“Being a SAFS student has allowed me to make connections and receive continued support from fellow students and faculty. There are always community events to attend and ways to get involved. Through SAFS I have access to irreplaceable research and field experiences that align with my passions and make me confident in my ability to achieve my academic and personal goals, both in my time at UW and in my future career.”

Callie Murakami, class of 2026

“My experience as a double major in SAFs has been incredibly hands-on— from exploring fish anatomy with dissections, to learning field techniques in the San Juans. I have found amazing research opportunities, learned valuable analytical and writing skills, all while finding amazing friendships!”

Phoebe Berghout, class of 2025

“The quality of education you receive in the program at SAFS is unparalleled, with faculty and staff who truly care about their students. I left the program feeling well-equipped to begin working as a professional and will forever be thankful for the experiences and close friends I gained as a student here.”

Abigail Huber, class of 2023

“The SAFS community is full of passionate and supportive people. Everyone was eager to help one another and I felt so included right away. I left this community with life-long friendship and mentors, and I feel ready for the next steps with this community behind me.”

Adam Nguyen, class of 2023

“SAFS helped me find my place on a large campus. The program size meant small class sizes, field experiences and more opportunities for research involvement. Not only did SAFS help me find my community, but it also helped me hone my research and career goals with the curriculum and capstone project. I am grateful for the wide breadth of classes and insightful professors who aided my exploration of marine mammals, fisheries management, especially at the intersection of people and fisheries. SAFS was one of the most positive influences on my husky experience.”

Courtney Carpenter, class of 2022

“SAFS introduced me to like-minded peers and a niche of environmental science that felt most like home! The coursework included really engaging topics like fisheries management and aquatic wildlife physiology, in addition to a mix of classes geared towards useful technical skills related to modeling and coding. I’m also grateful for the many SAFS and SMEA faculty members and postdocs that devoted their energy to mentoring me and bringing me onto their projects, fostering my sense of independence as a young environmental scientist.”

Helen Casendino, class of 2022

“The SAFS program is truly unique among undergraduate programs. SAFS allows undergraduates to explore a wide range of topics to see what interests them. The range of coursework and hands-on learning, coupled with professors who are invested in their student’s success prepared me for a future in the field after graduating. I am forever grateful for my time at SAFS.”

Charlotte Gerzanics, class of 2021

“I came to SAFS because the hands-on experiences offered to undergrads are unlike those at any other university. I have hiked streams around Seattle and in Alaska and I’ve been out on boats on Lake Washington, Puget Sound, and by the San Juan Islands. Even if the great outdoors isn’t your thing, there are plenty of opportunities to work with faculty and grad students on projects ranging from larvae under microscopes to data analysis to identifying pickled fish.”

Kyla Bivens, class of 2020

“The professors in the department are so approachable, and working with graduate students in the field or in the lab I always felt like I was an equal. The field trips, labs, and capstone project explore diverse habitats and have prepared me for the realities of being a research scientist in the field and the broader science community. The undergraduate community is truly “in it together”—working together on lab projects and data analysis, getting feedback from each other on papers and presentations.”

Andrew Chin, class of 2020

“[In SAFS] I have met some amazing people that work on a diversity of topics, from polar bear dietary trends to parasites in tropical places, and anywhere in between. I was constantly learning something new from my peers, faculty, research staff, post-docs, and graduate students. This research-orientated program has given me opportunities to gain skills in the lab and in field locations as remote as rural Alaska. I am grateful for my experience in SAFS… a small community within a large university.”

Hyejoo Ro, class of 2019

“My time at SAFS has brought me to India to understand the importance of rivers and how they are studied there, to the Methow Valley to wrestle beavers and to see the science of river restoration in action, and finally to the lakes of Washington to understand the complex ecosystems that lie beneath the water. SAFS has equipped me with the knowledge to tackle the toughest problems in the field and also provided a community of passionate students to reach out to for help and to discuss the latest in all things aquatic.”

Ethen Whattam, class of 2019

“SAFS provided me with a tight-knit community within a massive university, where I’ve made amazing friends and built  professional relationships. The professors and advisors are all so encouraging and inspiring; they made it so easy to get involved in research right from the beginning of my time at SAFS. I studied birds and mammals in the San Juan Islands, volunteered at NOAA, gained lab work experience, and spent a summer exploring pristine salmon spawning habitat with the Alaska Salmon Program. Majoring in SAFS was the single best decision I made as an undergrad at UW.”

Katie Wold, class of 2019