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.
A student’s first year on campus can be daunting, but students at the University of Puget Sound don’t have to face the challenges of acclimating to college life alone. Through the long-running Peer Advisor program, incoming students are paired up with juniors and seniors who provide them with support and mentorship. The program provides a vital connection between new students and the wealth of resources available at Puget Sound.
TACOMA, Wash. — The University of Puget Sound is pleased to announce a 13% increase in first-time college students, with 58 more students enrolled in the Fall 2023 incoming class compared to the previous year.
"The increase in first-time college students is a testament to the great work of our enrollment division and speaks to the outstanding quality of a Puget Sound education. It reaffirms our commitment to academic excellence and underscores our dedication to student success," said Isiaah Crawford, president of the University of Puget Sound.
If you wander through the city of Tacoma, you’ll likely come across a small garden tucked into the corner of a neighborhood, on the edge of a park, or behind a church, overflowing with tomatoes, peas, and zucchini. These community gardens, tended by volunteers, aren’t just for show. They’re a critical piece of Pierce County’s food network and could be a powerful tool in reducing food insecurity.
This summer, a small group of University of Puget Sound students spent a week backpacking across the Olympic Peninsula, challenging themselves physically and mentally—and learning about the ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest in the process.
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.
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.
For nearly 30 years, Repertory Dance Group (RDG) has provided students at University of Puget Sound the opportunity to express themselves through dance. Unlike other college dance programs, RDG is noncompetitive—any student can audition and everyone is offered a chance to perform regardless of skill level. RDG is also the largest student group on campus, drawing participants from across the campus community. Each year's programming culminates in a show during the spring semester that features all 140 student dancers.
