Penelope Panzer discovered her love for science when a professor invited her to join his breast cancer research team. She spent two and a half years conducting research on breast cancer and glioma cells that culminated with her reaching the position of Head of the Laboratory. This experience affected her so profoundly that she decided to continue with her education to earn a Masters of Science in Biology. American University offered her a teaching fellowship and position in their graduate program conducting research on the effects of alcohol on quail neural crest cells as a model for the causes of fetal alcohol syndrome. She enjoyed her research; however, it was her teaching fellowship that made her realize she loved teaching people about science even more than working in the lab. After receiving her MS degree, she attended George Washington University to earn a Masters of Education and became a high school science teacher. Penelope has enjoyed teaching science since 1998 and joined the Center for Talented Youth in 2007.