Birch Aquarium’s 2024 - 2025 UC San Diego Student Impact
UC San Diego students are fundamental to the aquarium’s mission
Photo by: Jordann Tomasek, Birch Aquarium
La Jolla, CA (July 1, 2025) — Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography serves as an important connection point for UC San Diego students, whether they are visiting during Triton Weeks of Welcome (TWOW), participating in academic or social events, engaging through their coursework, volunteering or even working at the aquarium. These connections serve to both enrich students’ education and bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the aquarium.
One way Birch Aquarium supports UC San Diego students is through employment opportunities that can directly build into their academic careers. During the 2024 - 2025 academic year, Birch Aquarium employed 61 students, which makes up about half of the aquarium’s staff. Through this program, UC San Diego students receive credit for their work at Birch Aquarium through the Co-Curricular Record which allows experience outside the classroom to be included in their official records. These opportunities are invaluable ways to expand students’ options and expand their resumes.
Employment and Volunteer Opportunities
“At Birch Aquarium, student staff are essential members of our team,” said Ken Steitz, Finance and HR Manager at Birch Aquarium. “They bring creativity, enthusiasm, and a spirit of inquiry that enhances our day-to-day operations and infuses our workplace with a dynamic sense of possibility. Whether engaging with guests, contributing to educational programs or supporting behind-the-scenes efforts, their impact is immediate and lasting. Their presence helps us stay connected to the university’s academic mission and ensures our work remains relevant and forward-looking. More than just temporary support, they represent the next generation of scientists, educators and changemakers.”
Birch Aquarium’s volunteer program also engaged 77 UC San Diego student volunteers for a total of 3,228 hours of volunteer service. This is an increase over last year on both counts, with a significantly higher number of hours given during the 2024 – 2025 year compared to 2023 – 2024.
Hands-On Learning
Birch Aquarium also supports UC San Diego students directly through their coursework. This connection is facilitated by the Hub for Scripps Science, which connects Scripps Oceanography research with the public through various programs throughout the year. This academic year, Birch Aquarium served 843 UC San Diego Students through classes and partnerships as part of 11 individual courses across numerous disciplines and four student organizations. These partnerships provide students with real-world experience and learning opportunities that wouldn’t be possible without access to the aquarium.
"UC San Diego students use Birch Aquarium as a laboratory for learning, augmenting their coursework with connections they can’t get anywhere else," said Dr. Nan Renner, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships. "Students find bio-inspiration in our ocean animals for their robotics projects, explore ways to integrate art and science in climate communication, write about how organisms respond to a warming ocean and present their underwater archeology research projects to aquarium guests.”
Campus Connections
Students visited Birch Aquarium through numerous nonacademic programs throughout the academic year as well. For the second time, Birch Aquarium hosted a Tritons RISE Yoga Event, presented in partnership with Counseling and Psychological Services and UC San Diego Recreation. About 40 students from a Climate Resilience class came onsite for a guided meditation session. And, during Triton Weeks of Welcome, Birch Aquarium welcomed 3,462 UC San Diego students during the university-wide orientation. Additionally, Birch Aquarium saw 195 students book self-guided visits and nearly 3,000 students visit through General Admission. The aquarium also averaged about 120 student memberships throughout the academic year.
In total, Birch Aquarium counted over 7,500 UC San Diego student engagements over the academic year. These student interfaces further Birch Aquarium’s mission to connect understanding to protecting our ocean planet by bringing the students into the center of the important work being done at Scripps Oceanography, and fostering educational growth for the next generation of leaders.
Birch Aquarium is proud to offer discounts to the UC San Diego community. Students, staff and faculty of UC San Diego save $6 off general admission tickets as well as special pricing on Memberships. Visit the Discounts and Offers page for details. Learn about volunteer opportunities at Birch Aquarium and find student employment opportunities on the UC San Diego Handshake portal.
About Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Birch Aquarium at Scripps is the public exploration center for Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. Perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Birch Aquarium features the groundbreaking work of Scripps Oceanography and UC San Diego scientists as well as conservation breeding programs and interactive exhibits. Birch Aquarium’s mission is to connect understanding to protecting our ocean planet, which it achieves through engaging hands-on learning opportunities for more than 500,000 guests and 40,000-plus pre-K-12 students each year. Visit aquarium.ucsd.edu for more information.