Susquehanna’s Terwilliger Ahead of the Game

By Katie Meier, Director of Athletic Communications

Original source: Susquehanna University

Ever have a conversation with someone who sees and understands the world differently than you do? Meet Susquehanna junior biology major, chemistry minor and track & field athlete Michael Terwilliger, from Honesdale, Pa.

Last spring, Terwilliger applied for and was accepted into a 10-week summer internship program at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science. One of 12 students accepted into the internship program through the National Science Foundation, Terwilliger was the lone biology major among 11 physical science and chemistry majors.

“I worked with physical chemistry professor Dr. Joseph Hornak,” Terwilliger said. “My research was based around using electron paramagnetic resonance, which is a large electromagnet that uses microwaves to study chemical compounds at the atomic level. I used this machine to study the effect that heat and exposure to radiation have on the relative bond strength and the chemical composition of compounds that contain iron.”

For 99 percent of the population, Terwilliger is speaking a foreign language. But the opportunity to do advanced research afforded him an entire summer of doing what he loves.

“The internship also gave me a really good head start on how to prepare for my senior research here at Susquehanna,” he explained. “I learned a bunch of new research methods that I hadn’t known before and three of my papers were published over the summer. I got a lot of experience writing papers that, while they may not be the most exciting things to read, are very difficult to write.”

In addition to research and writing, Terwilliger had the opportunity to present his research at a conference in Rochester, and in early October, he will again be presenting his research at a conference in Washington, D.C.—all good practice and preparation for when he presents his senior research to Susquehanna professors next year.

Several Susquehanna professors have been instrumental in encouraging Terwilliger to pursue his passion both at Susquehanna and at outside opportunities like that which presented itself at RIT.

“Dr. [Margaret] Peeler and Dr. [Tammy] Tobin have always been a huge help to me, pushing me in my classes and encouraging me to apply for internships that interest me,” Terwilliger said. “However, every professor in the sciences department is great inspiration because they are here teaching students but also collaborating with senior students doing research about something they are truly passionate about. And to me, that's the dream!”

In addition to working toward his degree, Terwilliger spends more than half the academic year as a member of the Susquehanna indoor and outdoor track & field teams. And he’s just as versatile in athletics as he is in the classroom, competing in events ranging from sprints to jumps to the pole vault.

It is not uncommon for Terwilliger and his teammates to spend upward of eight hours competing at weekend track meets in addition to the training hours put in during the week.

How does he balance his academic and athletic careers?

“I don’t find it particularly challenging because I find that being on the track team actually helps me balance my time better because I have to keep myself organized,” he explained. “It gives me a set schedule every day so I know that I have classes in the morning, I have to train for track in the afternoons and then my evenings are spent on homework.”

Upon graduation in the spring of 2015, Terwilliger will be able look back on his time at Susquehanna and know he took advantage of all the opportunities open to him.
 
“My time as a student-athlete has already taught me valuable communication skills,” he said, “and after grad school or med school, I want to go into pharmaceutical research and work on developing new medications. I knew Susquehanna had a research-based science program and that I would be able to spend a year researching with a professor and that’s one of the things I love most—that exploration aspect of science.” (more)http://www.gosusqu.com/sports/mtrack/2013-14/releases/0909_terwilliger_feature