Bridging the Brain & the Mind at Whitman

One of Whitman College’s newest majors is quickly becoming one of its most sought-after. Now in its second year, the Brain, Behavior and Cognition (BB&C) program already has 44 declared majors—the first of whom will graduate this spring.

Assistant Professor of Psychology Nancy Day ’05 is not surprised by the major’s quick success. After all, it’s a program she wishes had existed when she was a student here.

“Biology and Psychology are already two of the most popular majors on campus, so when you provide an opportunity to merge them very deliberately and intentionally, many students are going to gravitate toward that synergy,” she says. “It really is the best of both worlds.”

A Better Way to Study the Brain

Day was a driving force behind the creation of the BB&C program. When she first arrived at Whitman as a student in 2001, she planned to major in Biology. But a sophomore-year Psychology class changed her plans.

“I was still very committed to the Biology path,” Day says, “but by taking Psychology, I realized there was so much that biology could explain about behavior. I really wanted to explore that intersection between biology and psychology.”

Day considered her options, from minoring in Psychology to building her own major. Ultimately, she decided to double-major in both Biology and Psychology. 

“While I think that was a good decision, it’s not a decision I would make again,” she says. “It’s a lot of work. I had to take all the classes for Biology and all the classes for Psychology. I had to do two thesis projects, two sets of oral exams and written exams. My senior year was not a ton of fun.”

Day went on to earn her doctorate in Neuroscience from the University of Minnesota. And when a faculty position opened at Whitman in 2019, she was eager to return to help train the scientists of tomorrow—and even better, to create a new path for them to study neuroscience as undergrads.

“I made it a mission,” says Day. “I didn’t want students to have to double-major. I knew there was another way to do this.”

Focused but Flexible

Like Day in her time as a student at Whitman, other Whitties had long been interested in studying neuroscience, and their professors in the Psychology and Biology departments had explored and developed ways to meet this need. Professor of Psychology Matthew Prull, for instance, who arrived at Whitman in 1999, developed courses that applied neurobiological and psychological perspectives to the study of human memory.

When Day returned to campus, she partnered with her former professor Ginger Withers, Dr. Robert F. Welty Professor of Biology, to bring an integrated approach to fruition. In collaboration with both departments, Day and Withers developed a new multidisciplinary major, which they now co-direct. 

The BB&C program, launched in fall 2023, integrates courses in Psychology and Biology to make connections between the science of the mind and the science of the brain. Students explore how interactions with the world shape the brain and how this understanding can address social issues related to public and mental health.

The program takes advantage of a unique wealth of expertise on Whitman’s faculty. Of the six permanent Psychology and Biology faculty members who contribute regularly to the program, four have a doctorate in neuroscience—and others bring expertise in cognition, learning, hormones and behavior.

“With the exception of our new Senior Seminar, all of the courses in the program were already offered in the Psychology and Biology departments,” Withers says. “We gathered the most relevant brain-related courses from each program and collected them in a way that’s more efficient and focused for students interested in neuroscience. This leaves students time to do the things that we want them to do at a liberal arts college, like take courses from many different disciplines.”

This interdisciplinary component also allows students to customize their coursework to meet their areas of interest. For example, students interested in neuronal modeling or artificial intelligence can take Computer Science courses, while students interested in bioethics can choose relevant courses in Philosophy and Rhetoric. 

The course requirements for a single major also leave students with time to pursue off-campus studies, athletics, clubs and other interests. 

“One of the great things about this major is that it actually frees up more space in a student’s schedule,” Day says. “When I double-majored, I didn't have much wiggle room for taking other classes. The program allows for flexibility both within and beyond the major.”

Hands-On Learning

One of the big draws of the BB&C program is the opportunity to participate in a wide range of research activities alongside active neuroscientists, says Christopher Wallace, Dr. Robert F. Welty Professor of Biology.

“We develop lab activities that reflect the kind of analytical work that students would do in the field,” Wallace says. “We don’t do cookbook labs, where you take a classic experiment and rerun it. Our labs make students deal with the mess of real data.”

That data comes from a variety of research experiments involving both humans and animals. For example, students in Associate Professor of Biology Thomas Knight’s lab have worked with student-athletes to study bioassays that can predict the extent of concussions. And students in Professor of Psychology Walter Herbranson’s lab have trained rats to play basketball and studied decision-making in pigeons.

Students aren’t just learning how to do research; they’re also learning how to use the tools they may encounter later in the real world. In addition to traditional lab equipment, Whitman students have access to cutting-edge instruments such as a confocal microscope, which undergraduate students at most other colleges are not allowed to touch.

“I can’t tell you how many students we’ve had get hired into research associate positions because they had experience with that kind of microscopy,” Withers says. “It’s tremendously valuable.”

From Student to Scientist

BB&C students also have the opportunity to conduct their own independent research for their capstone project. They begin exploring ideas as sophomores and collect and analyze data during the summer between their junior and senior years. They then write their thesis in the fall of their senior year and present their research during a Senior Seminar course in the spring.

“Students emerge as independent scientists during their capstone projects,” Wallace says. “They have to be able to articulate and defend their experimental design, present and interpret their data, and relate that data to a question that would be of relevance to a broad scientific audience.”

The capstone project, Wallace notes, is so much more than a graduation requirement.

“There’s a direct link between the hands-on work that students do in our labs and capstone projects and the skills that they need to gain entrance into real-world opportunities in the broader field,” he says. “The capstone can be a springboard to wherever they want to go next.”

Students can conduct their capstone research alongside faculty at Whitman or during internships at outside organizations or labs.

“About half of the students who are graduating this year did off-campus internships over the summer to collect their thesis research,” Day says. “Some students applied for funding through the Whitman Internship Grant, which provides stipends for students to do research outside of Whitman at a location of their choosing or in a more specific area of their choosing.”

Withers hopes the Senior Seminar will eventually expand to offer opportunities for students from all years to learn about the research process. 

“We are looking forward to bringing in outside speakers and to discussing the latest advancements in neuroscience,” she says. “We will also model how to give talks and put together research posters for professional meetings. The more practice students have in communicating science, the better.”

Launching Meaningful Careers

The flexibility of the BB&C program means students are prepared for a wide range of careers as they begin life after Whitman. 

“Many of our students are pre-health, so they’re interested in medical school, nursing school or veterinary school,” Day says. “Some are more interested in research and want to go to graduate school in neuroscience and related fields.”

BB&C majors are well-positioned to pursue a variety of career paths beyond medicine and research. They might help the pharmaceutical industry explore new ways to treat Alzheimer’s disease, work for a nonprofit that supports brain research, or go into public policy to address mental health issues. They can become educators, science writers or community health organizers. As the field evolves and new opportunities arise, their options will only expand, says Withers.

“There’s a growing awareness of the importance of brain health and how our interactions in the world can affect it,” she says. “These emerging careers will demand technical literacy and interdisciplinary thinking skills. The BB&C program’s firm grounding in the liberal arts, emphasis on writing, and focus on scientific training means students will be prepared for whatever the future holds.”