Carnegie Mellon University

Assistant Director of Leadership Development Justin Pearl presents during the Charpie Leadership Institute reception.

About Us

Mission

The Office of Community Engagement and Leadership Development is committed to educating and empowering students to become effective community-minded leaders who respond to unmet social needs, advocate with and for their communities, and act to create positive societal change. 

Our Committments

  • We believe Carnegie Mellon students have tremendous potential—and responsibility—to positively contribute to their communities, locally and globally. We also believe that these leadership and community engagement experiences are in and of themselves educational pursuits that cultivate learning and promote personal development.
  • We aspire for every undergraduate and graduate student to have a meaningful community engagement experience(s) that will inspire and inform their time at Carnegie Mellon and beyond.
  • We believe that leadership is non-positional and that it can be learned and developed through scaffolded experiences, personal reflection, and intentional training that is informed by well-researched leadership models and best practices.
  • We are committed to developing a reciprocal relationship between the City of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University’s student body by creating opportunities for students to engage as Pittsburgh residents—enjoying and benefiting from its rich amenities, developing a personal connection to the city, and contributing to the community.
  • We are partnership-driven, working to build sustained relationships with community organizations through a holistic approach that leverages opportunities across the university.
  • We strive to meet community-identified needs through student participation, learning, advocacy, and leadership that is supported by training, advising, and hands-on experiences.
  • We hold ourselves accountable to our students and community partners by leveraging best practices, through assessment, and by learning from and alongside our stakeholders—including community members, students, staff, faculty, and other partners.

Our Team

Jonathan Anguiano bio photo

Jonathan Anguiano
Program Coordinator of Basic Needs and Community Initiatives

Justin Pearl bio photo

Justin Pearl
Assistant Director of Leadership Development

Madeleine Sauter bio photo

Madeleine Sauter
Coordinator of Community Engagement

Liz Vaughan bio photo

Liz Vaughan

Associate Dean of Student Affairs & Director of the Office of Community Engagement & Leadership Development, James & Sharon Rohr Director of Community Engagement

Amy Weston bio photo

Senior Administrative Assistant & Office Manager