Terrence Turner ’10 is a Research Specialist at Regeneron, a biotechnology company headquartered in Tarrytown, New York.

What brought you to Marist?

Football brought me to Marist. I was recruited by coach Bill Roos after meeting him at New York Jets quarterback Jay Fiedler’s football camp on Long Island. After I was named offensive line MVP of the camp, Coach Roos told me how nice the Marist campus was and that I would benefit from going to school away from home.

What are some highlights of your Marist experience, both academics and extracurricular activities?

The highlights of my Marist experience are being voted captain of the football team, being named to the Dean’s list, and sophomore year Organic Chemistry with [Associate Professor of Chemistry] Jocelyn Nadeau. I would say that this class gave me the confidence to pursue a career in science because Organic Chemistry was considered the course that would deter students from ever majoring in the sciences. Being afraid, I applied myself from the very first day, and this created the good study habits that I maintained over the rest of my college career.

What’s your favorite Marist memory?

My favorite Marist memory is when we beat the University of Jacksonville in 2009. We scored a touchdown with seven seconds to go to take the lead in front of a packed stadium on Homecoming Weekend. There was just something special about that game.

Were there specific faculty or staff members who really had an impact on you?

There have been several faculty and staff members who had a great impact on me, especially [Director of the Center for Student-Athlete Enhancement] Alyssa Gates for her academic guidance, both at Marist and afterwards. She has done much more than necessary. I’m also grateful to Coach Jim Parady and Coach Scott Rumsey for an athletic experience that means so much to me. Football was the reason I came to Marist, but these coaches encouraged and supported me through both academic and community endeavors, and they got me to produce on the field to the best of my ability. [Associate Professor of Biology] Luis Espinasa was my first scientific mentor, and I would not have the career I have if it weren’t for the training I received from him.

There’s so much more that went into my personal and intellectual development. Marist is truly a special place. I owe these people a lot, and I appreciate their support through the years.

How did your Marist educational experience prepare you for career success?

My educational experience, particularly my genetics and molecular biology courses, prepared me well for my current role.

What do you do at Regeneron?

I am a Research Specialist in the VelociGene Department. The purpose of the department is to make high throughput custom gene edits in mice to produce models for therapeutic focus areas. In other words, we engineer mice to make phenotypes to study therapeutic approaches. Regeneron has a proprietary method that allows for this process to be done at an unprecedented scale, quickly! We can make thousands of gene-mutated mice per year! My role is in one of the earlier stages of the pipeline. I make molecular constructs with the gene mutations that are then targeted into mouse embryonic stem cells, then into mice that will produce the desired phenotype. My role includes a lot of molecular cloning techniques that I first learned at Marist.

Are there any unique experiences you’ve had as a result of your career? 

I recently celebrated my five-year anniversary at Regeneron and was invited to the stage by [founder and Chief Executive] Len Schleifer and [co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer] George Yancopoulos, who asked me several questions about my experiences at Regeneron and at my alma mater. When I said that I went to Marist, both of them were excited to hear it. Len mentioned that he had received an honorary doctorate from Marist, and George bragged about his alma mater (Columbia) beating us at football this year!

Professionally, where do you see yourself five to 10 years down the road?

I plan to remain at Regeneron for the foreseeable future and transition into a managerial role in the company.

Is there any advice you would share with current Marist students?

Get out there and get hands-on experience! Start now! I think informal mentorships are just as important as formal internships in the field you want to go into. I would recommend that students get in connect with someone in the field and just ask them, “How can I learn from you?” Lastly, know the job/career you want. Each candidate interested in a position should know the buzzwords, hot topics, and current events in the field. Also, if you get an interview somewhere, look up the company and do your research.

Do you hope your son goes to Marist?

Yes, indeed! This school, its faculty, and its community have had a major role in my devlopment athletically, academically, and professionally, and I really wish the same for him. I remember dressing my son in Marist gear when he was a baby. I am looking forward to him creating his own legacy, and at almost eight years old, he is well on his way! I hope to drop him off at Champagnat Hall in 10 years.