About Us

We are a close-knit community of scholars dedicated to interdisciplinary education and research

biology class tudents sit at desks with their laptops

About The Department of Natural Sciences

who we are

The Department of Natural Sciences is an integrated science community in partnership with Pitzer and Scripps Colleges. Our goal is to ignite student passion and empower scientific capability through dedicated teaching and undergraduate research. We welcome curious minds from all backgrounds to contribute to our community.

a professor guides a student holding a test tube.

Our goal is to lead advancements in society by preparing a skilled, diverse community of STEM students to enter academia and STEM professions.

three students work on an experiment in a chemistry lab

Our Commitment to Diversity

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

Diversity is vital to science. The advancement of science will only occur when the curiosity, perspectives, and voices of groups previously prevented from participation in the scientific community are included.

Read Our Diversity Statement

The Nucleus

Our Facilities

Pitzer and Scripps colleges embarked on a joint initiative to create a new, state-of-the-art, 65,000-square-foot building that connects to the existing science structure. The Nucleus West, the $70-million expansion, helps meet enrollment trends and strengthen the Colleges’ positions as leaders in education and advancement in STEM fields. The Nucleus West opened in fall 2024.

Enriched by the Colleges’ interdisciplinary approach to STEM, deep study of the humanities, and a faculty of distinguished scientists, the Department of Natural Sciences is poised to advance the next generation of students eager to begin careers of scientific distinction and discovery within the walls of The Nucleus.

Learn More About The Nucleus