STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Dr. Amber Harris Bozer will present “Adventures of a Texan Neuroscientist” as part of Tarleton State University’s Last Lecture Series at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, in the Barry B. Thompson Student Center Ballrooms in Stephenville. The public is invited, and a livestream is available at www.youtube.com/live/9e6E_GTngxQ.
Dr. Bozer, an Associate Professor in Tarleton State University’s Department of Neuroscience, is a native of Stephenville. The daughter of a mother with cerebral palsy and a father with an obscure pain disorder, she seemed destined to become a neuroscientist.
What started out as a curiosity of the nervous system and making sense of her surroundings has evolved into a love of teaching and mentoring the next generation of neuroscientists. She spearheaded the establishment of the new Department of Neuroscience and the introduction of a bachelor of science program in the discipline.
“I learned early that curiosity was more than a trait — it was a way of life,” said Dr. Bozer. “My fascination with horned lizards and the mysteries of space evolved into an exploration of an even greater frontier: the human nervous system.
“Neuroscience became my new horizon where I explored the complexities of pain in the nervous system. Along the way, I realized that the true heart of my adventure lay in the transformative power of the mentorship that I received, a gift that shaped my career and life.”
Likewise, Dr. Bozer has served as a mentor herself to student researchers. She has also offered research opportunities, has developed coursework, and initiated Tarleton State’s Neuroscience Club, and other outreach programs.
“My mission is twofold: to illuminate the breathtaking beauty of the brain — an endlessly fascinating landscape — and to highlight how mentorship can profoundly enhance lives. In both science and life, curiosity and human connection remain our greatest tools for discovery.”
Like many other colleges and universities, Tarleton State hosts an annual event modeled after the well-known “The Last Lecture” by Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch. Last Lecture topics often address individuals’ professional, personal and cultural experiences that have impacted the trajectory of their life and career, answering the question, “If you had but one lecture to give, what would you say?”
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.