Mellon College of Science at Carnegie Mellon

06/03/2026

Recent Carnegie Mellon graduate Ashley Hackney is helping tackle one of the world’s most urgent health challenges: antibiotic resistance.

In a CMU biophysics lab, Hackney studied antimicrobial peptides — molecules that can kill harmful bacteria without damaging human cells. Her research, which includes collecting X‑ray data at national facilities and contributing to a forthcoming scientific publication, is part of a broader effort to develop new treatments as traditional antibiotics become less effective.

Beyond the lab, Hackney is committed to expanding access to science through mentorship, teaching and community engagement. Her work reflects how research at CMU not only advances discovery but also prepares students to make meaningful contributions to global health.

Recent Carnegie Mellon University graduate Ashley Hackney earned a Gilman Award for her commitment and growth over her time in the Mellon College of Science.

06/02/2026

Recent Carnegie Mellon graduate Mahitha Chaturvedula is advancing research that could shape the future of biomedical science. In the Ettensohn Lab, she studied a key gene involved in biomineralization — the process that forms bones and teeth — with implications for tissue engineering and cancer research.

Her work extended beyond CMU through an Amgen Scholars project, where she developed new cell line tools to improve genetic studies of s*x chromosome variation. Together, her research addresses fundamental biological questions while creating resources that can accelerate future discoveries.

Chaturvedula’s commitment to science, mentorship and community reflects the kind of research impact that begins in the lab and extends far beyond it.

Mahitha Chaturvedula earned the Mellon College of Science Fugassi and Monteverde Award for her work in genetic research.

06/01/2026

Carnegie Mellon University’s new PPG Scholar Teams program is strengthening research impact by pairing graduate student mentors with undergraduate researchers on high‑priority scientific projects.

Supported by the PPG Foundation, the program embeds mentorship into hands‑on research while advancing work in areas like cancer treatment, environmental cleanup, advanced materials and computational chemistry. Students gain valuable experience, from conducting experiments to presenting findings at conferences, while graduate mentors build leadership skills that prepare them for future careers.

By fostering collaboration across all levels of research, CMU is creating a model that accelerates discovery while training the next generation of scientists.

Graduate students play a key role in mentoring undergraduates in CMU’s Department of Chemistry through the new PPG Scholar Teams program.

05/29/2026

How can generative AI support student learning in the lab? Carnegie Mellon’s Annie Arnold is exploring that question through a GAITAR Fellowship focused on improving how students interpret and present scientific data.

In her Advanced Organic Chemistry Laboratory course, Arnold is studying whether structured dialogue with AI can help students think more critically about how they visualize data — not just what they show, but why and for whom. The goal is to strengthen reasoning and communication skills, not replace them.

Supported by CMU’s Eberly Center, the project is part of a broader effort to build evidence-based approaches for using AI in education. If successful, the approach could be adapted across disciplines, helping students develop stronger analytical and decision-making skills in data-driven fields.

Annie Arnold, special faculty in chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University, has received a fellowship through CMU’s Generative Artificial Intelligence Teaching as Research (GAITAR) Initiative to study how — and whether — generative AI can meaningfully support student learning in laboratory cours...

05/27/2026

Carnegie Mellon Ph.D. student Kyungmin Park is helping push the frontiers of particle physics at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. Her work on the CMS experiment is improving how scientists detect and analyze rare particle collisions in real time, expanding the experiment’s discovery potential.

Park has developed machine learning tools for next‑generation trigger systems and helped lead innovative approaches to searching for dark matter, including new methods focused on difficult‑to-detect signals. Her research advancing our understanding of the universe while shaping the tools and techniques that make future discoveries possible.

Graduate student Kyungmin Park earned the Mellon College of Science's Guy C. Berry Graduate Research Award for her work in experimental particle physics.

05/26/2026

Congratulations to the MCS students who made the Dean's List for Spring 2026! See the full list:

More than 500 students made the Dean’s List in the spring semester. Students earning a quality point average of at least a 3.5 while completing a minimum of 36 factorable units (with no missing or incomplete grades) are eligible for the Dean's List.

05/20/2026

Carnegie Mellon researcher Irene Kaplow has been named a 2026 Searle Scholar, an honor recognizing early-career scientists pursuing high-impact, high-risk biomedical research.

Kaplow’s work uses machine learning to study how noncoding regions of the genome — known as enhancers — control gene expression and drive the evolution of traits across species. By distinguishing genetic signals tied to long-term evolution from those shaped by environmental factors like diet, her research is advancing our understanding of how genes are regulated in health and disease.

The award supports innovative work with the potential to transform how scientists interpret the relationship between genetics, environment and complex biological traits.

Irene Kaplow, an assistant professor in the Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department and the Department of Biological Sciences, has been named a 2026 Searle Scholar, joining a class of 15 early career scientists recognized for innovative biomedical research and exceptional promise.

05/19/2026

What if some forms of hearing loss do not appear on current hearing tests at all?
Dean Barbara Shinn-Cunningham answered this question and more about the neuroscience behind auditory processing on the Innovate and Elevate podcast. Listen now:

about the episode What if some forms of hearing loss do not appear on current hearing tests at all? In this episode of Innovate & Elevate, Sharon Kedar sits down with neuroscientist, engineer, musician, and Carnegie Mellon Dean Dr. Barbara Shinn-Cunningham to explore how the brain pro

05/14/2026

Mathematician Wes Pegden brought geometry, probability and cake-cutting to life at MoMath: the National Museum of Mathematics on May 6.

In his Math Encounters talk, Pegden showed how to randomly cut up geometric regions, whether cakes or states, in a tour through the theoretical world of high-dimensional spaces but with very real-world applications to problems like detecting gerrymandered political districts.

Image courtesy of the National Museum of Mathematics.

05/12/2026

MCS grad students Patrick LaChance and Leticia Pequeno Madureira uplifted students and colleagues. For their efforts, they both earned the 2026 Hugh D. Young Graduate Student Teaching Award.

Graduate students Patrick LaChance and Leticia Pequeno Madureira earned the Mellon College of Science's Hugh D. Young Graduate Student Teaching Award for 2026.