Dietrich Student Explores Social Sciences

Brett Nyman, a Pittsburgh native, first came to Carnegie Mellon University as a seven-year-old for a summer tech camp. When it became time to pursue higher education, Nyman knew that Carnegie Mellon was the place for him to explore his academic interests and career-oriented passions.

 “CMU has been with me my whole life. It’s always been a big part of me and my family,” said Nyman. “My older sister majored in neuroscience and graduated from CMU, and my mom — who recently retired — is now taking classes through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. We’re a really big Tartan family.”

A Place to Explore

Nyman, a junior majoring in psychology and minoring in creative writing, was also drawn to the interdisciplinary opportunities unique to the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

“Coming in, I didn’t really know what I wanted to major in,” said Nyman. “I had an interest in psychology, history and English, but I didn’t know what I wanted my career to look like. CMU gave me that flexibility to explore.”

Nyman ultimately chose a major that melded his interest in people and his curiosity about the factors that drive behaviors. His interests coalesced following one of the first classes in the Department of Psychology.

“The first class in psychology that I took at CMU was with Dr. Danny Oppenheimer,” said Nyman. “He’s the person I’ve done my research under since my second semester. He has been a mentor to me.”

Research in Action

Nyman sought out research opportunities with Dr. Oppenheimer, and strengthened his research expertise with his coursework, including Research Methods in Developmental Psychology. During the class, he contributed to an education and developmental research project conducted in collaboration with the CMU Children’s School, a laboratory school housed under the Department of Psychology.

“We worked with the three-, four- and five-year-olds to test our research question,” said Nyman. “Our group wanted to know if weight bias existed in children. It was a great experience, and I learned a lot about how to develop a research question and report in a way that I’ve never done before.” 

Becoming a Mentor

In addition to his research, Nyman conducts tours across campus as a Tartan Ambassador, sharing his knowledge about CMU with prospective students and their families.  He had always wanted to be a guide and help people learn about the CMU community.

“I love being able to help prospective students through their college search process,” said Nyman. “I can give advice that I wish I had gotten when I was applying to college." 

Nyman plans to begin a master’s program in public policy and management at the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy as he finalizes his undergraduate course requirements in fall 2024. Upon reflecting on his time at CMU, Nyman has advice for incoming and first-year students.

“In Dietrich, not having to declare early is such a great thing. I had plenty of time to explore and take different classes,” said Nyman. “Go explore your options and don’t feel like you’re married to any particular major or field. The world is your oyster.”