Other Opportunities
Get Involved on Campus
Hack-a-Startup
Hack-A-Startup brings together students from across Carnegie Mellon to build teams, develop startup ideas, and pitch innovative ventures. Students do not need an existing startup idea or prior entrepreneurship experience to participate. We especially encourage students from different academic backgrounds to collaborate and bring their unique skills to a team!
Event Dates:
- Oct. 30: Kickoff and networking to meet prospective co-founders
- Oct. 31: Workshops and working with teams on startup ideas
- Nov. 1: Initial pitch competition and finalist selection
- Nov. 1–15: Finalist mentorship and startup development
- Nov. 15: Final pitch competition
ScottyLabs NOVA 2026 Hackathon
Saturday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m.a to 9 p.m., Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship (Tepper Building)
ScottyLabs is excited to host NOVA, CMU's annual AI-focused hackathon! You’ll get access to free API credits for top AI models, have the opportunity to learn new skills, and present working projects by the end of the day.
Whether you're new to hackathons or have participated before, this 6-hour experience is a great opportunity to work in teams of up to 4 and experiment with AI tools and technologies.
Voter Engagement Tabling
Thursdays, Sept. 24 to Oct. 29, 1 to 3 p.m., Wean Commons
Weekly on Thursdays, CMUVotes will be tabling in Wean Commons (right outside of Connan!)
We’ll be set up from 1-3 p.m., and we’ll be offering an opportunity for students to get registered or ask any questions they may have about Democracy Day, the electoral process, their own plan to vote, or anything in between!
Voter Engagement Office Hours
Fridays, Sept. 25 to Oct. 30, 3 to 5 p.m., The NEXUS, CUC
Meet with our Voter Engagement Intern in the NEXUS to update your voter registration, learn more about voter resources, or find ways to get more democratically engaged.
Grieving Together
Mondays, 4 to 5 p.m., CaPS Offices
Grieving Together is a support group where students who are navigating grief and loss can come together while processing their thoughts and feelings in a supportive, healing environment. Join Grieving Together to share, listen, and find comfort in community. A pre-group consultation is required. Contact Angela Terenzio, LCSW, at aterenzi@andrew.cmu.edu
Black Girl Bliss
Mondays, 5 to 6:15 p.m., CaPS Offices
Black Girl Bliss Undergrad Black Women’s Support Group at CaPS. Contact Dr. London at lburress@andrew.cmu.edu to register.
LGBTQIA+ Support Group
Mondays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., CaPS Offices
Weekly CaPS groups are open to all enrolled students. A pre-group consultation is required. For more information contact Jayme Jenkins, Ph.D., or call CMU CaPS at 412-268-2922 to schedule your pre-group consultation.
Understanding Self and Others
Tuesdays, 3:30 to 5 p.m., CaPS Offices
Weekly CaPS therapeutic group for all enrolled students. A pre-group consultation is required. For more information contact Bea Palma, Ph.D., at bpalma@andrew.cmu.edu.
CaPS Global Connections: International Student Support Group
Tuesdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., CaPS Offices
The Global Connections group offers a welcoming and confidential space for students to connect around the shared and unique experiences of studying and living in the US. This group provides an opportunity to explore challenges such as adjusting to the new culture, navigating language or communication differences, managing academic expectations, coping with homesickness, isolation, or visa-related stress, and balancing family and cultural values with life at CMU. Celebrating resilience, growth, and personal milestones will also be an important part of the group, with an emphasis on mutual support, understanding, and community. Our hope is that students will feel less alone and more empowered through shared reflection and connection.
A pre-group consultation is required. Contact Stella Yan for more information.
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.
Finding Connection: A Support Group for Building Friendships in College
Thursdays, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., CaPS Offices
Feeling lonely or disconnected in college can be challenging, especially when it feels difficult to find your place or build meaningful relationships. This support group offers a welcoming space to connect with others who may be experiencing similar struggles, explore feelings of loneliness, and discuss ways to create a greater sense of belonging and connection on campus.
Feel free to email Shavonna Mosley, PsyD, to schedule a 30-minute pre-group meeting to discuss the group and answer questions.
Sista Circle Support Group
Thursdays, 4 to 5:15 p.m., CaPS Offices
Sista Circle Support Group: Graduate Student Focused Support Space. Email Dr. Kym Jordan-Simmons at kyms@andrew.cmu.edu to join.
Humanities Hang
Fridays, 2 to 4 p.m., Voices Lounge (Baker 126D)
Humanities Hangs will be occurring weekly on Fridays from 2 to 4 p.m.! Come work with other humanities students on coursework, improve your study skills, relax with your fellow humanities students, and chat with your Humanities Ambassadors. There will be snacks!
Fall 2027 Micro-Mini Course
AI Fluency Fundamentals, Applications, and Ethics
Units: 1
Meeting Days & Times: Nov. 5, 12 and 19 to from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
This course will go over the basics of how Generative AI works, how and when to use AI appropriately, and how to critically analyze the outputs of these tools. Across three sessions, we will build a working model of what these systems are doing well enough to predict when and how they will fail. Building on that, we will work to create a verification process that can be implemented when using these tools in our everyday lives. Finally, we will develop an informed view of the bias, privacy, and societal consequences that are attached to using these tools.
Students will leave with a written personal AI use framework of their own construction, grounded in the evidence they gathered over the three sessions. This first micro session will not cover prompt engineering and will focus on developing the skills to judge fit of tools and verification of output.