Two women next two a podium with a certificate holder.

Shinn-Cunningham Awarded Brown Medal

By Heidi Opdyke Email Heidi Opdyke

Heidi Opdyke

Brown University's School of Engineering recognized Barbara Shinn-Cunningham, Carnegie Mellon University Glen de Vries Dean of the Mellon College of Science, as its 2025 Brown Engineering Alumni Medal (BEAM) winner.

The presentation of the medal took place at the annual engineering dinner held as part of Brown's Commencement and Reunion weekend.

"I love Brown because it shaped me – taught me to follow my passions and own my path," said Shinn-Cunningham to the graduating students and their families. "There is a special vibe here that is truly special. Students are working to make a difference in the world, not just to achieve a degree."

Established in 1997 to commemorate 150 years of engineering education at Brown, the BEAM award honors graduates of Brown Engineering who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in their careers. Recipients are selected annually by a committee composed of faculty members and past medalists.

Shinn-Cunningham earned her bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Brown in 1986 and completed her Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science at MIT in 1994.

She spent 21 years on the faculty of Boston University before joining Carnegie Mellon in 2018 as the founding director of the Neuroscience Institute and the George A. and Helen Dunham Cowan Professor of Auditory Neuroscience. She holds courtesy appointments in the departments of Psychology, Biomedical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering.

She became the eighth MCS dean on Jan. 1, 2025. She succeeds Rebecca Doerge and interim dean Curtis Meyer, the Otto Stern Professor of Physics.

In addition to directing the Neuroscience Institute at Carnegie Mellon, Shinn-Cunningham has lead two large-scale Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative projects funded by the Office of Naval Research. These initiatives unite researchers from diverse disciplines and institutions to address complex problems that cannot be solved within a single field.

An author of more than 200 scientific articles, Shinn-Cunningham is recognized for her expertise in spatial hearing, auditory attention and sensory hearing deficits.

Shinn-Cunningham serves as the president of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA). In 2019, she received the ASA's Helmholtz-Rayleigh Interdisciplinary Silver Medal in Psychological and Physiological Acoustics, Speech Communication, and Architectural Acoustics. She previously served as the treasurer/secretary of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology.

Her mentorship has been recognized by awards from both the ASA and the Society for Neuroscience. She is a Fellow of the ASA, a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and a lifetime member of the National Research Council.