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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Collester Center Connects Dietrich College Students

to Experiential Learning

Carnegie Mellon University’s Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences has launched the Collester Center for Experiential Learning, a new initiative that brings together student-focused programs designed to connect academic study with hands-on experiences in undergraduate research, internships, study abroad and community-engaged learning.

Funded through a gift from alumna Lynn Collester (DC 1985) and Michael Collester, the center formalizes a shared commitment to experiential learning across the college. All Dietrich College undergraduate students are required to complete at least one experiential learning opportunity before they graduate, and most complete three or four of these opportunities.

“Working with the Collesters has been a total joy,” said Richard Scheines, Bess Family Dean of Dietrich College. “They are not only passionate about leveraging our education to help the community; they are also thoughtful about how. From the beginning, they have been our partners in working out the details about these programs, and in many instances made important contributions to the design of the program.”

Learn more about the Collesters' mission to help Dietrich students contribute meaningfully to the world around them.

CMU Humanities Center Announces 2026 Faculty

Research Grant Recipients

The Carnegie Mellon University Humanities Center has announced its 2026 Faculty Research Grant recipients, supporting seven interdisciplinary projects that examine culture, technology, history and human experience. The funded work spans documentary film, digital humanities, media history and creative writing, reflecting a wide range of approaches to humanities scholarship.

"The second cohort of faculty research grantees is investigating both timeless and timely questions about human experiences, the human condition and human-centered responses to real-world challenges,” said Edda Fields-Black, director of the Humanities Center and professor of history. “These cutting-edge projects represent the kind of bold, humanistic research the Humanities Center is committed to supporting — research that pushes boundaries and speaks to the complexities of both our past and our world today."

This year's recipients include Nevine Abraham, Michal Rose Friedman, Stefan Gruber, Suguru Ishizaki, David Kaufer, Atesede Makonnen, Mejgan Massoumi, Nupoor Ranade and Camille Rankine.

Learn more about the 2026 Faculty Research Grant recipients.

Kel-Li Chen Receives Carnegie Mellon's K&L Gates Prize

For Kel-Li Chen, a double major in psychology and biological sciences with an additional major in human-computer interaction, learning at Carnegie Mellon University has always extended beyond the classroom. Whether mentoring other students, conducting psychology research or creating mental health resources for survivors of childhood abuse, Chen said her goal has been to build spaces where people feel supported and empowered.

That commitment to learning and community recently earned Chen CMU’s K&L Gates Prize, an award recognizing one student whose intellect, high academic achievement, character and engagement with others best inspired a love of learning.

Learn more about how Chen has pursued psychology through research and lived experience.

Faculty Spotlight: Pina Gemboni

Giuseppina Gemboni is an assistant teaching professor of Italian studies and coordinator of the Italian studies program in the Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics. Gemboni’s scholarly work explores the richness of Italian language, culture, cinema, literature and history.

"While I was in Italy, I studied English and French literature," said Gemboni. "Postcolonial studies entered Italy mainly through English departments. When I was in my BA, there wasn't a class dedicated to Italian postcolonial studies, but still, through other countries' cultural production, I discovered that this was an actual field, and I started wondering who was writing these novels and who was making these films in Italy, because, sadly, we had colonies, too. So, I did my research, and I found out that there were some authors who were writing about this, although at the time they were not very famous. I decided to dedicate more time to this field because Italy needs to hear more about these experiences to face its past and see how much it is connected to the present."

Read why Gemboni believes studying the humanities can help us "see the people beyond the data."

Upcoming Events

• 2026 Pride Celebration (Pittsburgh): Join us for this year’s Pride Celebration as we hear from Dr. Harrison Apple (DC 2013), a Dietrich College alum, followed by a discussion with Q&A, moderated by local scholar, artist and educator Bekezela Mguni. This free event on June 3 from 5 to 6 p.m. aims to educate our campus community, cultivate compassion and understanding, and uplift queer histories, lives and experiences within and around our city. All members of the university community are welcome to attend this celebration.

• Summer Social: Guardians Game (Cleveland): Join the Northeast Ohio and Detroit Networks for a day of baseball and community as the Guardians face off against the Detroit Tigers on June 14 from 1:40 to 4 p.m. 

• Network Happy Hour at Grist House Command (Pittsburgh): Enjoy the start of summer by joining the Pittsburgh Network for a casual happy hour with the local CMU community on June 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. We'll enjoy a slice of local history with our libations at Grist House Command, a taproom of local favorite brewery Grist House inside a former missile command center. This location has dog-friendly decks, a full kitchen and beers brewed on-site.
  
• ICYMI: President's Lecture Series: Edda Fields Black (Virtual): President Farnam Jahanian recently hosted Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Carnegie Mellon University history professor Edda Fields-Black for a distinguished lecture and fireside chat. View the full recording here.

• 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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