Briefly Noted

Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center Open House Set

The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) will hold DISCOVER 09, an open house, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Jan. 29. The event will feature exhibits and demonstrations of high-performance computing in various fields of research, including weather, biomedicine, energy, and product development. PSC, located at 300 S. Craig St., Oakland, is a joint venture among Pitt, Carnegie Mellon University and Westinghouse Electric Co. The center recently installed a 64-core, HP BladeSystem c3000 computer system named Warhol. It is available to academic researchers in Pennsylvania, as well as private sector and government researchers. More information on the open house is available at http://discover09.psc.edu or 412-268-4960.
—Michael Schneider

Call for Proposals for Innovation in Education Awards

The Provost’s Advisory Council on Instructional Excellence is seeking proposals from University of Pittsburgh faculty for projects that enhance teaching at Pitt and foster new instructional approaches. Over the program’s nine-year history, annual funding of the awards has averaged $175,700. Full- and parttime faculty members at the five Pitt campuses are eligible to submit proposals or to resubmit revised proposals that were not funded in a previous year. The deadline for proposal submission is Fri., Jan. 30. Additional information is available at 412-624-5750 or wykoffl@provost.pitt.edu.

Sock-a-Thon for Winter Emergency Shelters

Pitt’s Volunteer Pool is collecting new socks for homeless people who seek refuge in emergency shelters when winter temperatures drop below 20 degrees. The Volunteer Pool is asking anyone interested in contributing to drop off donations at the Volunteer Pool Office, 710 Alumni Hall, by Feb. 6. More information is available by contacting 412-624-7702 or watkins@pitt.edu.

Hillman Room Dedicated To Late Amy Knapp

Friends, family members, and coworkers of the late Amy E. Knapp gathered at Hillman Library recently to dedicate a room in her honor. Knapp, who served as an assistant university librarian and an instructor in the School of Information Sciences, passed away May 31, 2008. She was 46 years old. She was described by her friends as “a woman who loved libraries.” The Amy E. Knapp Room, located just beyond the bank of elevators on Hillman’s ground floor, will be used for library instruction, a purpose that Knapp had envisioned for a room at Hillman years ago. Until now, this instruction occurred in an open area on the ground floor. A portrait of Knapp and a plaque were unveiled at the dedication. University Library System Librarian Rush Miller, as well as library instructor coordinator Marnie Hampton, whom Knapp had mentored for years, delivered remarks during the dedication.
—Sharon S. Blake