College has connection to historic television event

Posted October 23, 2015Communications and Marketing Department

GREENVILLE, Pa.—Brain surgery equipment and software from FHC, Inc., a company founded and owned by Thiel College alumni Fred ’65 and Jill (Shackett) Haer ’66, will be part of the first-ever live televised brain surgery at 9 p.m. Sunday.

“Brain Surgery Live” is a two-hour program airing on the National Geographic Channel in a partnership with Mental Floss magazine. The show will profile a deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery performed while the patient is conscious.

Thiel College Greenville Neuromodulation Scholar of Neuroscience and Philosophy Erwin Montgomery, M.D., will lead a discussion of DBS at 8 p.m. Sunday in the James Pedas Communication Center followed by the program at 9 p.m. Montgomery is also the Greenville Neuromodulation Center (GNC) director. GNC is a non-profit affiliate of Bowdoin, Maine-based FHC, Inc. GNC conducts research and shares data about DBS and its ability to treat neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease. GNC has also assisted surgeons around the country and internationally in conducting DBS procedures.

FHC products that are expected to be used include brain visualization and guidance software, as well as specially designed electrodes for brain surgery.

About Fred and Jill (Shackett) Haer

In 1970, the Haers founded FHC, Inc. The company’s microelectrode recording and stimulation technology serves neuroscientific research and neurosurgical operating rooms. FHC translates the most promising concepts to leading-edge tools and techniques. As the holder of numerous patents and recipient of many Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants, FHC continues to advance the understanding and practices of neuroscience. Greenville Neuromodulation Services (GNS), a wholly owned subsidiary of FHC, Inc., supports the neuroscience industry with a full range of services for medical professionals involved in the treatment of movement disorders. GNS is also located in Greenville, along with the nonprofit GNC.


About Thiel College

Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.



Thiel College
75 College Ave
Greenville, PA 16125
1-800-248-4435