Dietrich College News

Released at the beginning of each month, Dietrich College News is your chance to stay up-to-date on the latest news, events and accomplishments of Dietrich alumni, students, staff and faculty.

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Developmental Psychologists and Statisticians Come Together to Ensure Research Tools Measure Up

Catarina Vales and Anna Fisher in the Department of Psychology collaborated with Zach Branson in the Department of Statistics & Data Science to test the reliability of data generated by tasks designed to help researchers understand the way children learn.

Read more about the team's research.

Is It Human, or Is It AI?

With the popularity of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Llama on the rise, the question is often asked: can these programs accurately match the style of text written by humans? An interdisciplinary group of researchers from the Statistics & Data Science and English departments set out to answer this question.

Read more about the team’s study.

Faculty Spotlight: Carl Kubler

Carl Kubler, assistant professor in the Department of History, is a scholar of China's global past. His scholarship and teaching sit at the intersection of Chinese History, Asian American history and diaspora studies and center on how the forces of trade, migration and cross-cultural encounter shape everyday life, with particular emphasis on the history of contact between China and the West.

Read more about Kubler's work and his goals for the next generation of scholars.

Dietrich College Masquerade Ball

The Dietrich College Student Advisory Board held the first ever Dietrich College Masquerade Ball on Feb. 15. Students from across the college dressed in their finest and gathered at the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History to celebrate.

View photos of a night to remember.

Humanities Center Inaugural Event

On Feb. 25, the Carnegie Mellon University community celebrated the relaunch of The Humanities Center, gathering to celebrate new director Edda Fields-Black and learn about humanities-specific faculty research grants.

Learn more about Faculty Research Grants.

Upcoming Events

• K&L Gates-CMU Conference in Ethics and Computational Technologies - Generative AI: Ethics and Governance: Join the K&L Gates Initiative in Ethics and Computational Technologies at CMU for its annual conference exploring the theme Generative AI: Ethics and Governance. This year's event will delve into the ethical challenges, societal implications and governance approaches surrounding generative AI, fostering dialogue on ensuring its safe, responsible and ethical use. The conference will take place March 10 and 11 in Simmons Auditorium (Tepper Building, first floor). Register for the CMU-K&L Gates conference.

• WiDS Pittsburgh @ CMU 2025: The Department of Statistics & Data Science is excited to welcome you to WiDS Pittsburgh @ CMU. A premier gathering for data scientists across the Pittsburgh region, this event brings together students, researchers, industry professionals and organizations to explore the latest advancement in data science, foster connections and highlight impactful work happening in our community. WiDS will take place March 13 and 14 in TCS Hall and the Jared L. Cohon University Center. Register for WiDS.

• Faculty Dialogues Dinner: Seattle-based alumni are invited to join David Creswell, William S. Dietrich II Professor in Psychology and Neuroscience and CEO of Equa Health, for dinner and a discussion of his research, which emphasizes the importance of embracing discomfort rather than avoiding it and using mindfulness to cultivate a balanced state of equanimity, ultimately leading to improved mental and physical health. The dinner will take place on March 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Seattle's Aqua El Gaucho. Register for the dinner.

• Sona - Immersive Storytelling Festival: The Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics and The Kenner Room invite you to a groundbreaking event bringing together filmmakers and creatives in the fields of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and 360° video. Over three days, participants will explore the future of storytelling through immersive media. The festival will be held March 27 to 29 in the Kenner Room (Tepper 1024). Learn more about the Sona Festival.

• Spring Carnival & Reunion Weekend: Registration is now open for Spring Carnival and Reunion Weekend 2025! For more than 100 years, Carnival has been one of the most anticipated weekends of the year. Carnival runs April 3 to 5. Be sure to join us for tasty treats and a front row seat to the buggy races at Dietrich's annual Brunch and Buggy celebration on April 5. Register for Carnival 2025.

• Alumni Events: From cherished, in-person Carnegie Mellon traditions to virtual learning experiences with researchers at the cutting-edge of their fields, CMU offers a variety of events for alumni to connect with each other and the university, expand their knowledge and networking opportunities, and make memories together. Explore alumni events.

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