When walking into the lobby of Shideler Hall, you may have noticed an assortment of crystals neatly displayed behind a glass case. Behind this case is the Karl E. Limper Geology Museum, directed by Dr. Kendall Hauer. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to pick his brain about what the museum does, the importance of geologic studies, and how Miami’s location allows us to play an integral part in understanding the history of the planet. 

While we may take the rocks and dirt around us for granted, Dr. Hauer works to advocate for these underdogs. Before his time in the museum, Dr. Hauer worked in environmental consulting and taught geology courses at Xavier University and at Miami’s regional campus in Hamilton. When the museum’s previous director retired at the end of 2001, Dr. Hauer applied for the position and was selected as his replacement. What began as a temporary position in 2002 eventually became permanent. Ever since, he has continued to modernize the space, creating an engaging environment that encourages deeper thinking about the natural world around us. 

The Karl E. Limper Geology Museum was created in 1967 and was located in the basement of Shideler for its first 46 years. However, when the building was undergoing renovations in 2014, it was decided that the museum should have a more prominent location in the main lobby. Additionally, this new version of the museum was given a clean, modern design. With collections consisting of around 160,000 local fossils, 5,000 rocks, 5,000 minerals, and 75 meteorites, the geology museum almost serves as Earth’s biography. Considering the large number of undergraduates at Miami that take an introductory geology course, there is no question of the significance of a space like this to the student body.

Not only is geology important for the Miami community, it is essential in understanding our place in the history of Earth. For example, 450 million years ago, much of what would become North America was covered by a warm, shallow sea. This environment allowed for an extremely productive ecosystem dominated by a huge variety of marine invertebrate animals. Fortunately, Ohio’s far inland location spared the local bedrock from the destructive effects of tectonic plate collisions, resulting in the preservation of an extremely fossil-rich limestone and shale bedrock. Not only does this excellent preservation make our location in the Midwest world-famous for its amazing fossils, it also provides perhaps the best record of what life on Earth was like nearly half a billion years ago. 

Some other notable parts of the collection include a five-foot-tall amethyst geode, trilobites the size of dinner platters, and meteorites. Dr. Hauer has a special interest in these meteorites, as they are quite rare and represent materials left over from the formation of our solar system around 4.5 billion years ago. Interestingly, Dr. Hauer receives inquiries from people who believe that they have found a meteorite almost weekly. Although he has been presented with only one actual meteorite in nearly 25 years, he will always make time to discern meteorites from “meteor-wrongs.” 

To get involved at the museum, Dr. Hauer encourages you to just stop in and take a moment to explore the collection. Much like the herbarium, he finds that students view the space as restricted to major-specific individuals. However, the museum is for anyone curious about minerals, rocks, or fossils. From the general public to Miami students, there is something of interest for anyone wanting to learn about the history and design of our planet. The museum also employs up to two student workers each semester. While some basic knowledge of geology can help secure the position, the role is open to any student who is seeking museum-related experience. 

If you are interested in learning more about the planet we live on and your significance in the environment, the Karl E. Limper Geology Museum is an absolute must. Take the opportunity to look around the museum and expand your understanding of what is possible in the natural world. Dr. Hauer’s knowledge about the topic is not something you’d often come across, so visit the museum and ask questions. You won’t regret it!

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• Student Employment

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As a senior, I thought I had already found everything Miami had to offer. That is, until I heard about the Willard Herman Shurrell Herbarium tucked in the basement of Upham Hall. As I walked up to the largest herbarium in Ohio, I had the pleasure of meeting with the curator, Gretchen Meier, as she revealed this hidden gem of an archive I had been naive to.

With a collection of over 500,000 species, and an estimated 100,000 waiting to be added, Gretchen has a massive responsibility to care for this interactive encyclopedia of plant life. She hopes to expand the reach of the archive to more students at Miami who have an interest in botany. One of the student workers, Megan, mentioned how she felt the space was only meant for people who had “a purpose” for being there. However, after talking with her and Gretchen, it is clear that is anything but the truth. As Miami students, we are encouraged to utilize this space to expand our understanding of the world around us. Thanks to Gretchen, the herbarium offers so much more than just some dried plants. Her insight provides us with stories that teach us about history, the biodiversity of the plant kingdom, and what we can expect in the natural world going into the future.

One inspiring story she told me was of 19th century female botanist, Caroline Lord Bingham, who changed the way we understand algae today. Since algae was considered a lesser plant species, it was assigned to the women to investigate while the men did the “real plants.” Despite this overt discrimination, Bingham used her lemons to make lemonade. She traveled along the California coast, documenting vast amounts of algae and became one of the most influential botanists we know today. To me, this tells an inspiring story about how nature fosters growth not only in the botanical sense, but in societal expectations.

As for biodiversity we may be unaware of, Gretchen highlighted the upcoming event on Oct. 30 from 2 – 4 PM, Halloween in the Herbarium. This is an opportunity for community members to get acquainted with the space while they learn about the strange ways plants have adapted to survive. Parasitic, cannibalistic, and noxious plants will all be on display while you enjoy an herbal witch’s brew. We don’t often think of plants as having such refined social interactions with their peers, but this will accentuate the extent plants will go for the sake of survival.

Looking over these plants, past and present, can serve as a baseline for comparative studies. This is essential as we track how the environment changes with human interaction and global warming. As Gretchen puts it, “What we have is what we know, but what we know is going to change.” Furthermore, the herbarium helps us draw a more complete tree of life, tracking how plants are related to each other and their evolution over time.

The herbarium, despite its massive collection, is always taking donations. If you would like to contribute to its continued growth, you can provide them with plants that have been thoroughly pressed and dried. Gretchen suggests using a plant press to ensure they are properly flattened, especially for woody plants. They will take these specimens, mount them on archival paper, and digitize them before adding them to the collection.

To support the herbarium, you can work or volunteer in the space. Gretchen oversees student workers, who get paid to interact with this impressive archive. You can apply for a paid position through Student Employment. Otherwise, you can Volunteer to show your support. Gretchen is always looking for help, as only about 20% of the archive has been properly documented. To contact the Herbarium, you can email Gretchen or just walk in. They are happy to take the extra set of hands. If time doesn’t allow, you can support by Donating or Buying T-shirts. As a student, I understand we don’t always have time or money to spare. However, if you are interested, just go in during their hours of operation (Weekdays 8 AM–5 PM) and talk plants with Gretchen. This engagement with the students not only supports their mission, but proves their importance to us as students and inhabitants of the planet Earth.

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• Student Employment
• Volunteer
• Donate
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