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Welcome to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (H&SS) at Carnegie Mellon University is no ordinary liberal arts school. H&SS students publish poetry and analyze brain scans. They teach elementary school students to speak Spanish and create computer tutors that teach algebra. They study how films shape our culture and learn about the impact that pollution has had on the history of American cities. This video will give you a preview of our exciting education programs, research and opportunities for students.

H&SS students study under some of the world's leading scholars in fields that were pioneered at Carnegie Mellon, such as decision science, technical writing, history and policy, and cognitive neuroscience. And H&SS provides for all Carnegie Mellon students what the New York Times has called "the most creative general education program of any American university."

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H&SS Highlights

H&SS News

  H&SS is on Facebook
Stay connected to H&SS and fellow students, alumni, faculty and staff on Facebook. Become a fan now!
  Research Shows People Blame External Agents When Bad Things Happen to Them
New research by Carey K. Morewedge reveals people attribute external agents - other people or supernatural forces - when something goes wrong, but not when things happen the way they wanted or expected. Read more...
  Carnegie Mellon To Celebrate Grand Opening Of Behavioral Decision Research Lab in Downtown Pittsburgh
The Social and Decision Sciences Department and its Center for Behavioral Decision Research is opening a behavioral decision research lab in downtown Pittsburgh. At the Carnegie Mellon Research Café, located on the second level of Fifth Avenue Place, downtown workers and visitors will be able to earn money or gift cards for participating in studies on decision making such as consumer spending and saving, health behaviors like dieting and smoking, and what causes happiness. Read more...
  SDS Professor Paul Fischbeck Links Health Care Debate To Risk of Dying in the U.S. and Europe
The current health care debate in the United States is complicated. Trade-offs between heath care expenditures, lifestyle choices and life expectancy have been suggested but seldom clearly demonstrated. Paul Fischbeck, professor of social and decision sciences and engineering and public policy. uses risk of dying data in the U.S. and Europe to illustrate differences in health care systems. Read more...
  Happily Hopeless: Professor George Loewenstein Discovers Optimism Can Be Detrimental to Mental Health
New research by Social and Decision Sciences Professor George Loewenstein and Dylan M. Smith, Aleksandra Jankovic and Peter A. Ubel of the University of Michigan shows that holding on to hope may not make patients happier as they deal with chronic illness or disease. The study tracked and surveyed patients with both reversible and irreversible colostomies over a six-month period to measure their emotional well-being. The results confirm that people do not adapt well to situations if they're believed to be short-term. Read more...
  Information Systems Program Receives Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has granted the Information Systems (IS) program $206,000 over the next two years to continue its "Information Systems in the Community" summer program. The program brings students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to Carnegie Mellon for an intensive, six-week session in which they learn software development best practices, project management and teamwork. The program, derived from the highly successful IS major within H&SS, started six years ago with an initial grant from the Mellon Foundation. Read more...
  Modern Languages Hosts Lecture on the Challenges in the Performance Assessment of Speaking at Advanced Levels
Wednesday, Nov. 4: The Modern Languages Department will host a lecture by Timothy McNamara, professor of allied linguistics from the University of Melbourne at 3:30 p.m. in Margaret Morrison A14. Read more...
  Carnegie Mellon Appoints New Co-Director Of Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition
Michael J. Tarr, a new professor of psychology, will co-direct the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC). The CNBC is a joint project between Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh devoted to investigating neural mechanisms and their impact on human cognitive abilities. Read more...
  Distracted Driving Podcast
Listen to Marcel Just, the director of Carnegie Mellon's Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging, discuss his research that shows why cell phones distract drivers. Listen here. [Requires iTunes.]
  Facing the Economic Turning Point: A New G-20 Agenda Critical for Restoring Growth and Confidence
On Sept. 23, the university community gathered to tackle issues that world leaders would be focusing on at the G-20. Under the leadership of Professor Kiron Skinner, the day-long conference - co-hosted by Carnegie Mellon and the Atlantic Council - explored the economic and social forces at work in the post-economic crisis world. They were joined by U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Daniel Rooney, as well as leaders at the World Bank, PNC Financial Services and BNY Mellon, among others. Read article. Read related report.
  H&SS Summer 2009 Newsletter Available
In this issue: When dreaming is believing; 2009 Cognition Symposium and Guggenheim Fellowships; Study could help with weight loss; David Danks faculty profile; 2009 Harry S. Truman Scholarship winner; and much more. Read more...
  H&SS is on Twitter
Stay up-to-date with everything going on in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences on Twitter. Visit twitter.com/CMU_HSS.
  H&SS Researchers Develop Novel Tool To Rank Death Rates
Have you ever wondered what the odds are that you may die in the next year? Would it be from illness or an accident? Is it something you can control? Or is it completely out of your hands? A new Web site, www.DeathRiskRankings.com, developed by researchers and students at Carnegie Mellon University, allows users to query publicly available data from the United States and Europe, and compare mortality risks by gender, age, cause of death and geographic region. Paul Fischbeck, a professor of social and decision sciences and engineering and public policy led the development team. Read more...

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College of Humanities & Social Sciences | 5000 Forbes Avenue | Baker Hall 154 | Pittsburgh, PA 15213 | (412) 268-2830