The procession of faculty filed into Beall Concert Hall on Friday afternoon, wearing traditional caps, gowns and hoods. They were there as part of the annual University Convocation, an event meant to begin the academic year and honor the school and faculty.
After the placement of a ceremonial mace and the posting of the colors by the Reserve Officers Training Corps Color Guard, the formality of the ceremony was softened as University President Dave Frohnmayer began his speech with a zebrafish theme.
Frohnmayer explained how zebrafish hold a distinguished place in the University’s history, and in present research.
Characteristics of the zebrafish make it an ideal test subject for experiments in genetics. Fifteen years before “Dolly,” the cloned sheep, became internationally known, Dr. George Streisinger succeeded in cloning a zebrafish at the University.
After Streisinger’s death in 1984, zebrafish research has continued at the University and has also expanded to 350 labs in 30 countries, Frohnmayer said.
Frohnmayer described Streisinger’s innovative research as a prologue, which “sets a tone for what can and will be done” at the University.
He quoted 1899 University President Frank Strong saying that the university must “become the center of the intellectual life of a state.”
Frohnmayer described Streisinger’s research as an example of a university’s role in a state. He said the difficulties associated with recent statewide budget cuts do not excuse the University from this role.
Frohnmayer said in the last several years the University has seen such a decline in state funding that it can no longer be called “state supported,” but merely “state assisted” or perhaps just “state located.”
He said the University has continued to flourish because of motivated faculty, such as those who were recognized at the convocation, and because of private donations, which made projects like the recently opened Lillis Business Complex possible.
Stephanie Midkiff, a faculty member from the Knight Law Library, said the University is fulfilling its role as an intellectual center “as best as it can with the funds we have.”
Assistant Professor of religious studies Daniel Falk, who was awarded one of the Williams Council Teaching Awards at the convocation, said the University is coping well with the loss of state money. He said Oregon is “renowned for getting things done with less.”