Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute took center stage Friday night at the Carnegie Science Center's (CSC) 2008 Science Awards event. The Institute received the CSC's prestigious Chairman's Award, which recognizes organizations that bring economic growth to the western Pennsylvania region.

The university's Entertainment Technology Center also was honored for contributions to information technology and Associate Physics Professor Tiziana Di Matteo was recognized as an emerging woman scientist.

Robotics Institute Director Matt Mason accepted the award for the institute. "The Chairman's Award is a wonderful tribute to the faculty, staff, and students of the Robotics Institute. Everybody associated with the Robotics Institute over its 25 year history can take pride in this recognition," he said.

"The Carnegie Science Awards program is truly a showcase of regional science and technology," said Joanna Haas, director of the Science Center. "The people and organizations being honored are making enormous - and astounding - contributions to our region. Some are developing cutting-edge processes and materials to heal wounds and save lives, others are looking at ways to save energy and conserve our planet's resources. Still others are being honored for their contributions to our region as employers, communicators and visionaries."

The Carnegie Science Center Awards program was established in 1997 to recognize and promote outstanding science and technology achievements in western Pennsylvania. To date, the events have celebrated the accomplishments of more than 200 individuals and organizations.

The CSC Award program is sponsored by the Science Center in partnership with Eaton Corp., a diversified industrial manufacturer with sales of $13 billion.

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About Carnegie Mellon: Carnegie Mellon is a private research university with a distinctive mix of programs in engineering, computer science, robotics, business, public policy, fine arts and the humanities. More than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students receive an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation. A small student-to-faculty ratio provides an opportunity for close interaction between students and professors. While technology is pervasive on its 144-acre Pittsburgh campus, Carnegie Mellon is also distinctive among leading research universities for the world-renowned programs in its College of Fine Arts. A global university, Carnegie Mellon has campuses in Silicon Valley, Calif., and Qatar, and programs in Asia, Australia and Europe. For more, see www.cmu.edu.