Todd D. McIntyre
As a youngster, Todd D. McIntyre, Ph.D., was no stranger to adversity. He struggled with attention deficit disorder and dysthymia but considered himself fortunate to have a supportive father who never gave on up on him and encouraged him to learn something new every day. In 1997, Todd was able to honor his WWII veteran father’s legacy with the Henry F. McIntyre Memorial Scholarship in Computer Systems. Henry worked in the computer systems field for 35 years.
To Todd, HACC meant a golden opportunity to refocus his educational aspirations. He worked a full-time job and still earned an associate degree in two years, graduating from HACC in 1975.
Dr. McIntyre proceeded to earn a bachelor degree in psychology with a minor in molecular biology and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Colorado. He then completed a staff fellowship in neuropharmacology from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.
His extensive 25-year career in the pharmaceutical industry includes working with companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Wyeth, Hoffmann-La Roche and Boehringer Ingelheim, with much of that time spent overseas. Currently, Dr. McIntyre is vice president of regulatory affairs at DURECT Pharmaceuticals. In his spare moments, you may find him enjoying quality time with his wife, Bertha.
Impact
Dr. McIntyre’s prescription for success is, “Don’t give up on yourself if learning is not easy initially; many successful individuals are late bloomers." HACC is a unique educational model, with most students working while attending school. Although challenging to do both well, he believes work can imbue you with the common sense and discipline that are as essential to your success as the actual facts that you are learning.
Todd credits the supportive environment at HACC with providing the experience, insight and discipline necessary to achieve his educational objectives. Even now, decades later, he still feels his time at HACC was invaluable. He encourages current and future students to seize every educational opportunity and realize that our educational journey, no matter how long and circuitous, is civilization.