According to Dr. Phillip R. Shriver, President Emeritus & Professor of History, "The telescope represents the future, man's continuing quest to find meaning in the universe. Why are we here, on this particular planet, amid a galaxy of other planets and stars? The telescope is used to scan the universe and push back the frontiers of knowledge."
The telescope that is placed in the Great Seal is a piece of a larger telescope that was found in the physics department. Staff members in the instrumentation laboratory in Hughes Hall made a base for it that was designed by an adjunct associate professor of physics.
Night Sky
The background of the seal is a depiction provided by the physics department of what the night sky would have looked like over Oxford, Ohio on Miami's Charter Day, Feb. 17, 1809, at 7pm. The four bright objects near the western horizon (bottom right) are Venus, the Moon, Jupiter, and Mercury. Thirty-two fiber optic lights illuminate the brighter stars in the night sky.
Click to view a larger image of the night sky
A Star and Two Comets
The top of the Miami University Seal features two comets and a star, cast in bronze. These were created by alumni in a CraftSummer sculpture workshop under the direction of Jim Killy, professor emeritus of art.
Nationally recognized as one of the most outstanding undergraduate institutions, Miami University is a public university located in Oxford, Ohio. With a student body of 16,000, Miami effectively combines a wide range of strong academic programs with faculty who love to teach and the personal attention ordinarily found only at much smaller institutions.
A compact, friendly, commuter campus, Miami Hamilton offers bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and beginning coursework for most four-year degrees. Small class sizes, on-site child care, and flexible scheduling make Miami Hamilton attractive to students at all stages of life and career.
Nestled on 141 acres near I-75, Miami University Middletown offers bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and beginning coursework for most four-year degrees.
Located midway between Cincinnati and Dayton along I-75, the Voice of America Learning Center (VOALC) offers undergraduate and graduate courses and programs drawn from Miami's Regional and Oxford campuses. Home to Miami's MBA program, the Learning Center provides ready access to graduate programs for area educators and courses leading to the BIS degree for undergraduates.
7847 VOA Park Dr.
(Corner of VOA Park Dr. and Cox Rd.)
West Chester, OH 45069
One of Miami's oldest continuous study abroad programs, the Miami University John E. Dolibois Center (MUDEC) in Luxembourg offers students the opportunity to enroll in Miami classes taught by European-based and Ohio-based Miami faculty. Students enjoy a unique combination offirst-class academics, engagement in the local community, and various faculty-guided and independent travel opportunities.