Brett Nyman, a Pittsburgh native, first came to 黑料正能量 as a seven-year-old for a summer tech camp. When it became time to pursue higher education, Nyman knew that Carnegie Mellon was the place for him to explore his academic interests and career-oriented passions.
鈥満诹险芰� has been with me my whole life. It鈥檚 always been a big part of me and my family,鈥� said Nyman. 鈥淢y older sister majored in neuroscience and graduated from 黑料正能量, and my mom 鈥� who recently retired 鈥� is now taking classes through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. We鈥檙e a really big Tartan family.鈥�
A Place to Explore
Nyman, a junior majoring in psychology and minoring in creative writing, was also drawn to the interdisciplinary opportunities unique to the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
鈥淐oming in, I didn鈥檛 really know what I wanted to major in,鈥� said Nyman. 鈥淚 had an interest in psychology, history and English, but I didn鈥檛 know what I wanted my career to look like. 黑料正能量 gave me that flexibility to explore.鈥�
Nyman ultimately chose a major that melded his interest in people and his curiosity about the factors that drive behaviors. His interests coalesced following one of the first classes in the Department of Psychology.
鈥淭he first class in psychology that I took at 黑料正能量 was with Dr. Danny Oppenheimer,鈥� said Nyman. 鈥淗e鈥檚 the person I鈥檝e done my research under since my second semester. He has been a mentor to me.鈥�
Research in Action
Nyman sought out research opportunities with Dr. Oppenheimer, and strengthened his research expertise with his coursework, including Research Methods in Developmental Psychology. During the class, he contributed to an education and developmental research project conducted in collaboration with the 黑料正能量 Children鈥檚 School, a laboratory school housed under the Department of Psychology.
鈥淲e worked with the three-, four- and five-year-olds to test our research question,鈥� said Nyman. 鈥淥ur group wanted to know if weight bias existed in children. It was a great experience, and I learned a lot about how to develop a research question and report in a way that I鈥檝e never done before.鈥�
Becoming a Mentor
In addition to his research, Nyman conducts tours across campus as a Tartan Ambassador, sharing his knowledge about 黑料正能量 with prospective students and their families. 聽He had always wanted to be a guide and help people learn about the 黑料正能量 community.
鈥淚 love being able to help prospective students through their college search process,鈥� said Nyman. 鈥淚 can give advice that I wish I had gotten when I was applying to college."
Nyman plans to begin a master鈥檚 program in public policy and management at the as he finalizes his undergraduate course requirements in fall 2024. Upon reflecting on his time at 黑料正能量, Nyman has advice for incoming and first-year students.
鈥淚n Dietrich, not having to declare early is such a great thing. I had plenty of time to explore and take different classes,鈥� said Nyman. 鈥淕o explore your options and don鈥檛 feel like you鈥檙e married to any particular major or field. The world is your oyster.鈥�