Pacific Lutheran University College of Natural Sciences

Wildlife encounter on a bench outside Morken: a jumping spider! Judging by the lovely splash of green, we think this is a male Phidippus audax, Salticidae. Please correct us if we’re wrong! 💚🕷️

Construction on the 2nd floor open lab in Rieke began last week, so we thought it might be fun to look back at the Rieke Lobby over the years to see how it’s changed. The wooden donor wall, carved by Biology Professor Jens Knudsen in 1985, is still part of the lobby. 👷🏽‍♀️👷🏻‍♂️🦺🥽🚧🪜

If you’d like to support the ongoing modernization of the chemistry lab, you can donate online at: plu.edu/give-chem

The huuuugggggsssss!!!! 🥰🖤💛🎓😭

Calvin Fisk '26 is an Earth Science major with an Environmental Studies minor. He was featured as one of PLU's spotlighted seniors. Congratulations on your graduation, Calvin! 💛🖤

“My major in earth science has helped me understand how physical processes, like climate, erosion, and hydrology, shape and impact our built world. My minor in environmental studies has given me perspective through the social and ethical lens of how people interact with the environment and work toward conservation,” he says.

Read more about Calvin here:

Calvin Fisk ’26 is rethinking how cities meet the environment | Pacific Lutheran University Calvin Fisk ’26 doesn’t talk about the environment as something separate from daily life. For him, it’s embedded in the systems people build, and it’s often overlooked. An earth science major with a minor in environmental studies , Fisk has spent his time at PLU…

PLU Physics Professor Bret Underwood will host an upcoming Science on the Screen presentation, where he’ll dive into the mind-bending physics of the deep cosmos of Interstellar! He’ll be talking about the physics of black holes and Gargantua, the supermassive black hole that plays an important role in the movie. 🕳️

At the Grand Cinema in Tacoma, WA on Monday, June 8th, 6:45pm.

Get tickets here: grandcinema.com/movie/interstellar-science-on-screen/

Today’s the day! We’re excited for you, proud of you, a little bit nervous, and a lot hopeful. We can’t wait to see you walk across the stage and celebrate the culmination of all your hard work. Congratulations, Class of 2026! 🖤💛🎓✨

Big news from the Department of Computer Science! PLU is officially launching a brand new Master of Science in Cybersecurity program.

If you want to move past the policy and dive straight into the technical “how-tos” of digital defense, this is for you. We’re talking hands-on training in ethical hacking, digital forensics, secure software development, and AI defense. Because the world needs more skilled digital defenders. 🔒✨

Good luck on your finals from the College of Natural Sciences! Get a good night’s sleep, stay hydrated, and take a deep breath. You got this! 🖤💛

“Before, I just accepted that the universe just worked the way it does. Now with more knowledge, I can confidently know or find out why a physics concept works the way it does.”

Vincent Le ‘26, an Applied Physics major with minors in Mathematics and Computer Science, is featured in a new PLU profile. He discusses exploring the complexities of the universe, finding friends, and figuring out what comes next. Congratulations, Vincent! 🖤💛🎓

Read the full profile on Vincent here:
plu.edu/news/the-how-and-why-vincent-le/