Morgan Dwyer

Hometown: Hazleton, PA

Major: Pharmacology and Toxicology

Minor: Biology

Clubs and organizations you are involved in: Change of Campus Student Advisory Board.

Penn State campus where you started: Hazleton

Good at: playing the guitar, piano, and drums, gardening, playing poker, hiking, photography, having the best taste in music

I’m from anthracite country.

“I grew up in a tiny Pennsylvania anthracite coal town right outside Hazleton. For generations, my family worked in the mines. The remnants of the coal industry were all around me. Breakers. Slag piles. All that. I was always playing outside in old coal fields. Just running around like a maniac with my friends. I don’t know, maybe growing up in the ruins of the coal industry inspired my passion for environmental toxicology.”

I didn’t like science in high school.

“Then I took a pharmacology class my senior year and I really enjoyed it. The teacher, Mr. Mazurk, was very laid back, very fun, and you could tell he was interested, and that made it interesting to me. I loved that pharmacology was a blend between biology and chemistry with so many subspecialties. So, when looking at degrees offered at Penn State, the Pharmacology and Toxicology degree was calling my name.”

“I love the lab. Opportunities to work on your own, opportunities to collaborate.”

Best day at Penn State.

“I was on my laptop knocking out homework when the email came that I’d been accepted to the lab I’d applied for. Down-in-the-weeds lab work in the field of environmental toxicology. This was exactly the experience that I wanted and needed to progress in the field, and an incredible resume point for future professional and academic work.”

Forever chemicals.

“When I first entered the program, I was drawn by the pharm side. I think drugs are cool. Wait, let me rephrase that, the miraculous healing effects of drugs are cool. But, I’m more drawn to the tox side now. What can we do about the toxins that show up everywhere? Our water, our air, our food. I don’t need to explain why we call them forever chemicals. Tox looks like it will be my life’s work.”

“I’m researching environmental toxicology Ph.D. programs.”

The big surprise about this program.

“This is the right major for me. All the science and lab time were no surprise. A true surprise was learning all the ways you can use pharm-tox after graduation. There are so many paths you can follow. Pharmacy school. Medical and dental school. Work in research labs all over the world. You name it.”