Monday, November 3, 2025

Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon Community,

Carnegie Mellon has always been a place where people hold strong views, share ideas freely and learn from one another through open conversation. That’s one of the things that makes our community so vibrant.

At the same time, we reflect the broader society around us — with all its complexity, diversity and, at times, division. Polarization can make genuine dialogue more difficult, but it also makes our obligation to model respect, curiosity and compassion even more important. When we speak with care, listen openly and assume good intent, we strengthen the bonds that make Carnegie Mellon a vibrant academic community.

Two upcoming events offer meaningful ways to put these values into practice:

• Democracy Day: Tomorrow, Nov. 4, marks our third Democracy Day, which Carnegie Mellon observes in tandem with Election Day in the United States. Under the direction of Provost and Chief Academic Officer Jim Garrett, no classes will take place before 5 p.m., and the day’s programming — which is geared toward nurturing meaningful and constructive civic engagement — will be open to all students, faculty and staff.
• Deeper Conversations: This university-wide initiative aims to build bridges of understanding while navigating some of society’s most divisive and intractable issues. The next event on Nov. 20 — an examination of how law and policy influence U.S. universities — features Dr. Neal Hutchens, professor of educational policy studies and evaluation at the University of Kentucky, in conversation with Mary Jo Dively, CMU’s vice president and general counsel.

Looking ahead, we will continue to expand opportunities for engagement and dialogue. This spring, Deeper Conversations will continue its exploration of the role of universities in modern times and help our community engage across differences in new ways. We will pilot a small-group model that equips our community to consider multiple perspectives and navigate challenging conversations as part of a broader effort to embed curiosity and discourse into the culture of our campus. We plan to share more information on this programming in the near future.

We hope that you’ll join the ongoing effort to make CMU a place where rigorous ideas and genuine connection go hand in hand. Together, we continue to build a community defined by excellence in scholarship and by empathy, respect and integrity.

Warmly,

Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President's Chair

Thursday, October 30, 2025

Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon Community,

At CMU, we believe that a healthy mind, body and spirit form the foundation for lifelong success — personally, professionally and academically. This belief is reaffirmed in our recent Strategic Framework, which emphasizes our commitment to nurturing a vibrant, engaged community where every individual can thrive.

We have made significant investments in recent years to enhance student well-being, strengthen academic advising and expand access to mental health services. Much of this progress over the past decade has been supported by recommendations from the President’s Advisory Boards (PAB), which provide independent expertise to help advance our mission.

The recommendations of the PABs on the CMU Experience convened in 2016 and 2019 as well as the 2016 Task Force on the CMU Experience, for example, led to doubling the capacity of CMU’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) over five years. In addition, they helped to shape the launch of the Student Support Resources team, offering support and expertise for students navigating any of a wide range of life events. Recognizing that supporting student success requires a campus-wide effort, we also expanded evidence-based training opportunities for faculty, staff and students to recognize distress, foster resilience and promote a culture of care. Provost Garrett will share more details soon about an enhanced approach to our professional development training that helps faculty recognize and support students in distress. Additional investments are focused on holistic advising and academic support, such as the launch of the Student Academic Success Center and expanding the Office of Disability Resources.

While we have made meaningful progress, this work is ongoing and never complete. Supporting student well-being and success is a complex and evolving challenge — one that requires humility, reflection and a culture of continuous improvement. True excellence demands that we regularly assess our practices, learn from both experience and evidence, and adapt to meet the changing needs of our students.

With that spirit, today we are launching a President's Advisory Board on Student Well-Being, Mental Health and the Academic Experience. This initiative will examine the intersection of students’ academic experiences and the university services, resources, and support structures that promote their holistic well-being and success. The PAB’s charge is to help us understand how these vital areas intersect and to recommend ways to better align our academic and well-being networks so that students experience seamless, coordinated support throughout their CMU journey.

The new PAB brings together distinguished experts from across the country to provide external, independent insight and actionable recommendations. Engaging these national leaders allows us to benchmark CMU’s efforts against best practices in higher education and mental health — and to ensure we are not only meeting those standards but striving to exceed them.

I am grateful to the incoming co-chairs, John Dunkle, a nationally recognized leader in campus mental health, and Laura Lee McIntyre, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Michigan State University and a psychologist by training.

The PAB’s work will be guided by Gina Casalegno, dean of students and vice president for student affairs, and Jim Garrett, provost and chief academic officer. Additionally, two members of our CMU Board of Trustees, Anne Molloy and Jewell Parker Rhodes, have generously agreed to lend their expertise to this PAB. I invite you to read my complete charge and the full list of members, representing a broad range of expertise and perspectives.

The Presidential Advisory Board will conduct its assessment through a comprehensive and well-supported review process, drawing on detailed background materials, data analyses and insights from the campus community. This work will include interviews and focus groups to ensure a rich understanding of the CMU experience. The process will culminate in an in-person visit, during which the Board will engage directly with students, faculty and staff. Once this process is complete, I will share a summary of the PAB’s findings with the campus community, along with information on the implementation of its recommendations.

The creation of this PAB reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting the whole student — academically, emotionally and personally. In a world of constant connectivity, rapid change and increasing pressures, the need to identify and reach students in need demands our continued focus. I am deeply grateful to everyone across our community who works each day to uphold that commitment with compassion, vigilance and care. Together, we will continue to strengthen a campus culture where every student feels seen, supported and empowered to thrive.

Sincerely, 
Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President's Chair

The President’s Advisory Board on Student Well-Being, Mental Health and the Academic Experience was convened in Fall 2025 to examine and recommend strategies for integrating Carnegie Mellon’s services, resources, and support structures to enhance the holistic student experience. A key focus is understanding how the academic experience intersects with mental health and overall well-being—identifying opportunities to strengthen coordination, reduce barriers, and empower the university community to promote a culture of care, connection, and student success.

• President's Message
• President's Charge to Advisory Board Members [PDF] 

PAB Members

• John Dunkle, co-chair; Interim Director, Center for Counseling & Psychological Services, Washington University in St. Louis
• Laura Lee McIntyre, co-chair; Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Michigan State University
• David Brent, Endowed Chair in Suicide Studies and Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh
• Carolyn Commer (DC '16), Associate Professor of English and Director of Rhetoric and Writing Ph.D. Program, Virginia Tech
• Mollye Demosthenidy, Dean, Newcomb-Tulane College, Tulane University
• Louise A. Douce, Assistant Vice President of Student Life, Ohio State University (Retired)
• Mona Dugo, Assistant Vice President of Wellness and Dean of Students, Northwestern University
• Julie Edwards, Assistant Vice President for Student Health and Wellbeing, Cornell University
• Robin Glover, Associate Provost for Student Affairs, Harvard University
• Anthony P. Mannarino, Chair, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Institute, Allegheny Health Network; Professor of Psychiatry, Drexel University College of Medicine
• Sharon Mitchell, Senior Director of Student Wellness and Director of Counseling Services, University at Buffalo (Retired)
• Anne Molloy, CMU Trustee, Founding Donor of the Tartan Scholars Program
• Miles Reidy (HNZ '86), Partner Emeritus at QED, Parent of CMU Alumnus (DC ‘19)
• Jewell Parker Rhodes (DC 1975, 1976, 1979), CMU Trustee; Bestselling Young Adult Author; Founding Artistic Director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at ASU
• Helen Wang (DC '99), Senior Associate Dean of Residential and Community Life, MIT
• Joy K. Ward, Provost and Executive Vice President, Case Western Reserve University

October 29, 2025

Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon Community:

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Burcu Akinci as the next Dr. William D. and Nancy W. Strecker Dean of the College of Engineering. Dr. Akinci, currently the head of the college’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will assume her role as dean on January 1, 2026. This appointment follows a comprehensive national search and the enthusiastic recommendation of the search committee, whose service throughout this process was invaluable.

A member of the CMU community for nearly 25 years, Dr. Akinci is an exceptional leader who brings the strategic vision, research impact and collaborative spirit necessary to lead the College of Engineering. As the former associate dean for research and a current department head, she has driven institutional growth by helping to establish the "moonshot initiative" that cultivates large-scale research centers, developing the college's strategic research direction, and increasing the value of new research awards.

As department head of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), Dr. Akinci has fostered a culture of collaboration, encouraging shared learning and the open exchange of ideas. She has established direct pipelines for meaningful engagement through initiatives such as the Industry Partnership Program, which connects students to opportunities at more than 20 leading engineering firms. Under her leadership, the department also expanded its academic portfolio, including CEE’s first online certificate program, AI Engineering - Digital Twins & Analytics, and a new interdisciplinary master’s degree in the emerging field of Civil and Computer Engineering in collaboration with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Dr. Akinci is an accomplished researcher whose work bridges computing and infrastructure management. She employs data-capture and sensing technologies as well as digital twin models to deliver cutting-edge solutions that make the built environment, facility operations and construction projects smarter, safer and more sustainable. She is a member of the National Academy of Construction, a distinguished member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2023, she was named a University Professor, the highest rank of distinction for faculty at Carnegie Mellon.

Dr. Akinci earned her bachelor's degree from Middle East Technical University, her MBA from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, and her master's and doctoral degrees from Stanford University.

I extend my sincere gratitude to Interim Dean Vijayakumar Bhagavatula for his steadfast leadership of the College of Engineering during this transition period. I also thank the search committee, led by co-chairs Shelley Anna, vice provost for faculty and professor of chemical engineering in the College of Engineering, and José Moura, the Philip L. and Marsha Dowd University Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering, for their dedicated service.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Akinci and wishing her continued success as she leads the college into its next chapter.

Sincerely,

James H. Garrett Jr.
Provost and Chief Academic Officer

Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon Community:

I am pleased to officially announce the global search for the next dean of the Tepper School of Business. As I shared in my recent announcement, Dean Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou has decided to step down at the conclusion of the 2025–2026 academic year.

The Tepper School of Business is renowned for its excellence, innovation, and the impact of its research and interdisciplinary approach on business and society. Its distinguished faculty are at the forefront of solving real-world challenges and advancing the way people live and work. Through rigorous and forward-looking academic programs, the school prepares future leaders who are equipped to navigate and shape an increasingly complex world. I look forward to welcoming the school’s next leader, who will build on this strong foundation and guide the Tepper School into its next chapter of innovation and excellence.

To guide this important search, I have assembled a search committee that includes representation from across the university:
 

• Co-Chair: Michael Trick, Dean, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar and the Harry B. and James H. Higgins Professor of Operations Research
• Co-Chair: Laurence Ales, Professor of Economics and Senior Associate Dean for Education, Tepper School of Business
• David Bennett, Vice President for University Advancement
• Taya Cohen, Professor of Organizational Behavior and Business Ethics, Tepper School of Business
• Tim Derdenger, Associate Professor of Marketing and Strategy, Tepper School of Business
• Gary Fedder, Howard M. Wilkoff Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering; faculty director of the Manufacturing Futures Institute, College of Engineering
• Rhonda Fischer, Chief Operating Officer, Tepper School of Business
• Meredith Meyer Grelli, Managing Director and Interim Executive Director, Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship; Assistant Dean of Entrepreneurship Initiatives, School of Computer Science; Director, Project Olympus; Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, Tepper School of Business
• Burton Hollifield, PNC Professor of Financial Economics, Tepper School of Business
• Lars-Alexander Kuehn, Professor of Finance, Tepper School of Business
• Catherine Malizia, Master's Student, Tepper School of Business
• Jignesh Patel, Professor and Interim Department Head, Computer Science Department, School of Computer Science
• Alan Scheller-Wolf, Richard M. Cyert Professor of Operations Management, Tepper School of Business
• Willem-Jan van Hoeve, Carnegie Bosch Professor of Operations Research, Tepper School of Business
• Jennifer Wegner, Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Programs, Tepper School of Business
• Gaoqing Zhang, Heinz Professor of Accounting, Tepper School of Business
• Becky Culyba, Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff to the Provost (ex-officio)

In collaboration with executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, the committee will seek nominations and applications to ensure a robust and highly qualified applicant pool. They will engage stakeholders across campus to obtain input on the role and candidates, aiming to fill the position ahead of the next academic year. To learn more about this role and the search process, as well as to submit confidential inquiries, nominations or applications, please visit the search website.

I want to express my sincere appreciation to Dean Bajeux-Besnainou for her steadfast leadership and dedication to the university. Her many accomplishments during her tenure as dean of the Tepper School of Business have laid a strong foundation for the school’s continued success.

I also extend my gratitude to the entire Tepper School of Business leadership team for their continued collaboration as students, faculty and staff across our CMU community partner to identify the next leader who will build on the Tepper School’s momentum and vision for its future.

Sincerely,

James H. Garrett Jr.
Provost and Chief Academic Officer