Is a zombie apocalypse closer than we think? What real-life diseases can cause humans to become zombie-like and what’s the best “zombie-proof” shelter or counter-attack to save ourselves from the infectious creatures?

UMD ZombieFest 2019 aims to answer all these questions, just in time for Halloween, with a panel of UMD faculty on Oct. 30 in Bohannon 90 on campus. These scholars will be discussing some of the solutions for a zombie apocalypse from 7-9 p.m.

“The rules are that there really are no rules,” Associate Professor for the Department of Biology and creator of ZombieFest John Dahl said. “It's fun to do, and it's also a great way for faculty to meet other faculty in different departments.”

The confirmed speakers are the following:

John Dahl (Department of Biology)

How ebola produces “zombie-like” symptoms?

Scott Carlson (Department of Psychology)

What criteria of mental disorders could apply to “zombie-ism”?

Jason Davis (Department of Applied Human Sciences)

What moves from jujutsu would work best on taking a zombie down?

Janet Fitzakerley (Medical School)

What is the neuroscience behind zombies?

Andrea Schokker (Department of Civil Engineering)

What’s the problem behind windowless, concrete structures as a “zombie-proof” living space?

Jeremy Youde (College of Liberal Arts)

How does the international political community stop infections from spreading?

“Zombieism is a disease, so how would the world mobilize to stop it from moving across borders?” Youde asked.

Dahl wants the audience to be surprised and hopes they leave thinking in a different perspective, learning things they didn’t know existed prior to the event.

“I think what’s typical for many majors is that they become laser-focused because they need specific classes to graduate, and I think that’s fine,” Dahl said. “But sometimes the danger of that is not looking at other branches of knowledge, and so this is a chance to do that.”

This is also a chance for faculty to get together and see how other professors and instructors teach, according to Dahl.

“As teachers, we don't learn from each other,” Dahl said. “So this is a place where, as an instructor, I'm actually going to listen to other people and just see how they present things. And, and so for me, it'll be very much a learning experience too in that regard.”

This is not the first time a panel of faculty are getting together to discuss the zombie apocalypse at UMD, however. This event originally occurred four years in a row but stopped four years ago. The strive to bring it back happened because of a few reasons.

“There was a sense that four years have passed, so undergraduates here probably never would have experienced it,” Dahl said. “There’s a new zombie movie out this [October]. Really, the reason I want to do it again is that it’s a lot of fun to do. What I hope is that it’s memorable and enjoyable for the audience too.”

More information can be found on their Facebook page.