Tuesday, March 26, 2024 

Dear Members of the CMU Community:

I write today to share the news that Scott Mory, vice president for University Advancement, will be leaving Carnegie Mellon University after a successful nine-year tenure. Scott will be returning to his alma mater, the George Washington University, to serve as senior vice president and chief of staff.

Since joining CMU in 2015, Scott has led the division of University Advancement through a period of remarkable growth in fundraising and engagement. In Fall 2019, we launched Make Possible: The Campaign for Carnegie Mellon University and in Spring 2023 we announced that CMU had already surpassed its $2 billion goal — 18 months ahead of schedule. To date, more than 66,600 unique donors have made more than $2.3 billion in new philanthropic commitments to CMU, benefitting every part of the university.

Campaign supporters have made an incredible impact, including the creation of 62 new endowed faculty chairs, including four endowed deanships; more than 420 new endowed scholarships and fellowships; and new world-class facilities like the Tepper Quad, the Alan Magee Scaife Hall of Engineering, the Highmark Center for Health, Wellness and Athletics, and the planned Richard King Mellon Hall of Sciences, which will also be a new home for CMU’s Institute for Contemporary Art.

Our campaign success has been the result of an effective partnership between University Advancement and CMU’s academic leadership. Working with the deans, Scott established the position of chief advancement officer for each academic college and has ensured that each college has an effective advancement program. This was part of an overall effort to grow CMU’s fundraising capacity, with enhancements to all parts of CMU’s advancement program.

During his tenure Scott has also spearheaded several initiatives to elevate and celebrate Carnegie Mellon and our impact in the world. He led the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the merger of Carnegie Tech and the Mellon Institute in 2017. Under his leadership, we’ve also launched marquee programs such as Tartans on the Rise and Faculty Dialogues, and we have hosted several successful tours to meet alumni, parents and friends around the world, including several highly successful virtual programs during the pandemic. If you have been to an on-campus event, one of our regional gatherings or to Commencement, you have witnessed firsthand Scott’s leadership of University Events and his guidance of the team who make these gatherings so memorable. Through these and many other programs and forums, Scott has made CMU’s on-campus culture, as well as our relationship with alumni, parent and partner communities, stronger than ever.

Beyond his leadership of Advancement, Scott has also played a role in supporting our engagement with our trustees, leading our partnership with the Tony Awards, launching the Summit for CMU Senior Leaders, staffing the Honorary Degree Committee, as well as serving on the Total Compensation Committee and numerous vice president and dean search committees. Scott also serves on the boards of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and of the Andy Warhol Museum.

Returning to GW is a homecoming for Scott, as he is a double alumnus, former trustee and former head of alumni relations there. GW’s recognition of the contributions Scott will make in his new role is also a great reflection of the impact of his time here. And while we will miss him here, I know he will thrive in this new role and I could not be happier for or more proud of him.

It is impossible to adequately capture the impact Scott has made on this university and our community. With his exemplary leadership, remarkable creativity and unwavering commitment to always deliver the very best for Carnegie Mellon, Scott has made this institution better and stronger in so many ways. On a personal note, I will always be profoundly grateful for his partnership, which has created so many opportunities for CMU, and for his friendship, which I know will endure.

Regarding the future leadership of University Advancement, I am pleased to share that Pam Eager, senior associate vice president for University Advancement, has agreed to serve as interim vice president. She has been a close colleague to Scott during his tenure, and with the support of the rest of the division’s leadership, University Advancement and its team of dedicated and capable staff are in good hands. We will be launching a search for the next head of UA immediately and I look forward to sharing those details shortly.

Scott will be with CMU through the end of the semester, and we look forward to opportunities to celebrate his contributions to CMU. In the meantime, please join me in congratulating Scott!

Sincerely,

Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair

Tuesday, April 09, 2024

Dear Members of the CMU Community:

This afternoon, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo hosted government, university and private sector leaders in Washington, D.C., to announce two new major university partnerships between the United States and Japan in the area of artificial intelligence.

I am delighted to share that Carnegie Mellon University — one of just two U.S. universities engaged in this effort — will partner with Japan’s Keio University to advance AI innovation on a global scale. The other U.S. university, the University of Washington, has signed a commitment to partner with the University of Tsukuba in Japan.

The four universities will receive $110 million in combined private sector investment to accelerate AI research and innovation in both the United States and Japan. Private sector collaborators and sponsors include Amazon, Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA and SoftBank Group, as well as a consortium of Japanese companies.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is one of several media outlets covering this announcement, and subscribers can read their initial story here.

This development positions CMU faculty and students to work with our counterparts at Keio — and leverage our shared strengths in AI — to promote innovation, strengthen private sector partnerships and advance the education and research missions of our respective institutions.

Our industry partners in the effort have expressed strong support for this collaborative approach. As Arm CEO Rene Haas notes, “The unprecedented progress we've seen in AI will transform virtually every industry and improve countless lives, but to maximize this opportunity, close cooperation will be required between the private sector, academia, and government.”

Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith adds, “Collaborative research has the power to address some of the world’s toughest challenges. And in an era of AI innovation, this partnership is a timely collaboration between world-class institutions.”

I am grateful for the many leaders who have helped us realize this new partnership, including, at the federal level, Secretary Raimondo and the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel. I am also deeply appreciative of the innovative vision and commitment to academic excellence shared by my counterpart at Keio University, President Kohei Itoh, as well as the driving force behind this partnership here at Carnegie Mellon, our colleagues at the School of Computer Science, led by Dean Martial Hebert.

While this new endeavor is just beginning, it underscores the global reach of Carnegie Mellon’s reputation as a leader in AI, robotics and other emerging technologies. I am immensely proud of our faculty and students whose talents and brilliance have inspired this partnership, and I look forward to collaborating with Keio University and our private sector partners around the globe to redefine what’s possible — for the benefit of society — in the years to come.

Warm regards,

Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon Community:

Great universities embrace art to enrich their campuses and communities, shape culture and inspire learning. We have enthusiastically followed this philosophy for decades at CMU, where our College of Fine Arts as well as public art installations spark ideas, create conversation and help to bring meaning to our experiences.

In the years ahead, the impact of art at Carnegie Mellon will continue to grow thanks to a $10 million commitment from alumni and longtime benefactors Cindy and Tod Johnson.

Cindy and Tod’s gift will support public art at CMU in two important ways. Half of the gift will create the Tod and Cindy Johnson Endowment for Public Art, which will support programming at the Institute for Contemporary Art Pittsburgh (ICA), as well as the acquisition of new art for the campus. The other half will support the ICA’s new and expanded home in the Richard King Mellon Hall of Sciences, for which we will break ground this Friday, April 12.

In recognition of Cindy and Tod’s generosity, a gallery in the ICA Pittsburgh will be named for them. Additionally, the position of public art curator, currently held by ICA Director Elizabeth Chodos, will be renamed as the Johnson Family Public Art Curator. You can read more about the gift, as well as Cindy and Tod’s extraordinary journey at CMU, in this news story published earlier today.

We are incredibly grateful to Cindy and Tod, who have been two of our most generous and visionary supporters, for this newest philanthropic investment in the CMU community. Their CMU story began when they met here as students and has continued through many years of service, including Tod’s more than 40 years as a member of our Board of Trustees.

In 2018, they gave $50 million for a transformational endowment that supports undergraduate scholarships as well as activities that help students stay on the path to graduation. The contribution was the single largest gift for scholarship support in the university’s history. In addition, their previous gifts include the establishment of the Herbert A. Simon Professorship of Economics and Psychology, support for the Tepper Quad and Purnell Center for the Arts, and an endowment for the university’s Fifth-Year Scholars Program.

With Cindy and Tod’s latest gift, I’m pleased to share that nearly 67,000 Tartan community members have given $2.3 billion in support of the university through Make Possible: The Campaign for Carnegie Mellon University.

Public art has enhanced our campus for decades, with iconic installations including “Walking to the Sky,” murals by Douglas Cooper and Stefani Danes in the Cohon University Center and Tepper Quad, and Kraus Campo in the courtyard behind the College of Fine Arts Building. In 2013, the university formally adopted the Simonds Principles for campus design, one of which requires incorporating public art in all new building construction. In recent years, new works have been commissioned for Alan Magee Scaife Hall, TCS Hall and Fifth and Clyde House. Later this year, we will unveil a new commission by Amanda Ross-Ho at the residence hall on Forbes and Beeler, as well as a work by Guadalupe Maravilla at the Highmark Center for Health, Wellness and Athletics.

I hope you will join me in congratulating Dean Mary Ellen Poole, School of Art Head Charlie White, ICA Director Elizabeth Chodos, and our colleagues in University Advancement, on this incredible gift.

Once again, please join me in thanking Cindy and Tod Johnson for their exceptional generosity!

Sincerely,

Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair

Thursday, May 16, 2024

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Following a comprehensive national search, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Tysen Kendig as Carnegie Mellon University’s next vice president for university communications and marketing. Tysen’s first day in this new role is scheduled for July 8, 2024.

Tysen will be coming to us from the University of Connecticut, where he has served for over a decade as the institution’s vice president for communications and marketing and directs all aspects of the university’s central communication efforts. In addition to his responsibilities as chief steward of UConn’s brand, Tysen has shaped and spearheaded a range of initiatives aimed at sharpening the university’s storytelling and reputation.

Over the course of his career, Tysen has spent more than 26 years in senior administration and spokesperson roles at major public and private universities. He has directed communications, marketing and branding for academic, research, health care, advancement and athletics programs, including during his earlier career stops at the University of Iowa, the University of Arkansas and Penn State University. He is a graduate of Penn State.

I am confident that Tysen will arrive in Pittsburgh ready to hit the ground sprinting and succeed in elevating the achievements and impact of our extraordinary communications and marketing team. He has a strong background in areas of critical importance to our university, a wealth of experience working in and for highly complex organizations, and a record of quickly and effectively cultivating trusted partnerships with colleagues and stakeholders. His deep expertise in all things communications — paired with an ability to convene, collaborate, pivot and enact a strategic vision — will benefit not just his immediate team but all of our university’s schools, colleges and campuses.

I appreciate the many university stakeholders who helped inform our search efforts and who interviewed and evaluated our final candidates, and I remain especially grateful to the members of our dedicated search advisory committee — co-chaired by Chief of Staff Tricia O’Reilly and Vice President for University Advancement Scott Mory — who helped realize this terrific conclusion.

Once Tysen arrives on campus in July, I hope that you all will join me in warmly welcoming him into our Tartan community and supporting both his success and the efforts of our University Communications and Marketing team under his leadership.

Warm Regards,
Farnam

Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair

Monday, July 08, 2024

Dear Members of the CMU Community:

I am writing to invite and encourage you to nominate candidates to be considered for an honorary degree from Carnegie Mellon University.

The CMU honorary degree is one of the highest distinctions the university bestows on an individual. Recipients serve as an inspiration to the Carnegie Mellon community, especially to members of the graduating class. Recognizing them reinforces the significant scope of the university and enhances the commencement ceremony by highlighting the importance of the university in the world. Learn more about the honorary degree nomination process and past recipients.

We seek to honor a diverse cohort of individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to their professions, to our nation, or to the world, and whose life and work are broadly connected to the highest aims and aspirations of this university.

Nominees must be distinguished individuals who meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Achieved preeminent levels of distinction in their fields and demonstrated extraordinary achievements, with a preference for those with a clear affiliation or connection to CMU;
• Established record of exemplary service to the world, to our nation, to our region, or to society; or
• Displayed an extraordinary commitment of service to Carnegie Mellon University, with a demonstrable positive impact on the university and its community.

Please submit nominations no later than September 6, 2024. If you have any questions, please contact Kate Lippert, director of the Board of Trustees office. As was done last year, the timeline for this process has been moved earlier in the fiscal year in the interest of identifying and securing an exceptional list of outstanding candidates in a timely manner.

Thank you for your nominations, which will help identify another distinguished group of CMU honorary degree recipients.

Warm Regards,

Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair

Sunday, July 14, 2024

Dear Members of the CMU Community:

Last night, we were stunned to witness the tragic shooting and assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a political rally in Butler County, which is located an hour from our Pittsburgh campus. While details are still unfolding, our thoughts are with the victims and their families. This attack on a former president and current presidential candidate represents an assault on our democratic values. Political violence has no place in our society.

Regardless of one’s ideologies, there is no question that many in our community feel troubled and fearful about the current political climate. In times like these, we must come together as a nation and as a university community to condemn any form of violence, hatred and vitriol that threatens the political process and the principles that serve as the foundation of our democracy.

As I have said previously: At a time when extremism threatens to divide us, it is even more important that we reaffirm our commitment to building bridges of understanding by fostering dialogue that is civil, constructive and informed.

Sincerely,

Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair

Thursday, July 18, 2024

Dear CMU Faculty and Staff,

On behalf of Carnegie Mellon’s academic and administrative leadership, I am thrilled to announce updates to three key university benefit plans: tuition reimbursement; staff maternity and parental leave; and bereavement.

These updates expand coverage in all three plans, effective July 1, 2024, and include:

• For staff: Reducing the dependent tuition plan waiting period from five years of service to three years of service and increasing the maximum annual tuition reimbursement benefit for dependents attending a non-CMU institution from $6,820 to $10,230. Eligible dependents of staff members attending CMU will continue to have the full cost of their tuition covered. The dependent tuition reimbursement plan for faculty remains unchanged.
• For faculty and staff: Updating the definition of “dependent children” to include stepchildren and the children of domestic partners as well as expanding the tuition reimbursement program eligibility to include trade school certifications.
• For staff: Increasing coverage for a gestational parent to 100% of pay for the full period of their maternity leave (six to eight weeks, depending on the type of birth) as well as increasing coverage for a new parent (via a birth, adoption, foster care or legal guardianship) to 100% pay for six weeks.
• For faculty and staff: Expanding eligibility and length of bereavement benefits.

Please note: These changes apply to CMU's global faculty and staff body. Employees at our international locations will receive a separate communication that introduces these benefit changes within the context of their ongoing international benefit offerings.

The complete set of changes extend beyond the examples listed above, and I encourage you to review the full benefits update as outlined by our Human Resources team.

These developments follow a multiyear, multiphase initiative by CMU to maximize benefit gains for faculty, staff and the institution at large. This process began in 2019, when our Human Resources team surveyed faculty and staff to identify their top benefits priorities and preferences, and it continued through this year, when we completed an independent benchmarking study comparing CMU’s benefit offerings to company offerings elsewhere in Pittsburgh and nationwide.

I am grateful to all faculty and staff who participated in these reviews and shared their benefit priorities and preferences. I also want to thank our Human Resources team for their hard work in realizing these changes and their ongoing efforts to evaluate the benefit offerings available to our campus community. Finally, I’d like to thank the members of our Total Compensation Committee for their leadership and counsel in shepherding these changes through to completion.

More broadly and worth repeating: I am immensely proud of and thankful for Carnegie Mellon faculty and staff, and I am confident that we will continue to advance our academic and research mission together — and in extraordinary ways — in the year ahead.

With appreciation,

Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair

Tuesday, September 03, 2024

Dear Members of the CMU Community:

The new academic year is underway, and it’s certain to unfold within a complex landscape that includes a U.S. presidential election and ongoing geopolitical conflicts around the world, including in the Middle East. Accordingly, the role of higher education has never been more crucial or impactful as we seek to advance progress and understanding in an increasingly fractured world.

Whether in Pittsburgh, Doha, Kigali or locations across the globe, Carnegie Mellon is leaning into this critical mission. We are, first and foremost, an institution dedicated to educating the next generation of leaders, scholars and innovators — and empowering them to study complex topics, engage in meaningful dialogue and pose important questions. Our commitment to free expression is critical to nurturing this environment and remains unwavering. At the same time, we also recognize that the work of considering perspectives outside of our own can be deeply uncomfortable and may lead to heightened tensions.

Such friction is not a harbinger of failure but rather a natural byproduct of authentic engagement, capable of leading to profound understanding and insight. As we embark on this new academic year, it is our shared responsibility to nurture a campus environment where all voices can resonate freely but where the conditions for learning and personal development are sustained without disruption. I firmly believe we can both safeguard free speech and also maintain — for all in our community — an environment conducive to deep and focused engagement across education, research and creativity.

Last year, we launched Deeper Conversations to help navigate this balance and bring our community together for constructive and civil dialogue. This university-wide initiative aims to build bridges of understanding by offering opportunities to discuss and dissect intractable issues facing society. In the 2023-24 academic year, Deeper Conversations focused on exploring the crisis unfolding in Israel and Palestine and on combating hate. Programming was intentionally varied — spanning everything from scholarly lectures and panels to book discussions — and championed civil discourse throughout. Recent events, including a violent act of antisemitism impacting University of Pittsburgh students this past weekend, serve as urgent reminders that the work of combating hate and discrimination of all kinds must continue. As we have repeatedly stated: Hatred and bigotry are antithetical to the values that ground our diverse community and drive our academic mission.

This academic year, we are expanding our Deeper Conversations series to also include programming devoted to democracy and the U.S. election. The Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy have led the planning efforts for engaging in conversations about democracy and the U.S. election, and the deans of both colleges, Richard Scheines and Ramayya Krishnan, will soon write to the CMU community to share the lineup, including opportunities to participate virtually. We are confident that these discussions will provide our university community with helpful opportunities to respectfully disagree, embrace nuance, consider others and practice curious scholarship. I look forward to kicking off this year’s series next week on Sept. 11 and hope to see many of you there!

Finally, and against this backdrop, it’s worth noting that Carnegie Mellon seeks to advance our mission in ways that transcend politics, ideologies and differences. The university does not have a position on foreign policy or politics — nor should we — and we will continue to use our institutional voice with great restraint. In the past decade, when the CMU administration has issued statements during local crises or global challenges, it has been with the intent of supporting impacted community members, strengthening our sense of unity and underscoring values that are at the heart of our mission.

While you should not expect the university to speak about every national or international development, you can always count on the many channels of support that are available for students, faculty and staff during challenging times. I encourage you to utilize these resources, tools and engagement opportunities to support your learning, fuel your community connections and advance your well-being throughout the year.

So, here’s to an important year of advancing our mission and to learning, exploring, growing — and engaging in deeper conversations — together.

Respectfully,

Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Dear Members of the CMU Community:

I am pleased to announce that, following a rigorous national search, I have appointed David Bennett as Carnegie Mellon University's next vice president for university advancement, effective February 17, 2025.

David joins us from Howard University, where he currently serves as the senior vice president for development and alumni relations. During his tenure, he has successfully led transformative fundraising efforts that have completely reimagined Howard’s advancement capacity. Prior to his position at Howard, David served as the chief development officer and led all global philanthropic programs for one of the world’s largest nonprofit organizations, the National Geographic Society. He also previously held top advancement jobs at United Cerebral Palsy of America and in the private sector via his work at the boutique consulting firm Odell, Simms & Associates, Inc. David has a proven track record of building close, collaborative and transparent relationships across teams, creating strategies that increase engagement, and driving campaigns that exceed their target goal.

The search for this pivotal role was conducted in partnership with Aspen Leadership Group, with the support and guidance of an exceptional advisory committee of university leaders. The process was further enriched by the insights of a trustee advisory group that also provided input. I am grateful to all who supported this search process and took time to evaluate our finalist candidates.

David's appointment comes at an opportune time, as we build on the momentum of Make Possible: The Campaign for Carnegie Mellon University, which has already raised close to $2.4 billion in support of university priorities, including support for student scholarships and fellowships, endowed faculty positions, pioneering research, and capital projects that support our core mission. This extraordinary achievement was made possible through intentional coordination between the central University Advancement division, led by former Vice President Scott Mory, and the schools and colleges, with the support of our deans and academic leaders. David will now continue this legacy of excellence, and partnership across the university will continue to be of critical importance as we chart an ambitious course for CMU’s future.

During this interim period, the University Advancement team has continued to excel in every facet of its work. I would like to take a moment to recognize and thank Pam Eager (ENG 1987, TPR 1995), who has been serving as interim vice president and whose steadfast leadership of our incredibly talented staff has ensured our advancement efforts remain seamless and impactful. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Pam and the entire team for their hard work and unwavering commitment to CMU.

Please join me in welcoming David Bennett to the Carnegie Mellon community. We look forward to the expertise, passion and collaborative spirit he will bring as we continue to elevate the university’s impact and mission.

Sincerely,

Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Dear Members of the CMU Community,

I am pleased to announce a transformative milestone in Carnegie Mellon University’s ongoing access and affordability efforts. Following a significant expansion of financial aid, undergraduates whose families earn less than $75,000 annually will be able to attend CMU tuition-free, while undergraduates whose families earn less than $100,000 annually will be able to attend CMU without borrowing any federal student loans.

Carnegie Mellon will officially launch this initiative — known as the CMU Pathway Program — at the start of the 2025-2026 academic year.

Students who qualify for the CMU Pathway Program fit the following profile:

• have typical family assets and an annual family income that falls below the income thresholds for a tuition-free ($75,000) and federal loan-free ($100,000) CMU education;
• are a new or returning undergraduate enrolled at our Pittsburgh campus; and
• are a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident of the United States.

The CMU Pathway Program is one of several access and affordability efforts that Carnegie Mellon has implemented in recent years with the goal of ensuring that deserving, talented and high-achieving students have a pathway to affording and attending CMU for their undergraduate journey — regardless of their socioeconomic background or family resources.

In addition to launching this new program, Carnegie Mellon has already achieved the following:

• Bolstered our investment in undergraduate financial aid by more than 86% in the last 10 years — from $76 million in fiscal year 2015 to $141 million in fiscal year 2024.
• Met and have continued to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for all undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, regardless of their family income.
• Reduced the share of students borrowing federal loans from 52% in 2019 to 28% in 2024 and cut their total debt burden at graduation by nearly 30%, from $25,936 per student to $18,200 per student, in that same five-year span.
• Launched other targeted access and affordability initiatives— the Tartan Scholars program for undergraduate students and the CMU Rales Fellows program for graduate-level STEM students — aimed at removing financial barriers for high-achieving students. Both programs pair institutional financial aid with an array of customized mentoring, networking and academic support.

I am grateful to our academic and administrative leadership — especially Provost and Chief Academic Officer Jim Garrett and Chief Financial Officer Angela Blanton — for realizing these milestones on behalf of our students. It is worth repeating that our institutional commitment to enhancing access and affordability extends to students from all backgrounds, and I look forward to advancing this important work together.

I invite you to learn more about our suite of access and affordability initiatives — and read about the CMU Pathway Program in greater detail — on our Student Financial Services website.

Sincerely,

Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair