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Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences  ›  News  ›  News Stories  ›  2015  ›  December
Statement from Carnegie Mellon
Sunday, December 20, 2015

Statement from Carnegie Mellon

While the recent story on food choices has been portrayed with less precision by some outlets, Carnegie Mellon and Paul Fischbeck, the senior researcher on this project, stand by the research published in Environment Systems and Decisions and how the research was described in the university's press release. The purpose of the press release was to note the difference in greenhouse gas emissions between lettuce and bacon to highlight the complicated relationship that exists between food and the environment.
Thursday, December 17, 2015

Even With 24/7 Access, “Ostrich Effect” Takes Over When Markets Are Down

CMU's George Loewenstein and Duane Seppi first introduced the "ostrich effect" in 2009 to describe how investors "put their heads in the sand" to dodge facing their financial portfolios when they're expecting bad news. The new data documents that ostrich behavior is widely prevalent, even with today's around-the-clock access to financial information.
Thursday, December 17, 2015

Health Insurance Complexity Leads to Costly Mistakes

While insurance exchanges were designed to benefit consumers by offering more plan choices, for many people, selecting a health plan is a source of confusion and stress. CMU behavioral economists Saurabh Bhargava and George Loewenstein discuss the implications in JAMA.
Athletics Celebrates Academic All Stars
Thursday, December 17, 2015

Athletics Celebrates Academic All Stars

Carnegie Mellon University recently honored 29 exceptional student-athletes at its second annual Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Celebration. The event recognized the top juniors and seniors from CMU's six undergraduate colleges, who boast an average GPA of 3.80. Five Dietrich College students were among those honored for their dual accomplishments in academics and athletics.
Brain Circuitry Fails To Connect in Children With Autism
Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Brain Circuitry Fails To Connect in Children With Autism

The holidays can be difficult for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly because of new or different social situations. One reason scientists believe ASD causes impairment in social interactions is due to an inability to effectively infer other's thoughts and feelings through theory of mind, or ToM - the ability to understand the mental states of others and oneself.An innovative brain imaging study has uncovered new evidence explaining why ToM deficiencies are present in ASD children.
Logic and Proofs: Computer-Supported Learning and the Philosophy of Mathematics
Monday, December 14, 2015

Logic and Proofs: Computer-Supported Learning and the Philosophy of Mathematics

Wilfried Sieg's teaching pivots on central themes of logic, mathematics and their history, but also their application in philosophical theory and scientific practice-an inexhaustible source of course content.
Vegetarian and “Healthy” Diets Are More Harmful to the Environment
Monday, December 14, 2015

Vegetarian and “Healthy” Diets Are More Harmful to the Environment

Contrary to recent headlines, eating a vegetarian diet could contribute to climate change.In fact, according to new research,following the USDA recommendations to consume more fruits, vegetables, dairy and seafood is more harmful to the environment because those foods have relatively high resource uses and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per calorie.
Children Perform Folktales at “Cuéntamelo” Showcase
Monday, December 14, 2015

Children Perform Folktales at “Cuéntamelo” Showcase

El Círculo Juvenil de Cultura aims to keep Latino children speaking Spanish, familiarize them with their native culture and create a sense of community. The Hispanic Studies outreach program taps into the rich multidisciplinary resources available on the Carnegie Mellon campus-particularly in the arts and technology-to develop biannual workshops like Cuéntamelo.
Student Team Wins Grand Prize at Facebook Global Hackathon
Friday, December 11, 2015

Student Team Wins Grand Prize at Facebook Global Hackathon

Dietrich College's Avi Romanoff, a sophomore psychology and human-computer interaction major, was part of the winning team that won the $10,000 grand prize by creating a new digital product that supports breaking news 24/7 with real-time eyewitness videos from around the world.
Simple Ways To Increase EITC Participation
Thursday, December 10, 2015

Simple Ways To Increase EITC Participation

It is estimated that roughly seven million Americans each year fail to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the primary channel through which the government supports the working poor. CMU's Saurabh Bhargava teamed up with the IRS and found redesigned and less complex forms, coupled with a reminder, led to a 22 percent greater participation rate.
The Ethics of Cyberconflict
Wednesday, December 09, 2015

The Ethics of Cyberconflict

As the study of machine learning advances, leaders face major ethical challenges to know when and how to apply the use of autonomous computer systems. CMU Philosophy Professor David Danks is involved in this emerging field that considers the role of computers in battle.
Honors Fellows Enter Program’s Home Stretch
Wednesday, December 09, 2015

Honors Fellows Enter Program’s Home Stretch

With one summer and one semester under their belts, the current Dietrich Honors Fellows have made substantial progress on their Senior Honors Program theses. The Fellowship Program allows students to begin immersing themselves in their research the summer before their senior year, freeing them from the distractions that come along with the academic year.
First-Year Writing Program to Recognize Outstanding Students
Monday, December 07, 2015

First-Year Writing Program to Recognize Outstanding Students

The Carnegie Mellon University First-Year Writing Program is seeking outstanding student pieces for its inaugural Excellence in First-Year Writing Awards, slated for Summer 2016.
Mind of Its Own
Monday, December 07, 2015

Mind of Its Own

With every website you visit, data are being collected for algorithms that can then predict everything from merchandise you will be interested in purchasing to career opportunities you will consider pursuing. Cristian Young, who majored in information systems, recalls how this factored into his recent car purchase.
John Lehoczky To Receive Prestigious IEEE Medal
Friday, December 04, 2015

John Lehoczky To Receive Prestigious IEEE Medal

A CMU trio - including Statistics Professor John Lehoczky - will be awarded the 2016 IEEE Simon Ramo Medal. They are being honored for revolutionizing how systems handle tasks with deadlines under serious weight, power and space constraints. Their work has been used on the original Mars Rover, NASA's Space Station, submarines, military jets and GPS satellites.
Why Major in Biological Sciences and English?
Friday, December 04, 2015

Why Major in Biological Sciences and English?

Apeksha Atal is a sophomore majoring in biological sciences and English. In this video, she talks about why she chose an additional major in English, her experience in the English Department and how she plans on applying what she's learned after her CMU career.
Art + the Brain
Thursday, December 03, 2015

Art + the Brain

In this class that integrated fine arts practice with the disciplines of biology, neuroscience and psychology, students created art in response to class discussions. The students also worked with the Children's School, and all of the artwork was part of a weeklong exhibit at CMU.
Dietrich Senior Named Academic All-American
Thursday, December 03, 2015

Dietrich Senior Named Academic All-American

Carson Quiros, a professional writing and creative writing double major, has been named to the 2015 Academic All-American Division III Women's Soccer Team. Quiros is a three-year starter for the Tartans and captain for this year's team, which is ranked fifth in the nation.
Effects of Behavioral Nudges Persist Despite Disclosure
Thursday, December 03, 2015

Effects of Behavioral Nudges Persist Despite Disclosure

A team led by CMU behavioral economist George Loewenstein investigated the impact of making people aware that they were being nudged toward a particular decision.
The First Simon Lunch
Thursday, December 03, 2015

The First Simon Lunch

Chris Neuwirth, professor of English and human-computer interaction, led a detailed discussion on "Prose Style Tutor" at the inaugural Simon Lunch. Using real prose examples, Neuwirth demonstrated how the modules were designed to help students become stronger writers and how they have already been used in various courses.
Center for Human Rights Science Secures Over $1M
Tuesday, December 01, 2015

Center for Human Rights Science Secures Over $1M

The center, led by Jay D. Aronson, has secured funding to develop tools to collect, analyze and disseminate information gathered from human rights media.
How Does the Brain Rapidly Deconstruct What We See?
Tuesday, December 01, 2015

How Does the Brain Rapidly Deconstruct What We See?

This is one of the questions Psychology Professor Marlene Behrmann is working to answer. In this video, she talks about how she uses the latest analytical methods such as machine learning and statistical analysis to understand the psychological and neural mechanisms behind the visual perception system.
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