PROGRESS’ efforts target women and girls (ages 8-13). The program encourages girls and young women to use their voices to advocate and speak up on behalf of themselves. PROGRESS is housed in the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy and is based on the research of Linda Babcock, a CMU professor and head of the Department of Social and Decision Sciences.
Recruitment and Retention Programs
Recruiting and retaining quality students, faculty and staff from a variety of cultural, socioeconomic and world perspectives transforms our way of finding solutions to the world's toughest challenges — and allows us to do it better than anyone else. There are many programs at CMU designed to recruit and retain world-class talent from all backgrounds.
Undergraduates
- Academic Development - The center offers a variety of academic support services to assist students in developing the skills, strategies and behaviors needed to perform as confident, independent and active learners.
- Building Our Network of Diversity (BOND) - BOND is a group of faculty and administrators supporting the Undergraduate Admission office in recruitment of underrepresented students.
- Celebration of Diversity Weekends - Celebration of Diversity Weekends are an opportunity for high school students to experience the diverse community, academic, extracurricular and cultural facets of both the campus and Pittsburgh.
- Diversity and Inclusion Network - The Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion convenes interested faculty, staff and students on a monthly basis to share experiences, bring up concerns and collaborate on new ideas to support diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Emerging Leaders Retreat - Emerging Leaders is a spring semester program for first-year students focusing on self-exploration and discovery of personal values and goals.
- Go Research - This Undergraduate Summer Research Program provides support for housing and builds community with visiting summer students.
- First Together @CMU - First Together establishes collaborative partnerships to develop programming aimed to meet the specific needs of first-generation students on campus.
- Latinx Alliance Network - The Latinx Alliance Network is a group of CMU faculty, staff and student organizations who strive to enhance the quality of life of students and create awareness of Latinx cultures on campus.
- ORIGINS - ORIGINS is an off-campus preorientation program for ethnic minority students designed to help with the transition from high school to college and the development of peer networks and communities based on shared interests, academic goals and cultural backgrounds.
- (re)CHARGE - (re)CHARGE is a summer academic restart program for supporting at-risk rising sophomores and juniors.
- Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Software Engineering (REUSE) - REUSE is a summer program that pairs undergraduate students to work with some of the world's leading Software Engineering faculty researchers.
- SPIRIT - Named the first Black student organization at CMU, SPIRIT acts a liaison between its members and the university via cultural programs and the championing of Black awareness.
- Summer Undergraduates Research Fellowships (SURF) - SURF recruits students to participate in undergraduate summer research programs engineering, computer science, sciences, statistics and architecture across campus.
Graduate Students
- Diversity and Inclusion Network -The Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion convenes interested faculty, staff and students on a monthly basis to share experiences, bring up concerns and collaborate on new ideas to support diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Fellowships - CMU is a member of several consortia which promote diversity through fellowship opportunities. These include the National GEM Consortium (engineering and sciences), Executive Women’s Forum INI Scholarship, Tepper School Forte Scholarship and Tepper School Consortium Fellowship. Additionally, students are provided support to apply for other national fellowships such as the Ford Foundation Fellowships and AAUW Fellowships.
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Fusion Forum - The Fusion Forum is a CMU graduate student recruitment program to introduce faculty and underrepresented prospective graduate students to the departments, programs and graduate school opportunities.
- Graduate Student Assembly (GSA) - The GSA organizes social events and provides funding for graduate organizations and professional development. The group also provides resources for students with families and international students.
- Graduate Student Organizations - There are many graduate student organizations at CMU including: Black Graduate Student Organization, Black Business Association, Latino/a Graduate Student Association, Asian American/Pacific Islander Caucus, Allies Grad, O-STEM, Out and Allied at Tepper, Out and Allied at Heinz, Tepper Women in Business, Minorities and Philosophy, Heinz Graduate Women’s Association and Women in INI.
- Graduate Student Recruitment Initiative - CMU recruits at historially underrepresented-serving institutions, majority schools and at national conferences such as the Emerging Researchers National Conference, Society of Women Engineers, National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students, National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science. CMU also participates at annual conferences, such as: National Black MBA Association, National Society of Hispanic MBAs, Riordan Diversity MBA Admissions Conference, Reaching Out Conference (LGBTQ MBA), National Association of Women MBAs, Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting and the Diversity MBA Conference.
- Graduate Student Recruitment Partnerships - CMU is a member of the Project 1000 consortium, Forte Foundation, Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, and Public Policy and International Affairs Junior Summer Institute.
- Graduate Women's Gatherings - CMU provides networking and professional development opportunities for graduate women directed by the Graduate Education Office.
- I'm First Initiatives - These initiatives establish collaborative partnerships to develop programming aimed to meet the specific needs of First Generation students on campus.
- Latinx Alliance Network - The Latinx Alliance Network is a group of CMU faculty, staff and student organizations that strive to enhance the quality of life of students and create awareness of Latinx cultures on campus.
- Students of Color Series - This series provides networking and professional development for students of color at CMU. Activities include the Ph.D. SOC monthly luncheons and the SOC Inter-university Dinners co-hosted with the University of Pittsburgh.
- UDream - The Urban Design Regional Employment Action for Minorities initiative is an 18-week intensive program offered in the summer and fall at CMU. It provides minority graduates from around the country a hands-on approach to urban design with a goal of keeping them in Pittsburgh to improve upon local communities.
Faculty, Staff, Alumni
- Alumni Professional Networks - Carnegie Mellon Black Alumni Association and many other organizations sponsor a variety of activities aimed at professional mentoring.
- Building Our Network of Diversity (BOND) - BOND is a group of faculty and administrators supporting the Undergraduate Admission office in recruitment of underrepresented students.
- Center for Faculty Success (CFS) - CFS supports all faculty, starting from their recruitment and throughout their career at CMU.
- CMBAA - The Black Alumni Association of CMU is a network of alumni who facilitate mentorships to students, highlight achievements of students and alumni and assist the university in its efforts to grow and support a diverse community.
- Diversity and Inclusion Roundtable - Each semester, CMU hosts diversity roundtables for students, faculty and staff to bring up concerns, share experiences and explore new ideas.
- Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) - Through partnership with colleges in Ohio, West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania, HERC is a cooperative job posting service that helps dual-career couples find positions in academia.
- Inclusivity Training - CMU offers inclusivity training through the Bias Busters program for faculty, advisors, administrators, undergraduate and graduate students; the Interactive Theater on global diversity, inclusion and cross-cultural awareness; and other programs.
- Professional Development - Human Resources, the Alumni Association and the Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC) offer professional development webinars, job opportunities, career advice, job prep skills, management training and much more.
- Recruiting and Staffing Services - Human Resources can assist faculty and staff members to develop recruiting plans for a diverse pool of candidates from start to finish.
- Textio - Textio is a platform used to help recruiters recruit better qualified, more diverse talent. Contact Human Resources for more information.
- Vice Provost for Faculty (VPF) - The VPF helps to develop practices and policies that attract and retain diverse, world-class scholars in all of CMU's fields and disciplines.
K-12 Programs
Girls of Steel Robotics
A FIRST robots team based at CMU, Girls of Steel is designed to empower young women in middle school and high school by developing skills in STEM, and specifically, building robots for competitions around the country.
Leonard Gelfand Center for Service Learning and Outreach
The Leonard Gelfand Center works with faculty, students and staff through on-campus and community-based activities that improve educational opportunities for minority and low-income youth in Pittsburgh schools and communities, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.
SAMS
The Summer Academy for Mathematics and Science (SAMS) is a six-week residential summer program for high school seniors with a STEM focus through coursework, projects and general college preparation. The program aims to serve populations underrepresented in STEM including African Americans, Hispanic/Latino and Native American students as well as those from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds or who would be first in their families to attend college.
Celebration of Diversity Weekends
Every semester, the Office of Admission teams prospective students with a current student (overnight ambassador) for a weekend of touring, dining and fun. This time allows potential students to experience the diverse community, academics and extracurricular and cultural facets on campus and around the Pittsburgh community.

Vice Provost for Faculty
The Vice Provost for Faculty, Jeanne M. VanBriesen, and her office advise leadership on the best way to enhance standards for diverse and inclusive recruiting practices, including mandatory training in implicit bias for search committees and how to retain diverse personnel at all levels. The office is also home to a wealth of resources for faculty:
- Faculty development programs
- National collaborations for scholarly advancement
- Recruitment initiatives
- Engagement opportunities and more
