Mary Wactlar was born and raised in New Jersey by a lawyer father and a librarian mother.  Her father also invested in Broadway Shows and dabbled in painting, so she was introduced quite early to the visual and performing arts.  Her mother played piano by ear and created masterpieces on her sewing machine.  Despite this exposure to the arts, Mary obtained biology degrees, including a PhD in molecular biology from the University of Chicago.   After many years of science teaching, she is happy to be learning new things and celebrating the wonder of glass. Her parents would be proud!  In September she will celebrate her one year anniversary as a Resident Artist at the Art Glass Center.