An Elizabethtown College education is for people who feel the pull to contribute to the world. With a network of 24,425 living alumni, our graduates leave Etown to become the influential advocates and changemakers the world needs more of.
Meet Michael McGinnis ’92, a chemistry alumnus, who is the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Saint Francis University.
“I was very involved in campus and worked in the dish room which was another defining experience for me. My boss there Linda Cramer became a ‘campus mom’ to me and other students. My wife, Maryann ‘92, and I met at Etown, and she also worked in the dish room. We still call Linda every year on Mother’s Day.”
What defined your Etown experience?
The faculty was the most defining part of my Etown experience. I fell in love with Etown for the faculty, the chemistry building, the location, and the size. Professors at Etown were very important to me and contributed to my experience and success at Etown. I appreciate the connection they formed with students and the way they kept students engaged in research and in their field.
I was very involved in campus and worked in the dish room which was another defining experience for me. My boss there Linda Cramer became a “campus mom” to me and other students. My wife, Maryann ‘92, and I met at Etown, and she also worked in the dish room. We still call Linda every year on Mother’s Day.
How has your Etown degree benefitted you and your career success?
I am currently the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Saint Francis University. I attribute my career and my path to this position greatly to Etown. Through my relationships with professors, I was able to take a one-on-one course in advanced organic chemistry with Professor Spangler during a semester in which he was on sabbatical. As a result, I earned a summer internship in Tennessee where I ended up attending graduate school afterwards. I had a tenure track job by the time I was 27 and worked up through the ranks at several universities before taking my current position.
How do you stay involved with Etown?
I have a great love for Etown and the College’s faculty. I enjoy staying up to date with newsletters from the Alumni Association and the Chemistry Department. I was on campus last year for President Betty Rider’s inauguration and my 30th class reunion.
View more Etown Changemakers at etown.edu/125.