Meet the 2021-2022 ACS Scholars
Tomorrow’s leaders are supported by Andrew Carnegie Society members today
By Joyce DeFrancesco
They immerse themselves in the arts and sciences. They study the inner workings of computers and the brain. They score goals, crunch numbers and smash boundaries. They are the 2021-2022 ACS Scholars.
Chosen each year by the university’s deans and department heads, this elite group of 40 Carnegie Mellon University undergraduate seniors represent the top 2% of their graduating class. They are models of service and leadership for their class with each scholar receiving a monetary award to advance their learning and career goals from an endowed fund established by generous ACS members.
"The ACS Scholars are the best and the brightest, having been chosen for academic achievement, community activities and campus leadership. I admire their talent, work ethic and service to others."
Don Carter,
1967 graduate of the College of Fine Arts, CMU faculty member and
Andrew Carnegie Society Board member who serves as one of the mentors to these students
Did You Know? ACS members have provided 105 ACS Legacy scholarships to students in 2021-2022.
Carmel Baharav
School of Computer Science - Computer Science
Palo Alto, California
Future Plans: I will be pursuing a two-year research M.Sc. in computer science in either Germany or Switzerland!
Sydney Barlow
Dietrich College - Psychology
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Future Plans: Medical school
Esther Bedoyan
College of Engineering - Electrical & Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering
Beachwood, Ohio
Future Plans: I hope to get a job in digital hardware engineering working on cutting-edge chips and upcoming technologies.
Jessie Cheng
Mellon College of Science - Science and Humanities Scholar: Computational Biology
Oakland Gardens, New York
Future Plans: A gap year and then medical school.
Fatima El-Sallabi
Carnegie Mellon University Qatar - Business Administration
Tripoli, Libya, Palo Alto, California, and Doha, Qatar
Future Plans: I will be joining Bain & Company as an associate consultant in the Doha Office. I am extremely excited to join an environment where we collectively aim towards the shared goal of problem-solving to yield real results and create impact.
Adejuwon Jen Fasanya
School of Computer Science - Interdisciplinary Studies
Valley Stream, New York
Future Plans: I started as a software engineer at Google in March. I also am considering grad school someday.
Lynn Fernandez
Tepper School of Business - Business Administration and Social & Decision Sciences
San Jose, California
Future plans: I will be moving to NYC and working as a sales and trading analyst within Securitized Lending at Bank of America.
Elizabeth Guo
Dietrich College - Economics and Human-Computer Interaction
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Future Plans: I'll be working as program manager at Microsoft after graduation.
Caitlin Mason
Mellon College of Science - Chemistry
Hometown: Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Future Plans: Working as a medical assistant while applying to medical school.
“CMU has helped me grow as a leader, scholar and person, which I plan to translate into a career in medicine. I am so grateful and honored to be an ACS Scholar at the end of my college journey. Receiving this award will help me enrich my applications for medical school and has deepened my connection with the Carnegie Mellon community."
Ethan Husted
College of Engineering - Mechanical Engineering
Red Hook, New York
Future Plans: I’ll be working on medical devices at Key Tech in Baltimore this summer, then coming back to CMU for my master’s in the fall!
Adrian Kager
School of Computer Science - Computer Science
Concord, Massachusetts
Future Plans: Working at a start-up as a software engineer
Uma Kommineni
Tepper School of Business - Business Administration
Hackettstown, New Jersey
Future Plans: I am going to be in an asset management rotational program at Capital Group.
Dorcas Lin
College of Fine Arts - Design
Glen Allen, Virginia
Austin Leung
Dietrich College - Interdisciplinary Studies
Rego Park, New York
Future Plans: I'll be starting as a software engineer at Citadel Securities in the fall.
Ethan Lu
Mellon College of Science - Mathematical Sciences
Reno, Nevada
Future Plans: I’m pursuing my Ph.D. in math.
Ranjan Mahanth
College of Engineering - Materials Science & Engineering and Biomedical Engineering
Plainsboro, New Jersey
Future Plans: I will be working in the vaccine research and development department at Merck.
Greta Markey
College of Engineering - Civil & Environmental Engineering and Engineering & Public Policy
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Future Plans: For the next couple years, I will be in the United Kingdom studying environment and international development as a Marshall Scholar.
Arjun Ramachandran
College/Major: Dietrich College - International Relations and Politics
Hometown: Aurora, Illinois
Future Plans: I will be doing a master's in international development in Madrid. It's a program that's paired up with the United Nations Staff System College.
“I was truly shocked when I received the email for this award! Much of my CMU journey has been about creating an impact in my immediate community through my work, my writing, my music, and I’m honored to join this group of exceptional student leaders. Being in this program inspires me to continue working and creating. Ultimately, it motivates me to give back to each and every community I’m in.”
Grayson Moyer
College of Engineering - Electrical & Computer Engineering and Robotics
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Future Plans: I'm going to be working full-time as a software engineer for a company called Matician. They're a small- to mid-sized robotics startup located in Palo Alto, California, so I'll be moving out there soon after graduation.
Vic Naumov
College of Fine Arts - Art
Rockville, Maryland
Future Plans: I am pursuing storyboarding and animation. I hope to land a job at a narrative animation studio.
Zachary Novack
Dietrich College - Statistics and Data Science
Boca Raton, Florida
Future Plans: I have been admitted to a graduate program for my Ph.D. in computer science, focusing on socially-aware machine learning and augmenting pedagogical practice with machine learning.
Katelyn Parsons
College of Engineering - Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering
Belle Mead, New Jersey
Future Plans: I plan on going to medical school after graduation.
Dorde Popovic
Carnegie Mellon University Qatar - Computer Science
Belgrade, Serbia
Future Plans: I plan to start my post-grad career in research by completing the extension of my senior thesis project and starting work at a national research center in my home country.
Andrew Thompson
College of Engineering - Civil & Environmental Engineering and Engineering & Public Policy
Marlton, New Jersey
Future Plans: Post graduation, I will be joining Deloitte as a strategy and operations analyst, staying in the Pittsburgh office. I'm excited to remain close to CMU and learn more as my career begins!
Meet Wadhwa
Tepper School of Business - Business Administration and Statistics and Data Science
Edison, New Jersey
Future Plans: I will be joining Bridgewater Associates in Westport, Connecticut, as a trading associate after traveling a significant portion of Europe with friends and family.
Ruiran Xun
Mellon College of Science - Chemistry and Computer Science
Fairfax, Virginia
Future Plans: I will be moving to the Bay Area and working as a software engineer at Palo Alto Networks. I'm also looking to get involved in local community theater once I get settled into my new job.
Tianxin Xu
College/Major: School of Computer Science - Computer Science
Hometown: Ames, Iowa
Future Plans: Moving to New York City and working at Jane Street .
“Reflecting on my time at CMU, I felt like I had initially struggled to feel like I belonged and stressed about doing the ‘right’ things that everyone else was doing. However, at the end of my four years here, I’m proud of the path I chose to take and the impact I was able to make on the community, even if only in small ways. Being given this award felt really validating and it really reinforced the idea that it’s okay to make your own path and invest your energy in what you’re passionate about.”
Jasmine Cheng
School of Computer Science - Computer Science and Robotics
Sammamish, Washington
Juhi Dhanesha
College of Fine Arts - Architecture
Clarksburg, Maryland
Joshua Fried
College of Fine Arts - Music and Modern Languages
Roslyn Heights, New York
Moses Garcia
College of Fine Arts - Drama and Arts & Entertainment Management
Los Angeles, California
Stella Getz
College of Engineering - Electrical & Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering
Berkley, California
Caitlin Huang
Dietrich College - Psychology
Los Gatos, California
Gillian Bartholomew
BXA Intercollege Program - Science and Arts
Oceanside, New York
Justin Britton
Dietrich College - Interdisciplinary Studies
Falls Church, Virginia
Zofia Majewski
BXA Intercollege Program - Humanities and Arts
Naples, Florida
Allison Rojas
College of Engineering - Mechanical Engineering
Miami, Florida
Lynn Rushkin
College of Engineering - Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering
Acton, Massachusetts
Roni Sosis
Dietrich College - History
Sharon, Massachusetts
Meris Sipp
Mellon College of Science - Physics
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Photos courtesy of the members of the 2022 ACS Scholars
