In 2003, Susan Pierce stepped down from the Puget Sound presidency to care for her husband, Ken, who had had two strokes. “After Ken died [in 2006], I realized that I was happily seeing my daughter and the kids every day, and I was too young to stop working,” she says. “So I thought, I’ll stay in Boca and do a little consulting and a little writing.”
This summer, Dr. John Johnson joined the University of Puget Sound as interim vice president for institutional equity and diversity. A native of Philadelphia, Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Penn State, a master’s degree in educational psychology from Ball State University, and his Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. This year marks his 30th year in higher education.
The University of Puget Sound is one of the nation’s premier institutions, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company featured Puget Sound in the 2027 edition of its annual guide, The Best 392 Colleges.
University of Puget Sound will welcome Kristen Handley as director for institutional research and assessment effective today, Aug. 20, 2026. Handley brings 15 years of higher education experience to Puget Sound, specializing in institutional effectiveness, accreditation support, strategic planning, external reporting, and data governance.
Archie Kerr ’27 is a rising senior and the incoming president of the Associated Students of the University of Puget Sound (ASUPS). Originally from Bend, Oregon, Kerr previously served as vice president and as director of clubs and student interests. Kerr’s dynamic interest in law, politics, theory, and education informs his nuanced approach to the challenges of ASUPS leadership. Minnie Jellinek ’27 sat down with Kerr to talk about Puget Sound’s decision-making processes, renovations, student perception, and everything in between.
In the early morning hours of a warm summer day, the tide in Puget Sound recedes, revealing glistening tide pools filled with an array of sea creatures. There, University of Puget Sound students Vincent Wills ’27 and Bea Moldow ’28 find themselves knee-deep in mud, placing PVC quadrats through the eelgrass beds and counting stalks by hand. They measure each stalk, record its length, and note the density of the plants around them, working methodically before the tide returns to reclaim the shore. It feels a world away from the lecture halls of Tacoma.
Logger Athletics had a banner year in the 2025–26 season, with several teams and individuals reaching the conference and national championships, including women’s volleyball, women’s soccer, men’s cross country, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s track and field, and women’s crew.
Talk to any University of Puget Sound student or alumni and you’ll likely hear about a faculty or staff member who served as a mentor, challenged them to reach their full potential, and helped them follow their passions and curiosity. Whether at the front of the classroom or working behind the scenes, our dedicated faculty and staff support the success of students and make it possible for the university to fulfill its mission. This year, Puget Sound is celebrating a group of retirees who have given decades of service to the campus community.
The University of Puget Sound recently hosted the Washington State Special Olympics Spring Games, bringing soccer, swimming, and track athletes to campus alongside the vital FUNfitness health screening program. Backed by thousands of volunteers, including Puget Sound students, this marks the second year the university has hosted the games — a partnership that Liz Corwin, FUNfitness clinical director and Puget Sound assistant professor, said has transformed the experience for both Puget Sound students.
