By Andrew Chang ’26

On January 12, 2026, the Mercersburg Academy community will welcome Nina Tandon, who will give the Ammerman Family Lecture at the Burgin Center for the Arts’ Simon Theatre. 

Tandon is the CEO and co-founder of EpiBone, a biotechnology company at the forefront of regenerative medicine, where she leads a team of scientists developing personalized skeletal treatments. She brings extensive academic experience to her work: she earned a master’s degree in bioelectrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and both a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and an MBA in healthcare entrepreneurship from Columbia University.

In addition to delivering the lecture, Tandon will engage with students in several settings across campus. Burgin Center Director of Operations Jessica Doubell shared that Tandon will be having dinner with the Research Science classes on Monday night prior to the lecture. On Tuesday morning, Tandon will meet with Tim Kerr and Kelsy Rupp’s classes before hosting a Q&A session in the Irvine Lecture room, offering students further opportunities for discussion and interaction.

Doubell emphasized the importance of the Ammerman Family Lecture to the Mercersburg community, noting that the series is designed to “bring to the community speakers of national renown who have important perspectives on significant issues of the day,” empowering young people to understand the relevance of these issues to their lives. She added that the lectures reflect Ammerman’s generosity and commitment to offering students “quality speakers and amazing trips.”

The Ammerman Family Lecture Series was made possible through the generosity of Regent Emeritus Andrew Ammerman ’68 and his mother, the late Josephine Ammerman, in memory of Andrew’s father, H. Max Ammerman, and his brother, Stephen Ammerman. 

Reflecting specifically on Tandon’s visit, Doubell said she is excited to meet “someone who is leading the charge in making people’s lives better.”