take learning outside the classroom
College is about much more than books, class
rooms and final exams. It’s also about personal development,
friendship, enriching your spirit and getting involved in the
community.
“It’s more about making yourself a better person for
the future,” according to computer science freshman Yasser
Khan. “You do that by cooperating, getting involved, helping
others and collaboration.”
Yasser is one of the many students at Carnegie
Mellon University in Qatar that are getting involved in a wide
range of extra curricular activities that both add to their
overall educational experience and make an impact on those
around them. Activities have become so plentiful students are
now mastering the delicate art of time management so they
can take part in a variety of new things.
Awareness and helping others has become a goal
of many students. The Active Women’s Club is always busy
encouraging the growth and development of women. In the
fall the group focused on women’s health by holding Pink
Day, which was coordinated to help raise awareness of breast
cancer. Everyone on campus got in the spirit and prizes were
awarded for the best pink outfit. Helping those with cancer
was also the focus of the Terry Fox 5K Run held in February. A
few faithful runners from Carnegie Mellon turned out to burn
a some calories for a good cause, while others spent hours
collecting donations to help people they don’t even know.
akhbar APRIL 2005
Learning from each other is also a common focus
of activities. The Cultural Club has hosted many activities
around campus to highlight the different nationalities
represented among the student body. A “Dress in your
Native Culture” day was held for students to share the
history behind their cultural attire.
Similarly a “Thobe and Abbaya” day was held to
highlight Qatari culture. Each of these days gave students
the opportunity to share a bit of themselves and at the
same time learn about others.
These types of activities all fall in line with the
mission of student services to create “University Citizens,”
says Kristin Gilmore, director of student activities. “We’re
here to provide the opportunity to learn and grow outside the
classroom.”
And Gilmore and the rest of the student services
staff seem to work around the clock doing just that. Each
week they plan activities that range from trips to the zoo and
taking in the latest movies to bowling or just hanging around
talking about issues that are important to students.
Trips to Pittsburgh to check out Carnegie Mellon’s
campus seem to be on the minds of many students, Gilmore
says. Not only does international travel give students a
whole new perspective on life, it also gives them countless
opportunities to learn outside the classroom.
In January three students left the warmth and
comfort of their homes in Qatar and headed to Pittsburgh
to take part in Summit, a three-day program of intellectual
exploration that included courses, seminars, work shops and,
of course, fun.
Even the threat of snowfall, cold winds and
temperatures in the 20s and 30s – Fahrenheit that is – did
not deter Anas Abu Qamar, Mustafa Hasnain and Mohammed
Abu Zeinab from a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
“It was very meaningful to me. It helped me explore
myself and the people around me. And I was put in situations
I was not usually in,” says Mohammed. “I was overwhelmed
at the number of people who welcomed us.”
While at Summit, Anas, Mohammad and Mustafa
participated in classes not available to them during the course
of their regular studies. Mustafa tested his agility in figure
skating classes and his hand-eye coordination in advanced
billiards. Mohammad learned relaxation in Reiki classes
while Anas got his feet moving in a busta groove dance class
before taking it easy with massage therapy. The three also
signed up for the popular gun shooting class.
Outside of the classes, Mohammed, Anas and
Mustafa were also able to meet with students and explore
Carnegie Mellon’s Pittsburgh campus. Ultimately they were
able to clear up rumors that Qatar is little more
than camels and sand. Anas says Pittsburgh students were
as genuinely interested in learning about life in Qatar as he
was in learning about Pittsburgh and life in America.
Gilmore took another group of students to
Pittsburghlast month for a service learning trip in which
they participated in a variety of community service activities.
Through these actions students had the opportunity to learn
and share in ways not paralleled in the classroom, yet equally
as important in the lifelong learning process.
APRIL 2005
akhbar LOOKING
AHEAD
Research part of strong future of Carnegie
Mellon, Education City
Carnegie Mellon University is
committed to providing an undergraduate
education that includes exposure to
cutting edge research. Similarly, the
university is steadfast to affording its
faculty opportunities to pursue research
in their fields. And this is not just at the
Pittsburgh campus, but in Qatar as well.
Qatar Foundation has generous research support
and funding available, and the Qatar Science and Technology
Park is currently under construction. This massive technology
park will serve as an incubator for research, provide
laboratory space, offer seed and venture capital funds and
serve as the research hub of Qatar as well as the entire Gulf
region, says Des Ryan, QSTP business support manager.
“Our goal is to help you,” Ryan says of the students
and faculty of the five universities in Education City. QSTP’s
mission is to respond to the immediate needs of industry
and anticipate future necessities for development. This
will help forge the sort of partnerships with industry and
government that generated many exciting breakthroughs on
our Pittsburgh campus.
Students and faculty of Carnegie Mellon and
other institutions in Education City will be able to work on
research projects at QSTP. Researchers in computer science
or robotics will be able to attain lab space and perhaps take
their ideas or products and develop them into real-world
business solutions. Seed funds and venture capital funds
will be set up to help students grow and develop ideas,
companies and technology.
Researchers whose work does not require lab
space will also be able to continue their work in Qatar and,
if needed, receive funding and support. Jon Caulkins, Ph.D.
and professor of operations research and public policy in
the Heinz School, does research on optimal dynamic control
theory and on practical problems pertaining to drugs, crime
and violence and how policies affect those problems for
many years.
While the move to Qatar to teach and research in
August 2005 drastically changed his environment, it has
had little effect on his work. “I don’t need a lab to do my
research, I just need an Internet connection,” he says. “So
things haven’t changed a lot.”
In some ways, he says, the research process has
become a bit easier for him because his current funding
akhbar APRIL 2005
does not have the same international travel restrictions that
were attached to some of his U.S. funding. This has allowed
him to meet with his many colleagues in Europe much more
easily than in the past.
And being in a Gulf Time Zone has allowed him and
his colleagues around the globe to have 24-hour movement
on the papers on which they are collaborating. He can pass
a document off to a co-author in Washington, who can then
send it to another co-author in Australia and return it back to
Caulkins.
Researchers who decide to come to Carnegie
Mellon in Qatar may also find the warm climate, diverse
culture and slower-paced lifestyle allow for the development
and cultivation of new research ideas that may not have
presented themselves in Pittsburgh.
APRIL 2005
akhbar GIVING FROM THE HEART
GET CONNECTED...
Freshman Basit Hasan Iqbal
reaches out to his homeland
Although he was born in Huntington, W.Va.,
freshman Basit Iqbal has spent nearly all of his life in
Pakistan. In August of last year he left his home and moved
to Qatar to attend Carnegie Mellon University.
Like many students who move away from home to
earn an education, Basit quelled his feeling of homesickness
by watching television channels from his homeland. But
the comfort familiar programs provided came to an abrupt
halt on Oct. 8 when a 7.6 magnitude earthquake rocked
northern Pakistan, Afghanistan and northern India. Suddenly
Basit was inundated by video of entire regions being wiped
out by the disaster.
“It was so painful to watch. I was alone and I
literally began crying,” he says. Basit quickly phoned home
and found out his family was unharmed. However he was
shocked by the news a longtime employee of his father’s
restaurant and close family friend was killed. It was then that
the earthquake touched him in a personal way.
Connections program provides
internship opportunities for students
“I felt like the television was saying Basit come
home, Basit we need you,” he says. While he was unable to
go home, he knew he had to do something. He quickly sent
out an e-mail to the staff, students and faculty of Carnegie
Mellon asking them for help. He also placed posters around
campus soliciting for donations. He says he didn’t know what
kind of reaction he would get because, as he says, “it’s hard
to do something for someone you don’t know.”
Apparently not everyone felt the same, though. Basit
was inundated with donations and personal notes. “Everyone
was so kind, so sympathetic. And not just financially,” he
says. “I didn’t expect a response like that.”
Officials from Qatar Foundation even helped spread
the word of Basit’s fund-raising efforts and before long the
project took on a life of its own. Basit says he would have
been happy receiving QR 400, because just one Riyal can
buy a meal for two people. However his efforts yielded much
more than he anticipated.
He has no official donation total, but estimates he
collected around QR 7,000 from Carnegie Mellon alone. The
In an increasingly competitive global society, today’s
graduates must possess more than superior academic
knowledge and a desire to succeed. They also must gain
hands-on experience in the marketplace.
To support students in their development of this
crucial aspect of professional success, Carnegie Mellon
University in Qatar offers Connections. This program
is designed to build long-lasting, mutually beneficial
partnerships with local businesses. Through these
partnerships, students will gain practical workplace skills
and employers will contribute to shaping the future business
leaders of Qatar.
“Being able to apply what you’ve learned in the
classroom to real-life situations gives students an edge,”
says Khadra Dualeh, Director of the Office of Professional
Development and International Education, which is where
internships are coordinated.
Dualeh works closely with potential employers to
develop the right internship opportunities for our students.
This first-hand experience will give students the opportunity
to apply what they have learned in the classroom to realworld situations.
“We want the internship to be a positive experience
for the students, especially when they haven’t done this
before,” she says.
Employers benefit from the program by experiencing
the new work ideas, cutting-edge business theory and
unlimited energy only a Carnegie Mellon student can provide.
Plus companies gain the opportunity to evaluate a student’s
skills, work ethics and assimilation into their organization’s
culture. The internship can essentially function as a test
period for both the company and for the potential future
employee. Dualeh calls the program a “win-win.”
money was used to help hundreds if not thousands of people
who were left with nothing. Through it all Basit has remained
modest about his efforts and says he did nothing special. He
simply had a “natural reaction” to a devastating event.
10 akhbar APRIL 2005
APRIL 2005
akhbar 11
SHOW
& TELL
Students explain
their ideas
at robotics
poster session
Designing algorithms and autonomous robots may
be all in a day’s work for computer science students, but
explaining how they work to those outside the field can pose
quiet a challenge.
But sophomores in the Autonomous Robots class
taught by Drs. Brett Browning and Bernardine Dias rose to
the occasion in December for the end-of-semester poster
session. Sixteen students seized the opportunity to present
a poster describing their final individual projects. Each had
already learned how to give a technical presentation and this
poster session allowed them to present a technical topic to a
mixed audience.
“It was intended as an opportunity for the students
to show off what they had been doing, and also for them to
gain experience in explaining their work to a poster session
audience - where there is a mix of technical and nontechnical people,” says Browning.
Computer science student Amer Obeidah says he
found it very interesting to be able to explain how his robot
worked and why he chose to apply a very difficult algorithm.
He also enjoyed talking about the potential real-world uses
for his robot and getting feedback on his idea.
The event drew quite a crowd and seemed to be
a learning experience for both the students taking the class
and those who attended. Many parents attended the session
and commented on how the staff and faculty of Carnegie
Mellon were “teaching their children how to think.” And, as
Browning says, the event finally showed parents the outcome
of their child’s many months of hard work and dedication.
WIDE OPEN
Three-story atrium will be heart of Carnegie Mellon building
At a quiet table in the
assembly area, two students enjoy
large mugs of steaming coffee
while studying for an exam; across
the way, a professor and student
bump into each other and engage
in a spontaneous discussion about
the score of yesterday’s football
game; in the food court, a group
of faculty from around the building
come together to enjoy a good
meal and lively conversation.
These and other serendipitous encounters were the driving force behind the design of the three-story atrium in the new
Carnegie Mellon building. “It’s where the Carnegie Mellon community – students, faculty, staff and our Education City neighbors – will
routinely come together,” says Kevin Lamb, assistant dean for planning and operations.
At the core of the building, the atrium will be filled with natural light and made up of three distinct areas: the food court, the
assembly area and the walkway. Each area will have its own function yet they will come together to form a grand unified space.
Water features, trees, comfortable seating and the massive art wall combined with a robust palate of colors will create a warm and
inviting space. The glass ceiling and glass doors at either end of the expansive walkway will bring the outdoors inside thus creating
a living atmosphere. Additionally, Lamb says, the atrium will give Carnegie Mellon a pronounced identity as an integral part of the
Education City community.
12 akhbar APRIL 2005
APRIL 2005
akhbar 13
Next time you’re considering chowing down a few
donuts or taking the elevator up one measly flight of stairs,
better look over your shoulder first to make sure ‘Funke Ilori
isn’t watching.
As the director of health and wellness for Carnegie
Mellon University in Qatar, Ilori is on a mission to encourage
students, staff and faculty to develop and maintain healthy
habits. Part of the way she does this is by holding monthly
workshops, seminars and open booths to increase awareness
about a wide range of health issues.
“We want to develop well-rounded human beings
that are healthy and better informed,” Ilori says. This is quite
a lofty task in a world that is being overtaken by fast food
chains and the inclination to drive everywhere instead of
walk.
But Ilori is not backing down. In January she kicked
off the term with events focusing on physical, mental and
emotional wellness. January also saw the beginning of the
Fitness Challenge, whose objective is to challenge people to
take either 10,000 steps or exercise at least 20 minutes a
day, four days per week for 12 weeks.
The overall goal of the program is to walk from Doha
to Pittsburgh. Last year the Fitness Challenge participants
walked enough steps to reach Algiers, Algeria, which is a bit
less than half the journey. Ilori is confident the final steps to
Pittsburgh will be reached by the end of this term.
Heart health was the focus for February with a day
devoted to keeping the ol’ ticker going strong; plus a culinary
demonstration was held to demonstrate healthy food choices.
March focused on nutrition and women’s health and April
Add it up
Focus on
fitness
Spring 2006
Black ‘n Gold pride
sweeps Doha
is featuring events spotlighting health diversity between cultures.
Since May is the end of the term, the highlighted topic
will be stress and how to relieve it. A weeklong mini health fair
will offer relaxation therapy, massage, alternative medicine and
other ways to distress during such a hectic time. And seeing as
all of Ilori’s programs are held on campus, during the day and are
open to everyone, there are no more excuses for not being fit.
After-school math program being offered
Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar has begun an after school math program to jump start eleventh graders
who are enrolled in the arts track but think they may want to study business administration at the university.
Carnegie Learning ® is designed to bring these students to the same level of mathematic proficiency as their fellow
students who are in the science track. Admissions director Bryan Zerbe says many of the college programs that
interest local students require them to have a strong base in mathematics, including pre-calculus, which arts track
students do not have.
This program may benefit those students in that they will improve their analytical skills, which will be needed
if they are to find success in the quant-based curriculum of the business administration program at Carnegie Mellon
Qatar or other demanding programs.
Leslie Thorpe and Wesam El-Madhoun are teaching the classes, which are made up of approximately 20
students. Both spent a week in Pittsburgh training with Carnegie Learning ® in order to be certified to teach the
classes. The program, which consists of four hours of instruction per week, began in February and is expected to run
through June. If it is deemed successful, Zerbe says the program will be offered again.
14 akhbar APRIL 2005
Steeler
Nation
Black and Gold have always been the official colors of Pittsburgh and during the winter months they slowly crept their way
into the landscape of Doha. Okay, maybe just the landscape of Carnegie Mellon.
It seems that just about every office had a Terrible Towel, Steelers banner or photo of Heinz Ward displayed to cheer on
the team and its drive for that elusive fifth Super Bowl ring. And no showing of support was too great for these die-hard Steelers
fans. About 30 black ‘n gold clad folks met up at Ahmed Husaine’s house early one Saturday morning to take a group shot along
with a somewhat scared camel fashioning a Steelers beach towel. This photo made its way to Pittsburgh where it was posted on
the Web sites of all three Pittsburgh television stations - WTAE, WPXI and KDKA.
It was also posted on the Web sites of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and the Beaver County Times. And a few eagle-eyed
viewers of WTAE’s and WPXI’s evening news programs saw it flash on screen during a broadcast.
Loyal fans’ spirit and willingness to stay up all night to watch Super Bowl XL did pay off however, when the hometown
team captured the Lombardi Trophy after a long, 26-year quest. Final score: Steelers 21, Seahawks 10.
CAMPUS NEWS
Brownbag Series underway for Spring ‘06 term
The Spring 2006 term is in full swing and so is the Brownbag Series. This lunchtime lecture series is designed for
Carnegie Mellon staff and faculty to stay informed on what is going on in all departments of the Qatar campus. Typically held on
Wednesday, these lunches are informal and open to all who wish to attend.
Mark Stehlik, visiting teaching professor and assistant dean for undergraduate education in Pittsburgh, opened the series
on Feb. 7 with a discussion on the Computer Science curriculum, its origin, philosophy and niche.
Cyndi Mills, chief information officer, gave the technical version of her RIPE talk about security on Feb. 22. John
Robertson, director of undergraduate programs, presented the curriculum of the business administration program in March.
Speakers will continue on Wednesdays throughout the rest of the semester, so mark your calendar. As of print, all Brownbag Series
talks will be held in Room A166. Changes in room will be announced via e-mail.
UPCOMING SEMINARS
-April 12
-April 26
-May 10
APRIL 2005
akhbar 15
2006/07
FACULTY & STAFF
New faculty & staff for the
Spring 2006 term
Staff news
Hassan Rom
Hassan Rom is a senior in
computer science with a double
major in electrical and computer
engineering. This term he will
serve as a course assistant
for Great Theoretical Ideas in
Computer Science and Advanced
Programming Practicum. He is also hoping to hope to
start a Linux users club at CMU-Q.
J. Patrick McGinnis
New staff joining the Carnegie Mellon Qatar
campus are Jumana Al Abdi, Community Advisor; Dina
Al Baradee; Administrative Assistant; Roula Albradee,
Accountant; Shadi Afaneh, IT Support; Resil Barcelo,
Administrative Assistant; Brian Gallew, Systems
Manager, Lily Muzame, Administrative Assistant; Connie
Ramadan, Orientation administrator; Andrea Zrimsek,
Marketing and Public Relations Associate
Patrick McGinnis has
been teaching business
communications in the Carnegie
Mellon Tepper School of Business
for six years. He is in Doha for
the Spring 2006 term to teach
business communications
and oral communications to business administration
students.
Jessica Mink
Faculty news
Marion Oliver
Ph. D. accepts new role
In addition to his ongoing work as a professor
of mathematics, Marion Oliver, Ph.D. has agreed to take
on the job of Special Assistant to the Dean of Faculty
Development. In this new role, Oliver will work with
Dean Chuck Thorpe to provide support on a wide range
of faculty issues.
His most immediately visible contribution will
be in organizing faculty orientation at the beginning of
each semester. He will also be assisting Dean Thorpe
with faculty course evaluations, providing assistance to
faculty on class management and work with freshmanlevel course support.
Yonina Cooper
Yonina Cooper is a professor
emeritus of the School of Computer
Science at University of Nevada
Las Vegas. She has also taught
computer science and mathematics
at University of Kansas, University of
Wisconsin and University of Texas.
While at Carnegie Mellon’s Qatar campus she will be
teaching computer programming.
16 akhbar APRIL 2005
Jessica Mink is a junior at
Carnegie Mellon with a computer
science major and a math
minor. This semester she will
be the teaching assistant for the
concepts of math and matrix
algebra courses.
Mark Stehlik
Mark Stehlik is a Teaching Professor
and Assistant Dean for Undergraduate
Education in the School of Computer
Science at Carnegie Mellon University
in Pittsburgh. He teaches the first
and second year computer science
courses and advises students in the
computer science undergraduate program. He is at the Qatar
campus for the first half of this term.
Menna Mulugetta
Menna Mulugetta is a junior
studying business administration
in the Tepper School at Carnegie
Mellon in Pittsburgh. She is
concentrating in the areas of
finance and marketing. During her
semester in Qatar, she will be a
course assistant for business communications as well as
models and methods of optimization.