MCS Alumni Named Fulbright Scholars
Heidi Opdyke
- Associate Dean of Marketing and Communications, MCS
- Email opdyke@andrew.cmu.edu
- Phone 412-268-9982
As an intern at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Anna Cappella helped create better tools to develop personalized cancer therapies. Now, she has the opportunity to implement these treatments as a Fulbright scholar.
Cappella was one of two Mellon College of Science alumni expanding their horizons through the U.S. Fulbright Student Program. The program, in partnership with 140 countries, allows grantees to conduct research, pursue a graduate degree or teach English abroad in a country of their choice. Cappella and Alice Crafford were selected as grant recipients for the 2025-26 cycle.
Anna Cappella
Anna Cappella graduated with a bachelor's degree in biological sciences with an additional major in professional writing. She will use her Fulbright to pursue a master's degree in medical biotechnology and molecular medicine at the Università degli Studi di Palermo in Italy.
Cappella plans to investigate ways to create personalized therapies for cancer patients. She said she hopes that through the Fulbright program, she can see how personalized cancer treatments could be implemented in a different cultural context.
"In Italy, there are fewer specialized cancer centers, so patients often have to travel to receive care," Cappella said. "I'm curious to see if it's possible to use more personalized approaches to bring the treatment to people as opposed to them having to move to receive chemotherapy."
Cappella said she is also looking forward to connecting with her Italian heritage. Her parents are Italian immigrants, and she has family in Palermo.
"It's an amazing feeling to have the opportunity to do a Fulbright," Cappella said. "I'll be doing research in an all new setting, and I've been wanting to spend extended time in Italy pretty much my whole life. It's exactly what I wanted to do."
Alice Crafford
Alice Crafford graduated with a major in physics and minors in mathematical sciences and French & Francophone studies. She will use her Fulbright to pursue a master's degree at the Université Paris-Saclay and conduct research at the Institut de Physique Théoretique (IPhT) in France.
"I didn't really think I'd ever manage to find a way to combine my interests in physics and French, since they're so different," Crafford said. "I'm really grateful for Fulbright because it provided the perfect opportunity for exactly that."
Crafford will investigate theoretical gravitational physics, which explains the origins of gravity and how it shapes the universe. The area is related to Einstein's general theory of relativity, which says that gravity exists because of the interaction between space and time.
"The IPhT is particularly strong in the fields that interest me most, so the opportunity to participate in research there is really exciting for my future career aspirations," Crafford said. "I specialized in astrophysics, and I'm most interested in the theoretical side."
Crafford conducted research into theoretical gravitational physics at Carnegie Mellon. She said that her experiences made her feel well-prepared for conducting research abroad.
Besides conducting research and strengthening her language skills, Crafford said looks forward to exploring Paris and learning more about French culture.
