A Spooky, Creative Approach to Biopsychology

By Shelby Bowman '26

On Halloween, Brittany Harman, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, tasked the students in her biopsychology class with creating zombie-themed menus featuring various parts of the brain. Some menus included spooky starters like Spicy Amygdala Dip and Cerebellum Salad with eyeball croutons, along with eerie entrees like Frontal Lobe Fillet. 

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This activity was just one of the many Harmon designed to make complex content more engaging and memorable. 

“When you’re learning about various areas of the brain, or structures of neurons and how they communicate with each other, that can get really tedious and really boring very quickly,” said Harmon. 

These hands-on activities make the class more interactive. Other activities include mapping the flow of information from the eyes to the brain, and crafting neurons from modeling putty. “I had them design trading cards of neurotransmitters, and they had a lot of fun with it,” Harmon added. “I noticed that some students did really well on that part of the test.” 

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“Even though biopsychology seems like a hard class, it’s probably my easiest class this semester because of how Professor Harmon teaches,” said Arianna Winlack ’27. “I really enjoy it.” 

The zombie menu assignment will also help students prepare for their final paper, in which they must analyze stereotypical zombie behaviors, such as staggered gait or lack of heartbeat, and determine the impaired  brain regions. 

Blending science with creativity offers students a unique approach to a complex subject. 

“I feel like hands-on activities let you be more creative and help you retain information better than just listening and writing,” said Julia Wilkes ’28. “It helps me understand the material a lot better.” 

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