PLU Chemistry Department

10/15/2026

A $200 gift to PLU Chemistry will equip our new lab with state-of-the-art tools to help students succeed on their path to becoming the next generation of super-scientists!

www.plu.edu/bjugday

10/14/2026

It's with Dr. Yakelis and Dr. Song in the new Rieke organic chemistry lab! This Bjug Day the Chemistry Department is asking for gifts to fund lab supplies for students. A $200 gift will buy an entire drawer of glassware and equipment, so that each student will have access to their own set of tools in lab.

And as a bonus, all gifts on Bjug Day are matched dollar-for-dollar with a gift to PLU student scholarships! Give to what you love! 💛🖤

10/13/2026

It's the time of year to give to what you love! 💛🖤

This year the College of Natural Sciences is wrapping up another phase of the renovation of the Rieke Science Center. The improvements to our spaces are incredible, and this project was made possible by donors like you!

Continuing to support PLU Natural Sciences means that you're helping to train and support the next generation of scientists. As a bonus, gifts made during Bjug Day will be matched with student scholarships! Donate at plu.edu/bjug.

09/14/2026

PRE-HEALTH SCIENCES OPPORTUNITY - This Thursday, Sept. 17 from 11:30-12:15 in the Rieke lobby, you'll have an opportunity to learn about the new Pre-Health Sciences Scholars program, meet the team of advisors, and chat with current & prospective pre-health science students. See you there!

08/24/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Sheri Tonn! She continues to make an impact in so many ways. This recognition is well deserved!

Dr. Sheri Tonn is our 2026 Greater Tacoma Peace Prize Laureate!

https://tacomapeaceprize.org/laureates/dr-sheri-tonn-is-our-2026-gtpp-laureate

The Greater Tacoma Peace Prize is honored to announce Dr. Sheri Tonn as the 2026 Laureate. Dr. Tonn has committed her career, volunteerism, and life to environmental justice, demonstrating an exceptional dedication to community health, conservation, and peace-building throughout the Puget Sound and beyond.

The selection committee was deeply inspired by Dr. Tonn’s enduring work connecting environmental stewardship directly with durable peace. Environmental justice supports peace initiatives by addressing the root causes of conflict - resource scarcity, inequality, and environmental degradation. As peace efforts increasingly incorporate natural resource management to ensure long-term stability and equity, Dr. Tonn’s life’s work serves as a powerful model of grassroots and institutional leadership.

A professor emerita from Pacific Lutheran University, where she served on the chemistry faculty from 1979 to 2019, Dr. Tonn has long focused on cleaning up hazardous chemicals from the marine environment of Puget Sound. In 1990, she co-founded Communities for a Healthy Bay, where she continues to chair the Policy and Technical Committee while serving on the board. In 1991, she was on the founding board of People for Puget Sound (now a program of Washington Conservation Action).

Beyond her scientific and environmental advocacy, Dr. Tonn has provided vital leadership and resources across local, state, and national organizations. Her extensive service and volunteer leadership include:

• Tacoma–Pierce County American Leadership Forum (Board Member and Treasurer)

•Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (Founding Board Chair)

•Greater Tacoma Community Foundation (Board Chair)

•American Chemical Society, (Puget Sound Section Executive Committee Chair and Treasurer)

•Washington State Board of Pilotage Commissioners (Chair for the past 10 years)

Dr. Tonn’s contributions have been widely celebrated by her peers and community. In 2021, she received the State Association for Women in Science Award for Science and Leadership, and in 2025, she was honored as Volunteer of the Year by the American Chemical Society Puget Sound Section.

The Greater Tacoma Peace Prize recognizes Dr. Sheri Tonn for her profound care for the environmental and physical health of our community, her visionary leadership, and her lifelong dedication to building a healthier, more peaceful world.

Save the date! We will be celebrating Sheri's award on November 12th, 2026 at PLU in Parkland, WA. Stay tuned for an official invitation.

https://tacomapeaceprize.org/laureates/dr-sheri-tonn-is-our-2026-gtpp-laureate

https://tacomapeaceprize.org/get-involved/donate/

07/24/2026

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY - The Washington State Environmental Health Association (WSEHA) will award 1-3 undergraduate scholarships (up to a total of $5,000) this year through the Cind M. Treser Memorial Student Scholarship Fund. The Cind Treser Scholarship provides recognition and a financial incentive for undergraduate students majoring in environmental health (or in other life sciences), who have an interest in pursuing a career in environmental health in the state of Washington.

Applications must be submitted on-line by August 1, 2026.

The Cind M. Treser Memorial Student Scholarship program (formerly the Ed Pickett Memorial Student Scholarship) gives recognition to outstanding and deserving undergraduate students majoring in Environmental Health (or in an allied discipline) and who intend to take employment in the field of Environ...

06/09/2026

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06/04/2026

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY - WA Dept of Health's Vaccine Advisory Committee (VAC) is recruiting a Student Representative to help bring emerging perspectives, new ideas, and community voices into statewide immunization practices. This is a unique opportunity for undergraduate or graduate students in public health and related fields to experience how state-level vaccine policy, communications, and public health decision-making work in practice while collaborating with clinicians, researchers, and public health leaders from across Washington. Open to junior-level undergraduate students and above. This is a voluntary, unpaid position.

Submissions are due June 30th.

https://doh.wa.gov/public-health-provider-resources/public-health-system-resources-and-services/immunization/vaccine-advisory-committee-vac/members?fbclid=IwY2xjawSO7lpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe5V0nDNhD0nntclmx5NKc3xZGM-vvrAr7QGu_uyIGteopczb5Fs6LTkiptUc_aem_k0xBwNqnzqplR-ebbom4PQ

The Vaccine Advisory Committee (VAC) is a voluntary and not compensated committee that includes representatives with expertise in tribal health, vaccinology, preventative medicine, vaccine-preventable disease management, pediatrics, epidemiology, family practice, naturopathic medicine, school health...

05/29/2026

Construction on the 2nd floor open lab in Rieke began this 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

05/22/2026

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! 💛🖤🎓✨