Faculty

Justin Ingram

Biomedical & Prehospital

He’s a neuroscientist with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. After more than a decade of teaching, Justin knows how to bring complex concepts into real-world focus. His classes are fun and engaging, but the exams are no joke. Because he believes that new discoveries are born from unbridled curiosity and lifelong learning is the mindset of success.

Experienced Faculty

Before the here and now

Ever wondered what path your instructor took to get where they are today?

Education

Jusin earned his bachelor's in Biology/Chemistry and associate's in Nanotechnology from Lock Haven University.

Experience

After graduation, he became a lab assistant at the Department of Neurosurgery at Hershey Medical Center where he worked on site-specific chemotherapy delivery and iron delivery to the brain.

Education

Justin was then accepted into the Neuroscience doctoral program at Penn State University and spent five years creating and using oxygen sensors in epileptic brain tissue to predict when seizures will occur.

Experience

After earning his Ph.D. in Neuroscience, he studied blood and brain dynamics at Penn State’s Center for Neural Engineering.

Experience

Finally, he entered the world of academia. Justin taught at Lock Haven University then came to Penn College where he teaches biology and anatomy and physiology.

TAKING THE LEAD

Q&A with Justin

WHAT'S THE COOLEST THING YOU WORKED ON IN NEUROSCIENCE?

For me, the coolest thing about being a scientist is finding and experimenting with ideas that nobody in the world has ever thought of exploring. I’ve had the privilege of being able to take projects from ideas, to bench top science, to clinical applications that can help understand and treat human disease.

WHAT DO STUDENTS SAY ABOUT YOU?

I’ve been teaching now for over a decade and some common things students tell me is that I’m clear, concise, caring, inspirational, and apply the necessary material to real world applications in their future careers. I try to bring a sense of humor to the class to cut through all the Latin-based terminology. Also, I like to play off extreme real-world examples to help students remember. For that reason, many students say the class is fun or at least more fun than they expected. The exams, however, are no joke. Due to the nature of the class, students also say the content is hard. But I give them no excuse not to do well.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE SCIENCE LABS AT PENN COLLEGE?

Our science labs are top notch. Not only are they relatively new, they have the equipment and models we need to teach our Penn College majors. We use real-world equipment in real-world situations.

WHAT'S THE MOST REWARDING PART OF TEACHING?

My favorite part of teaching is seeing students out in the real world and hearing their successes. It’s fun to know I played a small part in their journey and a small part to help progress and preserve the future of Science.

HOW DID YOU KNOW YOU WANTED TO PURSUE A CAREER IN SCIENCE?

The day I really wanted to get into the field of science was the day I realized how little people really know about the universe we live in. I’m sure people think humans know “lots” of information about how the world works, but the further I progressed in my academic career, the more I went down rabbit holes that didn’t have any answer yet. That’s both frustrating and hopeful, that there’s still lots to learn about how this world works.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE CLASS TO TEACH AND WHY?

My favorite class is Anatomy and Physiology II. It’s fun because we get to build off a student’s previous knowledge base using real human parts and real human experimentation.

Real-World Ready

"Education is one of the greatest privileges we can give ourselves. To earn that knowledge takes time and energy. It’s important to set yourself up as a lifetime learner, because the world is constantly changing. If college is the career path for you, I think you should find a place that challenges you every day and pushes you unapologetically hard to give you dynamic learning experiences."

Justin Ingram

Celebrating STEM

Justin's experience in brain research made him a natural choice for guest speaker at “Shaping Your Brain for the Future,” Wellsboro's annual STEM Awareness Career Day.