Class of 2025 Celebrates Commencement Weekend
By Heidi Opdyke
Media Inquiries- Associate Dean of Communications, Mellon College of Science
- 412-268-9982
The Mellon College of Science is helping students enhance their talents and expertise for becoming the next generation of leaders in the workforce. The logic, problem-solving and critical skills our graduates take with them will help them solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. Take a look back at some of the stories of this year’s graduating students along with photos from Commencement Weekend celebrations.
While others sleep, Carnegie Mellon University students flock toward Tech and Frew streets for pre-dawn Buggy practice rolls on Saturdays and Sundays in the spring with unique devotion — among them, Maggie Blair, the head driver for team Apex. Blair studied biological sciences and participated in CMU’s Health Professions Program, with the goal of becoming a medical doctor.
Carnegie Mellon University Ph.D. student Byron Daniel believes that small, local changes are the best way to start making a difference. He earned the Graduate Student Service Award for his contributions both to his fellow graduate students and the broader Carnegie Mellon community.
Sangmin Park uses the mathematics underpinning that transport problem as a tool for research in applied mathematics. For his efforts, he received the Guy C. Berry Graduate Research Award.
Organic Chemistry courses tend to have a bad reputation. Colin Martin was determined to flip the script. For his efforts, Martin earned the Hugh D. Young Graduate Student Teaching Award.
Student researchers, including Stella Trickett, who graduated with a major in chemistry on the biological chemistry track and a minor in biomedical engineering, are working to find alternative treatments for non-opioid drug overdoses with fewer side effects.
Mo Zhu, who graduated with a doctorate in neuroscience was first author on a paper showing that activity in pyramidal neurons, a type of cell commonly found in the brain's cerebral cortex, change in activation when the brain is learning.
Annie Meyer investigates how organisms like sea urchins and sea stars develop and how cells transition and differentiate. She received the 2024 Glen de Vries Fellowship for her work.
Logan McGregor used CMU's BXA program to pursue degrees in physics and bagpipe performance. McGregor, who has performed at Commencement Weekend ceremonies throughout his Carnegie Mellon experience, piped at his own graduation this year.
Mellon College of Science student Zach Muraskin, a senior graduating with his bachelor’s degree in physics, served as the science team lead for Iris, a rover bound for the moon. Iris, a rover the size of a shoe box, brought together students from every school at CMU and faculty and alumni.
Anna Cappella's interests vary as much as the cells in the human body. From a mock trial attorney to an editor-in-chief of The Tartan, Cappella graduated with double majors in biological sciences and professional writing. She is the 2024 Niccolai-Fustanio Award winner for her academic success and her exploration of experiences outside the classroom.
Francesa Yu, who graduated from the Department of Mathematical Sciences, realized that she was interested in the foundational principles driving her favorite subjects. She found a home in set theory.