[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 176 (Monday, December 7, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1713-E1714]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING THE SOCIETY OF INNOVATORS OF NORTHWEST INDIANA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 7, 2015

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect and enthusiasm 
that I congratulate Ivy Tech Community College and its regional 
partners who recently celebrated their 11th Annual Northwest Indiana 
Innovation Induction Ceremony. At the ceremony, which reflects the 
``Spirit of Innovation'' in Indiana, eleven individuals and fifteen 
teams were inducted as members of the 2015-2016 Class of The Society of 
Innovators of Northwest Indiana. Of these individuals, several members 
were inducted as Society Fellows for their exceptional efforts in 
innovation. These individuals are Erin Argyilan, Ph.D., Marilyn Brunk, 
Tom Clark, Joseph Coar, Joseph Ferrandino, Ph.D., and Donald Galbreath. 
Also honored were two Chanute Prize recipients, the Green Abilities 
Team at The Arc Northwest Indiana, and Indiana University Health La 
Porte Hospital. In addition, the ``Accelerating Greatness'' award was 
presented to Edgewater Behavioral Health Services and Methodist 
Hospital, Northlake Campus, for its level III ``in the process'' trauma 
center. For their truly remarkable contributions to the community of 
Northwest Indiana and their continuous efforts to cultivate a culture 
of innovation, these honorees were inducted at the Horseshoe Casino in 
Hammond, Indiana, on Thursday, October 22, 2015.
   The Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana was created by Ivy 
Tech Northwest with the goal of highlighting and encouraging innovative 
individuals and groups within the not-for-profit, public, and private 
sectors, as well as building a ``culture of innovation'' in Northwest 
Indiana. The importance of innovation in Northwest Indiana, as well as 
globally, is crucial in today's ever-changing economy.
   The fellows selected by the Society of Innovators were chosen for 
their extraordinary innovative leadership and the impact of their 
accomplishments throughout Northwest Indiana and beyond. Erin Argyilan, 
Ph.D., is a geologist at Indiana University Northwest. Dr. Argyilan 
established a new model of a previously unknown geological hazard in 
sand dunes. Her discovery is called a ``dune decomposition chimney or 
tunnel,'' and her extensive research helped to explain why six-year-old 
Nathan Woessner was trapped in a hole on Mount Baldy in 2013. Marilyn 
Brunk is a teacher at Griffith High School. Marilyn launched a computer 
science and programming class involving video games, which is the first 
of its kind in Northwest Indiana and possibly the entire state. 
Griffith students are excited about this innovative class and 
enrollment continues to grow each year. Tom Clark is a teacher at Lake 
Central High School. Tom started the Gold Star Honor Roll Project 
thirty years ago, and it is among the longest running experimental 
learning projects in the state and one of the largest in the nation. 
The project, which is celebrated by students and faculty, involves 
learning through the gathering of historic memorabilia, validating 
records, and visiting families of American soldiers killed in combat. 
Joseph Coar, of Tonn and Blank Construction, spearheaded a carpenter's 
apprenticeship program that put Indiana in the forefront of innovative 
curricula for high school students. In addition, his support led to the 
implementation of the program at A.K. Smith Career Center in La Porte, 
the first career center in Indiana to offer this program. Joseph

[[Page E1714]]

Ferrandino, Ph.D., associate professor of criminal justice at Indiana 
University Northwest, founded the Northwest Indiana Public Safety Data 
Consortium, which transforms how public safety communicates throughout 
the region. This truly innovative project connects data and imaging 
among nearly thirty participating agencies and across four counties. 
Donald Galbreath has been an innovator in the waste handling industry 
for the past sixty years. He is best known for inventing ``the most 
user friendly roll-off hoist in his industry.'' The majority of roll-
off hoists used in the waste, scrap, and construction hauling 
industries were influenced by his inventions.
   The recipients of the Chanute Prize for Team Innovation should be 
commended for their contributions. The Green Abilities Team at The Arc 
Northwest Indiana received this honor for its truly innovative and 
successful on-site training program in which special needs individuals 
are taught how to recycle granite remnants into landscaping pavers, 
tile veneers, and other repurposed products. Indiana University Health 
La Porte Hospital also received this honor for implementing initiatives 
that promote a ``fair and just culture'' in which employees are 
encouraged to report problems. In addition, the hospital launched Rapid 
Improvement Events in which skilled teams, including physicians, spend 
a full week focusing on a single opportunity for improvement. These 
solutions are tested and then implemented within a timeframe goal of 
thirty days.
   The Accelerating Greatness Award for Team Innovation included two 
recipients. Edgewater Behavioral Health Services is the first in the 
state to develop a program that helps to provide immediate attention to 
people in psychiatric crisis. The Rapid Access Center allows adults 
experiencing these types of problems to get help in a short amount of 
time regardless of their ability to pay for services. Methodist 
Hospital, Northlake Campus, was also honored with this award for 
opening the first level III ``in the process'' trauma center in 
Northwest Indiana, which is the sixteenth in the state. This has been a 
goal for Methodist Hospitals for more than a decade.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my distinguished colleagues to join me in 
commending these outstanding innovators. The contributions they have 
made to society here in Northwest Indiana and worldwide are 
immeasurable and lifelong. For their truly brilliant innovative ideas, 
projects, and leadership, each recipient is worthy of the highest 
commendation.

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