Breadcrumb
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Get Your Hands Dirty Studying Science on California’s North Coast
There’s no better place to study science than at Cal Poly Humboldt. Our community is a living laboratory with the Pacific Ocean, ancient redwoods, and other diverse ecosystems for you to explore.
The College of Natural Resources & Sciences boasts a wide variety of science-focused areas of study, from biochemistry to zoology. Our multiple fieldwork opportunities, Place-Based Learning Communities, and extensive research faculties paired with our stellar faculty and staff create an environment for you to feel inspired, challenged, and engaged with the science all around you.
Undergraduate Research
Many universities reserve research experience for graduate students. At Cal Poly Humboldt, you may conduct your own research or assist professors with their projects as early as your freshman year. Either way, you’ll put theory into practice, building a fundamental understanding of concepts and methodologies. With opportunities to present at local and national conferences, you’ll learn how to explain your findings, too. Experiences like these offer a glimpse of what it’s like to be a professional scientist and will help you discover your passion.
Fieldwork
Located on the North Coast of California, Humboldt is surrounded by ancient redwoods and close to the Pacific Ocean, mountains, and rivers. You’ll find the region’s natural environment is the perfect outdoor classroom where learning happens through real-world experience. Track elk, hike through forests to measure redwoods, or take water samples from California’s second largest river—Humboldt provides a wide range of opportunities for fieldwork, which helps develop critical thinking and collaboration skills, and a passion for learning that will take you far in life.
Personal Attention
College is a time to expand your horizons and find out who you really are, and our attentive faculty are here to support you every step of the way. From the moment you begin your program, you won’t be just another face in the crowd. You’ll be part of a community as you get to know your professors. They’ll challenge you, but they’re accessible, too. Whether through mentoring or one-on-one feedback, they’ll help you build the knowledge and skills to be successful at Cal Poly Humboldt.
Undergraduate Programs
Cal Poly Humboldt offers a wide array of science majors and programs, led by highly skilled faculty who foster a supportive environment. You will develop the critical thinking skills needed to solve complex problems in science, engineering, and natural resources, leaving you well-prepared for professional careers and higher levels of study.
Graduate Programs
Cal Poly Humboldt has an established reputation for its graduate programs in the biological, environmental, engineering, and natural resources sciences, which provide the knowledge and experience necessary to address today’s scientific problems.
Equipped for Excellence
Cal Poly Humboldt has a diverse range of research facilities, labs, and special collections as essential tools for conducting research and gaining real-world experience. Utilizing a renewable energy technology research center, a marine laboratory, and the largest botanical collection in the CSU system, you will actively engage with research during your undergraduate years.
Place-Based Learning Communities
Learning goes beyond the classroom at Humboldt—we learn from the environment we are in. Our Place-Based Learning Communities provide you with a tight-knit community of like minded peers before classes even start.
We start right away—you’ll be immersed in major-related fieldwork, seminars, and classes with students like you before the semester even begins. These connections will help you navigate college life, gain confidence, succeed academically, and gain a sense of belonging within the Humboldt community.
Alumni Updates
Aaron Jensen Murphy
Environmental Science & Management, 2017
After graduating, Aaron worked on campus for Facilities Management as a groundsworker. In 2021, he moved from Arcata to Salt Lake City, Utah, to work as a Senior Natural Resource Technician for the Salt Lake City Public Lands Department. For the last two years, Aaron has worked for Salt Lake County Flood Control as a Permit Review Specialist. In his current position, he regulates all aspects of floodplain development within the county, including the installation of structures, channel realignments, and watershed restoration. He has remained passionate about environmental stewardship, professional development, and fostering successful partnerships with state and federal agencies.
David Hunt
Mechanical Engineering, 1981
David was a member of the HSU Kinetic Sculpture Race Team 'Boldt Cutters' in 1980 and 1981. He taught HS Career Technical Education for 27 years and holds an M.A. in Vocational Education from CSU San Bernardino. After retiring in 2018, he runs a bicycle shop in Idyllwild, California, that he founded in 9th grade and volunteers as a Fire Lookout for the USFS. He enjoys hiking and riding human-powered bicycles.
Robert T. Lackey
Fisheries Biology, 1967
Robert Lackey, after graduation, married fellow Humboldt student, Lana Apparius, then both moved to the University of Maine for Bob’s Master of Science (Zoology/Fisheries), then relocated in 1968 to Colorado State University, where they both graduated (Ph.D., Fisheries and B.S., Speech Therapy). Bob’s jobs at Virginia Tech, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Oregon State University followed. They have lived in Corvallis, Oregon, for the past 43 years. As a student at Humboldt, Bob lived on campus in the “Game Pens.”
Achievements
Find out what our students, faculty, and staff are being recognized for.
Allison Bronson
Biological Sciences
Dr. Allison Bronson received a National Science Foundation grant to study the inner ear structures of sharks, using CT scanning and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). This work will evaluate whether ear shape differs between shark species living in different habitats, potentially developing a predictive model for inferring the ecology of extinct fishes. The project involves collaborators at the University of Michigan, University of North Carolina WIlmington, University of Birmingham, and University of Auckland, and will use specimens from Cal Poly Humboldt’s Fish Collection and other museums throughout the United States.
Rachael Wade
Biological Sciences
Dr. Rachael Wade received a 2024 Norma J. Lang Fellowship award from the Phycological Society of America. The award supports genome sequencing of the red alga, C. berteroi. While algal species tend to assume restricted ranges, C. berteroi is widespread and can be found across nearshore environments in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Dr. Wade’s work will explore this cosmopolitanism, and data from the study will later be used to reconstruct the species’ ancestral range, and identify adaptive traits that have facilitated its distribution. Understanding drivers of cosmopolitanism can increase understanding of algal adaptation in the face of climate change.
Rachael Wade
Biological Sciences
Dr. Rachael Wade received a 2024 Norma J. Lang Fellowship award from the Phycological Society of America. The award supports genome sequencing of the red alga, C. berteroi. While algal species tend to assume restricted ranges, C. berteroi is widespread, and can be found across nearshore environments in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Dr. Wade’s work will explore this cosmopolitanism, and data from the study will later be used to reconstruct the species’ ancestral range, and identify adaptive traits that have facilitated its’ distribution. Understanding drivers of cosmopolitanism can increase understanding of algal adaptation in the face of climate change.
CNRS News
- Exciting Lineup for Lumberjack Weekend 2024
- $4.4M Grant to Foster Collaboration for Stem Cell Research
- North Coast Otter Art Initiative Funds 5 Research Projects (Video)
- Humboldt and California Insurance Commission to Create Nation’s First Public Wildfire Catastrophe Model
- Impact of Thinning Treatments on Fire-Resilient Redwood Forests