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Dena Haritos Tsamitis

Barbara Lazarus Professor in Information Networking and Director of the Information Networking Institute
College of Engineering

Dena Haritos Tsamitis is a fearless and visionary leader in STEM education, creating new learning opportunities that meet emerging needs, including needs outside of the usual Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë educational sphere. As director of the Information Networking Institute (INI), she has continually embraced growth and transformation in a way that differentiates INI from other academic departments worldwide. She has led the creation of multiple exemplary educational programs that have expanded Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë’s global reach and impacted students at Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë and beyond. She has made national contributions to cybersecurity education, including outreach, scholarship and mentorship, with impacts in both the private and public sectors. In her work, she fosters a student-first learning environment. Early in her career, Dena sought to champion access and the development of women in STEM education. Her work has fostered a supportive and welcoming environment, both by building inclusive excellence into the INI's processes and by creating programs to support students. She has created a culture and climate that allows all to have the opportunity to reach their potential.

Larry Heimann

Teaching Professor of Information Systems
Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences

is a student-focused educator who leaves a lasting impact on students well after they leave Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë. His timely and effective feedback has been tremendously valued by students for more than 20 years. He has cultivated extensive external partnerships to create real-world learning opportunities for students. Larry, affectionately known as Prof. H to students and alumni, has also supervised many independent study projects on topics as varied as web security, gaming, facial recognition and medical diagnosing. Additionally, he has gone above and beyond to support and mentor teaching assistants and colleagues, ensuring a legacy of teaching excellence.

Jennifer Wegner

Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs
Tepper School of Business

Jennifer Wegner has made substantial changes to the advising landscape in Tepper, working with advisors to ensure students have a unified experience. One of the main changes has been finding ways to give students much more autonomy in their lives and work at Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë. She has also created many opportunities for students to learn about career paths. Jennifer has coordinated all these changes with the Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë-Qatar campus, facilitating the exchange of good advising practices. She has been a champion for Tartan Scholars in Tepper, introducing them early to the staff members who support their academic success and student experience. Many Tartan Scholars have said her support and understanding have been crucial to overcoming obstacles and achieving success.

Manfred Paulini

Professor of Physics and Associate Dean for Research
Mellon College of Science

Manfred Paulini has a long legacy of mentorship that has helped graduate students and younger professors navigate various phases of their professional journeys. He has been lauded for his listening skills and an excellent ability to challenge his mentees without making them feel overwhelmed. Manfred is known for going beyond mentoring by advocating to foster a more inclusive culture in his department. Not only does he have an impressive impact as a mentor, but many have modeled their own mentorship off of his style, using specific practices and approaches they learned from him.

Kimberly Piatt

Kimberly Piatt leads all aspects of the Dietrich College-Pittsburgh Summer Internship Program (PSIP), an initiative designed to provide students with their first meaningful internship with a nonprofit, community or government organization, small business or startup in the Pittsburgh area. This program has contributed to more than 110 organizations since its inception. Host organizations say the program provides excellent value and has a long-lasting impact on small organizations like theirs. Kimberly has ensured that student reflection is a core part of the program, making it an even more meaningful experience for students. She also developed the Dietrich Community Engagement Fellowship (DCEF) into a complete program and teaches two courses herself, where she helps develop students’ leadership skills.

Chris Harrison

developed and implemented an activity called “Bakeoffs” in the course Designing Human-Centered Software (DHCS), providing a playful, motivating way for students to engage in user testing and peer feedback. In each Bakeoff, student teams are given a semi-structured problem to work on over a two-to-three-week sprint, followed by an in-class competition with trophies for the best performing groups. The Bakeoffs let students engage in all aspects of the ideation-prototyping-testing-iteration design cycle and compare creative approaches. Bakeoff competition performances do not affect student grades, but provide intrinsic motivation for success. Many students report DHCS as one of their favorite courses at Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë and Professor Harrison as one of their favorite instructors. The Bakeoffs provide a unique opportunity to learn from trial and error in a safe environment that fosters collaboration, creativity and problem-solving.

Maria Tomprou

Assistant Teaching Professor of Organizational Behavior and Theory
Tepper School of Business

developed a novel initiative to encourage student participation in groups called, “Unhide: Classmates’ Nominations for Hidden Diamonds and Ghosts.” Students are asked to nominate Hidden Diamonds, quieter classmates who make valuable contributions, and Ghosts, who could use a nudge to contribute more. Hidden Diamonds and Ghosts are notified via private messages from the instructional team to congratulate them or encourage more engagement. Unhide recognizes positive contributions and addresses disengagement in a safe and confidential manner. Students who feel overlooked are acknowledged, and those who disengage are encouraged to improve without public criticism. Students report enhanced confidence through the validation of their contributions. Unhide fosters an environment where all voices are valued, and peer recognition becomes a key driver of engagement.

Nicole Tanquary

Nicole Tanquary is an empowering instructor who provides excellent feedback to help students improve their writing. She finds creative ways to actively engage students in discussion, including those on complex and sensitive - and sometimes divisive - topics. She uses creative teaching methods that give all students opportunities to participate, such as varied types of group work and shared documents where all students engage with reflective writing prompts. She designs syllabi and course policies that make sure students of all identities and backgrounds feel safe and able to succeed in her classes.

Byron Daniel

Doctoral Student in Physics
Mellon College of Science

Byron Daniel has been recognized for his extensive achievements within the physics department, across Carnegie Mellon, and in the Pittsburgh community and beyond. He has taken advantage of every opportunity to serve others throughout his tenure at Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë, from pursuing funding equity for student organizations to building connections with high school science teachers to supporting students through the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) summer program. Byron’s commitment to service is evident in his ability to go above and beyond expectations in trying to improve every community with which he has engaged.