In the spring and summer of 1986, Tacoma was rocked by the shocking rape and murder of two young girls, Michella Welch and Jennifer Bastian. Despite the killings occurring five months apart, the similarities between the victims, including their age, appearance, and the circumstances surrounding their disappearances, were hard to ignore. Locals worried that a serial killer might be lurking in Tacoma’s North End. Despite pressure from the community to bring the killer to justice and continued efforts by the Tacoma Police Department, there simply wasn’t enough evidence to build a case.

Looking back, it seems almost inevitable that second-year student Sophia Irigoyen ’28 would choose the University of Puget Sound. Less predictable: a decision by her mom Jennifer Irigoyen MPH’27 to join her this year as a Puget Sound student.

Sophia applied to 22 colleges — including Stanford and Princeton — and was accepted to many of them.

It’s been yet another incredible year at the University of Puget Sound. From launching innovative new programs to celebrating the accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni, there are so many Logger stories that highlight the power of a liberal arts education to transform lives. Here are 10 stories from 2025 that you may have missed.

Sophie Billadeau ’29, a first-year student from Minnetonka, Minnesota, is quickly building a memorable college experience at the University of Puget Sound. A graduate of a small charter school where she was involved in theater and served as president of the National Honor Society, she’s wasted no time in immersing herself in campus life as a member of the University's Honors Program in Consciousness, Creativity, and Meaning.

The University of Puget Sound is proud to welcome Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth as the keynote speaker for the 40th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. Bridgeforth, who will also serve as the university’s Spring 2026 Swope Endowed Lecturer, will deliver his address at 7 p.m. in Schneebeck Concert Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

When Emily Mitchell ’23 arrived in Kyoto, Japan, for 12 months of intensive language study, she carried more than a suitcase. As the University of Puget Sound’s Miki Memorial Scholar, she represented the university in a program designed to strengthen cultural understanding and friendship between Japan and the United States.

It wasn't a fictional plot twist but a real-life 19th-century cold case that had Mia Steiner ’27 and her classmates huddled around a whiteboard, mapping out suspects and motives. The students were investigating the infamous 1880 Donnelly family murders — an unsolved case that took place in Canada more than a century ago. Their work was part of a Puget Sound class, Murder and Mayhem Under the Microscope, taught by Amy Fisher, professor of Science, Technology, Health, and Society.

Everywhere Anna Dery ’27 looks, she sees stories waiting to be told. As a student at the University of Puget Sound double majoring in art history and economics and minoring in Spanish, Dery has spent her college career seeking out new opportunities to learn and grow. Whether studying abroad in Denmark, telling stories on her radio show, or starting a club for runners, Dery continues to find creative ways to express herself while building community.

University of Puget Sound has been recognized for its strong commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability in The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges: 2026 Edition.

A new report from the University of Puget Sound is drawing national attention for its findings on how colleges can better support incarcerated students pursuing higher education.