The final frontier for co-majors

The brain remains among the most mysterious areas of study in the natural sciences, and UD students like sophomore Rose Kleinfelter are taking strides in this final frontier of the human body with bold innovation and curiosity through the new neuroscience co-major.

Started in 2020, the neuroscience minor has grown into the most highly enrolled minor within the natural sciences. Seeing that, Pothitos M. Pitychoutis, biology professor and coordinator of the neuroscience program, began laying the groundwork for an entirely new model pathway of study at the University of Dayton — co-majors. Dayton’s program began enrolling students last fall.

“The neuroscience co-major is designed to enrich experiential learning beyond a student’s primary field of study,” said Pitychoutis. “The new disciplinary breadth and depth provided by the co-major can complement a wide range of majors.”

Course options range from foundational biology and chemistry to psychology, social work and philosophy. The latter became particularly interesting to senior premedicine major and neuroscience co-major Brooke Hartzell.

“Science is concrete. Philosophy is abstract. The crossover gives me a new perspective to explore the subject of neuroscience,” she said.

Hartzell started at UD her first year but transferred to pursue a neuroscience major elsewhere. When she learned the co-major was in development, she transferred back to UD in her junior year to complete her degree.

“The professors and resources UD offers truly are not matched anywhere, so once I learned the co-major was on the table, it was a no-brainer for me to return,” Hartzell said.

She joined Pitychoutis’s Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, familiarly known as the “mouse lab.” Hands-on research and experiential learning in the fields of behavioral, psychological, pharmacological and neurological studies pair well with a neuroscience co-major, said Kleinfelter, a biology major.

“Having that procedural lab experience with Dr. P before taking my biology and chemistry labs gives me a leg up to focus on the content and analysis,” she said.

In its first semester, more than 70 students have enrolled in the co-major from a range of disciplines. Students say the community formed within the co-major cohort is important.

“Neuroscience has a real emphasis on inquiry and asking ‘why,’” said Hartzell. “It’s nice to have a larger program for students with that thought process.”

“Neuroscience has a real emphasis on inquiry and asking ‘why.’ It’s nice to have a larger program for students with that thought process.”

First-year student Dominic Kodros declared his premedicine major and neuroscience co-major within three weeks of arriving on campus.

“The brain is one of the most fascinating things to study,” he said. Kodros said the neuroscience cohort provides him with familiarity and plenty of upperclassmen to offer advice and expertise, something he said is rare for a first-year student so early in his program of study.

“Everyone is so supportive, and it feels special to be a part of the first class to complete the new co-major in its four-year entirety,” he said.

UD is building off the success with additional co-majors, including bioengineering, semiconductor manufacturing engineering, materials engineering, mechatronics systems automation and artificial intelligence engineering, with more in the works. 

Pitychoutis is eager to celebrate the accomplishments of students in neuroscience at UD for years to come. “Understanding how the brain works not only helps students discern their vocation — it helps us understand the mysteries of life,” he said.

other photos provided by the Neuroscience Lab