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Hometown Hero
The July issue’s cover story, “Coming Home,” is not only a glimpse into the scientific study of the brain, it’s also an admirable profile of a persistent and brilliant man who established his goals early in life. Growing up on the Carnegie Mellon campus, he was in an environment that led him to other academic places and finally back to CMU.

Having been a teacher for 26 years, I have always been interested in how children learn and how the brain can be utilized successfully. In Dr. Tarr helping launch the Brain, Mind, and Learning initiative, he will try to find out how children learn. Let’s hope and pray they find answers.

My husband, Morris (also an educator), and I are retired; for the past 21 years, we have produced and hosted an award-winning television program on Public Access TV (channel 21 or Verizon 47 in the Pittsburgh market only) called “More Than Just Learning.” We interview people on how important education has been in their lives. The university’s president, Dr. Jared L. Cohon, is a former guest. After reading about Dr. Tarr, my husband and I hope to have him as a guest in the near future.
—Shirley T. Shratter
    Pittsburgh, Pa.

Three Jewels
I read your July issue with great interest as it depicted three Chinese alumni. “Chess Match” (News Flash) was uniquely handled. Instead of the story emphasizing that Carnegie Mellon student Ruan Lufei lost in the finals of the Women’s World championship, it rightly focused on how she really surprised herself and the chess world by reaching the finals through her many upsets. For “Magnetized” (News Flash), I am very proud of Dr. Zhu’s accomplishment in magnetic data storage.

Finally, the “Friendly Face” article (Alumni Voice)—about the legacy of a Carnegie Mellon legend that lives on in Beijing—is an outstanding demonstration of the building of mutual respect and alliance from the circle of Carnegie Mellon graduates in China. There is so much China-bashing going on now, which is why I welcome this story that demonstrates the genuine friendliness of CMU’s Chinese alumni, in this case toward their late Carnegie Mellon professor, Herb Simon.
 —Jack Chi-Kwang Peng (S’58)
     Executive Vice President,
     Chinese American Forum
     Auburn, Wash.

Gift of Life
I enjoyed the story [“Bridge Over Troubled Waters” in the April issue’s Inspire Innovation department] and am so glad (as a former scholarship student majoring in music performance) to know that there are people who continue to fund students in need—we really do sigh with relief! I look forward to Carnegie Mellon Today—always find it very illuminating, insightful, and filled with the most up-to-date and amazing interviews.
—Jacqui Drechsler (A’93)
    Valley Cottage, N.Y.

Storied Approach
A magazine that used to be tossed after I checked my graduation year for news of classmates is now being read cover to cover at my house: Carnegie Mellon Today. The articles are so interesting, and I love the interconnectedness of the fields of study at CMU. I must admit I was much too single-minded when I was a student, staying in my little corner of the pre-computer graphic design studio most of the time. I wish I could be young again and back there; I’d have a different approach! Keep up the good work.
—Cheryl Lang Powell (A’72)
    Kernersville, N.C.

As a high school science teacher, I used various articles from Carnegie Mellon Today in my classes. Thank you for that. I look forward to your next issue.
—Andrea González,
   Mother of Astrid González (E’03)
   Tallahassee, Fla.

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