By Maddie Garvis
Hood College has received a donation from the family of late biology lab supervisor Hans Wagner to create the Hans Wagner Memorial Achievement Award.
Wagner died last March of a heart attack. He had served as Hood’s biology lab supervisor and chemical safety officer since 2003 and is remembered fondly by the students and faculty of Hood’s biology department.
“Hans always had a warm smile and a positive ‘Good Morning’ greeting here in Hodson. We affectionately called him, the ‘Hans-O-Matic’ because he did so many things so well,” Oney Smith, chairman of the biology department, said. “Those that come to mind were his skills as a coffee maker, repairman, bookkeeper, storyteller, businessman, gardener, counselor, and mentor. Above all, he accepted and appreciated everyone who walked through his office door.”
The biology department will give the award each spring to two graduating seniors who have received a degree in biology. The reward will include a cash amount of $2,500.
The two recipients of the award will be chosen from students with the top GPAs within the biology major and will receive the award at the annual Honors Convocation ceremony held in May.
The donation will fund six awards, two per year until the last two awards are given in the spring of 2024.
Smith said that the biology department is very appreciative of the donation and the opportunity to award students for their hard work.
“As a department of faculty, staff, and above all, students, we are deeply grateful to the Wagner Family for their generosity in creating this award,” Smith said. “This award, for us, is much more than a memorial – it is the celebration of an individual who was committed every day to the success of biology students, our department, and the college.”
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