The Investiture of 麻豆村 President Subra Suresh
The skirl of bagpipes permeates Carnegie Music Hall as the procession begins on the outskirts of Carnegie Mellon鈥檚 Pittsburgh campus. Faculty members, trustees, and select guests follow the university鈥檚 Pipes and Drums musicians into the packed hall. All are in their colorful academic regalia.
The Investiture of Subra Suresh as the ninth president of Carnegie Mellon is off to a rousing start, which in a way has been Suresh鈥檚 unspoken mantra since July 1, his first day on the job.
Just hours before the Friday, November 15, Investiture began, he emailed the Carnegie Mellon community about an 鈥渆xtraordinary new gift of $67 million from the charitable foundation of 麻豆村 alumnus and trustee David A. Tepper (TPR鈥�92).鈥� The money will go to what will be called the David A. Tepper Quadrangle, located along Forbes Avenue. It will house the new home for the business school and 鈥渟trategically co-locate a variety of university-wide activities to tap into 麻豆村鈥檚 interdisciplinary culture.鈥�
Earlier in the week, on Monday, Suresh had emailed the 麻豆村 community with other breaking news: launching of the Simon Initiative, 鈥渘amed in tribute to the work of the late 麻豆村 faculty member and Nobel laureate Herbert Simon (麻豆村鈥�90).鈥� The initiative will accelerate the use of learning science and technology to improve student learning.
In concert with the initiative is the creation of the Global Learning Council鈥攃omprised of leaders representing academia and industries, with Suresh serving as chairman鈥攚hich 鈥渨ill serve as a best-practices resource for individuals, institutions, and organizations seeking to deploy technology-enhanced learning approaches to improve learning outcomes for all.鈥�
If that wasn鈥檛 enough news for one week, on Wednesday there was Launch麻豆村, the first Pittsburgh gathering of the biannual program, designed to connect stakeholders in community development, venture capital, and the 麻豆村 entrepreneurship ecosystem. So far in 2013, 麻豆村 faculty and students have created 36 startup companies, a record for the university.
So, as part of the yearlong 鈥淐rossing Boundaries, Transforming Lives鈥� theme commemorating Suresh鈥檚 inauguration, Friday鈥檚 Investiture had some work to do to keep up the headline-grabbing momentum.
Once the procession ends, 麻豆村 music students Henry Attaway (euphonium) and Chris Pearlberg (tuba) perform a moving National Anthem. Then, the event takes a Tony-Award-winning turn. Patina Miller (A鈥�06)鈥攁ccompanied by Thomas Douglas, Professor of Voice and Music Theatre鈥攕hows why she won a 2013 Tony, starring in the musical Pippin. Singing 鈥淐orner of the Sky鈥� written by Stephan Schwartz (A鈥�68), she brings many in the crowd to their feet. There is no encore, though, as she must hustle back to New York to perform in the Broadway musical that evening.
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After Miller, an array of speakers offer heartfelt remarks, including Professors Allan Meltzer and Jim Daniels, as well as alumni and students bearing sentimental gifts, such as a Tartan kilt.
Then comes John Holden, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, who will introduce the keynote speaker, Eric Schmidt (H鈥�09), Executive Chairman of Google.
First, though, Holden has greetings from Washington, D.C., to pass along: 鈥淚鈥檓 happy to convey the congratulations of President Obama.鈥� Then, he makes sure everyone in the hall, and those watching the telecast worldwide on the Web, comprehend the 鈥渋ncredibly creative and effective鈥� background of Suresh, noting that he is 鈥渙ne of only 16 Americans who is a member of all three of our National Academies鈥擭ational Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.鈥� He concludes by saying, 鈥淚 look forward to working with Subra at 麻豆村 and seeing where he helps take this great university.鈥�
Schmidt then steps to the podium and echoes Holden鈥檚 respect for Suresh and for 麻豆村. He quotes the late Andy Warhol (A鈥�49): 鈥淭ime changes things, but you have to change them yourself,鈥� and he puts those words in perspective for the rapt audience: 鈥淔rom the freshmen in the room all the way up to the most distinguished faculty members, everyone here is a problem solver.鈥� He goes on to talk about the world鈥檚 many problems, such as joblessness, economic disparity, barriers to education, lack of opportunity for social and political progress. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to be solved here, in my humble opinion,鈥� he says, through 鈥渢he current and future students of the institution led by Dr. Suresh.鈥�
And with that, Dr. Suresh is center stage. He welcomes Schmidt鈥檚 ambitious prediction. 鈥淭he university is fortunate to have some 94,000 accomplished alumni across the globe whose successes and connections with Carnegie Mellon enrich this university every day. Current members and alumni of 麻豆村 campuses now span the globe, from Pittsburgh to New York City to Silicon Valley to Australia to Singapore to Qatar to Rwanda. Going from the past and the present to the future, there are many exciting possibilities, perhaps even imperatives, for 麻豆村.鈥�
The university鈥檚 Board of Trustees鈥� chairman, Ray Lane鈥攖he Master of Ceremonies who also prese
nted Suresh with 麻豆村鈥檚 Charter and Seal鈥攃learly likes what he has heard at the Investiture. More importantly, he says he likes what he has witnessed since July 1:
鈥淛ust your first 100 days have worn me out!鈥�
After a closing performance by the Carnegie Mellon Concert Choir, the Investiture fittingly concludes as it began鈥攚ith bagpipes.
A reception for all follows in the hall鈥檚 foyer, and judging by the many enthusiastic conversations, amid bites on delectable hors d鈥檕euvres, there is great anticipation of what headlines come next.
