Lectures & Events
Innovate & Energize: A Student Club Mixer Hosted by the Scott Institute for Energy Innovation
Tuesday, Sept. 8, noon to 1:30 p.m., Bosch Spark Conference Room (Scott Hall 5201)
Join the Scott Institute “Innovate & Energize Student Club Mixer” to meet student organizations working in energy, sustainability, climate and entrepreneurship.
Whether you are searching for a new community, opportunities to collaborate or ways to expand your network, this event is designed to help you connect with fellow students and share your passion for a net zero future.
During the event you will have the opportunity to:
- Meet student clubs from across CMU working on energy, climate and entrepreneurship
- Learn about their mission, projects and upcoming activities
- Explore collaboration opportunities
- Connect with fellow students who share your interests
Finger food & refreshments to be offered.
Space is limited, please RSVP if you plan to attend.
Lunchtime Talk with Stefan Romero
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 12:15 p.m., Posner Grand Room (Posner 340)
Join us for a lunchtime talk with Stefan Romero to hear about his America’s Tapestry Project.
How does a single idea transform into a national embroidery project? Stefan Romero, founder and director of ‘America’s Tapestry,’ discusses the genesis of this once-in-a-generation needlework project commemorating our nation’s 250th anniversary. Learn how Stefan amassed funding, resources, and institutional support to fabricate 13 hand-embroidered panels alongside nearly 2,000 volunteers.
Study Abroad Drop-In Advising
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 10 to 11 a.m., De Fer Coffee Shop in Hunt Library
Do you have questions about study abroad programs? Not sure how to fill out your SATC? Just need a break and want to dream up your next international adventure?
Drop by for informal advising, no appointment needed! Your Study Abroad advisors will be there to chat, answer questions and support you through the process.
4th Annual Safety Awareness Expo
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Rangos 1 & 2, CUC
The CMU community is invited to join Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), along with campus and external partners, for the 4th Annual National Preparedness and Safety Awareness Expo!
The Expo will feature:
- Free food
- Games
- Raffles
- Giveaways
- Interactive fire safety demonstrations
- STOP THE BLEED®
- Many more campus health and safety resources
- CMU safety products vendors
The purpose of the Expo is to remind our CMU community of the critical role we all play in helping to keep CMU safe. All members of the campus community are invited to attend.
Hands-On: Pizza & Pennant Making
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 4 to 6 p.m., IDeATe Studio A, Hunt Library
Get creative (and fed!) at our Pizza & Pennant Making workshop!
Create your own personalized CMU pennant while enjoying delicious pizza and drinks. Vintage pennants from University Archives will be on display for inspiration.
Narcan Time Machine
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry
Narcan Time Machine has a run time of 60 minutes and will be followed by a 30-minute talkback with creator/performer John Michael and a representative from Prevention Point Pittsburgh, moderated by a CMU Peer Health Advocate.
John Michael is caught between timelines. While scrolling through old texts, he ricochets through childhood soulmates and queer awakenings as he tries to reconcile the grief of losing two friends to fentanyl poisoning. But this isn’t another tragic tale. This trauma‑clown odyssey takes audiences on a wild ride where grief and absurdity collide so hard they spark cathartic laughter. Narcan Time Machine pushes theatre to its limits: part sci‑fi scramble, part slapstick meltdown, part communal intervention. With audience participation and a live Narcan demonstration, the show confronts the opioid crisis with empathy, urgency, and a wild sense of hope — distributing more than 4,250 life‑saving kits to date.
Crafternoons
Thursday, Sept. 10, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Well-Being Lab (Room 104), Highmark Center
Join us for a monthly Crafternoon! Gather to create delightful creations. Crafts/kits will be provided. All are welcome!
REWIND with Champion®
Thursday, Sept. 10, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Merson Courtyard
The University Store is bringing back a limited run of highly requested Carnegie Mellon archive designs!
🚨 FREE gift with any Champion® purchase*
🚨Custom Crop Top Bar
🚨Spin the Wheel for giveaways
🚨First access to the archive collection
A special thank you to the CMU Libraries & University Archives for helping us bring these designs back!
⏰ These designs are here for a limited time, so don’t miss the rewind!
*While supplies last
Creative Writing Welcome Meeting
Thursday, Sept. 10, 5 p.m., The Glad (Baker 260)
This is open to CW majors, minors, and anyone interested in learning more about the Creative Writing Program.
This is an opportunity for anyone, whether studying in or interested in, our Creative Writing program, to:
- meet like-minded students
- engage with CW professors
- learn about extracurricular opportunities
- be briefed on upcoming events
- sign up to meet with Prof. Shapiro
- relax and socialize
CMU Washington Semester Program Info Session
Thursday, Sept. 10, 5 to 6 p.m., Online
Want to learn more about spending a semester in Washington, D.C.?
Join us for a virtual information session about the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program (CMU/WSP). CMU/WSP, sponsored by the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology (CMIST), is a semester-long program in which students live, intern and take CMU classes in Washington, D.C. Full-time undergraduates from any course of study at the university may participate in the program.
Moments of Remembrance
Friday, Sept. 11, 8:46 to 10:03 a.m., 9/11 Memorial Tree, The Cut
Join us as we commemorate the 25th anniversary of the tragic events of September 11 with a lone bagpiper playing at the 9/11 Memorial Tree on the Cut.
The piper will play at the moments of impact — 8:46 a.m., 9:03 a.m., 9:37 a.m., and 10:03 a.m. — marking the times when the four hijacked airliners crashed into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville, Pa.
The Memorial Tree was planted in memory of the seven alumni who perished that day.
FrIDeATe
Friday, Sept. 11, 5 to 6 pm., IDeATe Commons (Hunt Library A1)
Hello IDeATors or those interested in IDeATe!
FrIDeATes are a casual gathering of students, faculty and staff in the IDeATe Commons (HL A1). Come meet other students, chat with faculty & staff, eat yummy food, learn something new about the program or just hang out.
FrIDeATe events are free and open to all students — please feel free to join us.
We will gather on the following Fridays in AY25-26:
- Sept 11
- Oct 23
- Nov 13
- Jan 29
- Feb 19
- Mar 26
- May 7
IDeATe Creative Conversations
Monday, Sept. 14, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., IDeATe Studio A, Hunt Library
Tools, Intentions, and what comes next — A start-of-semester conversation about making work with purpose with generative designer and creative technologist Patrik Hübner.
At the start of a new semester, when so many tools, methods, and possibilities are available, the hardest question is often where to begin. This conversation invites students to pause, look at their own interests and projects, and share what kind of creative intention they want to bring into the work ahead. Hübner will respond through the lens of his own practice and experience in generative design and creative technology, offering ideas, references, strategies, and honest reflections on how to use tools with more curiosity, confidence, and purpose.
As a creative technologist and creative director, Patrik Hübner has been working at the intersection of design and technology for over 20 years. With a rich background in communication and brand design, he discovered generative design in 2014 and quickly became one of the few individuals to successfully establish this seamless blend of design, data and storytelling into cohesive visual and narrative branding systems on an international level. Today, he works as a generative designer and consultant with brands, agencies and cultural institutions and helps them craft meaningful and engaging experiences across a multitude of touch points. As a lecturer at universities, he teaches on the topic of generative design, is a regular keynote speaker and gives workshops.
Book Symposium: Noah Theriault
Tuesday, Sept. 15, 12:39 p.m., Posner Grand Room (Posner 340)
Join us as Noah Theriault shares his new book "A Forest of Dreams: Capitalism, Conservation, and Indigenous Rights in the Philippines."
Guest speakers Oona Paredes of UCLA and Sangha Das of Pitt will also share their thoughts on the book.
Food & Refreshments Provided.
All are welcome!
Scotty's Sizzle with CMUPD & Local Law Enforcement
Wednesday, Sept. 16, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Fence by the Flagpole
Stop by for free 100% beef hot dogs while supplies last! Meet members of CMUPD and our local law enforcement partners, and enjoy some time with our campus community.
Hosted by the CMU Police Department
Collester Center for Experiential Learning Opening Celebration
Wednesday, Sept. 16, 1 to 4 p.m., Collester Center for Experiential Learning (Baker 131)
Join the Collester Center in Baker Hall 131 throughout the afternoon to celebrate the opening of the space!
The afternoon will be a relaxed celebration with opportunities to meet the team, connect with Experiential Learning opportunities, indulge in some snacks, as well offer other goodies and giveaways!
No RSVP necessary! Stop by anytime between 1 and 4 p.m., or connect with the Collester Center at collester@cmu.edu.
University Lecture Series with Eli Merritt
Wednesday, Sept. 16, 5 to 6:30 p.m., Simmons Auditorium, Tepper Building
"The Pursuit of Happiness: Happiness as a Social, Political and Personal Force"
We live in a quick-fix consumer society saturated with happiness hacks that offer only temporary relief rather than lasting fulfillment. In this fascinating talk, Professor Eli Merritt of Vanderbilt University, a psychiatrist, historian and popular political commentator, argues for a new model of happiness grounded in a neglected but essential dimension of human flourishing: political happiness. America in the 2020s is ripe for this new enlightenment — one that will not only increase the personal happiness of citizens but also rekindle the civic spirit necessary for renewing and sustaining our constitutional republic.
Constitution Day Symposium
Thursday, Sept. 17, 9 a.m. to 6:45 p.m., Simmons Auditorium, Tepper Building
Join leading scholars in law and the humanities for a Constitution Day symposium exploring the enduring significance of the United States Constitution at a pivotal moment in American democracy.
Bringing together scholars, students, legal professionals and members of the broader community, this Constitution Day symposium explores the Constitution through the lenses of law, history, literature, philosophy and political thought, examining its origins, interpretation and enduring significance in American public life.
Through interdisciplinary conversations, rare archival materials and artistic performances, the symposium offers an opportunity to reflect on one of the nation’s defining documents and its continuing influence on contemporary civic life.
The program includes:
- A keynote address by constitutional scholar Sanford Levinson.
- Panel discussions exploring the Constitution’s humanistic foundations and its influence on literature, law and public life.
- A special presentation and reception at the Posner Center for Special Collections featuring one of the few surviving copies of the 1792 first official printing of the United States Bill of Rights.
- A closing performance featuring theatre, poetry and music reflecting on the Constitution and its continuing significance.
For the full program and speaker lineup, visit the Constitution Day Symposium website.
Register for the Constitution Day Symposium by Sept. 10
This event is co-hosted by the Humanities Center and the Law & Humanities Institute.
Constitution Day 2026: Connect Through Community
Thursday, Sept. 17, 2 to 4 p.m., Sustainability Studio, Hunt Library
Celebrate Constitution Day with a creative and civic twist!
Join Carnegie Mellon University Libraries and the Office of Community Engagement and Leadership Development for a drop-in afternoon of hands-on activities celebrating civic engagement and the enduring importance of the U.S. Constitution. Create your own pocket-sized Constitution, design a postcard encouraging civic participation, contribute to a community puzzle, and explore opportunities to get involved in your community.
CMU representatives and affiliates will be available to answer questions about voter registration and civic participation, while supplies, snacks, and refreshments will be provided throughout the event.
Whether you stay for a few minutes or the full afternoon, Constitution Day is an opportunity to connect with fellow students, reflect on the role of civic engagement, and commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787.
This annual Constitution Day program fulfills the federal requirement for educational programming at institutions receiving federal funding. Carnegie Mellon University Libraries has celebrated Constitution Day since 2005 through programs exploring democracy, voting rights, constitutional history, and civic participation.
The U.S. Constitution as Object: Material & Book History
Thursday, Sept. 17, 4:45 to 5:45, Posner Center for Special Collections
Participants will have the rare opportunity to view the Posner Center’s copy of the United States Bill of Rights—one of only five known surviving copies of the first official printing issued in 1792.
Hosted in the Posner Center for Special Collections, this session will explore the Bill of Rights not only as a foundational constitutional text, but also as a remarkably fragile material artifact of American history.
Beeler Street Meet & Greet
Thursday, Sept. 17, 5 to 7 p.m., Beeler Street & Forbes Ave
Come out for food, music and a chance to meet your neighbors!
Being a good neighbor starts with the little things introducing yourself, respecting those around you, lending a hand, and looking out for one another.
Hosted by the CMU Police Department
CMU Night at PNC Park
Saturday, Sept. 19, 6:40 p.m., PNC Park, 115 Federal Street
Join your fellow Tartans in cheering on the Pittsburgh Pirates vs. the Kansas City Royals!
All CMU students, staff, faculty, alumni, friends and families are welcome.
Tickets include a co-branded Pirates x CMU long-sleeve shirt and $10 in loaded value to use for concessions or merchandise at the game.
Fans also have the option to add a pregame happy hour in the Left Field Lounge, which begins once gates open and runs until the top of the third inning, where you can mingle with fellow alumni, students and fans. Space is limited.
Community Impact Open House
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 5 to 6 p.m., Posner Grand Room (Posner 340)
Explore ways to participate in our collaborations within the Pittsburgh community!
Discover the initiatives undertaken by the Humanities Center, Prison Education Project, LEAP, Arts Green House, Humanities Scholars Program, and Collester Family Community Engagement Fellowship Program, among others.
Recurring Events
Soft Tech Quilting Bee
Wednesdays, 5 to 7 p.m., IDeATe Studio A (Room 106B), Hunt Library
Soft Tech Quilting Bee is a casual weekly gathering. All skill levels are welcome. Not necessary to come each week; come as often or as little as you like.
You have options for how to participate: We have a communal quilt project going that all are welcome to join, you can bring your own quilting/piecing project to work on, or come to hang out. When we finish our communal quilt, let’s raffle it off to raise money for a cause that we want to support.
You are welcome to also invite your friends who may be interested in Soft Technologies or quilting.
Paws to Relax: Pet Therapy Program
Wednesdays, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Well-Being Lab (Room 104), Highmark Center
Your weekly opportunity to pause, pet some dogs, and recharge! Friendly therapy dogs and volunteers from Animal Friends’ Therapets program will join us every Wednesday from 6:30–7:30 p.m. in the Well-Being Lab. All are welcome. Drop in any time.
Heartfulness Sunday Meditation: Guided Meditation Masterclass
Sundays, 9 to 11 a.m., Well-Being Lab (Room 104), Highmark Center
Gather every Sunday (meditation begins at 9:15 a.m.) for a practical session on Heartfulness Meditation with Yogic Transmission. Experience simple yet effective guided relaxation and meditation techniques. Reduce stress, calm your mind and improve the quality of life. Free and open to all!