Meteorite expert Dick Pugh (1940-2020) is remembered by colleagues, students, and friends as a kind-hearted and exceptionally skilled teacher who was globally celebrated for his expertise. Dick was encouraged by PSU mentor Dr. Erwin F. Lange to pursue his passion in meteorite identification. Years later in 2011, Dick was honored with an international Service Award from the Meteoritical Society.

Dick's legacy thrives in the Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory (CML) at PSU which he helped to found in 2003. The laboratory’s mission is to conduct research that helps us understand our place in the universe, and to share this knowledge with the wider community. The CML is designated by the Meteoritical Society as an official repository for type-specimens of newly classified meteorites. Today, ongoing support for CML is provided by a fund that Dick started, the Erwin F. Lange Endowment.

During his last months, Dick made it clear that he wanted to ensure the longevity of the Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory. It was his life’s passion. Dick shared that the most meaningful way to celebrate his life would be through endowing a Curator postion at the CML. This curator will manage and build the CML’s collection, characterize and classify new meteorites, aid the scientific community by providing samples, and serve as the public face for the laboratory.

To honor Dick's legacy, we invite you to join us as we build the Erwin F. Lange Endowment. Together we can support a new, ongoing curator position for the CML. Our goal is to raise $1 million through cash or stock gifts, estate gifts, Donor Advised Funds, and more.

To make a gift online, use the secure link below.

To mail a gift, please make checks out (please be sure to include E.F. Lange in the subject line) and mail to:

PSU Foundation
Erwin F. Lange Endowment
PO Box 243
Portland, OR 97207-0243

Contact Catherine Ingvaldsen for more information at ingvaldsenc@psuf.org