He is the best. Take him often, take him seriously. :)

Very challenging, but rewarding! Excellent Prof!

amazing, engaging lectures

One of the best I've had.

Great Class. Great Teacher.

Very interesting and excellent teacher. Makes you think a good bit on exams. Take his classes!

loved him...he is the best ive had...great class

freshmen: take neuro intro 2nd semester with stricker, he is incredible

With no doubt he is the best professor, such an exemplary human being.

The best teacher I've had so far. Engaging, stimulating lectures that require you to think and actually understand the material, not just memorize it. He also looks like the old guy from Everybody Loves Raymond, which is cool too. Great class.

Dr. Stricker is a really neat guy. His tests are really hard and you end up studying a lot, but the class is extremely interesting.

His tests are really hard, but they're interesting. And the class overall is very stimulating and its been the only class ive been able to completly pay attention to the whole time. hes really funny, but it is hard

Best teacher I've ever had. You need to completely understand the concepts to do well in the class - it is extremely demanding and he expects a lot from the students. But he can keep your interest the entire class, and he is absolutely hilarious even when he's pissing you off. I think everybody should take this class - major or not.

He's a great teacher -- cares about students and wants them to do well, which goes a long way for me. Will make you think, but that's not such a bad thing when the subject is interesting (and it is). He (and his class) are why I'm now in grad school for neuroscience.

Absolutely wonderful man. Truly cares about the students. Responds (very) quickly to any question, and never makes you feel dumb for asking. Difficult tests, but well worth it. Learned a ton in this class.

Best and among one of the toughest classes I have ever taken

Stricker is the epitome of attitude professors should have to students. He is brilliant in his field, and cares about the students. He will make you want to pursue neuro or medicine. The coolest part was that some of the stuff taught was his own research.

He's the best professor I've had at Pitt. You have to really pay attention to the little stuff he says in class. Even thought the tests are open notes you have to know where things are in your notes and have to be able to understand them! What I've heard is that he's much more interesting then Wood! Not all classes are interesting but most are!

Best professor I've had at pitt. he knows his stuff and has first hand experience doing the research. He makes the class hard on purpose, but a 75 is an A, so it's not bad. Very interesting and very funny.

Tests are difficult. Prof is excellent, and available for assistance.

Amazing professor! You will understand and retain material after taking his class. If you're considering taking the honor's section, take it... you critique one article a week, and get to speak in the midst of a smaller, less intimidating group. You'll get to know Stricker better, and vice versa.

Dr. Stricker is an awesome professor. His tests are really tough, they make you think as opposed to just regurgitating the material. He is unbelievably helpful and very easy to understand.

Definitely one of the best professors at Pitt. You will actually have fun taking a test in this class because it's like a puzzle. You have to be able to apply what you know to solve the problem. Also, he's very fair about grading. A 75 is an A in his class. My advice: Tape his lectures.

Probably the best Professor i have had at Pitt thus far.Instead of regurgitating facts , he explains some of the basics of Neuroscience by giving examples of phenomenons and explaining how such phenomenons work,explaining the neurological basis.His class is tough and you do need to put in the work, but he is extremely helpful and intelligent.

Dr. Stricker is the best professor I've had at Pitt. I never missed a lecture because he made me WANT to attend. Tests are hard and involve understanding and applying all of the material.. but if you study your notes, his online notes/homework, and all of the questions he posts that are asked by students, an A (75%) is not hard to obtain!

Dr. Stricker is one of the best professors I've ever had. He makes an already interesting subject so much more so. He's also hilarious. You def. have to attend lectures (tape them, if possible). Don't bother buying the books, you won't use them. Before taking this class make sure you have the background in bio/chem. I'd def. recommend this class!

Stricker is the nicest, and most caring professor I've ever had at PITT. He may seem to be harsh during lecture, but during his office hours he's the most charismatic man I've ever met. His class is absolutely wonderful, and is partially the reason I love neuroscience so much. Ignore all the bad comments--if you didn't study, you didn't do well.

Excellent. Dedicated to teaching and to making material as interesting to you as it originally was to him.

Can't say much that hasn't already been said; Stricker is the man and I wish I was able to take his upper level course before I graduate. Exams are not easy but his teaching style is brilliant and made going to class interesting. His letures are completely relevant to real life as they answer many of the common questions people ask frequently.

I had Dr. Stricker for an UHC section of Neuro 1003 nearly 15 years ago. I would say he is the most influential teacher I have ever had. He teaches with such mastery that you find yourself looking forward to every class. He's not easy, but you will really learn something. I am a career neuroscientist now- largely due to Stricker's influence.

Look at the comment below me! Stricker is INCREDIBLE! Best teacher & best class at Pitt. He loves questions and seems to answer within seconds via email. He wants you to understand and master the material. There is no busy work other than exams but dont let the class fool you. Its hard and you need to study right after class! I took the UHC & <3 it

I can say nothing more than what others already have. He is the best. Period. I have never been taught by a more intelligent man at any point in my life. Class is always interesting, and It seems as if he has the answer to everything, and is always willing to help you understand the material. Not just a great teacher, but a genuine man.

Dr. Stricker is the best professor. The materials are fun. The tests are fun too.

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Take this if you're interested and willing to work out. Dont memorize but you must understand the systems and what will happen if something is taken away. He's so helpful about anything class or life. He's brilliant and dont be intimidated kids he is a really nice guy!

I wish that Dr. Stricker taught every class that I have ever taken. I have never met anyone that cared more about his/her students. He makes very difficult material seem easy and seems to have an answer for everything. His exams are very challenging; although to me they are actually fun to take. Nothing compares to a Stricker exam!

Stricker is a great professor. Very good at teaching and extremely knowledgable of material. Truly cares about his students. Lacks time management as he tends to slowly, carefully explain thigns at the beginning of lecture, then rush through things are the end, almost always running over his time. Course is challenging; study after every lecture

Absolutely phenomenal! Easily the most difficult class I've taken at Pitt but certainly the most rewarding! Listen to his lectures- multiple times. It really helps! Study hard and read exams questions carefully. This by no means is an easy course, but making it through to the end is one of the best feelings ever! Strongly recommended: he's brillian

Absolutely phenomenal! Easily the most difficult class I've taken at Pitt but certainly the most rewarding! Listen to his lectures- multiple times. It really helps! Study hard and read exams questions carefully. This by no means is an easy course, but making it through to the end is one of the best feelings ever! Strongly recommended: he's brillian

Most admirable Professor I've had so far at Pitt.

One of the best professors at Pitt, hands down. Whoever leaves a bad review of this man simply wasn't doing his or her part to succeed in the class. Sure, it's not an easy class, but with some hard work, an A is easily attainable.

The reason im a neuro major!

just awesome the sole reason im a neuro major

I love this man. He should teach every class in the neuroscience major.

This man is the best professor I've ever had at pitt. This class is by no means easy or meant to be easy and he is straight up with everyone about it on the first day. If you can make it through to the end of this class, I promise you that you will be a better student because he pushes everyone to achieve more than any other prof at pitt.

Dr Stricker is the man. He presents the material in lectures extremely well. If you have questions you can email him and he will respond within a few hours. His tests are not hard if you study for them. You can bring your notes to the test but you wont ever need them. If you put in the work, an A is very attainable

Good professor, best tips I can give are to go to the recitations because they draw out a lot of diagrams, and to listen to the audio of the lectures. Its time consuming but it will get you a good grade :)

The nicest and most caring teacher at Pitt hands down. If you have ANY problems go to his office and talk to him about them and he can help you out. If they are academic related that is.

Dr. Stricker is one of the best professors at Pitt. He is crystal clear in his lectures, lets his students know exactly what is expected of them, and is always fair. His tests are difficult but if you enjoy the material, they are also fun to work through. Take good notes in class but listen to the lectures again and draw diagrams that summarize inf

Stricker is an amazing teacher. His philosophy is that science isn't just a collection of facts that you memorize from a textbook. He teaches the process of science, not the end product. Unlike most itro courses he doesn't favor breadth, but instead focuses on a few topics in tremendous detail. This course is a great experience--highly recommended.

Dr. Stricker is by far one of the greatest professors I've had the fortune to take. He focuses on you understanding material rather than memorizing it. He's challenging, but if you take the time to understand concepts and attend/listen to lecture, an A is extremely doable.

A fantastic professor, however his tests are very difficult but doable. Studying hard is a must. No extra credit, grade is determined solely on exams. The final is also not comprehensive! Diagrams help understand the material. A grade of 80 is considered an A! TA's are very helpful as well, I recommend going to the optional recitations sessions.

summary of everyone comments: Greatest class at pitt. greatest Teacher at pitt. don't know what pitt or the neuro program would be like at pitt without him. people come to this school just to take this class.

Best teacher I have ever had. He will answer all your questions via email really quickly. His class is hard but the most amazing class I have ever had. Advice: MAKE FLOWCHARTS

He is the BEST teacher of all time. In all honestly, I did not get an A in the class but don't even care because I learned so much. It is a hard class, requires lots of studying, It's great because he records his lectures and posts them online as well as with his lecture notes and all the questions students email him.

The question isn't whether the class is worth taking. The question is, do you have the time, interest, and energy to play doctor / researcher and master the material? You must memorize everything AND make predictions given certain manipulations. Do it right, and it will forever alter the way you think and learn.

This class is amazing, but be warned you should not take it until you are ready. That being said anyone in the entire university would benefit from sitting in on his lectures. I am now in med school and his class was the perfect preparation. Take the class ASAP because who knows when he will retire.

Amazing professor, hands down. The class is extremely difficult, but if its your passion, do it. You will learn so much, and it is all so interesting. Just make sure you are prepared and ready to dedicate yourself!

Answers all questions, TAs are amazing, does alot for students, but despite what he says, there are just some kids even w great understanding of the material who will have some problems on his tests, they are all/nothing, forsome it just clicks, for other even very smart kids it wont but still, 2/3 kids get A/B so def doable, need lots of hard work

Probably the best professor that I have had at Pitt. His class isn't easy, but I learned a lot and it was so interesting, that I don't even care that I didn't get an A. He does so much for his students including weekend review sessions before exams. He really wants his students to do well and will do whatever it takes to make that happen.

I loved him!!! Best class ever! He is an amazing professor and should be taken by anyone with an interest in animal bodies and how they work. Very hard but extremely fair unlike some bio 1 courses. Very possible to get an A if you work extremely hard. I got a D on my first exam and pulled it up to a B. Favorite class despite my grade!

what all science classes should be like, learn TON(GREAT teacher/TAs, put TONS of effort into class) but also fair grading(77% an A-many do well)so even if u have problems w his tests which are more uneven and inconsistent than he suggests u can manage, can recover from 1 bad test since 31+ is an A(got 37/40 on final overcame a 24 midterm to get A)

Dr.Stricker is possibly the best professor I've had. That being said, he's the best because he doesn't ask dumb memorization questions. His test questions are hard but they test your understanding...which is what science is all about. I highly recommend the honors version of this class...you get to know Dr.Stricker on a personal level..he

Absolutely awesome professor who does EVERYTHING in his power to help but class comes down to natural ability questions in ways u cant anticipate regardless of how hard u study, many can make connections not discussed in class and do very well--dont realize how naturaly bright they are, others who ace other veryhard classes cant despite HUGE effort

Dr. Stricker is by far one of my favorite professors at Pitt. Is an Amazing teacher, using wit and his own research and experience to eloquently speak about the brain. Wasn't interested in neuro before, but took the class b.c. he is a reknowned legend at pitt... now i'm thinking of 2x majoring in it! group-studied an insane amount, but was worth it

Gives everything you could possibly need and hes a phenomenal prof, but this can be very tough. Name of the game here is analyze + apply concepts; some can do it really well and find this kinda easy. Those who arent a natural at it have to work REALLY REALLY HARD to overcome this and still many can't Test taking skills are also quite important here

decent but overrated. 1: says he cares mainly about concepts; when it comes down to it, you're tested on pathways and connectivity. 2: lectures are unclear because he simply talks, and uses no/few diagrams. 3: doesn't give you nearly the overview and conceptual understanding of the field that an intro class should4. encourages questions5.GREAT TAs

Comes off as a cocky man at first and hypes up the tests, but really just testing connectivity. Nice b/c memorization not needed, just complete understanding. Has great TAs. He is quite old now and speaks more slow and monotone at lectures. As semester goes on becomes friendlier, but he needs to smile more and loosen up!

Worth noting he might not teach anymore after sem 1) VERY helpful. Goes out of his way alot. Encourages questions 2) Ultimately, to be blunt, how naturally smart you are is big here. This isnt a class you can just overcome working super hard and memorizing. Really need natural given ability to think/apply, if you cant class will be remarkably hard

What a shame he might be retiring soon. Oh well, sucks for the later generations! Great class, not as difficult as people hype it up to be. You do have to put in some work, but if you're good at thinking logically it's a doable class. Stimulating and you learn a LOT without having to cry about your grade. What every class at Pitt should be.

Not many can compare to Dr. Stricker and his Intro to Neuro class. Honors section (1003 rather than 1000) recommended.

Hes tough, you have to really want to learn it, ask questions, go through all his Q+A's and learn things he doesnt emphasize in lecture. Takes alot of effort and you to MASTER the material and literally know everything. But if you do some after every lecture its not as bad as it sounds. Pick up on the way he wants you to think and youll be fine.

Without a doubt the best professor I've had so far at Pitt. Exams are tough, but they test your understanding not your memorization since the exams are open notes. Definitely worth taking if you're interested in neuroscience.

Dr. Stricker is an excellent professor, mentor, researcher, and person; however, he is a bit overrated on this site. He really teaches his class well, probably more like an actual med. school class, but he and his class have flaws. He can get off topic very easy and the class material is way too narrow, for an intro. class, but still he is great.

Even though he's now the dean of the honors college, he still is an excellent teacher. He's a very nice person and kind of quirky and funny, but that takes time to come out. Professional person with a very informal lecture style. Exams are really tough. Excellent TAs, thorough notes and study resources online. You need to master the material.

He really changed my ability to reason and think. For yrs after I had a much easier time with concepts and thinking and on how to study. Key is you have to want to invest alot into this class, if you arent willing to ask questions and put in alot of time youll complain about the class alot. Class has some flaws but overall I got so much from it.

I believe that Dr. Stricker has lived up to his reputation for offering perhaps one of the most uniquely challenging courses at the University of Pittsburgh-- uniquely challenging in the sense that the material presented is not extraordinary difficult, but requires a different way of thinking (one that most people are not used

By far the BEST class and the HARDEST class I took as a Neuroscience major. Dr. Stricker is an incredible professor, and I have never learned so much in one course before. Easily my favorite professor/class in all the neuro reqs. Exams are open book/note but don't waste your time ruffling through papers. I prepared a few sheets as reference.

Dr. Stricker is by far the best professor at Pitt. He is incredibly intelligent, funny, and kind. He cares about his students and sparks critical thought, encouraging and inspiring them to achieve. He has taught me much more than the basics of neuroscience.

If you want an easy Gen ed, this isn't the class for you. However, if you're very interested in neuroscience and willing to work for it, this is for you. Although he just talks to you in lecture, you can just listen and then refer to the notes he posts afterwards. Tests are challenging but thought provoking in a good way plus he curves

If you don't think that science is interesting, you will not enjoy this class. The material is admittedly advanced, but he makes more than enough concessions for students to allow you to pass. The tests are open note, he posts the recording of the lecture along with his own notes on courseweb, and many questions on the test are made extra credit.

Definitely an unconventional intro course in that he doesnt focus on the basics but on what he thinks is interesting & we should know. I loved his lectures but you have to put your phone away and really pay attention or youll end up totally lost. Curved our tests hard and very responsive to feedback. He wants you to learn, so ask questions!

Dr. Stricker is the smartest man I've ever met. His class isn't easy and he expects you to ask questions and be involved. His tests are very difficult, but he is very understanding and will do anything to help his students. He's very knowledgable and will help with anything he can.

His lecturing style can be long-winded at times which can lead to confusion on the exact concept he's focusing on. Grade is based off the four exams only but works with exam questions to offer common missed questions as bonus. Best advice for notes would be summarizing/exploring covered concepts on your own for better understanding.

One of the best classes and professors at Pitt. Your grade is based off of 4 challenging exams, which oftentimes will be curved. His exams are open note because he focuses on understanding and not memorization, and he encourages asking questions. You learn about a lot of cool things, but it is not an easy gen ed.

Dr. Stricker is a very smart man and has a vast knowledge of the content he teaches. He goes very in depth and expects students to fully understand the material he teaches. The material can be challenging but if you study a lot you'll be fine. Questions are highly encouraged. Tests are often curved. Overall,this class was great and I learned a lot

Dr. Stricker was by far the best professor I have ever had! His class is very manageable if you ask questions. He is SUPER willing to help students and genuinely wants his students to do well. Take brain and behavior with him! It was my favorite class in all of college.

Brain and behavior is a great class with Stricker. Don't take the class with anyone but him!! He is very well-known and is famous for some of his work. He is so smart but is not prideful and he really cares about students. He is a great person and his class will brighten your day!

Stricker is probably the best professor at Pitt. Brain and behavior is amazing - and you won't need to buy a textbook or use tophat! Lectures are very important for this class but he makes them interesting. The TAs were also super friendly and were willing to make sure we all understood the material.

tells a lot of funny stories in class and keeps you engaged. He doesnt take attendance but honestly the lectures were worth going to. no textbook reading and no homework! he did give extra credit on the tests which really helped and he really curved the grades. most of my friends got an A

Dr. Stricker is one of the most distinguished professors at the Pitt and any freshman should be honored to be able to learn from such intelligence. Since it is an elective course, he takes pride in teaching some of the most important functions of the human body. I highly recommend taking Dr. Stricker!

I'm an english major and one of the TAs for his class convinced me to take it for one of my science gen eds. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I have never studied so hard in my life, but he tried hard to make the class passable and I felt like a genius with all the stuff I learned.

Dr. Stricker is the best professor I've ever had, period. He teaches based off of his research, so the topics covered are really different from what you'd normally see in a lecture. You have to work for your grade (sometimes he can't cover the chem/bio background for some stuff), but TA's and the professor are super open to questions. Email him!

Dr. Stricker is very intelligent and a great professor. I wish there was more grades (only 6 exams and the lowest is dropped). The material we learned was interesting, but at times the lectures were boring. You have to put a lot of time into this class to get a good grade.

the exams are really tough, but the professor is pretty nice and knowledgable.

Definitely not an easy class, but it worths all the effort. He's so caring and shows lots of respect to students. Take his class, one of my favorite professors so far! If you put enough time after class, you can get an A.

Hands down easiest professor ever. No attendance, post notes online, exams solely based on notes. But exam is application based. Open book exam which is what makes the class easy. Curve is so freaking big ended up getting over a full score. Also had him for a neuro elective, pretty interesting, exam extremely easy, no studying needed. Nice guy too.

Lectures are posted online and tests are open note (you have to apply material). He also posts his own notes and recommends just listening during lecture.

Dr. Stricker's class has had a profound impact on me. While you learn a ton of super interesting material, he will challenge your notions of what you believe and why you believe it. He understands the fundamental nature of curiosity and the beautiful forces that drive humans to do and discover incredible things.

DR. STRICKER IS AMAZING. HE IS SUCH A GREAT TEACHER. HIS NEURO CLASS IS SUPER TOUGH THOUGH..... HE RECORDS AND POSTS HIS LECTURES ON COURSEWEB, BUT YOU LITERALLY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE MATERIAL BEFORE THINKING YOU CAN WALK IN AND ACE AN EXAM. THE EXAMS ARE T/F AND THERE IS NO PARTIAL CREDIT. YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO APPLY WHAT YOU LEARNED. HES GREAT

As someone with no Nat. Science background, I found the class to be very difficult but still did well. The TAs were extremely helpful (go to recitation) and having the lectures, notes, and homework all online made it easy to catch up. For any CS Majors, I highly recommend him as the analytical skills his test require are very relevant to CS.

I enjoyed the class. But I'm not gonna get an A or a B, I already know this. 6 exams and nothing but those (no hw). All T/F answers so no partial credit. No dropping lowest grade. Go to lectures and listen, and then listen to the recordings afterward. Ask tons of questions especially if you're confused. Go to the TAs and ask them questions.

Dr. Stricker made Brain and Behavior a fairly enjoyable class, outside the exams. The exams sucked being true/false only with a few tough bonus questions. He is very knowledgeable man with years of experience, and I wish I could take an upper-level class with him. It was sometimes hard for him to bring down the knowledge to a gen-ed level course.

He's a very knowledgeable guy and if you're willing to put in work to understand concepts, it is a manageable class. The T/F nature of his exams is definitely tricky but you end up getting used to it. Not being able to drop any exams is kinda sucky. Definitely go to TA office hours; they are really helpful.

This class teaches you how to analyze research and think like a researcher. Highly recommend, reasonable workload, participation is up to the student. One presentation required.

Honestly, Ed grew on me pretty quick. If you attend the lecture, recitations and review sessions you should do well. No need for notes because he gives you them, just listen to him. He is actually a funny guy and tries to keep the lecture interesting (even though his voice is a bit monotone). Do well on the first few exams. You get what you give.