Field Days

Associate Professor of Biology Carrie Woods.

For Abby Steward ’25, “glamping” was as close as her family ever got to outdoor adventure during her childhood in Oregon. So when her summer research at Puget Sound took her not only out into the woods to camp for 10 straight days, but 60 feet up into the canopy of bigleaf maples, “it really tested my capabilities,” Steward says. “I was thrown into something completely new. Being able to witness what my body could do in climbing that many trees felt amazing.”

Road Trip

Washington State Supreme Court in Schneebeck Hall in 2023.

The Washington State Supreme Court went on the road in September, setting up shop on the Puget Sound campus for two days. It was the third visit to campus for the state’s highest court; justices made similar visits in 2013 and 2017.

“We don’t just hear cases—we also go to classes, answer questions, and learn from the questions that that are asked to us,” says Justice Susan Owens, who co-chairs the Traveling Court Committee. “Traveling court allows a wide variety of people who want to know more about the justice system to see it at no expense.”

History Maker

Lily Godwin ’26 being interviewed by KING 5.

“They get so confused sometimes when they see that it’s a woman who’s doing this,” Lily Godwin ’26 said a couple months back. She was doing a TV interview with local station KING5 about an accomplishment like no other— becoming the first woman to make an unassisted tackle in NCAA football history.

Back at Home

Director of Alumni & Parent Relations Don Scott ’91

Don Scott ’91 came to Puget Sound as a student without having seen the campus before. “The fall of my senior year, an admission counselor from the university visited my high school in Great Falls, Mont.,” he recalls. “I absolutely fell in love with everything that she had to say. Puget Sound was a stretch school for me, but it all came together—and those four years were a truly transformational experience for me.”

Ask the Expert: Ariela Tubert

Professor of Philosophy Ariela Tubert

Ariela Tubert, professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy, has long been interested in the ethics of artificial intelligence. Since 2022, Tubert and her spouse, fellow philosophy prof Justin Tiehen, have shared the James M. Dolliver National Endowment for the Humanities distinguished professorship to study the intersection of humanities and artificial intelligence.

Career Ready—and More

President Isiaah Crawford

We’ve been seeing stories in the media lately about the value of higher education—and in particular, the value of the liberal arts. Do you encounter that debate in your role as well? 

Puget Sound Professor Receives $598,500 Grant to Boost College Education in Prisons

The University of Puget Sound campus sits in front of Mt Rainer.

TACOMA, Wash. — The University of Puget Sound is pleased to announce that Tanya Erzen, associate professor of religion, spirituality, and society and director of crime, law, and justice studies, has been awarded a grant of $598,500 from Ascendium Education Group. This funding will support the university’s Technical Assistance for Teaching and Learning Initiative, aimed at enhancing education within college classrooms in prison.

U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer to Deliver Spring Susan Resneck Pierce Lecture in Public Affairs and the Arts

Derek Kilmer stands in front of an American flag smiling.

The University of Puget Sound is proud to welcome U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer as the featured speaker of the Spring 2024 Susan Resneck Pierce Lecture in Public Affairs and the Arts. 

Kilmer, known for his dedication to advancing the regional economy, prioritizing higher education accessibility for all, and advocating for our armed forces and veterans, will share insights on his bill, the Building Civic Bridges Act, during the lecture on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Schneebeck Concert Hall. 

University of Puget Sound Awarded $1.3 Million from The Mellon Foundation

A student looked through bars at a jailhouse.

Tacoma, Wash. - The University of Puget Sound has been awarded $1.3 million from The Mellon Foundation to fund its groundbreaking project, "Reimagining Justice and Carceral Systems through the Humanities." This transformative initiative will employ humanities approaches to shed light on the experiences of those most affected by criminal and legal systems and expand our crime, law, and justice studies program.