Millennium Magazine_7th Ed

215 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine HEALTH AND WELLNESS I nitially intending to pursue neurosurgery, Dr. Mary Eva Swigar soon found her love for the brain, hormones and neurotransmitters, and decided thereafter to delve into the field of neuropsychiatry. Calling the study of brain function as “the final frontier,” she earned an undergraduate degree from Muhlenberg College in 1962 and an MD from Temple University in 1966. Since taking the Hippocratic Oath, Dr. Swigar has dedicated her livelihood to bettering the lives of others and passing down her knowledge to the future generation of medical professionals. At the inception of her career in 1977, Dr. Swigar was an associate professor of psychiatry at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, for 11 years. From there, she began serving Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, as chief of psychiatry and member of their Institutional Review Board beginning in 1988. Maintaining affiliation with the review board until 2013, she simultaneously lent her expertise to Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, as an associate professor of psychiatry and neuropsychiatry until attaining emerita status in 2013. A former registered psychiatrist in the State of New Jersey, Dr. Swigar has contributed several articles to professional and medical journals in her field. She has been a member of the Royal Society of Medicine and the New York Academy of Science, as well as a fellow of the International College of Psychosomatic Medicine. She attributes her immense success to her ability to listen and consider all facets of an issue prior to making a decision. Although in retirement, Dr. Swigar still remains in touch with universities and attends medical and academic conferences. Among the highlights of her career, she cites being involved in research ethics to be a crowning moment and she notes that psychiatry has afforded her a broad range of opportunities throughout her career. In light of her achievements, Dr. Swigar was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from Muhlenberg College. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, mushroom hunting, listening to music and spending time with friends. MARY EVA SWIGAR, MD PROFESSOR EMERITA Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Basking Ridge, NJ