Dr. Tim Nelson serves as interim dean of Seattle Pacific University’s College of Applied and Natural Sciences, guiding undergraduate programs in nursing, biology, chemistry and biochemistry, psychology, and health and human performance, as well as graduate programs in psychology.
A distinguished marine botanist and longtime SPU faculty member, Dr. Nelson has been part of the Seattle Pacific community for more than four decades — first as a student, and later as a faculty leader, researcher, and mentor.
Dr. Nelson earned his BS in biology from Seattle Pacific in 1987 and his PhD in botany from the University of Washington in 1995. As a graduate student, he taught at the United Nations Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy, and at Friday Harbor Laboratories in Washington's San Juan County.
He joined SPU’s faculty in 1991 while completing his doctorate and has since taught courses in botany, ecology, and marine biology, including field-based study tours in Belize and Bali, Indonesia.
A committed field scientist, Dr. Nelson’s research explores the causes and ecological impacts of macroalgal blooms in Washington state. His work — conducted in close collaboration with undergraduate researchers — has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, NOAA, the Washington Department of Ecology, the Murdock Charitable Trust, and SPU. He spent a sabbatical at the Royal Botanic Garden-Edinburgh, and while there he also collaborated with faculty, post doctoral students, and staff at the University of Dundee in Scotland.
Dr. Nelson has held a number of leadership roles at SPU, including director of the Blakely Island Field Station and chair of the Biology Department. As dean, he champions hands-on learning, faculty-student research partnerships, and scientific inquiry rooted in Christian mission and stewardship.