Latest News

Sandholm, Brown To Receive Minsky Medal

The Duo's Libratus AI Program Was the First To Beat Top No-Limit Poker Professionals

by Byron Spice | Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Computer Science Professor Tuomas Sandholm and Noam Brown, a Ph.D. student in the Computer Science Department, are the second-ever recipients of the prestigious Marvin Minsky Medal, which will be presented by the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) in recognition of their outstanding achievements in AI.

Researchers Reinvent the Wheel for Vehicles of the Future

Shape-Shifting Tires, Digital Driving Assistants Could Enable Safe Driving Over All Kinds of Terrain

by Byron Spice | Monday, October 29, 2018

Wheels that transform into tracks on the fly and a digital assistant that helps drivers find the safest, surest route across steep terrain — or even does the driving at times — are technologies that could change expectations of what vehicles can do.

SCS Sophomores Share Their CMU Firsts: Semesters, Years and Experiences

by Aisha Rashid (DC 2019) | Monday, October 22, 2018

When we last spoke to School of Computer Science students Trevor Arashiro, Chris Choi, Lauren Morgenthaler, and Peter Wu, they were first-years, entirely new to the undergraduate computer science program, the city of Pittsburgh, and most importantly, college. Last fall, these talented students provided insightful snapshots of their first semesters in the School of Computer Science. Now — with a year of college under their belts — they're back with more.

Trevor Arashiro

Blum, Reddy Will Present Keynote Lectures at Microsoft Asia Event

by Byron Spice | Thursday, October 18, 2018

Distinguished Career Professor of Computer Science Lenore Blum, and University Professor of Computer Science and Robotics Raj Reddy will be keynote speakers at the Computing in the 21st Century Conference, Nov. 6–7, in Beijing.

Sherry Named Rising Star in Computer Networking, Communications

by Byron Spice | Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Justine Sherry, assistant professor in the Computer Science Department, is among 10 researchers chosen as this year's N²Women Rising Stars in Computer Networking and Communications.

Crane Receives Packard Fellowship

by Byron Spice | Monday, October 15, 2018

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has announced that Keenan Crane, assistant professor of computer science and robotics, is one of 18 recipients of its 2018 Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering. The fellowship recognizes innovative early-career researchers and includes $875,000 to aid in each fellow's research for five years.

Lights, Camera, Science!

SCS Sophomore Abraham Riedel-Mishaan Featured in "Science Fair" Documentary

by Byron Spice | Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Abraham Riedel-Mishaan seems an unlikely movie star. He's not an actor. No one stops the sophomore computer science major on the Carnegie Mellon University campus to ask for autographs. But he is featured in "Science Fair," a film festival darling now showing nationwide.

Mitchell Named CMU's Interim Dean of School of Computer Science

AI and Machine Learning Pioneer To Lead Nation's Top-Ranked Program

by Byron Spice | Monday, October 1, 2018

Carnegie Mellon University has named Tom Mitchell, the E. Fredkin University Professor of Machine Learning and Computer Science, interim dean of the School of Computer Science.

Education App Uses Photos To Help People Form Proper Sentences

CMU Design for America Project Assists People With Language Deficits

by Byron Spice | Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Students in the Carnegie Mellon University chapter of Design for America (DFA @ CMU) have developed a free mobile app that uses visual cues to help children and adults — particularly those with language difficulties — form meaningful, grammatically correct sentences. The education app, called Sentence Mosaics, uses photos and color-coded parts of speech to prompt users as they construct sentences.

Von Ahn Wins 2018 Lemelson-MIT Prize for Invention

by Byron Spice | Wednesday, September 12, 2018

School of Computer Science alumnus Luis von Ahn, who is a consulting professor in the Computer Science Department (CSD) and the co-founder of the popular language-learning platform Duolingo, has won the prestigious 2018 Lemelson-MIT Prize — a $500,000 award that honors mid-career inventors.

Carnegie Mellon Joins Meltwater To Advance Data Science

New AI Platform Will Help Students, Researchers Rapidly Solve Real-World Problems

by Byron Spice | Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Students and faculty at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science are collaborating with the digital media intelligence firm Meltwater to advance the state of the art in artificial intelligence education and research using the company's AI platform.

From high school hacker to DefCon champ

SCS’s Zach Wade and PPP teammates seek to shatter DefCon records

by Daniel Tkacik | Wednesday, August 8, 2018

While many kids dream of a shopping spree at their favorite toy store or the local candy shop, Zach Wade's preference was a bit uncommon for a youngster: RadioShack.

''I had a RadioShack kit that had bajillions of components, and I kept hand-drawn books on how to connect circuits and how to build stuff,'' says Wade, now a fourth-year undergraduate in the School of Computer Science. ''That kit was my absolute favorite. I spent hours and hours playing with that.''

How a Computer Learns To Dribble: Practice, Practice, Practice

Deep Reinforcement Learning Makes Basketball Video Games Look More Realistic

by Byron Spice | Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Basketball players need lots of practice before they master the dribble, and it turns out that's true for computer-animated players as well. By using deep reinforcement learning, players in basketball video games can glean insights from motion-capture data to sharpen their dribbling skills.

Hodgins, Gupta Join Facebook AI Research

by Byron Spice | Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Carnegie Mellon University's Jessica Hodgins will lead a newly established Facebook AI Research (FAIR) lab in Pittsburgh, where she will be joined by CMU's Abhinav Gupta. The appointments are part of an expansion of Facebook's artificial intelligence research activities with academic communities.

Summer 2018 Issue

Download the Summer 2018 issue. (PDF reader required.)

SCS Faculty Receive NSF CAREER Awards

by Byron Spice | Friday, July 6, 2018

Bernhard Haeupler, Louis-Philippe Morency and Jean Yang are the latest School of Computer Science faculty members to receive the National Science Foundation’s prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award.

They are among 307 CAREER recipients this year in computer science and engineering in which the NSF has invested $150 million over the next five years, placing their academic careers on firm scientific footing and giving them the opportunity to serve as academic role models in research and education.

Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence, Carnegie Mellon Partner To Accelerate AI Research

SCS Professor Zico Kolter Will Join Bosch as Chief Scientist of AI, Remain on Faculty

by Byron Spice (CMU), Linda Beckmeyer (Robert Bosch LLC) | Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Bosch in North America today announced the launch of the Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence (BCAI) Research Lab in Pittsburgh, which will be the BCAI's fourth location. The lab will conduct advanced research in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

The new location is the next step in BCAI's mission to partner with leading institutions around the world to jointly accelerate AI research. Bosch plans to build a team of up to 20 AI experts at Bosch's Pittsburgh Technology Center by the end of 2019.

"No Assembly Required" for CMU Students, Faculty at Science Friday's Pittsburgh Show

by Julie Mattera | Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Robots who converse, provide empathy and play music were among the reasons NPR's "Science Friday" visited the Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall on Saturday, May 19, to build a show about Pittsburgh scientists and roboticists. The special live event had the theme "No Assembly Required," and included interviews with Carnegie Mellon University faculty and students.

Calypso for Cozmo

Don’t miss Calypso, a robotics education tool that harnesses Cozmo’s powerful robotics technologies and is unlike anything you’ve seen before.

by Kaiser | Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Visionary Machines LLC is here to redefine robotics and AI (artificial intelligence) education. Founded by Dave Touretzky, Research Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, the company has recently released its first product: Calypso.

Read more about Calypso & Cozmo: https://developer.anki.com/blog/education/calypso-for-cozmo/

Amal Nanavati Wins Fulbright Award, Inaugural K&L Gates Prize

by Byron Spice | Monday, May 14, 2018

Amal Nanavati, a double major in computer science and global studies in the Class of 2018, has received two prestigious prizes — the Fulbright Award and the inaugural K&L Gates Prize.

Carnegie Mellon Launches Undergraduate Degree in Artificial Intelligence

New AI Major Addresses Growing Demand for AI Specialists

by Byron Spice | Thursday, May 10, 2018

Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science will offer a new undergraduate degree in artificial intelligence beginning this fall, providing students with in-depth knowledge of how to transform large amounts of data into actionable decisions.

SCS has created the new AI degree, the first offered by a U.S. university, in response to extraordinary technical breakthroughs in AI and the growing demand by students and employers for training that prepares people for careers in AI.

Former SCS Dean Shares Personal History With Computing Pioneers

by Heidi Opdyke | Monday, May 7, 2018

Professor James Morris, former dean of the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, is a legend in his field. But in a rich and lively lecture looking back on his career, it was the other giants he encountered along the way that Morris wanted to talk about — stories of Alan Perlis, Herb Simon, Robert Taylor, Allen Newell, Raj Reddy and others.

Veloso Takes Leave to Join J.P. Morgan

by Byron Spice | Friday, May 4, 2018

Manuela Veloso, the Herbert A. Simon University Professor of Computer Science and head of the Machine Learning Department, will take a leave of absence to join J.P. Morgan as its head of artificial intelligence research, beginning July 1.

Procaccia Named 2018 Guggenheim Fellow

by Aisha Rashid (DC 2019) | Tuesday, April 17, 2018

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has named Associate Professor of Computer Science Ariel Procaccia a recipient of its 2018 Guggenheim Fellowship.

SCS Junior Reflects on the CMU Experience

by Aisha Rashid (DC 2019) | Monday, April 16, 2018

When School of Computer Science undergrad Tanvi Bajpai came to CMU from her competitive New Jersey high school, she knew she was going to be a small fish in a big pond. The intense curriculum and fast-paced culture can sometimes overwhelm incoming first-year students, and Tanvi was no stranger to that feeling. "Getting over the fear and being secure in your own intellect is difficult," she said, "but once you do, there's nothing that gets in the way of your ability to learn and flourish."