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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 1994)
Sports ■ Nebraska defeats Creighton Bluejays, Page 7 Arts and Entertainment ■ "A Christmas Carol" returns to Lied Center, Page 9 PAGE 2: Former White House official faces charges COVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA SINCE 1901 VOL. 94 NO. 74 liberty: ‘I didn’t have any choice’ Dismissal linked to engineering debate, dean says By MT Zglgny Editor Stan Liberty said the debate over creating a separate engineering college in Omaha was the key to his removal as dean of the College of Engineering and Technology. Liberty said his high profile in the engi i ncering debate was the main reason he was forced to step down by UNL Senior Vice Chan cellor for Academic Affairs Joan Leitzel. “She felt that I had been wounded in my future effectiveness because of that,” Liberty told the Daily Nebraskan Wednesday night. “She said it was a perception shared between herself and others. Personally, I don’t see any indication. “We have been involved in this for 16 months and the college has not fallen back. In fact, we have hit some of our high points.” Leitzel has maintained that Liberty’s dis missal as dean was not linked to the engineer ing college debate. She said her decision was based upon the findings from Liberty’s five year personnel review. “I cannot explain the negatives of the per sonnel review,” she said Wednesday. “We can not disclose the ingredients.” Liberty told engineering faculty and staff Tuesday that he would step down, effective Jan. 1. Liberty said that decision came from a Nov. 15 meeting with Leitzel. He said he had not debated the decision with Leitzel or University 6f Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Graham Spanier. “Administrators serve at the pleasure of those above them. If the pleasure runs out, it’s all over,” Liberty said. “I didn’t have any choice.” Liberty said his removal had not soured him. He said he intended to focus on his new posi tion of developing the UNL Technology Park and working with the.NU Foundation. “Now, I have to focus on my next task,” Liberty said. “Then I will focus on what I would like to do cither here or at other institutions.” Liberty said he hadn’t had time to think about specific long-term plans. He remains a tenured professor in the College of Engineer ing and Technology. The timing of Tuesday’s announcement has puzzled many. See LIBERTY on 6 __ . . _ ... Garik Parmala/DN . ,iln L5[n<i^ pr®I**sor °* biological sciences at the University of Nebraska-Uncoln, holds an Beuthorodactylus rulzl frog In Ms office on Tuesday afternoon. Lynch describes himself as an evolutionist who Is enthusiastic about frogs and has traveled to Colombia every year for the past 17 years to study them. frogs stand in professor’s debt Amphibians owe names, discovery to frequent hops around South America By Julia Sabczyk Staff Reporter Eveiy year John Lynch spends his sum mer in South America doing what some people might consider FACULTY strange. * ”^01 1 1 “I go down there to prollle work on frogs,” Lynch, J, a professor of biology at A the University of Nc braska-Lincoln, said. Most of his time in South America is spent % in Bogota, Colombia, and other areas of the country catching frogs, working in museums and interacting with friends in the area. Lynch said he used the frogs for studies on evolution. “I study frogs because I would like them to be used in evaluating theories about evo lution,” he said. The first step in studying frogs involves taking pictures and catching them to iden tify different species. “I’m trying to find out what kinds of frogs occur in particular places,” Lynch said. “I document who was living in the places I caught them at.” Lynch has been traveling to South America since 1967. For the last 17 years. Lynch has been identifying frogs in Colom bia. Through his studies, Lynch has found species of frogs that had never been identi fied before. “There are a great many species that aren’t identified,” he said. “I end up hav ing to name a lot of them.” As a result, Lynch has six different types of frogs and one type of lizard named after him. He identified the most recent frog, the Hyla lynchi, last year. Before becoming interested in frogs, Lynch said he studied snakes while attend ing the University of Illinois. He later turned to studying frogs because of the encouragement he received from a professor. Although identifying frogs can be com plicated, Lynch said, he still enjoys it. “One reason I enjoy it is I’m quite good at it,” Lynch said. “I get pleasure out of dis covering. I don’t worry about if what I find will help humankind. If I can help people appreciate it, that will mean it’s worth while.” Lynch uses information gained in South America in the classes he teaches at UNL. “I like to give general biology students a sense of what the tropics are like,” he said. Lynch said he liked to excite his students about research and discovery. “The more you know, the more you can find out,” he said. “Discovery is something everyone needs to experience.” Lynch said he planned to continue his study of frogs. “Having invested 30 years in the study of frogs, I’m not about to abandon it for anything else.” Reggie Baul is found guilty in wallet theft By Brian Sharp Senior Reporter UNL football player Reggie Baul was found guilty of theft on Wednesday after pleading no contest to the charge. Lancaster County Judge Donald Grant or dered Baul to pay $ 124 in fines and court costs. Baul, a junior split end, was released after re questing time to pay the fine. Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said after practice on Wednesday that he was aware of the charge but hadn’t heard the court decision. Baul was convicted for taking a University of Nebraska-Lincoln student’s wallet from a Village Inn Restaurant, 2949 N. 27th St., on Nov. 20. Several items from the wallet never were recovered. “If somebody is guilty of something, we’re going to have to do something,” Osborne told the Daily Nebraskan. > Osborne called Baul over to talk to him as players were leaving after practice on Wednes day. Osborne was visibly upset while confront ing Baul, repeatedly shaking his head and shrugging. Police reports gave the following account of the Nov. 20 incident: A female student from Pleasant Dale was at the restaurant that evening with friends. See ARRAIGNMENT on 6 Neither dean up for review will return By D*Dra Janssen Senior Reporter Two UNL deans were up for review this year, and neither will return to his post in Janu ary. Gary Schwendiman announced on Nov. 21 that he would step down as dean of the Col lege of Business Administration on Jan. 1. Schwendiman, who has been dean for 17 years, said he was resigning to take on new chal lenges. Stan Liberty, dean of the College of Engi neering and Technology, announced Tuesday that he also would step down as dean at the first of the year. University of Nebraska-Lin coln administrators decided not to reappoint Liberty, who has been dean for 13 years. Joan Leitzel, senior vice chancellor for aca demic affairs at UNL, is in charge of college deans. Leitzel said both deans were evaluated as part of a new five-year review plan. The five-year reviews began at UNL last See DEANS on 3