Ignacio Arana Araya
Assistant Professor
Ignacio Arana Araya studies how personality traits and other individual differences of heads of government impact executive governance.
Comparative PoliticsLatin AmericaPresidential Leadership
Haleigh Bartos
Associate Professor of the Practice
Haleigh Bartos’s area of research is Africa and the Middle East.
Africa and Middle East
Fernando De la Torre
Research Professor
Augmented RealityComputer VisionHuman SensingMachine LearningVirtual Reality
Tim Derdenger
Associate Professor of Marketing and Strategy
Sports MarketingMarketing Management/StrategyMarketingApplied EconomicsCelebrity Endorsements
Eni Halilaj
Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Eni Halilaj seeks to understand and optimize human movement mechanics.
Musculoskeletal BiomechanicsWearable SensingArtificial IntelligenceComputer VisionMedical Imaging
Charles Johnson
Assistant Teaching Professor
Performance Products for AthletesSportswear DesignProduct DesignDesign StrategyHumanistic Design
Kris Kitani
Associate Research Professor
Sensing & PerceptionSustainabilityDigital TwinsComputer VisionArtificial Intelligence
Changliu Liu
Associate Professor
Assured AutonomyMulti-Agent SystemsRobotics FoundationsHuman-Robot InteractionMotion Planning
Sarah Mendelson
Distinguished Service Professor
Sarah Mendelson's current work is on creating a community of practice dedicated to growing the next generation of human rights experts.
Human TraffickingHumanitarian AffairsRussian PoliticsUkrainian PoliticsHuman Rights
Eric Yttri
Associate Professor
Eric Yttri's research goal is to establish how neural circuits lead to these action selection decisions.
Complex Motor ControlMotor CoordinationCognitive Brain FunctionNeural CircuitsNeuroscience
Beyond the Pitch:
CMU Experts on the 2026 World Cup
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place across North America, the tournament is generating stories beyond the pitch. From diplomacy and global politics to sports technology, fan engagement, athlete performance and the business of soccer, Carnegie Mellon University experts can help journalists explore the broader issues shaping one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
Connect with CMU experts below to explore the larger forces shaping the tournament.
World Cup Geopolitics
and Global Flashpoints
The World Cup is never just about sport. It also creates a global stage for diplomacy, national identity and political tension. CMU experts can help media explore issues such as Iran's participation, the politics of international competition and how major tournaments become diplomatic flashpoints that reflect wider global conflicts, alliances and cultural divides.
Experts
Sarah Mendelson - Diplomacy, Soft power | Heinz College
Ignacio Arana Araya - Latin America, Presidential Politics | Institute for Strategy and Technology
Haleigh Bartos - Africa and Middle East, National Security | Institute for Strategy and Technology
The Business of Soccer:
Growth, Marketing and Fan Access
FIFA 2026 will be one of the biggest sports business stories in North America. CMU experts can speak to the event's marketing impact, growing awareness of soccer in the U.S. and the new ways technology can extend the fan experience for global audiences, including those who cannot attend in person.
Experts
Tim Derdenger - Marketing | Tepper School of Business
Fernando De la Torre - VR event development | School of Computer Science
How Al, Robotics and Sports
Tech Are Changing the Game
Elite soccer is becoming a proving ground for advanced technology. CMU experts can explain how 3D motion analysis, robotic systems, performance products and wearable innovation may shape athlete training, movement and game preparation at the highest levels of competition. This includes AI systems that map joint movement in real time to understand exactly where every part of the body is during a play — research that is changing how athletic performance and injury risk are analyzed.
Experts
Kris Kitani - Robotics and multimodal perception | School of Computer Science
Charles Johnson - Performance products for athletes | Entertainment Technology Center
Changliu Liu - Humanoid robotics | School of Computer Science
Tim Derdenger - How Al, Robotics and Sports Tech Are Changing the Game from a fan and consumer perspective | Tepper School of Business
Eric Yttri - Complex motor control and movement tracking, Neuroscience | Mellon College of Science
Eni Halilaj - Biomechanics and motion engineering | College of Engineering
The Science of Performance,
Motion and Split-Second Decisions
The World Cup offers countless moments where movement and judgment happen in fractions of a second. CMU experts can help unpack the biomechanics behind complex plays, including the motion control, hesitation, and decision-making involved in athletic performance and refereeing. They also study the injuries that define careers, from ACL tears to concussions, conditions that are not only common in soccer but increasingly central to how the sport is played, officiated, and managed.
Experts
Eni Halilaj - Biomechanics and human performance optimization | College of Engineering
Eric Yttri - Neuroscience of split-second decisions and motor control | Mellon College of Science