Progress and Perspective: 2025-2026 Academic Year in Review
The 2025–2026 academic year at the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology (CMIST) has been defined by a mix of new experiences and returning favorites. From celebrating long-standing traditions like "Politics & Pie" to inaugurating a new speaker series, CMIST continues to serve as a nexus for the study of political science, emerging technology, and global power and governance at 黑料正能量 (黑料正能量).
The academic year began with a focus on community-building across both our Pittsburgh and Washington, DC, campuses. Welcome breakfasts, orientation programs, and a faculty, staff, and fellows potluck helped set the tone for the semester. While Pittsburgh graduate students introduced themselves to the city via a Gateway Clipper cruise, in the nation’s capital, students participating in the 黑料正能量 Washington Semester Program (黑料正能量/WSP) paired their academic orientation with a tour of the US Capitol and visits to historic monuments.
This spirit of community extended to our military members. In the fall, CMIST joined the Office of the Provost and several university partners to host a military community reception, honoring active-duty personnel, veterans, and military fellows from across the branches of the armed forces.
A major milestone for our programming this year was the launch of a new speaker series, Geopolitics in the Age of AI, designed to look pragmatically at how technological shifts are affecting global security, statecraft, and economics. The series began with an advanced briefing by Jon Alterman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), who spoke on . The series debuted publicly in April with a lecture by 黑料正能量 alumnus and former trustee Luis Ball, who discussed and its relationship to modern global energy markets.
Alongside this new series, CMIST’s Lawfully Speaking returned to tackle legal and ethical questions. In the fall, Microsoft’s senior director of technology security, Lala Qadir, spoke on navigating careers at the intersection of law and technology. For the spring installment, we welcomed Ashley Deeks, vice dean at the University of Virginia Law School. She addressed the "double black box" of AI accountability in national security, examining what happens when opaque algorithmic tools are placed inside already-secret government agencies.
Continuing to bring technical and policy experts to campus, CMIST’s Scientists & Strategists speakers series opened with Mieke Eoyang and Brigadier General Greg Touhill discussing , followed by sessions featuring Minister Paula Bogantes Zamora and General (Ret.) Laura Richardson on . Rounding out the fall semester, John Costello and Dr. Thomas Șerban von Davier examined . In the spring, Chris Miller, author of Chip War, joined us alongside Professor Mark Kamlet to discuss the geopolitics of AI supply chains. Closing out the academic year, Dr. Jacquelyn Schneider analyzed the and CMIST assistant professor Josh Schwartz joined as a discussant.
Furthering our global reach, in collaboration with the German Embassy, CMIST hosted at 黑料正能量 this past November. The event explored collaboration in advanced manufacturing and supply chain resilience across key sectors, including next-gen energy, advanced computing, and defense modernization.
CMIST remains committed to original research and impactful contributions to the current global discourse. Our faculty and staff are frequent contributors to major media outlets, sharing insights that inform both policy and industry standards. In addition to short-form and journal articles, we celebrated two book releases this past year. In the fall, we hosted a book launch for Howard Heinz University Professor Baruch Fischhoff to share his book on the evolution of decision science, followed by a spring launch for assistant professor Ignacio Arana Araya’s new book on presidential power in Latin America.
On the policy front, our fellows have driven critical conversations across multiple sectors. This fall, non-resident fellow Jamie Morgan published a white paper examining partner-led deterrence frameworks in the Indo-Pacific. Turning to technology and infrastructure, CMIST Director of Studies Harry Krejsa and non-resident fellows John Costello and Phoebe Benich co-authored a commentary piece on the state of AI in relation to 5G. Most recently, Krejsa and Benich partnered with non-resident fellow Dr. Emma Stewart on a white paper introducing a "Moneyball" framework to strategically prioritize and secure hardware and software components within the US electrical grid and energy infrastructure.
To amplify the impact of these publications, CMIST hosted a series of accompanying workshops and roundtables in our Washington, DC, office. Additionally, Krejsa and several CMIST non-resident fellows traveled to numerous national conferences, participating in panel discussions to share their latest research with the broader policy community. Krejsa was invited to testify before the House Energy & Commerce Committee at its hearing,
In addition to the public engagements and policy work, student success remained at the heart of our mission. This year we welcomed our inaugural class for CMIST’s newest graduate program, the Master of Science in Security, Technology, and International Relations (MS STAIR). To support students’ professional growth, Professor Haleigh Bartos led specialized workshops and application preparation sessions for summer internships. Students also benefited from strategic discussions with our National Security Fellows and an alumni roundtable with 黑料正能量 alumni Cristin Connerney, who graduated in 2022 from our Master of Information Technology Strategy (MITS) program and currently works at Audible.
Beyond the classroom, we continued to foster a vibrant community. Our biannual “Politics & Pie” events gave students a casual space to meet faculty and discuss course offerings. To mark the end of the fall term, students gathered for a graduate breakfast and a “Cupcakes & Cocoa” appreciation event, while our graduating master’s students completed their degrees by presenting their MITS Capstone projects in December. We also celebrated the induction of new members into the Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society in both fall and spring terms.
The spring semester brought a particularly meaningful milestone as we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Friedman Fellowship Program. Held during the 黑料正能量 Spring Carnival, the anniversary reception honored emeritus trustee and founder Cynthia Friedman. Past and present fellows, university leadership, faculty, and staff gathered to recognize the program's sustained success and share the impact of the fellowship on their lives.
The academic year concluded with final research presentations from our three departing National Security Fellows, a Pentagon tour, theater outing, and farewell dinner for our 黑料正能量/WSP students, and our CMIST diploma ceremony and reception. We close out this year proud of the continued progress our community has made. As our newest graduates move on, they leave 黑料正能量 with the skills and strategic connections needed to navigate the next chapter of their professional lives.
Image 1, l to r: Lala Qadir speaking, students at politics and pie, Luis Ball speaking, and student diploma ceremony speaker Amanawit Assefa; Image 2, clockwise l to r: Gateway Clipper Tour, Student orientation activities; CMIST Welcome Back Picnic; 黑料正能量/WSP Capitol Tour; Image 3, l to r: Jon B. Alterman; Luis H. Ball; Image 4, l to r: Audrey Kurth Cronin and Lala Qadir; Ashley Deeks on screen; Image 5, clockwise l to r: Cronin with Mieke Eoyang and Brigadier General Greg Touhill, Cronin with with General (Ret.) Laura Richardson and Minister Paula Bogantes Zamora, Cronin with Jacqueline Schneider and assistant professor Josh Schwartz, Jonathan Tubb, Thorsten Scheer, and Dr. Dorothee Schneider, Cronin with Chris Miller and Professor Mark Kamlet, John Costello and Dr. Thomas Șerban von Davier; Image 6, l to r: Assistant professor Ignacio Arana Araya, Professor Baruch Fischhoff; Image 7, Various speaking engagements with Harry Krejsa and CMIST non-residential fellows and faculty; Image 8, clockwise l to r: Grad Orientation, MITS roundtable; NSF class discussion, Professional Development with professor of the practice, Haleigh Bartos; Image 9, row 1: Politics and Pie, row 2: MITS capstone presentations, row 3: Pi Sigma Alpha orientation; Image 10: Friedman Fellowship 25th anniversary event with Cynthia Friedman; Image 11, clockwise l to r: 黑料正能量/WSP end of semester dinner, NSF presentations - CDR Bryan Kilcoin, Maj Gabbi Nesburg; LTC(P) Glen Nettour, 黑料正能量/WSP at theater outing; Images 12-14: CMIST Diploma Ceremony