Weaving Heart into Our Work

Integrating fine art throughout CMU's curriculum builds intellectual diversity and problem-solving skills. Twenty years ago, John Woolford was teaching molecular biology students at Carnegie Mellon University about a complicated RNA pathway. Woolford was attempting to draw it on the board with chalk when he realized he wasn't doing it very well. He recalled his colleague Jon Minden's office, strewn with models of molecules in cells Minden's students created. Woolford decided his students would learn the material better if they created a tangible molecular pathway rather than study a drawing. "I copied Jon's idea," he said. Woolford's project is part of an intentional interdisciplinary culture at CMU, where faculty throughout every college are integrating the arts to deepen students' learning across a variety of subjects.