Campus news in brief

Uber gives $5.5 million gift to CMU

Continuing the relationship established earlier this year, Uber donated $5.5 million to Carnegie Mellon last week. The gift will be used to hire a new faculty chair and three new fellowships in robotics.

“CMU’s research in computer science and robotics has been groundbreaking and has made self-driving cars possible,” Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said in a university press release. “While it’s still early days in our partnership, we’re excited about the potential to improve transportation — from safer cars to smarter cities — and pumped to be part of Pittsburgh’s growing innovation ecosystem.”

Uber and Carnegie Mellon partnered in February, working together to create self-driving vehicles as Uber established a new research center in Pittsburgh. The partnership also includes additional investment in the university’s National Robotics Engineering Center and surrounding technologies.

“Academia-industry partnerships play an important role in promoting our mutual missions of technological innovation and developing outstanding talent at all levels,” said Carnegie Mellon President Subra Suresh in the press release. “We are grateful for Uber’s support for the intellectual work at the heart of this activity.”

CMU announced inaugural presidential scholarship and fellowship recipients

Last week, University President Subra Suresh announced the inaugural class of presidential scholarship and fellowship recipients. The scholarship and fellowship recipients include 90 undergraduate and 55 graduate students, respectively, spread across Carnegie Mellon’s seven colleges and schools.

The program, which Suresh began in 2014, is meant to attract and retain top talent to the university. Presidential scholarships give undergraduate students partial support for tuition and fees, while presidential fellowships give graduate students financial security that allows them to focus on their research.

“This program addresses one of the most pressing challenges for CMU as we compete globally for the best students as well as attract and retain the faculty who mentor them,” Suresh said in a university press release.

The full list of scholars and fellows and more information about the program is available online.