Engineering Magazine: Spring 2026

CARNEGIE MELLON ENGINEERING Spring 2026

About the cover Rail transit in the United States has challenges that drive up costs and delay implementation: technical complexity requiring expensive signaling and inspection systems, thorny regulatory hurdles, rigid funding structures that limit financial innovation, and reliance on costly feasibility studies to justify demand. These barriers reinforce high-cost, consultant-driven development models that discourage scalable, community-responsive transit.

This situation prompted a team of Carnegie Mellon engineers to ask, “Rather than relying on billion-dollar rail projects, what would happen if transit could start small, grow with demand, and be shaped by the people it serves?

Their research reveals how legacy rail can overcome barriers that dramatically inflate revitalization costs.

Our Vision is Our Strength Breakthrough results in lowering rail costs

Yesterday WEST SEATTLE LINK EXTENSION

$2 billion

per mile

Today CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY

1.6 miles

for under

$1 million

The smart, affordable, and sustainable future of rail Carnegie Mellon University researchers are bringing passenger rail back to communities by revitalizing existing rail lines—and in doing so, decreasing costs from billions to millions.

P

assenger rail has the power to trans-

projects in this space often stall before they begin.

a path toward faster, more affordable, and more

form communities by connecting resi-

Carnegie Mellon University researchers are work-

sustainable rail transit.

dents to essential services while reduc-

ing to flip this model and, in doing so, decrease a

ing emissions and roadway congestion.

multi-billion-dollar project to millions.

Despite these benefits, expanding rail

With support from the National Science Founda-

The project was conducted in two phases, where Phase 1 aimed to quantify the scale and feasibility of the project undertaking, from the on-the-ground

in the United States has proven nearly impossible

tion’s Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC), a unique

community engagement to the technology deploy-

due to its sky-high price.

program that emphasizes rapid, on-the-ground

ment, and the partnership collaboration.

As an example, the city of Seattle recently em-

impact with direct community engagement, the

Centered around 1.61 miles of legacy rail along

barked on a four-mile light rail extension, costing

team is leveraging the nation’s underutilized

Philadelphia’s Delaware River Waterfront, a neigh-

just under $2 billion per mile. With this price tag,

“legacy rail,” or existing and established tracks

borhood long isolated from their community by

in addition to regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles,

that remain underutilized or abandoned, to pave

Interstate 95 and unreliable public transit, the

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Cutting-edge, on-board rail damage detection technology monitors rail integrity to detect broken rail and assess the condition of existing tracks.

CIVIC team set out to reconnect these residents

On the technical side, CMU’s Flanigan and Mario

To hear more about this research, watch this video.

a full operational deployment in Philadelphia. The

to essential services, economic opportunity, and

Bergés, professor of civil and environmental en-

project will also create an open-access database

safe transportation. By deploying a modular, low-

gineering, tested their cutting-edge on-board rail

of America’s legacy rail lines, providing tools and

cost rail system that is responsive to real-time

damage detection technology for rail inspection. By

workshops to identify opportunities for replication

needs, the goal was to overcome the technical,

integrating acceleration- and vision-based AI, their

across the country.

financial, and regulatory hurdles that stall tradi-

system monitors rail integrity to not only detect

tional transit development.

“Phase 1 allowed us to work closely with com-

broken rail in real time but also evaluate the overall

munities to understand both the promise and the

“The challenges in the Delaware Riverfront mirror

condition of existing tracks. With improved track

barriers,” said Bergés. “Phase 2 is where the rubber

those in cities nationwide, where thousands of miles

monitoring, communities can confidently introduce

meets the road. It’s about putting our vision into

of underused legacy rail remain untapped to close

rail transit on their legacy lines and cost-effectively

practice and showing communities across the U.S.

this gap,” said Katherine Flanigan, assistant pro-

streamline maintenance strategies.

that they can replicate this approach.”

fessor of civil and environmental engineering, and

“By translating sensing technologies from our

“Thirty cities across the country have already ex-

lead principal investigator of the CIVIC project. “This

lab into operational rail vehicles, we can moni-

pressed interest in adopting our model,” said Flani-

project will disrupt the standard model of rail transit

tor safety and reliability in a way that is low-cost,

gan. “This project is truly an unprecedented example

development by demonstrating that revitalizing leg-

scalable, and adaptable to changing community

of the power of community-driven innovation.”

acy rail in collaboration with community stakehold-

needs,” said Flanigan.

ers creates effective and scalable transit solutions.”

Through community forums, surveys, and

Between the technical innovation; resident en-

Demonstrating that legacy rail can be revitalized for millions over billions, as well as the impact on

gagement; low-cost, lightweight Pop-Up Metro train

accessibility, emissions, and economic growth, could

workshops, more than 4,000 Philadelphia residents

cars; and existing rail lines, the project showed that

transform the rail industry—an accomplishment

provided insights into their needs that would direct-

their model of revitalizing legacy rail for passenger

congruent with the Western Pennsylvania region.

ly inform the pilot design. Led by partners Hinge

service could be achieved for under $1 million per

“There’s a deep connection between the legacy of

Collective, the Delaware River Waterfront Corpo-

mile—compared to constructing new rail lines for

our region and the future of rail in this country,” said

ration, and Operation Lifesaver, direct community

nearly $2 billion per mile.

Bergés. “We see this project as charting new path-

engagement ensured that the project addressed future rider needs and priorities.

NSF’s CIVIC recently awarded Phase 2, for work

ways into the future of how the rail industry will oper-

which started in October 2025 to scale the pilot into

ate and we’re thrilled to be a part of this renaissance.”

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Contents Spring 2026 magazine EDI TO R

Sherry Stokes (DC ’07)

DESIG NER

Tim Kelly (A ’05, HNZ ’14)

4

T HE S MA RT, A F F OR DABL E, AND S US TA I NA B LE F UTU RE OF R AIL Carnegie Mellon University researchers are bringing passenger rail back to communities by revitalizing existing rail lines and in doing so, decreasing costs from billions to millions.

Research 10

T H E MA N UF A CTU R ING IMP ER ATIVE Engineers advance digital twins and AI to give U.S. industry an edge.

22

M O DI F YI NG RED BL OOD C EL L S F O R DRUG DELI VERY Multidisciplinary team advances technology to load blood cells with drug molecules.

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T H E F UTURE O F D R ONES I N C O NS TRUCTI ON Eliminating collisions makes it safer for drones to survey construction sites.

36

S O F TB O TI CS A N T ENNA T O SEN SE TH E S P EC TRU M Soft, flexible antenna can sense and move to most efficient radio frequency.

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Inside the College 46

R O BO T I CS I N N O V A T I O N CE N T E R IS O P E N F O R BU SI N E SS AI is elevating robotics and national economic growth.

Student News 52

S U M ME R O F D I SCO V E RY Fellowships support inspiring undergraduate research.

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N E W CO U RSE BRI D G E S I N D U ST RY G A P IN HA R D W A RE V E RI F I CA T I O N Industry will benefit from a pool of graduates who understand verification methodology.

Alumni 62

B E ” SP O KE ” Mechanical engineering alumna re-engineered the bicycle for women.

Introducing our new dean, Burcu Akinci

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M EN O F SCI E N CE , MA ST E RS O F H O V E R How three engineering alumni learned to fly without leaving the ground.

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Message from the dean

F

or 25 years I have conducted research and taught

Center. This facility is designed to expand the impact of the

Civil and Environmental Engineering in the College of

university’s robotics, automation and AI research, development and

Engineering. During my tenure as a professor, head of

commercialization. Engineering researchers will have room to develop

the College’s research office, and then department head,

and test robots for use in a range of physical environments and work

I’ve witnessed remarkable advances. The discoveries

closely with researchers from other disciplines and industry partners.

engineers make, whether in the lab or field, push boundaries and

Recently, I also traveled to Carnegie Mellon-Africa, where I met

enrich our capacity to impact the world. Now as dean of the College,

with students, alumni, faculty, staff, and partners. CMU-Africa

I, along with the faculty and staff, remain steadfast in our mission to

delivers transformative education and engages in collaborative

conduct impactful research and deliver transformative education as

research to address African and global challenges. Program alumni

the world around us changes in an unprecedented way.

are working in key sectors like fintech, health, and energy, engaging

I am excited and honored to lead the College. From our students

in entrepreneurism, and pursuing Ph.D.s at top institutions. I am

to our faculty, staff and alumni, the College is filled with curious and

energized about the future possibilities of our location in Kigali.

creative people, who ask important questions and exchange ideas.

In this issue, you will find stories that illustrate the breadth of the

Engineering is fundamentally driven by the mission to solve society’s

College. Page by page you will discover the opportunities before

most complex challenges—an objective that is both ambitious and

us. Now is the time to be bold, dream big, and blaze new trails to

deeply inspiring, and especially at this point in time, is very much

engineer our brightest future.

needed. Often research that seems futuristic is actually reliant on earlier breakthroughs. In this magazine, we discuss an award we

Sincerely,

received to develop a 3D-printed liver that could reduce the need for transplants. This new initiative utilizes FRESH 3D bioprinting, a technique that was invented at Carnegie Mellon more than 11 years ago. Of course, technology development can move quickly, leapfrogging traditional steps and electrifying markets. Either way, to solve critical problems, Carnegie Mellon researchers devise

Burcu Akinci

daring ideas and take risks, and their determination to succeed

Dr. William D. and Nancy W. Strecker Dean, College of Engineering

drives our world-class research.

An integral part of research is collaborating with industry, experts from different disciplines, and government and community partners. Recently Carnegie Mellon opened the Robotics Innovation

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New leader for College of Engineering

B

urcu Akinci was appointed the next Dr. William D. and Nancy W. Strecker Dean of the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, on January 1, 2026.

The former head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) has been a member of the CMU community for 25 years.

Akinci is an exceptional leader who brings the strategic vision, research impact, and collaborative spirit necessary to lead the College of Engineering. She served as associate dean for research for six years, driving institutional-level growth by helping to establish the “moonshot initiative” to cultivate large-scale research centers, developing the college’s strategic research direction, and increasing the value of new research awards.

As CEE's department head, Akinci fostered a culture of collaboration among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and external partners, encouraging shared learning and the open exchange of ideas across all levels of the department. Through initiatives such as the alumni-to-student and Ph.D.-to-Ph.D. mentorship programs, as well as the Industry Partnership Program that connects students directly to opportunities at more than 20 leading engineering firms, she helped drive innovation by creating pipelines for meaningful engagement.

Under her leadership, the department also expanded its graduate offerings, including CEE’s first online certificate program, AI Engineering - Digital Twins & Analytics, and a new interdisciplinary master’s degree in the emerging field of civil and computer engineering.

Akinci’s research expertise lies at the intersection of computing and infrastructure management and employs data-capturing and sensing technologies and digital twin models. Her cutting-edge work is making the built environment, facility operations, and construction projects smarter, safer, and more sustainable. A pioneer in this nascent field, she has published more than 190 peer-reviewed papers, is an inventor on multiple patents, and co-founded a start-up company.

A member of the National Academy of Construction, distinguished member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Akinci was also named a University Professor in 2023, the highest rank of distinction for faculty at Carnegie Mellon.

Akinci began as a faculty member at CMU in 2000. She received her bachelor’s degree from Middle East Technical University, her MBA from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, and her master’s and doctoral degrees from Stanford University.

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The future of manufacturing is digital and Carnegie Mellon engineers and scientists are advancing digital twin technology and AI for human-machine collaboration capabilities that can give U.S. industry the operational edge it needs to regain its competitive advantage.

The Manufacturing Imperative

10

Learn how CMU research will advance U.S. manufacturing productivity and drive industrial resilience.

Among the impressive scope of industry-related research are several broad strategic approaches that hold promise for nearterm implementation as well as enormous potential for continual adaptation and adoption.

ENHANCING MATERIALS PROPERTY, PERFORMANCE, AND POTENTIAL

ENHANCING PRODUCTIVITY BY DEPLOYING HUMAN-CENTERED AI Complex production challenges are being solved with

ENSURING THE QUALIFICATION OF ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED METAL PARTS

advances in digital twin technology by integrating

The promise of 3D printing to efficiently and reliably

powerful AI that is trained with hard data derived from physical equipment, systems, and environments and enriched by soft data that relies upon the intuitive knowledge, skills, and performance of factory workers.

AI is revolutionizing the development of new metal alloys with refined additive manufacturing technologies that can produce more complex designs and dramatically increase the strength and performance of materials for critical transportation, electronics, energy, and health care applications.

produce metal parts for safety critical applications in automotive, aerospace, and defense sectors is being accelerated with generative design, AI-driven monitoring and control, and digital twin technology.

ADVANCING AUTOMATION WITH ROBOT DEXTERITY AND ADAPTABILITY

EXPANDING THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE

The next generation of manufacturing robots are being

industry partners are providing insight and

trained with sophisticated machine learning techniques

opportunities for manufacturing researchers to

that will enhance their ability to assist human co-

develop strategies, programs, and policies needed to

workers, perform more fine manipulation tasks, and

attract, train, and support a skilled, adaptable, and

readily adapt to shifts in complex production methods.

inclusive U.S. workforce.

Collaborations with public entities and private

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AI + human intelligence Productivity and scalability

Researchers are solving complex manufacturing challenges by using factory workers’ intuitive knowledge to train AI.

I

n Falls River, Massachusetts, a textile manufacturing company that was established almost 200 years ago is championing “Made in the USA” by embracing the advanced manufacturing technology the U.S. needs to regain competitive advantage.

“Factories aren’t relics. They’re extensions of the lab. When

we connect research, universities, commercial problems, and production—we accelerate progress,” declared Charlie Merrow, CEO and an 8th generation family member of the Merrow Manufacturing company.

In October 2024, a team of Carnegie Mellon engineers and scientists visited Merrow’s 300,000-square-foot facility to model their production processes with limited data to support business decision-making for using automation to scale up their manufacturing lines. By integrating human intelligence with

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artificial intelligence (AI), the team helped the company identify opportunities to achieve a three-fold increase in their output of T-shirts for the U.S. military.

Today, research with the Merrow company continues, and Pingbo Tang, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, leads the effort. He describes himself as a construction engineer whose work focused on human interactions with autonomous machines in airports, nuclear power plants, transportation, and construction systems before being drawn to manufacturing-related research.

In 2021, he received seed funding from Carnegie Mellon’s Manufacturing Futures Institute to study how enhancing humanmachine collaboration could reduce waste in the manufacture of customized modular housing components, a process that requires frequent changeovers of equipment and production lines.

His team employed what is essentially digital twin technology to train computers to analyze human-in-the-loop (HITL) production histories reconstructed from field notes, videos of workers, and control system logs of production lines.

THE MANUFAC TURING IMPERATIVE Researchers integrated intuitive human expertise with advanced machine learning techniques that used data derived from actual human interactions. Tang’s team was then able to

training methods and communication styles are most effective to standardize and optimize how workers can gain new skills.

Tang is pleased with the results of this work, particularly in

generate plans for safely and efficiently reconfiguring production

the potential of digital twin technology to solve manufacturing

lines that could accommodate the production of new products

problems for both hard and soft production, in single-worker and

without building new production lines.

team scenarios, and by using multiple modes of data collection.

In 2024, Tang received funding from the Manufacturing PA

He is especially interested in expanding the use of audio,

Innovation program to employ a similar human-machine teaming

human biometric and behavioral data, in addition to video

approach to resolve time and resource waste in small orders of

capture. However, to get the most value from this data, there

customized products for several manufacturers, including DMI

must be a unifying language. Researchers must identify and

Companies, which provides ventilation ductwork for buildings.

consistently use keywords to ensure that the underlying

By collecting waste-generation scenarios from active production lines, the researchers used simulations and data analytics to identify ways to reduce the waste of costly materials used to make ductwork.

information related to a machine’s operation and performance are clearly defined.

AI has the power to make discoveries from human and machine behavioral data, but only if researchers can eliminate

“ FACTORIES AREN’T RELICS. THEY’RE EXTENSIONS OF THE LAB. WHEN WE CONNECT RESEARCH, UNIVERSITIES, COMMERCIAL PROBLEMS, AND PRODUCTION—WE ACCELERATE PROGRESS.” - CHARLIE MERROW CEO, MERROW MANUFACTURING

Compelled to dig deeper, Tang is scrutinizing how human

ambiguity in the multimodal data. Tang hopes to conduct

behavior informs AI. “Why is one worker better at a task than

research on how to standardize observation data to ensure

another? When we can more proactively observe and capture

accurate results.

their historical behavior, we can organize that data and use AI to identify the optimal behavior.”

Again, working with DMI Companies, Tang is conducting human behavior analysis to determine better methods for training their

Tang and collaborators from CMU and the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute intend to further analyze and improve production by installing additional sensors, including those capable of gathering vibration and electricity consumption data.

workers on a newly commissioned piece of equipment. Tang and

The goals of their work are to develop methods that optimize

his team analyzed the verbal exchanges between the trainers and

production of an existing system, replicate those methods for use

users, video capture of their interactions, and biometric data of

throughout a facility, and predict performance that can justify

the participants to find better ways to convey how to set up and

investment in new levels of automation.

use the new equipment.

In this case, researchers are trying to determine which

Those goals resonate with Merrow, who believes, “Made in the USA isn’t a premium. It’s a competitive advantage.”

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Honey, I the robot SHRUNK

I

n the 1980’s when Micro-Electro-

enables electrical functionality for the complex 3D

operating at frequences over 1 kHz, and delivered

Mechanical Systems (MEMS) were first

geometries and actuators without folding or manual

enough power to launch a grain of salt–a projectile

created, computer engineers were excited

assembly. Previous methods for making robotic

that is 7.4% the mass of the entire robot.

by the idea that these new devices that

mechanisms at these smaller microscales had been

combine electrical and mechanical

to create 2D components that required manual

eight iterations of the design of the microDelta

assembly and folding.

robots. This fast turn-around is due to the 3D design

components at the microscale could be used to build miniature robots.

“Eliminating the need for post-processing

Bergbreiter said that Man quickly pushed through

and printing of these robots in contrast to previous

assembly has huge benefits in terms of rapid

approaches that might take weeks or months to

robotic mechanisms to such tiny sizes was the

fabrication and design iteration,” said Bergbreiter.

design and fabricate.

potential to achieve exceptional performance

“Researchers can assemble larger robots from

“I love how quickly Steven was able to iterate

speed and precision. But making robots at smaller

motors and mechanisms that you can buy off-

these designs, and moving forward, students can

scales is easier said than done due to limitations in

the-shelf. We don’t have that luxury at these

more easily continue that work, which will result in

microscale 3D manufacturing.

small scales and connecting pieces together that

future improvements.”

What was particularly exciting about shrinking

Nearly 50 years later Ph.D. students Steven

are smaller than a millimeter is exceptionally

Using the model developed in this work,

Man and Sukjun Kim, working with mechanical

challenging. That’s where this new fabrication

students can further improve desired metrics

engineering professor Sarah Bergbreiter, developed

process is incredibly beneficial.”

such as bandwidth, accuracy, and workspace by

a 3D printing process to build tiny Delta robots

Delta robots at larger scales (typically 2 to 4 feet

changing the robot’s design parameters or even

called microDeltas that have the potential for

in height) are used for picking, placing, and sorting

adding further improvements like sensing for

real-world applications in micromanipulation,

tasks in manufacturing, packaging, and electronics

closed loop operation.

microassembly, minimally invasive surgeries, and

assembly. The microDelta robots, which are 1.4 mm

wearable haptic devices.

and 0.7 mm in height, are the smallest and fastest

Oliver Kroemer are already using arrays of larger

Delta robots ever demonstrated.

scale Delta robots for complex manipulation.

Bergbreiter’s team developed a 3D printing

Robotic Institute professors Zeynep Temel and

process for microrobotics that uses two-photon

By building microDelta robots at different sizes,

Because the microDelta robots are so small, densely

polymerization, an advanced nanofabrication

the researchers were able to test those predictions

packed arrays of multiple microDelta robots could

technique in which a focused laser solidifies

that scientists made almost 50 years ago. As

enable entirely new robot capabilities at small scales

photosensitive material with extremely high

expected, shrinking the robot improved precision

for rich haptic feedback or previously infeasible

precision. Then a thin metal layer is deposited that

to less than a micrometer, increased speed by

micromanipulation tasks.

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THE MANUFAC TURING IMPERATIVE

Two versions of the robot at different size scales are placed next to a U.S. penny that is magnified to show size of robots.

RESEARCHERS USE 3D PRINTING AND A NOVEL NANOFABRICATION TECHNIQUE TO MINIATURIZE MICRODELTA ROBOTS THAT ENABLE EXCEPTIONAL SPEED, PRECISION, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR NEW LEVELS OF MICROSCALE MANIPULATION. Multiple scanning electron microscope (SEM) images are stitched together to provide a high resolution image of the microDelta robot.

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Successful part production advances digital twin modeling Researchers have completed their first successful production of a challenge part through the NASA Space Technology Research Institute, which will advance efforts to optimize additive manufacturing of custom components used in aeroengines.

at elevated temperatures. The digital twin that is being developed through this

T

Somnath Ghosh, professor of civil and systems engineering and mechanical

project will model fatigue evolution in this challenge part for incorporation in the qualification and certification (Q&C) process.

The IMQCAM is a NASA Space Technology Research Institute (STRI) that is co-led by CMU materials science and engineering professor Anthony Rollett and

he rapid production of custom components for rockets and sat-

engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Established in 2023, the effort seeks to

ellites is often essential to support design modifications, repairs,

shorten the cycle required to design, manufacture, and test custom vehicle parts

and operational needs in space travel. Additive manufacturing

that can withstand the conditions of space travel through the development of

can provide an effective solution, but optimization of the design,

models for qualification and certification. By developing a digital twin through

production and testing processes is crucial to maintain the quality

this project, NASA will ultimately be able to use computer based-integrated

and reliability of 3D-printed components.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have completed their first suc-

models to accurately predict fatigue performance of spacecraft parts.

Throughout this project, there are components based on processing, mod-

cessful production of a challenge part through their Institute for Model-based

eling, and verification. With Carnegie Mellon taking the lead in the processing

Q&C of Additive Manufacturing (IMQCAM) that will advance efforts to achieve

element, researchers implemented a design set forth by their partners at Pratt &

these outcomes. This part is representative of components used in aeroengines

Whitney in order to test the computer-based multiscale models of performance

while being non-proprietary and is expected to be capable of sustaining loads

and life that are being developed by Johns Hopkins.

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THE MANUFAC TURING IMPERATIVE

“The main concern is the consistency of the product, so one of the ultimate tests is to demonstrate that our models work for printing something that is representative of the complexity of an actual part,” says Rollett. Acknowledging this, Ghosh adds that the robust integration of physics-based modeling with AI/ ML and uncertainty quantification makes this digital twin a robust platform for tackling this challenge.

The test part will now be verified to confirm its ability to sustain a variety of mechanical loads, temperatures, and conditions. While there were no obvious defects externally, test samples will be analyzed to ensure there are no internal defects and that the mechanical properties, particularly fatigue, meet the necessary standards. Non-contact measurements will be gathered through interferometric techniques, and the part will be re-measured once it has been cut from the build plate to determine any impacts of residual stress. The part will also be heat treated to bring it closer to a product that a company might use.

The CMU team plans to print additional iterations of the part with a greater variety of conditions, to further enhance the printing process and product properties. The first version was created using a standard titanium alloy with 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium, but eventually the part will be printed with nickel alloy 718, a superalloy known for its excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance.

The successfully printed challenge part in a bed of metal powder in the EOS M290.

The powder is removed to show the fully printed part in the test bed.

An aerial view of the completed challenge part on the build plate shows the design to test digital twin modeling and fatigue performance.

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AlloyGPT: Leveraging a language model to aid alloy discovery

Researchers in the Materials Science and Engineering Department have pioneered the potential to train large language models to improve the speed and reduce the cost of alloy design for various manufacturing processes.

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THE MANUFAC TURING IMPERATIVE

A

dditive manufacturing of alloys has

novel alloy physics language in a similar manner. Led

enabled the creation of machine parts

by Mohadeseh Taheri-Mousavi, they have developed

that meet the complex requirements

AlloyGPT, which recognizes the relationship between

needed to optimize performance in

composition, structure, and properties in order to

aerospace, automotive, and energy

generate novel designs for additively manufacturable

applications. Finding the ideal mix of elements to

structural alloys.

use in these parts when there are countless possible

The AlloyGPT model is unique in that it has dual

combinations available is a complicated process that

functionality. It accurately predicts multiple phase

has been accelerated by computational tools and

structures and properties based on given alloy

artificial intelligence.

compositions, and conversely, it can suggest a

With large language models (LLM), such as ChatGPT, evolving to better understand natural languages, researchers in the Materials Science and Engineering

comprehensive list of alloy compositions that meet desired design goals.

“We have created an architecture that has learned

Department at Carnegie Mellon University have

the physics of alloys in order to design enhanced

pioneered the potential to train LLM to understand a

alloys that have the desired qualities for mechanical

performance and manufacturability in a variety

manufactured alloys in which gradual changes in

of applications,” said Taheri-Mousavi, an assistant

material properties exist across a single part.

professor of materials science and engineering.

Taheri-Mousavi’s group, which focuses on

“It’s exciting to build a model that can solve prediction and design tasks simultaneously,” said Bo Ni,

structural alloy design, built the autoregressive model

a postdoctoral researcher at Taheri-Mousavi’s group.

by developing a language for the physics of alloys

“It’s even more interesting when we demonstrate

for training this generative AI model. Rather than

that AlloyGPT can synergize accuracy, diversity, and

analyzing words, the model examines compositions

robustness in problem solving.”

and structural features in a sentence format to

This language model has potential to lay the

understand how the composition, structure, and

groundwork for similar models and to accelerate

properties are connected. Unlike conventional

material design for alloys manufactured by both

iterative methods, which often face challenges in

traditional and additive manufacturing.

finding all possible solutions, AlloyGPT can provide

“Our approach will enable scientists to quickly

a comprehensive list of elemental combinations to

discover alloys with new or improved properties and

produce the material properties requested. This is

will ultimately help industry partners to improve the

useful for designing gradient composition additively

speed and reduce the cost of their alloy design for various manufacturing processes,” said Taheri-Mousavi.

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Stepping on up to manufacturing careers Organizers celebrate strides they’ve made attracting women and under-employed individuals to manufacturing careers by introducing them to new skills, equipment, and job opportunities.

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THE MANUFAC TURING IMPERATIVE

A

mong the job seekers at a job fair

nization serving Southwestern Pennsylvania.

hosted by Carnegie Mellon Universi-

Sandra DeVincent Wolf, executive director of

ty’s Manufacturing Futures Institute

MFI, explained that although MFI is a world-class

(MFI) last fall was a group of partici-

center for advanced manufacturing research that

pants from the Step on Up – Maker to

includes workforce development initiatives aimed at

Manufacturer program.

a national audience, they welcome the opportunity

Every other week for six months, 25 participants

to contribute to local programs that can give area

were introduced to manufacturing skills and equip-

residents a better understanding of modern man-

ment at sessions hosted by MFI, Prototype PGH, and

ufacturing, including the skills that are needed and

New Century Careers. The program was designed

the opportunities that exist locally.

to encourage interest in manufacturing careers by

After an opening ceremony at Mill 19 in March

offering participants unique experiences using tools

2025, the group saw what modern manufactur-

and machinery.

ing looks like in Carnegie Mellon’s manufacturing

One exhibitor at the job fair was so impressed

research facility. During the program, participants

with the participants’ knowledge and enthusiasm

would return to Mill 19 for workshops on hand tools,

that he hopes to find ways for his company to

electric circuitry, and the role of artificial intelligence

support the program and look to it as a source for

in manufacturing.

future talent.

Their interest was just one of many wins the program organizers are celebrating.

The Step on Up program received funding from the Build Back Better Plan through CMU’s Block Center for Technology and Society, which enabled

Prototype PGH Founder Erin Gatz says that her

the organizers to provide participants with childcare,

non-profit organization provides low-cost access to

meals at each training session, and a small stipend

high-tech equipment in a welcoming makerspace

for transportation.

environment that provides free workshops and

“Erin did an especially good job at focusing on the

equipment training, as well as a network of support

barriers by addressing anything that would hinder

intended to build confidence and technical skills.

participation, which is ultimately what gave them the

During the first weeks of the program, participants learned vector design, screen-printing, laser cutting, and 3D printing at Prototype’s Sharpsburg location.

“I am so excited about the success we’ve seen with

opportunities to get so excited about pursuing these jobs,” said Wolf.

But perhaps the biggest win of all is that the Heinz Endowments and the PNC Charitable Trusts

the first cohort. We’ve graduated 25 participants,

have stepped in to fund the program with a new

some of whom are beginning to interview with local

cohort starting this spring.

manufacturing companies,” said Gatz, who added that one participant has already enrolled in the New Century Careers pre-apprenticeship program.

Teaira Collins enrolled in the MANUFACTURING 2000 Pre-Apprenticeship program, which offers entry-level machinist training to qualified applicants at no charge.

While at New Century Careers, she and the other participants used surface grinders, lathes, and vertical milling machines, and were introduced to advanced manufacturing equipment including industrial robots and CNC Machines.

“This program is a wonderful way to address workforce shortages by giving individuals the chance to learn about skills and competencies needed in advanced manufacturing careers,” said Neil Ashbaugh, the president of New Century Careers, a non-profit manufacturer and technical skills development orga-

21

2 RESEARCH

Derin Sevenler (center) with students in lab.

22

Modifying red blood cells for drug delivery

A

bundant and persistent, red blood cells

Previous research has found that existing meth-

have a lifetime of about four months

ods of making a hole in a red blood cell can shorten

in the human body and travel to every

the lifetime of the cell. The membrane is weakened,

organ and tissue. They could soon be

the cell becomes more fragile, and it is cleared by the

leveraged to transport more than oxygen

body faster.

and carbon dioxide.

Membrane damage can also activate the immune

A team led by researchers at Carnegie Mellon

system. Immune cells recognize certain changes in

University is receiving $5.4 million from the Defense

the membrane structure, identify those red blood

Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to devel-

cells as damaged, and destroy them. “We want to

op technologies for loading red blood cells with drug

understand if we can develop methods that keep

molecules. DARPA’s Red Blood Cell Factory (RBC-Fac-

these modified red blood cells in circulation for their

tory) program aims to create a medical device-based

natural lifetimes,” says Sevenler.

platform to insert biologically active components, like

Another limitation of existing methods is that

proteins and peptides, into red blood cells to provide

they can only load small molecules into red blood

enduring protection for service members in challeng-

cells, leaving out an important class of drugs based

ing environments.

on larger biological molecules like proteins.

The 21-month project, titled Visco-Elastic Large

Sevenler’s proposed method is gentler on cells,

Volume Erythrocyte Transfection (VELVET), will study the

can be used with both large and small molecules,

feasibility of a new method for loading diverse compo-

and is uniquely high-throughput. The ability to

nents into red blood cells. Developed by Derin Sevenler,

modify billions of cells per minute is critical because

the method could enable delivery of medication at safe,

potential clinical applications will require loading

effective, and consistent concentrations for extended

medication into a lot of red blood cells.

periods of time. For example, drug molecules designed

“If we can increase the amount of medication

to remain inactive while inside the red blood cells could

we can load into the cells, that will open up more

become active upon release when those cells are natu-

possibilities for which treatments can be delivered

rally recycled by the body.

this way,” says Sevenler.

“The vision is a single outpatient procedure with a

Sevenler is leading a multidisciplinary team of ex-

therapeutic effect that lasts for months,” says Sevenler,

perts in microfluidics, intracellular delivery, bio-nano-

assistant professor of chemical engineering.

technology, biomedical devices, transfusion medi-

The Sevenler Lab is developing a device to load drug

cine, and technology policy. Within Carnegie Mellon’s

molecules into red blood cells taken from a standard

College of Engineering, Daphne Chan and Jim Schnei-

blood draw, with the goal of eventually infusing the

der are leading the development and formulation of

drug-loaded cells back into the patient. They use manu-

different molecules to maximize how much can be

facturing techniques originally developed for computer

loaded into red blood cells. Kathryn Whitehead and

chips to make microfluidic devices that can precisely

Phil Campbell are working to understand if and how

manipulate biological samples like cells.

the immune system recognizes a red blood cell that

Inside the microfluidic device, Sevenler’s design takes

has been modified by this process and how to keep

advantage of the nonlinear mechanical properties of

those cells from being destroyed. Doron Cohen will

viscoelastic fluids. Cells are exposed to an extreme-

assess the ethical, legal, and societal impacts of the

ly brief but intense pulse of stretching forces, which

new technology. Joining them are Susan Shea at the

creates leaky pores in the cell membrane. These pores

University of Pittsburgh Trauma and Transfusion

stay open for a few seconds, long enough to efficiently

Medicine Research Center and Lu Li in the Robotics

deliver molecules into the cell by molecular diffusion.

Institute at Carnegie Mellon.

23

Revolutionizing A early cancer detection with at-home technology

Multi-Party Team (MPT) represented by Carnegie Mellon University researchers and private industry partners has secured an award of up to $26.7 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Platform Optimizing SynBio for Early Intervention and

Detection in Oncology (POSEIDON) program to usher in a new era of proactive cancer screening by offering an at-home solution to detect more than 30 Stage 1 solid tumor cancers from a simple urine sample.

The R&D component of the CMU MPT project will be led by Rebecca

Taylor, principal investigator, with research support from multiple co-investigators, including Burak Ozdoganlar. Both Taylor and Ozdoganlar are professors of mechanical engineering at CMU. Combining recent advancements in synthetic biology with cutting-edge detection technology, the team will develop both a highly innovative orally administered pill containing specially engineered, tumor-targeting sensors and a user-friendly cancer screening device designed for at-home urine testing.

Ginkgo Bioworks will serve as the commercialization partner, working to bring the team’s cutting-edge technologies to market.

Using a combination of synthetic biology and nucleic acid nano-

technology, the pill’s specially engineered, tumor-targeting sensors will be able to detect tumor-specific conditions, such as low oxygen, acidity, and lactate—hallmarks of cancer. The sensors will then release reporters to indicate the presence of a tumor and its specific tissue of origin. Synthetic reporters will then be excreted into urine to collect the results.

“Our dual-function approach is designed to provide an unprecedented level of precision, effectively illuminating hidden tumors from within the body, which then signals the presence of disease through a simple urine test,” explained Taylor. “This is a scientific leap forward that we believe will profoundly change how we approach early cancer diagnostics.”

The team’s multiplexed cancer screening device will process the urine sample, indicate the presence of cancer, identify the tissue of origin, and wirelessly transmit the results to a smartphone application along with educational resources and healthcare pathways. RNA reporters found in the urine will be identified using specialized biosensors based on CRISPR-Cas technology in the device. This will allow early cancer detection via a measurable electrical signal.

With plans to move the multi-cancer detection kit into human trials and to secure its commercialization at an affordable cost, less than $100, this project aims to not only save lives but also redefine how we approach cancer screening and care, making it more proactive, convenient, and patient-centric.

“Beyond the scientific breakthroughs, our focus is on creating a truly impactful solution,” said Ozdoganlar. “The CMU MPT kit is a giant step towards making early cancer detection dependable, affordable, and convenient for everyone, with the potential to save millions of lives. Our ultimate goal is to translate this innovation into a commercial product that empowers individuals to take control of their health, significantly reducing the burden of advanced cancer and improving outcomes globally.”

In addition to Carnegie Mellon researchers, the multi-party team includes academic experts from the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and KU Leuven, as well as corporate partners at Ginkgo Bioworks, Velentium Medical, Clinical Research Strategies, and Platypus Bio. Additional researchers on the project include Carnegie Mellon faculty members Maysam Chamanzar and Tzahi Cohen-Karni.

24

Biobots made from human lung cells

A

Microscale biological robots made from human lung cells are advancing with new research showing control over their movement via engineered structural design.

brand-new engineering

like Paramecium or comb jellies, swim.

tissues with our AggreBots,” explained

they are naturally biodegradable and

approach to generate

However, a reliable way to control the

Bhattaram. “Through the process of

biocompatible, which may enable their

“designer” biological

exact shape and structure of a cilia-

fusing together different spheroids

direct application in medical settings

robots using human

powered biobot (CiliaBot, for short),

into different shapes, together

in the future.”

lung cells is underway

and thereby its motility outcome, has

with the inclusion of nonfunctional

As the Ren lab continues to build

proven difficult to come by.

spheroids, we can precisely control

on the platform, they acknowledge the

the location and abundance of cilia

technology could benefit a wide range

in Carnegie Mellon University’s Ren lab. Referred to as AggreBots, these

The Ren lab pioneered a novel

microscale living robots may one day

modular assembly strategy for

propellers on the tissue’s surface to

of audiences, including those in the

be able to traverse through the body’s

CiliaBots, using spatially controlled

direct CiliaBot behavior for the first

biorobotics community, clinicians, and

complex environments to deliver

aggregation of tissue spheroids,

time. This is a seminal step forward

medical researchers who study how

desired therapeutic or mechanical

cilia work in diseases like primary ciliary

interventions, once greater control is

dyskinesia or in the thick, high-viscosity

achieved over their motility patterns.

mucus of cystic fibrosis. Notably,

In research published in Science Advances, the group provides a novel tissue engineering platform capable of achieving customizable motility in AggreBots by actively controlling their

WE’VE LAID DOWN A PATH THAT PEOPLE CAN USE TO CONTROL CILIABOT MOTILITY

structural parameters.

of autonomous movement and programmability to perform specific tasks or behaviors. Previously, enabling biobots’ motility has been centered around using muscle fibers, which allow them to move by contracting and relaxing like real muscles.

A novel, alternative mechanism of actuation can be found by using cilia, the nanoscopic, hair-like, organic propellers that continuously move fluids in the body (like in the lungs) and help some aquatic creatures,

own cells, which could be used to generate personalized therapeutic delivery vehicles without running the risk of an immune rejection.

“Motility matters, because the

Biobots are microscopic, manmade biological machines capable

CiliaBots can be made from a patient’s

body is a complex environment,” which their lab engineers out of lung

that we and others can invest time

stem cells. Using the strategy, these

into for productive outcomes.”

aggregated CiliaBots (AggreBots)

“The Aggrebots approach adds a

can incorporate stem cell spheroids

new design dimension to these types

bearing a genetic mutation that

of biobots and biohybrid robots,”

renders cilia in specific regions

added Victoria Webster-Wood,

nonfunctional and immotile.

associate professor of mechanical

Dhruv Bhattaram, first author of

engineering. “Being able to combine

the paper and biomedical engineering

different ciliated and non-ciliated

Ph.D. student, likened the process

elements modularly will allow future

to taking away the oars at chosen

researchers to create biobots with

locations on a rowboat while paddling.

specific engineered mobility patterns.

“We’re pushing forward an alternative method of powering biobot

Because the Aggrebots are made

elaborated Xi (Charlie) Ren, associate professor of biomedical engineering.

“Cellular delivery of therapeutics has great potential, but without a proper propulsion mechanism, cells can easily get stuck. We’ve laid down a path that people can use to control CiliaBot motility. From helping us understand the health impact of environmental hazards to facilitating in vivo therapeutic delivery, CiliaBots have a swath of potential uses, and it’s exciting to be part of their evolution.”

entirely from biological materials,

25

Researchers develop a bioluminescent sensor to speed up a lengthy step in drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s Disease.

Unlocking drug discovery process in race to treat patients

D

rug discovery can be a long and complex process. Medicines for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s Disease are among the most expensive to develop, as animal model

Sonbati optimized the approach using a GPCR that the Robinson Lab has worked with extensively, the adenosine A2A receptor. “We needed to understand what the data looked like in a well-characterized system, understand what it

results have not proven to be predictive of efficacy in humans.

tells us about the interactions in the cell, before entering that unknown space of

Scientists usually have to screen many biological targets before

orphan GPCRs,” says Sonbati.

identifying a single potential new drug.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are developing a platform to enable

high-throughput drug screening. Their work is part of efforts to optimize each piece of the drug discovery process, with real impacts in the race to treat patients.

The drugs that activate A2A are known. Sonbati looked at two classes of

drugs: agonists, which upregulate receptor activity; and inverse agonists, which downregulate receptor activity. Initially, the A2A is already bound, or “pre-cou-

pled,” with the G-protein, creating bioluminescence even in a resting state in the

Anne Skaja Robinson investigates G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs), pro-

cell. When an agonist is added, the GPCR and G-protein should dissociate, and

teins that reside at the cell’s surface. They are the target of many small-molecule

the sensor should no longer show luminescence. Sonbati’s results confirmed

drugs, including therapies for diabetes, allergies, and cancer.

this behavior from the control protein.

The Robinson Lab is focused on the role of these transmembrane proteins

When an inverse agonist is added, the G-protein is recruited back to the

and their downstream cellular responses. One side of a GPCR faces into the cell,

GPCR, and luminescence increases again. “These results helped us understand

where it’s associated with a G-protein. The other side of a GPCR is outside the

that we're not always expecting to see a decrease in luminescence. We're look-

cell, where a drug can bind; thus, they serve as sensors for a cell’s environment.

ing for changes compared to the initial state, which will give us more informa-

“There’s a lot of untapped therapeutic potential,” says Sarah Sonbati. There are

tion about our sensor,” says Sonbati.

800 known GPCRs, yet current drugs target less than 15% of those.

The gap in disease treatments exists because scientists don’t yet know what

After optimizing for cell type, density, and transfection methods, Sonbati successfully applied the platform to two orphan GPCRs that are upregulated in

binds to some GPCRs. Identifying small molecules to activate these orphan

Alzheimer’s Disease. “No one has been able to look at them before in quite this

GPCRs is one path to possible new drugs. Alzheimer’s Disease is of particular

way,” she says.

interest because scientists know that there is an upregulation, or an increase, of specific GPCRs in people with the disease. There’s also no cure yet.

“What if we start looking at the root cause of Alzheimer’s Disease, and we try to target that?” asks Sonbati, a chemical engineering Ph.D. student. “The answer might be in GPCRs and understanding how a GPCR is activated.”

The sensor also confirmed that both of the orphan GPCRs are pre-coupled to the G-protein, like A2A is. They don’t require another molecule to interact or

activate functions in the cell. “That means everything we learned about luminescence with A2A can be applied in this space,” says Sonbati.

The Robinson Lab is now testing a 700-drug library from the National Insti-

When a drug combines with the GPCR on the outside of the cell membrane,

tutes of Health (NIH) to see if any activate the orphan GPCRs they are work-

the G-protein inside the cell dissociates. Sonbati leveraged that change in associ-

ing with. Sonbati has also designed constructs to switch their platform from

ation to create a biosensor that uses bioluminescence to detect the coupling of

mammalian cells to yeast. Yeast grows faster and is more robust, enabling more

GPCRs and G-protein.

experiments and faster results.

“Our platform enables more specific detection of the protein activation itself, and in a cellular context,” says Robinson, professor of chemical engineering.

Robinson and Sonbati developed their cell-based assay from an existing system

Robinson and Sonbati’s platform is a powerful tool to test and understand GPCR activation. It is quicker and less expensive than traditional methods.

“Our vision is to apply this more generally for high-throughput drug screen-

that uses an enzyme specifically designed to provide transient luminescence,

ing,” says Sonbati. “Picture a well plate with our sensor in each small well. You

based on the light emitted by fireflies. The enzyme luciferase is split into a small

add a different potential drug to each well. All the wells start glowing, meaning

bit and a large bit, each attached to a protein. When the two proteins are inter-

the proteins are interacting, except for one. The drug in that well is the one you

acting, the luciferase bits are close enough to reconstitute function and glow.

want to look at further.”

26

A shocking approach for treating drugresistant infections Electrochemical therapy makes currently available drugs more effective against yeast infections that the CDC classifies as an urgent threat.

R

1 minute

5 minutes

15 minutes

60 minutes

Control

esistant to most antifungal drugs, the yeast Candidozyma auris is spreading globally and has caused recent outbreaks in U.S. hospitals.

The US Centers for Disease Con-

trol and Prevention (CDC) classifies it as an urgent threat. To meet the need for better treatments, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are devel-

17.5 μA/cm2DC

oping a novel way to combat drug resistance.

There are currently few methods to control C. auris infections, which spread through contact. Most infections start on the skin and can enter the bloodstream if unchecked. The mortality rate is high for immunocompromised individuals.

In Chemical Engineering Journal, Tagbo Niepa,

Antifungal diffusion study highlights how a sublethal dose of electrochemical therapy (ECT) makes the drug more effective. ECT facilitates diffusion and accumulation of fluorescently labeled caspofungin (red) in C. auris (blue).

Camila Cué Royo, and collaborators demonstrate the potential of electrochemical therapy to treat C. auris, both alone and in combination with currently

In response to the electrochemical stress, C. auris

cules accumulating on C. auris cell walls. Healthy cells

available antifungal drugs. “We’re trying to maximize

cells become hyperactive. Toxic material starts to

can control their permeability, and they do not allow

the effects of drugs that are already available but

accumulate in them, and they activate their internal

the drug to diffuse in. After using a low level of elec-

are not working,” says Cué Royo, a Ph.D. student in

machinery to try to clear it. Unable to recover from

trical current to damage the cell walls, Niepa and Cué

chemical engineering.

the stress, the cells eventually die. Higher current

Royo observed the drug molecules inside the cells.

Electrochemical therapy delivers a low dose of

levels kill more cells.

For antifungal drugs that are currently ineffec-

electrical current. “The current is below our percep-

At lower levels, electrochemical therapy damages

tive, delivering them with a low dose of electro-

tion level, so we wouldn’t even feel it on the skin,”

cell membranes but does not kill C. auris. When Niepa

chemical therapy could make them more potent.

says Niepa, associate professor of chemical engi-

and Cué Royo tested a low level of electrical current

The treatment method also has implications for

neering and biomedical engineering. The technology

in combination with a common class of antifungal

the development of new drugs. “If we’re able to

has shown promise eradicating bacteria and other

drugs, they found that the two treatments, which do

potentiate a drug, we can use a lower dose and

species of yeast. Niepa and Cué Royo’s study is the

not work individually, can be effective in combination.

minimize the possibility of resistance developing,”

first to describe its effect on C. auris.

The antifungal drug caspofungin can interrupt

says Cué Royo.

They evaluated cell viability and metabolic

the ability of C. auris to replicate, but it only works

Niepa has extensively studied the mechanisms

functions under three different levels of electrical

on cells that are metabolically active. “Owing to their

of how electrochemical therapy works. “We have a

current. Their findings show that C. auris responds in

innate ability, C. auris cells commonly remain dor-

better understanding of our next step toward appli-

a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with elec-

mant when they are exposed to drugs in a biological

cations because we know exactly what is happening

trochemical therapy becomes more effective as the

environment. During that dormancy, the drug does

here,” he says. With Cué Royo and other collabora-

level of current increases.

not have an effect,” says Niepa.

tors, he is developing an electrochemical bandage

Higher current levels have more effects on cell shape, structure, and other indicators of health.

Before administering electrochemical therapy, Niepa and Cué Royo observed antifungal drug mole-

that can be applied to the skin to treat C. auris and other infections.

27

Technology to revolutionize fish farming in Africa CMU-Africa professor is using automatic feeders and computer vision to make fish farming in Rwanda more economical.

I

n fish farming, the highest cost isn’t the

more economical. Other feeding methods like

Thornburg is using computer vision, a field of AI that

fish—it’s the food. From buying the feed

demand feeders, which release food when triggered

allows computers to analyze and interpret data from

itself, to the labor needed to throw it out by

by a fish, can lead to excessive or wasted feed. As a

images. He is specifically focusing on tilapia because

hand multiple times a day, up to 70 percent

result, many in the global industry have adopted au-

they are the most-consumed fish in Rwanda and

of the cost associated with fish farming can

tomatic feeders, which are shown to increase feed

sub-Saharan Africa. Since tilapia eat floating feed,

be attributed to feeding. But Jesse Thornburg, assis-

accuracy and reduce waste. According to Thornburg,

the team’s cameras monitor the water surface and

tant teaching professor at CMU-Africa, is looking to

automatic feeders can also improve feed conversion

capture images that are analyzed locally by micro-

change that by automating the feeding process.

ratios, or the measure of how the volume of feed

controllers (low-power edge devices). This system

converts to fish weight gain.

also facilitates image uploads to a remote server

“We saw that the farmers’ big need was in tracking and improving the feeding of their fish,” Thorn-

Despite the growing use of automatic feeders in

burg said. “Automatic feeders were key for improv-

aquaculture, by-hand feeding is still the standard in

ing their metrics.”

Rwanda and nearly all of Africa. Yet, in Thornburg’s

After installing their first feeder last February

Through the use of solar-powered automatic

paper, published in the Journal of the World Aquacul-

on a tilapia pond at Lakeside in southern Rwanda,

feeders and computer vision, Thornburg and his

ture Society, finds that automatic feeding produces

Thornburg’s team is collecting more image data to

team at the Grid Automation for Development Lab

better outcomes, including greater weight gain,

characterize fish behavior and optimize feed timing.

are working with industry partners, including Lake-

when compared to traditional by-hand feeding.

But improving their feeding algorithm is not the only

side Fish Farm, to make tilapia farming in Rwanda

28

To better track how much and how fast fish eat,

network, or cloud, where they are processed by the team’s software to enhance feeding algorithms.

purpose of the camera system—it can also be used

Inside a Rwandan fish farming facility.

for surveillance to help farmers deter fish theft and offer reassur-

Ghana. To commercialize the solution and scale across fish farms

ance that their fish are being fed enough. Thornburg is hopeful

in these different countries, they have formed a company called

that the surveillance system will help support farmers regardless

Aquabotics Limited and raised funding from Rwanda Green Fund.

of whether an auto-feeder is installed.

The initial research work is funded by Rwanda’s National

“Not many farmers buy into auto-feeding immediately,” Thorn-

Council for Science and Technology. The research team includes

burg said. “They’re hesitant to take that out of human hands and

Emenike Goodluck (MS ECE ’22), Emmanuel Annor (MS ECE ’22),

give it to a robot, an automated feeder, or to a company that is

Samiratu Ntohsi (MS EAI ’25), Emmanuel Adjei (MS EAI ’25), and

quite new.”

Isaiah Essien, a student at the African Leadership University study-

Through industry partnerships, Thornburg is developing a mon-

ing software engineering.

itoring app that alerts farmers of when their fish are being fed or if any unusual activity, like theft, occurs at their ponds. In the future, Thornburg plans to develop a version of the app that sends alerts as text messages, allowing farmers without smartphones to still receive updates about their fish.

The data Thornburg and his team collect will also be used to help guide what goes into the feed pellets. Not only will this improve the nutrition of the fish, but it will benefit the people who rely on fish as a source of protein.

“Many Rwandans live near water and would like to buy fresh fish, but it was too expensive. We saw that with automatic feeding and optimization, we can drive the cost down below 40 cents per pound of tilapia,” Thornburg said. “We foresee this being even bigger than just characterizing how much and how quickly fish are eating.”

While Thornburg’s team is currently working in Rwanda, they have plans to expand their automated feeding system to other

CMU researchers are working with industry partners to make fish farming more economical.

parts of Africa, including Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, and

29

The future of drones in construction Research will make it safer for drones to survey construction sites by eliminating the risk of collision.

A

s it becomes more evident to general contrac-

Oftentimes when a robot trained in simulations is put to

tors that autonomous drones can efficiently

the test in the world it fumbles because of the differences

survey land and inspect infrastructure without

in simulated and real-world sensory information. Shimada’s

pilots on the ground, the global drone con-

team worked to overcome this hurdle by adopting a “safety

struction market is expected to grow into a

shield” on top of the novel reinforcement learning frame-

nearly $20 billion industry. Kenji Shimada aims to make this

work. The safety shield works based on the velocity obstacle

ever-growing industry safer by eliminating concern about

concept that says that “the set of all velocities of a robot that

onsite drone collisions.

will result in a collision with another robot at some moment in time, assuming that the other robot maintains its current velocity.” With this, Shimada’s drones can assess which ob-

NAVIGATING DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENTS

stacles are high risk for future collision and react accordingly to avoid them.

To avoid a collision, drones must be two steps ahead of the

“Safety is always the most important thing,” said Shimada.

objects around them. This starts by ensuring the drone can

“In this case we are looking at making it safer for drones to

“see” everything in its path. Shimada, a professor of mechani-

operate around workers on construction sites, but there are

cal engineering, does this by installing both a high-quality cam-

also a lot of dangerous sites where drones can take over jobs

era and radar sensor onto the drones. This allows the drone

to make people safer in those environments too.”

to “see” 3D objects around it and understand its distance from

In the future, Shimada’s lab will work to help drones

each object and person. Because the drone is collecting data

avoid not just humans on a construction site but moving

from different sensors, each data set can be cross-checked for

machinery as well. He hopes to build drones that can react

accuracy, which adds another layer of security.

to movement in the same way that flies avoid a swatter—

Next, Shimada ensures that his drones can predict the course of the people around it using a model called the Markov Decision Process. Instead of predicting a single trajectory per obstacle, Shimada’s module generates all possible trajectories including stopping, turning, and forward movement.

After processing this information, Shimada’s drones can plan the best route to avoid collision.

As a bonus to general contractors, Shimada found that his radar sensor is able to measure the coordinates of a construction site after just one 30-second flight.

“Land surveying requires expensive equipment and leaves room for human error,” said Shimada. “Automating this process would save time and money.”

FROM SIMULATION TO REAL-WORLD APPLICATION Reinforcement learning is a machine learning technique that mimics the trial-and-error method people use as they learn to navigate the world. In the real world this would look like a handful of drones flying into people and buildings as they learn how to avoid them. Thanks to digital twins, Shimada’s team can expose thousands of drones to any number of collision risks in a destruction-free, injury-free environment.

30

quickly and effortlessly.

Drones equipped with magnetic blocks have precise pick-and-place assembly. A large language model can translate high-level design goals like “build a bridge” into executable plans to be used with such drones.

Skybound construction Advancements in aerial additive manufacturing from the lab of Amir Barati Farimani could one day enable drones to construct remote infrastructure, maintain cities, and support space exploration.

D

isaster just struck, roads are inaccessible, and peo-

“The adaptability of LLMs allows us to generate and adapt build-

ple need shelter now. Rather than wait days for a

ing plans onsite. If we encounter problems while building, we can

rescue team, a fleet of AI-guided drones takes flight

switch gears to ensure efficient and accurate construction,” said

carrying materials and the ability to build shelter,

Barati Farimani.

reinforce infrastructure, and construct bridges to

reconnect people with safety.

It sounds like science fiction, but research from Carnegie Mellon

To test this take on aerial AM, researchers set up a 5x5 grid and tasked drones with designing specific shapes using the magnetic blocks. Because the drones were monitored by a camera, if they

University’s College of Engineering combines drones, additive

dropped a block in the wrong position, left a gap, or built inefficiently,

manufacturing, and large language models to rethink the future of

the LLM autonomously prompted the drone to work with the error

aerial construction.

from a new plan rather than starting over. Thanks to this closed feed-

Aerial additive manufacturing (AM)—think flying 3D printers, has

back loop, construction builds were successful 90% of the time.

been fascinating researchers for years, but the natural instability of

“We can imagine this tool filling potholes, fixing spaceships in

a drone in flight makes traditional layer-by-layer fabrication nearly

orbit, and constructing infrastructure in mountainous regions where

impossible. To overcome this, Amir Barati Farimani, associate pro-

heavy machinery can’t reach,” he said.

fessor of mechanical engineering, has equipped drones with mag-

Moving forward, the team plans to test their drones outside of the

netic blocks to allow for precise pick-and-place assembly and a large

lab to address future real-world challenges. They plan to explore us-

language model (LLM) that can translate high-level design goals like

ing LLMs to construct 3D structures, and to work with more dynamic

“build a bridge” into executable plans.

building materials that would further optimize the performance flexibility of construction designs.

31

A Breakthrough T in Brain Sensing

he human brain is complex. Understanding deep brain function usually requires the insertion of probes that frequently result in irreversible tissue damage. Current neural probes are made out of silicon, which is a brittle material and can shatter

during placement. Carnegie Mellon engineering researchers have fabricated the first stainless steel neural probe that allows for customizable, high-density neural recording, making brain readings much safer than before.

Over the last few decades, novel manufacturing and microfabrication processes have revolutionized neural probe technology.

Based in large part on the adaptation of silicon as the material of choice, it has been possible to increase recording channel density using high resolution lithography and microfabrication processes, and to add new functionalities such as optical stimulation and imaging and chemical sensing. While existing silicon probes work well in thin, shallow tissue, its brittleness limits deep brain maneuvering. By creating probes made out of stainless steel, researchers are able to navigate to the middle brain with minimal cortical tissue damage, enabling inter- and intraoperative neural recording for epilepsy localization and deep-brain-stimulation implantation.

The team is led by Maysam Chamanzar, the Dr. William D. and Nancy W. Strecker Career Development Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

“High-resolution electrophysiology requires long, compact, high-density probes that are inserted with minimal invasiveness,” explains Chamanzar. “Current silicon neural probe technology has a low fracture toughness and runs the risk of breaking during surgery, leaving residue behind in the brain. By fabricating high-density probes out of stainless steel, we are able to increase the length of the probes while strengthening its toughness, which ultimately minimizes the risk of breakage.”

INNOVATIVE DESIGN FOR THE FIRST MICROFABRICATED STAINLESS STEEL NEURAL PROBE THAT ALLOWS FOR SAFER, MORE ACCURATE BRAIN SENSING. 32

Currently used in biomedical implants such as prosthetics and coronary

on steel,” says Ahmed. “This manufacturing process could lead to a new class

stents, stainless steel is biocompatible, resilient, and less brittle. Though its

of resilient devices that integrate multiple functionalities on steel, which can be

microfabrication has been historically limited, Chamanzar has found a way to

useful for a wide range of applications."

manufacture these probes in a customizable way.

These novel, customizable stainless steel neural probes, or steeltrodes, that

In addition to microfabrication on stainless steel, the team has also optimized post-fabrication processing and packaging.

are microfabricated using a multilayer process which enables high-density elec-

“Designed for seamless integration, our packaging method works effort-

trode integration is the focus of a paper published in Nature Communications.

lessly with commercial stimulation and recording systems—making it easy for

The team has demonstrated successful high resolution neural recording from

researchers and medical professionals to readily adopt our stainless-steel devic-

the auditory cortex in trials.

es,” says Ibrahim Kimukin, a research scientist in Chamanzar’s lab.

One hurdle the team had to overcome was the micro- and nanofabrication

“This research represents a step-change in how we can interface with the brain,

process for stainless steel. In the case of silicon probes, the fabrication process

achieving high-resolution recording and stimulation using robust, clinically scalable

has benefitted from decades of research and development in the Micro-/Na-

materials,” said Vishal Jain, a research scientist in Chamanzar’s lab. “I’m thrilled to

no-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS/NEMS) and Complementary metal–ox-

have contributed to the design and validation of this technology, which bridges the

ide–semiconductor (CMOS) electronic industries. However, the same processes

gap between research-grade precision and real-world translational potential.”

cannot be readily translated to stainless steel. By using a multilayer fabrication

Outside of the clinic, the probes also fill an important gap for neuroscience

process that enables high-density electrode integration, as well as optional flexi-

research. According to co-author Tobias Teichert, associate professor of psy-

ble cables, Chamanzar believes these probes can be manufactured en masse.

chiatry and bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh, hand-made laminar

“The micro- and nanofabrication processing for stainless steel is quite

electrodes have much lower density and can cost significantly more.

challenging and comparatively underdeveloped and underexplored,” explains

“The design of these steeltrodes is an amazing advancement because they

Chamanzar. “Optimized scalable microfabrication and micromachining process-

provide much higher channel count and density, yet at the same time, they can

es are necessary to leverage the excellent material and mechanical properties of

be mass produced at a fraction of the cost,” says Teichert.

stainless steel to design miniaturized biomedical devices such as high channel

In the future, the team hopes that neurosurgeons will be able to use multiple

density neural probes with micron-scale features on stainless steel. Our devices

stainless-steel probes on a patient in order to generate a more comprehensive

are robust, reusable, customizable, and can be produced at scale.”

recording of brain activity.

This breakthrough is particularly important, both as a diagnostic tool and also

“Using steeltrodes, one day we will be able to record neural activity across

as an intervention tool for patients with brain disorders such as epilepsy, Parkin-

multiple areas of the brain with high resolution and minimal damage to the

son's Disease, and schizophrenia.

brain tissue,” explains Chamanzar. “This crosshatch of neural recordings will

Zabir Ahmed, who worked on this project as part of his Ph.D. thesis at CMU, is excited about the great potential of this platform technology, even beyond neural interfacing.

“Beyond creating robust stainless steel neural probes for clinical use, I’m excited that this work introduces a novel planar microfabrication process directly

change the diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases.”

Contributors on this paper include Zabir Ahmed, Ibrahim Kimukin, and Vishal Jain from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, as well as Kate Gurnsey and Tobias Teichert from the Department of Psychiatry and Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh.

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Better screening tool for sickle cell disease progression

N

ear-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), an optical tool that leverages light-tissue interaction to measure changes in hemoglobin concentration and oxygenation, has been used in a variety of fields due to its ability to measure tissue oxygenation and blood flow non-invasively. In a study led by Carnegie Mellon University

and University of Pittsburgh researchers, NIRS was investigated as a screening tool for adults with sickle cell disease to assess not only oxygenation changes, but also the underlying mechanisms associated with aging with the disease.

Sickle cell disease significantly affects and disrupts oxygenation in the body and its impact on the brain has been understudied. As individuals with sickle cell disease age, they can develop problems with small blood vessels in the brain, leading to reduced blood flow and difficulties with thinking, memory, and other functions that might impact their quality of life. One marker of cerebral small vessel disease, a neurological complication of sickle cell disease that increases with age, is cerebral autoregulation. Cerebral autoregulation ensures that blood flow is maintained or controlled as blood pressure varies.

Current methods to assess cerebral autoregulation are largely accomplished through the measuring of pressure and flow from the body’s larger vessels, for example, using a blood cuff on the arm or a transcranial doppler ultrasound.

A significant drawback is that transcranial doppler ultrasound measurements

Sickle cell disease changes how oxygen moves throughout body, but its effects on the brain haven’t been well studied.

have poor blood flow measurements in adults and do not report oxygenation.

Furthermore, finding a reliable way to measure blood and oxygen changes in the body’s smallest vessels has presented an ongoing challenge.

To address this, researchers led the first study to monitor cerebral autoreg-

Systematically aligning all study participants, whether they were controls or

ulation in sickle cell disease using NIRS, while highlighting NIRS as an important

adults, to breathe at the same rate was an important consideration noted in the

screening tool for cerebral small vessel disease in adults with sickle cell disease.

Journal of Applied Physiology paper. From there, with NIRS measurements and

“Rather than looking only at the larger vessels in adults, our study focused

an advanced mathematical tool, researchers could extract important measure-

highly on the hemodynamics associated with blood pressure changes in the

ments about blood flow, transit times, and changes in the microvascular level

smaller vessels, and what NIRS can reliably detect about blood and oxygen

that current measurement tools lack.

changes there,” noted Sossena Wood, assistant professor of biomedical engineer-

This research has also been foundational for work Wood’s group is doing

ing at Carnegie Mellon. “Unlike prior studies done on large vessel abnormalities

abroad, in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University Africa and University of

or at rest, this one measured dynamic cerebral autoregulation and participants’

Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Adult Sickle Cell Center for Excellence.

response during breathing, taking things a step further toward positive utility.”

In Nigeria, they are participating in a clinical trial with colleagues from Pitt and Lagos University Teaching Hospital, where sickle cell disease patients are administered an affordable medication, erythropoietin, that boosts hemoglobin levels. With NIRS, they have been able to track blood and oxygen changes in tiny vessels, finding that the medication led to higher oxygen levels in patients after each dosage. Observed wins like this could lead to greater adoption by clinicians and the hematologist community.

“The whole motivation is to show that NIRS is reliable and could do more than it’s currently utilized for,” said Wood. “The adult sickle cell disease population is very young, and they’re getting older because of the therapies that are helping them live longer. As they age, there is a lot we are learning about the pathology of the disease and NIRS is a useful point of care screening tool in environments where sickle cell disease is most prevalent. I’m excited to be part of improving measurement tools for sickle cell disease progression and in turn, quality of life for those living with the disease.”

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Softbotics antenna to sense the spectrum Researchers have developed soft, flexible antennas to better utilize radio waves, increasing wireless connectivity and communication.

T

he radio spectrum is a fundamental resource for wireless communication. Cellular networks, WiFi, and Bluetooth are all examples of wireless systems that depend on the radio spectrum. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have developed a soft antenna to better utilize radio waves, increasing connectivity and communication.

Historically, antennas are rigid metallic devices that need to be pointed in a spe-

cific direction to connect to the radio spectrum. Most programmable radios today either require mechanical or electronic switching between antennas, or wide-band antennas. With radio frequency being tunable, a static antenna can easily lose connection to the frequency. By introducing a soft, flexible antenna, the device can sense and move to the most efficient radio frequency available.

Researchers in CMU’s College of Engineering have developed Softenna, a firstof-its-kind soft-robotic highly reconfigurable antenna platform that dynamically adapts its radio frequency properties, including center frequency, beam pattern, directionality, and polarization. Softenna achieves this through a combination of mechanical and electronic reconfiguration.

“This is an unusual interdisciplinary project where we want to leverage advances in shape-shifting materials and surfaces from robotics for wireless antenna and meta-surface design,” says Swarun Kumar, professor of electrical and computer engineering, director of the WiTech Lab, and lead on the project.

Softenna is composed of fabricating multiple elements using stretchable and flexible materials and liquid metal. This smart antenna is designed to offer rich shape changes and a learning-based pipeline that studies which shape pattern is best suited to a given operating frequency, device location, and environment.

“The system will be fully implemented on soft robotic antennas integrated with software defined radios operating in the sub-6 GHz frequency bands and evaluated in these spectral bands,” says Carmel Majidi, professor of mechanical engineering, faculty director of the Carnegie Mellon Softbotics Lab, and co-author on the paper.

Benefits of using these soft antennas include clearer cell phone calls, faster WiFi, and smarter Bluetooth connectivity.

“We are application agnostic, so this concept impacts all technologies from cellular to WiFi and Bluetooth,” says Kumar.

The College of Engineering is uniquely positioned to lead research in soft antennas. With experts in emerging wireless technologies from the WiTech Lab, along with pioneers in soft robotic materials from the Soft Machines Lab, Kumar and Majidi can innovatively connect the fields in a way that many universities cannot.

The team received funding from the National Science Foundation as part of the Spectrum Innovation Initiative. Throughout this three-year project, the team aims to build partnerships toward technology transfer and commercialization.

As part of educational and outreach efforts, the investigators will develop a workshop module where high school students program wireless radios during CMU’s Spark Saturday program, and they will integrate findings in university-level courses in wireless systems and robotics.

36

Heat pump technology may narrow the energy equity gap

A

s the energy transition continues to shift the focus from fossil fuels to climate-friendly alternatives, adopting clean energy technologies could revolutionize the way we heat and cool our homes. From skyrocketing energy bills to inadequate indoor temperatures, energy insecurity is a growing concern among millions of households, suggesting the need for a new approach to

improve indoor comfort.

Heat pumps are an emerging technology that have the potential to alleviate energy

insecurity and reduce household energy expenses. Instead of generating heat,

this is between 10–15

heat pumps work by transferring thermal energy between the inside and out-

million homes, so it is

side of a home.

important to understand how

In a study published in Nature Energy, researchers from Carnegie

cooling and heating infrastruc-

Mellon University and the University of Maryland examined the

ture will impact this divide,” said

relationship between heat pump adoption and household energy

Destenie Nock, assistant professor of

insecurity using electricity records from 8,656 households in

engineering and public policy and civil

Phoenix, Arizona. By employing a thermal comfort index

and environmental engineering at Carnegie

(the temperature at which individuals turn on their

Mellon, and lead co-author of the study.

heating or cooling system), the researchers found

Energy insecurity can disproportionately affect

that households with heat pumps initiate cooling at nearly one degree Celsius lower than those without and consume less electricity per degree of temperature increase.

“Many low-income households currently don’t use enough energy to keep their homes safe during extreme weather.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates

different groups of people and is exacerbated by several factors including income inequality, racial disparities, differences in energy access between rural and urban areas, COVID-19 pandemic impacts, and ongoing climate change issues.

The disparities between income or ethnic groups in terms of the outdoor temperature at which individuals turn on their air conditioning can be defined as the energy equity gap.

In this study, researchers found that heat pumps lead to reduced disparities in thermal comfort across different income groups, suggesting that this new technology could help narrow the energy equity gap.

Using the same technology as an air conditioner, heat pumps provide both heating and cooling to a home. In the summer, heat pumps work to pull hot air out of your home and push it outside, generating a cooling effect. In the winter, the process reverses, and warm air is pulled from the outside and moved indoors. This transfer of energy promotes greater efficiency and comfortable indoor temperatures.

In addition to reducing energy costs and alleviating energy insecurity, heat pumps are crucial to global decarbonization, leading many governments to offer rebates and tax credits to encourage their installation.

“Recent policy shifts—particularly through incentives like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—are changing the

calculus for clean heating technologies,” Nock said. “By doubling or even tripling rebate support for low-to-moderate income families, these policies are finally making heat pump adoption not just a possibility but a financially viable path toward energy equity and climate resilience. However, if the current administration repeals the IRA, it will be uncertain how many people can make use of the financial incentives.”

37

FULL GRANTS

Afretec Network awards $2.3M in multi-institutional research grants AI-Powered Voice Interfaces to Improve Financial Inclusion of Visually Impaired People When Using USSD Powered Mobile Money Services in Rwanda and Beyond

Principal investigator: Kizito Nkurikiyeyezu (University of Rwanda and Carnegie Mellon University Africa)

In Rwanda, 86 percent of adults rely on mobile money services

Co-investigators: Eric Umuhoza (Carnegie Mellon University Africa), Johannes Machinya (University of the Witwatersrand)

they lack audio feedback, while imposing strict time limits,

for essential transactions, but the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) powering these services creates significant barriers for visually impaired users. USSD interfaces use textbased menus accessed through dial codes like *182#, and and providing no input validation. These accessibility failures force visually impaired individuals to depend on caregivers for transactions, which increases error rates and fraud vulnerability as they cannot independently verify recipients or amounts. As Rwanda moves toward its goal of a fully cashless society by 2030, these barriers threaten to marginalize the country’s 1.4 percent

SEED GRANTS

2025 AWARDEES RECEIVE FUNDING UP TO $300,000 USD

38

visually impaired population from financial independence.

This research addresses this critical gap by developing an AI-powered voice interface smartphone application tailored for Kinyarwanda that enables visually impaired users to navigate USSD menus independently and securely.

Modeling Artificial Intelligence Skills Gaps and Upskilling Strategies in the Construction Industries of Developing Countries

Principal investigator: Oluwaseun Sunday DOSUMU (University of Rwanda)

The project examines AI skills gaps in the construction industries

Co-investigators: Jesse Thornburg (Carnegie Mellon University Africa), Iniobong Beauty John (University of Lagos), Christine Munanese (University of Rwanda)

It will further develop a structural equation model and a digital

of Rwanda and Nigeria by identifying the specific competencies required, analyzing demand-supply mismatches, and evaluating effective upskilling and reskilling strategies for the workforce. training framework to guide professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders in fostering AI adoption, enhancing productivity, and driving sustainable digital transformation in the sector.

2025 AWARDEES RECEIVE FUNDING UP TO $50,000 USD

T

he African Engineering and Technology Network (Afretec), a pan-African collaboration of technology-focused universities, awarded $2.3 million USD in grants last year to build research capacity and accelerate digital growth throughout the African continent.

Each multi-institutional research team will build on existing science,

engineering, and technology in disciplines such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, robotics, information technology, and cybersecurity. The selected projects are particularly focused on improving the state of health, environment and sustainability, and energy in Africa.

The Carnegie Mellon University Africa-led network has awarded almost $7.43M in

Scan for complete list of 2025 grants

research funding since it was established in 2022. Following is a listing of new grants that include researchers from CMU-Africa.

Human-Centered AI Tools to Reduce Human-Wildlife Conflicts

Principal investigator: Prasenjit Mitra (Carnegie Mellon University Africa)

This project will focus on

Co-investigator: Titus Adhola (University of Nairobi)

a specific emphasis on African

developing AI tools to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts, with contexts. By leveraging advanced machine learning models, the project aims to create predictive tools to forecast and manage potential conflicts, ensuring the safety and coexistence of both humans and wildlife. The researchers will also seek to train students and postdocs in engineering and ecology and how to pursue high impact social projects in the African context using state-of-the-art AI.

Privacy and Mobile Money Use in Sub-Saharan Africa

Principal investigator: Assane Gueye (Carnegie Mellon University Africa) Co-investigators: Doudou Fall (Université Cheikh Anta Diop)

This comparative project studies how mobile money users and agents in Rwanda, Kenya, Senegal, and Ghana manage privacy risks and personally identifying information. It will investigate: • User’s concerns about privacy in mobile money transactions • The privacy practices of agents in interacting with personal data • The extent to which privacy regulations in each country overlap with users’ and agents’ concerns and practices

Developing Natural Language Processing Powered Digital Health Solutions for LowResource African Languages

Principal investigator: Lucienne Abrahams (University of the Witwatersrand) Co-investigators: George Okeyo (Carnegie Mellon University Africa), Audrey Mbogho (United States International University-Africa), Ntsibane Ntlatlapa (University of the Witwatersrand), Kgopotso Magoro (University of the Witwatersrand), Ruth Wambua (United States International University-Africa), Jane Muchiri (United States International University-Africa)

The project aims to develop highquality natural language processor models for three low-resource African languages: KheLobedu (South Africa), Kidaw’ida (Kenya), and Kinyarwanda (Rwanda). The focus will be on health language data collection and related software development; digital design and co-creation workshops; health information content production and project management.

39

Simulator boosts strength, design in spray 3D concrete printing REAL SPRAY

SIMULATED SPRAY

Identical nozzle trajectory for concrete spray 3D printing of a pillar with rebars in simulation and real environment.

Carnegie Mellon engineers have developed a simulation tool that predicts how sprayed concrete behaves and solidifies, even around rebar. The breakthrough could transform how buildings are constructed, cutting material waste and enabling stronger, more complex structures for tomorrow’s cities.

C

oncrete 3D printing reduces both time and cost by eliminating

The team traveled to Tokyo, Japan, where Shimizu Corporation already

traditional formwork, the temporary mold for casting. Yet most

operates spray 3D printing robots to validate their model. In the first test, the

of today’s systems rely on extrusion-based methods, which

team focused on the simulator’s ability to predict shape based on the speed

deposit material very close to a nozzle layer by layer. This makes

of the nozzle’s movement. With 90.75% accuracy, the simulator could predict

it impossible to print around reinforcement bars (rebars) without

the height of the sprayed concrete. The second test showed that the simulator

risk of collision, limiting both design flexibility and structural integrity of builds.

could predict printing over rebar with 92.3% and 97.9% accuracy for width and

Kenji Shimada and researchers in his Carnegie Mellon University’s Computa-

tional Engineering and Robotics Laboratory (CERLAB), are breaking through that limitation with a new simulation tool for spray-based concrete 3D printing.

“Spray-based concrete 3D printing is a new process with complicated physical phenomena,” said Shimada, a professor of mechanical engineering. “In this

thickness, respectively.

According to Soji Yamakawa, a research scientist in Shimada’s lab and the lead author of the team’s research paper published in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, a simulation of this kind would typically take hours, if not days, to run.

“By making wild assumptions, we were able to successfully simplify a super

method, a modified shotcrete mixture is sprayed from a nozzle to build up on a

complex physics simulation into a combination of efficient algorithms and data

surface, even around rebar.”

structures and still achieved highly realistic output,” Yamakawa said.

The ability to print freely around reinforcement is especially important in

Future work will aim to increase accuracy by identifying environmental pa-

places like Japan and California, where earthquakes are an imminent threat and

rameters like humidity, optimize performance, and add plastering simulation to

structural strength is critical.

create smoother finished products.

“To make this technology viable, we must be able to predict exactly how the

“There are still so many applications and technologies that we can develop

concrete will spray and dry into the final shape,” Shimada explained. “That’s why

with robotics,” said Kyshalee Vazquez-Santiago, a co-author of the paper and

we developed a simulator for concrete spray 3D printing.”

a mechanical engineering Ph.D. candidate leading the Mobile Manipulators re-

The new simulator can model the viscoelastic behaviors of shotcrete mix-

search group within CERLAB. “Even in concrete 3D printing, we are working with

tures, including drip, particle rebound, spread, and solidification time. This way,

an entirely new type of application and approach that has so many advantages

contractors can assess multiple printing paths based on a CAD design with the

but leaves so much room for further development.”

simulator to evaluate whether spray 3D printing is a feasible fabrication technique for their structure.

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Spray-based concrete 3D printing allows builders to work around reinforcement bars. This is especially important in places like Japan and California, where earthquakes are an imminent threat and structural strength is critical.

41

The Perfect Shot

I

magine snapping a photo where every detail, near and far, is perfectly

system builds on a design known as a Lohmann lens, which uses two curved,

sharp—from the flower petal right in front of you to the distant trees

cubic lenses that shift against each other to tune focus. By combining this setup

on the horizon. For over a century, camera designers have dreamed of

with a phase-only spatial light modulator—a device that controls how light bends

achieving that level of clarity. In a breakthrough that could transform

at each pixel—the researchers were able to make different parts of the image

photography, microscopy, and even smartphone cameras, researchers

focus at different depths simultaneously.

at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a new kind of lens that can bring

The system uses two autofocus methods. The first is Contrast-Detection

an entire scene into sharp focus at once—no matter how far away or close

Autofocus (CDAF), which divides the image into regions called superpixels. Each

different parts of the scene are.

region independently finds the focus setting that maximizes its sharpness. The

The team, consisting of Yingsi Qin, an electrical and computer engineering Ph.D. student, Aswin Sankaranarayanan, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Matthew O’Toole, associate professor of computer science and robotics, presented their findings at the 2025 International Conference on Computer Vision and received a Best

second is Phase-Detection Autofocus (PDAF), which

Researchers develop a camera with spatially selective focusing, allowing the lens to focus on objects at many different distances at once.

Paper Honorable Mention recognition.

Traditional camera lenses can only bring one flat layer of a scene into perfect

uses a dual-pixel sensor to detect not just whether something is in focus, but which direction to adjust.

This makes it faster and better suited for moving scenes—the team achieved 21 frames per second with their modified sensor.

“Together, they let the camera decide which parts of the image should be sharp—essentially giving each

pixel its own tiny, adjustable lens,” explains O’Toole.

focus at a time. Anything in front of or behind that layer turns soft and blurry.

Beyond its obvious appeal to photographers, the technology could have

Narrowing the aperture can help, but it also dims the image and introduces new

sweeping applications. Microscopes could capture every layer of a biological

kinds of optical fuzziness caused by diffraction.

sample in focus at once. Autonomous vehicles might see their surroundings with

“We’re asking the question, ‘what if a lens didn’t have to focus on just one plane at all?’” says Qin. “What if it could bend its focus to match the shape of the world in front of it?”

The researchers developed a “computational lens”—a hybrid of optics and algorithm—that can adjust its focus differently for every part of a scene. The

42

unprecedented clarity. Even augmented and virtual reality systems could benefit, using similar optics to create more lifelike depth perception.

“Our system represents a novel category of optical design,” says Sankaranarayanan. “One that could fundamentally change how cameras see the world.”

Conventional photo and its confined focal plane

All-In-Focus photo and its spatially-varying autofocused focal surface (ours) 43

44

Bioprinted livers to reduce need for full organ transplants Researchers receive up to $28.5 million to develop a 3D bioprinted liver for patients with acute liver failure. The temporary, immune-compatible liver is designed to support the regeneration of a patient’s own liver, reducing the need for full organ transplants.

A

The team is co-led by Kelly Stevens, a professor of bioengineering at the University of Washington, together with experts in liver stem cells, biomanufacturing, biomaterials, hepatology, transplantation, pre-clinical models, and regenerative medicine from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, FluidForm Bio, Inc., Iowa State University, Mayo Clinic, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Washington. The project will use Carnegie Mellon’s FRESH 3D bioprinting and 3D ice platforms to create biologic livers composed entirely of human

Carnegie Mellon University-led team has secured an award of up

cells and structural proteins, such as collagen. The livers are engineered to be

to $28.5 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for

immune-compatible, eliminating the need for immunosuppressive medications,

Health (ARPA-H) to develop a functional, 3D bioprinted liver for

which are often toxic and damaging to patients’ liver and kidney function.

patients with acute liver failure. The project, called LIVE, or Liver Immunocompetent Volumetric Engineering, aims to provide a

“The challenge is really the immune system,” Feinberg elaborated. “We are going to be using hypoimmune cells, which are engineered to be a universal

temporary liver that supports regeneration of a patient’s own liver, reducing the

donor, so anyone can have the cells and tissues we are building without needing

need for full organ transplants. The project is under ARPA-H’s Personalized Re-

to take immune suppression.”

generative Immunocompetent Nanotechnology Tissue (PRINT) program, which is led by ARPA-H Program Manager Ryan Spitler, Ph.D. LIVE addresses a major public health challenge. Each year in the United

Within five years, the team hopes to have the bioengineered liver working at adult-scale and ready for pre-clinical testing prior to the first human clinical trials. LIVE is part of a broader effort to address organ shortages and advance

States, about 100,000 organ transplants are performed, while another 100,000

bioengineered solutions for life-threatening conditions. Beyond acute liver

people remain on transplant waiting lists. Millions more would benefit from

failure, the technologies developed through the ARPA-H PRINT program could

organ replacement, but do not qualify for a transplant.

be adapted to other liver conditions and even other organs, including the heart

“The goal is to create a piece of liver tissue that you can use as an alternative

and kidney.

to transplant, specifically for acute liver failure,” said Adam Feinberg, professor

“The LIVE project is going to significantly advance organ biofabrication for

of biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon and principal investigator. “The liv-

transplant by funding our highly capable team that combines the very best en-

er we are creating would last for about two to four weeks. It would give patients

gineers, biologists, and clinicians,” Feinberg added. “The technologies and capa-

time for their own liver to regenerate, and then, they would not need a liver

bilities we develop will also have an impact beyond the liver, enabling additional

transplant, freeing up those livers for other patients. The liver is just the first

efforts to build human tissue and organs to treat congenital heart defects, heart

application, with the plan to expand to the heart, pancreas, and other organs.

disease, blindness, and Type I diabetes.”

This innovation would fundamentally change healthcare as we know it, because most people suffer at some point from end-stage organ failure.”

This project is supported by the Engineering Research Accelerator. Additional researchers on the project include Carnegie Mellon faculty members Burak Ozdoganlar, Jessica Zhang, Phil Campbell, Phil LeDuc, Tzahi Cohen-Karni, and Vickie Webster-Wood.

45

3 INSIDE THE COLLEGE

The Robotics Innovation Center is open for business

46

A

rtificial intelligence is elevating the role of robotics and boosting regional and national economic growth. To accelerate Carnegie Mellon University’s pioneering research and impact, the Robotics Inno-

vation Center (RIC) opened in February.

The 150,000-square-foot facility supports the devel-

opment and testing of robots constructed from soft and hard materials designed for use on land, in water, in the air, in outer space, and even in humans. The resulting applications will enhance agriculture, transportation, healthcare and other fields.

Corporations are invited to partner with Carnegie Mellon engineers and scientists at the Robotics Innovation Center to advance commercialization activities.

Collaborating with CMU experts will give industry an operational edge and yield solutions that have significant impact on the economy and society.

The RIC is located at Hazelwood Green, next to Mill 19, the home of the university’s Manufacturing Futures Institute and its partners the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute and Catalyst Connection, and near the University of Pittsburgh’s BioForge. Established with support from the RK Mellon Foundation, this important facility will uphold the region’s position and growth as a strategic technology hub.

47

At Carnegie Mellon we are inventing sensory intelligence to enhance human experiences in real-time. A bike rider receives heightened awareness of the space and traffic behind and surrounding the bike through camera images that are transferred into pulsations felt through the clothing. No cell phone or screen is required.

This enables the rider to make quicker, more informed decisions and navigate safely. Softbotic technology is expanding the human sensory experience today in innovative ways.

Bringing robotics into everyday life.

Jones and Nakahira receive NSF CAREER awards The National Science Foundation (NSF) has given the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award to Trevor Jones, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and Yorie Nakahira, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering. This prestigious five-year grant is given to junior faculty who show promise of being leaders in their field and supports the integration of research and education.

TREVOR JONES

YORIE NAKAHIRA

Jones’ research is inspired by un-

Nakahira’s research sits at the

derstanding the physics of everyday

intersection of neuroscience, cell bi-

objects to develop new technologies.

ology, cloud computing, and auton-

At CMU, Jones heads the Mechanical-

omous systems, as she applies the

ly Intelligent Engineered Structures

fundamental theory of optimiza-

Laboratory. Reimagining natural phe-

tion, control, and learning to these

nomena and human expression as

fields. She studies how theoretical

tools to design materials, his research

foundations and computational

traverses multiple applications, in-

tools can be used to enhance the

cluding soft robotics, wearable tech-

stability and efficiency of autono-

nologies, and morphing structures.

mous systems and devices.

With this award, Jones will explore the mechanical properties of beadwork

These autonomous devices, like the ones found in cars or robots, operate

as a new class of programmable metamaterial. Beadwork, a diverse art with

with little to no human intervention and are becoming increasingly utilized in

cultural significance, comprises weaving thread through beads to form struc-

today’s world. But to achieve efficiency, such devices must be equipped with

tures typically used for decorative applications. This patterning not only makes

real-time learning and control algorithms in order to actively respond to their

beadwork visually stunning but gives rise to emergent mechanical properties

internal and external environments.

with potential functional applications. Beadwork combines the complementary

With this award, Nakahira will develop techniques that mitigate against

mechanics of granular matter, an ensemble of macroscopic particles that has

risks in autonomous systems that operate in an uncontrolled environment.

the potential to resist high loads, with the flexible, woven fibers of textiles,

To design safer, more human-aligned autonomous control systems, Naka-

thereby positioning this metamaterial as both flexible and durable.

hira will quantify long-term risks and develop efficient control techniques

Using beadwork as a material to advance national health through develop-

that offer long-term assurance against human-perceived risks. Her research

ment of soft robotics and wearable technologies, Jones’ work will investigate

will also develop real-time control strategies that adapt their level of caution

the interwoven relationship between beadwork design and its mechanical

based on inferred human preferences, providing strong safety guarantees

properties. This work will characterize beadwork’s mechanical response to

without sacrificing performance.

nonlinear deformation, internal contact, and friction to develop predictive models for beadwork’s physics.

“As a kid, I remember playing with beadwork headbands my mom made.

In addition, she will study how repeated interactions—such as those between autonomous systems and human users, or among multiple devices— can lead to unintended consequences like adversarial or unstable behavior.

The patterns and combinations of color would catch my eye, and once I

By modeling these dynamics and designing policies that anticipate and

picked them up, the tactile feel made them impossible to put down. As I’ve

prevent such outcomes, her work will help ensure that autonomous systems

grown to do mechanics research, when my mom crafted my daughter a

remain trustworthy and cooperative over time.

beadwork embroidered vest, I was reminded of how mechanically fascinating beadwork is,” Jones said.

“As a whole, this award will help us design high-performing, safer, and more human-aligned autonomous control systems,” Nakahira said.

“For these experiences to culminate in recognition from the National Science Foundation to research beadwork as a novel material platform is an honor to my heritage as an Ojibwe scholar.”

49

New head for Department of Engineering and Public Policy

J

oseph F. DeCarolis, an internationally recognized leader with technical expertise in energy systems, climate change, computing and public policy became head of the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University on November 1, 2025.

DeCarolis succeeds Peter Adams, professor of engineering and public policy and civil and environmental

engineering, who has served as the department’s head since 2019. Adams has return to the engineering faculty to continue his research and teaching.

DeCarolis earned his Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon in Engineering and Public Policy. He has returned to CMU after spending four years at the Environmental Protection Agency and 17 years at North Carolina State University. From 2022-2025 DeCarolis served in a Presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed role as administrator of the Energy Information Administration, the official statistical and analytical agency within the Department of Energy. In this role he led 350 federal employees and 300 contractors with a $135 million annual budget.

With more than 60 peer-reviewed research publications, DeCarolis has focused his research on the need to rapidly develop sustainable energy systems. His work combines domain knowledge in energy systems with numerical and mathematical modeling, life cycle assessment, and energy economics with the aim of providing practical energy-related insights to decision makers.

50

Fuchs joined World Economic Forum meeting in Davos

C

arnegie Mellon University’s Erica Fuchs joined

more adaptive and experimental approaches to policymaking.

leaders from across government, technology,

By adapting the approach of product designers, the panelists will

business, and academia at the World Economic

consider the use of frontier tools, iterative methods, and future-fo-

Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland from

cused perspectives to create bold, adaptive systems that are ready

January 19-23, 2026.

for tomorrow’s challenges.

This year’s theme, A Spirit of Dialogue, served as an impartial

The second session, “AI for Curricular Value Chains,” examined

platform to exchange ideas and support problem-solving during a

how artificial intelligence can improve material design, efficiency,

period of significant geopolitical and societal change.

transparency, and reuse across global production systems, while

Fuchs, director of CMU’s Critical Technology Initiative and Kavčić-Moura Professor in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy, researches how emerging technologies are developed,

at the same time enhancing economic competitiveness and supply chain resiliency.

Her participation builds on two decades of involvement in na-

commercialized, and manufactured, and the policies governments

tional and international discussions on technology policy. In 2012,

need to support national competitiveness in those areas.

Fuchs was selected as a World Economic Forum Young Scientist

Fuchs moderated two sessions. The first, titled “How can gov-

and has been an invited speaker at past WEF events.

ernments innovate?” explored how public institutions can adopt

51

4 STUDENT NEWS

Summer of discovery

L

ast summer, these students, who were drawn to the biomedical

microfluidic devices, similar to those used to make microelectronic computer

engineering applications of their respective fields, participated in

chips, for potential gene therapies that can treat diseases like cancer.

the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program that supported full-time summer research on campus.

These tiny chip devices can perform a type of surgery on millions of individual cells within seconds by tearing nanoscale holes in their membranes, which allow biomolecules such as DNA and protein to diffuse into the cells and treat disease

Rhea Soo, an electrical and computer engineering student, became interested in biomedical engineering after taking the Biomedical Engineering Systems Mod-

at its molecular source.

After spending the spring semester learning how to culture cells and keep

eling and Analysis course with Sossena Wood, assistant professor of biomedical

them alive, Lo used her SURF fellowship to continue working in the lab. She

engineering. Soo used her SURF fellowship to conduct research with Wood.

helped to optimize the production of epoxy chips to ensure high volume pro-

“I am making a process to create a pipeline of MRI scans of skull images that can be used to identify a potential relationship between skull thickness and the progression of sickle cell disease,” explained Soo.

duction and create a high-throughput device that can allow the team to perform surgery on cells more efficiently.

Lo explains that their method allows for larger amounts of modified cells to

Such MRI scans require time-consuming manual review and adjustment in order to capture the right information for the skull images. Soo used Brain Suite, software that extracts the skull images she needs.

be produced, which has the potential to lower the cost of cancer therapeutics.

“It’s exciting to be working in this lab, anticipating the improvements that can be made, all while expanding my view of chemical engineering,” said Lo.

Crediting Wood for giving her the independence to conduct research that benefits patients with sickle cell disease, Soo intends to pursue her Ph.D. in

Sofia Warehall knows what it’s like to recover from a sports injury. The figure

bioengineering or biomedical engineering.

skater has had meniscus repair surgery twice. She is a mechanical engineering and German studies junior whose personal experience contributed to her delight

Amber Lo was interested in the biomedical side of chemical engineering and studying ways to fight cancer, which had taken her grandmother.

After talking to Derin Sevenler, assistant professor of chemical engineering, Lo joined his lab in 2025. Sevenler leads a research group that’s developing

in conducting research in Eni Halilaj’s lab.

Halilaj, associate professor of mechanical engineering, leads the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Lab, where researchers integrate insights from experimental and computational work to develop rehabilitation strategies for people who have had ACL reconstruction surgery.

Rhea Soo

52

Amber Lo

Sofia Warehall

Warehall attended MRI appointments with young study participants and attended their sessions in the motion capture lab where infrared cameras tracked body markers that record gait analysis. These analyses can be used to improve outcomes for as many as 50% of patients who can expect to develop osteoarthritis early in life.

We were delighted to receive this photo!

She is training a computer model to automatically label the multiple markers that are manually tracked and labelled. Once the data is labelled, it is scaled or matched to the patient’s actual bone structure. Warehall compared those manually obtained results to determine the accuracy of those produced by the software that automatically conducts the scaling process.

Thea Spellmeyer used her SURF grant to work with Phil Campbell, who she met while taking his physiology course, one of her favorite classes. Campbell, professor of biomedical engineering, researches tissue engineering and natural-based biomaterials.

Spellmeyer worked with Ph.D. student Nader Rezazadeh to study ultrafine fibers made of soybean protein for use as a wound dressing. The fibers are created by electrospinning, a process that creates fibers by using an electric field to draw a polymer solution into filaments.

The premise is that the wound healing process can be enhanced with growth factors found in extracellular versicles (EV), the nano-sized vesicles released by cells that play a critical role in cellto-cell communication and influence the behavior of recipient cells.

Spellmeyer collected EVs from cultured cells that are added to soy polymer solutions, which are then electrospun into films to promote the type of cell growth that can accelerate healing.

She also explored sterilization methods to keep the films free of contamination.

Caroline Vernon knew from an unusually young age that she wanted to work on artificial organs and that she wanted to come to CMU to study biomedical engineering. She then chose materials science and engineering as her primary major because of its applications in biomaterials.

“Making human anatomy from scratch is really cool to me,” said Vernon.

She used her SURF fellowship to work with Adam Feinberg, professor of biomedical engineering and materials science and engineering, whose research focuses on replacing human heart transplants by repairing or replacing damaged heart tissue with 3D printed tissue. Feinberg’s FRESH bioprinting technology enables fully biologic systems to be developed by creating models of human anatomy made of collagen, a major building block of human tissue.

The process of injecting bioink and collagen into a gelatin bath requires high levels of precision in order for doctoral students to identify and analyze structure, distribution, and chemical composition. Vernon, an undergraduate, worked on staining procedures that enhance the contrast in microscopic images of biological tissues or cells. These results allow for adjustments of the 3D prints to function more successfully in the body.

The opportunities Feinberg gives to students demonstrate his belief in expanding technology development with those who will further it in their own careers.

It’s never too early to appreciate engineers Two-year-old Cameron Collins takes a break from playtime to catch up on the latest news in the College of Engineering.

Thea Spellmeyer

Caroline Vernon

53

New Course Bridges Industry Gap in Hardware Verification

A

s computer chips grow more complex, designing hard-

tion is practiced in real engineering environments.

ware is only part of the challenge. Ensuring that those

“As a general rule of thumb, there is a higher demand for jobs in cir-

designs work correctly has become one of the most

cuit verification than in circuit design,” says Pagliarini. “Industry benefits

critical and in-demand skills in the semiconductor indus-

from having a pool of highly talented graduates who already understand

try. To address this need, Carnegie Mellon’s Department

the inner workings of a verification methodology. This course helps stu-

of Electrical and Computer Engineering has introduced a new course: Hardware Verification.

The course responds directly to long-standing feedback from industry

dents enter those roles ready to contribute from day one.”

The course emphasizes hands-on learning. Students spend more time in the lab than in lecture, working directly with tools and methodologies

partners who have emphasized a growing gap in undergraduate and

used in industry. The course culminates in a comprehensive final project

graduate curricula: while students are well trained in circuit design, few

in which students are given a hardware design and a natural-language

receive formal education in how to systematically verify modern hard-

specification that may be ambiguous or incomplete, mirroring real-world

ware designs.

conditions. Students must then interpret the specification, develop a

“We are very good at teaching students how to design circuits and make

verification plan, and create tests to demonstrate whether the design’s

them fabrication-ready,” said Sam Pagliarini, special professor of electrical

features are implemented correctly. Uniquely, students are allowed to

and computer engineering, and who developed and teaches the course. “However, modern computer chips are extremely complex, with features built on top of features. It is not trivial to verify that every intended feature is present in the chip, or that the interactions between features are correctly implemented.”

Hardware Verification introduces students to the principles and practices used

present their final project multiple times, incorporating feedback, and refining their work over the course of the semester.

“As long as students are making progress, they can improve their grades by presenting again,” says Pagliarini. “Most students end up presenting about three times in order to secure an A on the final project.”

by verification engineers in industry. Students learn how to write effective Sys-

For students, the course provides both technical depth and career clarity.

temVerilog testbenches that exercise designs and expose corner cases through

Sutong Yao, a senior in electrical and computer engineering who completed

simulation. A core component of the course is the Universal Verification Method-

the course last semester, enrolled to gain formal training in verification and

ology (UVM), the industry-standard framework for organizing and scaling verifica-

UVM, skills she knew were essential but rarely taught in universities.

tion environments.

In addition to simulation-based verification, students are exposed to verifica-

“The course covered the fundamentals of verification and how to build a complete UVM-based verification project,” says Yao. “We also interacted with a

tion metrics that help quantify confidence in a design’s correctness, as well as

startup working on AI-based verification and heard from guest speakers who

elements of formal verification using SystemVerilog Assertions. The course also

are leaders in the field.”

introduces related topics such as linting, non-functional verification, analog and

Yao credits the course with helping her stand out in job interviews and

physical verification, and verification management, providing students with a

internships, where many engineers typically need additional internal training

broad view of the verification landscape.

to learn verification methodologies.

The course was developed with input from an industry leader and refined through extensive collaboration with teaching assistants prior to its first offering in the fall of 2025. The goal was to ensure that the content reflects how verifica-

54

“This course was extremely helpful for my career,” she said. “It also solidified my decision to pursue a career as a hardware verification engineer.”

Student spotlight: Naomi Dibong and L’Oreal fellowship

A

long line of students waited to talk

tency to become too liquid. Because Unilever is a glob-

with the L'Oréal representatives at

al company, we have to account for different weather

Dibong sees herself as a conduit bringing student

the STEM Career Fair. Naomi Dibong,

conditions where these products will be transported,

ideas and opinions to leadership in the College of

who dreams of working in the beauty

sold, and used," she says. Dibong conducted stability

Engineering. She helps plan events to foster a sense

industry, was thrilled. As part of her

testing for each new product formulation.

of community within the college.

job at Carnegie Mellon's Career & Professional De-

Her job required her to understand the biological

As a member of the Engineering Student Council,

Dibong also serves as vice president of the Young

velopment Center, she had campaigned to increase

and physical chemistry of the products. She also

African Leaders Association (YALA) and secretary of

participation from beauty companies in the career

collaborated with design, formulations, fragrance,

Ignite, a Black Christian ministry. These groups have

fair. "I want people to know that the beauty industry

and consumer technical insights teams. "Working

helped her build a support system on campus.

is an option for chemical engineering majors, me-

with cross-functional teams taught me a lot because

chanical engineering majors, all of us," she says.

Her chemical engineering cohort is another part

people communicate in different ways. I learned

of her campus network. "Everyone is willing to go

Dibong, a chemical engineering (ChemE) major

how to present my technical work in a way that my

the extra mile," she says, describing how they work

with an additional major in biomedical engineering

whole audience, both technical and non-technical,

together on homework assignments and support

(BME), got an inside view of L'Oréal through a nine-

could understand," says Dibong.

each other in other ways. Dibong has also found

month fellowship with the company. She learned

Whether designing products or talking with peo-

that her professors are understanding and get to

how the company operates in the industry and was

ple, Dibong is inspired to think from different points

know her and her classmates. "I've made real con-

paired with a mentor.

of view. She grew up in Cameroon, then attended

nections, real friendships that I'm going to carry with

With career interests spanning skincare, cos-

high school in Paris before moving to Pittsburgh for

me after CMU," she says.

metics, and dermatology, Dibong wants to develop

college. "My background makes me open. It gives

accessible and inclusive skin-care products, as

me more perspectives," she says.

well as treat patients with various skin conditions.

She participated in a career preparation program through the American Academy of Dermatology.

The exposure to medical students, residents, and practicing dermatologists confirmed her path toward medical school.

Chemical engineering courses are preparing her with an understanding of formulation and process engineering, along with critical thinking skills. She's connecting the dots back to her interest in skincare through undergraduate research. With Tagbo Niepa, associate professor of ChemE and BME, Dibong researches the skin microbiome. "Bacteria have a huge role in our skin. Some are protective. Others are harmful," she says. In her research, she cultures skin bacteria to study biofilm formation and microbial adaptation to interfacial stress.

Dibong developed new skills during a summer internship at Unilever, where she did benchwork for skincare brands. She was a research and development formulation intern, helping to develop new skincare technology for lotions.

"Ensuring stability over time is a challenge. We don't want the oil in a lotion to separate or the consis-

55

CMU Silicon Valley students explore careers through summer internships While summer break may be a breather from classwork, many Carnegie Mellon students continue their education through internships across the country. These real-world career experiences put their technical skills to the test, all while they explore fields of interests and connect with potential employers.

C

MU Silicon Valley master’s student Chandhana Solainathan landed an internship last summer with Meta as a part of their internal infrastructure team. Solainathan, who is studying software engineering, worked on a fullstack application project, which includes both the front-

end (user-side) and back-end (server-side) of a website application.

By the end of her internship, Solainathan delivered produc-

tion-ready code—an impressive and rare accomplishment for an intern to achieve.

“I feel really proud that I was able to give out production-ready code as an intern,” Solainathan said. “I also really loved learning about the qualities of being a good software engineer, like time management, communication, documentation, and presentation skills.”

Solainathan credits CMU-SV career services for helping her prepare for a rigorous application cycle by refining her LinkedIn and Handshake profiles.

“Through CMU’s help, I gained an understanding of the importance of LinkedIn,” Solainathan said. “I had multiple sessions with career consultants who made sure I was aware of how important LinkedIn is for recruiters and how to connect with Meta employees to get a referral from a CMU alum.”

Solainathan, who holds a bachelor’s degree in electronic and communications engineering, became interested in software engineering after taking a free online course in website building. This initial course is what led her to pursue web development projects on her own time while still an undergrad and even pushed her to apply for and accept an internship at Microsoft in 2021.

Now fully committed to pursuing a career as a software engineer, Solainathan has her eyes set on one day becoming a senior lead or technical project manager, but she is keeping an open mind to any and all opportunities that come her way. She recently accepted a full-time offer from Meta and will be returning to the company as a software engineer.

“I had a very fruitful experience at Meta,” Solainathan said. “While it was challenging at times, I was able to stay proactive and overcome the hurdles in my project. I found that as long as I was giving 100 percent effort and keeping my managers, peers, and stakeholders updated, everything worked out in the end.”

56

Chandhana Solainathan

With dual passions for food and the tech industry, Lisa Wang has been looking for a way to bridge her two interests into one profession. Thanks to a summer internship at 7-Eleven’s corporate office in Irving, Texas, Wang, a CMU-SV master’s student in software management, gained first-hand experience in how the food industry can be transformed with technology.

As a product manager intern on the store systems team, Wang worked on a back-office store system—a portal used by 7-Eleven store leaders to help with inventory control and day-to-day store operations. Powered by an AI engine, this back-office management system helps to forecast product demand based on factors such as seasonality, historical sales, and even the day of the week or hour of the day. The goal of this tool is to drive up sales and lower write-offs by connecting 7-Eleven mobile devices with the management system to inform store teams when and what to cook each day.

Currently, engagement with this tool is pretty low, but Wang was able to redesign the user interface to make it easier for store leaders to interact with the data they are given without increasing their workload.

“Part of the redesign process was challenging because I would have to put a lot of thought into what type of feature would give us the quickest feedback and what was the easiest to develop while incorporating the feedback from my teammates and leaders as well as engineers on the development team,” Wang said.

Lisa Wang

MARIN CONTRA COSTA

SAN FRANCISCO

While Wang’s internship took place at 7-Eleven’s corporate office, she spent two eight-hour shifts behind the register at a 7-Eleven store alongside store leaders.

This experience was crucial to her redesign of this tool, as

San Francisco Bay

she was able to witness first-hand the challenges workers faced on a day-to-day basis.

ALAMEDA

As a home bakery owner, Wang said it was her personal interest in the food industry coupled with the projects she worked on at CMU-SV that gave her the necessary foundation to succeed at 7-Eleven.

“I had an awesome experience at 7-Eleven. I think if I had been solely focused on applying to big tech compa-

Redwood City

nies, I would not have had this good of a time,” Wang said.

“One piece of advice I would give to future applicants is to

Menlo Park Milpitas

Palo Alto

Pacific Ocean

SAN MATEO

expand your scope. Think about what you're interested in,

Mountain View Sunnyvale Los Altos Santa Clara Hills Los Altos Cupertino

SANTA CRUZ

as a candidate. You don’t have to be at a big tech company. Nearly every industry uses tech right now.”

Wang will graduate from CMU-SV in December 2026 and return to 7-Eleven this fall as a Product Manager to

Silicon Valley Saratoga

what your strengths are, and what makes you stand out

keep up the momentum she built from her internship.

SANTA CLARA

57

What motivates you?

We surveyed undergraduate students, and asked, “ What inspires and drives you to succeed?”

“ I want to provide access to clean and affordable water for communities close to my heart, so I see my success as a necessary step in pursuing an admirable line of work.”

“Pure, unadulterated ego.”

“ I believe that innovation for joy is just as important as innovation for advancement in medicine, energy, transportation, and other domains. As an engineer, it's my dream to leave something behind that will, above all, make the world a more cheerful place. I hope to someday use my skills to build roller coasters and other immersive amusement experiences. When I'm deep in midterm season and wondering if the stress is worth it, thinking about the first family to get off one of my rides smiling makes me want to relentlessly keep moving forward.”

58

“ I come from a rural area where students do not have access to many educational opportunities. The ability to study at CMU is a tremendous gift that I refuse to take for granted, even when it feels overwhelming.”

“ Being a great engineer and getting paid well for it.” “ There are problems that need solving, and I am in the position here to gain a large and in-depth toolset for solving them. I must learn what I can so that I can work towards a better, more just future. I often come back to the phrase sapere aude or dare to learn. Dare to be curious, to fail, and to ask questions. That is the only way to improve yourself and the world around you.”

“ I love engineering.

I want to be good at it.”

59

5 ALUMNI

The Near Earth Autonomy team during a flight test, gathered in front of a helicopter outfitted with the company’s autonomous flight technology. (Source: Marcel Bergerman)

Sky’s the limit for Near Earth Autonomy

S

tepping into the offices of Near Earth

But it is not where he expected to be as a young

Autonomy is a bit like stepping into a

student at Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil.

robotics exhibit at a science center. Vari-

“This was absolutely not the plan. I grew up think-

ous modules, sensors, and technologies

ing I would be a professor, and so my path was clear,”

line the wall, proudly displayed in the

said Bergerman. In his experience in Brazil, most

order they were developed, like a hall of

people with Ph.D.s stayed in academia to teach or do

fame for autonomous flight.

Following his master’s degree program, Berger-

german (ECE 1996), walks down the line, telling the

man came to Carnegie Mellon to pursue his Ph.D.

story of each project and its place in the company’s

in electrical and computer engineering. His first

history. Since 2012, the company has been build-

advisor was former College of Engineering Dean

ing and testing autonomous flight technologies for

Pradeep Khosla, and among Khosla’s other students,

un-crewed cargo transport and aerial inspection.

Bergerman started to notice a pattern.

Near Earth Autonomy is creating systems capable of

“It seemed most people who got Ph.D.s at CMU

navigating complex terrain like disaster areas and

were not going to universities to research and teach; it

combat zones to deliver supplies and other cargo, as

seemed most were going to industry to pursue innova-

well as perform automated inspection of airplanes,

tion and create new technologies that turn into prod-

buildings, tunnels, and other infrastructure.

ucts,” he said. His interest in innovation was piqued

Bergerman’s excitement for the work is palpable.

60

research. “CMU completely changed that for me.”

The COO of Near Earth Autonomy, Marcel Ber-

and only grew during his years as a Ph.D. researcher.

“CMU’s entrepreneurial mindset and culture is

joined the Robotics Insti-

and completes its objective, that’s a happy day. When

genuine. When I was at CMU, people were creating

tute’s intramural volley-

our team comes back from long days in the field and

technologies that were ahead of their time,” said

ball team, which is where

things aren’t working yet, those are harder days,”

Bergerman. “There were things being built at CMU

they first met Singh.

said Bergerman. “People generally only see the end

20-30 years ago that are now being spun out into

As faculty members,

result of an effort, but those of us who work with

companies and products.”

Bergerman and Singh

innovation know those results don’t happen over-

Near Earth Autonomy is one such startup. It

worked on several proj-

night. Principles are established little by little through

began as a project between Bergerman, Sanjiv Singh

ects together, eventually

design and experimentation. Success takes time.”

from CMU’s Robotics Institute who is the company’s

winning a contract with

Bergerman is used to things taking time and

CEO, as well as CTO Lyle Chamberlain and CMU

the U.S. Navy to work on

painstaking effort. During his Ph.D. years, he planted

autonomous aerial cargo

a surrogate orchard near a decommissioned steel

and utility systems. That

mill along the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh,

faculty member Sebastian Scherer.

After finishing his Ph.D., Bergerman spent several years back in Brazil before returning to CMU to

Marcel Bergerman

was the start of Near Earth Autonomy.

personally digging 300 holes with an auger to plant

work on a NASA contract as a project manager and

Bergerman talks about the patience, dedication,

trees for agricultural robots to navigate around. That

became reacquainted with Singh. The two had been

and persistence required to innovate and achieve

site is now Hazelwood Green, home of CMU’s Mill 19

Ph.D. students at the same time in the 90s—but

scientific progress, qualities from his days as a

and Robotics Innovation Center.

they didn’t meet in the lab.

Ph.D. researcher that he carries with him in his

“Actually, we met playing volleyball!” said Bergerman. He and his wife, Maria Yamanaka (CEE 1996),

role as COO. “When our aircraft goes out and flies successfully

“We were there 20 years ago, testing robots small and large,” said Bergerman. “Many of the trees we planted are still there.”

61

Be“spoke” THE CMU ALUMNA WHO RE-ENGINEERED THE BICYCLE FOR WOMEN

T

o fully understand the im-

pening together, whether it’s rainy, snowy,

pact on cycling that George-

sunny, windy, whether the terrain is going

na Terry (MechE ’80) has had,

up, down, or sideways.”

it’s important to understand

Terry has been an avid cyclist since her

a bit of her philosophy: that

childhood in Montgomery, Alabama. While

is, her philosophy on bikes themselves and

the famously hilly, winding terrain of Pitts-

the freedom they give the rider.

burgh may be confounding to some, Terry

“The bicycle is an extension of your

found it to be a welcome perk of studying

body. You are not separate from the bike,

engineering at Carnegie Mellon. For fun,

you are both one, and you help each other,”

she and her biking pals would challenge

said Terry. “I treat my bikes like they are

each other to climb some of the city’s most

human beings. For me, when I get on a bike

grueling hills.

I’m inserted into nature and we are able to experience and enjoy everything that’s hap-

“If you can ride in Pittsburgh, you can ride anywhere,” she said.

Georgena Terry in her workshop with one of her custom bicycle designs.

62

Georgena Terry (center, behind the vehicle) with her senior project team. Her team built a novel pedal-powered vehicle.

Georgena Terry attending the RAGBRAI cycling event in Iowa, circa 1984.

Georgena Terry (MechE ’80) built the first custom bikes created specifically for women, leading a new industry, influencing an entire sport, and blazing a trail to the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame.

While working on her senior project, she

that the bikes on the market simply didn’t

picked up a brazing torch for the first time.

fit them. It was the 1980s, and in Terry’s

But it certainly wouldn’t be the last time.

estimation, women (especially smaller

“That experience stuck with me, and I think

women) were an entire market that was

of that every time I pick up a torch,” Terry

being ignored by the cycling industry.

said. “Looking back, I wish I had been at

“I heard from so many women that riding

biking saddles, apparel, and other gear.

CMU for longer, my education was enlight-

their bike would cause back and neck prob-

However, the custom work was always

ening, and I was having such a good time.”

lems because they were too stretched out on

closest to Terry’s heart. In 2009, she sold her

Shortly after graduating from CMU, Terry

the bike, and they didn’t feel fully in control,”

interest in Terry Cycling to return her focus

moved to Rochester, New York, to take a job

said Terry. That got her thinking that maybe

to one-on-one custom building. She still

with Xerox. In her spare time, she start-

it wasn’t just a matter of making bikes for

sweats over every design.

ed applying her mechanical engineering

women smaller; maybe the entire geome-

Over the course of her career, Terry and

knowledge in an unexpected way—building

try of the bike needed to be reimagined to

her company’s products have earned many

custom bicycle frames in her basement. Her

better suit women on an anatomical level. As

awards and industry accolades, recogniz-

very first hand-built bike was a duplicate of

it turns out, this was a breakthrough.

ing her many contributions and innovative

the Schwinn she was riding at the time. She

Terry started exhibiting her custom-built

products that have changed the world of

immediately noticed aspects of the design

designs at cycling rallies and her bikes got a

cycling. Last October, she was inducted into

that she thought she could improve upon,

lot of attention, from women and men who

the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame at a ceremo-

and it wasn’t long before she turned her

took them for a test spin. Her company,

ny in Chicago.

attention to building bikes full time.

Terry Precision Bicycles for Women (now

“I was thinking about CMU all the

Terry Cycling), started to take off.

“It was really pretty cool!” said Terry. “To know that they realized I had been doing

time,” said Terry. “When you’re building

In fact, demand scaled up so quickly that

something custom, the basic principles

she could no longer build the bikes herself.

of mechanics apply to everything you’re

Terry partnered with a manufacturer in

nounced, the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame had

doing. Every customer is different, so every

Japan that would build a size range of bikes

to create a new award category to properly

custom bike is different. Each project is like

to her unique specifications. This arrange-

recognize her pioneering legacy: “Contribu-

a puzzle you have to solve.”

ment allowed her to continue designing

tor to the Sport in General.” Alongside Terry,

As word spread locally that Terry was

each bike (while also bringing down the

the institution honored three additional in-

the go-to person for bespoke bicycles, she

cost) as the company continued to grow.

ductees for that brand new category—Glenn

started to notice something in her clientele: many of them were women who lamented

In the years that followed, Terry Cycling expanded into other markets including

something all this time; it’s very fulfilling.”

Fittingly, when Terry’s induction was an-

Curtiss and the Wright Brothers. That pretty much says it all.

63

The Flying Pig in flight, piloted by Keith DeVos.

Men of Science, Masters of Hover

H

overcraft is a feat of engineering.

How three engineering alumni learned to fly without leaving the ground.

“About 15 years ago, I started building things with

a flying hovercraft. With no specific goal except

An amphibious craft capable of

my kids,” explains Rizika. “We began with Halloween

for having fun and reconnecting, the engineers

travelling over land and water,

haunted houses, inspired by CMU Carnival Booths,

launched what would become a yearly summer

the design of an air-cushion

then moved on to a potato launcher, rockets, and

tradition—The Hovercraft Hackathon.

vehicle weaves together many

a trebuchet. Once my kids were older, the projects

different areas of engineering.

So naturally, alumni from across Carnegie Mel-

lon’s College of Engineering would be interested in creating their own ground-effect machine.

DeFelice served as lead engineer, drawing on

had to grow, too. When we decided to build a hover-

a career that spanned semiconductor reliability

craft, I knew I needed the help of real engineers. So I

testing at AT&T, intellectual property negotiations

called my old friends, Richard and Keith.”

at AT&T & Lucent, ventures launching technologies

Rizika reached out to Richard DeFelice, his fresh-

from Bell Labs and building his own businesses.

man roommate and longtime friend, and to Keith De-

“Engineering never leaves you,” he said. “This kind

from the Carnegie Mellon Class of 1984, Richard

Vos, a classmate and former cross-country runner he

of project brings back that CMU spirit of inquiry,

DeFelice (MechE), Dr. Keith DeVos (ECE and Physics),

hadn’t seen in decades. The three had crisscrossed

persistence, teamwork, and a sense of play.”

and Adam Rizika (MechE), have gathered in Bidd-

paths at CMU in the early 1980s, studying, invent-

After a few days of brainstorming, they quickly

eford, Maine, to design and build The Flying Pig, a

ing, and occasionally mischief-making in the halls of

realized their original five-day build plan was a bit

personal hovercraft fabricated over a 10-plus day

Hamerschlag. Reuniting, they found that the spirit

optimistic, and that they would need a few more

engineering marathon.

For the past two summers, engineering graduates

that first drew them to engineering hadn’t faded a bit.

helping hands. They enlisted the assistance of their

After a career in technology companies like

Gathered in Rizika’s garage, the trio began to

friends, Tim Wegner (Northeastern BSEE) and Steve

Teradyne and PTC, Rizika rediscovered hands-on

create the hovercraft from blueprints in DeFelice’s

Luby (UMASS BSME) without whose contributions,

building through family projects.

head with design improvements as needed to yield

the craft may have remained just a fun idea.

64

“We also decided to invite some younger folks to

“I came to CMU as a kid who loved science and

engineering in the first place—the collaboration, the

help us build,” says Rizika. “Our goal for the younger

math,” says DeVos. “I had no idea what I wanted to

problem-solving, the sheer fun of discovery,” says

crew was to provide them with hands-on learning—

do, only that it would involve figuring out how the

DeFelice. “It felt like being back at CMU again, late

designing, using tools, collaborating, and having

world works. That’s what CMU gave me, not just the

nights, creative minds, everyone pitching in to make

fun. For the older engineers, it was about working

skills, but the mindset.”

something work.”

together creatively on something outside of work.

DeVos, who studied under Vijayakumar Bhagavat-

By their third week together, the group had

ula, the U.A. and Helen Whitaker Professor of Electri-

launched Hovercraft Hackathon III, improving their

cal and Computer Engineering, carried that mindset

design and pushing for new speeds and navigation

of nearly twenty participants. They worked in shifts,

into every stage of his life, from signal processing

ability. There’s even a theme song, an AI-generated

cutting, assembling, testing, and redesigning. After

research at Johns Hopkins to a career in neurology

tune created just for the occasion.

many failed attempts, the team kept altering their

and medical education.

We ended up needing that balance.”

That first Hovercraft Hackathon resulted in a team

design until the craft finally hovered on ground.

“It’s all in good fun,” DeFelice said. “But it also

“Even now, I see the nervous system as an

shows how engineering connects generations. Every-

“Who knew it would take ten days of twelve-hour

amazing cellular computer, with many intertwined

shifts just to get it hovering?” Rizika laughed. “Then

and interdependent circuits, many that operate as

The trio plan to keep building. Maybe faster hov-

another week to get it steering straight and stopping

control systems with feedback loops” says DeVos.

ercrafts, maybe something new. But what matters

safely. But the process was pure CMU, hands-on

“Engineering and physics shape the way I think

most, they agree, is the collaboration itself.

learning, iteration, and teamwork.”

about everything and help guide me to be a logical

For DeVos, a neurologist and longtime teacher now based in Tennessee, the experience rekindled not just friendships but also memories of the intellectual spark CMU ignited.

problem solver in medicine.”

Reconnecting with Rizika and DeFelice felt like stepping back into the best parts of college.

one learns something, and everyone contributes.”

“It’s not about what we build,” Rizika said. “It’s about who we build it with, and what it brings out in us. Every time we do one of these projects, it feels like we’re back at CMU again.”

“It reminded me of why we all fell in love with

Richard DeFelice (sitting on the ground in the gray shirt), Adam Rizika (blue shirt), and Keith DeVos (pink shirt) working on the propeller housing with Michael Marom (son of late CMU alumnus, Eran Marom) and Anika Staunton (BS HM, University of Central Florida).

An early stage of the Hovercraft with Adam Rizika, his wife Ellen, friend Tim Wegner, Richard DeFelice, and Keith DeVos.

65

Faculty as authors Why I wrote a book about privacy for 4-to-6-year-olds

Your reading list for making better decisions

B

Lorrie Cranor, the director of CyLab and the Bosch Distinguished Professor in Security and Privacy Technologies, shares her motivation for writing a book for the youngest technology users.

I

professor in the Department

the librarians if I could read privacy books to preschoolers during

of Engineering and Public

story time. They agreed, but they didn’t have any suggestions for priva-

Policy and Carnegie Mellon

cy-related picture books.

Institute for Strategy & Tech-

In 2014, I worked on a

nology, Fischhoff has spent

project in which I asked

decades shaping the field of

people to draw pictures of

decision science.

what privacy means to them.

His new books, Decisions

I built a website called Privacy

and Bounded Disciplines and

Illustrated that has hundreds

Unbounded Problems, bring

of these drawings. So, while

in their rooms, hiding from siblings, and enjoying privacy in the bathroom. Privacy is a concept that children begin to understand in preschool. As a researcher who focuses on online privacy issues, I know that young children have limited online interactions, and I was tempted to leave out these issues altogether. But I realized that some mention of online privacy could help prepare children for the future.

I read my book’s first draft on Privacy Day at the Carnegie Library. The parents were impressed and encouraged me to finish it. The kids seemed to like it, too.

I asked educators at the Carnegie Mellon Children’s School if I could workshop my book with them. The teachers gave me great feedback, and I made substantial revisions.

I originally included a page about superheroes going into phone booths to put on their costumes, but today’s kids have never seen a phone booth.

Nonetheless, I couldn’t let the concept go, as it was inspired by an adorable drawing from a five-year-old who explained, “Spiderman needs privacy to put his costume on.”

In the final version, the protagonist, who wears a purple cape throughout the book, hides in a closet to change into a superhero suit.

Learn more about the book at https://privacypleasebook.com/

66

are made, and

researcher, and University

planned an event at the Carnegie Library in Oakland, and I asked

I saw drawings of kids

how decisions

sions. A decorated educator,

In Fall 2024, the Privacy Engineering master’s program at CMU

youngest contributors.

career studying

help people make better deci-

book about privacy called Privacy, Please!

looked at drawings from our

has spent his

applying that knowledge to

am ridiculously excited about my latest project: a children’s picture

I pondered privacy books, I

aruch Fischhoff

together this lifetime of research, told in stories of work conducted at Carnegie Mellon. Decisions describes how decision science has evolved, driven by real-world problems in health, safety, the environment, and national security. It calls for more places like CMU – places that bring together the bounded wisdom of disciplinary sciences to make hard decisions. Bounded Disciplines expands on that foundation, describing how to create such work environments.

Fischhoff’s career mirrors these calls. A member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine, he has advised federal agencies and chaired numerous National Academies committees on how science can guide better, more informed decisions.

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OUTSIDE OF THE LAB Hamish Gordon and Ph.D. students in his research group traveled to New Zealand to join the HALO-South research flights. In the pristine conditions above the Southern Ocean, they sampled atmospheric particles to understand how they interact with clouds. They’ll use the data to improve atmospheric processes in climate models.