Pillar: Partnerships in Action
Arm-in-Arm with Leaders
You won't find us in an ivory tower — our students, alumni, faculty and staff are in the trenches doing the work that matters, arm-in-arm with partners who are driving change across society. Whether it's from Silicon Valley or Broadway, Wall Street, Washington, D.C., or Pittsburgh, innovators and disrupters come to work with CMU, because we get things done. We are the R&D&D — for deployment — department of the world. And our deep engagement with the leaders in so many fields puts CMU in the driver's seat as the engine for a new economy.
Thought-starters
- Where has the university made a real-world difference recently?
- Who are some partners you work with and what challenges are you collaborating on now?
- How does your process differ from other universities and how does that difference benefit efforts to solve complex challenges?
- What are some of the more unique or unusual partnerships you've been a part of or witnessed that led to amazing results?
Examples in Action
Tony Awards Programming
Carnegie Mellon University is the exclusive higher education partner of the Tony Awards®. As part of this collaboration, the two organizations support the Excellence in Theatre Education Award, the first national program to honor K-12 theatre educators. So, when the spotlight is on the Tonys, the spotlight is also on the compelling supportive role that CMU plays in the theatre world.
Thought-Starters & Proof Point Examples
Where has the university made a real-world difference recently?
Through CMU's Tony Awards partnership, the Excellence in Theatre Education Award was created to recognize K-12 theatre educators who embody the highest standards of the profession and demonstrate a positive impact on the lives of students.
Who are some partners you work with and what challenges are you collaborating on now?
CMU is working with the Tonys to bring recognition to theater programs across the country. CMU has the oldest drama program in the nation and we wanted to find a way to bring visibility to our award-winning arts programs.
How does your process differ from other universities and how does that difference benefit efforts to solve complex challenges?
CMU is working with professional partners to bring real-world impact beyond research and academia. The Tonys partnership is the first-of-its kind and engages the arts audience in an unconventional way.
What are some of the more unique or unusual partnerships you've been a part of or witnessed that led to amazing results?
By partnering with the Tony Awards, CMU highlighted the amazing arts programs available through the College of Fine Arts to a national audience.
Learn more about the Tonys
ARM / Hazelwood Green Event and Communications
In November of 2017, CMU and the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) broke ground on a new hub for manufacturing technology on the iconic Hazelwood Green site. A special event was choreographed to usher in a new age of manufacturing. Media Relations teased the story to media partners. University Communications & Marketing along with University Events designed an invitation sequence, event experience and a sizzle video to build momentum for the speakers. And as more than 250 dignitaries from business, government and CMU came together at Mill 19 to celebrate “The Future of Manufacturing,” the future never looked brighter.
Thought-Starters & Proof Point Examples
Where has the university made a real-world difference recently?
Carnegie Mellon University was an integral part of bringing the development of this new manufacturing facility to life. CMU will lease two-thirds of the space to house two major advanced manufacturing initiatives — Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute and the Manufacturing Futures Initiative (MFI).
Who are some partners you work with and what challenges are you collaborating on now?
CMU is working closely with the Regional Industrial Development Corporation to create a new manufacturing facility, focused on research and robotics. This initiative will help bring robotics into commercial use and provide American workers with the training they need.
How does your process differ from other universities and how does that difference benefit efforts to solve complex challenges?
CMU is at the forefront of advanced robotics manufacturing. We have the expertise and connections to work beyond our academic walls.
What are some of the more unique or unusual partnerships you've been a part of or witnessed that led to amazing results?
By partnering with local corporations we are able to be more integrated with the Pittsburgh community, therefore creating more of an impact on the region and getting our research out into the workforce.
Learn more about Hazelwood Green
Argo AI Media Relations
When Pittsburgh-based artificial intelligence and autonomous tech company Argo AI invested $15 million for a Robocar Research Center with CMU, it was big news for the university, the region and the self-driving industry. Media Relations was in charge of getting the story the traction it deserved. CMU’s media experts leveraged their partnership with Forbes to gain national exposure. Heads turned as an Argo self-driving test vehicle drove onto the Mall. And sharable content was captured and displayed on CMU’s website and social channels.
Thought-Starters & Proof Point Examples
Where has the university made a real-world difference recently?
Carnegie Mellon has been developing autonomous driving technology for more than 30 years. The university's expertise and its graduates have attracted a number of self-driving car companies to establish operations in Pittsburgh.
Who are some partners you work with and what challenges are you collaborating on now?
The Carnegie Mellon University Argo AI Center for Autonomous Vehicle Research, which will pursue advanced research projects to help overcome hurdles to enabling self-driving vehicles to operate in a wide variety of real-world conditions, such as winter weather or construction zones.
Where have you made a difference in new or interesting ways?
Argo is enabling the university to do what it does best by providing our students and faculty with access to data, infrastructure and real-world problems on a large scale.
What are some of the more unique or unusual partnerships you've been a part of or witnessed that led to amazing results?
County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said, “[CMU’s] partnerships around AI, robotics, information technology, engineering and the arts is a real benefit to this community, and make Pittsburgh one of the leading regions in the country in innovation and technology.”
Learn more about "Argo AI Media Relations"