Carnegie Mellon University

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.

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Fall 2023

Health in Unhealthy Times

Jason D'Antonio headshot

Jason D’Antonio
Biological Sciences

Julie Downs

Julie Downs
Social and Decision Sciences

Andreea Ritivoi

Andreea Ritivoi
English

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You Make Me Sick: Causes and Consequences of Health Disparities

Chante Cox-Boyd

Chante Cox-Boyd
Psychology

Ezelle Sanford

Ezelle Sanford III
History

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Militarizing Freedom: Arms in American Culture

Timothy Haggerty

Timothy Haggery
History

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Reducing Conflict Around Identity and Positionality

Bonnie Youngs

Bonnie Youngs
Modern Languages

liz-walker-800x800-min.jpeg

Elizabeth Walker
English

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Freedom of Speech & Academic Freedom

Richard Scheines

Richard Scheines
Philosophy

Sharon Carver

Sharon Carver
Psychology

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Spring 2024

Beyond Earth: Reaching into the Cosmos through Science, Science Fiction, and Language

Tom Werner headshot

Tom Werner
Philosophy

Cheng Li

Cheng Li
Modern Languages

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You Make Me Sick: Causes and Consequences of Health Disparities

Chante Cox-Boyd

Chante Cox-Boyd
Psychology

Ezelle Sanford

Ezelle Sanford III
History

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Reducing Conflict Around Identity and Positionality

Bonnie Youngs

Bonnie Youngs
Modern Languages

Elizabeth Walker headshot

Elizabeth Walker
English

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Equitable Access and Success in Higher Education: A Case Study of Carnegie Mellon University

Nuria Ballesteros Soria

Nuria Ballesteros Soria
Applied Linguistics/Modern Languages

Katie Walsh headshot

Katie Walsh
History and Higher Education/Student Success

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The Mirror of Technology: Exploring Biases in Computation and Cognition

Wayne Wu

Wayne Wu
Philosophy

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Realizing Human Rights: The Challenge of Achieving Justice, Equity, and Freedom in a Complex World

Jay Aronson

Jay Aronson
History

Robin Mejia

Robin Mejia
Statistics & Data Science

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In Transit: Exile, Migration, and Culture

Kenya C. Dworkin y Méndez

Kenya C. Dworkin y Méndez
Modern Languages

Stephen Brockmann

Stephen Brockmann
Modern Languages

Reem Alghazzi

Reem Alghazzi
Filmmaking

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Appalachia: Development, Decline, and Identity in American Culture

Timothy Haggery headshot

Timothy Haggery
History

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