Carnegie Mellon Department of Social and Decision Sciences

A Mother’s Day to Remember ❤️🎓

Mother’s Day was extra special for Jamie Scanlon, who graduated alongside her son Nathaniel Scanlon during Carnegie Mellon’s 128th Commencement.

Jamie Scanlon is a project manager in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in policy and management. Her son Nathaniel graduated with a bachelor’s degree in statistics and machine learning.

cmugrad

A SDS tradition: Senior Dinner! Good food, great conversations, and a celebration our seniors with the faculty and advisors who helped them make it to graduation 🎓✨

From classes and capstones to advising meetings and last minute registration questions, it’s been fun watching this group grow over the years. We loved getting everyone together to celebrate the end of the semester!

Congrats, SDS seniors! We’re excited to see what’s next for you! 🥳

Celebrating our seniors, our students and the SDS community as a whole 🥳🎓

Thank you to everyone who joined us for such a special event!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Professor George Loewenstein’s It’s On You Book Talk 📚

From retirement savings to climate change, the conversation challenged how we think about responsibility, and why real progress requires systemic change, not just individual action.

To read more about this research and purchase the book see link in bio 🔗

Decision Science alumna (DC ‘24) Lela Yuan is now a Category Manager at TikTok, working with creators, athletes, and sellers in the collectibles space.

From CMU to the creator economy, we love seeing SDS alumni building innovative careers in tech and business!

🔗 Read the full story in our bio.

THANK YOU to our wonderful SDS Student Advisory Council for creating these adorable finals care packages! Each bag is packed with goodies to help keep you full, and focused during exam week. 💛📚

We’ll be handing out these goodie bags at SDeStress on Wednesday, December 10th from 12:00-2:00pm in the Dowd Room on the second floor of the UC (right next to Au Bon Pain).

Come enjoy comfort food (Buffalo AND regular mac & cheese), cookies, and tons of relaxation and self-care activities, including:
🧘‍♀️ Meditation cushions
🎨 Art therapy supplies
🧘 Yoga mats
🌀 Fidget toys
🌿 Aromatherapy

We hope to see you there!

Add the event to your calendar by following the link in our bio 🔗

🎓 Congratulations to Ava Black! 🎉

Ava was inducted into Carnegie Mellon University’s Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) chapter on October 9, 2025. She was one of only 20 students selected for this highly competitive fall cohort! This recognition is a tremendous honor and a testament to Ava’s dedication and excellence.

Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa celebrates academic achievement and the enduring value of a liberal arts and sciences education. We’re so proud of Ava for her curiosity, hard work, and commitment to learning. Congratulations on this remarkable accomplishment! 🔑📚👏