On Monday, January 12, Mercersburg Academy welcomed Dr. Nina Tandon as the Ammerman Family Lecturer. She is the CEO and co-founder of EpiBone, a biotechnology company developing personalized skeletal treatments.
Her visit was part of the annual series of lectures, this one endowed by Regent Emeritus Andrew Ammerman ’68 and his mother, the late Josephine Ammerman, in memory of Andrew’s father, H. Max Ammerman, and his brother, Stephen Ammerman. “These lectures are designed to bring to our community speakers of national renown who have important perspectives on significant issues. [Tandon’s work] is kind of our future, and this [aligns with the visions] of Ammerman,” Burgin Center Director of Operations Jessica Doubell said. “She’s going to bring a perspective that many of us have never had before.”
During the event, Tandon encouraged students to explore their curiosities, sharing her experience growing up as someone with a great variety of interests. She also explained her journey to the founding of EpiBone, during which she worked in a telecommunications company and studied at Columbia University and MIT.
The community received her lecture with enthusiasm. “She was a really engaging speaker, and she knew how to talk to her audience of teenagers. She tried to get involved in the conversation and tried to relate to us, which I thought was really helpful,” shared Belle Cleveland ’28. Similarly, Liam Glick ’27 said, “I think she’s a great speaker. I wish she [elaborated more on] her [accomplishments] and on EpiBone because I felt like she dumbed it down a little bit. But she did [do an excellent job of] keeping the [lecture] concise.”
In fact, Tandon’s empowering words left many feeling inspired. Caroline Hobbs ’26 said, “She was awesome [and] very empowering. Honestly, a lot of my friends were talking about how we all wanted to be her. [Tandon] gave me a different look on what I want to do in the future, especially as someone that is considering going into medicine. It gave me a wider view of what's possible.” Jaime Madero ’28 echoed, “[My friends and I] all thought it was really inspirational when she was talking about her business and how she [overcame] her hardships.”
While on campus, Tandon also engaged with students in Research Science and MAPS senior capstone programs, while also hosting a public Q&A session. “I think it was a great experience. I’m really happy the school could get [Tandon] here. I had the opportunity to talk to her in my MAPS class, too,” said Imangali Zhakan ’26, “She’s a really interesting, passionate, [and] well-versed person.”
Throughout her interactions with students, she emphasized the importance of using biology as a tool to innovate, not just for scientists, but for all to use. “I hope that people feel excited [about] the potential for biology to remake our lives. [Our society] talks a lot about longevity. I hope people can feel they can access longevity, as well as something even more important: health span and joy span,” said Tandon.
The lectures this year follow three themes: listen, understand, and empower. Doubell stated, “[The goal is for our community to] listen to what somebody has, understand what they’re giving us, and then [be] empowered to go out and make a difference in the world.” The overwhelmingly positive feedback from Tandon’s visit certainly proved her impact. “The school is bringing a lot of really smart people that haven’t been great speakers but I’m really happy that she’s a great orator,” said Zhakan.
Before departing campus, Tandon left some final advice: “Gratitude is a superpower. There’s always something to be thankful for, and the universe loves to [reward] people who say thank you.”