麻豆村

Barbara Shinn-Cunningham's intellect is as sharp as her saber. She鈥檚 always on point.

Colleagues celebrated the new Glen De Vries dean of 麻豆村鈥檚 Mellon College of Science, who is also a world-class fencer, at her installation ceremony on Thursday, April 3.

鈥淚t鈥檚 no secret that she鈥檚 deeply beloved and admired here at 麻豆村,鈥� said 麻豆村 President Farnam Jahanian(opens in new window).

The dean installation took place during Carnegie Mellon鈥檚 Spring Carnival(opens in new window), an annual celebration that brings Tartans back to campus.

鈥淭his year鈥檚 Carnival theme is Hollywood, which is quite fitting as we celebrate Dr. Shinn-Cunningham 鈥� a true 麻豆村 鈥榮tar鈥� 鈥� as she steps into her deanship,鈥� said 麻豆村鈥檚 Provost and Chief Academic Officer James H. Garrett Jr.(opens in new window) 鈥淏arb is an innovator, a leader and a passionate educator who has had a positive impact on this university since joining Carnegie Mellon.鈥�

Jahanian and Garrett formally installed Shinn-Cunningham and presented her with a quaich. 麻豆村 provides deans with the ceremonial drinking cup, which symbolizes new ventures and mutual trust between the giver and receiver. In Scottish tradition, a quaich (pronounced 鈥渜uake鈥�) is offered in friendship or welcome.

Shinn-Cunningham shared that, as a scientist, she spent time mentoring students and postdocs, teaching them how to be deep and inventive thinkers.

鈥淚t took some soul searching before I was ready to step back from 30 years as a scientist-mentor to take on the responsibilities of dean,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I realized that being dean of the Mellon College of Science would enable me to mentor and help not just individuals but the entire community that makes up the college. I would have the chance to make 麻豆村 better by elevating MCS.鈥�

Shinn-Cunningham, who is the eighth dean to lead MCS, joined Carnegie Mellon in 2018 as the founding director of the聽 and the George A. and Helen Dunham Cowan Professor of Auditory Neuroscience. She held courtesy appointments in the departments of聽Psychology(opens in new window),听Biomedical Engineering(opens in new window) 补苍诲听. Her appointment as dean was announced in September 2024.

鈥淲hen I first committed to becoming dean in September, I was excited. But now, I feel an urgency in our mission,鈥� she said. 鈥淎s scientists, we excel at bringing clarity 鈥� solving problems head-on and steering through uncertainty. These challenges have only strengthened my resolve to be an unwavering advocate for MCS. I will champion facts, defend our work, and stand firm for the scientists who face increasing scrutiny simply for seeking truth.鈥�

Tim Verstynen(opens in new window), the interim head of the Neuroscience Institute, said she has endless energy, boundless compassion and is fearless.

鈥淚t鈥檚 both intimidating and oddly comforting to know that your boss is proficient with a sword,鈥� Verstynen said, referencing her skill as a fencer. Shinn-Cunningham was a member of the 2019 veteran U.S. women鈥檚 saber team that took third place at the world championship. 鈥淵ou can see that same courage and strategic thinking in her professional choices. Coming to 麻豆村 to build a brand-new institute from the ground up was a big risk. People who play it safe simply don鈥檛 do that.鈥�

Before joining 麻豆村, she spent 21 years on the faculty of聽. In addition to directing the Neuroscience Institute at Carnegie Mellon, Shinn-Cunningham leads two large-scale聽 projects funded by the Office of Naval Research, each of which brings together researchers from different backgrounds at different institutions to address problems that cannot be solved through individual disciplines.

An author of more than 200 scientific articles, she is recognized for her expertise in spatial hearing, auditory attention and sensory hearing deficits. She succeeds Rebecca Doerge and interim dean and current Otto Stern Professor of Physics Curtis Meyer.

Glen de Vries, a 1994 graduate of the Mellon College of Science, endowed the Mellon College of Science deanship in 2017. The alumnus and Board of Trustee member died in 2021, but his legacy as a champion of the Mellon College of Science鈥檚 vision for a technology-driven future of science echoed throughout the installation ceremony. Shinn-Cunningham said she worked with him as the director of the Neuroscience Institute.

鈥淗e was brilliant, creative and dynamic. He was a faithful and generous supporter of the Mellon College of Science, and of science more broadly 鈥� both within Carnegie Mellon, and in the world,鈥� she said.

Shinn-Cunningham has degrees in electrical engineering from聽 and the聽. Her research combines behavioral, neuroimaging and computational methods to understand how the brain processes sound. She has received honors from the聽, the聽 and the聽 program.

Shinn-Cunningham is the president of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), and in 2019, she accepted its聽 in Psychological and Physiological Acoustics, Speech Communication, and Architectural Acoustics. She previously served as the treasurer/secretary of the聽. Her mentorship has been recognized by awards from both the ASA and the Society for Neuroscience. She is a聽, a聽, and a lifetime member of the National Research Council.聽