Marie Setser is currently retired after a career in healthcare research and finance. 

She earned her B.S. in zoology at UK in 1965 and her MA T in biology at The Citadel in 1979. She worked at UK in the Department of Community Medicine Tuberculosis Research, the Medical University of South Carolina in renal and pulmonary physiology research and as a research assistant in electron microscopy and cystic fibrosis research. She spent 10 years in the finance industry in sales and management.

She also taught biology as adjunct faculty at Olympic College and City Colleges of Chicago. In addition, she served as the president of the South Carolina American Association of University Women. 

She and her husband have been married for 60 years and have two sons, three grandsons and one granddaughter. She has been active in community organizations and enjoys quilting, hiking and mah jongg.