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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Cassidy Sugimoto Named Dean of Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Cassidy R. Sugimoto, a globally recognized scholar whose work lies at the intersection of information science and science policy, will join Carnegie Mellon University as the next Bess Family Dean of the Marianna Brown Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, effective July 1, 2026. 

Sugimoto joins CMU from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she serves as school chair, Tom and Marie Patton Chair and Professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy.

“Dr. Sugimoto is profoundly in step with CMU’s interdisciplinary culture and our commitment to the ethical inquiry required to address complex societal challenges,” said Carnegie Mellon Provost James H. Garrett Jr. “She understands that the humanities and social sciences are not just complementary to our technical strengths but are foundational to how we understand and improve the human condition.”

Learn why Sugimoto believes now is the moment for Dietrich College to "be bold."

A CMU Playbook for the NFL Draft

Dietrich College experts in sports analytics and decision-making were on full display while Pittsburgh hosted the NFL Draft in April.

Ron Yurko, director of the Carnegie Mellon Sports Analytics Center (CMSAC) and assistant teaching professor in the Department of Statistics & Data Science was heavily involved in the festivities, even getting the opportunity to present CMSAC research to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and members of the media. Yurko and Quang Nguyen also teamed up with the NFL on the historical value of a pick in the NFL Draft, allowing fans to engage with analytics research through the NFL IQ AI chatbot.

Alumni Shravan Ramamurthy, now with the San Francisco 49ers, and Toby Junker, now with the Washington Commanders, as well as current Ph.D. student Meg Ellingwood were featured in a CMU hype video called "The Analytics of the Endzone: How Data is Being Used in Professional Football," which highlighted real career pathways for statistics and data science students.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette featured Yurko and Department of Social and Decision Science Distinguished Service Professor Linda Moya as they taught a first-year Grand Challenge Seminar titled Sports Betting, Highs and Lows: Your Brain on Stats. Steven M. Chase, a professor at the Neuroscience Institute and Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Cleotilde (Coty) Gonzalez, professor in the Department of Social and Decision Sciences, were consulted on a piece about high-stakes decision-making and the NFL Draft, which in turn lead to media interviews.

Learn more about the full slate of Dietrich College NFL Draft coverage and a joint event hosted by Statistics & Data Science and Social and Decision Sciences.

Dietrich College's 2026 Celebration of Education Award Winners

Sharon Carver, professor of psychology, emeritus director of the Children’s School and associate dean for educational affairs, was named the recipient of the 2026 Robert E. Doherty Award for Sustained Excellence in Education. The award is given annually to a member of the Carnegie Mellon University community who has made substantial and sustained contributions to excellence in education.

Kody Manke-Miller, an associate teaching professor of psychology, is the 2026 recipient of the Elliott Dunlap Smith Award. The award is presented annually to a full-time faculty member in Dietrich College and recognizes excellence and distinction in candidates as both teachers and educators.

Dietrich College also recognized three graduate students for exceptional teaching and mentoring. Rachael Mulvihill of the Department of English is the 2026 Graduate Student Teaching Award recipient. And Hannah Fechtner of the Department of Philosophy and Kari Thomas of the Department of History are the 2026 Graduate Student Teaching Assistant Award winners.

Learn more about CMU's annual Celebration of Education.

Andreea Ritivoi and Janine Dutcher Named Dietrich Research Leads

Andreea Ritivoi, William S. Dietrich Professor of English, has been appointed associate dean of research for Carnegie Mellon University’s Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Janine Dutcher, assistant research professor in the Psychology Department and co-director of the CMU-Pitt Brain Imaging Data Generation & Education (BRIDGE) Center, will fill the newly created role of assistant dean of research. Both will begin their terms on July 1.

Ritivoi and Dutcher will succeed Julie Downs, who has been in the associate dean of research role since July 2023. Downs will become head of the Department of Social and Decision Sciences, effective July 1.

Read how Ritivoi and Dutcher aim to keep Dietrich College's research strategy forward-looking and effectively implemented.

Upcoming Events

• Volunteering with Trees Atlanta (Druid Hills): On May 9 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., join us as we volunteer in the Druid Hills community! We will be raking, shoveling, watering and mulching newly planted trees. Please register by May 2.
  
• Black & Gold Night at the Ballpark (San Francisco): Join fellow Carnegie Mellon alumni on May 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. for a lively Saturday evening at Oracle Park as the San Francisco Giants take on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• CMU Night at the Ballpark (D.C.): Join fellow DMV Tartans for a night of baseball on May 15 from 6:45 to 9 p.m. as the Washington Nationals take on their neighbors, the Baltimore Orioles. The first 20,000 attendees will receive a free "Bad Day to be a Hot Dog" baseball hat. 
  
• Bike and Brew on the Illinois Prairie Path (Chicago): Enjoy a bike ride on the scenic Illinois Prairie Path from Batavia to Warrenville (and back) on May 30 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Please register by May 28.

• 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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