Bobcat Spotlight: Nolan Morrison ’18 

This month’s Bobcat Spotlight shines on Nolan Morrison, a proud member of the Class of 2018. Originally from Bedford, New Hampshire, Nolan excelled in lacrosse and soccer during his two years as a Bobcat. Now he is excelling as an analyst at Deloitte, based in the consulting firm’s Boston office. Deloitte is a global leader in management consulting, offering a range of services to businesses and organizations across various industries.

In his role, Nolan says he often collaborates with top-tier professionals—and has the chance to engage in projects that sharpen his skills in problem-solving, strategic thinking, data modeling and visualization, and process optimization. The challenges can be complex, but he enjoys finding the best solutions. His focus lies in life sciences strategy for major biopharmaceutical companies. He currently supports the development of an Integrated Evidence Plan (IEP) for several oncology assets within the company’s pipeline to foster cross-functional alignment on the data needed to demonstrate safety, efficacy, and competitive differentiation for the drugs in development.

Before joining Deloitte, Nolan received his degree in Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania’s Bucknell University. He was very involved in campus activities, from playing club soccer to leading his peers as the Class of 2022 Representative for the Bucknell chapter of The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Under the mentorship of Dr. Brandon Vogel, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Nolan delved into biomaterial research, culminating in a groundbreaking project on injectable hydrogels for targeted drug delivery. This research earned acclaim, leading to participation in the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program and publication in the international journal Gels. Nolan has also received other accolades, including The Robert E. Slonaker, Jr. Memorial Award and The James M. Pommersheim Research and Innovation in Engineering Award. Dive into the details of Nolan’s work here.

For this former Bobcat, entrepreneurship has been a driving force in his life, fostered by the culture of innovation at Brewster. From nightly business idea brainstorming sessions with his good friend and senior year roommate Kasper Endreny ’18, to their endeavor of selling smoothies out of a window in Hughes House, Nolan says entrepreneurship has been an integral part of his journey. After Brewster, he pursued several startup ideas, including VerdiGolf, a venture focused on developing a high-performance biodegradable golf ball for intermediate golfers and venues like TopGolf. Additionally, he explored a potential business model of investing in university-generated intellectual property to facilitate its transfer to the private sector. Despite the challenges, each entrepreneurial pursuit has enriched his skill set and prepared him for future ventures.

As Nolan looks to the future, he aims to delve further into consulting while laying the groundwork for pursuing an MBA focusing on entrepreneurship. He is excited to continue expanding his consulting skill set and leverage the insights gained from this experience to fuel his entrepreneurial aspirations.

Brewster instilled a profound sense of community and the importance of building connections in Nolan, greatly influencing his journey. Through diverse experiences and interactions, he learned the value of collaboration, empathy, and teamwork, skills pivotal in his current role at Deloitte. Additionally, he shares, Brewster equipped him with strong analytical and problem-solving skills, which, combined with his ability to build meaningful connections, was instrumental in the transition from Brewster to Bucknell and beyond.

Nolan encourages current Brewster students to be curious. “Curiosity is a powerful tool that fosters growth and success in both personal and professional endeavors,” he says. “Whether you’re exploring different interests to discover your passion or delving deeper into your chosen field, curiosity fuels innovation and drives progress. Embrace curiosity by exploring new classes, joining clubs, and trying new experiences to uncover your passions,” adding that curiosity is key to continuous learning and skill development for those already on their chosen path. 

“Challenge the status quo, ask questions, and seek opportunities where unanswered questions exist,” he says—therein lies the potential for innovation and growth.