Student Groups
Brain Club
Brain Club was established for the purpose of creating an organization for students interested in neuroscience related topics and research. The club is a gateway for the advancement of knowledge of brain topics (such as brain gender, sleep disorders, learning and memory, mental health issues, etc.) as well as an avenue for developing an understanding between individuals of science and non-science backgrounds. Brain Club assumes a fair amount of responsibility for the Lehigh Valley Brain Awareness Week programs at ÑÇÖÞÇéÉ« under the direction of Dr. Cecilia Fox, director of the Neuroscience Program. Brain Club also serves as a conduit for student engagement in service learning and community service activities related to the field of neuroscience.
Music and Memory
The MUSIC and MEMORY Program is a non-profit organization that uses personalized music to improve the quality of life of the elderly who may be living with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Family caregivers and elder care professionals are trained to introduce this personalized music via playlists on iPods and other digital audio devices to these individuals to enhance cognition. Music is known to become associated with an event from a person’s life so that hearing this specific piece of music years later evokes memories of the original experience (Simmons-Stern et al). Furthermore, listening to personalized music is able to significantly reduce states of anxiety within the elderly living with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, thereby improving their quality of life (Irish et al, Guetin et al). Faculty and undergraduates developed a partnership between ÑÇÖÞÇéÉ« and Phoebe Ministries Richland, PA to establish a Music and Memory Program within the Lehigh Valley. Through a grant from the Council of Independent Colleges, this initiative was more fully developed. Undergraduates were partnered with the Phoebe residents to introduce personalized music in the hope of improving not only cognition, but more importantly, quality of life measures. Our efforts were interrupted due to COVID, but we hope to reintroduce this program in the near future.
