Fund: Herman T. and Evelyn W. Spieth Memorial Graduate Award in Biology Department: Evolution Ecology & Orgns Bio Dept D01046 Purpose: Graduate Student Support History and Purpose: Dr. Herman T. Spieth, Professor of Zoology, came to UCR in 1953 in order to head the Life Sciences Division. In 1956, he became the second provost and then in 1958, he became the first chancellor when his title was changed from provost to chancellor. He retired from UCR in 1964, but went to UC Davis to return to research and teaching. Dr. Spieth passed away in 1988. The Spieth family and members of the UCR community created the Herman T. Spieth Memorial Award in Natural History and Evolutionary Biology in honor of a leader who did so much to build the Riverside campus. The award, made every one to four years, is given to a PhD graduate student doing research in evolutionary biology and/or natural history, including such fields as population genetics, population ecology, behavioral ecology, taxonomy, and animal behavior. Candidates submit a written research proposal to a standing committee. Background Dr. Herman T. Spieth, Professor of Zoology, came to UC Riverside in 1953 to head the Life Sciences Division. In 1956, he became the second provost and then, in 1958, he became Riverside’s first chancellor. At the turn of the 20th century, southern California was a major producer of citrus, the region’s primary agricultural export. Lobbied by the citrus industry, the UC Regents established a Citrus Experiment Station in 1907 at the base of Mt. Rubidoux in Riverside, later moving to a larger site near Box Springs Mountain. The station conducted experiments in fertilization, irrigation, and crop improvement. By 1944 and the passage of the GI Bill, the rise in college enrollments necessitated an expansion of the public university system in California. A local group of citrus growers and civic leaders, including many UC Berkeley alumni, lobbied aggressively for a UC-administered liberal arts college next to the Citrus Experiment Station. State Senator Nelson Dilworth, former Assemblyman Philip L. Boyd, and Riverside State Assemblyman John Babbage were instrumental in shepherding the legislation through the State Capitol. Governor Earl Warren signed the bill in 1949, allocating $2 million for initial campus construction. Gordon Watkins from UCLA became Riverside’s first provost; the campus opened in 1954 with 65 junior faculty and 127 students. By the time Clark Kerr became president of the UC system in 1958, UC Riverside enrollment exceeded 1,000 students. Anticipating a tidal wave of enrollments with the “baby boom” generation, President Kerr developed the California Master Plan for Higher Education, with the UC Regents designating Riverside a general campus in 1959. As UCR’s first chancellor, Herman Spieth, oversaw the school’s transition to a full university and its expansion to 5,000 students. Although Chancellor Spieth retired from UC Riverside in 1964, he continued his passion for teaching and research at UC Davis. When he passed away in 1988, the Spieth family and members of the UC Riverside community created the Herman T. Spieth Memorial Award in is honor. The award was later renamed the Herman T. and Evelyn Spieth Memorial Scholarship Fund upon Evelyn’s passing and in appreciation of her own contributions to founding the Riverside campus. General Purpose This fund will support the Herman T. and Evelyn W. Spieth Memorial Graduate Award in Biology, given in accordance with university policy to a student doing graduate (Ph.D.) research in evolutionary biology and/or natural history, including such fields as population genetics, population ecology, behavioral ecology, taxonomy, and animal behavior. Selection and Guidelines: Award is based on written research proposal. Selection is made by a standing committee (within the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences), to be awarded at least once every 4 years and not more than once every year. A pool of award candidates in evolutionary biology and/or natural history will be nominated by their graduate advisors, with the final selection and award amount determined by the chair of the Department of Biology in consultation with the faculty. Request for Information: Request Scholarship Information