Calvin Fisk ’26 is rethinking how cities meet the environment
Image: Calvin Fish poses for his Senior Spotlight portrait, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at PLU. (PLU Photo / Sy Bean)
By Britt Board
Assistant Director of Communications
Calvin Fisk ’26 doesn’t talk about the environment as something separate from daily life. For him, it’s embedded in the systems people build, and it’s often overlooked.
An earth science major with a minor in environmental studies, Fisk has spent his time at PLU learning to read the physical and human sides of environmental problems.
“My major in earth science has helped me understand how physical processes, like climate, erosion, and hydrology, shape and impact our built world. My minor in environmental studies has given me perspective through the social and ethical lens of how people interact with the environment and work toward conservation,” he says.
This duality was explored in a Climate and Earth Systems course, where Calvin took a deep dive into extreme weather. He was tasked with doing research and showing his findings to the class. “I found that more extreme weather events are expected to occur in the coming decades. These events range from worse rainstorms, hurricanes, tsunamis, and droughts. This shapes how we as a nation and the whole world should enact more industrial regulations and awareness campaigns to help this.”
It helped me see and interact with people going about their daily lives in a different way than commuting does here in the States. More green spaces are incorporated into the city in a way that respects the topography. It’s more environmentally friendly and showed me better ways of living with the land.
A study away experience in New Zealand gave him a chance to see a different model in action. Living in a walkable city without a car shifted how he thought about infrastructure and daily life. Calvin recalls, “It helped me see and interact with people going about their daily lives in a different way than commuting does here in the States. More green spaces are incorporated into the city in a way that respects the topography. It’s more environmentally friendly and showed me better ways of living with the land.”
The time abroad stirred up a research interest. “After I returned home, I decided to focus my capstone project on environmental impacts with street designs and what I can do locally to improve the environment.”
His capstone looks at how urban growth in Seattle’s Pipers Creek area leads to more runoff and flooding. It also studies “green infrastructure” – things like rain gardens and permeable surfaces that work like natural drainage systems – to see how well they hold up over time. Using data, reports, and real-world observations, the project evaluates whether these solutions actually reduce flooding and if they could be used more broadly to improve stormwater management and protect watersheds.
This work is timely and relevant. Calvin explains, “There was a major flood in the Puyallup River back in 2019 or so, and the water level was past its flood levees where the water almost spilled out onto the road. This is not only an example of an ecological problem, it is also a human-caused problem.”
Building on his earth science degree from PLU, these are the kinds of challenges Calvin is preparing to take on. His next step is to apply to graduate school for urban planning, in hopes of being part of a movement to design better cities. He understands that building is only part of the picture. “Restoration matters to prevent instances like the river flooding from happening, and when we do succeed, the environment will be in a better position to support life as nature intended.”
During his internship with LOI Engineers, Calvin worked across a wide range of projects related to urban planning and the environment, including trail expansions, data analysis for community outreach events, a comprehensive plan for Pharr, TX, and some environmental work. The experience pushed him to develop practical skills, and as he notes, “It taught me the value of communication, taking initiative, and being able to perform complex tasks in a short period of time.”
Nature has been a throughline for Calvin. “I enjoy being outdoors, traveling to different countries, and learning about natural ways of life.” PLU and his time abroad crystalized his outlook and plans for the future. “Several classes opened my eyes to new thinking and perspectives, and my professors were helpful and encouraging.”
Calvin is drawn to challenges like rethinking how cities can better reflect and support the environments they exist within – and he sees that work starting close to home. As he puts it, “I have the opportunity to help with change in my own community.”