Now that I’m officially done with my time in Pittsburgh and graduate school at Carnegie Mellon University, I thought that I’d take a moment to look back at the place that I called home for nearly six years.
I was originally planning to take a walk around campus (with pictures) before I left. But, as inevitably happens, moving got in the way. Instead I thought I’d tell the story of my experiences at CMU using some of the pictures that I’ve taken over the years.
It was fun going through some of my archives, and uncovering gems that I’d forgotten.
Front of Doherty Hall (Fall 2009).
When I first arrived on campus, the initial challenge was getting used to the ways that building floors were labelled, with the steep hillside giving the same floor basement views on one side while being several stories up on the other side.
For example, the ground floor at the main entrance to Doherty Hall, one of the physics buildings, is the sixth floor from a different side of the building.
The Fence, with Hunt Library in the background (Fall 2009).
On the other hand, some things felt very familiar. Just like at the University of the Pacific, where I got my bachelor’s degree, CMU has a dedicated place for students to “grafitti”. At CMU, it is the “fence”, a concrete fence that student groups can paint to advertise or celebrate. Students have to paint during the night, and stand guard to make sure that no one else paints over their designs.
“Walking to the Sky” (Summer 2010)
One of the more interesting (good or bad) objects on the campus currently is the “Walking to the Sky” art installation, near the entrance to campus. This tall pole with human figures climbing it, as well as standing at the base was still relatively new when I arrived.
Ironically, when I first got to CMU the installation was damaged and all but one of the human statues (the one at the top) were missing. They had to re-do the footing to fix it over the next year to its original condition.
View from my office (Fall 2011)
After spending so much time at CMU, one of my favorite things about the campus was the view out the window of the office where I lived after my first year (in the basement). My office was on the top floor of the building looking north, allowing me to see a long distance and watch the weather as it moved through Pittsburgh.
I could see storms coming and going, many forms and intensities of precipitation, and occasionally rainbows as storms moved off to the east.
One of the many outdoor staircases (Winter 2014).
Of course, one of the bigger adjustments for this California girl, was the Pittsburgh weather. I had to get used to the frequent cloudy days and higher humidity than I found back home. And of course, I had to learn to love the winter, despite the snow and freezing temperatures.
CMU campus during “snow-mageddon” (Winter 2010).
The worst storm I saw during my time in Pittsburgh was what we called “snow-maggedon”, the chain of storms that hit during the winter of 2010. This was actually my first winter at CMU, and the only time during my tenure that the university had to cancel classes (for three days) due to the lack of public transit in the city.
We never got quite that level of snow again during my tenure, although we certainly got plenty of icy cold days. I will not miss the cold winds and walking to campus in sub-zero temperatures.
HIbiscus antenna testing outside Wean Hall, where I worked (Spring 2014).
During the past couple of years, I had the joy of taking my experiments out onto the lawn at CMU to run testing. It was always fun to have people (students or otherwise) stop by to chat about my beautiful flower telescopes.
I also love the fact that when I show the pictures of my research during presentations I get to showcase not only the work but also my alma mater.
HIbiscus antenna outside Baker and Porter Halls (Summer 2014).
I know that I will miss the Carnegie Mellon University campus, even as I move on to a new school and new sights. But I will always be an alumni of CMU and can look back with fondness at my time there.
Dreams from the Radio Cosmos 