University of Puget Sound Students Assess Geologic Threats to Mount Rainier National Park

Paige Shinall ’25 and Gwen Lindberg ’25 record stream flow of Fryingpan Creek as a part of their internship at Mount Rainier National Park.

It’s a warm summer day alongside Fryingpan Creek as Paige Shinall ’25 climbs into a pair of waders and prepares to step into the water. Moving carefully to avoid being swept away with the current, she places a flow meter into the water at set points across the width of the creek and shouts back measurements to Gwen Lindberg ’25, who is perched on a rock at the water’s edge with a pencil and notebook, recording the stream’s velocity, depth, and width.

University of Puget Sound Welcomes New Trustees

Board of trustees open session. May 2023.

At its spring business meeting in May 2023, the University of Puget Sound’s Board of Trustees elected trustee and non-trustee officers for the coming year, including formally electing Beth Picardo ’83, J.D.’86, to serve as chair effective July 1, 2023. The board’s previous chair, Robert Pohlad P’07, was elected as Immediate Past Chair and will continue to serve on the board in this capacity through June 30, 2024. The board also elected five new trustees and recognized four outgoing members who have completed nine years of service on the board.

University of Puget Sound Students Experience Costa Rica’s Geologic Wonders

Arenal, an active volcano in Costa Rica visited by the Puget Sound Georneys trip in 2023.

Once every two years, a small group of Puget Sound students studying geology spend one to two weeks immersed in rigorous experiential learning on trips known as Georneys—pronounced “journeys” with a nod to the geological sciences. On these trips, students get to do hands-on science, learn from experts, and experience some of the most stunning geology on the planet. Since 2007, students have visited Ecuador, Hawai`i, Iceland, New Zealand, and Tanzania.

Landmark Gift Creates an Endowment to Support the Legacies Project at University of Puget Sound

Aerial view of the College of Puget Sound, 1954.

Since its founding in 1888, University of Puget Sound has played a pivotal role in the unfolding history of Tacoma and the Pacific Northwest. Today, the university announced it will launch the Legacies Project, an initiative to examine and reckon with its long and complex past, understand how those legacies continue to resonate in the present, and take steps to create a more welcoming and inclusive future.

University of Puget Sound Celebrates Major Fundraising Milestones in 2022-23

Athletics and Aquatics Center at night.

University of Puget Sound’s motto—"To the heights!”—has rarely felt so apt. In July, the university closed the books on another successful year as it celebrated raising $26.16 million, a 43% increase from the previous fiscal year. The gifts will help Puget Sound continue to work toward the ambitious goals set forth in its Leadership for a Changing World strategic plan. Puget Sound's endowment sits at $448.6 million.

University of Puget Sound Announces New Director for Natural History Museum

Interior of the Puget Sound Museum of Natural History.

TACOMA, Wash. — University of Puget Sound announced that it has selected a new director for the Puget Sound Museum of Natural History. Professor of Environmental Policy & Decision Making and chair of the Department of Geology Kena Fox-Dobbs will assume leadership duties from Professor Emeritus Peter Wimberger. Wimberger has served as director of the museum since 2005, during which time he greatly expanded the museum’s outreach programs, including a pivot to online programming during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Money.com Recognizes University of Puget Sound as One of the Best Colleges in America

Campus seen from the air, with the giant sequoia in the foreground and Mount Rainier in the distance.

University of Puget Sound earned a top spot in Money’s newest rankings of colleges across the United States. Puget Sound received 4 out of 5 stars, placing it among the top universities in 2023 for education quality, affordability, and graduate outcomes.

“I’m pleased to see publications like Money continue to recognize the exceptional value of a Puget Sound education,” said President Isiaah Crawford. “Puget Sound is committed to preparing graduates with the knowledge and skills to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world—and excel in their chosen fields.”

University of Puget Sound Alumni Gather for Summer Reunion Weekend 2023

Summer Reunion Weekend banner hangs on the front of Jones Hall in 2023.

Alumni from 11 graduating classes gathered at University of Puget Sound's campus in Tacoma's beautiful North End June 9–11, 2023 for Summer Reunion Weekend. The weekend's festivities included campus tours, a BBQ and happy hour, lectures from faculty, an open house hosted by Archives and Special Collections, special receptions for the Class of 1973 and the Class of 1998, alumni awards, a volunteer reception, and more. Check out highlights from Summer Reunion Weekend below and be sure to join us next year—all alumni are welcome!