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Built in 1903, the Security Building at 917 Pacific Ave was one of two locations UWT occupied before the permanent campus opened in 1996.
Built in 1903, the Security Building at 917 Pacific Ave was one of two locations UWT occupied before the permanent campus opened in 1996.
"The professors at UW Tacoma are not the kind of people that just teach a class and go home. They are actively involved in their students’ education and genuinely care about their success."
It's not every day that a UW Tacoma student reports to class in Costa Rica, but that's what Simone Hoffer did when she traveled to Central America to do field work. She went to study butterflies but returned with an unexpected souvenir: a scorpion sting.
Born and raised in Germany, Hoffer came to the United States four years ago to study Environmental Science.
"UW is one of few schools with a good reputation internationally,” she explains, noting references to the university in respected journals worldwide. Hoffer earned her B.S. in Environmental Science in 2005, and her GIS certificate in 2006.
"I’m really glad I ended up at UWT,” she says. Here she found small classes, a brand new campus, plenty of opportunities to do hands-on work and a wealth of resources.
More important was the personal attention Hoffer received throughout her time at UW Tacoma. "You're not just a number," she says.
Hoffer has spent a lot of time on the water aboard UW research vessels and says that UW Tacoma’s small classes make hands-on learning a realistic option.
She has presented her research at conferences in Victoria, California and Copenhagen.
"Just having the opportunity to be among professionals helps you grow and decide what direction you want to go," Hoffer says.
After graduation, she landed a job at the Department of Ecology as a marine flight technician, testing marine water quality. She spends much of her time in the field on boats or planes around Puget Sound, or in the lab analyzing results.
Her job offers exactly the type of outdoor, hands-on work she learned and loved at UW Tacoma. She spends much of her time in the field on boats or plans around Puget Sound and in the lab analyzing results. In fact, the Department of Ecology makes use of the same boat Hoffer worked on while earning her UW degree.
"I actually use my degree in my job," Hoffer says, "And the work certainly doesn't get old."
If UW Tacoma fits your academic goals and life situation, take the next step. Check out the degrees open to you and then visit the campus for a true UW Tacoma experience.
