[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 171 (Wednesday, November 30, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1547-E1548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CELEBRATING THE 12TH ANNUAL NORTHWEST INDIANA INNOVATION INDUCTION 
                                CEREMONY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 30, 2016

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect and admiration 
that I congratulate Ivy Tech Community College and its regional 
partners who recently celebrated their 12th Annual Northwest Indiana 
Innovation Induction Ceremony. At the ceremony, which reflects the 
``Spirit of Innovation'' in Indiana, eighteen individuals and twenty-
one teams were inducted as members of the 2016-2017 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 Jon Groth, Chancellor 
Thomas Keon, Ph.D., Elizabeth Lynn, Ph.D., Sandra Chimon-Peszek Rogers, 
Ph.D., Mayor Joseph Stahura, and Barbara Eason-Watkins. Also honored 
were the recipients of the Society's team awards, Urschel Laboratories, 
Inc., which received the Accelerating Greatness Award, and the Grand 
Calumet River Partners in Restoration, which was honored with the 
Chanute Prize for Team Innovation. For their truly remarkable 
contributions to the community of Northwest Indiana and their 
unwavering commitment to cultivate a culture of innovation, these 
honorees were inducted at Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, on October 20, 
2016.
   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 Northwest Region is led by Dr. Thomas G. Coley, 
Chancellor, Ivy Tech Community College, Northwest and North Central 
Regions. 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 innovative leadership throughout Northwest Indiana and beyond. 
Jon Groth is the area director/principal of Porter County Career and 
Technical Education. Among his many accomplishments, Jon led the 
repurposing of a historic 1912 Grand Trunk Rail Depot, turning it into 
a 21st

[[Page E1548]]

century classroom. He also initiated the first student-built energy 
alternative project in Indiana on a school roof. Chancellor Thomas 
Keon, Ph.D., led the unification of two college campuses into a single 
university, Purdue University Northwest, which is one of the first 
innovative educational mergers in Indiana. The merger creates more 
choices for students, promotes regional identity, and contributes to 
economic development in Northwest Indiana. Elizabeth Lynn, Ph.D., is 
the director and founder of Valparaiso University's Center for Civic 
Reflection (CCR). A truly innovative learning center, the CCR is 
nationally recognized and applies the use of humanities and civic 
conversations within communities in America. The center has trained 
more than 7,000 facilitators and led more than 20,000 people in public, 
community, and workplace dialogues. Sandra Chimon-Peszek Rogers, Ph.D., 
is the director of Calumet College of Saint Joseph's Biophysical 
Chemistry Department and a researcher of Alzheimer's disease. She 
developed an innovative curriculum combining lecture and hands-on 
learning that is especially helpful for struggling students. This award 
winning program has thrived and is a source of pride for the college. 
Mayor Joseph Stahura, of Whiting, Indiana, led the city's 
transformation into a flourishing 21st century destination. He has put 
life back into the community by re-establishing and beautifying the 
Whiting lakefront, revitalizing the downtown area, and bringing the 
National Mascot Hall of Fame to Whiting, to name just a few of his 
major accomplishments. Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins is the Superintendent 
of Michigan City Area Schools. Under her leadership, the school system 
has flourished due to the collaboration of the community and county. 
Among her achievements, she launched the first NIPSCO Energy Academy in 
Indiana, the first STEM public elementary school, and the first 
construction technology program in Indiana.
   Urschel Laboratories received the Greatness Award for Team 
Innovation, presented to Rick Urschel, President, for the company's 
inspiration to create future innovation. Urschel is now owned by its 
employees and recently completed a new $100 million, 350,000 square 
foot manufacturing facility and headquarters.
   The Chanute Prize for Team Innovation was presented to the Grand 
Calumet River Partners in Restoration. Collaborating with eight 
companies and working with regulatory agencies, the clean-up and 
transformation of the Grand Calumet River has been astounding, with 
more than 80 percent of the river being revitalized over the past 
decade.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join 
me in commending these noteworthy, inspiring innovators. The 
contributions each has made to society here in Northwest Indiana and 
worldwide are immeasurable and lifelong. For their truly brilliant 
innovative ideas, projects, and leadership, these recipients are worthy 
of the highest commendation.

                          ____________________