Mercy Akanmu

Involvement/Accolades:

  • Health Occupation Student Association - Co-President (2025-26), Programming Chair (2024-25), Freshman Chair (2023-24)
  • Executive Vice President of the Frederick Honors College Student Council (2025-26)
  • Student Government Board
  • Executive Director of the Safe Passage Program in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (2025-26), Board Member (2024-25), First Year Council (2023-24)
  • The Literature Review - Business Manager (2025-26)
  • Phi Delta Epsilon Member (2025-26)
  • Pitt Pathfinder (2024-26)
  • Science Olympiad Member (2023-25)
  • Fitness and Bodybuilding Club Member (2024-26)
  • Volunteer at UPMC Children's Hospital (2024-26)
  • Created the Tomorrow Summit, a research conference that promotes the pursuit of social justice within all research fields. 
  • Policy and Social Impact Fellows Program, Fall 2025. 
  • Health Science Fellowship Research Award, Summer 2024. 
  • Brown Enterprises Networking Solutions, LLC Scholarship Recipient, Fall 2025.
  • Placed first in the “Student Research Presentations” competition in the category of Psychology, NAAAHP Conference, 2024. 
  • Placed second in the “Poster Presentation” competition in the category of STEM, NAAAHP Conference, 2025 and 2024.
  • Dr. Freddye T. Davy Humanitarian and Service Award, NAAAHP Conference, 2024. 
  • African American Alumni Council (AAAC) Retention Scholarship, Spring 2025.
  • 2025 Martinson Elevate Award, Spring 2025. 
  • Helen Pool Rush Scholarship Endowment, Spring 2025. 
  • Anne Wojcicki and Marlee Myers Honors College Undergraduate Research Fund, Fall 2024
  • Cathedral of Learning Prestige Scholarship, University of Pittsburgh, Fall 2023. 

Future Plans:

"After graduation, I will begin medical school at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. Throughout this education, I hope to work closely with underserved communities and address structural factors that shape health outcomes. To support this goal, I also plan to pursue a Master’s in Public Policy or policy-focused certification that will equip me with the skills to develop and write policies aimed at improving health outcomes by addressing social determinants of health."