Carnegie Mellon Students to Host "Fearless" TEDxCMU Event April 4, Streaming Available

In the spirit of "ideas worth spreading," Carnegie Mellon University students will host their inaugural TEDxCMU event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, April 4 in the University Center’s McConomy Auditorium. This year’s theme is "Fearless."

Approximately 450 individuals selected through an application process have been invited to participate in the event. The talks will be streamed live at http://tedxcmu.com/watch and archived on TEDx’s YouTube channel. The event will feature a full day of talks by prominent speakers such as:

- Raghava KK (Multi-disciplinary Artist)
- Jonathan Fields (Blogger / Entrepreneur)
- Stacey Monk (Founder, Epic Change)
- Chase Jarvis (Photographer / Social Artist)
- Chris Guillebeau (World Traveler / Writer)
- Nathan Martin (CEO, Deeplocal)
- MK Haley (Associate Executive Producer, ETC)
- RF Culbertson (Professor and Entrepreneur)

TEDxCMU will also feature performances by Carnegie Mellon's Dancer's Symposium Company and first-year design major Jackson Chu, who will play a Chinese instrument called the erhu. We hope to spark discussions and foster connections between participants at TEDxCMU, and encourage people to follow their dreams and make a difference.

For more information about the event, visit tedxcmu.com. Updates are also posted on Facebook and on Twitter. READ FULL ARTICLE

Carnegie Mellon To Celebrate Scottish Heritage With Visit and Talk by Scottish Government Official

Michael Russell, the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, will visit Carnegie Mellon University on April 5 at 2 p.m. and give a talk titled "Scotland: A New Future Building on a Great Past." The talk is free and open to the public.

Russell's talk is part of Scotland Week 2010, which runs from April 3-10. As part of the celebration, three Scottish government ministers will be traveling to the United States and Canada to promote the themes of Scotland Week, including Great Scots and Innovation, which draw strong connections to Carnegie Mellon.

While Russell is on Carnegie Mellon's campus, he will bring attention to common Scottish ties, such as the university founder Andrew Carnegie, and he will learn more about the university's programs and innovations that have made it a world-renowned institution.

Where: McKenna/Peter/Wright Rooms, University Center, Carnegie Mellon University. READ FULL ARTICLE

Nightcap Series - The Coffee Trade, An Evening of Coffee Tasting and Discussion Sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh

Geoff Watts, Vice President of Coffee and Green Coffee Buyer for Intelligentsia Coffee

Wednesday, March 24, 2010
6:00-8:00 p.m.
The Firehouse Lounge, 2216 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA

Register Now!

Coffee is one of the world’s most traded products. The coffee industry employs millions of people globally through its cultivation, harvesting, and trading. Come and learn how coffee reaches your cup, and why some coffee companies are now developing more equitable and sustainable trade relationships.

Coffee tasting: Join us as we sample different types of coffee from around the world. Learn to distinguish the various flavors and smells of a perfect cup! Coffee provided by ALDO Coffee Co. (located in Mt. Lebanon)

Speaker: Geoff Watts is the Vice President of Coffee and Green Coffee Buyer for Intelligentsia Coffee, based out of Chicago. Intelligentsia has been awarded numerous accolades for the quality of their coffee. Intelligentsia practices direct trade, working closely with actual producers, not just importers or exporters, promoting a “seed to cup” attention to their product. Geoff Watts assisted in the opening of Intelligentsia Coffee in 1995.Today, he travels extensively to farms throughout Central and South America, Africa, and Indonesia, establishing new relationships with farmers, exporters, and specialty coffee importers throughout the world, all the while gathering insight and understanding of what it is that makes a perfect cup of coffee.

**Please note that in addition to the coffee tasting, lite fare will be provided. Beverages will be available for purchase at the bar.**

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Free Passport Photos Offered as Allegheny County Passport Office Observes “Passport Day in the USA” on Saturday

Allegheny County is joining the U.S. Department of State in marking "Passport Day in the USA" on Sat., March 27, in an effort to remind citizens of new passport rules that took effect last year.

The County’s Passport Office, located on the first floor of the City-County Building at 414 Grant Street, will be open on Sat., March 27, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to provide passport information and process applications. Also, free passport photos will be offered to anyone who applies for a passport on Saturday.

"Allegheny County is participating in Passport Day in order to educate citizens on the new federal travel rules and to help those who need to apply for a passport or renew an expired passport," said Department of Court Records Director Kate Barkman.

"We’re pleased to offer passport services on Saturday, March 27, to make it convenient for those who may not be able to make it downtown during normal business hours. In addition, the Passport Office is open every Wednesday until 7:30 p.m."

United States citizens must now present a passport book, passport card, or other travel documents approved by the federal government to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda at land borders and sea ports of entry.

Those applying for passports or passport cards must provide proof of U.S. citizenship, proof of identity, two passport photos, and checks or money orders to cover fees. Information on the required documents and fees is available at www.alleghenycounty.us/wo/passport.aspx or by calling 412-350-6071.

Citizens may also obtain passport information at travel.state.gov or by phone, in English and Spanish, by calling the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 1-877-487-2778. READ FULL ARTICLE

GlobalPittsburgh Hosting Embassy & Consulate Reps for International Bridge Awards and Energy, Life Sciences & Education Showcase April 21-22, 2010

GlobalPittsburgh® will host the GlobalPittsburgh Energy, Life Sciences & Education Showcase, a two-day program of presentations, panel discussions and tours highlighting the Greater Pittsburgh Region’s leadership and centers of excellence in energy, life sciences and education for invited dignitaries from dozens of countries, many of which were represented at the G-20 Summit in September 2009. The event is scheduled for April 21-22, 2010.

GlobalPittsburgh has invited Embassy and Consulate representatives from more than 50 countries for this two-day event to highlight the continuing economic and environmental transformation that led to Pittsburgh’s selection as host of the G-20 Summit 2009, and to be North American Host City for World Environment Day 2010 by the United Nations Environment Programme.

Confirmed countries attending include: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Oman, South Africa and Vietnam. Others are expected to confirm in the near future.

The centerpiece of the GlobalPittsburgh Energy, Life Sciences & Education Showcase is the International Bridge Awards reception in the Heinz Field East Club Lounge on the evening of April 21, which will bring together the area’s leaders in the fields of energy, environmental design & innovation, education, high technology, life sciences and advanced manufacturing to honor corporations, organizations or individuals whose efforts have succeeded in building bridges of understanding and communication between the Pittsburgh Region and other parts of the world.

The International Bridge Awards will take place on the eve of Earth Day 2010, and will help kick off the six-week period of events and celebrations leading up to World Environment Day 2010 on June 5. CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE INVITATION AND RESERVATION FORM.

“We are thrilled to be helping launch this exciting series of events, which further highlight the Greater Pittsburgh Region’s leadership and advancements in energy and the environment, life sciences and education,” said Roger O. Cranville, GlobalPittsburgh Chairman and President. “We know from experience that Pittsburgh’s reputation as an example of successful economic and environmental revitalization is known around the world.”

The inclusion of senior embassy and consulate representatives from these major international players at the International Bridge Awards will allow attendees to make important business and cultural connections that have the potential to lead to valuable partnerships and future economic development opportunities.

Since 1993, the Bridge Awards have been a unique recognition of the region’s global connections and a major networking event. In addition to honoring this year’s winners, this gala event will feature booths and interactive displays highlighting the Region’s leading companies and organizations in the field of energy, environmental and education.

The GlobalPittsburgh Energy, Life Sciences & Education Showcase will include:

• On the afternoon of April 21, visiting dignitaries will receive a presentation about the University of Pittsburgh's energy-related research programs, which cover energy diversification, nuclear power advances, clean coal technologies, renewable energy and environmental solutions. More information about Pitt's energy & environmental initiatives is available at http://www.energy.pitt.edu/ and http://www.mascarocenter.pitt.edu.

• A half-day symposium will be held on the morning of April 22 focusing on the Greater Pittsburgh Region’s energy innovations, both in conventional fossil fuels and new energy fields.

• Opportunities also will be available on the morning of April 21 and the afternoon of April 22 for tours of several individual companies, organizations and facilities that represent the Region’s leadership role in energy, life sciences and education innovation.

Sponsors for the GlobalPittsburgh Energy, Life Sciences & Education Showcase include UPMC, Westinghouse Electric Co., First Niagara Bank, Bombardier, the Government of Canada, Fifth Third Bank and Vivisimo.

As a member of the National Council for International Visitors, GlobalPittsburgh (formerly the Pittsburgh Council for International Visitors) works with the U.S. Department of State and other international organizations to arrange and coordinate visits by foreign individuals and delegations interested in learning more about Pittsburgh’s centers of excellence, including energy, education, technology, health sciences, green design and social services, and in studying the region’s economic and environmental transformation.

For 50 years, GlobalPittsburgh has welcomed volunteers and hosts to act as tour guides, dinner hosts, home stay hosts and drivers for visiting delegations and individuals. For more information about GlobalPittsburgh programs, visit www.GlobalPittsburgh.org, call 412-392-4513 or send email to info@pciv.org.

For more information about the GlobalPittsburgh Energy, Life Sciences & Education Showcase, please contact Thomas Buell, Jr., GlobalPittsburgh VP-Communications, at 412-392-4513 or 412-720-2218 or by email at tcbuell@versopartners.com.


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Pittsburgh Council Recognizes Persian New Year, Designates March 20 as "Nowrūz Celebration Day" in City

Pittsburgh City Council passed a resolution on Tuesday, March 9 recognizing the Persian New Year celebration called Nowrūz, and declaring Saturday, March 20 to be "Nowrūz Celebration Day" in the City of Pittsburgh.

Translated as "New Day," Nowrūz marks the traditional Iranian New year and begins on the Vernal Equinox, celebrating the arrival of spring for 13 days. The holiday is celebrated by more than a million Iranian-Americans in the United States, as well as 300 million Iranians and others around the world.



According to the proposed resolution, "Nowrūz embodies the ideal of compassion for our fellow human beings regardless of ethnicity or religion, and symbolizes a time of renewal and community, " and "contributes to the richness of Pittsburgh culture and serves to remind us of the many noteworthy and lasting contributions of Iranian-Americans to the social and economic fabric of society in the City of Pittsburgh."

Stating that "the vibrant Iranian-American community continues to enrich the tapestry of the diversity of the City of Pittsburgh," the resolution expresses appreciation for "the contributions of Iranian-Americans to the City of Pittsburgh; and wishes the Iranian community of Pittsburgh and all who observe this holiday a prosperous New Year.

Sponsored by council member Patrick Dowd, the resolution was supported by council president Darleen Harris and council members Ricky Burgess, Doug Shields, Theresa Kail-Smith, Bruce Kraus, Natalia Rudiak, Daniel Lavelle and William Peduto.

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PA Overseas Trade Representatives from 14 Countries Visiting Pittsburgh March 17 - One-on-One Meetings Available - Free Admission

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission will host 14 of Pennsylvania's Authorized Overseas Trade Representatives in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, March 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. for half-hour, one-on-one meetings at the Regional Enterprise Tower. Admission is free.

Companies and individuals interested in learning more about doing business abroad are encouraged to arrange meetings to ask questions and present information about their products and services. Meetings are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Countries represented will be: Australia, France, Germany, India, Israel (Middle East Region), Japan, South Korea, The Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

The event is billed as a unique opportunity for exporters to follow up on projects they have been working with, and for "Export Ready" companies to explore new opportunities abroad.

To register, please contact Jackie Pacheco by email at jpacheco@spcregion.org or by phone at 412-391-5590 x332.

The meetings will take place at the Regional Enterprise Tower, 31st floor, 425 Sixth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15219. READ FULL ARTICLE