{"id":17771,"date":"2026-11-13T14:02:18","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T19:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/?p=17771"},"modified":"2026-11-13T14:02:29","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T19:02:29","slug":"erica-unger-alumna-to-associate-professor-of-biology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/2026\/11\/13\/erica-unger-alumna-to-associate-professor-of-biology\/","title":{"rendered":"Erica Unger: Alumna to associate professor of biology"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Patrick Sanger \u201826, staff writer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When students graduate, returning to a familiar campus to work might not be on one\u2019s mind; however, for one LVC professor, that\u2019s just happened.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 1998 graduate of LVC, Dr. Erica Unger is now an associate professor of biology and director of neuroscience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After graduating from LVC, Unger went on to the Pennsylvania State University at University Park where she earned her Ph.D. in integrative biosciences with a concentration in neuroscience. Following completion of her Ph.D., she was a post-doc in the nutrition department. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2013, Unger returned to her alma mater, this time as a faculty member. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on her time at Lebanon Valley, she noted that returning to teach has been \u201ca wonderful opportunity to give back to the college that helped shape my own educational and professional path.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Unger can be found teaching courses in the biology and neuroscience programs, helping students connect foundational scientific concepts with a deeper understanding of the human body and its functions. Some of these courses include anatomy, nutrition, neuroanatomy of disease and general biology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the classroom, Unger places an emphasis on encouraging students to think critically through hands-on learning, an important part of preparing them for future careers in healthcare, research and related fields. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unger has also involved more than 50 students in her research program over the years, focusing on iron deficiency using animal and cell culture models. These experiences enable students to develop skills in experimental design, data analysis and problem-solving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUndergraduate research allows students to apply what they learn in the classroom to real scientific questions while gaining experience that can help prepare them for graduate school, professional programs, and other science careers,\u201d Unger said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to teaching and her research, Unger has had the opportunity to spearhead the development of new academic programs at LVC, including the food science and nutrition minor, the neuroscience track in physical therapy and the neuroscience track in athletic training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese initiatives highlight the value of interdisciplinary learning and provide students with additional pathways to explore their interests and apply their scientific background to specific professional goals,\u201d Unger said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professors like Unger set LVC apart from similar institutions in the increasingly competitive environment of higher education admissions. Her true dedication to each student\u2019s success makes her an integral part of Lebanon Valley and a favorite of students on campus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having the opportunity to contribute to the college as both an alumna and faculty member has made her work at LVC especially meaningful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Patrick Sanger \u201826, staff writer When students graduate, returning to a familiar campus to work might not be on one\u2019s mind; however, for one LVC professor, that\u2019s just happened.    A 1998 graduate of LVC, [...]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":17835,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17771"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17897,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17771\/revisions\/17897"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}