CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — On Tuesday afternoons in a small upstairs classroom, Kevin Ahern blows the stiff-collared stereotype of science academia to bits.

Ahern, a biochemistry instructor and director of undergraduate research at Oregon State University, doesn’t consider it disruptive to break out in song during class. On the contrary, the songs become the subject matter on Tuesdays, when he teaches the class “Sing a Song of Science” to a dozen honors students.