MAKING AN IMPACT :
Allie Pettaway ’ 15 Helped Develop the COVID-19 Vaccine
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Finding employment after earning one ’ s undergraduate degree is a formidable task for most ; for Allie Pettaway ’ 15 , navigating her first official job search during a global pandemic added an extra degree of challenge . In the midst of exploring career options and opportunities during the final semester of her college career , Pettaway received an email from Northeastern University notifying her of the school ’ s impending shutdown — right in the middle of her senior Capstone project . She realized that without access to a lab to finish her experiments she would need to pivot to a completely virtual project model , while also juggling the rest of her course load , and securing postgraduation employment .
“ I had interviews canceled and companies notify me of hiring freezes because of the uncertainty caused by the pandemic .” However , she finished strong — a characteristic she was also known for on the soccer field , basketball court , and as captain of TA ’ s indoor and outdoor track teams . Almost immediately after graduating with a B . A . in chemical engineering last spring , she started her first full-time job as a process development engineer at Moderna Therapeutics , the pharmaceutical and biotechnology company based in Cambridge , Massachusetts . She immediately began working on the development of the COVID-19 vaccine .
While she couldn ’ t have known , during her time at TA , that she would someday be involved in developing a vaccine for a global pandemic , she did know that she wanted a career in STEM , even before she knew what STEM was ! “ I was the kid who liked math and science from a young age , so it only made sense to pursue a career in that area .” In her current role at Moderna , Pettaway helps develop and optimize the manufacturing process for vaccine candidates and other therapeutic agents . Luckily , Northeastern University ' s unique co-op program allowed her to gain valuable exposure and industry skills at three different biotechnology companies
Allie Pettaway ’ 15 is a process development engineer working on the COVID-19 vaccine at Moderna Therapeutics .
while still in school , which ultimately set her career trajectory toward biopharmaceutical process development .
Surprisingly , Pettaway doesn ’ t consider working on the frontlines of fighting a global pandemic her biggest challenge thus far . Instead , she reflects on the considerable challenges she faced during her transition to college . “ You hear a lot about how fun college is , but you don ’ t always get an idea of how challenging it is until you ’ re there . My freshman year at Northeastern was really difficult . I looked into transferring and changing my major more times than I can count , but Mr . DeFrancesco , my guidance counselor and track coach , reached out to me after he heard that I was having a difficult time .” That email helped her decide to “ trust the process ” and stay .
Pettaway is currently working toward her graduate degree in biotechnology at Northeastern , along with a certificate in engineering leadership . She continues to lean on all that she learned at TA , especially the importance of getting to know both yourself and those around you . “ TA taught me how important community involvement is , and how forming relationships across diverse networks creates opportunities for personal and professional growth …[ it ] was also where I began to learn more about my identity and the type of impact I want to make on the world .”
It was at TA that Allie discovered that what she really wanted to do was to help other people , a realization that she believes greatly influenced her path . “ I ’ m so grateful for a career that allows me to help make things better ... in a way that has the potential to save millions , maybe even billions of lives .”
14 Story by Katie Beane · Photo courtesy of Allie Pettaway ' 15