Newsroom

In the Media: Professor Branwen Williams Discusses Coral Bleaching Study with Newsweek

W.M. Keck Science Department Associate Professor of Environmental Science Branwen Williams was interviewed by Newsweek about a study that examines coral bleaching off the coast of Florida.

New Science Students Explore “Chemistry of Life” in Summer Immersion Program

Gazing up at the stars, Kiana Harnish ’23 considered the search for water, and thus life, on planets beyond Earth. Along with 29 other first-year students from Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges, Harnish was at the Griffith Observatory’s planetarium show, Water is Life.

Spotlight on Alumnae: Rachel Odessey ’17, Awarded National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship

Rachel Odessey ’17, a first-year PhD student in the electrical and computer engineering group in the School of Engineering at Brown University, has won a three-year National Defense Science and Engineering (NDSEG) Graduate Fellowship. Odessey earned her bachelor of arts in physics at Scripps.

Awards and Honors: Nine Fulbrights Awarded to Scripps Students, Alumna in 2018

This spring, eight Scripps students and one alumna were awarded Fulbright Awards, prestigious grants that fund teaching, research, and study abroad. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the highly competitive, merit-based scholarship aims to foster cross-cultural dialogue and understanding and create global citizens. The program accords approximately 8,000 grants annually in over 140 countries and includes roundtrip transportation to the host country, funding to cover room and board, and accident and sickness health benefits. Since the program was established in 1946, 59 Fulbright alumni have won Nobel Prizes and 82 have won Pulitzer Prizes.

A Snapshot of the Class of 2018

Join us in celebrating the Class of 2018! Here is an at-a-glance look at our graduating seniors—including what they’ve studied, where they’ve been, and what they’ve eaten over the past four years.

Class of 2018: Carmen Abbe ’18: 5C Roller Derby Team Founder Is on a Track to Medical School

Carmen Abbe ’18, a human biology major from Seattle, has balanced her time at Scripps between taking science and humanities courses and playing on the roller derby team she founded as a first-year student. After graduation, she hopes to continue incorporating her passions; Abbe has her sights set on attending medical school, expanding on her thesis research, and engaging with the derby community in Seattle.

The 5C Women’s Roller Derby team, which began as a casual club with a few intermittent members, has grown into an official intramural 5C sports team, now 25 members strong. It is one of only four collegiate teams in the U.S. and regularly participates in monthly Inland Empire scrimmages. In 2018, the team attracted enough members to be able to host about against another team from Arizona State University. The event was the first-ever interstate, intercollegiate roller derby match.

Capstone Day: Mandeep Sandhu Brings a Religious Perspective to STEM

Growing up in Granada Hills, California, Mandeep Sandhu ’18 was “the kid digging in the garden identifying insects or creating mini science projects in the kitchen,” as she recalls. While her interest in science grew out of a desire to “better understand the physical world,” Sandhu was also drawn to learning about spiritual aspects of existence.

Professor Gretchen Edwalds-Gilbert Awarded Fulbright to Conduct Genetics Research in Poland

As a first-time applicant and winner of this highly prestigious award, Associate Professor of Biology Gretchen Edwalds-Gilbert will serve as a visiting faculty member and researcher at the University of Warsaw Institute for Genetics and Biotechnology in Poland beginning next fall.

Ulysses J. Sofia: Weinberg Family Dean of Science of the W.M. Keck Science Department

Dr. Ulysses J. Sofia, or U. J., as he prefers to be called, is a scientist and an adventurer. During the week, his work as an astrophysicist has him probing the secrets of the universe through the study of interstellar dust. And, on weekends, he and his wife, Heidi, regularly trek to far-flung places across the globe in search of new experiences.