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October 1, 2025

Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon Community:

After 12 years of distinguished leadership, Richard Scheines, the Bess Family Dean of the Marianna Brown Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, has decided to step down at the conclusion of the 2025–2026 academic year. Having completed two highly successful five-year terms, Richard graciously extended his service for an additional two years to support the college and the university. At the end of this extended term, he will return to the Dietrich College faculty, and continue his deep commitment to Â鶹´å and to the students, faculty and staff he has led with such dedication since 2014. Dean Scheines joined Â鶹´å in 1988 and subsequently served as the head of the Department of Philosophy from 2005 to 2014 before being appointed dean in 2014.

Under Scheines’ guidance, Dietrich College’s reputation as a leader in interdisciplinary research and education has soared. Undergraduate applications have nearly tripled, and the college has become increasingly selective in its admissions. At the same time, the percentage of admitted students who choose to enroll in Dietrich College has risen dramatically. Its graduates are highly sought after by leading employers and top-ranked graduate programs.

Dean Scheines led the college through the creation and implementation of a new General Education program, which emphasizes the essential role of the humanities and social sciences in an increasingly technology-driven world. Hallmarks of the program include the Grand Challenge Seminars, and the Pittsburgh Summer Internship Program. 

Dean Scheines expanded the college’s academic footprint by contributing to the establishment of the Neuroscience Institute (2017), which is co-administered with the Mellon College of Science, and the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology (2023). He also contributed to the creation of several leading interdisciplinary research centers, including the Carnegie Mellon Sports Analytics Center, the Center for Black European Studies and the Atlantic, the Institute for Complex Social Dynamics, the K&L Gates Initiative in Ethics and Computational Technologies, and the STAtistical Methods for the Physical Sciences Research Center. Additionally, he established a dedicated fundraising team at the college that has secured over $100 million in new commitments in less than nine years to advance these and many other interdisciplinary initiatives.

His commitment to cross-disciplinary collaboration is further evidenced by his instrumental role in developing the Simon Initiative and in leading the design of the country’s first major in human-computer interaction. Dean Scheines’s dedication to fostering a vibrant intellectual community across the university is underscored by his leadership of and advisory support for initiatives such as Deeper Conversations and Democracy Day. He was recognized in 2024 with the Robert E. Doherty Award for Sustained Contributions to Excellence in Education. He also has helped lead successful searches for key positions, including the provost and chief academic officer, as well as the dean of the Heinz College. The university community is deeply grateful for his visionary leadership and lasting contributions.

To identify Dietrich College’s next leader, I have convened a search committee of faculty, staff and students from across the university. The committee will be co-chaired by Barb Shinn-Cunningham, the Glen de Vries Dean of the Mellon College of Science and professor of biomedical engineering, and Kevin Zollman, the Herbert A. Simon Professor of Philosophy and Social and Decision Sciences and director of the Institute for Complex Social Dynamics in Dietrich College.

The committee, in partnership with search firm DSG, Storbeck, will engage stakeholders to gather input on the role and candidates, aiming to fill the position by the 2026-2027 academic year. Visit the search website for details or to submit nominations or applications.

I am deeply grateful for Dean Scheines’s impact on Dietrich College and the university community. His innovation and collaboration will continue to inspire us as we look to the college’s next chapter as a leader in the humanities and social sciences. Please join me in thanking Richard for his exceptional service and leadership.

Sincerely,

James H. Garrett
Provost and Chief Academic Officer