As Marie E. Dunstan goes through life, she becomes more confident and content with who she is and where she is in life. She has been in a position she loves, laboratory coordinator for the York College of Pennsylvania, since 1981, and she relishes the opportunity to teach future health care professionals. Some of her responsibilities include acting as a clinical liaison between York College and hospital clinical program coordinators, teaching chemistry and intro to allied health courses, and serving as an academic adviser. The highlight of Ms. Dunstan’s time with the institution, however, has been promoting the growth of the medical science lab major. She believes that scientists are underappreciated, and feels privileged to work with the people who make medicine possible.
Initially, Ms. Dunstan preferred being in the lab. She spent the first three years of her career as a research technologist at the Hershey Medical Center, and always enjoyed educating the students that came in. When the chance to join the staff at York came up, she jumped at it and found her niche. She is a nurturer; she listens to her students and, as a lifetime learner, values the contributions of everyone she meets. Ms. Dunstan tries to live a life of respect, value and support, and has grown over the years in her appreciation for diversity and the understanding of her fellow man. Her ultimate goal is guide others to reach their highest potential. She even wrote a lab manual for the nurses to help them and contributed articles to professional journals.
Ms. Dunstan prepared for her endeavors by earning a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and an ACS certification at Lebanon Valley College in 1975 and a Master of Science in medical technology at the University of Buffalo in 1978. She maintains affiliation with prominent professional organizations like the Pennsylvania Academy of Sciences and the American Chemical Society.
When Ms. Dunstan isn’t working, she supports and teaches Sunday school at the Lewisberry United Methodist Church. She also likes to cook Pennsylvania Dutch food and sew.