What SAFS Undergraduates Say

The SAFS at UW offered me a valuable opportunity to conduct undergraduate research on juvenile Pacific salmon with some of the best fish ecologists in the field through the NSF-funded Alaska Salmon program in Bristol Bay.

Choosing Fishery Science has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me at the University of Washington. The strong curriculum is backed up by access to experts in fishery management, oceanography and marine biology that is atypical from programs at other universities. In addition, the opportunities to study at Friday Harbor Laboratories and/or in Alaska make this program unique from most on campus. Between the courses, field-study opportunities and top notch faculty, this has to be one of the top fisheries programs in the country.

I like the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences because it’s a small school. Classes are small and I have had lots of opportunities to work closely with professors. Through the school of fisheries, I have gotten to do field work in Alaska and research in Friday Harbor. I have been able to fund my education with two different scholarships from the school of fisheries, a great summer job with the school of fisheries, and a stipend for undergraduate research in fisheries. I wish that I had changed my major to fisheries sooner so that I could have had more time to take advantage of all the opportunities available to fisheries undergrads before my graduation.

The professors are not only great teachers, but also incredibly enthusiastic and passionate about both their field of work and their teaching performance. There are class field trips that take you to beautiful and interesting locales, and the labs are nice and new (they have chairs!). Many of the classes rely on materials prepared by the professor, not textbooks. As a result, reading material has greater relevance to both assignments and tests. With fun classes, great people, and a overall high level of awesomeness, I'm not quite sure how you could go wrong.

The opportunities available to SAFS students are amazing! In my first year of classes here I went on more field trips than my previous three years combined at other institutions. The experience gained on those trips prepared me for actual field work up at Friday Harbor Labs. The chance to work as a research assistant or to do your own research at world class field stations like FHL alongside world-renowned researchers can truly open many doors.

The School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences is absolutely wonderful. The classes I have encountered are fun, informative and mind-expanding. You don't just learn about one aspect of the aquatic world, you learn about the whole aquatic system and its many facets. With all the amazing opportunities offered through this department, you will discover things that will take you anywhere.

"Fisheries isn't all about JUST FISH like most people think. It's about our marine resources. The department is great. You can't beat the facility and the research opportunities. The profs are all very approachable and you can go very far if you take the initiative. Check it out and take a course or two."

The smallness of the department was very helpful. I am also in the Biology department, where I am more a number than a person. In Fisheries, I have found all of the staff and faculty friendly and easily approachable, and they all remember my name! The research opportunities are amazing, and not difficult to find. The Alaska course and the Friday Harbor Labs let me get real field experience, and many of the department's classes have field trip components built into them. The classes are all relaxed, and encourage discussion, not just endless lectures.

In 2002 I returned to school at the UW and found my way to SAFS. I was extremely surprised and grateful at the immediate support I received from the advising staff. I was also surprised to be in small classes where I actually got a chance to talk with professors and have them remember my name…[unlike] my previous experience at the UW. I also spent a quarter at the Friday Harbor Labs. It was an amazing experience and I was able to conduct an original research project that is in review for publication. Although my time at SAFS was short I gained the academic skills and the confidence I needed to achieve my goals and to continue my education at the graduate level all because of the support and encouragement I received from the faculty and staff there.

The School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences is a great, small school with lots of opportunities to do real science in the field. As an undergrad, I had great one-on-one contact with professors, TA's, grad students and staff, and was able to take classes that interested me. One of the best things about the school is the many opportunities to get involved in the field, inspire, effect decisions in the department, as well as getting to know your fellow classmates. I was the first president of SURF (undergrad club); we did lots of fun things, as well as educational seminars and outreach to kids. I can only hope that the club will continue to grow and become an important fixture in SAFS for the undergrads.