History of the School of Oceanography

The School of Oceanography at the University of Washington is a national leader in oceanographic research and education of graduate and undergraduate students. With its roots in the UW Oceanographic Laboratories founded in 1930 and directed by Professor Thomas G. Thompson, the School was organized formally in 1951. The faculty numbers 60. An additional 20 adjunct and affiliate faculty, mainly drawn from the UW Applied Physics Laboratory and NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, are also active in graduate advising.

The School offers outstanding educational opportunities. Approximately 75 graduate students are in residence working within four areas of specialization (biological, chemical, physical, and marine geology and geophysics) and on a variety of interdisciplinary topics (climate change, extreme environments, and coastal systems). The School is the only leading oceanography program to offer a bachelors degree with approximately 100 undergraduate students enrolled.

The many research activities of the School advance our knowledge of the oceans and contribute to the understanding of societal concerns. Sponsored research funding averages $14 million per year.

The School occupies modern facilities located on the southwest edge of the University of Washington campus overlooking Portage Bay and operates two vessels, the 274-foot R/V Thomas G. Thompson and the 65-foot R/V Clifford A. Barnes. Additional facilities are available on Puget Sound at the UW's Friday Harbor Laboratories.

The School maintains strong links to other programs within the University of Washington and is active in national and international programs.