UNIVERSITY
Herbarium curator must say goodbye to University
By Demian McLean
Emerald Reporter
In 198H. University biology Professor David Wagner
was wanted by the police. But in this case. Wagner was
on the right side of the law.
Eugene police were investigating a child molestation
case and had reached an impasse. The young victim
could identify her assailant, but she was too young to
testify in court. The strongest evidence police had were
a few pieces of moss combed from the girl's hair. That's
when they called in Wagner.
Drawing on his years as a botanist, Wagner identified
the two-millimeter moss strands as Brachythecium
Asperimum. a type found at the crime scene. Using a
microscope. Wagner matched the moss to identical
strands found in the male suspect's underwear. Police
confronted their suspect with this evidence, and he con
fessed to the crime.
Today, local officials and researchers still call Wagner
occasionally with questions about moss und other flora,
but that will soon change. In keeping with the latest
round of Measuro 5 cuts. Wagner will lose his position
as assistant professor June 15 when the University clos
es its herbarium, a 90-year-old historical museum of
Northwest plants.
Unlike other biology professors. Wagner received his
associate professorship in recognition of his work as
herbarium curator. Like many administrators, his con
tract came up for renewal this summer.
Since Wagner came to the University in 1976. his mis
sion has been to educate the public about plants. Each
spring for the last 17 yean, he has guided weekly nature
walks through Alton Baker Park to study newly bloom
ing flowers. This March. Wagner will offer the Inst of
those freti public: walks.
"When I first come to the University. I realized that
it'd he easy to get stuck at my desk. I made a commit
ment to get out of the office once a week and learn the
local flora.'' Wagner said,
Dee Grissell, who supervises Alton Baker Park for
Eugene Parks and Recreation, said Wagner's group of
10 to 12 people were a common sight in Alton Baker
Park during the spring
“They made checkoff lists of wildflowers. and Wagn
er formed work parties on the weekends to clear ivy from
existing ground cover," Grissell said. "I think he opened
a lot of people's minds; he will be sorely missed."
At the University's herbarium. Wagner cares for more
than 120,000 specimens of dried and pressed plants dat
ing back to the 1800s. In a small building by the Eugene
Millrace. he fields questions from botanical researchers
around the state. They (all to inquire about species iden
tification or settle questions about geographical distrib
ution of rare plants.
Wagner has also heightened people's awareness of
plants on a state level In 1979. Wagner and two other
state botanists compiled a list of Oregon's rare and
endangered plants. The list was the first of its kind, and
it paved the way for a 1987 state endangered spe« les act
that protected plants.
Robert Meinke, leader of the state's Plant Conservation
Biology program, said Wagner and his co-author's report
highlighted the need for studying rare plants
“When the federal Endangered Species Act first
7 made a commitment to get out
of the office once a week and
team the local flora.'
David Wagner,
University herbarium curator
passed, I here were virtually no botanists working lor the
state," he said "(Wagner's) list led to a number of mas
ters and Ph l) projects on rani plants "
For now. Wagner's efforts are focused on packing up
the herbarium's thousands of pressed plants
"You can't just close up an herbarium and walk
away." he said. "You have to make sun* there's a plan to
take rare of the specimens "
During the past two years. Wagner has tieen negotiat
ing with Oregon Stale University to take the culler tion.
This year, the school agreed The 1 biiversitv's collection
will be transferred to Oregon State's herbarium, the
stale's sole remaining herbarium
Wagner's future is less certain.
"Because I work with the environment. 1 have a com
mitment to place, as opposed to career," he said "I just
haven't applied to jobs in Southern California; my skills
are related to 20-plus years in the Northwest "
Meinke was optimistii about Wagner's future in the
Northwest
"Once you've got as much bat kgrtiund and meaning
ful contributions as he has. there should lie a place for
him," he said
$1.3 million scholarship program to be cut
By Sarah Clark
Emerald Reporter
For most University students. 1990's Bal
lot Measure 5 has meant higher tuition, few
er faculty members and fewer course choic
es And for about 100 University students, it
will also mean losing their scholarships.
Some students receive about $H36 per year
in state money through the Oregon State
Scholarship Commission, said Edmond Vig
noul. director of University financial aid.
But the scholarship commission will soon
lose one of its state-funded scholarship pro
grams because Measure 5 has forced state
agencies to cut 20 percent of their budgets,
said Jim Beyer, grant program director for
the commission.
Currently, the program serves 127 Univer
sity students. Vignoul said About 100 of
them would have been eligible for renewal
next year. Beyer said.
The scholarships are renewable for up to
four vears. They are awarded mainly for
merit, but recipients must show some finan
cial need. Beyer said
If the program hadn't been cut, it would
have provided more than 1,500 Oregon high
school graduates with about $13 million in
scholarships each year. Beyer said.
The commission’s other major slate-fund
ed program will not lie cut, Beyer said, bill it
won't get as much money added to its 1993
95 budget as it has in the past
The Need Grant Program, which gives
more than 20,000 Oregon residents $21.6
million in state-funded, need-based scholar
ships. will increase its budget less than 1
percent during 1993-95. Beyer said Normal
ly, the budget would increase about 7 pur
i*nt, he said.
This means that fewer students will
receive awards. Beyer said The commission
is reluctant to lower award amounts and
serve more students, he said, bei ause
awards have already lost turn h of their
worth as costs of education have soared
Ten years ago. resident University stu
dents could receive up to S70H through the
commission's need grant program. Then,
resident tuition and fees were SI. 180,
according to Oregon stale System of Higher
Education figures That means It) years ago,
the commission's need grants could pay up
to half of residents' tuition at the University
"We've lost tremendous ground." Beyer
said.
CORRECTION
An artit.lt) about the
Incidental Fee (Committee
in the Feb. 19 issue of the
Enwrnld incorrectly
reported 1FC member
Anne Wagoner motioned
MfiChA work with the
Student Insurgent to pro
duce a multicultural
newsletter
As an addition to Wag
oner's original motion.
IK(! member l.ydin Lermn
suggested the two groups
work together.
The Emerald regrets the
error.
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