The UW College of the Environment has experienced tremendous growth in undergraduate student majors since its inception 15 years ago, with most of that growth coming in recent years. In the 2011-12 academic year, the College enrolled nearly 1,050 undergraduate students across seven different majors offered throughout the College. Fast forward to the current academic year, and there are nearly 1,900 students enrolled in eight majors (Marine Biology was added as a major in 2018-19). This reflects an 80% increase in student majors with the College of the Environment.

KING 5 reporter and meteorologist Leah Pezzetti sat down with Julia Parrish, associate dean of academic affairs, to learn what’s behind the dramatic enrollment increase. She also connected with undergraduate Marine Biology major Sarah Hensley to hear about her experience as a student at the College of the Environment. Their story aired March 7 as part of KING 5’s Environment Northwest segment, which focuses on issues related to the environment throughout the region.