$5M Gift Establishes Trustee Head of the Department of Biological Sciences
Heidi Opdyke
- Associate Dean of Marketing and Communications, MCS
- Email opdyke@andrew.cmu.edu
- Phone 412-268-9982
A new $5 million gift will create an endowed headship in Carnegie Mellon University’s Mellon College of Science.
The gift will establish the Trustee Head of the Department of Biological Sciences. This generous endowment reflects a deep commitment to support the emerging priorities of the department and contribute to progress on research projects like the exploration of undiscovered neural pathways, more accessible magnification methods and breakthroughs into leukemia genes.
“A gift like this is a game-changer — it will help us attract a bold, visionary leader eager to shape the future of the life sciences at CMU,” said Barbara Shinn-Cunningham, the Glen de Vries Dean of the Mellon College of Science. “We’re deeply grateful to the donor’s generosity and their belief in the power of foundational science and education to make a real difference in the world.”
The announcement comes as the Department is beginning a search for its new leader. Alison Barth, Maxwell H. and Gloria C. Connan Professor in the Life Sciences, and Luisa Hiller, associate professor of biological sciences, will co-chair the search for the next department head.
Until a person is named, Interim Department Head Gordon Rule will continue providing steady leadership, Shinn-Cunningham said. Rule’s research is directed at understanding inter-molecular interactions in biological systems. He has a strong record in education and has been key in developing the biological sciences program at the CMU Qatar campus. He also serves building lead for the Richard King Mellon Hall of Sciences, a science, technology, art and creativity will converge.
Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Biological Sciences is a nationally recognized leader in life sciences research and education. The department focuses on high-impact research areas, including molecular biology and genetics, developmental biology, cell biology, neuroscience, microbiology, biochemistry and biophysics, genomics and computational biology. The college currently is conducting a search for the next head of the department.
This gift is the second endowed headship at the Mellon College of Science and is part of Make Possible: The Campaign for Carnegie Mellon University, the $2.5 billion campaign that is accelerating the university’s strategic priorities and initiatives across its seven schools and colleges.
