Five Randolph-Macon College students, all behavioral neuroscience majors, are setting their sights on a bright future. The five—Emily Kirk, Noelle McKearney, Brennan Terhune-Cotter, Brooke Thompson, and Braeshaun Dozier—are all members of the Class of 2016. They are also among the first RMC students to major in behavioral neuroscience, a discipline that was added to the curriculum in 2014.

Photos: Neuroscience majors

Kelly Lambert, the Macon and Joan Brock Professor of Psychology, is thrilled that not only have students embraced the new major, but that they are flourishing.

“Our students are dedicated, focused and disciplined,” says Lambert, who also serves as chair of the Psychology Department. “Each of the majors this year has participated in RMC’s Schapiro Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. We couldn’t be prouder of their achievements thus far, and we look forward to discovering what the future holds for these impressive students.”

Emily Kirk ’16
Kirk (a behavioral neuroscience and biology major, and chemistry and psychology minor) was a recipient of the Klein-Maloney Fellowship for Women in the Sciences. Established by Sabra Klein ’92 and her husband, Drew Maloney ’91, the fellowship supports students who are interested in research opportunities in the lab sciences.

“This fellowship is funding my senior project and has enabled me to travel to Vancouver to learn new research techniques,” says Kirk, who is also a member of RMC’s Equestrian Team. “Furthermore, I am able to use the fellowship to fund my travel to Budapest, Hungary this summer to present my SURF project at the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society meeting.”

Kirk, who has been on the Dean’s List every semester and is the recipient of RMC’s Presidential Scholarship, was recently inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society. She has done three SURF projects during her college career, working under the guidance of Lambert during two summers at the RMC behavioral neuroscience laboratory and Psychology Professor Massimo Bardi during one summer at the satellite primate field lab in Miami.

“SURF has enriched my college experience by providing me with opportunities to design and conduct my own research,” she says. “What I find compelling about neuroscience is the sheer number of questions that are unanswered. The brain is so incredibly complicated and I find it exciting to try to solve those questions.” Kirk is excited about her post-RMC plans.

“I am joining the Program in Experimental and Molecular Medicine (PEMM) at Dartmouth for a Ph.D. in neuroscience,” she says. “I plan on pursuing psychoneuroimmunology research and I hope to stay in academia after graduate school by becoming a professor. Professor Lambert and Professor Massimo Bardi have been especially important to my success at RMC—and they’ve inspired me in so many ways.”

Noelle McKearney ’16
McKearney (a behavioral neuroscience and psychology major, and biology minor) was thrilled when RMC added a behavioral neuroscience major.

“The brain is constantly changing with every experience you have,” she says. “It is full of intrigue and mystery; there is so much left to learn about it, and being able to add to the current knowledge and figure out more pieces of the puzzle excites me.” Her SURF project aimed to assess how both external and internal mechanisms influenced several different neurobiological factors associated with emotional resiliency.

“SURF gave me a glimpse into the amount of work that is required in following it through a research project from start to finish. Because of SURF, I feel prepared for the rigors of graduate school. I have been accepted into the Biomedical Science Doctoral program at the University of Connecticut.” McKearney will also attend the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society conference in Budapest, Hungary in June to present her SURF project.

A member of Chi Beta Phi, Psi Chi, and Phi Beta Kappa, McKearney is a recipient of the Presidential Scholarship, and she was awarded the Phi Beta Kappa Sophomore Award. In 2015 she traveled to Miami, Florida with her classmates and with Lambert and Psychology Professor Massimo Bardi to perform observational research on java macaques at RMC’s satellite lab at Monkey Jungle. She credits her RMC professors with helping make life as a Yellow Jacket challenging and fulfilling.

“They have sparked my interest in so many subjects I never would have been exposed to if not for the liberal arts education at RMC,” she says. “More specifically, Psychology Professors Lambert, Bardi, and Molly Kent have been wonderful mentors for me. They exposed me to exciting, hands-on research; helped me through my journey of pursuing a career in a field I love; inspired my interest in primate behavior; and taught me how to schedule timelines for research projects. I have truly been blessed to work with my professors.”

Brennan Terhune-Cotter ’16
Terhune-Cotter (a behavioral neuroscience and psychology major) recently learned that he won a grant from Psi Chi, the national honor society in psychology, to complete his behavioral neuroscience senior project. His project investigates the effects of brain training exercises in hearing and deaf college students.

“Brennan is an exceptional student who has excelled in his classes despite having the extra challenge of relying on sign interpreters for class and lecture information,” says Lambert. “He is interested in learning more about the brain and language development, especially as it applies to deaf children.”

Terhune-Cotter is particularly interested in the ability of neuroscience to explore the neurological basis of language: how and where it develops, how fluency is achieved, and its impact on other cognitive functions. Conducting SURF research was “an amazing experience, and a great opportunity to formulate and carry out a scientific research project,” he says. He considers neuroscience the wave of the future.

“It aims to characterize behavior (such as language) at its most biological aspect: how the brain mediates behavior. That is an incredibly complex task, but being able to understand behavior at this depth would be an amazing accomplishment.”

Terhune-Cotter is the recipient of the Presidential Scholarship and was awarded the 2015 Ira L. Andrews Spirit of Fraternalism award. His post-RMC plans include graduate school, where he plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in linguistic neuroscience.

“I intend to do research on American Sign Language and deafness,” he says. “Before that, however, I will work for a year or two in a research lab somewhere. I’m currently exploring my options.”

Brooke Thompson ’16
Thompson (a behavioral neuroscience, biology, and chemistry major, and psychology minor) chose RMC for its sense of community, and for its robust pre-med program. She has worked tirelessly to conduct research and to volunteer in medical settings to prepare for medical school. A Paul H. Wornom Fellow, Thompson says, “I believe that my Wornom Fellowship has had a significant impact on my career at RMC and will propel me toward my dream of becoming a pediatric surgeon.” Each Wornom Fellow has the opportunity to pursue research projects and work closely with faculty. Fellows are also offered internship and shadowing opportunities, mentorship, and financial assistance for a Medical College Admissions Test course.

Thompson conducted two SURF projects during her college career, including one at UNC at Chapel Hill in which she researched an invasive therapy known as optogenetics, which uses light to manipulate specific brain regions. A Phi Beta Kappa member, she is also a member of Psi Chi, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Beta Beta Beta. She is clearly passionate about neuroscience.

“Neuroscience is one of those fields in which everything is relevant, and something new is always being developed,” she says. “The brain is so complex that we may never fully understand it. However, that is exactly what makes it so interesting. We can always ask questions and try to understand more about how it works. In doing so, lives can be changed.”

Thompson is the recipient of the Drs. Stephen and Georganne Long Scholarship, the Watts Biology Scholarship, and the Jackson Chemistry Fellowship. She has applied to several medical schools, and she is also considering post-baccalaureate programs at several places, including the National Institutes of Health.

“I have formed close relationships with nearly all of my RMC professors,” says Thompson. “I love that I can talk to them about anything, because they always steer me in the right direction. The neuroscience department has stellar faculty.”

Braeshaun Dozier ’16
Dozier (a psychology and behavioral neuroscience major) conducted a SURF project in RMC’s behavioral neuroscience lab in which he utilized a rodent model to examine neurobiological resilience to stress. The project helped solidify his interest in studying behavioral neuroscience.

“Previous literature has shown physical exercise, particularly running, to be an effective remedy in combating the detrimental effects of chronic stress on our physical and mental health,” he says. “I have always been interested in the underlying factors of human behavior, and by studying neuroscience I can better understand what causes us to do the things we do or feel the things we feel.”

Dozier is a student mentor in the Higgins Academic Center, where he also serves as a psychology and behavioral neuroscience tutor. He finds the most compelling aspect of neuroscience to be the brain-behavior relationship.

“I think continuing to understand and research how brain abnormalities impact human emotions and behavior is critical in creating a society of improved mental health and quality of life,” says Dozer, who is interested in applying his interest in mental functions and health to the law profession.

“The diverse aspects of neuroscience have led me to pursue a career in law,” he explains. “The integration of neuropsychological findings in legal proceedings is an emerging aspect of the law that I have a very strong interest in studying.”

A Presidential Scholarship recipient, he is also a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, Psi Chi, and Chi Beta Phi. Dozier is grateful to his RMC professors for their mentorship and guidance.

“They are all wonderful,” he says. “Psychology Professors Kelly Lambert and Cedar Riener have been especially important. Professor Lambert is an amazing professor whose passion for the field of neuroscience truly magnified my interest and inspired me to conduct more research. Professor Riener, who has served as my advisor throughout my academic career, has been nothing but supportive and has provided me much insight and advice regarding my post-graduation plans.”