CMU Mellon College of Science

An older man wearing a mortarboard and graduation gown.

75 years ago, CMU alumnus John Nash laid the foundation for game theory, influencing fields from business strategy to computer science. His contributions earned him the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1994 and remain a cornerstone of modern decision-making. www.cmu.edu/.../news.../...

MCS Graduate Student Conference Funding Award Winners Announced Four graduate students in the Mellon College of Science earned travel awards for upcoming conferences.

Congratulations to the four MCS Graduate Student Funding Award recipients for fall conferences! Learn more about the students and the awards: www.cmu.edu/mcs/news-eve...

Will AI ever win its own Nobel? Some predict a prize-worthy science discovery soon Other researchers question whether autonomous AI scientists are possible or even desirable.

CMU researchers are pushing the boundaries of AI in science. Gabe Gomes and his team developed Coscientist, an AI system that plans and executes chemical reactions — accelerating discoveries that once took years to complete. His work was featured in Nature.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

A supermoon is set to light up the Pittsburgh sky. Here's what to know and when to see it. Skygazers, rejoice. We’re about to get close to the moon. The first supermoon of the season will grace the fall sky Monday night around Pittsburgh. And...

A supermoon is set to brighten Pittsburgh's sky. In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, CMU's Diane Turnshek shines some light on the phenomena.
www.post-gazette.com/news/weather...

Tenure-track Position in Biophysics at Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Physics Location: Pittsburgh, PA Open Date: Sep 19, 2025 Description The Department of Physics at Carnegie Mellon University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in biophysics. The appointment is intended to be at the Assistant Professor level, but exceptional candidates at a higher level may also be considered. We seek outstanding candidates with a strong record in cellular and subcellular biophysics. Topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to, uncovering how key characteristics of living systems arise from the interplay between supramolecular cellular structures, how the emergent cellular circuitry defines goals and enables robust decision making, and how metabolic resources are allocated. This encompasses understanding of how information is learned, stored, transduced, and processed across subcellular structures. Applicants with theoretical, data science, or experimental backgrounds within biological physics are encouraged to apply. The ideal candidate will strengthen and extend research programs of current biophysics faculty in the Department of Physics and collaborate with broader life science activities across many departments at CMU and the wider Pittsburgh area. More details on Interfolio: https://apply.interfolio.com/174360

I am super excited to announce that we have a tenure-track faculty position in biophysics open in the Department of Physics at Carnegie Mellon! 🧪

Interfolio link: apply.interfolio.com/174360

PLEASE, share widely across the blue skies!

Let me briefly explain what we're looking for:

1/10

Elizabeth Lee smiles at the camera.

Elizabeth Lee, a first-year Ph.D. student in Neural Computation, has been awarded CMU’s 2025 Sutherland-Merlino Fellowship. Her work bridges neuroscience and machine learning, and she’s passionate about advancing STEM access for underrepresented groups.
www.cmu.edu/mcs/news-eve...

🎉 The Department of Medicine is delighted to announce the 2025 Samuel and Emma Winters Foundation awardees! These awards support junior faculty pushing the boundaries of biomedical research in Pittsburgh.

🧵 Meet this year’s awardees:

Five faculty members stand in between two busts.

Five Mellon College of Science faculty members have received named professorships, one of the highest academic honors. These awards support groundbreaking work in neuroscience, astrophysics, chemistry and biological sciences. www.cmu.edu/mcs/news-eve...

Diana Parno stands at a podium and gives a speech. A banner in the background says "Carnegie Mellon University."

Carnegie Mellon has named Diana Parno as associate head of the Department of Physics. A leading neutrino physicist, she will help shape the department’s future while continuing her groundbreaking research.
www.cmu.edu/mcs/news-eve...

Rachel Mandelbaum smiles at the camera.

Carnegie Mellon has named Rachel Mandelbaum as head of the Department of Physics. A leading expert in cosmology and data-driven science, she brings a vision for interdisciplinary research and innovation.
www.cmu.edu/mcs/news-eve...

Frank Leibfarth of UNC Chapel Hill squishes a cube made of a new polymer.

CMU and UNC researchers used AI and human expertise to create a new rubber-like material that’s both strong and flexible — something that’s been difficult to achieve. This breakthrough could speed up the design of better materials for shoes, cars and medical devices.
www.cmu.edu/mcs/news-eve...

A drawing of a building design which highlights sustainable architecture. The design is called "Wildlife Nexus."

CMU’s Environmental and Sustainability Studies program empowers students to tackle climate change through hands-on research and interdisciplinary learning. From water systems in Costa Rica to sustainable architecture, they’re designing solutions for a better future.
www.cmu.edu/mcs/news-eve...

Trilayer moiré superlattices unlock tunable control of exciton configurations Moiré superlattices are periodic patterns formed when two or more thin semiconducting layers are stacked with a small twist angle or lattice mismatch. When 2D materials form these patterns, their elec...

CMU researchers found a new way to control how tiny particles of light and matter, called excitons, behave in ultra-thin materials. This could lead to breakthroughs in quantum tech and future devices. Their work was published in Nature Photonics.
phys.org/news/2025-09...

Ken Hovis and Maggie Braun smile at the camera as they stand next to a grill with hotdogs on it.

Dean Barbara Shinn-Cunningham and Eric Yttri smile at the camera. Yttrium holds a flaming sousaphone.

A group of students participate in tug-of-war.

Undergrads brought the energy to MCS Pride Day — thanks for making it unforgettable!

An image of a red tie dye tee shirt with the words "MCS Pride Day" over it.

MCS Pride Day is tomorrow! MCS undergraduates — join professors, staff and friends on the Mall from 3:30-6:30 p.m. Remember to check in at the MCS Student Advisory Committee tent!

A still from the show Severane where a character walks down a white hallway holding a cluster of blue balloons.

As Severance heads into the Emmys with 27 nominations, CMU neuroscientist Alison Barth explains why the show resonates: our brains use context to separate work and life. State-dependent memory makes those “two selves” feel real.
www.cmu.edu/mcs/news-eve...

Physical Pursuits Help CMU Faculty Attain a Work-Life Balance that Matters Whether it’s on the water, in the dojo or on wheels, the journey toward health and well-being is unique to these faculty at Carnegie Mellon University.

On World Fencing Day, we celebrate the art and strategy of the sport with @barbsc.bsky.social. From saber bouts with students to a bronze medal at the 2019 Veteran Fencing World Championships, she proves fencing is as much mental as physical.
www.cmu.edu/news/stories...

A poster that features Barbara Shinn-Cunningham that says, "AI Horizons Pittsburgh. Sept. 11-12, Bakery Square."

Join @barbsc.bsky.social for “Discovery to Defense: AI and Biomanufacturing at the Frontline” as part of AI Horizons!
www.youtube.com/@AIHorizonsP...

This image captures a small section of NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s view of the Virgo Cluster, offering a vivid glimpse of the variety in the cosmos. Visible are two prominent spiral galaxies, three merging galaxies, galaxy groups both near and distant, stars within our own Milky Way, and much more.

CMU is introducing a Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics in Fall 2025. Students will gain foundational training in data-intensive astronomy and astrophysics, with electives in physics and other relevant departments.
www.cmu.edu/mcs/news-eve...

Five students tug hard on a rope during a game of tug of war.

Five students watch as a model rocket launches into the air.

Two students prepare to tie dye tee shirts.

MCS Pride Day is almost here! We’ll be celebrating undergraduates in the Mellon College of Science from 3:30-6:30 p.m. on Sept. 16 on the Mall between the College of Fine Arts building and Hammerschlag with an afternoon of fun, food and community.

A student holds up a sculpture made of yellow, red and gold strips of metal.

CMU students and math artist Glen Whitney created “Knight’s Move,” an 8-foot sculpture on Wean Hall’s patio. Representing 288 knight moves on a 3D chessboard, it’s a bold mix of math and art. Check it out this fall!
www.cmu.edu/mcs/news-eve...

Our Region's business - Institute for Computer-Aided Reasoning in Mathematics

The Institute for Computer Aided Reasoning in Mathematics has the potential to transform broader mathematics and Pittsburgh business.
www.wpxi.com/news/pittsbu...

Bagpiper’s perfect place to practice is a shelter on the Montour Trail Rehearsing where no one but the occasional cyclist or walker can hear him play his Great Highland bagpipe, a secluded shelter at the Cliff Mine trailhead, Logan McGregor is working on being pitch-perf...

CMU grad Logan McGregor blends physics and bagpipes, practicing at dawn for the Virginia Scottish Games. From piobaireachd to pop, he’s keeping tradition alive — one note at a time.
www.post-gazette.com/life/goodnes...

S2 Episode 10: Cracking the Cosmic Code: How Software Powers the Rubin Observatory Imagine a telescope so powerful it could give us a whole new picture of the cosmos and help answer some of the biggest questions about the universe–if we can handle the data.

@vrubinobs.bsky.social is capturing the cosmos in motion. Carnegie Mellon researchers are building the tools to turn 20TB of daily sky data into discoveries about dark matter, galaxy formation and the universe itself.
www.cmu.edu/whats-next-p...

Anton 3

Biomedical researchers are invited to apply for access to the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center's Anton 3, a resource that enables the modeling of millions of atoms in seconds, which can provide valuable insights into protein and molecular interactions. Learn more: www.psc.edu/resources/an...

A scotty dog wears a baseball cap and holds a foam finger that says "MCS is #1" Text on the poster says, "Mellon College of Science Welcomes You to CMU!"

Welcome back to all of our students! We’re looking forward to the fall semester with you!

A large group of graduate students sits in an auditorium.

A group of eight graduate students gathers around a table and talks.

A group of six graduate students sit and laugh in the Mellon Institute library.

Check out our photo highlights from Incoming Graduate Student Community Day! Cheers to our incredible grad students!

YouTube video by EO The Only Trait for Success in the AI Era—How to Build It | Carnegie Mellon University Po-Shen Loh

Po-Shen Loh, a Carnegie Mellon math professor, sat down with EO Studio for a thoughtful conversation about #AI and its implications on humanity and creativity.

Loh shares his refreshing take on the education and community needed for the AI generation.

Hello, we’re Carnegie Mellon’s Mellon College of Science! We share news on biological sciences, chemistry, mathematical sciences and physics. We’d love to be part of the feed! www.cmu.edu/mcs/news-eve...

Two students smile as they play pinball.

Two students slide down a pair of metal slides.

A group of five students plays a giant game of connect four.

A student rolls a pinball ball down a lane.

First year students had a ball at Pins Mechanical!