Grand Challenge Seminars Current Faculty
Current faculty in the Grand Challenge Seminar Program include prize-winning scholars and teachers from across Dietrich College and the CMU community.
A distinct feature of the Grand Challenge Seminar Program is that seminars are proposed by the faculty who deliver the courses. These experts attend to the seminar themes in their own research and bring these findings and ongoing inquiries to the classroom. Students have an opportunity to choose a seminar on a topic that sparks their curiosity. They learn from faculty who are driven, focused and passionate about the course topics. Each seminar includes the application of theoretical research to the real world, inquiry-based learning and collaboration with thinkers from a variety of disciplines.
Fall 2025
Reasoning with Evidence: Using Data to Inform Scientific Discovery and Public Policy

Joel Greenhouse
Statistics & Data Science

Jessica Benner
CMU Libraries
Culture, Sports, and Conflict in/and VR

Korryn Mozisek
English

Sébastien Dubreil
Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics
Becoming Resilient in Challenging Times

Felipe Gómez
Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics

Emma Fries
English
Appalachia: Development, Decline, and Identity in America

Timothy Haggery
History
From Pandemics to Politics: Modeling Complex Social System

Kevin Zollman
Philosophy

John Miller
Social and Decision Sciences
Equity and the Environment: Exploring Global Challenges and Local Solutions

Nuria Ballesteros Soria
Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics

Barbara George
English
Spring 2026
We're Not Beyond Race: Race and Identity in America

Kody Manke-Miller
Psychology

Kevin Jarbo
Social and Decision Sciences
Realizing Human Rights: The Challenge of Achieving Justice, Equity, and Freedom in a Complex World

Jay Aronson
History
AI, Humanity, and the Future of Knowledge and Creativity

Gang Liu
Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics

Raja Sooriamurthi
Information Systems
Sports Betting, Highs and Lows: Your Brain in Stats

Linda Moya
Social and Decision Sciences

Ron Yurko
Statistics & Data Science