A few years ago, I made this entry on my Facebook page:
Just got word that a magazine photo shoot went well. Might not seem like a big deal, but the subject and the photographer are based 6,000 miles away in Kobe, Japan. Everything from conducting an interview to finding a photographer was done via the Internet. The world is shrinking at a faster clip than George Costanza when he took a swim in that classic Seinfeld episode.
I thought of that Kobe, Japan assignment once again when I recently received an email from the university’s Office of Institutional Research and Analysis. It contained the most recent data about the university’s alumni and incoming students.
Carnegie Mellon has nearly 74,000 alumni living in all 50 states. Pennsylvania has the most alumni (18,188), the fewest live in North Dakota (22), and some lucky ones live in Hawaii (198). But the university’s alumni aren’t limited to living in just the United States. Nearly another 10,000 have taken up residence in every continent except Antarctica, in countries such as Australia (129), China (784), India (1,522), Israel (81), Qatar (173), France (99), Nigeria (12), Brazil (65), Mexico (192), and Canada (441), just to name a few.
As for the 2012 freshman class, students on the Pittsburgh campus hail from 44 states (all but Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming). And 218 of the 1,408 students have made the journey here from 24 countries outside the United States. Meanwhile, the university’s other undergraduate campus, in Qatar, has a freshman class that totals 97 students, whose homes are in 20 countries; seven are from the United States.
Clearly, the Carnegie Mellon community knows no geographic boundaries. A big part of the reason is the university’s president, Jared L. Cohon. When the Board of Trustees first hired him in 1997, the university didn’t necessarily have a global or even regional presence, at least not for his mother-in-law, who lived in Cleveland. When he called her to share the good news of his new position, she replied by saying: “That’s wonderful, Jared. What is Carnegie Mellon, and where is it?”
Today, the “it” his mother-in-law referred to is everywhere—in terms of alumni, in terms of students, and in terms of impact. President Cohon is stepping down on June 30, and this issue’s cover story takes a look at his journey and the journey of the university during the past 16 years. But that’s not all. Make sure to take a look at this issue’s supplement, too. “Your Passion Has Fueled Our Future” is packed with more than a dozen reflections on the Cohon presidency, including several offered by high-ranking officials who span the globe.
If I had to pick one statement in the supplement that I think speaks for all of us worldwide, it would be the closing comment from James Rohr (Life Trustee), who is chairman and CEO of the PNC Financial Services Group:
“Jerry is truly one of my favorite people.”
—Robert Mendelson
Executive Editor
Follow on Twitter @RobertMendelson
PS: Please share any personal recollections you have of President Cohon.
Submit online: cmu.edu/timeline
or: Robert Mendelson, Carnegie Mellon Today, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pgh. PA 15213
