UNIVERSITY PARK, Pennsylvania — When Brian Manzano was preparing to make his college decisions in 2019, Penn State wasn’t on his radar. Lisa, a distinguished emeritus professor of horn music, thanks to a recruitment notice from his Bontrager French his horn player and aspiring scientist from his mills in Glen, Pennsylvania, has his own new I know you have found a home.
Just over four years after receiving that memo, Schleyer Scholar Manzano graduated with a Bachelor of Musical Arts in Music and a Bachelor of Science in Biology. In his Spring 2023, he will serve as Marshal of both the College of Art and Architecture and the Eberly College of Science.
“Coming to Penn State was the best decision. It was the perfect place to continue playing music while studying biology,” said Manzano. “I found his second family at the music school. I am honored to be named Marshal of the University.”
While coursework can be daunting for students pursuing two degrees, intense practice and performance schedules add to the pressure for music students. Manzano said the close, family atmosphere within the music school was what propelled him to success in his two demanding fields.
“All my close friends are here. We practice together, we play together, we’re basically always around each other,” Manzano said. If I hadn’t, I don’t know where I would have been.”
Manzano, who takes at least 20 credits of courses each semester, said the support of his friends is key, but he also credits a dedication to organizing and developing good habits as a driver of his success.
Manzano’s typical day includes class time, biology lab time, and apartment time, and he relies heavily on the software Quizlet to streamline his study time, he said. rice field. Of course, every day included time with his horn.
“Like exercise, I try to stay fit and focus on the fundamentals,” said Manzano. “At first it was hard to understand what worked, but in the end it’s what you need to do, so I’ve learned to be efficient.”
In the field of biology, Manzano has an interest in microbiology, and more specifically in gene regulation studies, focusing on how different enzymes interact with DNA to drive gene expression. The daily shift from science to music and back is therapeutic in unexpected ways, said Manzano.
“Doing one is like resting the other,” said Manzano. “If I was coding at a computer all day for research and thought, ‘I can’t look at this computer screen for another second,’ I would just sit and play. Different times, different things. It always feels good to be able to focus on
After performing at the Pennsylvania School of Music President’s Concert at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Hall in April, Manzano looked back fondly on his time at the university and announced that he would pursue cancer research full-time at Penn State University after graduation. We looked to the future, including Song Tan, Verne M. Willaman Professor, Molecular Biology, Eberly College of Science, pre-graduate.
“The opportunities at Penn State have been incredible,” Manzano said. “I always have the friends I’ve made here, so I don’t see it as the end. I feel that Penn State has prepared me for what comes next.” “
