Pillar: Academic Excellence
The Pioneers of Progress Start Here
Across an enviable spectrum of core academic strengths, from musical theater to artificial intelligence, from engineering to design to digital-age ethics, CMU brings together the best minds, pushing one another to dive deeper. United by curiosity and passion, we are problem solvers driven to explore the questions that lead to change. We push boundaries, ignore conventions and find new paths to lead in many fields and disciplines. And we educate and inspire the next generation to dive even deeper.
Thought-starters
- Where are you the best (academic areas you own/lead)?
- Where are you striving to lead academically?
- Where are your academic leaders pushing the envelope and doing new and interesting things?
- Who in your field or area is on the cutting edge? What have they done?
Examples in Action
Women in Cybersecurity Media Push
Cybercrime permeates every facet of our society, making cybersecurity an issue of crucial importance. As hacks and data breaches continue to make headlines, an elite group of security and privacy experts are reshaping the fields. In a collaborative effort with CyLab, SEI/CERT, the School of Computer Science and College of Engineering, News & Media Relations told the stories of eight “Cybersecurity Stars” in a media push that incorporated revealing personal profiles and engaging videos. The communications effort highlighted the trailblazing research conducted by CMU women in a field dominated by men.
Thought-Starters & Proof Point Examples
Where are you the best (academic areas you own/lead)?
Carnegie Mellon University is the birthplace of cybersecurity and these women are the best in the field. Not just the best women, but the best.
Where are you striving to lead academically?
Since the launch of one of the nation's first security degrees in 2003, CMU has taken the lead in educating and developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals (via master's degree programs).
Where are your academic leaders pushing the envelope and doing new and interesting things?
When Dena Haritos Tsamitis took the reins of CMU's Information Networking Institute, the educational arm of cybersecurity, she grew the student population of women from 6 percent in 2002 to 42 percent in 2018, and increased the female faculty representation to 50 percent.
Who in your field or area is on the cutting edge? What have they done?
Beyond growing the education of female cybersecurity professionals, Bobbie Stempfley, director of CMU's Software Engineering Institute CERT Division (a leader in cybersecurity) partners with government, industry, law enforcement and academia to improve the security and resilience of computer systems and networks.
Learn more about CMU Women in Cybersecurity
- CMU News - Cybersecurity Stars
Undergrad AI Degree Announcement
There was nothing artificial about the press release that announced the nation’s first bachelor’s degree in artificial intelligence to be offered by CMU’s School of Computer Science. Crafted by Media Relations in SCS Marketing and Communications in the fall of 2018, the story was picked up by everyone from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Geekwire to Forbes and Inc. And the buzz from the announcement served to further solidify CMU’s reputation for being ahead of the curve in AI.
Where are you the best (academic areas you own/lead)?
Carnegie Mellon has long shaped the discipline of computer science, establishing the pioneering Computer Science Department in 1965 and founding the nation’s first computer science college more than 30 years ago. It is consistently ranked number one by U.S. News & World Report, and recently added the number one ranking in artificial intelligence (AI). In 2018, SCS introduced the first undergraduate major in AI. From the beginnings of computer science more than six decades ago, Carnegie Mellon has been known for defining the broadest possible view of the field with a focus on the greatest impact.
Where are you striving to lead academically?
CMU AI unites our interdisciplinary artificial intelligence research and education efforts to create an AI strategy for the planet. To pioneer ways to make AI safe. To create the human-centered operating system of autonomy. It establishes the critical mass of brilliant human minds, state-of-the-art research facilities and financial resources necessary to create technologies that will change the world for the better.
Where are your academic leaders pushing the envelope and doing new and interesting things?
Developed in late 1955 by Newell and Simon, The Logic Theorist by many is considered the first artificial intelligence program. The program, representing each problem as a tree model, would attempt to solve it by selecting the branch that would most likely result in the correct conclusion.
Who in your field or area is on the cutting edge? What have they done?
Martial Hebert, a leading researcher in computer vision and robotics, dean of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science (SCS). Rayid Ghani, faculty, a pioneer in using data science and artificial intelligence to solve major social and policy challenges, former chief scientist for Barack Obama's 2012 campaign.
Learn more about the Undergrad AI Degree Announcement
- School of Computer Science - B.S. in Artificial Intelligence
Askwith Kenner Global Languages News Story
The Askwith Kenner Global Languages and Cultures Room in the Tepper Building invites students and members of the community to immerse themselves in the languages and cultures of faraway places — without ever leaving the CMU campus. This classroom technology prompted the news story about Dietrich College, Department of Modern Languages’ cutting-edge learning experience. This story describes how students are treated to high-quality, engaging content that includes rich media, augmented reality games and interactive documentaries. These experiences will change over time, to continually offer new worlds to explore.
Thought-Starters & Proof Point Examples
Where are you the best (academic areas you own/lead)?
The Department of Modern Languages provides enriched learning experiences in technology-enhanced research and teaching.
Where are you striving to lead academically?
Our department features some of the most skilled teaching faculty on campus. Much of our research is aimed at the acquisition of additional languages and enhanced learning through technology and through literary and cultural studies.
Where are your academic leaders pushing the envelope and doing new and interesting things?
CMU Modern Languages has created an interactive classroom that may change the way languages are taught. The new space works to eliminate financial and travel barriers to provide an immersive experience through the use of new technology.
Who in your field or area is on the cutting edge? What have they done?
Bonnie Youngs, teaching professor of French in the Department of Modern Languages is the recipient of the 2019 Barbara Lazarus Award for Graduate Student and Junior Faculty Mentoring.