CMIST Highlights Nine New Courses at Politics and Pie Event

Twice a year, the Carnegie Mellon Institute of Technology and Strategy (CMIST) hosts Politics & Pie, an event that brings students, faculty, staff, and advisors together to explore upcoming courses in political science, international relations, emerging technologies, and law. At this informal gathering, students have the opportunity to ask questions and exchange ideas about coursework and professional development opportunities as they plan the next steps of their academic journey at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). 

As pie was served on October 29, CMIST faculty members were available to discuss core courses for CMIST majors, minors, and graduate programs, spring courses that count toward the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences general education requirements, as well as opportunities to foster professional development, including a seniors-only seminar tailored for CMIST students who will graduate in May. This fall’s event also gave CMU undergraduate and graduate students the chance to preview nine new courses in American politics, law, and the ways in which emerging technologies impact national security and global stability. 

Complementing the minor in American politics and law, CMIST Assistant Teaching Professor Connor Halloran Phillips is offering two courses that explore US politics at the national and local levels. One course covers the 21st-century presidency, examining the place of the presidency within the broader political system. The second tackles subnational governance, lifting up the role that states and localities play in policymaking and their often underappreciated impact on central aspects of daily life, including education, public services, land use, infrastructure, and health care. Undergraduate students interested in a career in law could also speak with Ashley London, an incoming CMIST lecturer who is offering an introduction to legal education and the legal profession. 

CMIST is also introducing six courses that equip students to become strategic leaders who analyze and manage the political impact of new technologies. Mieke Eoyang, an incoming CMIST visiting professor and a national security policy expert who served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy, is teaching three courses, including a semester-long course covering the role of Congress in ensuring national security and two mini-courses that address legal and policy frameworks that govern offensive cyber operations, and US-China strategic stability, respectively. In addition, Kelly Voss Coletti, a CMIST lecturer, will offer a new mini-course that explores the rise of transnational criminal networks and their impact on international security. 

Rounding out the new offerings are two courses that focus explicitly on the political and ethical impact of emerging technologies. Students interested in developing practical data skills for applied research and real-world problem-solving using political data will have the opportunity to do so in a new course on applied political data analytics offered by Hannah Bailey, an assistant professor at CMIST. Bailey also offers a course that examines AI applications and their strategic implications. In addition, CMIST Assistant Professor Justin Canfil is teaching a new course on technology ethics that is designed to help students understand how ethical viewpoints intersect with politics in ways that create tradeoffs for individuals as well as societies. All three classes are core courses in both the major in political science, security, and technology and the master’s degree in security, technology, and international relations. 

With a wide variety of courses offered in the upcoming semester, CMIST academic advisors were also present to answer questions and offer guidance on course selections for undergraduate majors and minors, the Master of Information Technology Strategy (MITS), and the Master of Science in Security, Technology, and International Relations (MS STAIR). By participating in this engaging gathering, students gained both a helpful preview of the upcoming semester and a strengthened sense of community with their peers, faculty, and advisors that helps bolster academic and professional opportunities beyond the classroom. 

Students who were unable to attend the event are encouraged to visit our website to view more in-depth course descriptions and faculty videos. Undergraduate students interested in learning more about CMIST course offerings and academic programs should contact Emily Half, CMIST deputy director for academic affairs, and graduate students should contact Mark Gardner, CMIST graduate program advisor.

(Image 1: Students gather for Politics and Pie on October 29, 2025; Image 2: From left, front to back, CMIST faculty members John Chin, Lee Branstetter, and Jon Schmid chat with students; Image 3: Students had the opportunity to preview the courses offered in the upcoming semester; Image 4: Students converse with CMIST faculty members, from left to right, Hannah Bailey, Joshua Schwartz, and Justin Canfil; Image 5: Students talk with each other during the event; CMIST faculty members, from front to back, Connor Phillips and Jonathan Cervas, were available to answer questions about their spring courses in American politics and law)