Dr. Dane Miller said Friday afternoon that to live a fulfilling life it's important to never stop educating oneself.
And because of a recent honor Miller received, four Warsaw Community Schools teachers will be able to continue their education through professional development.
In a news conference Friday afternoon at the Warsaw Community Schools administration building, teachers Lorinda Kline, Ben Barkey, Mark McCollum and Dan Wray were given $1,000 grants from BioCrossroads through the Kosciusko County Community Foundation.
BioCrossroads is familiar to those in the area since a Lilly Endowment-funded study by the Indianapolis-based life sciences helped create OrthoWorx.
David Johnson, president and CEO of BioCrossroads, spoke first of what made Miller a perfect candidate for the 2010 August M. Wantanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year.
The award is given by BioCrossroads for someone who "has made unique contributions to the development and promotion of Indiana's life sciences sector."
Because of Miller's award, which he received Oct. 27 in Indianapolis, Miller was allowed to give teachers in the areas of science and mathematics a chance to gain some professional development that will in turn be used in the classroom.
Edgewood Middle School math teacher Kline was recognized first by WCS Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz.
"She is a very talented teacher in our system," said Hintz. "She is a first-class teacher in every respect."
Kline was noted for her special assignment of teaching fellow teachers this year.
Students Scott Smyth and Madison Dobbins both said they were lucky to have Kline as a teacher.
Kline was the first-runner-up for the 2010 Indiana State Teacher of the Year award.
Barkey, an Edgewood science teacher, was then recognized for his work in a robotics program for Warsaw that has garnered awards at the state level.
"Ben enjoys teaching through hands-on learning," said Hintz. "We're very proud of the robotics teams he has sent to state competition. He is a professional in every sense of the word."
Students Will Petro and Evan Miller both spoke about why they enjoyed having Barkey as a teacher.
Lakeview science teachers McCollum and Wray then were recognized.
McCollum was the 2006 teacher of the Year for Warsaw Community Schools.
Lakeview Middle School student Bryce Lippe said McCollum was a good teacher to work with.
"When we have students who can't wait to get in a teacher's classroom, that says something special about the teacher," said Hintz.
Both McCollum and Wray were noted for their enthusiasm they brought to topics like outer space and the space program to students.
"I learned very quick that (Wray) has a passion for space," said Hintz. "He has made several trips to Huntsville since I've been here."
Huntsville, Ala., is the site of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.
"He brings an incredible amount of intelligence to his students." said Hintz of Wray.
Student Jason Seaver said he appreciated Wray for having his same "level of geekiness" and said "he's a really awesome teacher."
During the Oct. 27 ceremony, Miller was honored for his work in founding and building Biomet as well as work in both the public and private sector.
Normally, two teachers in the award winners area are honored, but Miller helped ensure four teachers from Warsaw Community Schools would be recognized.
Miller also sponsors two students from the county each year who plan on majoring in science or engineering-related fields in college.
Along with the grant money, Miller also gave each teacher a copy of the Merck Manual, a medical book 2,920 pages long that Miller said "should be in every home."
"And I hope you have a chance to read every page," quipped Miller.
After the presentation, Miller said the time he has spent with people in all sorts of fields, including Nobel Prize winning molecular biologist James Watson, drive his desire to learn and even make him question his own career path.
That quest for knowledge may be the reason for Miller's biggest failure of late.
"Of all the things I've done, I haven't been good at retirement," joked Miller.
Hintz thanked Miller for his efforts to help Warsaw Schools.
"Dr. Miller is certainly worthy of any honor bestowed upon him," said Hintz.
Hintz noted that these grants allow the teachers to grow, and said if teachers and schools aren't growing and learning they are moving backward.
Suzie Light, executive director of the Kosciusko County Community Foundation, presented the grants to the teachers and said because of teachers like them more students will seek careers in math and sciences.Brad Bishop, executive director of OrthoWorx, said that a study started recently will see where Warsaw Community Schools fits into what OrthoWorx is trying to do in terms of growing the orthopedics industry in the region.
"We have a lot to be proud of in our school system," said Bishop.
Bishop also said there will be public meetings as part of the study so parents and the rest of the public can give their input on Warsaw Community Schools.
