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Together, we teach, learn and discover.
At UW Tacoma, discovery knows no bounds. Join faculty-led research projects that take you from labs to the field, preserving native species, studying the micro-pollutants in the bay, and ore. Experience hands-on learning in the heart of the South Puget Sound, where curiosity meets real-world impact.
The department of Sciences and Mathematics offers degrees in Mathematics, Environmental Sustainability, Environmental Sciences and Biomedical Sciences. Our curriculum, internship opportunities and research maintain local community ties while exploring global perspectives, leading to excellent career opportunities for graduating students. Our Environmental Sciences and Sustainability majors and minors take advantage of the Puget Sound being in our own front yard.
Our Vision:
The Sciences and Mathematics Department (SAM) at the University of Washington Tacoma seeks a just society that values mathematics and science in addressing social and ecological challenges.
Our Mission:
The mission of SAM is to empower our communities in an equitable and just way, through scientific and quantitative reasoning built upon inclusive interdisciplinary foundations and impactful scholarship.
Our Values:
In SAM, we value the success and growth of our community members:
- Critical thinking. We value curiosity about the world that promotes scientific and quantitative reasoning, information literacy and evidence-based decision making.
- Student Success. We value high-impact student centered curricular and co-curricular practices designed to build confidence and empower students to achieve their goals and positively impact their communities.
- Faculty and staff success support. We value and support the engagement of faculty and staff in new experiences to further develop their skills as professionals in their fields.
- Inclusion. We value anti-racist and inclusive educational structures to ensure that everyone in our community can participate as their full selves.
- Community. We value the health, well-being and sustainability of the human and non-human communities on campus and beyond.
- Collaboration. We value working together across diverse, interdisciplinary viewpoints and experiences.
- Communication. We value sharing knowledge, in a manner that is accessible to all relevant audiences.
Chair of the Department of Sciences and Mathematics
A Message from the Chair: Teach, Learn and Discover!
We are home to all of the natural Sciences and Mathematics instruction on the UW Tacoma campus within the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (SIAS). Our department oversees 4 majors, Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences, Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences and Bachelor of Science in Mathematics as well as the Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Sustainability.
To our prospective students, we are excited that you are considering us for your undergraduate studies. Our programs deviate from traditional disciplines such as Biology, Chemistry, Geology or Physics. Instead, our programs are multi- and inter- disciplinary and were designed to meet the goal of training and educating students from various scientific, mathematical, social and even historical perspectives. We are able to provide instruction and training to students in smaller class sizes in up-to-date classroom and laboratory facilities. In my capacity as Chair of this Department, I am fortunate to be part of a group of well-studied scholars who are truly passionate about undergraduate education and in involving students in their research and scholarly pursuits. These are the excellent group of instructors that you will meet in your classrooms.
To our current students, your department is here to support you throughout your tenure with us. I urge you to take advantage of the resources that are here for you and we continue to make available to you. We are constantly striving to make these resources transparent and easily accessible. Please do not hesitate to seek help and support. We know that for most of our students, your academic life is only one part of your life as a whole. I challenge you to take part in the many different opportunities that will enhance your learning experience within our programs. Work with a faculty in one of their research projects, take part in study abroad programs, apply to the student employment opportunities within our department as they arise, attend seminar talks within and outside your field of study and many more.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any of our department staff for information regarding our programs and support for faculty and students. It is an honor to serve as your Department Chair and I hope you find a home in our department.
SIAS Science and Mathematics in the News
This USGS team provides critical data and lab and research facilities that helped Professor Ed Kolodziej in his vital research on 6PPD-quinone, a chemical used in tires that is toxic to Coho salmon.
The award honors his efforts on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic and involvement with the UW Department of Surgery, UW Transplant Advisory Council, American Society of Transplantation, demonstrating leadership, research, and advocacy to improve health outcomes across the state.
SIAS Associate Professor Maureen Kennedy helps answer the question of what wildfires could happen here.
Professor Jim Gawel (SIAS) discusses the challenges posed by an invasive snail species around Mt. St. Helens.
Seven remarkable students who are making the most of their time at UW Tacoma.
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