Anna Cappella Wins Niccolai-Fustanio Award

From being a mock trial attorney to editor-in-chief of The Tartan, Carnegie Mellon University student Anna Cappella's interests vary as much as the cells in the human body.

"I've worked a lot on prioritizing what's important to me," said Cappella, a senior double majoring in biological sciences(opens in new window) and professional writing(opens in new window). "I like to get involved with a lot of different activities."

Cappella recently earned the Niccolai-Fustanio Families Scholarship Award, which is given to a senior who has achieved academic success while pursuing other experiences outside of the classroom. The scholarship was established in 2016 by Mellon College of Science alumni Nilo A. and Phylis F. Niccolai.

"Anna is the embodiment of a true interdisciplinary student whose curiosities and passion for learning drive her to seek out and embrace intellectual challenges as opportunities for growth," said Carrie Doonan(opens in new window), teaching professor and director of undergraduate laboratories for the Department of Biological Sciences and Cappella's adviser.

One learning opportunity that has been a transformative experience for Cappella was a summer spent interning at Thermo Fisher Scientific, a biotechnology company. She first got involved the summer after her sophomore year, when she was considering a future in law.

"I was interested in using my biology background to do pharmaceutical patents or something like that in the scientific world. I did mock trial when I started at CMU, and I was really into it," Cappella said. "I thought I'd start in the lab and see if I could meet some people who worked on the law side. But I absolutely fell in love with the lab."

Cappella enjoyed working in the research lab so much, she interned at Thermo Fisher again the summer after her junior year. That summer she investigated how tumor cells develop in different cell media.

When experimenting on cells, biologists put cells in media, a liquid full of ingredients to help the cells grow, multiply and thrive. However, different labs use different media, which can make it difficult for researchers to replicate each other's results.

Cappella worked with a team that would develop a uniform media that labs could use to investigate tumor cells. She investigated the changes tumor cells underwent under different media conditions.

"I've really learned how different cancer is from person to person," Cappella said. "Cancer expresses itself in very different ways, so even if two people have the same type of cancer, it's not going to respond to the same type of treatment. There's a lot of work being done so people can get treatments that are more personalized, and I hope the research I'm doing is a step toward that."

During the school year, Cappella is a key part of The Tartan(opens in new window), Carnegie Mellon's student-run newspaper. She started off as a writer her first year, and by her junior year became editor-in-chief.

"Being involved with the newspaper has been so eye-opening because it gives you the chance to see behind the scenes at CMU and see different student perspectives," Cappella said. "It's been a really formative experience."

Cappella also serves as a community adviser for Carnegie Mellon housing, working with resident assistants to ensure their dorms are running smoothly. She is also highly involved in First-Year Orientation, helping new students settle into the college experience.

"I get to help others and share my experiences as a student with people who have just arrived at CMU and maybe are unsure about what path they want to take," Cappella said.