Charpie Scholars are dedicated to scholarship, leadership, and civic engagement in the Carnegie Mellon community and beyond. Find out what the Charpie Scholarship means to them, and check out the unique and amazing things they have done since joining the program.
Each Charpie Scholar uses their own unique talents to “make a difference to Carnegie Mellon, the nation and the world.”
Our Vision
Through the generous support of the Charpie family, the Carnegie Mellon Charpie Scholars aspire to substantively contribute to the university and Pittsburgh community through scholarship, leadership and civic engagement. Individually and as a collective, we strive to model strength of character, intellectual curiosity and a creative spirit in our work and our lives.
Scholarship
Our scholars strive for strong academic achievement, the hallmark of every Charpie Scholar.
Leadership
Our scholars are leaders among their peers, and are given the opportunity to explore their personal leadership style based on their specific strengths.
Civic Engagement
Our scholars work hard to make a difference in the lives of others and have developed the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference in their campus communities.
Scholar Alumni
Charpie Scholars continue to make an impact long after they graduate from Carnegie Mellon. Take a look at what our alumni have been up to.
Charpie Alumni remain involved with the program even after graduation, and frequently act as mentors to current scholars.
About the Program
Charpie scholarships are awarded upon entrance to Carnegie Mellon to admitted students with exemplary academic record and promise of leadership potential. Throughout the course of their time on campus, Charpie scholars will engage in experiential and intellectual endeavors designed to cultivate their sensibilities as scholars.
The Charpie Scholars meet regularly as a group to dialogue special topics, and they also attend an annual fall retreat for personal and leadership development. Additionally, each scholar receives special leadership, professional, and travel opportunities, with the aim of ensuring the cultivation of a Carnegie Mellon experience uniquely tailored to their talents and ambitions.
The Charpie Scholars Advisory Board
All members of the Charpie Scholars program, if each so chooses, will have access to mentorship, career advisory, a robust alumnae network, and a meaningful community inside and outside Carnegie Mellon. These opportunities exist in addition to the on-campus principled leadership work which is part of the Charpie Scholars Program. The Advisory Board strives to enhance the value of the Charpie Scholarship, enabling Carnegie Mellon to attract bright and engaged students, who strive both for excellence and for making a positive difference in the world.
The Advisory Board works collaboratively with the Scholars and their faculty liaison to support them during and after their CMU experience.
Become a Donor
Eleven years ago, Dr. Robert Charpie established a scholarship fund at Carnegie Mellon for students who would, “make a difference to Carnegie Mellon, the nation and the world.” The Charpie Scholarship is made possible in part by the generosity of Beth and Bob Charpie, along with the rest of the Charpie Family. Dr. Charpie graduated from Carnegie Mellon with B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in theoretical physics. He recounted many times that the most important lesson learned throughout his career was the necessity to identify and attract profoundly intelligent people with equally strong leadership skills.
"When I was admitted to Carnegie Mellon, I was thrilled to have even gotten a chance to go there. Then they told me I was a Charpie Scholar, and my heart soared. This was a program that would ultimately expose me to an incredibly talented and genuinely good group of scholars and alumni, and each day I feel deeply grateful to learn from their big brains and even bigger hearts. It's a honor and a privilege to be amongst some of the greatest minds and greatest human beings that this university has to offer."
Connor is a senior from Summit, NJ. He is majoring in Information Systems and pursuing a minor in Computer Science. Last semester, Connor worked with a team of CMU Information Systems students on a technology consulting project with the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women. In that project, he and his team worked with the Department to craft a web application solution for their Violence Against Women annual reports. Connor also works as a head teaching assistant for his all-time favorite course at CMU, Application Design and Development (67-272). In that role, he helps teach sophomore Information Systems students a variety of skills that are essential for modern web application development. Connor is also a resident of CMU’s Global Living-Learning Community (Clyde House), where he has had the unique opportunity to live with a diverse group of students from all over the world. In the summer of 2016, Connor interned at Boeing as part of its IT Capital Management Team, where he had the opportunity to design custom cycle-time reports for Boeing IT executives. Last summer, Connor worked at Apple as a Technical Project Management Intern, where he planned and executed projects using video analysis and machine learning to improve merchandising success. He will be returning full-time to Apple next fall as a Software Engineer. In his spare time, Connor loves reading, running, and keeping his family up to date on the latest consumer tech.
Katie Hanson
"The Charpie Scholarship has allowed me not only to grow academically but also personally. As a Charpie Scholar, I have discovered my passion for genetics and have been given endless support to pursue this area. Being a part of the Charpie community has been an indescribable gift. I am incredibly grateful for the support and love I have gotten from this entire scholarship family over the years."
Katie is a senior from Omaha, NE. She is pursuing a major in Chemistry with a concentration in Biological Chemistry. She is also a part of the Science and Humanities Scholars Program. Her freshman year, Katie discovered a mycobacteriophage through a project by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and represented Carnegie Mellon at the yearly symposium for this nationwide research project. She has done research in Dr. Javier Lopez's Lab supported by an award from The Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology (CNAST) and a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) for the past two summers. She continues to work under Dr. Lopez on a project analyzing gene expression changes related to aging and oxidative stress and hopes to publish her findings in the next few months. She also conducted research at the University of Valencia in the Translational Genomics Group under Dr. Ruben Artero studying Myotonic Dystrophy. Overall, Katie is interested in research in genetics and plans on continuing research in this field. She is also a teaching assistant (TA) and mentor for the first-year seminar course for Mellon College of Science students (38-101) as she loves integrating first-year students into the Carnegie Mellon community and helping them find their love for science. She also loves being a TA for Genetics, since she has the opportunity to teach one of her favorite subjects. Aside from academics, Katie has been the Vice President of Intellectual Development for Alpha Chi Omega, Public Relations Director for Women in Science, Co-director of the Chemistry Murder Mystery and the Co-President of CMU Math Club. She is also an Andrew Carnegie Society Scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board, and Order of Omega. Following graduation, Katie will pursue her PhD in Genetics at Stanford University. In the future, she hopes to continue in academia as a research professor studying the genetics of human disease.
Cari Hartigan
"The support of the Charpie scholarship has given me the gift of not having to settle for anything less than achieving my dreams. Someone believed that my goals were worth investing in and I intend to make good on that trust."
Cari is a senior studying civil engineering and minoring in architecture. She grew up in Alameda, California and is now enjoying the colorful leaves and snowy winters of Pittsburgh. Her interests lie in sustainable, data-driven design and how human behavior interacts with the built environment. Cari has focused on structural engineering and sustainable buildings in her civil engineering curriculum but some of her favorite classes at CMU have been interdisciplinary courses connecting science and engineering with the urban history of Pittsburgh.
With the help of the Charpie Scholarship Program, Cari spent two summers in Germany studying urbanism, sustainability, and the German language. During the summer of 2016, she conducted a research project through the UROP International program at RWTH Aachen University. This work was especially interesting because it informed a major research project done by the Faculty of Landscape Architecture in cooperation with regional planners and the University of South Westphalia to revitalize areas in the Ruhr metropolis through co-produced urban agriculture. Cari’s contribution was to analyze changes in urban green space during the industrialization of Germany's Ruhr Valley region. She was inspired by how the project combined spatial design thinking with the science and engineering involved with looking at the feasibility of remediating brownfields and implementing small scale urban farming. Last summer, Cari interned with Bello & Associates Structural Engineers in San Francisco gaining experience with structural analysis of existing buildings.
On campus, Cari has worked as an EXCEL Leader with Academic Development and as a Resident Assistant. She competes with the Women's Water Polo Club Team and has served on the executive boards of both the water polo team and the CMU chapter of the civil engineering honors society, Chi Epsilon. Cari also performs contemporary and modern dance with Dancers’ Symposium.
Next year, Cari hopes to pursue her love of buildings and cities through a Master of Architecture program. She is especially interested in programs which combine research on social and ecologic systems with design thinking to address issues of climate change and urban resilience. Ultimately, she wants to create buildings and neighborhoods that contribute to socially and environmentally sustainable communities.
Terence Huang
"To speak in the most general terms, the Charpie Scholarship program has been one of the greatest blessings I have received. From the beginning, the scholarship helped make Carnegie Mellon a more realistic university for me to attend. After coming here, the program has brought me into a community of some of the most fantastic members of the CMU community, and every time we get together as a cohort reminds me how wonderful it is to be at CMU and among such peers, and leaves me more inspired and motivated to do good work in the initiatives where I choose to spend my time."
Terence is a Junior Mechanical Engineering and Engineering & Public Policy student at Carnegie Mellon University interested in creating a positive difference in the world at the juncture of public interest, organizations, and technology. In accordance with this aspiration, he was a Systems Engineering Intern with Raytheon in Tucson, AZ this past summer, and will be a Business Technology Analyst Intern with Deloitte in Arlington, VA this summer. On campus, he is involved with Residential Education as a Resident Assistant for first year students in Stever House, and with Greek Life, where he is Service Chair and incoming New Member Educator for Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. He is also a member of the Men's Water Polo Club and the Robotics Club, where he has been involved in a handful of interesting interdisciplinary projects. In the past, he has also been involved in a number of service initiatives such as East End Youth Project and Habitat for Humanity.
Christina Ou
"What the scholarship means to me..."
Christina is a sophomore studying Electrical and Computer Engineering with an intended minor in Computer Science. She is highly involved with the Undergraduate Student Senate, serving as the Vice Chair for the Academic Affairs Committee and as a member of the Advocacy Committee. In that role, she has worked on initiatives regarding faculty-student relations, course information, and diversity resources on campus. Christina is a project lead for CMU Engineers Without Borders Zimbabwe project, and she will travel to Nyadire, Zimbabwe with the team in August to implement solar street lights and conduct a concurrent assessment trip for their next project. Christina is also performing research to construct a patient motion detection system for the local West Penn Hospital. This summer, she is looking forward to being a software engineering intern at GoDaddy and racing in the Boston Triathlon.
Sean Tao
"The Charpie Scholarship really changed my CMU and college experience. The whole Charpie community was so welcoming, and really made me feel at home quickly. Moreover, the support they provided helped me to quickly get my feet on the ground, and start chasing my passions. CMU has been a terrific experience, and not in a small part due to Charpie. I cannot express how happy and thankful I am to be a part of this group."
Sean is a Computer Science major at Carnegie Mellon University. He was born in Xi’an, China, but moved to Pittsburgh when he was just two years old and has lived here ever since. At school, he enjoys taking classes in his major, especially classes featuring the newest topics in artificial intelligence and machine learning. He also really enjoys learning about about startups and machine learning, and has been active in the entrepreneurship community at CMU. Outside of school, Sean is an avid sports fan, as he follows the NBA, NFL, Premier League, and La Liga. In addition, he enjoys playing soccer and basketball in his free time.
Catherine Xu
"What the scholarship means to me..."
Catherine is a sophomore Business Analytics major from Philadelphia PA. She is currently looking to double major in Statistics, and hopes that she can learn ways to analyze data in meaningful ways. Catherine really enjoys the rigor and interdisciplinary nature of her program and appreciates the structure of the business school. Catherine is involved in the Undergraduate Marketing Organization. There, she attends and helps plan events which further her knowledge of business in the real world. Additionally, she enjoys participating in case competitions organized by various clubs and companies. She is also involved with Circle K, a volunteering organization, as well as String Theory where she plays viola. Her favorite shows are Suits and White Collar (which both star CMU alums!), and she hopes to brighten people’s days by being continuously goofy. After CMU, Catherine hopes to continue her studies in a PHD program in statistics, and eventually, work internationally.
Michael Fernandez
"The scholarship has really served to empower me at CMU. Being identified as a future leader has given me a lot of confidence in my abilities and made me more comfortable taking on new challenges. I'm really thankful to the donors and the Charpie family for drawing me to CMU because I'm certain that I would not have found a better fit at any other university."
Michael is a sophomore studying Mechanical Engineering with an additional major in Biomedical Engineering. He spent the summer of 2017 abroad in Salamanca, Spain, studying the Spanish language and culture. On campus, he is the Warden of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, plays saxophone in the Kiltie Band, and rides as a member of the CMU cycling team. Michael is involved in Dr. Cook's lab, participating in the development of an artificial lung as a bridge to transplantation. He hopes to continue making an impact on campus and learning as much as he can while at Carnegie Mellon.
Mera Tegene
"The scholarship allows to pursue and explore my passions, and lets me make the best of my four years at this great institution. It provides me with many amazing opportunity and connections I would not have had without it, and a Charpie family I really appreciate."
Mera is sophomore from Dallas, Texas. She is majoring in Computer Science, with a double minor in Human Computer Interaction and Game Design. She is passionate about Virtual and Augmented Reality, and she enjoys her opportunity to explore those fields through her classes, research, and personal endeavors. She is a teaching assistant for 15-150, a CS core class, and loves helping others discover their passion for CS. Outside of class, she is an ambassador for Mudge, the best freshman dorm, and she is involved in a K-pop dance club, where she enjoys learning and performing different K-pop dances with her friends. She also plans to study abroad in Korea next year and is currently taking Korean in preparation for that.
Alexander Brooks
"To me, the Charpie scholarship is the missing piece of the CMU puzzle. For personal growth, one needs both opportunity and reflection. There is an abundance of opportunity at CMU — resources, information, experiences — yet, in the frenzy of deadlines and deliverables, these opportunities often cannot be translated into growth, because of the shortage of reflection. I like to apply the principles of the Fibonacci sequence to personal growth: at any point in the sequence, you have what it takes to take the next step; you just need to add it up. This process of synthesis is what CMU often lacks and, by encouraging and enabling reflection, the Charpie Scholarship complements and completes the opportunities at CMU to allow for maximal growth."
Alex is a freshman from Metuchen, NJ. He is currently majoring in Decision Science and considering a second major in Logic and Computation. He served as Carnegie Mellon's team leader in the Up to US nationwide campus competition centered on awareness of the national debt. Despite the challenge initiating a movement about which few on campus had heard, his team was able to pull together an effective campaign, gaining some great exposure for the group. In his first semester, he had the opportunity to engage in a seminar for the Quantitative Social Science Scholars (QSSS) program, an opportunity for Dietrich College students to build strong technical backing for their efforts in the humanities. He'll be further developing his skills through the sophomore seminar and a senior research thesis and concentration. His first dive into research will come this spring in working with Professor Robert Cavalier on his research into deliberative democracy. They will be working to organize Campus Conversations at CMU as well as work with the Hilltop community as it transitions to a more deliberative approach to governance. They even hope to stay in touch with a group in Cuba working to bring deliberative democracy to their communities. Big things ahead! Hopefully, by the time you read this, he'll be a certified personal trainer and be in the midst of reforming the way CMU manages its food consumption. Fired up, ready to go!
Abraham Riedel-Mishaan
"The Charpie Scholarship has been a staple in my time here so far. The scholarship meetings have kept me close to other scholars at the school, as well as grounding me and my values. Additionally, our meetings always serve as informational, showing me ways to become a better leader or better person. Not to mention, the scholarship is one of the main reasons I was able to come to this world-class institution, where I have opportunities I couldn't get anywhere else."
Abraham is a freshman from Louisville, KY. He is currently majoring in Computer Science. Even though it is his first year here, he has been doing my best to immerse himself in as many opportunities as possible. He is working to develop his specific interest in computer science, attending lectures by the Data Science club and looking into different branches. He is also currently still working on research he developed with a small team in high school, which has to do with heart sound analysis and engineering a better stethoscope.
Robin Kuo
"As a Charpie Scholar, I am afforded the opportunity and resources to learn and grow outside the classroom through reflection. It's easy to get lost in the intensity of the CMU experience, but our meetings are a space where I can take a step back and focus on who I want to be, rather than what I want to do. The other scholars are both an incredibly humbling source of perspective and grounding for me, as well as a tight-knit family that I can always turn to for guidance, love, and support."
Robin is a freshman from Phoenix, Arizona. She is currently considering a major in Materials Science and Engineering with an additional major in Engineering and Public Policy. Robin is passionate about spreading awareness and accessibility for STEM education. In hopes of inspiring others to be creative problem-solvers and ambitious big-thinkers, she volunteers with FIRST Robotics Competition teams 3019 and 3504. On campus, she performs with Carnegie Mellon Cheerleading and All University Orchestra. Next year, Robin hopes to be involved with Residential Education so that she can give incoming cohorts the same warm and enthusiastic welcome that she received as a first-year student.
Megan Larcom
"The Charpie Scholarship has meant absolutely everything to me. Without the scholarship I would not have come to Carnegie Mellon, I simply could not afford it. I am a better person because of the friends and mentors I have found at CMU and in the Charpie family themselves."
Megan Larcom is completing her MPA at HKS and her MBA at the MIT Sloan School of Management. She is passionate about urban development, ways to finance regional growth, and leadership to create good jobs. Previously, Megan worked as a Senior Associate at CrossBoundary, an investment and advisory firm that worked with the US Agency for International Development to facilitate investment from private equity firms to small and medium sized companies in sub Saharan Africa. She also worked as a Senior Consultant at IBM. Some of her favorite work has included working on policy, programming, and budgeting for governments and agencies, including the Boston Planning & Development Agency and the MBTA. Megan is interested in organizational turnarounds and improvement from the perspective of figuring out how to both manage or improve performance and take care of people who are at work for the mission.
She graduated from Carnegie Mellon in 2010 with a B.S. in Business Administration and an additional major in International Relations. While at CMU she was the Treasurer of the Rowing Club, active in student government, and a Resident Assistant in Resnik and West Wing. Immediately after graduation she lived in Egypt as a Fulbright Teaching Scholar.
Andrew Kojzar
"What the scholarship means to me..."
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Sarah Benjamin
"For me, it was the campus visit to CMU — that I made because of the Charpie Scholarship — that convinced me that this was the school I needed to be at. I still remember sitting at that table with all the other scholars at breakfast, knowing I was going to choose to attend CMU whether I got the scholarship or not. Throughout my time at CMU, the Charpie Scholarship was a reminder to push myself to take on new challenges and responsibilities, and the other scholars were friendly faces and sources of support and encouragement who might've otherwise been strangers."
Sarah Benjamin, originally hailing from Great Falls, Virginia, graduated from CMU in 2012 with a BS in Physics. While attending CMU, she spent much of her free time with the Kiltie Band, serving as leadership for several years including serving as President her senior year. In addition, she was involved in numerous CMU classic traditions, playing in the pit for Scotch'n'Soda's performance of Cabaret, helping with buggy, painting The Fence, playing the occasional game of Capture-the-Flag-with-Stuff, and much more. She also worked as a tutor in the physics departments undergrad course center, and spent her summers interning at first the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in DC, and then the American Natural History Museum in NYC.
Upon graduating from CMU, Sarah attended Yale University on a Gruber Fellowship where she received her Masters in Astronomy. She now lives in NYC where she works as a private tutor and operates her own art business, Cerabee Stitches, selling self-designed and handmade pieces of art and jewelry that are inspired by all aspects of pop culture. She credits her time at CMU for encouraging her to be proud of her inner geek, showing her that difficult challenges are worth tackling, and teaching her that you can never predict which skills you learn along the way will be the most valuable in the end.
Samantha Catanzaro
"What the scholarship means to me..."
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Cynthia Hu
"The Charpie Scholarship provided me the opportunity to connected with many extraordinary, talented individuals across cultures and backgrounds at Carnegie Mellon who have influenced me to stay hungry in life: work, personal or leisure. This mantra (even now) reminds me to never stop learning, never stop believing, never stop aspiring and to keep my heart in the work."
Cynthia Hu graduated from Carnegie Mellon in 2012 with a B.S. in Business Administration from Tepper School of Business and a concentration in International Management. During her time at CMU, she was actively involved in multiple cultural organizations including TSA (Taiwanese Student Association), ASA (Asian Student Association), KSA (Korean Student Association) and ARCC (Awareness of Roots in Chinese Culture). She also had a passion for hip-hop dance and was President of IFS (International FreeStylers), a student organization that hosted dance workshops and freestyle sessions open to all levels. She also organized the annual iFS Battlezone where dancers from all over Pittsburgh meet to battle in front of a panel of judges, styles include breakdancing/bboying, funk, popping and locking. Cynthia also choreographed and participated in campus-wide dance showcases including the annual Lunar Gala, Culture Night ASA performance, Dancer's Symposium and One Night in Beijing.
After an amazing journey at CMU, Cynthia moved to NYC for her first gig at Barclays Capital doing Sales & Trading for Institutional Investors with a focus on Asia ex-Japan Equities. She currently works at GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group), the world's largest professional learning platform, as a Research Manager based in Hong Kong leading the Technology & Internet sector. In her spare time, she enjoys playing drums/guitar in a band and competing in local basketball leagues.
Patrick White
"The Charpie Scholarship has been a constant reminder that the Charpie family and Carnegie Mellon saw something in me that they believed could change the world. Their trust has pushed me to dive deeper into my passions, always take on new leadership opportunities, and find ways to give back to a community that has given me so much. The Charpie Scholarship gave me four years to learn and grow as much as I could at Carnegie Mellon but instilled a drive to make a difference in this world that I know I will never lose."
Patrick White was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and enrolled at Carnegie Mellon University in the fall of 2008. Patrick arrived with a curiosity about nuclear energy and immediately sought out opportunities to learn more about the field. He combined classes in mechanical and nuclear engineering with internships in the both the commercial nuclear industry and federal government to gain a deeper understanding of the science behind and challenges facing nuclear power. While on campus, Patrick was involved with a variety of activities including the Kiltie Band, the Highland Ambassadors, and the Spring Carnival Committee as Midway Chair. He also helped to reestablish the Carnegie Mellon chapter of Delta Tau Delta fraternity in 2010 (coincidently the same fraternity that Robert Charpie had joined when he arrived at Carnegie Tech in 1944!). Patrick graduated from Carnegie Mellon in May 2012 with his B.S. in mechanical engineering and remained on campus to complete his M.S. in mechanical engineering in December 2012. Following graduation, he began work with MPR Associates, an engineering consulting firm specializing in commercial nuclear power.
After several years of engineering work at MPR, Patrick felt drawn back to academia to learn more about the societal and policy issues critical to the future of nuclear power. He moved to Cambridge, MA in the fall of 2015 and is currently working towards his PhD in nuclear science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Patrick’s research focuses on the safety and regulation of advanced nuclear reactors and the importance of nuclear power in a low-carbon world. After graduation, Patrick hopes to work with industry and governments to enable the construction and operation of a new generation of advanced nuclear power plants.
Priya Gandhi
"It has truly been an honor to serve as a Charpie Scholar. The unparalleled opportunities afforded to me through this program transformed my trajectory as a student, professional, and citizen. The Charpie program not only fostered my sense of intellectual curiosity, but it also provided invaluable mentorship and development of leadership skills. Through this program, I cultivated meaningful—and lifelong—relationships with faculty, my peers, and members of the greater Pittsburgh community."
Priya Gandhi is a research associate in the Research-Evaluation-Learning unit at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the nation’s largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health. Since 2014, they have strived to build a national culture of health, where all individuals have an opportunity to live their healthiest and longest lives possible. In this role, she develops and manages a portfolio of investments related to research, evaluation, and learning. She is passionate about translating evidence to make it actionable for multidisciplinary audiences, and appreciates this unparalleled opportunity to collaborate with research generators and users from diverse sectors. Priya is also in the process of completing a Training Certificate in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
She earned both a Bachelor of Science in Policy and Management (Dietrich ’14) and a Master of Science in Health Care Policy and Management (Heinz ’15) from Carnegie Mellon University. Priya’s interest in population health was sparked by her experiences working abroad in rural India during her sophomore year, where she joined a team of doctors in providing basic health care services and teaching sex education to adolescents. This experience fostered her desire to develop and analyze multidisciplinary policies that impact health and well-being.
Priya worked to address key health and health care issues in the greater Pittsburgh region during her academic career through multiple channels, including serving as a Jonas Salk Fellow at the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and as an undergraduate research assistant in the Social and Decision Sciences Department. She also served as a teaching assistant over many semesters for the Decision Analysis and Decision Support Systems course and the graduate-level Health Care Quality and Performance Improvement course. Priya was a member of the Delta Gamma Fraternity, and volunteered extensively at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children to support Delta Gamma’s Service for Sight philanthropic initiative.
A native of Long Island, NY, Priya now resides in Lawrenceville, NJ. In her leisure time, she enjoys exploring cities (New Hope, PA is a new favorite!), taking cooking classes, and watching basketball. Although she has traveled to 35 states thus far, her favorite view is still of Downtown Pittsburgh from PNC Park on a sunny day!
Andrew Mittereder
"I can wholeheartedly say that the Charpie scholarship was one of the biggest reasons why I chose to attend CMU, and subsequently made me who I am today. I am incredibly grateful for the resources the scholarship along with the university were able to provide for me."
Andrew Mittereder (SCS ’14) is a Charpie alumnus from Clifton, VA. He graduated with a double major in Computer Science and Human-Computer Interaction. While at CMU, Andrew was active in Game Creation Society since his freshman year, where he worked on and led teams creating original video games. Andrew was a member of the Lambda Sigma sophomore honor society, where he participated in community service for Pittsburgh and beyond. He was also a board member on Carnegie Mellon’s University Disciplinary Committee and Academic Review Board, and one of two Student Vice-Presidents of Carnegie Mellon’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.
He is passionate about user interface design and technology that allows us to interact with computers in new, meaningful ways. In his HCI Capstone project course, Andrew worked with Qeexo, Co. to explore and develop new interactions using FingerSense. This technology allows touchscreens to distinguish between touches made with the fingertip, knuckle, or nail. Professionally, Andrew has conducted research at Carnegie Mellon’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute, and interned at Microsoft Corporation.
After graduation, Andrew returned to work full-time at Microsoft, working on the Windows Interaction Platform team. He has worked on improving the touch and pen input experience in Windows, and helped implement features for Surface Dial, a new input device designed to enrich traditional touch and pen interaction. Outside of work, Andrew enjoys working on software and electronics projects, and exploring the Seattle area, inside and out.
Austin Davis
"Not only did the Charpie program give me the opportunity to attend Carnegie Mellon, but it also allowed me the freedom to explore outside my major — to learn a new language, to cross cultures and travel abroad, and to develop greater empathy for others. I could not have imagined how rich an experience it would be."
Austin Davis (SCS '15) is a Charpie alumnus from Bellevue, WA. He graduated with a major in Computer Science and a minor in Robotics. On campus, he served for two semesters as a Teaching Assistant for the Mathematical Foundations for Computer Science course (15-151). Austin was also a leader in the CMU chapter of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and was very involved in the spiritual community on campus. He had the opportunity to participate in a spring break mission trip to El Salvador and two summers of language and culture exchange programs in China. Other activities included planning educational community events through the Emerging Leaders program and competing in numerous team puzzle-solving competitions. He is grateful that the Charpie program afforded him the opportunity to explore freely and define his own experience at CMU. A highlight for Austin was getting to take courses not required for his program, ranging from Chinese Language to Rapid Prototyping Technologies to Sound Recording.
Austin enjoys solving interesting problems and using technology to help other people. While in school, Austin completed five software engineering internships at Microsoft, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and Google. A favorite project was improving the accessibility of Android phones for vision-impaired users. He also joined the Board of Directors of the Washington Student Math Association, a non-profit organization that he co-founded in 2009 to promote mathematics education among K–12 students. All these experiences helped shape his desire to pursue opportunities where he can use his passion for technology to serve others. Since graduation, he has been employed at Google as a Software Engineer working on education and enterprise device management and serving as a champion for accessibility. He continues to volunteer with local non-profit organizations and serve as a mentor for high school students.
Joshua Kubiak
"The Charpie Scholarship gave me freedom to explore new interests, activities, and areas of research during my time as an undergraduate at Carnegie Mellon."
Joshua Kubiak hails from Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Carnegie Mellon in 2016 with bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry and Materials Science & Engineering. While at CMU, Josh was heavily involved with the Carnegie Mellon Racing team which produces electric, Formula-1-style racecars to compete with other universities from around the world. Josh was also a leader of CMU’s ChemE Car team which ran an independent chemistry lab to develop and test shoebox-sized cars powered and controlled by chemical reactions. Within the chemistry department, he was an active participant in the annual Murder Mystery Musical and helped create the chemistry department’s award winning booth for Spring Carnival. During the summers, Josh completed internships at Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, Covestro, and the Pacific Northwest National Lab; he also spent a summer as a TA and counselor for the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Sciences. Throughout his undergraduate education, Josh performed chemistry and engineering research in the labs of Professor Krzysztof Matyjaszewski and Professor Michael Bockstaller where he worked on synthesizing composite nanomaterials and studying their processing and mechanical properties.
Josh is currently a Ph.D. student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Program in Polymers and Soft Matter. He is funded by a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship in the lab of Professor Robert Macfarlane. Josh is creating new methods of assembling nanocomposites into ordered macroscopic materials for mechanical and optical applications. In addition to research, Josh organizes blood drives with the Red Cross, runs hands-on demonstrations at the MIT Museum, coordinates department outreach events, and is an active member of the MIT Motorsports team.
James Yang
"What the scholarship means to me..."
James Yang is from Morrisville, NC. He graduated with a double major in Computer Science and Statistics. Throughout his time at CMU, James maintained a 4.0 QPA and enjoyed the challenge of rigorous Computer Science courses. Specifically, Great Theoretical Ideas in Computer Science really opened his eyes to new approaches to problem solving. James has developed a number of tech applications, including an iPhone application that records a quick video, capturing various focal lengths to let users adjust focus of an image after it has been taken, as well as Schedule+, a website that allows students to share class schedules with the click of a button. Apart from his academics, James was a member of Phi Delta Theta, the Ultimate Frisbee A team, Club Tennis, Badminton Club, and Taiwanese Students Association. During his summers, James interned at Google, Microsoft and SAS. He currently works for Google as a software engineer.
Becs Epstein
"The Charpie Scholarship is empathetic leadership and a responsibility to use our privilege to enable others.”
Becs earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in contextual practice and sculptural installation. During her time at CMU, Becs was the President of the Sustainable Earth Club, which spearheads multiple campaigns to create a green campus. Recently her artwork was displayed at the “Conversations” exhibit at Legend Galleries (Philadelphia),the August Wilson Center (Pittsburgh) curated by the Iyapo Repository, and at a venue in New Zealand. Her ongoing work is called Institute of Plant Motivation which uses the aesthetic language of corporate stability to advocate for the formation of intimate consensual relationships between humans and individual plants. The core of her art practice is magnifying the space between botanical life and human interaction. Along with her personal work, she curates visual art and performance events centered around femme queerness. She is currently based in Pittsburgh, PA. She is working at a florist, teaching STEAM topics with Assemble, and assisting various artists.
Allison Fisher
Allison is grateful to the Charpie Scholarship for inspiring her to pursue a broad diversity of experience during her undergraduate career. She appreciates the community of mentors that she found in her fellow Charpie Scholars, as well as the ability to bring her education to the global scale (three different continents).
Allison Fisher is from Norcross, GA. She majored in Computer Science, with minors in Technology & Policy and Neural Computation. On campus, Allison was a mentor for Emerging Leaders, a leadership and service program for first-years. She was also involved in Hillelujah Jewish a cappella group, Engineers Without Borders, Alpha Chi Omega sorority, and CMU Pipe & Drum Band. Allison spent her senior fall semester studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. She also had the opportunity to travel to Nyadire, Zimbabwe in August 2015 for an Engineers Without Borders (EWB) assessment trip, and to Panama City, Panama in October 2014 for a global engineering course sponsored by EWB and the American Society for Civil Engineers. Allison spent her summers interning at the CMU Biorobotics Lab, Microsoft, and Facebook. She is passionate about building technologies that contribute to sustainable infrastructure, as well as those that further computational perception and learning. She is excited to be building on those passions as a software engineer at Google in New York City.
Allison is grateful to the Charpie Scholarship for inspiring her to pursue a broad diversity of experience during her undergraduate career. She appreciates the community of mentors that she found in her fellow Charpie Scholars, as well as the opportunity to bring her education to the global scale (three different continents) through financial assistance from the program.
