Carnegie Mellon University boasts a deep-rooted tradition of excellence across diverse fields, positioning its faculty and students at the leading edge of technological innovation, societal transformation, and an insightful grasp of human influence. By drawing from historical knowledge, they actively work to create and refine solutions that address contemporary challenges.
Within its seven schools and colleges, CMU’s nationally and internationally acclaimed faculty harness their expertise in technology to drive advancements and enhance stability in critical areas such as national security, privacy, and cybersecurity.
At prominent institutions such as the School of Computer Science, Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the College of Engineering, women from CMU are spearheading intellectual initiatives aimed at guiding humanity towards a secure and thriving future.
Among the Carnegie Mellon community, three remarkable women are adopting innovative strategies across technology, policy, and society: Audrey Kurth Cronin, Nadiya Kostyuk, and Virginia Smith.
Audrey Kurth Cronin
Audrey Kurth Cronin is a distinguished strategist and national security expert, celebrated for her award-winning publications on terrorism and technology. She’s a regular contributor to prominent platforms such as Foreign Affairs, NPR, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
Growing up in a Navy family, Cronin has always examined global issues from a broad perspective. She earned her undergraduate degree from Princeton University through the highly competitive Marshall Scholarship before obtaining her master’s and doctorate in international relations from the University of Oxford.
Her career navigates the intersection of technology, policy, and international security, with experience in both academia and the U.S. government. She started at the American Embassy in Moscow and later held a position in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy. Her academic journey includes teaching roles at Oxford University, American University, and Georgetown University.
In January 2023, she became the founding director of the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology (CMIST).
Cronin acknowledges her unconventional path in academia, often stepping away from traditional academic tracks to serve in government roles: “I took some risks with my career because I felt it was essential to understand what it means to actualize academic ideas,” she reflected. “I didn’t want to remain solely theoretical; I aimed to comprehend the practical implications of these ideas.”
As a professor at the U.S. National War College, she taught strategy to senior military leaders and government officials, contributing to a vital dialogue between scientists and strategists.
Today, as the head of CMIST, Cronin investigates the intricate relationship between policymaking, political science, and STEM fields, striving to foster collaboration between these areas. She believes the complex challenges surrounding new technologies require a comprehensive strategic approach: “Responsible scientists cannot leave strategy solely to policymakers because their creations will have profound long-term impacts that must be anticipated.”
With advancements in technology influencing society and strategy, Cronin advises young graduates to cultivate focus amid distractions, emphasizing, “Your superpower is your ability to concentrate. It’s essential to harness that focus to reach your potential and contribute positively to society.”
Nadiya Kostyuk
Nadiya Kostyuk, an assistant professor who joined CMU in 2024, views the cyber landscape as a unique geopolitical arena, exploring the profound complexities involved in understanding its power dynamics.
A native of Ukraine, her research investigates cyber power as a geopolitical instrument. Before her tenure at CMU, Kostyuk taught at the Georgia Institute of Technology, focusing on public policy and cybersecurity. Her NSF-supported research has been featured in esteemed journals such as International Studies Quarterly and Journal of Peace Research.
Her research aims to elucidate the factors driving countries to develop various forms of cyber capabilities and their implications for domestic and international politics.
Reflecting on her path, Kostyuk stated, “In 2011, during my master’s studies, I observed Russia’s use of cyberspace to shape Eastern Europe’s policies. I realized the academic community was not discussing this vital topic, nor were most policymakers equipped with the necessary technical knowledge.”
Many experts at the time were deriving lessons from historical geopolitical events rather than focusing on the evolving nature of cyber threats and opportunities. Kostyuk emphasizes the importance of investigating cyber power as a distinct phenomenon: “It’s crucial to understand what compels states to diversify their cyber capabilities and how these impact both domestic and international landscapes.”
She aims to create models and benchmarks to quantify and comprehend the different manifestations of cyber power, recognizing its inherent complexities against conventional capabilities. “Unlike tangible weapons, cyber attributes are elusive, requiring innovative methods to measure and understand them,” she elaborates.
As emerging political scientists embark on their careers, Kostyuk encourages them to embrace interdisciplinary projects, stating, “In our modern world, interconnectivity across various fields is vital. Students at Carnegie Mellon are uniquely positioned, as many of their programs foster this interdisciplinary approach, enhancing collaboration among political scientists, legal experts, and cybersecurity specialists.”
Virginia Smith
Within Carnegie Mellon’s CyLab, experts collaborate on cutting-edge cybersecurity research, shaping the next generation of security and privacy professionals.
Virginia Smith, the Leonardo Associate Professor of machine learning, plays a pivotal role in these efforts.
With a strong foundation in mathematics, Smith transitioned to pursue graduate degrees in computer science, captivated by the burgeoning field of big data. “At the onset of my Ph.D. studies, the focus was on processing vast amounts of data and improving existing methods and algorithms for data intelligence,” she reflected.
Throughout her doctoral journey, she concentrated on scaling methodologies and extending algorithms for larger datasets. “I delved into machine learning, intertwining computer science and statistics while addressing data processing at scale,” Smith noted. Ironically, she now engages in challenging the notion of data abundance, realizing that the availability of quality data is increasingly limited.
“Creating large language models requires extensive internet-sourced data, which has largely maxed out availability. Now, we must innovate to ensure high-quality data sources while navigating privacy, security, and ethical sharing issues,” she elaborated.
Currently, Smith focuses on improving privacy-preserving and secure machine learning, investigating how expansive datasets can enhance the safety of language models. For instance, she collaborates with organizations like Thorn to make AI technologies safer for children and vulnerable populations.
Amid increasing discussions on AI, Smith urges collective involvement in shaping its future: “The development of technology benefits from diverse voices. With rapid advancements, it may seem that a select few dictate progress, yet wider participation is essential to maximize the societal benefits of these technologies.”
In celebration of Women’s History Month, Carnegie Mellon proudly highlights the contributions of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
