Dr. Sarah Laiwala

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Sarah Laiwala has launched consumer-facing products that have impacted billions of consumers worldwide, including the Amazon Shopping App for Android and Disney Parks & Resorts Apps. Her expertise lies in general management, overseeing a $120 million profit and loss, as well as new product innovation and digital transformation across technology, retail, travel, and healthcare sectors. Sarah has successfully scaled high-growth teams while maintaining consistent operating models, leading organizations through restructuring and change management. Awards include being named Community Change Maker by Portland's Women Tech in 2023 and recognized as Salesforce’s Woman of the Month in July 2021. She received Carnegie Mellon University's Dean’s Return on Education award in 2010. Furthermore, Sarah is honored with multiple Presidential Voluntary Service awards for her nonprofit board work with the Aga Khan Foundation, where she has contributed to creating pathways for immigrant students to access North American colleges and has partnered with Stanford University to create Makers Spaces in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, empowering local students to improve their communities. Sarah holds a Master of Science in Software Engineering and Development Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of California, San Diego.

Research Interests

Awards

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Community Change Maker

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Salesforce’s Woman of the Month

2021-07-01
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Dean’s Return on Education

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Gold Presidential Voluntary Service Award

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Silver Presidential Voluntary Service Award

Requirements for Carnegie Mellon University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
GRE General
Verbal
Required:158
Quantitative
Required:149
Analytical Writing
Required:4
Overall
Required:4
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Psychology or related field Research experience/publications
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Transcripts
  • GRE scores (optional but reported in profile)
  • English Proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo)
Specialization Notes

Admission is extremely competitive with no strict GPA cut-offs; holistic review is used.