Advising

Academic advisors

Chris Hertz, Manager of Academic Programs, advises students in the Ph.D. program.
chertz@andrew.cmu.edu
Office: Wean Hall 4109
Phone: 412-268-3175

Melissa Brown, Manager of Master’s Programs, advises students in the M.S. in Mechanical Engineering programs and works with students in the M.S. in Computational Design and Manufacturing program. 
mlb2@andrew.cmu.edu
Office: WeanHall 4111
Phone: 412-268-1562

Yanika Reid, MS Academic Advisor, advises students in the M.S. in Mechanical Engineering programs.
ygr@andrew.cmu.edu 
Office: Wean Hall 4112
Phone: 412-268-3787

Schedule an appointment now.

The department’s graduate academic advisors meet regularly with students to support and assist them during their experience at Carnegie Mellon. They:

• Serve as a general guide for students from enrollment through to graduation
• Provide assistance with academic or personal situations that students do not have the information or resources to resolve
• Assist in navigating degree requirements and graduate student policies
• Verify progress toward degree requirements
• Discuss course options based on focus area
• Assist with registration issues including waitlists, research units, registrar forms, etc.
• Discuss resources available for students who face challenges in courses and research
• Be accessible through appointments, walk-ins, email, and phone. 

Faculty research advisors

For students in the Ph.D. program, M.S. in Mechanical Engineering - Research program, and M.S. in Computational Design and Manufacturing program, faculty research advisors will:

• Guide the student through the successful completion of a research project
• Discuss courses students may take that fit the research project
• Discuss challenges students face in their courses or in research
• Discuss tradeoffs between different opportunities that students might choose from
• Discuss research for credit and summer research opportunities in the faculty's lab
• Discuss general technical subjects in mechanical engineering
• Offer general advice and mentoring.

Faculty mentors

Faculty mentors offer advice and guidance when contacted by an academic advisor with master’s students’ questions that are outside of the advisor’s expertise.

Career consultants 

The Career and Professional Development Center will:

• Help you to create and update your resume
• Teach you how to search for a summer internship and full-time job
• Provide many resources for your internship/job search
• Offer advice on how to interview, how to navigate a career fair, what to say to employers at career fairs, how to network, how to write a cover letter, and how to evaluate/negotiate a job offer.