News and Events
Want to serve your country? Consider diplomacy. April 15, 2019
IPS's Dr. Kiron Skinner wrote an article for the Houston Chronicle detailing the important work that our State Department diplomats do around the world.
CMU Washington Semester Program Celebrates Fifth Anniversary, March 26, 2019
For Carnegie Mellon University students interested in a future in public policy or public service, the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program (CMU/WSP) was built to provide comprehensive exploration directly to students.
Carnegie Mellon University Launches New Undergraduate Degree Program in Economics and Politics, March 6, 2019
Carnegie Mellon University has introduced a new bachelor of science program in economics and politics, launching spring 2019. A joint effort between the Institute for Politics and Strategy and the Undergraduate Economics Program, the degree program involves interdisciplinary study emphasizing a data-driven approach to understanding economic and political decision-making.
'Moral Machine' experiment is no basis for policymaking, March 5, 2019
Dr. Baruch Fischhoff co-wrote a counter-argument to an article published in Nature focused on moral dilemmas faced by autonomous vehicles, stating that the experiment is "not a sound starting place for incorporating public concerns into policymaking."
Anarchy and Authority: International Structure, the Balance of Power, and Hierarchy, February 8, 2019
Dr. Dani Nedal, Postdoctoral Fellow at IPS, co-wrote an article published in the Journal of Global Security Studies.
Institute for Politics and Strategy Graduate Students Explore Career Opportunities in Nation’s Capital, February 8, 2019
Following last year’s trip to Silicon Valley, this year’s cohort of students in the International Relations and Politics Accelerated Master’s Program (IRP/AMP) traveled to Washington, D.C., in December to receive a first-hand glimpse in international relations career pathways.
Trump Defends the International Order, December 11, 2018
Dr. Kiron K. Skinner recently published an article in the Wall Street Journal discussing how the current administration is reasserting the nation-state’s role in a free and open multilateral system.
Evaluating Science Communication, November 26, 2018
Professor Baruch Fischhoff, Interim Director of IPS, wrote an article published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on effectively communicating scientific findings.
Institute for Politics and Strategy Launches New Minor in Cybersecurity and International Conflict, November 9, 2018
Carnegie Mellon University’s Institute for Politics and Strategy (IPS) launched an undergraduate minor in cybersecurity and international conflict in fall 2018. The cybersecurity and international conflict minor tackles the social-scientific dimensions of cybersecurity with a focus on the implications of the cyber age for modern statecraft, warfare, elections (local, state and national), and politics, more generally.
Alexander Hamilton Society debate on Singapore Summit brings more agreement than debate, October 28, 2018
A group of fifteen students gathered in the Simmons Auditorium in the Tepper Quad last Monday for a moderated debate about the Singapore Summit of U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. The audience watched moderator Dan Silverman of the Institute for Politics and Strategy (IPS) prompt his colleague Dani Nedal and visiting professor Aaron Friedberg to share their thoughts on the diplomatic effort.
Does U.S. drone warfare in countries like Pakistan really cause ‘blowback’?, October 26, 2018
Prof. Daniel Silverman published a piece for the Washington Post. In the article, he discusses some of his research about "blowback" caused by U.S. drone warfare in countries like Pakistan.
Seven Dietrich College Seniors Named Andrew Carnegie Society Scholars, October 15, 2018
The Andrew Carnegie Society (ACS) Scholars Class of 2019 has been announced, and seven seniors from the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences have been selected. ACS Scholars are Carnegie Mellon University undergraduate students who combine high academic standards with extracurricular activities, such as volunteering, playing sports, taking on leadership roles and participating in student organizations and the arts.
Former Congressmen come to CIRP's Policy forum to talk bipartisanship in the modern era, September 30, 2018
The former congressmen gave a lecture titled “Closing our Political Divide: A Bipartisan Approach to Legislation” on Sept. 27 and sat down for an interview with The Tartan. In the interview, they discussed the value of bipartisanship in politics, the importance of public service and voting, their opinions on the president’s conduct, and their take on the single headline that has dominated political news for days — the hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Reagan rides again in new bid to put his conservative stamp on policy, September 12, 2018
Dr. Kiron Skinner was recently featured in a Washington Examiner article regarding her role as Director of Policy Planning and Senior Policy Adviser in the State Department.
In Key Post at State, Kiron Skinner Will Advance Trump Security Strategy, August 30, 2018
Prof. Kiron Skinner was featured in an article on The Daily Signal. She was sworn in Director of Policy Planning and Senior Policy Adviser in the State Department on Tuesday, September 4, 2018 by Secretary Pompeo.
State Department Selects Skinner as Senior Policy Adviser, August 30, 2018
Kiron Skinner, the Taube Professor of International Relations and Politics at Carnegie Mellon University, has been named senior policy adviser to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Skinner also will serve as director of policy planning, one of the State Department’s most influential positions. Skinner is the founding director of Carnegie Mellon’s Institute for Politics and Strategy (IPS). The center for research, undergraduate and graduate education focuses on university-wide initiatives in the fields of political science, international relations, national security policy and grand strategy.
Meet the Newest Dietrich College Faculty Members, August 29, 2018
Each new academic year brings new faces. This fall, almost 30 new faculty members are joining Carnegie Mellon University’s Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, bringing expertise in the fields of creative writing, cognitive science, behavioral economics and more.
Baruch Fischhoff named 2018 Ryan Award Recipient
IPS Professor Baruch Fischhoff has been awarded the William H. and Frances S. Ryan Award for Meritorious Teaching.
Time-Sharing Experiments for the Social Sciences, August 21, 2018
Dan Silverman has been awarded a grant from Time-Sharing Experiments for the Social Sciences (TESS), an NSF-funded initative which conducts high-quality nationally representative survey experiments in the U.S. for free for selected proposals. His project is called “Can Factual Misperceptions be Corrected? An Experiment on American Public Fears of Terrorism.” The project looks at the American public’s inflated fear of terrorism relative to other types of risks we face, and examines whether this fear can be mitigated by presenting people with accurate information about the threat. With trillions of dollars spent on the "War on Terror" since 9/11, this question is not just theoretically but practically important.
FPRI Names Seven New Fellows and Expands Its Board of Advisors, June 7, 12018
Dr. Colin Clarke was appointed as a Senior Fellow in the National Security Program for the FPRI.
Nine Juniors Named Dietrich College Honors Fellows, May 17, 2018
Nine distinguished Carnegie Mellon University juniors will spend the summer working on research and creative projects that span across the college’s various disciplines, including psychology, international relations, creative writing and more. The students’ work is funded through the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences Honors Fellowship, an extension of the college’s Senior Honors Program, and gives the fellows a head start on their thesis development.
Baruch Fischhoff Named 2018 Andrew Carnegie Fellow, April 25, 2018
IPS Executive Committee and Core Faculty member, Baruch Fischhoff, was named the 2018 Andrew Carnegie Fellow. Professor Fischhoff will use the award from the Carnegie Corporation of New York Andrew Carnegie Fellowship to write a book called "Decisions."
Newt Gingrich visits campus to talk to researchers, April 1, 2018
Newt Gingrich, Fox News contributor and former Speaker of the House, made a little-publicized visit to Carnegie Mellon University this week. He was invited by Director Kiron Skinner, the director of the Washington Semester Program, the Institute for Politics and Strategy, and the Institute for Strategic Analysis at Carnegie Mellon. Director Skinner worked with Gingrich on his 2012 presidential campaign and, in Dec. 2017, began working as a foreign policy contributor for Fox News.
CMU Students Place as Finalists at D3P Information Operations Technical and Policy Hackathon hosted by Harvard Kennedy School, March 29, 2018
Carnegie Mellon students Kellen Carleton and Arya Hezarkhani placed third in the policy category and concept category of the Defending Digital Democracy Project (D3P) Hackathon hosted by Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Following submission reviews, Carleton and Hezarkhani were selected to attend the conference as finalists in Cambridge, Massachusetts on March 29, 2018. They won $1000 in prizes for each category they placed in.
Newt Gingrich: The future is amazing -- Here's an incredible glimpse of what awaits us, March 25, 2018
Dr. Kiron Skinner hosted former Speaker of the US House of Representatives and Republican Congressman Newt Gingrich at CMU on March 21, 2017. He was briefed by a lineup of ditinguished faculty on artificial intelligence and reflected in his article, "...in Pittsburgh, I saw another powerful glimmering of technologies that will change our world." Read more about his insights on artificial intelligence and how they will shape the future of American society in the article linked above.
Short Feature with Volleyball Senior Eliza Donohue, March 23, 2018
Senior Eliza Donohue, a policy and management and social and political history double major from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, answers a few questions about student life at Carnegie Mellon, talks about her internships, what she's excited for during spring semester, how she decided on her major, and what she's enjoyed about Pittsburgh.
CMU Surpasses MIT to Secure Rank as #1 University for Artificial Intelligence, March 2018
In a recent study from the U.S. World News & World Report, Carnegie Mellon University was ranked as the best graduate school for artificial intelligence, securing first place over the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. The rankings were created based on "a combination of statistical data that reflects the quality of each program, and surveys asking experts and academics to evaluate programs."
Institute for Politics and Strategy Elevated to University-Wide Status, February 19, 2018
The Instiute for Politics and Strategy is now officially a university-wide initiative at CMU.
Students See How Security, Policy, Strategy Align in Silicon Valley, February 9, 2018
Students in the International Relations and Politics Accelerated Master's Program recently received the opportunity to take a trip to Silicon Valley to explore the various intersections between technology and policy. This story was featured in the CMU News.
Joint CyLab Security and Privacy Institute, Institute for Software Research, Institute for Politics and Strategy Distinguished Lecture and Panel, January 18, 2018
Judge Reggie B. Walton of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia will be giving a lecture titled, "The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court: Myth Versus Reality." The panelists will be Lorrie Cranor, Jay D. Aronson, and David J. Hickton. The event will take place on Thursday, January 18 from 4:30-5:30pm in Rashid Auditorium (GHC 4401).
DoD Appoints Kiron Skinner to Defense Policy Board, December 2, 2017
Director of the Institute for Politics and Strategy, Dr. Kiron Skinner, was appointed to the Defense Policy Board to provide senior DoD officials with advice on defense policy. Read the official Department of Defense announcement here.
Elizabeth Erin Walsh- "Innovation and Exporting: Creating Jobs through Free and Fair Trade", November 13, 2017
Anthony Foxx- "Smart and Connected Cities", November 10, 2017
17th United States Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx gave a lecture at Carnegie Mellon on November 10 as a part of the 50th Anniversary Weekend celebrations.
Laura Chinchilla shares her hopes for Latin America's future, November 5, 2017
During her lecture on November 1, President Laura Chinchilla shared her hopes for the future of Latin America in the face of what she sees as the encroaching threat of populism.
Laura Chinchilla- "Latin America: Hope in Times of Populism?", November 1, 2017
Former president of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla, delivered a lecture at Carnegie Mellon on November 1.
CMU Student Charters Plane, Delivers Aid to Puerto Rico, October 18, 2017
International Relations and Politics Accelerated Masters Program student José López Sánchez volunteered as a part of a team that chartered planes to transport supplies Puerto Rico and evacuate hurricane victims to the US.
Polarization for Controversial Scientific Issues Increases With More Education, August 21, 2017
IPS Executive Committee and Core Faculty member, Baruch Fischhoff, and Caitlin Drummond's (SDS) work was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.
How Do You Fix Someone Else's Election, August 20, 2017
Dov Levin, Institute for Politics and Strategy post-dcotoral fellow, was interviewed by BBC to discuss election meddling.
The Islamic State May be Failing, but it's Strategic Communications Legacy is Here to Stay, August 17, 2017
Colin Clarke, Institute for Politics and Strategy lecturer, recently co-authored a paper for War on the Rocks, where he discusses ISIS strategic communications.
Improving Security Science Through Collaboration, August 2, 2017
Carnegie Mellon University’s Baruch Fischhoff co-chaired the Committee on Future Research Goals and Directions for Foundational Science in Cybersecurity, along with Peter Weinberger from Google.
Mindfullness Meditation May Help Students Combat High Levels of Stress, Depression, May 16, 2017
When Rob Stephens, a 22-year-old senior, walks into the Mindfulness Room at Carnegie Mellon University, he leaves his homework and stress at the door.
Baruch Fischhoff Elected to National Academy of Sciences, May 2, 2017
Carnegie Mellon University's Baruch Fischhoff, a renowned expert in decision science and risk analysis, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. NAS membership is one of the highest honors a scientist can receive and recognizes distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.
CMWA Supports Students' Committment to Advancement of Women, May 1, 2017
Seven women graduating this month received an early gift from the Carnegie Mellon Women’s Association (CMWA). Each student was presented with a $1,000 scholarship for their commitment to the advancement of women in their academic disciplines. IPS student, Alexandra Pasch was awarded one of the scholarships.
Program Takes Students Behind the Scenes in D.C., April 27, 2017
Students in Carnegie Mellon University’s Washington Semester Program (WSP) get to explore the United States capital while completing coursework and internships with D.C.-based organizations.
Understanding Decisions: The Power of Combining Psychology and Economics, April 18, 2017
In two series of studies that focused on individuals’ expectations for major life events, Wandi Bruine de Bruin and CMU’s Baruch Fischhoff worked with economists to design survey questions that were simple enough for laypeople to answer but precise enough to inform economic models.