Professor Tom Muir recently completed a ceremonial medallion for Bowling Green
State University President Sidney Ribeau. This medallion replaces the one created
in 1964 by former BGSU professor Carl D. Hall for the inauguration of William Jerome,
depicting a “tree of knowledge” and symbolizing the university’s growth at the time.

The medallion created by Muir symbolizes the values of Ribeau’s  administration:
intellectual, spiritual and creative growth; learning community; inquiry and discovery;
and collaboration and collective effort. The design features three interlocking rings,
set inside a set of concentric rings and encircled on the outside by coils.
This reflects the interconnectedness of the university. In the center is a rutilated
quartz sphere, resembling a mini-universe, and representing the university’s global
perspective. Both Muir and Ribeau were cognizant of the need to have it be at
once contemporary and yet reflect traditional design so that in future years it
would not become dated. That, too, reflects the mission of the university, to have
both a solid foundation while looking forward. The entire medallion was fabricated
from sheet and wire, rather than relying on casting processes. The resulting medallion
has more integrity and reflects a higher level of technical accomplishment.

A newspaper article on the new medallion appeared in the Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune,
Thursday, January 20, 2005, Arts and Entertainment Section, p. 10