Carnegie Mellon is bursting at the seams with new undergraduate-student-run publications. (See, Emerging Student Publications.) In addition to Big Straw, The Oakland Review, and Thought, a few students are bringing a national undergraduate journal to Carnegie Mellon: The Triple Helix, which is geared toward unifying the supposedly separate fields of science, society, and law. The journal was founded at Cornell University in October 2004, and now has recognized chapters at 11 prestigious universities across the country, including the University of California at Berkeley and Brown University. Five additional universities are seeking recognition for their in-progress Triple Helix chapters.

Tepper sophomore Mizel Djukic, who works as Triple Helix's national Executive Director of Business Development, first heard of The Triple Helix through a friend at Carnegie Mellon who knew someone on Cornell's Triple Helix staff. Djukic began work in October 2005 to create a Carnegie Mellon Triple Helix chapter. He's very proud of the University for taking only a month to officially recognize the new organization. As some other colleges have had trouble starting up their own chapters, Djukic appreciated Carnegie Mellon's willingness to bring in the interdisciplinary journal.

Since then, The Triple Helix has recruited about 20 additional members, including at the Winter Activities Fair. However, the journal is still looking for more people interested in writing, web design, and business. Carnegie Mellon's Triple Helix chapter is set to publish its first edition in the fall of this year.

Although Carnegie Mellon doesn't have a law school, Djukic said that hasn't quelled interest in The Triple Helix.

"The journal is interdisciplinary, and a lot of students here are interdisciplinary," said Djukic. "That [interdisciplinary interest] makes a perfect candidate for a Triple Helix member."

Jordan Bates, MCS sophomore and Triple Helix chapter president, added, "[Members] certainly don't have to be majoring in something related to The Triple Helix."

Within every chapter's journal, there is a nationally-selected section of the best articles pooled from all of the chapters. Each chapter then also publishes its own unique section of articles. Chapter and national websites also publish short weekly or biweekly updates on current issues related to science, society, and law. Triple Helix staff members' articles are the first priority for publication, but non-members are also encouraged to submit and have a good chance of being published on chapter websites.

Individual Triple Helix chapters are fairly autonomous. Each chapter has its own executive board and final publication, and dedicated chapter members are encouraged to get involved on the national level. To maintain consistency in quality and style between the various Triple Helix publications, The Triple Helix has a national board of advisors, including business professionals and university faculty members, and Cornell students continue to handle the layout of the published journal.

The Triple Helix has big ideas for its continued growth in the coming years. Some of these plans include a Triple Helix national conference and internship opportunities for dedicated staff members. The Triple Helix is even looking into expanding internationally to esteemed universities such as Oxford, the University of Toronto, and the Indian Institute of Technology.

Carnegie Mellon's first edition of The Triple Helix is set to publish in the fall of 2006. Submissions for the journal are due in March. More information can be found at the University's Triple Helix website or by contacting the Triple Helix's executive board.

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